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In 16 games after joining the Canucks last season, Granlund produced a pair of goals and an assist, averaging 15:22 of ice time while struggling mightily in both puck possession (44.1 per cent) and in the faceoff circle (40 per cent). His stint was interrupted by a rib injury that kept him out of the lineup for seven games.

Granlund knows he didn’t blow anyone away with his first impression as a Canuck. And with the organization bringing in veterans on tryouts, he realizes he has plenty to prove at camp and into the preseason.

“It’s a big training camp for me,” he said, after a brief search by Canucks staff to locate him for the interview.

“I have to show I can play. I know I can play, but I just have to keep pushing. I think I started pretty good, then I got hurt, and it was a long three weeks when I wasn’t playing. When I got back, we didn’t have many games left.”

Photo by Jason Payne / PNG

Granlund spent the summer at home in Finland and took only a few weeks off before hitting the ice to prepare for this season. He started camp flanked by Emerson Etem and Derek Dorsett on what could very well comprise the Canucks’ fourth line this season.

Head coach Willie Desjardins is still trying to get the book on Granlund, but knows this much: He’s the kind of player who wants to take on a bigger role with the hockey club than he had last season.

“He’s a guy who’s pushing,” said Desjardins. “He doesn’t want to be a fourth-line guy. He wants to be a first- or second-line guy. If you want to be that, you’ve got to prove you can be that. He’s very competitive. He’s got good skill. He’s coming in to prove some things. He’s a good penalty-killer. He can play the wing if he needs to, so he gives us some flexibility and I think we’ll see a different Granlund this year.”