LATEST | Rick Tocchet shows his lines ahead of the first game: Canucks to play one-man down?

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Felip Gosselin
October 11, 2023 (10:48)

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The Canucks are taking on the ice for the traditional morning skate ahead of the home opening tilt against Connor McDavid and his gang tonight.

Tocchet revealed his line-up, and it's important to note that Conor Garland was back on the first line's wing. Ilya Mikheyev once again skated with the team, but it was confirmed already that he would be scratched:

Kuzmenko-Pettersson-Garland
Di Giuseppe-Miller-Boeser
Joshua-Suter-Beauvillier
Höglander-Lafferty-Mikheyev

Hughes-Hronek
Cole-Myers
Hirose-Juulsen

PP1:
🥅
Boeser
Miller-Kuzmenko-Pettersson
Hughes

PP2:
🥅
Suter
Höglander-Garland-Beauvillier
Hronek

It was obvious that 3 names were missing, Carson Soucy, Guillaume Brisebois and Teddy Blueger weren't on the ice this morning.

The team's latest roster move (Hirose call-up) confirms that Soucy and Brisebois won't be playing. There is still hope that Blueger could be ready, he hasn't skated since Sunday after he left practice with an important �bruise'.

ONE-MAN DOWN TO START THE SEASON?

Due to their being close to the salary cap, the Canucks had to send down Vasily Podkolzin to bring Akito Hirose up, leaving them with no extra forward. If Teddy Blueger is unavailable, the Canucks must go with 11 forwards in tonight's game.

As noted by Thomas Drance, this is a less then ideal situation for the team:

''Whistle blows and #Canucks morning skate has begun. Don't see Teddy Blueger, Carson Soucy or Guillaume Brisebois on the ice.

If none of them are available tonight - and we'll see what Rick Tocchet says - the club may have to play short a man in their opener vs. Edmonton.''

In other notes, Thatcher Demko is the expected starter for tonight's game.

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