The Vancouver Canucks have made the next step in condensing their roster into an opening night-ready state this morning, sending Nicklas Jensen, Cole Cassels, and Joe Cannata to the Utica Comets in anticipation of the start of AHL training camp.

The move comes of little surprise to the general populace. We’re nine days away from puck drop, and it’s time to start focusing on the “sure thing” players on the roster. Now that the team has had a look at their younger players and have a better grip at how far along they are in the development process, leaving them in a camp for a team that they won’t be joining does nobody any good.

The least surprising person on this list, of course, is Joe Cannata. While he survived a couple of days later than fellow goaltender Richard Bachman, nobody expected that the 25-year-old American would steal a spot from Ryan Miller or Jacob Markstrom; and he didn’t. Cannata will split time with Bachman on the Comets, where he posted a 3-2-0 record and 0.932 save percentage over five games last year.

Cole Cassels will be entering his first season of professional hockey this year, after spending the last four years with the Oshawa Generals of the OHL. The 2013 third-round pick impressed many in his final year of junior, picking up 81 points in 54 games before averaging over a point per game while operating in a shutdown role in the OHL playoffs. His efforts were key in the Generals obtaining the 2015 Memorial Cup. Cassels was ranked 7th in our pre-season prospect rankings.

Also joining these two is NIcklas Jensen. Jensen hasn’t quite reached the expectations placed on him when he was drafted by the Canucks in the first round of the 2011 Entry Draft, but hopes to make this year a memorable one. Jensen set a career high in points last season, picking up fourteen goals and just as many assists with the Comets in 59 games, but fizzled out in the playoffs, contributing only an additional five points in eighteen appearances

Time is starting to run out for Jensen to make the NHL leap; the Dane’s six points in 24 career games leave a lot to be desired. But, if put in a position to succeed, this could be the year where he turns things around. At least, we hope it is; otherwise, ranking him as the team’s 11th best prospect might look a little foolish in due time.

UPDATE: Per an official Comets release centre Alex Friesen, centre Blair Jones and Ludwig Blomstrand (who as far as I’m aware hasn’t been with the team at camp at all) have been re-assigned to the Comets also. Friesen and Jones cleared waivers earlier this week, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them play NHL games for the Canucks at some point this season. As for Blomstrand, well, he’ll always be prospect zero.