The Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Canucks get on the ice today for the first day of their brief 2017 training camp. On the roster: 43 players, plus the best of the bunch from last weekend’s Young Stars tournament.
It won’t be easy for top prospects like Brock Boeser, Olli Juolevi or Thatcher Demko to earn roster spots with the big club out of camp. Competition for jobs will be intense after the Canucks brought in a number of established NHL veterans during the offseason to shore up team depth.
Here’s your quick and dirty guide to the new vets at camp this year:
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FORWARDS
Alexander Burmistrov
Age: 25
Position: C/RW
2016-17 Stats: 49 GP (Winnipeg, Arizona) 5-11-16
Contract: signed as unrestricted free agent to a one-year deal with a cap hit of $900,000
Originally drafted eighth overall by the then-Atlanta Thrashers in 2010, Alexander Burmistrov’s NHL career has been bumpy. After completing his entry-level contract in 2013, he returned to Russia’s KHL for two years, then came back to the Winnipeg Jets at the beginning of the 2015-16 season.
Last year, the Arizona Coyotes claimed Burmistrov off the waiver wire on Jan. 2. He joined the team in Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»ahead of their Jan. 3 game against the Canucks, but U.S. work visa issues kept him out of the lineup. Burmistrov stayed in Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»for another 10 days before his paperwork was completed.
Apparently Burmistrov enjoyed his unexpected visit enough that he decided to join the Canucks when the Coyotes chose not to give him a qualifying offer at the end of last season.
Burmistrov’s other reason for signing on in Vancouver? Returning assistant coach Newell Brown, who had been in charge of the power play in Arizona for the last four years. Four of Burmistrov’s five goals with the Coyotes came with the man advantage – and two were against the Canucks.
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Burmistrov scores on the PP to put the Coyotes up 2-0
— Ryan Biech (@ryanbiech)
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Burmistrov turns 26 in October. He could have offensive upside but is also a reliable forward in a defensive role.
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Sam GagnerÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý
Age: 28
Position: C/RW
2016-17 Stats: 81 GP (Columbus) 18-32-50
Contract: signed as unrestricted free agent to a three-year deal with a cap hit of $3.15 million per season
Drafted sixth overall by the Edmonton Oilers back in 2007, Sam Gagner entered the NHL as an 18-year-old. He spent seven seasons in Edmonton – most notably recording an eight-point game against the Chicago Blackhawks on Feb. 2, 2012.
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After short stints with Arizona and Philadelphia, Gagner’s 50 points with the Columbus Blue Jackets last season marked a career high. He was used primarily as a power-play specialist – 18 of his points came with the man advantage.
Like Burmistrov, Gagner has a relationship with Newell Brown and was used on the power play during his season in Arizona with the Coyotes.
In conversation with TSN’s Bob McKenzie last week, Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»general manager Jim Benning suggested that the right-shot Gagner may start the season skating on a line with Daniel and Henrik Sedin.
Gagner is married to Dr. Rachel Linke. The couple welcomed their second child this summer. Older son Cooper is already repping the Orca.
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Scottie Upshall
Age: 33
Position: LW
2016-17 Stats: 73 GP (St. Louis) 10-8-18
Contract: professional tryout
Scottie Upshall was a late addition to the Canucks’ crowded forward mix, signed to a professional tryout contract late last week. New coach Travis Green is eying Upshall as a penalty-killer and physical depth forward.
Originally drafted sixth overall back in 2002, Upshall never reached 40 points, but he did score 10 goals last season with the St. Louis Blues. He’s known as a good team guy who’s tough to play against. The Canucks don’t have many sandpaper guys on their current roster.
Remember Adam Cracknell during the 2015-16 season? Upshall could end up in a similar role.
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Thomas Vanek
Age: 33
Position: LW/RW
2016-17 Stats: 68 GP (Detroit/Florida) 17-31-48
Contract: signed as unrestricted free agent to a one-year deal with a cap hit of $2 million
Canucks general manager Jim Benning was the director of amateur scouting for the Buffalo Sabres when Thomas Vanek became the highest drafted Austrian player in NHL history, chosen fifth overall in 2003 out of the University of Minnesota.
In 2006-07, Vanek tied for fifth in NHL scoring with 43 goals, leading the Edmonton Oilers to sign him to a seven-year, $50-million offer sheet that summer. The Sabres matched the offer and Vanek remained a reliable scorer, though he only reached 40 goals in one other season.
With his contract expiring in 2013-14, Vanek was traded to the New York Islanders, where he turned down a contract extension that was reported to be worth another $50 million over seven years. He was dealt to the Montreal Canadiens at the 2014 trade deadline, then went on to spend two seasons in his adopted home state of Minnesota before skating with the Red Wings and Panthers last season.
Vanek is a proven scorer with good size. He’s strong on the power play and effective in front of the net, but he’s not a great skater. He started well last season with Detroit, putting up eight points in seven games before suffering an early-season groin injury, but has developed a reputation for disappearing in big games.
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Ryan WhiteÌý
Age: 29
Position: C/RW
2016-17 Stats: 65 GP (Arizona/Minnesota) 9-7-16
Contract: professional tryout
Known for his agitating physical style and his willingness to drop the gloves, Ryan White is a throwback player whose role is approaching obsolescence in today’s NHL. He comes to camp as insurance for the Canucks in case Derek Dorsett is not 100 percent after undergoing serious neck surgery last season.
For a bottom-six player, White has decent hands. He scored nine goals last season and had 11 in 2015-16 with the Philadelphia Flyers. Mostly, though, you’ll notice White in scrums – getting in opponents’ faces after the whistle.
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DEFENCE
Michael Del Zotto
Age: 27
Shoots: L
2016-17 Stats: 51 GP (Philadelphia) 6-12-18
Contract: signed as unrestricted free agent to a two-year deal with a cap hit of $3 million per season
Originally drafted 20th overall by the New York Rangers in 2008, Michael Del Zotto is a strong skater with good power-play instincts. He has been brought in to add some scoring punch to a group of defencemen that scored just 22 goals collectively last season – seven less than the 29 goals that Norris Trophy winner Brent Burns scored by himself for the San Jose Sharks.
Injuries have been an issue for Del Zotto, who hasn’t appeared in more than 67 games in any of the last four seasons. Not always strong defensively, he was also healthy-scratched 11 times with the Philadelphia Flyers last year.
A fun-loving guy who DJs on the side and has been known to hang with Tyler Seguin during the offseason, Del Zotto’s a big personality who says he’s ready to take on a leadership role in Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»this year.
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Philip Holm
Age: 25
Shoots: L
2016-17 Stats: 52 GP (Vaxjo, Swedish Hockey League) 4-17-21
Contract: signed as unrestricted free agent to a one-year, two-way entry-level deal with a cap hit of $975,000 at the NHL level
The Canucks signed Philip Holm days after he earned a gold medal with Team Sweden as a depth defenceman at the 2017 World Championship last May.
Holm’s best asset is his skating. He’ll likely start the season in the AHL with the Utica Comets.
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Patrick Wiercioch
Age: 27
Shoots: L
2016-17 Stats: 57 GP (Colorado) 4-8-12
Contract: signed as unrestricted free agent to a one-year deal with a cap hit of $650,000
A 6-foot-5 defenceman, Patrick Wiercioch was born in Burnaby, got his start in hockey with the Burnaby Express of the BCHL and grew up as a Canucks fan.
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Can't wait to pull that jersey back on again. Hope it still fits.
— Patrick Wiercioch (@PattyW28)
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Originally drafted in the second round by Ottawa back in 2008, Wiercioch is a good skater with a solid shot who was highly touted when he came into the league. Inconsistent play led the Senators to choose not to give him a qualifying offer on a $2 million cap hit at the end of the 2015-16 season.
Wiercioch then signed on with the Colorado Avalanche for $800,000. He was healthy-scratched for 15 of the Avs’ last 16 games last season and once again, did not receive a qualifying offer. This year, he’ll play for the NHL’s minimum salary with the Canucks. He is on a one-way contract.
Weircioch is giving Sam Gagner a run for his money in the adorable-Dad department. He has chosen to wear No. 90 with the Canucks under instruction from his son, who’s a big fan of Cars’ Lightning McQueen.
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Basically how it went down...
— Patrick Wiercioch (@PattyW28)
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GOAL
Anders Nilsson
Age: 27
Shoots: R
2016-17 Stats: 26 GP (Buffalo) 10-10-4, .923 save percentage, 2.67 GAA, 1 shutout
Contract: signed as unrestricted free agent to a two-year deal with a cap hit of $2.5 million per season
The Canucks’ new goaltending acquisition Anders Nilsson is practically a mirror image of the team’s incumbent, Jacob Markstrom. Both are towering 27-year-old Swedes – Markstrom checks in at 6-foot-6 while Nilsson is 6-foot-5. Markstrom has played 108 career NHL games; Nilsson has played 78.
The two have also been teammates before. Nilsson backed up Markstrom when Sweden won the bronze medal in Saskatoon at the 2010 World Junior Championship.
Nilsson had a strong year in Buffalo last season backing up another Swede, Robin Lehner. His .923 save percentage tied him with stars like Carey Price and Matt Murray, ranking him in the top 10 among netminders who played at least 20 games.
Watching Markstrom and Nilsson battle for starts this season could bring back memories of the Roberto Luongo / Cory Schneider duel.
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Who will emerge as No. 1 this year?
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