Canucks scratch two forwards to make room for Joshua and Bains
The Vancouver Canucks are shaking up their forwards ahead of their matchup against the Dallas Stars tonight.
Head coach Rick Tocchet confirmed today after morning skate that Dakota Joshua and Arshdeep Bains are both playing tonight. Nils Aman and Phil Di Giuseppe will draw out of the lineup to make room.
Because it was an optional practice, the team’s lines were not revealed this morning. However, Joshua skated on the first line at yesterday’s practice, giving a hint as to his position in the lineup tonight.
The forward’s return is a big development for the Canucks, who have dearly missed his presence. The 6-foot-3 winger has 26 points in 53 games this season and was a big part of the team’s depth scoring before getting hurt.
After more than six weeks out of the lineup, Rick Tocchet expects that it could take some time for Joshua to get up to speed.
“It’s the stop and the start and it’s the quarter work, you can only simulate it so much. I talked to him yesterday about that. That’s the stuff he was concerned [about], ‘I haven’t done a lot of that in-game movement in different directions,’ and I told him ‘don’t worry,’ he’s a smart guy,” explained the head coach. “He’s a much-added guy we need, I’m not looking for anything major tonight, just looking for him to get back in doing his thing. Try to manage his minutes and see where it goes.”
Bains was recalled yesterday with the cap space created by the team moving goalie Thatcher Demko to long-term injury reserve.
“I hope if he has a two-on-one that he shoots it because the first two, he passed them both. We’ll know tonight, if he gets a two-on-one I hope he shoots the puck, unless the guy is wide open,” said Tocchet today referencing a few scoring chances Bains passed up during his first NHL stint.
“I like the kid, he should just go play, use his speed, advance the game as it goes and I think having those games early on is going to really help him. I think the game will be a little bit slower for him tonight because he was here about a month ago. I think that’s going to be a big help for him.”
Bains didn’t record a point across his first five NHL games played earlier this season.
It also sounds like Arturs Silovs will be getting his first start of the season in the next few days. He’s been playing the backup role since Demko went down with an injury but has yet to start a game.
“I talked to [Ian Clark] the other day and it’s important that in the next three, four games, it could be the next game, I’m not quite sure. We haven’t specifically said but he will be in the net here in the next few days,” said Tocchet about getting Silovs a start soon.
The Canucks play the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday, and it sounds like that could be a chance for Silovs to start. The team also has a back-to-back next week where the Latvian goaltender will almost surely get a start.
Follow Channels and Categories