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The Vancouver Canucks penalty kill has missed Brad Richardson enormously during his lengthy convalescence from a foot injury that he sustained in mid-January. It would seem that Richardson is close to returning though, as he took part and was a full participant in the club’s practice on Monday at Rogers Arena.

Following practice Richardson suggested that he could return for Game 1 of the club’s opening round playoff series against the Calgary Flames, though he wouldn’t confirm his availability for the opening game of the so called ‘real season’.

If he plays he’ll take Linden Vey’s spot in the lineup, centring Derek Dorsett and Shawn Matthias on an intriguing bottom-six line. 

Will that line play more than Bo Horvat’s group with Ronalds Kenins and Jannik Hansen if Richardson is back in the lineup? Based on the club’s deployment patterns before Richardson went down, you’d think they might, though perhaps Horvat’s rather remarkable in-season improvements and the need to ease Richardson back up to 100 percent will change the equation.

Upgrading from Vey to Richardson, even if he’s still hobbled, is pretty significant especially when it comes to the club’s play away from the puck. Richardson’s biggest potential impact in this series though is as a penalty killer. The Flames are one of the most disciplined teams in hockey, and have racked up a massively positive penalty differential this season. The Canucks, on the other hand, are penalized rather frequently.

As a bona fide elite penalty killing pivot, Richardson could be a particularly high leverage addition to the Canucks lineup for Game 1. That is if he’s able to play.