Welcome Matt: Höglander leading the way among Canucks' bottom-six forwards

Nils Höglander scored a goal Tuesday night in his return to the lineup.

That’s a good thing for Höglander and a great thing for the Canucks.

Because Vancouver is a better team with Höglander in the lineup. Their bottom-six needs him.

The Canucks’ 4-2 record out the gate has been built on their star skaters, with some helping hands sprinkled throughout the lineup — stand up, Phil Di Giuseppe and Casey DeSmith.

But there continues to be signs that the bottom-six isn’t going to be as productive as the long NHL season will require.

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Terrific game for all four forward lines in a 3-2 victory over Nashville Tuesday, but Anthony Beauvillier and Pius Suter are still without a point, Conor Garland continues to look lost, and Dakota Joshua hasn’t scored since opening night (when everybody scored in an 8-1 win over Edmonton).

Höglander is already up to two goals and four points while playing five of the six games to date. He’s looking like the best chance of producing goals outside the top-six.

The key for Höglander will be his defensive play. If the coaching staff can trust him on that side of the puck, he’ll finally arrive as an NHL regular and the Canucks will be better for it.

And nobody should worry about him being or developing on the fourth line. If his play merits, there’s plenty of upward mobility in this lineup.