There were still 48 players on the Vancouver Canucks roster following their two preseason games. Final rosters must be filed to the NHL by October 7 ahead of the regular season, so the Canucks will have less than two weeks to trim it down to a 23-man team (or less). Thatcher Demko being on the Injured Reserve come opening night, which means the Canucks will need to cut 24 players in 12 days at the very least. The Canucks made two cuts on Thursday, placing Jett Woo and Guillaume Brisebois on waivers with the intention of sending them down to the Abbotsford Canucks in the AHL. Given that’s two cuts every day, it makes sense.
As always, Pass it to Bulis is here to explain every cut, even if they’re fairly easy to understand this early on. So, why did Woo and Brisebois get the chop? Let’s break it down.
It seems as though Jett Woo’s development hit a brick wall a few years ago. His two AHL seasons were not particularly good. Woo finished as a healthy scratch after scoring just 13 points in 70 games following a strong major junior career. Even on occasions when he did make the starting lineup, it was as a fourth-line forward. However, Woo has improved his prospects over the last two seasons. The 24-year-old played a physical shutdown game and contributed points while playing significant minutes in Abbotsford. In 62 games during the previous season, he scored 31 points. When Carson Soucy was hurt last season, he even received a call-up to the NHL, albeit he didn’t get into The lineup for any game.
The problem for Woo is that the Canucks have a plethora of other right-shot defensemen. The Canucks’ starting lineup in the NHL consists of Filip Hronek, Tyler Myers, and Vincent Desharnais. Mark Friedman and Noah Juulsen are projected to be the team’s seventh and eighth defensemen. It will be difficult for Woo to be called up even if the Canucks have a few injuries on the right side because they have right-shot defencemen available to fill in. Woo will have to contend with Cole McWard should there be a chance for a call-up; however, McWard is presently sidelined as he recovers from surgery performed in the offseason to address a lower-body problem. Christian Felton, a collegiate free agent who signed with the Canucks, also had a strong Young Star classic
The problem for Woo is that the Canucks have a plethora of other right-shot defensemen. The Canucks’ starting lineup in the NHL consists of Filip Hronek, Tyler Myers, and Vincent Desharnais. Mark Friedman and Noah Juulsen are projected to be the team’s seventh and eighth defensemen. It will be difficult for Woo to be called up even if the Canucks have a few injuries on the right side because they have right-shot defencemen available to fill in. Woo will have to contend with Cole McWard should there be a chance for a call-up; however, McWard is presently sidelined as he recovers from surgery performed in the offseason to address a lower-body problem. Christian Felton, a collegiate free agent who signed with the Canucks, also had a strong
At this year’s camp and in his one preseason game, Woo showed some confidence jumping up in the offensive zone, but had some defensive troubles. He has some work to do to get called up this season.
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