Canucks cut 13 players and it includes a big surprise
The Vancouver Canucks are getting closer to finalizing their opening night roster.
The team announced another round of cuts today, including 13 players. Some of the notable names sent down today included Phillip Di Giuseppe, Jonathan Lekkerimäki, and Linus Karlsson.
General Manager Patrik Allvin has announced that the #Canucks have made the following roster updates: pic.twitter.com/7HYH94iWzF
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) October 1, 2024
Di Giuseppe, Nate Smith, Christian Wolanin, and goalie Jiri Patera will need to go through waivers. This means every single NHL team will have a chance to claim them before they can suit up for Abbotsford in the AHL.
Di Giuseppe is the surprise cut, given he played all of the 2023-24 season in the NHL and seemed to be a favourite of Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet. Improved depth on the wings appears to have pushed the 30-year-old off the roster though.
He entered last season playing on the team’s top line with J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser. While he didn’t stick in that spot for long, he finished the year with 10 points in 51 total games and was a regular in the lineup.
This is the last year of Di Giuseppe’s contract which carries a cap hit of $775,000.
Top prospect Lekkerimäki got a golden opportunity in training camp as he skated alongside Elias Pettersson and Jake DeBrusk. The young Swedish winger scored a goal in preseason but will now start the season in the AHL in what is his first full year in North America.
Just how Lekkerimäki drew it up 👀 pic.twitter.com/90XM8Qg78l
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) September 29, 2024
The team also sent down young defencemen Elias Pettersson and Kirill Kudryavtsev. The two blueliners will be helping out in Abbotsford and figure to have roles on the big team in the coming years.
Some notable names not among the cuts today include Aatu Räty and Arshdeep Bains. Both players thrived in the AHL last season and have been impressive during training camp and the preseason this year.
There are still cuts to go, and neither has made the team yet, but the fact that they’re still participating with the big club is a good sign the Canucks have been impressed with what they’ve seen.
The Canucks currently have 27 players on their roster including the injured Dakota Joshua, Teddy Blueger, and Thatcher Demko. They are allowed a maximum of 23 players on their team heading into the season, meaning there are still transactions to come.
The team has just one preseason game left this year. They’ve managed to put up a 2-2-1 record through their first five exhibition matches.
The Canucks open their 2024-25 regular season at home as they host the Calgary Flames on October 9.
The coaching staff and management will not only have to decide who’s going to make the roster before then but also how they line up for that game. There are several potential combinations the team could viably roll with.
The Canucks have opted to not use their regular lineup across their first five preseason games. While this has minimized the chance of injury for their stars, it also means that they haven’t had the chance to develop chemistry with their full lineup.
The team is expected to use an NHL-heavy roster on Friday for their final preseason game. That contest is also expected to be J.T. Miller’s return to the lineup.
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