Nikita Tryamkin deserves an opportunity to prove his worth to the Vancouver Canucks — plain and simple. His previous tenure with the team tantalized observers. His rare combination of size, strength and mobility left Canucks fans in awe of what the then-twenty-two-year-old was capable of becoming. At 6’7’’, 250 lbs, he intimidated opponents like few could, and he obliterated numerous victims with his incredible strength.

Many were shocked, but not surprised when he departed from the Canucks. He believed that he had been misused. He desired more ice time than he received, and so he rejoined his KHL team, Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Always known to be vocal, he received the team’s “A” as an alternate captain for two seasons before being stripped of the honor this past season. Recently, his agent has been adamant that Tryamkin wants nothing more than to return to the Canucks.

The Vancouver Canucks struggled defensively in 2019-20. They bled scoring opportunities and were often rescued by the MVP-like play of Jacob Markstrom. Although the team’s offensive play has improved significantly since Tryamkin last represented the team, they continue to be inept once the opponent begins to carry the puck back up the ice. The organization would be wise, thus, to explore all of its options, including the enigmatic former prospect.

He was not so polarizing as a player for the team. He offered exactly what he was expected to provide. His physicality overwhelmed some opposition players, and yet he could transition the puck through the neutral zone quite confidently and naturally. He has done the same for his KHL team.

Today, we have an opportunity to look at one of Nikita Tryamkin’s most recent performances: Game 4 of the 2020 KHL Quarterfinals against Sibir Novosibirsk on March 8, 2020.

In our footage, we can clearly see that Tryamkin has not lost his physical attributes nor his motor. He is steady for his team, often lurking cautiously behind the play when his forwards are taking the puck into the offensive zone and maintaining effective gap control when the opponent is rushing in the opposite direction.

He plays an aggressive style as well, utilizing his strength and his frame to contain the opponent in high-percentage scoring areas. He possesses an uncanny ability to clear most traffic in front of the net with his strength, a characteristic that most of the Canucks’ current defencemen lack. Despite this, at one point in our sample, he lost his coverage of the opposing forward in the crease as he was too fixated on blocking the point man’s shot. The opponent collected the rebound for a goal against.

There are instances when he will join the rush and contribute to the team’s forecheck, but more often than not he remains a defensive presence for his team. This sense of discretion and awareness ensures that he is properly positioned to confront the opposing attacker. One can often see him direct his teammates to cover particular players, ensuring that he can focus on defending against his intended target.

One of the more noteworthy faults of his game appears to be his lack of playmaking ability once he enters the offensive zone. His low point totals in the KHL — just two goals and eleven points in 58 games this season, for example — attest to his tendency to remain the team’s defensive consciousness rather than an offensive catalyst. He is unlikely to quarterback his team’s offensive pressure and prefers to lean further back towards the neutral zone in case his team loses possession.

At the KHL level, he has been a steady presence for his team with the second-highest plus-minus on the 2019-20 Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg roster.

Nikita Tryamkin provides a different element than any of the Canucks’ current defenders, and he did not look out of place in his previous stint. That alone makes him a worthy blue line experiment. If the team decides once more to offer him an opportunity, then, at the very least, the questions that have swirled over the past four years about him can be answered. Tryamkin, for his part, has contributed to the anticipation of his return with social media presence and occasionally flagrant words. Now would be the proper time for the Canucks and their supporters to conclude, once and for all, if he is worthy of such high esteem.