We here at CanucksArmy have spent a fair portion of the offseason debating who will make the Canucks’ roster in 2021, and where those players will slot into the lineup. However, as the Vancouver fanbase knows all too well, the 20 players that skate out onto the ice whenever the regular season begins will not be the only players to suit up throughout the course of the entire season.

Injuries are inevitable, and they seem to be even more inevitable on the west coast. That means that recalls from Utica will eventually be a necessity, and we gather here today to sort those potential call-ups into tiers.

For the purposes of this exercise, we’ll assume that the trio of Zack MacEwen, Brogan Rafferty, and Olli Juolevi have made the team out of training camp. If not, they’ll automatically slot in at the very top of the “guaranteed call-ups” chart, though MacEwen might actually belong on a “guaranteed to be snagged on waivers” chart.

We’re also making the assumption that Petrus Palmu and Lukas Jasek do not return from overseas.

These are the players who are basically under contract for the express purpose of being shuttled between Vancouver and Utica.

Bailey straight-up dominated the AHL in 2019/20 with 28 goals in 53 games, though an uncharacteristic dearth of major injuries on the Canucks limited his chances for a recall. Possessing that rare combination of size, strength, and speed, Bailey remains a borderline NHL player at the age of 25. That means he’ll still be given every chance to crack the Canucks in training camp, but the more likely outcome is that he becomes the first or second forward to be called up in the event of an absence. Note: The Canucks qualified Bailey this offseason, but the two sides still have yet to agree on a contract. He’s an RFA, so we’re assuming the two sides can work something out before training camp begins.

There are some who are already slotting the newly-signed Hawryluk into the opening night lineup, but don’t be so sure. The bottom-six is already overstuffed, and Hawryluk’s lack of penalty killing experience may hurt his chances. If he does end up cut after camp, and passes through waivers unclaimed, Hawryluk will settle into the role of the Canucks’ primary or secondary forward call-up — the exact same role he’s played for Ottawa and Florida over the past couple of seasons. Hawryluk’s diverse skill set makes him a natural fill-in for any temporary hole in the forward corps.

At 23, Brisebois has already entered that nebulous space between legitimate NHL prospect and trusty AHL veteran. His chances of ever earning a permanent spot in Vancouver are dwindling, but he can still be expected to see several recalls in 2021, even if just to sit in the press box as an extra defender. Brisebois was voted the Comets’ top defenseman in 2019/20, and has never complained despite being passed by several others on the organizational depth chart. Whatever the Canucks need from a call-up, he’s happy to provide it.

These are the players who might not be first on the recall list — especially not if said recall is not expected to include actual ice-time — but who should get at least a call or two in 2021.

Of those players on the farm still thought to have long-term NHL potential, Lind is probably the furthest along his developmental path. He’s a dark horse to win a job out of training camp, but he’ll be in tough to do so — and it might be better for him to get a top-six opportunity in Utica instead, anyway. With his antagonistic style, Lind could realistically slot into any line on the Canucks in the short-term, so expect him to get the call whenever one of the regulars goes down with an injury, whoever it might be.

If 2019/20 were an ordinary NHL season, Michaelis probably would have got some games in with the Canucks at the tail-end of it, as undrafted NCAA free agents are wont to do. Instead, that opportunity will have to wait until injuries strike during the 2021. No one really knows how the two-way forward will adjust to professional hockey, but he’s already 25, which means that the organization will want to see him at the NHL level sooner rather than later. Unless he’s really struggling with the Comets, a call-up or two is already in the plans.

As of this writing, Chatfield remains unsigned, and there have been whispers of him departing the organization for a gig overseas. That’s really the only reason that he’s on this section of the chart, and not listed as “guaranteed.” The franchise, and especially GM Jim Benning, seem incredibly high on the steady, stay-at-home defender. If he is signed, expect him to challenge for a spot out of camp, probably fall just short, and settle into a role sheltering and mentoring Jack Rathbone in Utica, until it’s time for a call-up, that is.

These players are still young enough and early enough into their professional careers that their development is paramount, and as such, they’ll only be recalled when there’s a genuine opportunity to receive ice-time at the NHL level.

Hoglander skates into 2021 as the Canucks’ top prospect under contract. He’ll arrive at training camp with massive expectations — some pundits think he’ll crack the roster right off the bat — but the safest bet is that Hoglander heads down to Utica to get used to North American ice. With some serious question marks in the middle-six, Vancouver will want to get Hoglander involved as soon as possible, but for 2021 that probably means spot-duty whenever a scoring forward suffers an injury, and continued tutelage on the farm otherwise.

Rathbone will no doubt challenge for a job in training camp, but at this point one has to assume that Juolevi has the inside track on him. In his first professional season after leaving the NCAA, there’s no way that the Canucks want Rathbone languishing away in the pressbox, so he’ll likely be sent down to Utica to play big minutes alongside one of the AHL vets. If one of the Canucks’ top-four defenders goes down with a significant injury, however — something that is bound to happen eventually — Rathbone should receive another audition, if only to get him used to the role he’ll be playing by the 2021/22 season.

There’s no doubt that DiPietro enters 2021 as the clear number three on the Canucks’ goaltending depth chart. That means he’ll get the call if either Thatcher Demko or Braden Holtby miss significant time, and he’ll spend the rest of the year as the undisputed starter in Utica. If it ever looks like Demko or Holtby is only going to miss a couple of games, however, it will probably be Jake Kielly who is recalled, since there’s not much good in having DiPietro sit on the bench when he could be gaining experience.

These are the folks who will get a call-up when all that’s up for grabs is a spot in the press box.

Baertschi is a tough one to figure out. After opting out of the NHL’s return-to-play in August, there’s a chance he may not return at all. If he does head back to Utica, things will be a little different. In the last year of a $3.367 million AAV deal, Baertschi is essentially untradeable under a flat cap, which means there won’t be any recalls to try to rehabilitate his value, as was the case last season. If there’s a callup needed to sit in the press box and the team doesn’t want to stash a prospect there, Baertschi might get the call. Chances are, he’ll stay with the Comets all year.

At 26, Sautner has firmly transitioned into the role of veteran farmhand and mentor. He still may get a chance for spot-duty, but all meaningful minutes are going to be handed to other, younger D prospects. If he continues to help usher rookie teammates into professional hockey, as he has for the past two seasons, expect him to get a press box recall or two to reward him — complete, of course, with a few days NHL salary and per diem.

DiPietro is definitely the number three, but if there’s ever an instance in which Demko or Holtby experience a minor injury — one that will keep them out of a game or two, but not require a true replacement — it will probably be Kielly who gets the call. He’ll just be sitting on the bench, of course, but better to have him there than to have DiPietro miss out on developmental minutes.

Don’t expect to see any of these players in Vancouver past training camp, unless catastrophic injuries strike or one of them experience some unexpected progression.

Gadjovich had a solid year in Utica, but he remains on the periphery of NHL prospect legitimacy. He needs to continue to work on his foot speed — which is currently slow by even AHL standards — before he’s ready for any big league minutes. If the Canucks develop a serious rivalry with another team in the Canadian Division and are anticipating a rough game, Gadjovich could get a call-up to lend some muscle, but chances are he’ll stay with the Comets.

After four years with the University of Michigan, Lockwood is finally ready to make his pro debut. He’s no longer a big-ticket prospect, if he ever was, and he’ll be given the entire year to make his presence known in the organization. Expect Lockwood to have to fight for AHL minutes under coach Trent Cull’s system, never mind the NHL.

Hot on the heels of a mildly disappointing final WHL season, Woo is ready to hit the professional ranks. Just out of his teenage years, and with plenty of older prospects ahead of him on the depth chart, the plan is almost certainly to have Woo play out the entire season in Utica. His time is coming, but not quite yet.

Signed at the exact same time as Rafferty, Teves has been solidly surpassed by his fellow undrafted free agent on the depth chart. Getting into the Utica lineup on a regular basis is step one for Teves. Putting himself back on track for NHL time comes next.

Eliot only got into 34 games during his rookie pro season, 27 for Utica and seven more for Kalamazoo of the ECHL. With new arrivals like Woo to compete with, Eliot might be in tough to make the Comets’ opening night roster — and, for the time being, any NHL opportunity is still miles away.