WWYDW: Nikita Tryamkin!

Well, so much for the Canucks hot start. After starting the season 4-0-0, the Canucks have dropped three consecutive games to a 4-2-1 record. They haven’t looked particularly good in any of those losses either.

Naturally, injuries have played a role. The Canucks are already down Anton Rodin, Derek Dorsett, Alexandre Burrows and Chris Tanev. But with all these injuries, the Canucks have passed up Nikita Tryamkin for Alex Biega and Troy Stecher in consecutive games.

Tryamkin came to camp in terrible shape, and the Canucks are working dutifully to get his conditioning back in order. Unfortunately, the KHL out clause which grants him the right to return to Russia if the Canucks send him to the AHL is preventing the Canucks from getting Tryamkin into game action with even the Utica Comets. Hell, he turned down a conditioning stint where he’d still earn an NHL paycheque.

Given Tryamkin’s outright refusal to take so much as a shift in the AHL, he’s not getting into game shape anytime soon. 

Last week I asked: So looking at the Canucks’ roster as of today, what adjustment(s) should they make when Rodin is available and ready to contribute?

I think they will assign Virtanen to Utica, which will drive bloggers nuts.

I mean, he’s pretty much gotta go with Bo and Sven, to complete the RoBoBaer line. That leaves Virtanen or Skille as the odd man out. Skille requires waivers, Virtanen does not, so…

A couple other options:

Send down Gaunce. This means breaking up the Granlund, Sutter, Hansen line, as Granlund would have to switch back to centre.

Waive Biega, carry 14 forwards. While I don’t have much of an issue with this, and there’s a pretty good chance he doesn’t get claimed, it probably won’t happen.

I’m torn.

Part of me wants that second line spot to be Virtanens come hell or high water. Rodin does deserve to get a look so rotate Rodin/Virtanen in every 2 to 3 games and make them prove who wants it more.

The other part of me wants Virtnanen sent to the AHL where he can be a top guy getting 20 minutes a night in all situations, to grow and develop his game.

I think option 2 is the better one, but I am on the fence.

Given that Rodin’s knee will need to be managed, there’s likely no harm and some development benefit to sending Virtanen to Utica.

The other options are Burrows and Dorsett. Neither would be likely to be claimed, and if one was, that would allow some interesting possibilities moving forward.

Ideally, however, it would be Tryamkin who would get sent down and get his NHL game up to par. This player could eventually be a difference maker for this team behind the top four and having his development lag isn’t a great plan.

I’d send Virtanen down to Utica.

Playing top line minutes would benefit him, and riding the bus for a few weeks should make him hungry to get back to the Big League.

Injuries will happen, and he will get plenty of NHL games in this year, but they should take advantage of his waiver exempt status to keep him humble and let him hone his skills with some serious icetime.

Jake has the skill but needs to learn how to think the game. The Sedins need more speed on their line. Bo’s line needs to be a second line offensively. So I would at least try this line-up (Rodin and Loui could be switched):

Daniel Sedin – Henrik Sedin – Jannik Hansen

Markus Granlund – Brandon Sutter- Rodin

Sven Baertschi – Bo Horvat – Loui Eriksson

Alexandre Burrows – Brendan Gaunce – Derek Dorsett

Extra: Jack Skille

Alexander Edler – Chris Tanev

Ben Hutton – Erik Gudbranson

Luca Sbisa – Philip Larsen

Extra: Alex Biega, Nikita Tryamkin

Ryan Miller

Jacob Markstrom

D. Sedin – H. Sedin – L. Eriksson

S. Baertschi – B. Horvat – J. Hansen

M. Granlund – B. Sutter – A. Rodin

A. Burrows – B. Gaunce – D. Dorsett

Jack Skille

Take advantage of being able to send Virtanen down to minors without waivers.