Vancouver Canucks defenceman Tucker Poolman was suspended two games for high-sticking Colorado Avalanche forward Kiefer Sherwood during Thursday’s game. The Department of Player Safety announced this decision earlier today.
Canucks defenceman Tucker Poolman has been suspended two games for high-sticking, the department of player safety announced, stemming from an incident on Thursday in which he hit Avalanche forward Kiefer Sherwood in the head with his stick.https://t.co/US3iNrbc6A
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 12, 2021
Tucker Poolman Suspended Two Games
Poolman was hit by Sherwood during play in the Canucks’ 7-1 loss on Thursday. Poolman responded by whipping his stick around and hitting Sherwood in the helmet. During such a blowout, frustrations can flare, but it is absolutely necessary that actions like these do not go unpunished.
The right-shooting defenceman is in his first year wearing a Canucks jersey. Through 13 games this season, Poolman has been quiet on the scoresheet, except in one category. Only one point in the form of an assist, and a plus/minus rating of +3, he’s not a very impactful player. However, his 20 minutes in penalties show his true role for the Canucks. He’s next to useless on the ice, showing an abysmal 43.3 Corsi For percentage and an even worse -13.8 relative Corsi. Over his short, four-year career, Poolman has played in 133 NHL games, scored 5 times and dished out 15 assists for a total of 20 points.
How the Canucks Adjust
With Tucker Poolman suspended, the Canucks really won’t have too much to account for. As previously mentioned, he’s not a very impactful player and doesn’t help much on the back end. Still, he’s a starting NHL defenceman, so the Canucks will have to do some line shifting to account for his two-game absence. Jack Rathbone, Luke Schenn, and Travis Hamonic have played a combined 18 games this season, so one of them will likely be the next man up for Vancouver. Out of the three, Hamonic will likely get the nod, as he’s been most impactful when he’s played. Averaging just over 18 minutes of ice time through four games, as opposed to less than 14 minutes for the other two, expect Hamonic to slot into the lineup.
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