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Canucks cut 3 & Boeser returns to practice; Canucks prepare to visit Oilers

September 19, 2019, 2:46 PM ET [130 Comments]
Carol Schram
Vancouver Canucks Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Thursday November 19 - Vancouver Canucks at Edmonton Oilers - 6 p.m. - Sportsnet One, Sportsnet 650

Preseason Stats:

Vancouver Canucks: 3 GP, 2-1-0, 10 GF, 8 GA
Edmonton Oilers: 2 GP, 1-1-0, 4 GF, 4 GA

Two days after the Vancouver Canucks dispatched the Edmonton Oilers by a score of 4-2 at Rogers Arena, the same teams will meet again at Rogers Place in Edmonton on Thursday night.

Seems like Dave Tippett is still very much in player-evaluation mode with the Oilers. We knew Connor McDavid was unlikely to participate as he gets closer to being game-ready after spending the summer rehabbing his injured knee, so he's not in the lineup. Neither are Leon Draisaitl or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, although we will get a look at James Neal in an Edmonton jersey.

Neal did pick up a goal in the Oilers' first preseason game, a 2-0 win over Winnipeg.

Mikko Koskinen and Shane Starrett are expected to split the game in net for Edmonton.



Here's the group of Vancouver Canucks that will make the trip to Edmonton, based on Thursday's morning skate in Vancouver:



Sven Baertschi is reunited with his old pal Bo Horvat today, joining a top line with Horvat and J.T Miller, as well as the first power-play unit. The Eriksson-Gaudette-Leivo combination remains intact from training camp and from the game in Victoria. And I'm happy to see Lukas Jasek getting a look in the middle. After a quietly decent first North American season in Utica last year, I thought he also had a quietly decent training camp.

On the blueline, we'll get our first look at the B.C. boy pairing of Jordie Benn and Troy Stecher in game action, and Jacob Markstrom will make his first preseason appearance in net.

Travis Green has taken his time getting to special-teams work, but he is putting the travelling group through some power-play paces.



The Canucks announced another round of cuts this morning, sending goalie Michael DiPietro and forwards Vincent Arseneau and Jonah Gadjovich down to Utica.

Arseneau was the last player on an AHL contract still up with the big club. Clocking in at 6'2" and 231 pounds on Hockey DB, the grinding winger had a pretty boisterous game against the Oilers on Tuesday. Despite playing just 7:24, he finished with one shot, two hits, a takeaway and a block, as well as a first-period holding penalty on Tomas Jurco.

Can't say I'm surprised to see Gadjovich get sent down. He had a quiet camp and wasn't noticeable in his game-action against the Flames in Victoria. After appearing in just 43 games in Utica last year, he'll need to keep working and using his big body effectively if he hopes to take another step forward in his hockey career this year.

I'm a little surprised that DiPietro is sent down now, without getting any additional game action. He gave up three goals in two period against the Flames in Victoria before Zane McIntyre took over for the final 20 minutes.

Of course, the big news on Wednesday was Brock Boeser's return to the ice at Rogers Arena, with his new contract signed, sealed and delivered.



Boeser was also very candid when he spoke with the media about everything he has gone through in Minnesota with his dad's health scare this summer and how much it meant to have this extra week as his father has continued to make progress โ€” now back to breathing on his own and finally able to start eating.



Boeser also admitted that the process of taking his dad's recovery one day at a time helped him 'stay sane' and apply that same mentality to his contract negotiations. And he left no doubt that his three-year deal is no cause for concern. He's committed to the Canucks, the city and the fans and says he hopes to be in Vancouver for a very long time.

Despite having been on an intense emotional rollercoaster, Boeser's offseason training seems to have gone well. He has come into preseason a little leaner than last year and Travis Green said, "He looks as strong as I've seen him. He is probably in the best shape he's been in."

Travis Green also gave an update on Quinn Hughes on Wednesday, saying that he chipped some teeth and got some stitches when he took that puck to the face on Tuesday night, but should be fine. He was part of the non-playing group that skated early on Thursday.

Finally โ€” if you didn't see it, Elliotte Friedman's "31 Thoughts" returned for its first edition of the new season on Thursday.



The only Canucks note comes in thought No. 13.

Teams trying to move bodies include Carolina and Vancouver. Both are tight to the cap and roster limits. The Canucks have made four or five players available, but Iโ€™m not sure Jake Virtanen is one of them. Head coach Travis Green was frustrated with Nikolay Goldobin last season, but GM Jim Benning opted for a longer view. Could be the same here.


Makes sense, with all the extra bodies in camp โ€” atlhough, as I wrote after Boeser's signing, the team doesn't have to do anything drastic to become roster and cap-compliant on opening night.

There was a rumour out of Edmonton on Wednesday that Tim Schaller's available โ€” and that certainly seems plausible. I think Schaller has been OK through the early stages of camp, but with the logjam of forwards and a $1.9 million cap hit, I bet Jim Benning would be happy to get his deal off the books and open up a roster spot.

I'd be surprised if Virtanen or Goldobin get moved. I believe that Travis still wants to see the work he's put in with Jake come to fruition. Goldobin, I suppose, is more likely, but I'm not sure there'd be much of a market for him.

Who else do you think could be in that group of "four or five?" Eriksson, I'd imagine. Is Josh Leivo getting squeezed out due to all the new additions?

I wonder if Tyler Motte is back on the bubble, too? He hasn't stood out so far in this preseason like he did last year.
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