Two of the most promising second-year players in the NHL will be on display Thursday night — hopefully — as the Vancouver Canucks wrap up quick two-game road trip through the American southwest with a visit to the Arizona Coyotes.

Canucks vs Coyotes Betting Analysis

This is the first time this season the Canucks are playing the second of a back-to-back, but at least it was a very short flight from Las Vegas on Wednesday night to Phoenix. Vancouver’s next back-to-back is at the Rangers on Nov. 12 and at the Islanders the next night.

One big story line here could/will be two of the best rookies from last year’s class sharing the ice in Vancouver’s Brock Boeser, who finished second in the Calder Trophy voting behind the Islanders’ Mathew Barzal, and Arizona’s Clayton Keller, who finished third. That’s if Boeser plays (see below).

These teams split four meetings a season ago, each getting one win at home and on the road. Boeser played in just one of the games and had an assist. Daniel Sedin led Vancouver with four points (all goals) and Henrik Sedin had three (all assists). Or course, the Sedins are retired now. Jacob Markstrom started each in net and had a 1.75 goals-against average and .941 save percentage.

Keller (1G, 3A) and Derek Stepan (2G, 2A) led the Coyotes with four points vs. the Canucks. Darcy Kuemper was 2-1-1 with a 1.99 GAA and .928 SV. He was acquired last season from the LA Kings and now backs up Antti Raanta.

The home team is 5-2 in the past seven meetings.

Vancouver Canucks

Vancouver was a 3-2 shootout upset winner in Las Vegas on Wednesday night – the Canucks have now beaten powerhouses Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh and Vegas away from home. Markus Granlund scored the only goal of the shootout Wednesday. Bo Horvat was the No. 1 star with two goals and has nine points (seven goals) in the past nine games. Markstrom stopped 33 shots in regulation and all four in the shootout. However, Alexander Edler, Sven Baertschi and Chris Tanev all left injured. Boeser took part in the Wednesday morning skate in Las Vegas but ended up sitting with a groin injury. He might play Thursday. The Canucks have lost their past seven in the second of a back-to-back. Should be Anders Nilsson in net.

• Regular Season

Canucks Team Leaders

VAN

Points	Elias Pettersson 66
+ / -	Troy Stecher 9
Shots	Bo Horvat 227
Penalty Mins	Antoine Roussel 118
Wins	Jacob Markstrom 28
GAA	Jacob Markstrom 2.77

ARI

Points	Clayton Keller 47
+ / -	Jason Demers 9
Shots	Clayton Keller 200
Penalty Mins	Lawson Crouse 67
Wins	Darcy Kuemper 27
GAA	Darcy Kuemper 2.33

Arizona Coyotes

The Coyoted concluded a four-game trip on Tuesday at 2-2 with a very solid 4-1 win in Columbus. Christian Fletcher (not to be confused with Fletcher Christian from the HMS Bounty) was the easy call as the No. 1 star with his first career hat trick. Former Canadiens forward Alex Galchenyuk made his Coyotes debut off an injury and was minus-1 in 15 minutes of ice time. Arizona has yet to have another good young player, centre Christian Dvorak, this season due to surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle. Dvorak, 22, finished fifth on the Coyotes last season with 37 points (15 goals, 22 assists). Perhaps not coincidentally, the Coyotes are last in the league in scoring.

• Regular Season

Coyotes Team Leaders

VAN

Points	Elias Pettersson 66
+ / -	Troy Stecher 9
Shots	Bo Horvat 227
Penalty Mins	Antoine Roussel 118
Wins	Jacob Markstrom 28
GAA	Jacob Markstrom 2.77

ARI

Points	Clayton Keller 47
+ / -	Jason Demers 9
Shots	Clayton Keller 200
Penalty Mins	Lawson Crouse 67
Wins	Darcy Kuemper 27
GAA	Darcy Kuemper 2.33

Injuries

Vancouver

Jake Virtanen (RW)

Prob Thurs Lower Body - 31 / 03 / 19

Tyler Motte (C)

Out indefinitely Upper Body - 25 / 03 / 19

Guillaume Brisebois (D)

Out indefinitely Hip - 24 / 03 / 19

Josh Leivo (LW)

Prob Tues Illness - 24 / 03 / 19

Quinn Hughes (D)

Prob Thurs Ankle - 23 / 03 / 19

Christopher Tanev (D)

out for season Lower Body - 16 / 03 / 19

Jay Beagle (C)

Prob Sun Illness - 15 / 03 / 19

Quinn Hughes (D)

Late March Ankle - 14 / 03 / 19

Antoine Roussel (LW)

out for season Knee - 13 / 03 / 19

Jacob Markstrom (G)

Doub Thurs Rest - 07 / 03 / 19

Arizona

Oliver Ekman-Larsson (D)

Prob Thurs Undisclosed - 03 / 04 / 19

Darcy Kuemper (G)

Prob Thurs Eye - 03 / 04 / 19

Derek Stepan (C)

Prob Thurs Undisclosed - 03 / 04 / 19

Jordan Oesterle (D)

Out Thurs Upper Body - 05 / 03 / 19

Derek Stepan (C)

Prob Sat Lower Body - 01 / 03 / 19

Oliver Ekman-Larsson (D)

day-to-day Lower Body - 18 / 02 / 19

Mario Kempe (RW)

Ques Tues Upper Body - 18 / 02 / 19

Richard Panik (RW)

Prob Thurs Illness - 17 / 02 / 19

Mario Kempe (RW)

Prob Sat Upper Body - 10 / 02 / 19

Kyle Capobianco (D)

out for season Lower Body - 08 / 02 / 19

Injuries

Vancouver

player (position)	status		ats*current	o/u*	notes
Jake Virtanen (RW)	Prob Thurs	Lower Body - 31 / 03 / 19	3-1	0-4	+ -
Virtanen was absent from the lineup during the previous game with a lower-body injury but it is likely he will be available Thursday against the Predators.
Tyler Motte (C)	Out indefinitely	Upper Body - 25 / 03 / 19	3-4	1-6	+ -
Motte sustained an upper-body injury and is in jeopardy of missing the remainder of the season.
Guillaume Brisebois (D)	Out indefinitely	Hip - 24 / 03 / 19	4-4	2-6	+ -
Brisebois has been out of commission with a hip injury and there is no timetable for return.
Josh Leivo (LW)	Prob Tues	Illness - 24 / 03 / 19	4-4	2-6	+ -
Leivo was absent from the lineup during the last game due to an illness but is likely to be a participant in Tuesday's matchup against the Ducks.
Quinn Hughes (D)	Prob Thurs	Ankle - 23 / 03 / 19	4-4	2-6	+ -
Hughes has sat out the past three games with an ankle injury but is projected to make his season debut against the Kings on Thursday.
Christopher Tanev (D)	out for season	Lower Body - 16 / 03 / 19	7-5	2-10	+ -
Tanev suffered a lower-body injury and is expected to miss the remainder of the 2018-19 season.
Jay Beagle (C)	Prob Sun	Illness - 15 / 03 / 19	7-5	2-10	+ -
Beagle missed the previous game with an illness but it is not expected to keep him out of the lineup against the Stars on Sunday.
Quinn Hughes (D)	Late March	Ankle - 14 / 03 / 19	7-6	3-10	+ -
Hughes has a deep bone bruise on his ankle and will be out of action until at least the end of March.
Antoine Roussel (LW)	out for season	Knee - 13 / 03 / 19	7-6	3-10	+ -
Roussel is expected to miss the remainder of the season due to a knee injury.
Jacob Markstrom (G)	Doub Thurs	Rest - 07 / 03 / 19	9-7	3-13	+ -
Markstrom is not expected to be available against the Oilers on Thursday as he is to be rested.

Arizona

player (position)	status		ats*current	o/u*	notes
Oliver Ekman-Larsson (D)	Prob Thurs	Undisclosed - 03 / 04 / 19	2-1	0-3	+ -
Ekman-Larsson is expected to play Thursday against the Golden Knights despite missing practice due to a maintenance day.
Darcy Kuemper (G)	Prob Thurs	Eye - 03 / 04 / 19	2-1	0-3	+ -
Kuemper left the last game due to an eye injury but is expected to be available against the Golden Knights on Thursday.
Derek Stepan (C)	Prob Thurs	Undisclosed - 03 / 04 / 19	2-1	0-3	+ -
Stepan missed practice as he took a maintenance day but is likely to be in Thursday's lineup versus the Golden Knights.
Jordan Oesterle (D)	Out Thurs	Upper Body - 05 / 03 / 19	8-9	4-13	+ -
Oesterle missed the previous game with an upper-body injury and will not play against the Flames on Thursday.
Derek Stepan (C)	Prob Sat	Lower Body - 01 / 03 / 19	9-10	6-13	+ -
Stepan is close to returning from a lower body injury and is likely to lace up for Saturday's matchup with the Panthers.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson (D)	day-to-day	Lower Body - 18 / 02 / 19	13-11	7-17	+ -
Ekman-Larsson left Monday's game due to a lower-body injury and it is uncertain if he will return.
Mario Kempe (RW)	Ques Tues	Upper Body - 18 / 02 / 19	13-11	7-17	+ -
Kempe is sidelined with an upper-body injury and it is unclear if he will suit up against the Oilers on Tuesday.
Richard Panik (RW)	Prob Thurs	Illness - 17 / 02 / 19	13-11	7-17	+ -
Panik has been held out of the previous two games with an illness but it is expected the symptoms will subside in time for Thursday's contest against the Canucks.
Mario Kempe (RW)	Prob Sat	Upper Body - 10 / 02 / 19	15-12	8-19	+ -
Kempe has sat out the previous two games with an upper-body injury but it is not expected to impede his status for Saturday's tilt against the Maple Leafs.
Kyle Capobianco (D)	out for season	Lower Body - 08 / 02 / 19	15-14	9-19-1	+ -
Capobianco is on injured reserve due to a lower-body injury and will miss the remainder of the 2018-19 season.

Canucks vs. Coyotes Prediction