First day of Canucks camp more about fitting in than standing out

Penticton, BC – The first day of Vancouver Canucks training camp at the South Okanagan Events Centre wasn’t about standing out as much as it was about fitting in. While fans crave to hear about the players that flashed on Day 1 – and there were certainly moments – this was far more about Adam Foote and a new coaching staff doing plenty of teaching and drilling down on the finer points of the way they want the Canucks to play this season.

Split into two main groups, the Canucks worked on defensive zone coverages and also conducted drills that encouraged defencemen to jump into the rush. The sessions were interrupted by frequent stoppages, with Foote asking the players to huddle around a whiteboard where the coaches reinforced exactly what they were looking for.

Foote pointed to the leadership of veterans Elias Pettersson, Marcus Pettersson and Tyler Myers in Group A and used the word ‘humming’ to describe the way that trio set the tone. The coach also name-checked Brock Boeser and suggested the experience of the winger was on full display throughout his session.

Foote gave the second group of the day a pass based on the quality of the ice they inherited.

Thursday provided a glimpse into the way the new head coach is thinking in terms of the top of his lineup, with Elias Pettersson skating between Brock Boeser and Jake DeBrusk, while Filip Chytil had Evander Kane on one side and Jonathan Lekkerimäki on the other. No line combinations are ever set in stone, and Foote will surely join every other head coach in hockey history to swap players in and out as the season unfolds. But for this day – and likely all weekend – he wants to give that Pettersson line every opportunity to establish chemistry.

Foote also noted that, with the way he wants his team to attack — moving as a unit of three across the neutral zone with trailing support — he believes it will help protect Filip Chytil from taking unnecessary contact.

The coach said the organization has studied Chytil’s movements as a puck carrier and believes that with less lateral movement at the opposition blueline, Chytil can avoid heavy checks that have led to injuries throughout his career. Foote says Chytil is on board with the plan and both are excited to see how that plays to the Czech centre’s strengths.

While there is always anticipation for the first day of camp with fans wanting to see end-to-end rushes and highlight reel goals, the main thrusts on Thursday were attention to detail, coupled with pattern recognition. They may not be sexy concepts, but for an inexperienced coach with new lieutenants in Kevin Dean, Brett McLean, and Scott Young, the first day of camp looked well-designed and well-executed, establishing a baseline from which the Canucks can build over their remaining three days here.

Elias Pettersson looked invested, Quinn Hughes looked focused, and Thatcher Demko looked sharp and steady. All were to be expected, but at the same time, they are good signs for the hockey club. Beyond that, the battle for jobs lower in the line-up began to take shape, although no jobs were won (or lost) on the first day of camp.

It’s always fascinating to see where particular players are slotted in the opening sessions. To that end, Nils Höglander kicked off camp with Teddy Blueger and Conor Garland on a ready-made NHL line, Aatu Räty skated between Vitali Kravtsov and Linus Karlsson – all three with plenty to prove, first-round pick Braeden Cootes was insulated with veteran Kiefer Sherwood on one wing and Arshdeep Bains on the other, while Max Sasson lined up at centre between Drew O’Connor and Danila Klimovich.

All of those make sense for first-day formations, and none had anyone in attendance scratching their heads. Like the first day overall, things seemed to unfold as intended, and the two main sessions proceeded very much according to form.

Thursday in Penticton had a first-day-of-school feel to it as the students got a better sense of their new teacher. Class is now in session. But we’ll all need a few more days (and on ice tests) before any letter grades can be assessed.