The Vancouver Canucks have only one game remaining on their preseason schedule, and it’s against the same Edmonton Oilers they faced on Monday (Sept. 30) when they lost in a shootout. Except, this time, they will feature a near-opening night lineup with the lines head coach Rick Tocchet will likely deploy against the Calgary Flames on Oct. 9 in their home opener at Rogers Arena. The Oilers will do the same with their roster, and as a result, fans will be treated to a regular-season atmosphere for the first time since the Oilers ended the Canucks’ season in May.
Setting the Stage – Oilers (3-4-0) vs. Canucks (2-2-1)
The Canucks are coming off that aforementioned 3-2 shootout loss to the Oilers when they dressed a mostly-American Hockey League lineup. The undermanned roster competed hard and kept the game competitive when most people thought they were going to get steamrolled by the likes of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and company. They ultimately fell in the shootout after Viktor Arvidsson won it with a slick deke to the backhand, roofing it behind Kevin Lankinen. The Oilers, meanwhile, lost to the Seattle Kraken 6-2 on Wednesday (Oct. 2) and will be looking to bounce back in their final tuneup before they open their season against the Winnipeg Jets at home on Oct. 9.
Canucks Projected Lineup
Oilers Projected Lineup
Storylines to Watch
Debut of Heinen-Miller-Boeser as Miller Plays First Preseason Game
The Canucks have played nearly every seemingly healthy veteran this preseason – except for J.T. Miller. The team had not come out and said that he was injured, but Miller provided a bit of clarity on that front in his media availability on Tuesday (Oct. 1) saying, “The number of games I want to play isn’t the issue here. Unfortunately, it’s tough for the other guys, but I had to take care of myself and not push it so I’d be ready for Friday’s game. I was concerned that if I played earlier, I might have aggravated something and made it worse, which we didn’t need. I’ll be ready to go on Friday.”
Related: 3 Canucks Who Will Outperform Their Contracts This Season
It’s understandable why Miller didn’t want to play, considering the number of serious injuries that…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at The Hockey Writers…