The was done in a press conference format, with groups of players sitting behind a table with half-a-dozen cameras pointed at them and a line of reporters waiting to ask questions.
Some of the Canucks were clearly more comfortable with the format than others 鈥� poor Anton Rodin, Markus Granlund, and Chris Tanev were the 鈥� and there were few big surprises. Still, we learned a few things, like how anytime soon and how on the power play.
Here are a few more things we learned:
Loui Eriksson is bringing back the moustache
It鈥檚 faint, but the beginnings of a new moustache are growing in for Loui Eriksson. I, for one, welcome its return. There are not enough moustaches in hockey, except for Movember.
Eriksson is also hoping to return to a line with the Sedins and Daniel and Henrik seem keen on rekindling that chemistry. The trio seemed to feel they got broken up as a line just when the chemistry was kicking in last season.
There are plenty of indications that they鈥檙e right: while the goals were slow in coming, the Sedins posted their .
Eriksson also feels that settling in for a second year will help: 鈥淓verything is easier now. I have a big family, everyone is settled in, we have the house and the kids starting school already and that makes it easier for me as well, knowing that.鈥�
With my oldest son starting kindergarten this past week, I feel you, Loui.
Jeff Paterson wants Alex Edler to feel included
During the first group, the Sedins and Loui Eriksson were taking all the questions, while Alex Edler sat quietly in the middle. Edler isn鈥檛 the most loquacious Canuck, so tends to get fewer questions from media members looking for a good quote.
But Jeff Paterson was having none of it and it provoked one of the first good laughs of the day. 鈥淎lex!鈥� he said and Edler smiled and said, 鈥淵es! I鈥檓 right here,鈥� as if we had all forgotten where he was.
It was one of my favourite moments of the presser.
Anders Nilsson is seriously big
Jacob Markstrom is 6鈥�6鈥� and 196 lbs. He鈥檚 a big guy. Somehow, despite being the same height, Nilsson makes Markstrom look like a shrimp.
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A Pokemon evolution
鈥� Gr谩inne (@wholegrainne)
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Nilsson is listed at 229 lbs, so that explains some of it, as he鈥檚 practically bursting out of his polo shirt, but Nilsson鈥檚 head also looks much larger. Maybe it鈥檚 the higher hairstyle or maybe blond hair just looks bigger than brunette hair?
Michael Del Zotto and Brandon Sutter have already talked music tastes
Off the ice, new Canuck Michael Del Zotto is a DJ and he likes to bring his love for music and making playlists to the dressing room. Here鈥檚 the thing: he hates country music. And that could be an issue for at least one of his new teammates, Brandon Sutter, who had 鈥淐allin鈥� Baton Rouge鈥� by Garth Brooks as his goal song.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been through this already,鈥� interjected Sutter as Del Zotto was about to answer how that was going to work, provoking some laughter in the room.
鈥淲e鈥檝e discussed this already,鈥� agreed Del Zotto with a smile. 鈥淲e鈥檒l see what happens, I鈥檝e been trying to feel out the music preferences of each guy. Coming into a new team, trying to feel things out a little bit. I鈥檓 a pretty outgoing guy, don鈥檛 like to be too serious, but I'm waiting a couple weeks here before I take over the iPod.鈥�
Green has been thinking all summer about line combinations
鈥淚 think I have a wall chart in every room in my house,鈥� joked Green, when asked about planning out line combinations. At least, I think it was a joke.
鈥淭here鈥檚 probably not a day that goes by that I don鈥檛 think of different line combinations,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what coaches do, especially when you鈥檙e coming into a new team.鈥�
It鈥檚 clear that Green has spent a lot of time experimenting with the lineup, experiments that would have needed to change quite a bit when Benning signed Thomas Vanek late in the summer. But none of those line combinations are set in stone heading into camp.
鈥淭he players are going to show where they play well, where they play their best,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檝e got some different ideas in my head, but it will play itself out.鈥�
When I asked about the specific combination of Bo Horvat and Sven Baertschi, Green replied, 鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely on my board a lot of days...I鈥檓 sure we鈥檒l see them together for part of the season or at least try it in exhibition.鈥�
鈥淲here鈥檚 Gagner on your board?鈥� interjected Ben Kuzma, and Green and Benning both laughed. 鈥淒epends what hour,鈥� Green replied.
So, expect some experimentation in the preseason; no line combinations are safe at this point.
Benning: 鈥淲hen we do have injures, we鈥檙e going to be calling up real players.鈥�
Benning was willing to admit that injuries played a factor in Troy Stecher getting a chance with the Canucks last season.
鈥淗e had an excellent camp for us. He ended up playing 鈥� what, did he play four games for you last year?鈥� he said, turning to Green. 鈥淗e ended up playing four games in Utica. Through injuries, he got an opportunity to come up, he played well and we kept him all year.鈥�
That鈥檚 certainly a less revisionist look at what happened last season and it also gave Benning an opportunity to talk about how that process will work for young players this season.
鈥淲ith all of our young players this year,鈥� he said, 鈥渏ust because they might get sent down at the start of the year, they鈥檝e gotta go down there and play well. We鈥檙e going to have injuries and if they get their opportunity to get called up, they鈥檙e gonna have to play good and we鈥檒l figure out a way to keep them.鈥�
There definitely will be young players who are, perhaps, NHL ready that will start the season in the AHL. That could include Nikolay Goldobin, Reid Boucher, Jonathan Dahlen, Jalen Chatfield, Evan McEneny, and perhaps even Brock Boeser. On the plus side, those are more exciting call-up options than we saw last year in Michael Chaput and Jayson Megna.
鈥淚 think this year,鈥� said Benning, 鈥渨hen we do have injuries, we鈥檙e going to be calling up real players that we want to develop into long-term players. We鈥檙e at that point now.鈥�
You could interpret that as some shade being thrown at Chaput and Megna for not being 鈥渞eal players,鈥� but it鈥檚 clear what he means: this year there will be multiple players in Utica that have a long-term future with the Canucks.
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