As expected, the next round of roster cuts came as soon as the Canucks finished their split-squad preseason games. With a four-day break between games, it’s the perfect time for the Canucks to pare down their roster in preparation for integrating their lineup on Thursday against Calgary.
The Canucks made three minor cuts on Friday, sending down Jaime Sifers, Carter Bancks, and Wacey Hamilton, all players who are only signed to AHL contracts. The three are AHL veterans and had no chance of earning an NHL contract. On Saturday, however, the cuts began in earnest, as they sent down ten players, including a few who were longshots to make the roster.
The Canucks cut prospect defencemen Jordan Subban, Evan McEneny, and Ashton Sautner, prospect forwards Michael Carcone, Griffen Molino, Zack MacEwen, and Yan-Pavel Laplante. They also cut three forwards without a Canucks contract, sending them to Comets training camp: Comets forward Alexis D’Aoust, invitee Aaron Irving, and 2016 7th round pick (and part-time ) Brett McKenzie.
There may still be some people upset that Subban got cut this early in camp, but he made it perfectly clear why the Canucks still don’t trust him. He got a longer look at camp this year thanks to the split-squad preseason games and showed both the highs and the lows of his game.
He scored one of the prettiest goals of the preseason against the Las Vegas Golden Knights, streaking up the wing on the rush to get in behind the defence and finish on the forehand after a slick move.
But he also illustrated his defensive deficiencies and how, despite his offensive upside, he’s not actually a great puck-mover. He had several giveaways and lost track of his assignment in the defensive zone multiple times.
Subban could still prove himself this season in the AHL, but at 22, he’s starting to run out of time.
At 23, McEneny is slightly older than Subban, but he seems a lot closer to making the NHL. In fact, it’s surprising to see him cut this early in camp, particularly with Guillaume Brisebois still at camp. I’m still not entirely sure what the Canucks see in Brisebois: when I’ve been able to see him, he seems to regularly stand out for the wrong reasons.
McEneny, on the other hand, looked poised and steady during the preseason. He even tallied three assists in two games. But really, the most surprising thing about him being cut at this point is that he has a lot of supporters within the Canucks organization, such as Ryan Johnson, who .
In addition, I was under the impression that McEneny was not exempt from waivers. I wasn't alone in that assessment, but it turns out that . Many kudos to Ryan Biech for wading into the fine print of the CBA to sort that one out.
Some might be surprised to see Griffen Molino and Michael Carcone cut this early, as both have utility as speedy, grinding forwards. Molino played some NHL games last season and impressed during Young Stars, while Carcone has had his moments as well.
In reality, though, getting sent down to the AHL is entirely unsurprising for both of them. They’ll compete to be a call-up option in Utica.
Zack MacEwen was likely hoping to make a bigger impression at his first Canucks camp since they signed him as a free agent this off-season. Instead, he got injured during the Young Stars tournament and was kept mostly quiet during his two preseason games. Still, he showed flashes that established him as a legitimate prospect and it will be interesting to see how he performs in his rookie AHL season.
As for Ashton Sautner and Yan-Pavel Laplante, both could be in tough to even make the Utica Comets this season. Laplante was more impressive during the Young Stars tournament than last year, but he spent the bulk of last season in the ECHL and the Comets lineup will be deeper this season. Sautner will be facing a deeper blue line as well.
That leaves the three players without a Canucks contract. Alexis D’Aoust was an invitee last year and signed with the Comets this off-season. He’s got legitimate offensive upside, but will need to iron out his defensive deficiencies if he hopes to get to the NHL someday.
Brett McKenzie could return to the OHL for his over-age season, but there’s a chance the Canucks would prefer he develop in the AHL. He doesn’t have a pro contract yet, but the Canucks could potentially ink him to an AHL contract.
McKenzie showed steady progression last season after the Canucks took a chance on him in the 7th round in 2016. He led a struggling North Bay Battalion in scoring with 29 goals and 67 points in 67 games and showed flashes of legitimate high-end skill to go with a solid two-way game and good size. He’s a major sleeper in the Canucks’ prospect pool, but could have an NHL future as a bottom-six forward.
Finally, there’s Aaron Irving, the invitee and former Nashville Predators draft pick, who is looking at this camp with the Canucks and Comets as his . With a crowded blueline in Utica, he’ll have a tough time earning a contract, but he performed well at the Young Stars tournament and has a steady defensive game.
