The Canucks are heading into Tuesday night’s preseason game in Calgary with a lineup built to tell them plenty about their future.
Vancouver is expected to dress a very young group against a Flames team that looks much closer to its NHL roster, which makes this one a useful test more than a finished product. For the Canucks, that means prospects get a real chance to show what they can do against seasoned competition. For Calgary, it means the home side should be looking to answer for a rough showing on Sunday against the Seattle Kraken.
The Canucks’ projected forward group, via Brendan Batchelor, starts with Adam Novotný between Braeden Cootes and Trey Fix-Wolansky. That trio has already shown some chemistry since being paired at the Prospect Showcase against the Seattle Kraken, and Fix-Wolansky adds a lively presence on the wing. If Novotný ends up assigned to the AHL this season - admittedly, an unlikely option - that combination could be one to keep in mind for Abbotsford.
The second line is Arshdeep Bains, Aatu Räty, and Matthew Stienburg, followed by a third unit of Ilya Safonov, Ty Mueller, and Brooks Rogowski. That group is notable because all three are listed as centres, but Vancouver appears to be checking how Safonov and Rogowski handle wing duty.
Safonov stands out most there, since he still has an outside chance to break camp as the Canucks’ fourth-line centre. If the team views him more as a winger, the path gets tougher.
The fourth line features Ben Berard, Riley Patterson, and Yaroslav Bryzgalov.
On the blue line, the Canucks are expected to go with Jimmy Schuldt and Victor Mancini, Guillaume Brisebois and Tom Willander, and Kirill Kudryavtsev with Cole Clayton. Kudryavtsev’s placement is worth watching because he has spent training camp on the right side, but Tuesday has him on the left. He has been solid without standing out, and this could be a chance for Vancouver to see him in what should be a more natural spot.
Kevin Lankinen is expected to start in goal, with Aleksei Medvedev backing him up. Lankinen is the only real NHL veteran in Vancouver’s lineup.
Calgary’s projected group, courtesy of Flames Now 770’s Pat Steinberg, looks much heavier on NHL experience. The forwards are Matvei Gridin, Morgan Frost, and Matt Coronato; Samuel Honzek, Mikael Backlund, and Joel Farabee; Connor Zary, Ryan Strome, and Yegor Sharangovich; and Maxim Tsyplakov, Martin Pospisil, and Adam Klapka.
The Flames’ defence is expected to feature Kevin Bahl and Simon Nemec, Jacob Middleton and Zayne Parekh, plus Yan Kuznetsov and Zach Whitecloud. Dustin Wolf is projected to start in net, with Kirill Zarubuin as the backup.
With both teams rebuilding and both looking toward a future built around younger talent, these matchups could carry a season-long edge even if Tuesday’s game is only preseason. Still, this one offers a pretty clear look at the contrast: Vancouver’s prospects trying to make their case, and Calgary putting forward something much closer to the team fans should expect to see when the games count.
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