He'll skate between Jannik Hansen and Daniel Sedin in a different role for Sutter, who is known more for his defensive abilities, and could mean a lot of ice time after missing 33 games.
"First game back after a while you just want to play a simple game," Sutter said. "But if the chances are there we'll try to create some offense and try to be a little bit dynamic. Daniel and Jannik have been two of our best players so I just want to do what I can to produce some offense and make sure we are good in our own end too."
Henrik Sedin, the usual top-line center, will miss a fourth straight game because of an upper-body injury. Jared McCann, a 19-year-old rookie, had centered the top line the past three games but will sit out Tuesday as part of an ongoing plan to space out his games and give him time to work on his strength and conditioning.
No matter who is playing center for the Canucks, Hansen said being on the top line is different without Henrik and Daniel Sedin together.
"They play a way you can't duplicate," said Hansen, who scored three goals in a 5-4 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday, the last game of a six-game road trip. "When McCann comes in our game is a little more speed based, a little more off the rush. With Henrik it's a little more cycle and puck possession in the offensive zone. Sutter has a mixture of those two. He can cycle, is good down low and strong on the puck and you can use that. But he's also fast in the transition game. He's a little more multi-dimensional."
The Predators will be looking for new chemistry on their top line Tuesday.
No. 1 center Ryan Johansen was an immediate fit with James Neal after being acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets in a trade for defenseman Seth Jones on Jan. 6. Johansen leads Nashville with nine points in eight games since then, while Neal has two goals and three assists in his past five games.
They are still looking for the right fit on their left wing, however. Colin Wilson was injured after the first game in that spot, and the Predators have tried Filip Forsberg, Kevin Fiala and Mike Ribeiro, a natural center, in his place since.
With Forsberg playing well alongside Mike Fisher and Craig Smith in a 4-1 win against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday and coach Peter Laviolette eager to maintain balance in his forward lines, Ribeiro is expected to stay on the top line Tuesday even after all three were held without a point in Edmonton.
That requires a bit of an adjustment by Johansen as the Predators try to complete their first three-game winning streak since Oct. 17-22.
"I've always been a pass-first style of guy, always looking for my linemates in scoring areas," Johansen said. "My job now is to get to those scoring areas because more than me, [Ribeiro] is a playmaker and he's able to find guys more often than not."
Here are the projected lineups:
PREDATORS
Mike Ribeiro - Ryan Johansen - James Neal
Filip Forsberg - Mike Fisher - Craig Smith
Miikka Salomaki - Calle Jarnkrok - Austin Watson
Eric Nystrom - Paul Gaustad - Cody Bass
Roman Josi - Shea Weber
Mattias Ekholm - Petter Granberg
Ryan Ellis - Barret Jackman
Pekka Rinne
Carter Hutton
Injured: Colin Wilson (lower body), Gabriel Bourque (upper body)
Scratched: Anthony Bitetto, Kevin Fiala
CANUCKS
Daniel Sedin - Brandon Sutter - Jannik Hansen
Sven Baertschi - Bo Horvat - Radim Vrbata
Alexandre Burrows - Linden Vey - Emerson Etem
Derek Dorsett - Adam Cracknell - Jake Virtanen
Alexander Edler - Chris Tanev
Ben Hutton - Luca Sbisa
Matt Bartkowski - Alex Biega
Ryan Miller
Jacob Markstrom
Injured: Henrik Sedin (upper body), Dan Hamhuis (facial surgery)
Scratched: Jared McCann, Brandon Prust, Yannick Weber
Status report: Henrik Sedin, who came back to Vancouver midway through the six-game road trip, is expected to rejoin the Canucks for practice after the All-Star break. … Wilson, who hasn't played since Jan. 8, is not on the Predators' four-game road trip, which ends Wednesday against the Calgary Flames.
Who's hot:Rinne has stopped 49 of 51 shots and given up one goal in consecutive wins on this road trip after giving up three goals or more during a five-game losing streak (0-4-1).
