Roster overview
make a cut
Nils Ammann, who played the past two seasons with Abbotsford of the American Hockey League, has a chance to earn a roster spot as the likely 13th forward coming out of training camp this season. The 24-year-old center had seven points (three goals, four assists) in 43 games with Vancouver and 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) in 15 games with Abbotsford. Aman has the potential to be an effective checking forward in a bottom-six role.
Most interesting additions
Jake DeBrusk signed a seven-year, $38.5 million contract (averaging $5.5 million annually) on July 1. The 27-year-old forward played the past seven seasons with the Boston Bruins, scoring 40 points (19 goals, 21 assists). He played in 80 games last season. He is expected to be Vancouver’s second-leading scorer behind Miller, Pettersson, Boeser and Conor Garland.
Biggest potential surprise
Goaltender Arturs Silovs had an impressive performance as a reliever in last season’s playoffs. Due to injuries to Demko and backup Casey DeSmith, Shilovs started in the first round against the Predators and in the second round against the Edmonton Oilers. He will be a backup for the Canucks this season, but given the uncertainty of Demko’s injury situation, he could be relied upon heavily and has a chance to build on his strong showing in the playoffs.
ready to contribute
Vincent Desharnays broke out as an NHL regular with the Oilers last season (11 points, 1 goal, 10 assists, plus-3 in 78 games) and signed a two-year contract (2 million AAV) as an unrestricted free agent on July 1st. tied. Desharnais is a 6-foot-7, 226-pound shutdown defenseman who will add a physical element to the blue line.
fantasy sleeper
Shilloffs, Ga. (Average draft position: 163.1) — Injury concerns surrounding Demko could help the Shilloffs build on their momentum from last postseason. He went 5-5 with one shutout in 10 games, helping the Canucks advance to Game 7 of the second round, filling in for injured Demko and DeSmith (now with the Dallas Stars). Sirovs is a phantom breakout candidate and a goaltender you’ll have to handcuff if you select Demko in the early rounds (ADP: 53.7). — Pete Jensen
