Vancouver Canucks ready to roll with season-opening game in Edmonton (canucks)

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Vancouver Canucks ready to roll with season-opening game in Edmonton

By Carol Schram

Oct 2, 2019 • 2:24 pm

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Wednesday October 2 - Vancouver Canucks at Edmonton Oilers - 7 p.m. - Sportsnet, Sportsnet 360, Sportsnet 650

Here we go!

The Vancouver Canucks are ready to kick off their 50th anniversary season with a road game in Edmonton as part of a four-game NHL slate on Wednesday night.

I have to admit, I'm pretty drawn to both games that will air on the U.S. doubleheader on NBCSN. The Blues will raise their Stanley Cup banner as they host the 2018 champs from Washington, then sparks will almost definitely fly again as the Sharks kick off a home-and-home with a visit to the Golden Knights. After their insane playoff series last year, they waged a battle in their final preseason game last Sunday — and that game didn't even count. This has very quickly become one of my favourite rivalries — and chances are, San Jose and Vegas will be battling it out all year for top spot in the Pacific Division.

But back to the topic at hand. After Sven Baertschi, Nikolay Goldobin and Alex Biega cleared waivers on Tuesday morning, the Canucks practiced at Rogers Arena before hopping on their flight to Edmonton.

Tyler Motte suited up for practice on Monday, but was back on the sidelines on Tuesday.

With 14 healthy forwardds on the roster, Jim Benning is not recalling anyone from Utica for the moment. Based on Wednesday's morning skate, Loui Eriksson draws into the lineup, on the third line, and Jake Virtanen moves down to play with Tim Schaller and Jay Beagle.

Jacob Markstrom gets the start in net.

As for the power play...

For all the goodies that were available on the waiver wire on Monday, salary-cap considerations and 50-player contract limits meant that only two players ended up changing teams.

Like we saw last year, there will now be an abundance of veteran players on the roster of the Utica Comets. The AHL's mandate as a development league means only a certain number of vets are allowed to dress in each game — and the fanbase is eager to see the team's prospects getting quality ice time and real opportunities to develop.

The Comets open their regular season on Saturday in Binghamton. That game will be free to stream through the AHL app.

Elliotte Friedman echoes the messaging we heard earlier this week about Baertschi in his new 31 Thoughts column.

Vancouver put Sven Baertschi on waivers because their trade efforts made them comfortable in the knowledge he would clear. With this year and next at just under $3.67 million, they understood how things would develop. What I wouldn’t assume is that the organization has given up on the idea he could help them at some point. The impressive Adam Gaudette has to prove he can stick, and there are several forwards who could be in and out of the lineup. Baertschi will have the opportunity to write better chapters in his Vancouver story.

The major tempest around the team on Tuesday surrounded Travis Green's announcement that the team *will* announce its next captain at its home opener next Wednesday.

After the team tweeted this out...

...some people believed that the announcement of Bo Horvat's "A" meant that he wouldn't be getting the "C," as has been widely expected. That tempest seems to have died down, and I fully expect that Horvat will be handed a jersey with the "C" by Henrik Sedin next week.

I've made my arguments before about why I think Elias Pettersson could be considered a worthy candidate — not just because of his superstar skillset, but also because of his interpersonal skillset and thoughtful approach to the game.

By the way, I don't think we'll see much of the infamous 'death stare' this year. I don't think Petey liked that portrayal. So, just like every other aspect of his game that isn't up to his incredibly high standards, he seems to have done work to improve his media face during the offseason.

That being said, the team seems like it has been telegraphing Horvat's ascension for awhile. And I think the potential would be high for disruption in the room if he was passed over.

Judging from this pic, that was posted by all parties involved on their Instagram stories, Petey feels comfortable enough as a member of the Canucks' impressive group of Young Guns.

True to form, Roberto Luongo get the win with his last word on the Canucks' captaincy.

The Canucks had their way with the Oilers in preseason, with 4-2 and 6-1 wins, but I won't be surprised if veteran coach Dave Tippett is able to move the needle in Edmonton this year. Like Alain Vigneault, his track record suggests he can make an immediate impact.

Nevertheless, it seems like the quest to get Connor McDavid some better wingers remains a work in progress.

Mike Smith will get his first start as an Oiler on Wednesday night.

Finally — here's a fun fact to keep us going until puck drop tonight.

We're all excited to see if this season lives up to its potential.

Hockey's back! Enjoy the game!!

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