The Vancouver Canucks' farm team, the Utica Comets, are in the news today, with the splashy announcement of a new green third jersey and alternate logo for the upcoming 2015-16 season:
Nice timing, as I'd planned to start sorting through what we know so far about how the Comets will look on the ice next season.
We'll see plenty of changes from last year's club, a second-year expansion team that reached the Calder Cup final.
Today, using the Comets' 2015 playoff stats list as my jumping-off point, here's a breakdown of who's gone and who's sticking around from last year's roster.
Tomorrow, I'll go over the organization's new acquisitions, including big-bodied B.C. boy Adam Cracknell, whose signing was officially announced by Vancouver on Wednesday.
Who's Gone
Cal O'Reilly (C) - Utica's captain and leading scorer in the postseason signed a two-year, one-way deal with the Buffalo Sabres for a chance to play alongside his brother Ryan. With Buffalo so deep at centre, it'll be interesting to see if new coach Dan Bylsma can find a spot on the big club for Cal.
Sven Baertschi (LW) - Utica's leading goalscorer from the postseason is waiver-eligible and expected to join the Canucks full time.
Bobby Sanguinetti (D) - the Comets' top-scoring defenseman will be joining O'Reilly after signing a one-year deal with Buffalo
Cory Conacher (LW) - the undersized left-winger, acquired by Jim Benning at the 2015 trade deadline, will play with Bern of the Swiss League next season
Adam Clendening (D) - after being acquired from Chicago by Jim Benning midway through last season, Clendening was traded to Pittsburgh along with Nick Bonino in exchange for Brandon Sutter
Peter Andersson (D) - the Swedish defenseman will spend next season with Orebro HK of the Swedish League
Brandon DeFazio (LW) - the 26-year old signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Boston Bruins organization as a free agent on July 5
Frank Corrado (D) - no longer waiver-exempt, the 22-year-old is expected to stick with the Canucks this season
Jake Virtanen (RW) - just a visitor during last season's AHL playoffs, Virtanen's a 19-year-old who will either stick with the Canucks or be returned to junior for one more year with the WHL's Calgary Hitmen.
Jacob Markstrom (G) - Markstrom will be the Canucks' full-time backup goaltender next season
Joacim Ericsson (G) - the 25-year-old signed with Dinamo Riga of the KHL for next season
Who's Returning
Alex Grenier (RW) - Grenier should get a good look from the Canucks at training camp, but with Alex Burrows, Radim Vrbata, Derek Dorsett and Jannik Hansen all slotted in on the right side—and Jake Virtanen also competing to make the team—it's unlikely that Grenier will stick with the big club unless he has a monster preseason.
Alex Friesen (C) - the 24-year-old centre re-upped with the Canucks organization on a one-year, two-way deal over the summer
Brendan Gaunce (C) - the 21-year-old first-rounder is entering the second year of his entry-level contract
Hunter Shinkaruk (LW) - I think General Fanager has Shinkaruk's contract details wrong. The 20-year-old spent all of last season with Utica, so he should be entering the second year of his entry-level contract.
Nicklas Jensen (RW) - the 22-year-old is entering the last year of his entry-level deal. It's do-or-die time for Jensen, who was a healthy scratch at times in last year's playoffs and is tumbling down the depth chart
Wacey Hamilton (C) - the 24-year-old is not Canucks' property, but is returning to Utica. After joining the club on a tryout contract last season, the undersized centre re-signed with the Comets over the summer after posting 15 points in the regular season and four points in the playoffs.
Alex Biega (D) - though Biega's just 5'10" and 191 pounds, the 27-year-old made a good impression with his physical playing style during a seven-game call-up with the Canucks last season. He was re-signed to a one-year, two-way contract over the summer and is expected to be one of the first call-ups for Vancouver once again if they run into injury issues on the blue line.
Mike Zalewski (LW) - signed by the Canucks as a free agent out of college, Zalewski has been re-signed by the Comets to an AHL contract for 2015-16
Carter Bancks (LW) - the 26-year-old joined the Canucks organization on a professional tryout contract last season and has been re-signed by the Comets to an AHL contract for 2015-16
Uncertain
Travis Ehrhardt (D) - signed by the Comets after a professional tryout last season, 26-year-old Ehrhardt managed seven points in 41 regular-season games and added four assists in the playoffs. No word yet on whether he'll return for 2015-16.
Darren Archibald (RW) - the 26-year-old is currently a free agent. No word yet on whether he'll return to the Comets.
Will Acton (RW) - the 28-year-old, acquired midway through last season by Jim Benning, is also an unrestricted free agent. No word on whether he'll be re-signed.
Kent Huskins (D) - the 6'4" 36-year-old brought 318 games of NHL experience when he joined the Comets, providing a steadying influence on the back end for the last two seasons. No word yet on whether he'll be returning.
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