Fan In Van

Four Rookies?

The chances of it are unlikely, but don’t be surprised if the Vancouver Canucks ice a lineup which comprises four rookies on their season opener versus the Calgary Flames on October 1st.

Cody Hodgson, Sergei Shirokov, Evan Oberg and Cory Schneider have all had outstanding prospect camps and preseasons and it is entirely feasible that head coach Alain Vigneault could have them all in the opening lineup at GM Place by the time the real games start. While Canuck fans only got to see Hodgson in preseason action for the first time on Saturday night when he sustained a back injury, October 1 is still ten days away and he still has a good chance at making the roster. Shirokov has demonstrated some great hands thus far since arriving from Russia and his showing with the Sedins has demonstrated his ability to be a playmaker (two assists). Cory Schneider is also making things difficult for the Canucks coaching staff after playing some shutout hockey in preseason action.

But perhaps the biggest surprise this preseason has been the steady play of blueliner Evan Oberg. Oberg, who arrived to the Canucks via the free agency route after spending two seasons with the University of Minnesota-Duluth, has shown some very calm behaviour when he has the puck and has made good decisions with it.

When I first saw Oberg in preseason action against the Islanders, he seemed very composed despite the fact that it was his first NHL game. He impressed me a lot more this past Saturday versus the Oilers on the powerplay when he made a smooth pass to Alex Edler on the point despite the Oiler forechecker barreling down on him. His smooth play reminds me very much of Edler, who showed the same type of composure as a rookie for the Canucks not long ago.

But given the Canucks’ depth not just on defence but in the forward corps, don’t be surprised if one or even two of the above don’t make it for the season opener. Despite injuries to Pavol Demitra and the risk of injuries to Sami Salo and Mathieu Schneider, Hodgson, Shirokov and Oberg may only see a handful of games this season. Despite the talent which both Hodgson possesses, there’s no doubt in my mind that last year’s third line centre Kyle Wellwood will not go quietly into the press box without a fight. Wellwood’s arrival to camp in tremendous shape this year is an indication of his willingness to be a full-time NHL player.

The Canucks’ wealth of depth on their lineup has at least presented an intriguing preseason and kudos to Canuck management for implementing that kind of competition among players. These guys are fighting tooth and nail for jobs and it’s interesting to see if these players can sustain that style of play over a long period of time. Young players such as Hodgson, Shirokov, Oberg and Schneider are all focused on taking jobs away from some of those veterans, and that’s a sight which hasn’t been seen in Vancouver for many years.