Where does Nikolay Goldobin fit in the Canucks lineup?

Acquiring Nikolay Goldobin from the San Jose Sharks for Jannik Hansen was a big win for Jim Benning. Goldobin made an immediate impression, scoring a highlight-reel goal in his very first game as a Canuck, then adding two more goals in a stint with the Sedins to end the season.

The 21-year-old winger certainly looks like he belongs in the NHL, showcasing the kind of offensive flare that has been missing from the Canucks lineup, but the question still remains: just where does Goldobin fit for the Canucks?

At this point, Goldobin has proven all he can at the AHL level. He racked up 15 goals and 41 points in 46 games for the San Jose Barracuda prior to the trade, then added 4 more goals in 3 games with the Utica Comets.

Those three games gave new Canucks head coach Travis Green a good look at what Goldobin can do, including a Forsbergian deke against the Syracuse Crunch.

The trouble is that for all his skill, Goldobin’s two-way game isn’t quite up to snuff at the NHL level. In his 14 NHL games last season, he posted a 42.7% corsi, the lowest of any forward that played more than 10 games with the Canucks.

Goldobin’s ugly underlying statistics mostly came from his time spent in the defensive zone. When he was on the ice, opponents rattled off 67.73 shot attempts against per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 ice time. That’s not just the worst mark on the Canucks; it’s one of the worst in the NHL, with only two other NHL forwards allowing more shot attempts against when they were on the ice.

In Goldobin's defence, much of his lousy corsi comes from playing with Brandon Sutter, with whom he was a particularly poor fit. With Sutter, Goldobin posted a 34.0% corsi. Away from Sutter, he was at 47.2%. That's not great, but it's not abjectly terrible.

Still, that’s an area of Goldobin’s game that he’ll have to address. In the meantime, the Canucks would do well to shelter him if at all possible. The problem is, the Canucks don’t really have anywhere they can shelter him. So where does he play?

This was an easier question to answer before the Canucks added two more forwards in free agency. The departure of Alex Burrows and Jannik Hansen provided a clear path for Goldobin to cement a roster spot, but the addition of Sam Gagner and Alexander Burmistrov muddied the waters.

Leaving out Goldobin, let’s look at the Canucks’ depth chart at forward, including only players who are actually signed with the Canucks rather than recently drafted prospects. And, just for fun, let’s list the Sedins on the second line, because this seems like the right time.

Substituting in Goldobin on one of these lines means pushing other wingers down the lineup. So who should move?

Placing Boeser on the top line seems like a no-brainer. He’s the only prospect forward who will be heading to training camp with a spot to lose, in my opinion, but maybe there’s a chance that Goldobin outperforms him in training camp and takes that spot. That line will need to carry the offensive load, however, and Boeser seems better equipped to do that carrying with his strong possession numbers in his brief stint last season.

Granlund and Eriksson are interchangeable: I support giving Eriksson another shot with the Sedins, but Granlund was a good fit last season. Goldobin, on the other hand, showed scoring touch with the Sedins, but seriously dragged down their possession numbers. The Sedins are already slipping as they near the end of their careers: would adding Goldobin to their line revitalize them or drag them down further?

Gagner could be a good fit as a puck distributor for the Sutter line, but that line will likely have to do a lot of work in the defensive zone. Eriksson and Granlund are good fits for that role, but Gagner less so, and we've already established what a poor fit Goldobin would be with Sutter. Rodin might be a better choice, as he has shown a decent two-way game in Sweden.

And then there’s the fourth line. Should that be where Goldobin starts, with the opportunity to earn his way up the lineup?

Personally, I would give him a chance with the Sedins, bumping Granlund to the the third line with Eriksson and Sutter. That would put Gagner on the fourth line with Gaunce and Burmistrov, bumping Rodin to the press box.

There’s also the possibility that Goldobin will start the season in the AHL. Unlike Rodin, Gaunce, and Boucher, Goldobin doesn’t require waivers this coming season, which means we’re bound to be using the dreaded phrase “asset management” when training camp rolls around.

It might also mean keeping someone like Michael Chaput or Jayson Megna on the roster to sit in the press box, while Goldobin goes to Utica to play on the top line.