Lineup Predictions 2015-16

[Island Nucklehead]

I was going to skip the gamecenter live this year rather than watch more Linden Fucking Vey, Higgins or Adam Crack-pipe suck balls in blue/green but with the chance to see some legit young talent make the team...I'm hookin' 'er up today! (come on IN....you just know you wanna!!!!!!!)

My name is Uncle Dans Leg and I am a Canucks junkie...(unless I have to watch the trio of suckiness mentioned above)

Not a fucking chance. I should be able to catch 30+ games between the national, 360, SNOne, HNIC and the Flames/Oilers games I get on SNet West. Not to mention 5-6 more if/when they have the free October trial period.

[BladesofSteel]

At the very least, see if you can get a free one month trial.

[Eddy Punch Clock]

Sutter playing wing on the Sedin line.

I never saw that one coming. I don't think anyone saw Burrows on the Sedin line when it first happened so I'll keep an open mind.

[Cousin Strawberry]

I was going to skip the gamecenter live this year rather than watch more Linden Fucking Vey, Higgins or Adam Crack-pipe suck balls in blue/green but with the chance to see some legit young talent make the team...I'm hookin' 'er up today! (come on IN....you just know you wanna!!!!!!!)

My name is Uncle Dans Leg and I am a Canucks junkie...(unless I have to watch the trio of suckiness mentioned above)

Not a fucking chance. I should be able to catch 30+ games between the national, 360, SNOne, HNIC and the Flames/Oilers games I get on SNet West. Not to mention 5-6 more if/when they have the free October trial period.

just hooking up telus satellite and they're promo-ing center ice for $20 for the year....

Come on IN...give in to the dark side.....

[5thhorseman]

Sutter playing wing on the Sedin line.

Well, that leaves 3 centre ice positions for Horvat, Vey, Cracknell, and McCann. Interesting to see what the lineup will be.

[Horvat1C]

Sutter playing wing on the Sedin line.

Well, that leaves 3 centre ice positions for Horvat, Vey, Cracknell, and McCann. Interesting to see what the lineup will be.

I think that they're only doing this so that McCann, Cracknell and Vey can stay with the team and continue to fight for the 4C spot.

Horvat is a lock, so really it's between Cracknell, Vey and McCann.

I think if McCann does make the team, this is the bottom-6 we could see:

Gaunce/Higgins - Horvat - Hansen/Dorsett/Virtanen
Gaunce/Prust - McCann - Hansen/Dorsett/Virtanen

Virtanen starts getting call-ups by November/December, and spends his time playing with either Horvat or McCann, who are going to be his line-mates in 2-4 years. He rotates with Hansen and Dorsett on the bottom-6 RW spots. Higgins replaces Gaunce once he comes back, and Gaunce rotates with Prust on the 4th line.

This allows Willie to not have too many young players make the team (like he wants), but still keep it competitive in terms of fighting for roster spots.

Depending on how ready Gaunce is, we could trade Prust as a rental at the deadline. I think we trade Higgins in 2016-17 when Shinkaurik is looking ready.

Damn, I think my opinion on the opening night roster changes with the hour

[Cousin Strawberry]

Virtanen starts getting call-ups by...

I'm not positive but think he goes back to the Dub if he doesn't make the bigs...

[Island Nucklehead]

Virtanen starts getting call-ups by...

I'm not positive but think he goes back to the Dub if he doesn't make the bigs...

100.4% correct UDL.

[Horvat1C]

Virtanen starts getting call-ups by...

I'm not positive but think he goes back to the Dub if he doesn't make the bigs...

100.4% correct UDL.

Then I guess he makes the bigs and rotates in!

[SKYO]

Sedin-Sedin-Vrbata
Baertschi-Horvat-Virtanen
Burrows-Sutter-Hansen
Prust-McCann-Dorsett
Vey




McCann gets brought up like Horvat, with decent minutes for a 4th liner.

[Horvat1C]

Sedin-Sedin-Vrbata
Baertschi-Horvat-Virtanen
Burrows-Sutter-Hansen
Prust-McCann-Dorsett
Vey




McCann gets brought up like Horvat, with decent minutes for a 4th liner.

I really don't see management going forward with that kid line. Yes, the were spectacular for one game, and they might create some chemistry over the next little while, but I think we put a veteran on every line. This is especially true for McCann with his thin physical build.

Higgins/Hansen/Prust/Dorsett will be the veterans in the bottom-6. With Higgins injured and Gaunce (probably) filling in, Hansen stays on the 3rd line. Plus he's already got some chemistry with Horvat, so let them stay together. That means Prust and Dorsett share the veteran responsibility on the 4th line. If Virtanen slots in, Dorsett comes out. While Higgins is injured, Gaunce plays on the 3rd line. When Higgins returns, he alternates with Prust on the 4th line, although never at the same time as Virtanen (unless they REALLY impress Willie) This leaves our lineup looking like this:

Sedin - Sedin - Burrows
Baertschi - Sutter - Vrbata
Higgins/Gaunce - Horvat - Hansen
Prust/Gaunce - McCann - Dorsett/Virtanen

Vey (if he's not waived/traded), Cracknell, Kenins, Grenier.

Virtanen sticks after Vrbata is traded.

While we're at it, here's what the D should look like too:

Edler - Tanev
Hamhuis - Weber
Sbisa - Corrado/Bartkowski

Hutton, Biega

Hutton gets sent down no matter what just so they can make it through waiving the least amount of players possible. If management wants him to play, he rotates in with Corrado. Bartkowski, Sbisa, Hutton and Corrado all play bottom pair until one pair emerges or someone gets sent down. Sbisa gets the most minutes out of the 4, followed by Bartkowski, Corrado and Hutton. One of them takes a step up when we trade Hamhuis. Biega is a safety.

We have four NHL defenseman and 2 spots.

This is quite the dogfight

[Tciso]

Sedin-Sedin-Vrbata
Baertschi-Horvat-Virtanen
Burrows-Sutter-Hansen
Prust-McCann-Dorsett
Vey




McCann gets brought up like Horvat, with decent minutes for a 4th liner.

I like it. Young 2nd line, but tons of energy. and, Burr replaces Virtanen for a few tough shifts every night, to protect V's minutes.

[theman]

Sedin-Sedin-Vrbata
Baertschi-Horvat-Virtanen
Burrows-Sutter-Hansen
Prust-McCann-Dorsett
Vey




McCann gets brought up like Horvat, with decent minutes for a 4th liner.

I like it. Young 2nd line, but tons of energy. and, Burr replaces Virtanen for a few tough shifts every night, to protect V's minutes.

I have no issues with that line up either.

[Horvat1C]

Sedin-Sedin-Vrbata
Baertschi-Horvat-Virtanen
Burrows-Sutter-Hansen
Prust-McCann-Dorsett
Vey




McCann gets brought up like Horvat, with decent minutes for a 4th liner.

I like it. Young 2nd line, but tons of energy. and, Burr replaces Virtanen for a few tough shifts every night, to protect V's minutes.

I have no issues with that line up either.

I don't think any of us do, but management/coaching staff will. Unless Baertschi, Horvat and Virtanen REALLY hit it out of the park consistently, I still think they go with a veteran on every line, especially for Baertschi, McCann and Virtanen.

[5thhorseman]

Horvat already provides a vet-like presence, i.e. defensive responsibility, on the second line. I like the looks of this as well. The fourth line kinda is kinda like a Momesso-Ronning-Sandlak combo.