Lafferty practices with Canucks for first time since trade from Toronto

Versatile forward still unsure where he'll line up in Wednesday's season opener

USA Today - Lafferty practices with Canucks for first time since trade from Toronto

Sam Lafferty joined his new Vancouver Canucks teammates at practice for the first time on Tuesday

It's been a whirlwind 48 hours for Sam Lafferty. On Sunday, he was traded from Toronto to Vancouver. On Monday, he hopped a cross country flight. And on Tuesday he hit the ice with his new teammates for the first time. On Wednesday, he'll suit up in the Canucks season opener against the Edmonton Oilers.

"Got in last evening, got in a good practice today and excited for tomorrow night," Lafferty said after his first skate with his new teammates. "It was an intense practice, I think there is anticipation for the home opener and everyone's got an extra gear in their step."

The Canucks like Lafferty's size and speed plus his versatility to take face-offs and kill penalties. On Tuesday, he lined up at centre between Nils Höglander and Ilya Mikheyev, but Mikheyev will not play on Wednesday night. So Lafferty isn't sure who his linemates will be -- or even what position he'll be playing.

He was used as a centre on Tuesday because former Pittsburgh Penguin teammate Teddy Blueger missed practice with a bruised foot and his status for Game 1 of the season is in question.

Lafferty says he's happy to slot in and help wherever he's needed. He admitted that knowing Blueger and Casey De Smith from their time together in Pittsburgh makes coming to a new team like Vancouver a little easier.

"It's a little smoother transition," he said. "I feel like I know exactly what is expected of me here and what I can bring to help the team win games. I think speed is the number one thing. It starts with my skating, physicality and then just versatility -- the penalty kill -- kind of whatever is asked of me I feel like I can help the team any way they need."

Lafferty split last season between Chicago and Toronto and was part of a Leafs group that advanced to the second round of the playoffs. The 28-year-old is encouraged by what he knows and what he's been told about the direction the Canucks are headed.

"Speaking to Patrik Allvin when I got traded, he told me what he's trying to build here and about the culture that he's trying to build and I'm really excited about that and will try to contribute any way I can," he said.

On the eve of their season opener, the Canucks had just five healthy defensemen and 12 forward (including Mikheyev) at practice at Rogers Arena. Head coach Rick Tocchet wasn't certain that Blueger or injured blueliner Guillaume Brisebois would be ready for Wednesday against Edmonton. It's conceivable the Canucks will have to call up at least one defenseman from Abbotsford and plug him into the opening night line-up.

Tocchet revealed that Carson Soucy may not be as badly injured as first believed. The coach said Soucy had skated on his own on Tuesday morning after suggesting on Sunday that the defenseman was 'week to week' with a knee injury suffered last Friday against Calgary.

CANUCKS LINES AT TUESDAY PRACTICE:

Kuzmenko-Pettersson-Garland

Di Giuseppe-Miller-Boeser

Joshua-Suter-Beauvillier

Höglander-Lafferty-Mikheyev

Hughes-Hronek

Cole-Myers

Juulsen