Canucks need a second-line solution with Lotto Line intact
The Vancouver Canucks could not be happier with the results of reuniting the Lotto Line. Since the battle against the New Jersey Devils, the trio has combined for 15 goals in six games. While all the goals haven’t been at five-on-five, there is no doubt that the experiment has been a resounding success thus far.
What hasn’t worked as well over that time frame is the second line. Andrei Kuzmenko, Pius Suter, and Ilya Mikheyev have not scored during those six games. While the Canucks have still been able to win games with this top-heavy approach, it’s not sustainable over the long run.
With the team’s first playoff appearance since the COVID bubble on the horizon, now is the time to figure out these issues. Here are a few ways that the Canucks could resolve their secondary scoring plan before the postseason.
Taking the patient approach
While they haven’t played their best hockey over the last few weeks, the Canucks have some potential second-line wingers already on the roster. Kuzmenko scored 39 goals last season and looked like a bonafide stud while Mikheyev has scored near a 50-point pace since joining the Canucks.
While neither player has been doing their best recently, the Canucks could wait and hope that they return to form before the postseason begins.
For Kuzmenko, his individual expected goals-per-60-minutes at five-on-five is very similar to last season’s. The team needs him to find some of that magic at even strength and provide secondary scoring.
The group approach
The Canucks have struck gold with the combination of Dakota Joshua, Conor Garland, and Teddy Blueger. The trio has been one of the best across the NHL and is starting to get more bounces to go their way. They rank 11th among all NHL lines with at least 200 five-on-five minutes in expected goals, according to hockey analytics site MoneyPuck.
The Vegas Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup last season with a very balanced forward group. They got scoring from multiple lines and managed to overwhelm teams with a deep attack.
The Canucks could go for a copycat approach with the way that their third line has been playing.
Joshua is on pace for more than 20 goals, Blueger is scoring more than 0.5 points per game, and Garland has caught fire in January. That’s not even to mention the presence of players like Sam Lafferty and Nils Höglander further down the lineup who also have reached the double-digit goal mark.
In January, Conor Garland now has 3 G, 2 A, and 5 PTS in 7 and 1/3 games.
He's been an exceptional bottom-six piece for the #Canucks
— Noah Strang (@noahstrang_) January 15, 2024
Trading for help
Last but not least, the Canucks could trade off some future assets to bring in another top-six forward to help this season. There have been reports that the club is looking to go down this pathway.
If the Canucks wanted to surrender some picks or prospects, they could reinforce their forward group behind the Lotto Line. There are players on the trade block that would make sense, including Elias Lindholm or even a winger such as Jake Guentzel.
While this could get expensive, it would help the Canucks add a legitimate contributor and help out the team’s depth even more.
No matter which direction the Canucks elect to go in, they’ll need to find a solution to their current second-line problem. It’s far too easy for teams to key in on one line during the playoffs, just ask the Edmonton Oilers. The good news is that they have options available in their search to solve this problem.