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Will the Canucks roll 4 forward lines in 2015-16?


tyhee

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This coming season's roster, so far, looks something like what follows, the important part of my point being the 4th line.

Sedin-Sedin-Burrows

Baertschi-Bonino-Vrbata

Higgins-Horvat-Hansen

Prust-Vey-Dorsett

(+ Kenins)

There could be something different but my point is really that the 4th line is looking like Prust-Vey-Dorsett.

Looking at that 4th line and how the players on it did last season at even strength (stats from stats.hockeyanalysis.com except Vey's faceoff % which came from nhl.com):

LW Brandon Prust-scored 1.08 pts/60 minutes. GF% 55.8, 9th among the Canadiens forwards with 50+ minutes at even strength. GF%RelTM + 5.3. CF% 45.2, 13th among Canadien forwards. CF%RelTM also 13th, at -2.3.

C Linden Vey 1.09 pts/60 minutes, worst among Canuck forwards not named McMillan. GF% 43.3, 13th of 16, and GF%RelTM -6.0, also 13th of 16. CF% 47.8, 10th among 16 Canuck forwards. CF%RelTM -0.9, 12th among Canuck forwards. Faceoff% 42.8, worst among Canuck centres last season.

RW Derek Dorsett 1.39 pts/60 minutes, 14th of 16 Canuck forwards who played 50+ extra strength minutes, ahead only of Vey and McMillan. GF% 47.7 which looks bad but was actually 6th among the 16 Canuck forwards playing 50+ minutes; GF%RelTM + 0.9, 5th. Corsi For % 43.0, worst among the 16 Canuck fowards, also worst in CF%RelTM.

Now, there are other possibilities for the 4th line. Prust and Higgins could switch lines, for example. A prospect could outplay Vey for the outstanding 4C job. I assume they aren't paying Dorsett and Prust at least $2.5 million each intending that they sit.

There could be a different makeup to the lines and some prospect could fit in somewhere. Regardless, there seems a really strong possibility that the 4th line may well be considerably weaker than the others.

Will the Canucks roll 4 forward lines this coming season, or will the 4th line, whoever is on it, get restricted minutes?

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^I'd agree. I think it's why we're overpaying for a 4th line... Carry some respectable minutes and be hard to play against. Still would prefer to have had a pick over Prust and let Kenins have his shot on the 4th but that's just me. Loved watching him last year.

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I'd sure as hell want my two expensive af 4th line players to be playing at least 9-10 minutes a game.

^ This. Plus add Jake to the line up.

I imagine we will go with 14 forwards? (Maybe 15 as 1 always seems to be injured??)

Jake looks like he'll be in the line up to start the year anyway, barring that still as yet made signing...

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^ This. Plus add Jake to the line up.

I imagine we will go with 14 forwards? (Maybe 15 as 1 always seems to be injured??)

Jake looks like he'll be in the line up to start the year anyway, barring that still as yet made signing...

Virtanen could definitely use a look in the top 6 assuming he makes the team. Yes, we have Baertschi who might be getting that 2nd line left wing spot, but I'd be very intrigued in having Virtanen there to see how he plays with the likes of Boner and Burrows or Vrbata.

Sedin/Sedin/Vrbata

Virtanen/Bonino/Burrows

Baertschi/Horvat/Kenins(Higgins, Hansen)

Prust/Vey/Dorsett

This is the line-up I think the Canucks are going to end up come October assuming if either Higgins and or Hansen get traded for reasonable 3rd round picks.

I mean we can experiment all day if we wanted to, make up tons of possible combinations of what are lines might be come October, but there is no question that the mentality from now on is rock n roll 4 lines that can compete and hopefully win.

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Virtanen could definitely use a look in the top 6 assuming he makes the team. Yes, we have Baertschi who might be getting that 2nd line left wing spot, but I'd be very intrigued in having Virtanen there to see how he plays with the likes of Boner and Burrows or Vrbata.

Sedin/Sedin/Vrbata

Virtanen/Bonino/Burrows

Baertschi/Horvat/Kenins(Higgins, Hansen)

Prust/Vey/Dorsett

This is the line-up I think the Canucks are going to end up come October assuming if either Higgins and or Hansen get traded for reasonable 3rd round picks.

I mean we can experiment all day if we wanted to, make up tons of possible combinations of what are lines might be come October, but there is no question that the mentality from now on is rock n roll 4 lines that can compete and hopefully win.

virtanen is going to play on the right side but you got the right idea

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IMHO

Sedin - Sedin - Burrows

Baertschi - Bonino - Vrbata

Kenins - Horvat - Virtanen

Prust - Friesen - Dorsett

I think your line-up is pretty much another combination of what might likely to happen. However, in my eyes, Friesen isn't good enough to be an NHL'er just yet. He lacks the size, and overall tenacity. Despite Vey's deficiencies at faceoffs, his game is much more developed and well rounded than Friesen.

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I think if WD spreads out the wealth across all 4 lines then he will. A lineup like this will get the fourth line playing 10-12 minutes a night:

Sedin - Sedin - Vbrata

Baertschi - Bonino - Burrows

Dorsett - Horvat - Hansen

Higgins - Vey - Prust

Then again, if WD wants to load up our veterans and skill, then our fourth line may be completely ignored if we go with this:

Sedin - Sedin - Vbrata

Higgins - Bonino - Burrows

Dorsett - Horvat - Hansen

Prust - Vey - Baertschi

Of course, what our lineup looks like depends ENTIRELY on how Baertschi, Vey, Kenins, Horvat, Cassels, Shinkaruk and Gaunce play. If they can't do better than Higgins, Burrows, Dorsett and Prust then they won't get much ice-time as our fourth liners (and we'll be in a LOT of trouble). So basically I believe our entire seasons rests on how well those kids play. If they play well, score 10-20 goals at times and play big roles then the Canucks will be the 3rd best seed in the Pacific division behind Anaheim and Calgary. If the kids play terribly and it ends up being the Higgins, Dorsett and Prust show, the Canucks are barely going to squeak into the final Wild Card position if that.

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i could see prust and dorsett on different lines..bring an element of toughness to two lines...i think if vrbata was back on the top line, burrows would be a better bet to help a player like baerschi develop into a team player as well as a good offensive player....that would leave, either higgins and hansen would drop to the 4th line...imo.

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