The Canucks are winding their way slowly through the preseason at the moment. It’s a time when the fringe guys are giving it their all and the top end guys are just trying to find their timing – and trying not to get hurt. Not the best to judge players too much, but there are a few things that have been picked up over the last week:
- JT Miller hasn’t played a preseason game yet. Some people are worried. There’s chatter that he’s hurt, but that seems to be more rumor than fact as both Tocchet and Miller have said otherwise.
“We’ve just kept him out to work on some stuff and he wanted to work on stuff on the ice and he felt it was better,” said Tocchet. “He came in as our second best guy (fitness testing) and we have other guys vying for a job.”
- Demko’s injury still doesn’t have a timeline. It’s a unique injury – believed to be a muscle in the back of the knee – so there isn’t as much information or treatments known for it.
“We measure his good days,” Tocc said. “The thing with Demko, we’ve talked about no target dates, just days. And so far, it’s been (many) consecutive days. I don’t know how many, at least 10 or 12, where he’s had good days. So that’s a positive.”
- With Demko’s absence, newly-signed goalie Kevin Lankinen got the start last night in Edmonton for the Canucks’ 3-2 OT loss. By all accounts, he looked good, stopping 24 shots and looking like a competent partner to Silovs to start the year. And apparently, he’s really good at handling the puck:
“He’s awesome,” said Bains after the game. “He can play the puck better than anyone and he’s really strong back there. We’re confident in him and it showed today.”
- Räty and Lekkerimäki have both been impressive this preseason, but Räty has shown more growth and versatility to his game than he did in the AHL last year. It’s been a huge plus for the team, as their center depth isn’t great. While Räty is left-handed, he flips his stick over to take opposite handed draws… which is quite a neat trick but also pivotal as the Canucks don’t have any right-handed centermen on the team.
I don’t think Lekker will make the team, as he could definitely use some time down in Abby to refine his game, but Räty is going to get a longer look with Blueger coming back from injury and Joshua still out.
- With the larger roster cuts coming over the next day or two, the Canucks have made some moves already. Sammy Blais was release from his PTO so will join Abby now, as well as Danila Klimovich, Tristen Neilsen and Ty Young to Abbotsford, released Chase Wouters from his PTO, and newly signed Vilmer Alriksson to his junior club the Guelph Storm. I assume we’ll see the larger chunk of them as the team widdles its way down to their opening night roster.
- The Canucks final preseason game goes Friday night, and I assume we’ll not only see JTM out there but something much more of a full Canucks lineup. Tocchet has wanted the vets to be leaders in practice and show the young kids how intensely they have to prepare for games, but with only one game left and cuts incoming we’ll have a much better look at how the opening night roster is going to look.
Until then, the comments:
Quotes from the Province.
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