If you missed the first two editions of the series, here’s a brief description of what’s going on here:

“Through a series of polls, we’re asking fans to vote on their preferred forward lines and defense pairings for the 2019/20 Vancouver Canucks, based on the team’s current roster. Each week, we’ll be presenting the various options for each unit and discussing the pros and cons of every possible combination—until we’re left with some sort of a consensus.”

In our pilot episode, Canucks’ fans voted JT Miller to the top line alongside @Elias Pettersson and @Brock Boeser. Voting for Bo Horvat’s linemates on the second unit remains open, with Tanner Pearson and Micheal Ferland currently in the lead to occupy those spots. If you haven’t already, vote now!

We have to cover the forward lines one at a time for obvious reasons, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t get busy with the blue line in the meantime. The Canucks’ top-six defensemen are more or less set in stone at this point—but the configuration of the pairings is anything but.

Starting with the top pairing and working our way down, we’re aiming to determine how the fans would like to see coach Travis Green stack up his newly-revamped defense corps.

 

With Alex Edler signed to a new team-friendly contract and coming off some of the best seasons of his career, the left side of the Canucks’ blue line is as strong as it’s been at any point in the last several seasons—and that means there will be some serious jockeying for position throughout training camp.

-Edler is a proven minute-muncher who has been holding down a top-pairing role for several seasons.

-He’s coming off one of the best offensive seasons of his career.

-Placing him on the top-pairing alleviates pressure from rookies like Quinn Hughes and Olli Juolevi.

-He’s strong at both ends of the ice, allowing him to hit the ice with any line.

-Edler has proven his dedication to the Canucks by signing a team-friendly contract.

-Injuries are always a concern for Edler, and he turned 33 during the offseason.

-His offensive chemistry with the team’s top offensive players is sometimes called into question.

-At some point, Edler is going to stop being able to eat so many minutes—even if that doesn’t happen this season.

-Hughes might already be the most talented member of the Canucks’ blue line—and if not, he will be soon.

-He’s also probably the best skater on the blue line already, and has the sort of effortless speed that will allow him to eat big minutes without fatigue.

-When on the ice, Hughes acts as a fourth forward—but is also speedy enough to get back to his defensive assignments when needed.

-He’s used to playing a leading role on defense at lower levels.

-Hughes has already demonstrated chemistry with Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser—the two forwards who should play the most in 2019/20.

-Hughes is a rookie making a big step up from NCAA hockey.

-Previously, the most games he’s played in a season was 37—meaning top-pairing minutes for an entire 82-game season is an unrealistic expectation.

-Speaking of expectations, Hughes already comes to Vancouver ahead of enormous hype—and there’s really no need to heap on any more by giving him the top job right away.

-Benn already looks to be the most physical member of the Canucks’ blue line.

-He’s coming off the best season of his career to date, with especially impressive 5-on-5 production rates.

-Benn occasionally played top-pairing minutes on an injury-ravaged Montreal blue line in 2019/20—and didn’t look entirely out of place.

-Benn seems to be at his best when given a smaller role that is big on defensive responsibility.

-He’s not a true top-pairing talent, and the Canucks don’t have anyone on the right-side capable of carrying him.

-He’s also reportedly better on the right than the left, so if he stays on his natural side it might not be best to further burden him with excessive minutes.

-Aside from Hughes, Juolevi might be the next most talented blueliner in the organization.

-Coming off an offensively potent, albeit quite short, professional debut with the Utica Comets.

-Was drafted with top-pairing potential in mind—and the sooner he makes the team, the sooner people stop complaining about his draft position.

-Juolevi is just now hitting the ice again after an injury and subsequent surgery ended his season early—and so top-pairing minutes at the NHL level would be far too great of a step-up.

-He has the opportunity to play a leading role on the Utica blue line right from the get-go, and that’s probably what’s best for his development at this exact moment.

Vote below for your preference on the left side of the Canucks’ top pairing:

Buoyed by the addition of UFA Tyler Myers, the Canucks’ right side is better off than it was in 2018/19—but it still lacks a definitive top pairing defender. It’s important to note that Jordie Benn has been effective on his off-side in the recent past and could feasibly line up on the right, but for the time being it looks as though he’ll be sticking to his natural side.

-Firmly established himself as a top-four NHL talent in 2018/19.

-Has proven chemistry with Alex Edler, the defenseman most likely to occupy the left side of the top pairing.

-Stecher played this role for much of the 2018/19 after trades and injuries decimated the Canucks blue line—and looked just fine under the extra minutes.

-Has a strong two-way acumen that allow him to hit the ice in any situation and have a positive impact.

-Starting to be considered part of the team’s young core despite his lack of a draft pedigree.

-Stecher’s lack of size is a continual concern when it comes to playing heavy minutes against some of the behemoths of the Western Conference.

-Improved greatly in 2018/19, but may be close to his ceiling already as a 25-year-old.

-Can be inconsistent offensively.

-“You can’t teach size” remains a tired old cliché—but the guy does have a 6’8” wingspan and that’s a valuable tool in slowing down opposing forwards.

-Easily the most offensively-potent right-handed defenseman the Canucks have had in any recent season.

-His shot from the point makes for another offensive threat for Elias Pettersson to exploit on a regular basis.

-May be ready for a larger role after spending years on a stacked Winnipeg blue line.

-Myers has traditionally struggled with heavy minutes and a large defensive load.

-He’s nowhere near as physical as his stature might suggest.

-Myers will be expected to lead the offense from the blue line—but top-pairing responsibilities at both ends of the ice are likely beyond his purview.

-Tanev is as reliable as they come in the defensive end, even if he’s slowed down in recent years.

-Can be counted on to play minutes against any level of competition and come out at least even.

-He’s played top-pairing minutes before, and his level of play does not seem to deteriorate with a greater role—though his injury rate may increase.

-Giving Tanev a lot of minutes may help juice his value for what seems like an inevitable trade.

-The Canucks can probably only count on Tanev playing in 75% of the team’s games—and that’s on a good year.

-His injuries have taken a noticeable cumulative effect on Tanev, and his advanced stats are no longer quite so sparkling.

-Tanev adds little-to-no offense from the blu eline, limiting his teammates’ options when he’s on the ice.

 

-Biega’s effort level can never be questioned—he’s kept himself in the NHL through sheer force of will for the past few seasons.

-He’s surprisingly effective in limited minutes, and serves as a positive example for his younger teammates.

-As the only right-handed depth defender, Biega has a major advantage in terms of actually seeing minutes in 2019/20.

-Biega just doesn’t have the skill level to be a regular top-six defender on a playoff-contending team—and at 31, he’s not getting any better from here.

-There’s an upper limit to the amount of responsibility Biega can realistically take on—and top-pairing minutes clearly exceeds that.

 

Vote below for your preference on the right side of the Canucks’ top pairing:

 

As a newly-signed UFA, Fantenberg has the inside track to make the roster as an extra defenseman—but he’ll have a tough time cracking the actual lineup. He’s a much better fit to sit in the press box than a youngster like Olli Juolevi would be—and when injuries strike, he’s more than capable of serving in the top-six for a portion of the year.

Brisebois has been sniffing around a roster spot for a couple seasons, which is why it’s so surprising that he’s just 22 years old. Brisebois retains his waiver exemption this season, so look for him to start the year in Utica—though he’ll inevitably be in line for a call-up at some point during the season.

At 25 years old, Sautner is running out of chances to firmly establish himself as an NHL player—and the Canucks’ offseason acquisitions didn’t help the situation. He’s already a longshot to make the roster as an extra defenseman, so earning a spot in the top-six seems like a bridge too far. In fact, Sautner’s best opportunity to play regular big league minutes this year might come from another team claiming him on waivers.

Rafferty has leapfrogged a lot of other young defenders in the organization just by the virtue of being right-handed. That ensures he’ll receive a call-up or two throughout the season, but other than that he’ll be plying his trade in Utica for his rookie pro campaign—where he’s got a legitimate shot at the Comets’ top pairing. 

 

Keep an eye on this page or this author’s Twitter feed throughout the week to check the polls. We’ll be back this coming weekend to continue the 2019/20 Canucks As Voted By The Fans series with voting for the Canucks’ third forward line, and then in a week’s time we’ll be tackling the second pairing of the defense. Stay tuned!