Megna is not a center, Chaput, and luckily Cam Darcy has now slotted into the 2nd line center spot. Bancks and the hapless Cole Cassels finish out the bottom two lines.
The team definitely turned a corner a couple weeks ago and looks too have gelled despite all the Injuries to the surprise of everyone!!
That however does not excuse the Canucks from stocking their ahl squad with proper Playmaking centers which the comets had zero of the past two seasons.
Some of the youngsters continue to Excell and improve. Darcy, Macewen, Chatfield, Brisbrois, D'Aoust even Cederholm has fit right in. Ashton Sautner and Holm have been solid.
Now we just have to see if it continues or they revert to their previous inept play.
Cull has them playing a similar style but not as much of a trap system as green. The biggest difference is having someone like Boucher or Goldobin that can strike quickly with a goal Instead of the previous pop gun offence that scored once every 30-40 shots.
I think there is a simple explanation to Benning's lack of interest in doing anything helpful for Utica. Since their inception has there actually been anyone assigned to Utica when camp broke that Benning was personally interested in having in a Canucks uniform?
I would argue Demko is the only one and he drafted him.
I might have said Markstrom, but he had never shown anyone he was actually an NHL goalie. Gillis brought him in and Benning needed veteran presence between the pipes in Utica since Eriksson had not set the hockey world on fire. So he was sent down and Markstrom shocked the world with his play and looked to be a decent backup for his actual #1 choice in Miller.
No forward in Utica ever met the description of a player Benning wanted in Vancouver. He drafted (Virtanen, McCann, Boeser, or traded for every forward that he wanted Vey, Baerstchi, Granlund, and Etem and got them to Vancouver from the get go or as soon as possible. He picked up the rest as UFAs. He's traded away those decent Comets he inherited or simply released them because they were not Canucks in his mind anyways. There is no one on the current Comets roster that Benning sees as a Canuck in the near future.
Chaput and Megna are not prospects.
He did nothing to enhance Rodin's chances and didn't have any plans to do such. If Anton had found his way back it would have been just fine, but he isn't losing any sleep over losing Rodin. Who?
He's moved on from Boucher.
Goldobin was sent here to work on a couple of things Travis wanted him to incorporate into his game. No coasting/drifting. Forecheck. Backcheck and play defense in his own end. He's a Benning acquisition, a developing player who has already put in his first pro seasons and Jim saw him a NHL ready. This type of acquisition has always been given time in Vancouver to prove Jim right.
Joe LaBate has had some chances and hasn't impressed Jim. Not his selection anyways.
Cassels was a shot, but has gone belly up and Jim doesn't care. He's not going to be a center in Vancouver anyways based on the present and the pipeline.
Archibald, Bancks, and Hamilton were never in his plans and are thus on AHL contracts not Vancouver.
Newcomers Darcy and Woods are also who cares AHL signings. Moynihan is another AHL contract.
Griffen Molino, Zack MacEwen, Michael Carcone, and Jalen Chatfield are players the Canucks extended ELC contracts, but did not draft. No extra effort will be exerted from on high to expedite their development. It's a case of, "You have a chance and if you can make the best of it good for you. If not, no sweat here we didn't lose anything anyways."
Alexis D'Aoust impressed enough to get an invite to the young prospects camp where he impressed enough for a Vancouver camp invite. Not good enough to get a contract from Jim. He was signed to an AHL contract and that usually means an up/down season with ECHL-Utica. The vet overload situation made it possible for guys who would likely have been sent down or been reserves seeing little action to get game time early. Then with injuries, call-ups, and Rodin's release Alexis has ended up being one of only 3 comets to have played in every game (21) thus far. He has done his best and chipped in 3 goals and 8pts. Not knock your socks off numbers, but decent for his incoming status. Definitely not Vancouver Canucks to be at the moment, but he's playing well enough to get a return call next season if he keeps it up. He could put up a 10 goal-30 point rookie season which is not bad for a kid in his 1st pro season, undrafted, and no NHL contract.
With what's going on in Vancouver, I don't see any one of these guys displacing a current Canuck nor one of the much higher regarded guys in the pipeline.
Evan McEneny was progressing well and had every indication of becoming a very good AHL defender with the ability to do a short stand-in in Vancouver, but his season ending knee injury has put that whole idea in jeopardy. Jim will have to make a decision on whether to even offer him an contract as an RFA. I think and hope that he will.
Benning obviously has no plans for Subban period. Why do I say that? He was an AHL All-Star last season playing behind scoring forwards and quarterbacking the PP. This season he was a healthy scratch 4 times between games 6 and game 12. It would likely have continued had the Comets not run into player shortages due to injury and player call-ups. He also has received far less PP time with Holm and Wiercioch both used as the 1st unit PP QB ahead of him. He gets 2nd unit time and very often that's with a regular line and another D-man on his opposite side, not in the normal 1-3-1 PP formation with the second group of the best PP forwards. He was injured last Friday and we haven't been informed of his status. It doesn't even appear that Benning is looking to try and shop him for something like a prospect center in a similar situation. If he was, the kid would have been getting the opportunity to put up points and look desirable. Who will want to trade for a known weak defender, who has a proven offensive history in his first 2 seasons but has currently fell off the earth with 0 goals and 5 assists? Another guy Benning has totally passed on.
Sautner will not displace any Vancouver defender nor will he get an injury call-up. That's why Wiercioch and Holm were acquired. Make the Canucks and if not, play for the Comets and get the call if the Canucks need help.
Like I said. "Nothing to see here. Move along."
Demko is it. He is the true high expectation prospect.
Biega (2013-14, 2014-15 Comets, 2015-16 forged his way on to the Canucks roster) was not a Vancouver draft pick nor a Benning acquisition. He made it onto the Canucks roster in spite of Benning plans. He was a journeyman AHL player who when called up to fill in during an extreme injury situation forced his way onto the roster and has been impossible to get rid of even when it has looked like he would be the next man out many times. He is perfect for the role he plays.
Gaunce (2014-15, 2014-15 Comets) is there by process of elimination. Another non Benning acquisition. He's the best of the least. He can fill a role at center or the wing, but is not likely to be a fixture on the final rebuilt/retooled/ restructured (whatever the Hell Benning will finally call it) roster.
Markstrom (2014-15 Comets) is trying to become a #1 only because Miller shunned another Benning offer to go to California where he had been striving to go since his wedding day. Benning is biding time until he can insert his pick into the #1 slot, Demko.
Baertschi was a Benning reclamation project handed to Green to resurrect. He played 15 regular season games for Utica, but was papered for the AHL playoffs if the Canucks were out. He was a very helpful piece in the Comets' playoff run, but he was not acquired for that purpose. Cory Conacher would fit that description.
Jake was a mistake who should be on the list with Gaunce as the only Comets to begin their pro careers in Utica and developed into Vancouver Canucks. It didn't work out that way since Benning tried to make him into an NHL player the likes of his draft mates Nylander, Ehlers, etc. He wasn't ready, but lasted the season and shortly into his second season was sent to Utica where his numbers spelled bust, but his saving grace was Travis Green was named head coach and he was able to keep Jake playing the way he had by the end of his stay in Utica and he made the Canucks, but is following the same scoring pace - not much.
That's 5 years counting this one. 2 actual Vancouver draft picks have made it to Vancouver and are on the roster.
2 others acquired by Gillis have made it there as well, but I refuse to call those two prospects. One was sent to Utica where he became the league's best goalie in his 5th proseason on his 4th pro team and earned a backup spot in Vancouver and the rest is history. The other was never even expected to see a game in Vancouver. He had been named the Comets Captain in his 6th pro season and that was the role he was supposed to fill for the Canucks. He exercised a different plan when a shot in the dark became available.
So in those 5 years 4 players earned their way out of Utica onto the Vancouver roster. The thing they all have in common is they all played on Utica's 2014-15 Calder Cup runner-up team under the Vancouver assigned GM? Lorne Henning. That team is the only one that provided prospects with the players that fit all the roles a winning team requires. Play making centers, a strong D supported by 2 strong veterans, one a defensive stalwart and the other a #1 puck moving offensive D-man, rookies paired up with good linemates, returning prospects in key roles, a top goalie, key role players comprising the league's best energy/checking line, penalty killers, 2 decent PP units, and key in season additions to fill in positions of need.
That's what we have seen in Utica in the way of prospects that went to Vancouver. We had some almost, but no cigars.
A handful of guys who were traded or left as free agents have played some NHL games:
Frank Corrado - Lost on waivers to Toronto has played 46 NHL games with Toronto and Pittsburgh and is now in AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Hunter Shinkaruk was traded and has played 14 NHL games with Calgary and is in AHL Stockton.
Nicklas Jensen was traded and has played 7 NHL games with the Rangers and is now in Europe.
Adam Clendening was traded and has played 65 NHL games with Pittsburgh, Edmonton, NY Rangers, and Arizona Coyotes and is in AHL Tuscon.
Cal O'reilly was a key #1 center and left as a free agent after 2014-15 and has played 32 NHL games with Buffalo and Minnesota and is currently in AHL Iowa.
Taylor Fedun left as a free agent and has played 34 NHL games with Buffalo and is currently with the Sabres on injured reserve.
Cory Conacher acquired in 2015 to help the Comets make a playoff run left immediately thereafter as a free agent and has played 13 NHL games and is currently in Tampa Bay.