A interesting new look was seen at Vancouver Canucks practice today as head coach Rick Tocchet has switched up his defensemen pairings, and it appears Noah Juulsen is getting a big promotion.
Amidst the news about first pairing d-man Filip Hronek being out longer than expected with a shoulder injury, Rick Tocchet is in a tough spot trying to find which players should be paired up with one another.
Yesterday, whent he Vancouver Canucks faced off against the Detroit Red Wings and coming out on top in a 5-4 victory, we saw Tyler Myers get his first shot on the top pairing with Quinn Hughes.
Myers struggled, going -1, playing over 22 minutes in the contest.
Noah Juulsen moved up as well, playing along side Carson Soucy, and after a big game, putting his body on the line multiple times, it appears Rick Tocchet is giving him a major opportunity.
Noah Juulsen promoted to Vancouver Canucks top paining with Quinn Highes
Noah Juulsen has been an in and out of the lineup players this season, mostly sharing time with Vincent Desharnais.
But now, due to Derek Forbort still being out, and the recent news about Filip Hronek potentially needing surgery for his shoulder, Juulsen and Desharnais are everyday players.
Before the Vancouver Canucks matchup against the Minnesota Wild tomorrow, some interesting line and defensive pairing were noticed.
According to Sportsnet analyst and Hockey Night in Canada panelists Dan Murphy, Tyler Myers has been demoted back down players with Carson Soucy, while Noah Juulsen was taking reps with captain Quinn Hughes.
Obviously it is not confirmed if this will be the lineup for tomorrows last game of the road trip, but it is very likely.
