As opening night grows ever closer, the Vancouver Canucks have made another round of cuts – although this one almost left behind more questions than answers.
The team confirmed on Twitter that Anton Rodin, Olli Juolevi, and Scottie Upshall have all been cut from preseason, with Upshall getting released from his pro tryout contract and the other two looking for reassignment options.
In theory, it should be an easy step for the team to assign their prospects and lower-tier players to other clubs, but the Canucks have a nasty habit of dealing with complicated situations. Here’s what they had to say about this round of cuts:
Holm heading to Utica and Upshall heading back to free agency are the easy ones. The other two, on the other hand, aren’t so clear.
Rodin still needs to clear waivers before he heads anywhere, but he seems to be having an issue with his work visa to begin with. He would need a US visa to head to Utica, so he’s currently practicing with the UBC Thunderbirds rather than heading for New York. If that delays things for him, he could be stuck in BC a bit longer, even if he clears waivers.
Then, there’s Juolevi.
He could head back to the London Knights for another season, but he seems to be stuck in that in-between grey area where there isn’t as much to learn there, but he doesn’t seem quite ready for the NHL.
The team could send him overseas, though, as well, where Ryan Biech has suggested TPS would be a good fit based on preexisting Vancouver connections:
For now, though, it looks like the team is ready to get their roster finalized for opening night, and they’re making quick work of it.