Vancouver Canucks Reassign 3 Players, Trim Roster to 39
The Vancouver Canucks are slowly moving towards the 23-player roster limit, reassigning two players to the AHL and one to juniors.
There were several forwards in the conversation to earn a bottom-line spot with the Vancouver Canucks this year, including right winger Alexandre Grenier. Unfortunately, he is out of the conversation now, and time is running out for the 25-year-old who cleared waivers and was assigned to the AHL Utica Comets.
Along with Grenier, the Canucks assigned defensemen Chad Billins and Guillaume Brisebois to the Comets and the QMJHL Charlottetown Islanders, respectively.
Billins was signed as a depth player with the Comets and was never expected to crack the roster. The same goes for Brisebois, who is developing nicely but will need some more time in the ‘Q’.
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For Grenier, however, it is a real disappointment. In 2015-16, he recorded 16 goals and 48 points in 69 games and was rewarded with a six-game stint with the Vancouver Canucks. He even got to skate alongside Henrik and Daniel Sedin, but was unable to record a point there.
Going into camp this summer, Grenier surely expected to have a legitimate shot at cracking the lineup, at least in a fourth-line or depth role — but others have been stealing the show.
Aside from the usual suspects, Utica forward Joseph Labate is having a strong camp. He likely won’t crack the roster either, but he is certainly closer than Grenier, and might also end up being an injury call-up before Grenier.
Labate is 23 years old and has an almost equally large frame as Grenier, at 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds. Last season, his first full year as a pro, Labate recorded 10 goals and 20 points in 66 games. He is a very physical player who has been able to leave his mark with the Canucks as a high-energy player.
We don’t want to be too negative, but it wouldn’t be all that surprising if Grenier stayed in the AHL for good. The Canucks signed several depth players this summer and Grenier seems to have slipped down the depth chart.
The Canucks need to reduce their roster by 16 more players to hit the 23-player minimum.