The Canucks’ other EP gets a crack at raising his stock tonight when Vancouver opens its six-game exhibition slate against the Seattle Kraken at Rogers Arena
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Vancouver Canucks coach Rick Tocchet believes rookie defenceman Elias Pettersson has some Ulf Samuelsson in his game.
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That’s shorthand for saying Pettersson, 20, is an edgy, physical rearguard that could be a pain to play against in the long run. Samuelsson was exactly that way for his 16-year career in the NHL. He was a teammate of Tocchet’s with the Pittsburgh Penguins along the way.
“He looks like a little Ulf Samuelsson out there. Just the way he plays…a little abrasive,” Tocchet said after the Canucks’ morning skate Tuesday at Rogers Arena in preparation for their pre-season matchup against the Seattle Kraken tonight.
Pettersson, who was the 2022 third-round pick of the Canucks, is one of several youngsters getting a crack at trying to impress this evening as Vancouver opens its six-game exhibition slate. Going off the morning skate, the NHL veterans in the lineup should include centre Pius Suter and wingers Brock Boeser, Conor Garland, Nils Hoglander and Danton Heinen, as well as defencemen Filip Hronek, Tyler Myers, and Derek Forbort.
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Notable absences include defencemen Quinn Hughes, Carson Soucy and Vincent Desharnais, as well as forwards J.T. Miller, Elias Pettersson and Jake DeBrusk.
The Canucks host the Calgary Flames Wednesday in Abbotsford and then have road exhibition games against the Kraken on Friday, the Flames on Saturday and the Edmonton Oilers on Monday. They close out the pre-season at home on Oct. 4 versus the Oilers, and the regular season opens with a home matchup with the Flames on Oct. 9.
As for what he expects from tonight, Tocchet said: “Hockey IQ is big for me. We did four days of stuff (at training camp) that I want to see guys do. That’s what I look for. Obviously, we have to be careful. In the scrimmage (on Sunday in Penticton), we weren’t changing great. I didn’t think we were playing fast at all. Maybe guys were tired? We have to be careful. It’s the same old thing. I’m not getting away from our staples. It’s important.”
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The blue-liner Pettersson got into eight games with the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks last season after his season in Sweden finished. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound left-handed shot played for Vasteras IK in HockeyAllsvenskan and produced three goals and 14 points in 34 games, while amassing eight penalty minutes.
He was paired with Hronek at the morning skate today.
“I think Fil has really helped him. I think Fil’s had a really good camp. He’s yelling instructions, telling him where to go. I think it’s really helping his development,” Tocchet said.
Other names of note who took part in the morning skate included winger Jonathan Lekkerimaki, 20, Vancouver’s first-round pick from 2022. He was teaming with Boeser to flank centre Suter. As well, there was winger Sammy Blais, who has 257 NHL games under his belt but is with Vancouver on a professional tryout contract (PTO). He was skating on a line this morning with Max Sasson and Vilmer Alriksson.
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Tocchet says that he’ll try to get his veterans three games and “we have guys vying for positions and you’ll usually give those guys three or four games.”
“And then obviously you spitball. A guy might have a good game and you want to see him again,” Tocchet explained.
He wouldn’t delve into how many jobs remain up for grabs, maintaining only that there are “spots open.”
Goaltender Kevin Lankinen, who signed a free-agent deal with Vancouver last week, joined the team Tuesday and practised with the players who weren’t slated to play against the Kraken.
Tocchet isn’t sure yet how many games he’ll play in the pre-season.
“We have to get him in — whether it’s Friday or Saturday or Monday,” Tocchet said.
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