Canucks Forwards – Who Will Make the Cut?

Heading into tonight’s matchup with the Flames, only two games remain in the Canucks preseason. For a select group of young Canucks, this is all the time they have to prove that they belong with the big club. Here’s a quick look at where spots are available:

Forward Lines:

1. Sedin Sedin Samuelson
2. Burrows Kesler Raymond
3. Bernier Wellwood --------
4. Hordichuk Johnson Rypien
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Though these lines may be interchanged, it is expected that all of these players will be on the team on October first. You can see that there are two spots available: one as a winger on the third line, and one as the seventh forward who might be carried by the club but will usually not dress for games.

Four players are vying for these two spots: Cody Hodgson, Sergei Shirokov, Michael Grabner, and Jannik Hansen. Let’s assume that the Canucks staff will be true to their word of choosing the team based on merit and not on contract complexities, which would add a completely different dimension. Which two will stay in Vancouver?

Hansen is the only player of the four with NHL experience, and he has demonstrated this in the preseason. He has shown consistency in his effort and the ability needed to play with the big boys, so it would be stunning if he’s not given one of the spots.

Conversely, Michael Grabner has almost played himself off the team by showing that he’s clearly not ready to make the jump from AHL to NHL. He hasn’t responded to pressure and he’s looked out of place, most of the time. Let’s count him out.

This leaves Cody Hodgson and Sergei Shirokov to fight over the last spot. Poor Hodgson has been battling a nagging back injury and hasn’t been able to play up to speed thus far. Shirokov, on the other hand, has looked marvelous, with 4 points in two games, but it should be noted that the first was played against a haphazard New York Islanders team in Terrace, B.C. Still, if Shirokov can work the same magic against Calgary and Edmonton, and Hodgson does nothing special, Shirokov will probably win.

But with two games remaining, anything can happen. Who knows, perhaps Grabner will score a hat trick, and Hodgson will set up all three goals. The youngsters hold their fate in their hands.


Note: This is being posted in lieu of Monday’s post, because it simply cannot wait!