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But this is not last year with chances to play on the top two lines. Green has better options there, in his bottom six and the penalty kill.

It would take a rash of injuries or indifferent play to get the 27-year-old Megna back to the NHL after he managed four goals and four assists last season in 58 games as the Canucks racked up 462 man-games lost to injury.

“If he’s going to play in the NHL, that’s the role he has to be in,” Green said of Megna, who had three assists in five pre-season games. “More of a checking-line role and use his speed and hockey sense. We want to put guys in roles to succeed and roles we think they should be in and play good defence and generate offence.

“I thought the line fared well (against McDavid). That was a tall order to ask, to put them up against arguably the best team in the league.”

Chaput played 68 games last season and his four goals and five assists spoke of limited offence — the 25-year-old was better as a fourth-line centre with 52.7 per cent faceoff efficiency — than being aligned with Henrik and Daniel Sedin as a winger. He had one assist in four pre-season games this fall.

The Canucks still have 14 forwards and 10 defencemen in camp and need to get to a combination of 14 forwards and seven blueliners, or 13 forwards and eight blueliners plus the two goaltenders, to meet the 23-man roster limit. They could still expose Andrey Pedan or Alex Biega to waivers and need to figure out whether London of the OHL or Finland isthe best fit for Olli Juolevi.