Yep.
The Canucks have a plethora of wingers at both the NHL and AHL levels and are short of centers who have shown an ability to distribute the puck, again at both levels. The management team signs a pair of 4th line NHL grinders who are centers as free agents, then signs a bunch of depth guys and for centers give the Comets the likes of Darcy and Hamilton.
With more wingers at the AHL level than can be included in the lineup and apparently still short one top-6 AHL center, a problem now in four consecutive offseasons, Ryan Johnson signs an ECHL right winger for whom there will be no space in Utica until the worst of the injury bug hits. (Yes, the Canucks also replaced one AHL/NHL center with another.)
Instead of being accused of doing nothing this offseason, Johnson will be accused of being blind to what the team he is GM of needs both to win and the promising group of young wingers he is in charge of in his other hat of Canucks' player development manager need to better develop a promising group of young wingers.
For the record, I have nothing against Kyle Thomas or any of the other signings the Comets have made this offseason and wouldn't complain about them if there was any reason to think the Comets would be provided with another playmaking center.
Kyle Thomas (RW) is 28 and was never drafted. He is entering his 5th yr of professional hockey. In his previous 4 seasons he has played a total of 19 AHL games and has accumulated 2G/2A/4Pts.
Brendan Bradley (LW/C) is 25 and was never drafted. He is entering his 4th yr of pro hockey. In his previous 3 pro seasons he has played 2 AHL games and got 0Pts.
Reid Gardiner( RW) is 22 and was never drafted. He is entering his 3rd yr of pro hockey after signing with AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton as a free agent. They did not re-sign him. He has played 33 AHL games and has amassed 4G/5A/9Pts. that's better than the first 2, but not exactly begging for AHL ice time.
Jagger Dirk (D) is 25 and was never drafted. After his jr eligibility ran out he enrolled in St. Francis Xavier Univ. (not exactly NCAA level college hockey). Afetr his last college season ended last yr, he was signed to an ATO by AHL Binghamton and played 7 games and ended up with 1A. He has an inside connection with Vancouver and like Negrin that got him a hitch with Utica. After 4 seasons of AHL duty with 4 AHL teams and finally a stint in ECHL Kalamazoo he became a reserve D-man for the Comets. Over a 4-yr span he played in 131 games and put up 20 pts and finished with a +/- of 0. At 25 Jagger better make some huge impression if he has any hope of even getting a single game above the ECHL Kalamazoo Wings this season.
Ivan Kulbakov (G) is 21 and was never drafted. He is entering his 2nd season of pro hockey,after playing one yr of Jr hockey in the USHL. he played 30 pro game last season, 22 in ECHL Quad City (3.63/.902) and 8 games with AHL Cleveland (3.99/.861). Not exactly earth shattering numbers. It appears Michael Garteig is out and a much younger player has moved in to take his spot as the third Comets Goalie who will play in the Zoo until needed.
Vincent Arseneau (LW/RW) is 26 and was never drafted. He is entering his 6th pro season, 147 ECHL GP with 4 different teams and 51 AHL GP with 4 teams. 20 were played with utica last season where he picked up 1G/1A and 49 PIM. He is the best player on this list as of today. He is better known for playing with his fist than his hands. He was an effective checker and helped keep the Comets afloat in the playoff race. He was not a detriment, but would not be tghe least bit surprised f he were the last reserve kept in Utica nor if he was shipped out to play in the ECHL before the season begins.
That's 6 payers on AHL contracts I would expect to open the season in the ECHL and be considered for call-up duty based on their performances down there. The edge probably goes to Arseneau at the moment.
The other players signed to AHL contracts are Tanner MacMaster, Carter Bancks, Cameron Darcy, Wacey Hamilton, Jaime Sifers, and Dylan Blujus. I believe all of these players will make the team.
MacMaser should be in the top 12.
Darcy will center one of the 4 game night lines.
Blujus was in the top defensive pairing by the season's end and would be the most veteran D-man in the top 6 if Juolevi is sent down.
Sautner/Blujus
McEneny/Chatfield
Juolevi/Brisebois - no Juolevi? - Brisebois/Sifers (Brisebois played both sides last season)*
*above duos are not arranged as 1-3 pairings.