Prospects pack up and head to Utica
Vancouver Canucks prospects Adam Gaudette and Olli Juolevi are on their way to Utica, N.Y., and will likely be joined by Brendan Gaunce.
The NHL team announced Thursday that Gaudette and Juolevi, who both got long looks from coach Travis Green, are off to the Canucks’ American Hockey League affiliate, while Gaunce is scheduled to go on waivers this morning.
If Gaunce clears, he’ll also be assigned to the Comets.
ROUSSEL STILL OUT
It looks like the Canucks will be without the services of Antoine Roussel to start the 201819 season.
Asked Thursday after practice about the status of the winger, who the Canucks signed as a free agent this summer, Green said there was nothing new to report.
“Doesn’t look like it,” he said when asked if Roussel would make the opening-night roster.
Roussel was injured in some sort of collision during an informal skate more than a month ago in Montreal.
He skated on his own for several days during training camp in Whistler, but hasn’t skated in at least a week.
DEMKO CONCUSSED
Green also revealed that goalie Thatcher Demko is in concussion protocol.
The goalie was absent from Thursday’s practice.
It’s not clear when or how Demko suffered his injury.
Demko was originally slated to back up Jacob Markstrom last Monday against the Los Angeles Kings in Salt Lake City and skated with his teammates during the morning skate in Utah, but Anders Nilsson was in the backup goaltender’s chair on the bench when the game started.
Demko, who is expected to play in Utica when he recovers, started Saturday ’s tilt against the Calgary Flames and Flames forward Mikael Backlund clattered into him at one point during the game, but when asked about it after, Demko brushed it off and said he was feeling OK.
BAERTSCHI SICK
Sven Baertschi, who was also absent from Canucks practice, is on the sick list, according to Green.
The Swiss winger, who will likely skate on a line with either Bo Horvat or Elias Pettersson, has been in a first-unit powerplay role since the start of preseason.