3 tough roster decisions Vancouver Canucks must make before opening night

The Vancouver Canucks are just days away from regular-season action on Oct. 9, yet they still have tough decisions to make at nearly every position.

Three young defencemen are battling for one spot, there’s been a new-look top line, and a kid born in 2007 is on the cusp of making the team.

On top of that, roster decisions at forward were complicated by the fact that Nils Höglander will miss the next eight to 10 weeks.

With preseason drawing to a close, here are the three toughest decisions the Canucks will have to make before Oct. 9.

1. Which forwards on the bubble will make it?

With Höglander injured, there are 17 healthy forwards still with the Canucks, and nine of them are locks to make the team.

These eight forwards remain on the bubble, with four to five likely to make the team:

• Braeden Cootes
• Jonathan Lekkerimäki
• Aatu Räty
• Linus Karlsson
• Arshdeep Bains
• Max Sasson
• Nils Åman
• Vitali Kravtsov

Typically, NHL teams will carry 13 or 14 forwards on their roster during the season, meaning the Canucks have at least three more cuts coming.

Ironically, the Höglander injury might have made things easier in terms of figuring out the 23-man roster, since three forwards on the team are a long shot to make the opening night lineup.

Nils Åman was sent to the minors before the beginning of last season and hasn’t been a standout at camp. Vitali Kravtsov has looked similar to the player who wasn’t very good for the Canucks in 2022-23. Max Sasson likely has the best chance of the three forward longshots to make the team, but the fact that he doesn’t need waivers works against him.

If the Canucks simply cut these three guys and run with 14 forwards, that would mean all of Braeden Cootes, Jonathan Lekkerimäki, Arshdeep Bains and Linus Karlsson make the final roster.

2. Which young blueliners will crack the lineup?

The Canucks currently have nine defencemen still on their roster, with five of them locks for the opening-night lineup.

These four defencemen remain on the bubble, with two to three likely to make the team:

• Pierre-Olivier Joseph
• Elias Pettersson
• Victor Mancini
• Tom Willander

Pierre-Olivier Joseph could have the inside track, given that the other three defencemen don’t require waivers to be sent to Abbotsford.

Tom Willander has recovered from a so-so training camp by showcasing his speed and defensive awareness during the preseason. But is it too soon for the 20-year-old?

Elias Pettersson played 28 games for the Canucks last season, and looked surprisingly NHL-ready for a 20-year-old in those minutes. He’s continued to look reliable and physical throughout the preseason.

Victor Mancini has much more flash to his game than Pettersson, scoring two preseason goals in two games thus far.

3. Dilemma down the middle

Outside of first overall picks, it’s rare to see freshly-drafted prospects make an NHL team out of camp.

Clearly, Cootes didn’t get the memo.

The Canucks’ 18-year-old rookie is aiming to be the youngest player to play for Vancouver since Petr Nedved in 1990.

Cootes has showcased incredible maturity since the first day of camp, highlighted by above-average speed, a good shot, and surprising defensive awareness for a player his age.

The decision to keep Cootes around for opening night will have a trickle-down effect on the rest of the roster.

Aatu Räty is at risk of losing his spot in the lineup. Even though he finished last season strong with five goals and seven points over his final 12 games, his skating still looks like an issue after an injury prevented him from having a full offseason of training.

It’s unlikely Räty knocks Teddy Blueger out of the opening-night lineup, considering that the Latvian centre is the Canucks’ best penalty killer.

There’s also a chance that Räty slots in as a winger, especially with Höglander on the shelf. Räty scored for the Canucks while playing wing during their recent preseason loss to the Oilers.

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