I think they are going to play with roster configurations, IR, conditioning stints and maybe having Myers, Benning and eve Reaves on waivers if need be. I don't think there is a risk of losing Reaves, but they might not want to do that to him.
I think their goal is to keep the "roster" at 26 or 27 all year this way. I also think Jarnkrok could be out for a while and we may slow play brining him back to give us additional flexibility.
This might be a strategy to not waist draft capital on depth d-men and forwards (goalies too) at the TDL.
This certainly does seem to be the strategy that they are attempting to take here. Although I don't think you'll see Reaves or Myers on waivers anytime soon given that Myers will likely get claimed and they wont wnat to do that to Reaves.
The one challenge I see with this approach... you're kind of killing the reputation from an AHL standpoint as "this is a great place to come and get an opportunity".
Take a guy like Alex Nylander, who turned down NHL offers to sign an AHL contract here. I'm sure the "plan" for him was that once a guy like Steeves was getting called up, they'd sign him to an NHL contract and get him in the lineup.
From a developmental standpoint, it's also probably not ideal. Alex Steeves has 9 goals in 10 games, while this is year 4 in the AHL, he is still only 24, and may have NHL upside.
Cade Webber chose to sign here, presumably thinking that he'd come in as maybe 9th on the depth chart. Right now, he's probably 11th with Rielly, Tanev, McCabe, OEL, Benoit, Timmins, Hakanpaa, Myers, Benning and Rifai all above him. Similar story for Jacob Quillian, who probably figured that at the very least, Minten & Steeves will get NHL time, where in turn he'll get really high quality AHL minutes.
Nikita Grebenkin has 9 points in 10 games, and has the ability to go back to Russia if he wants. Maintaining this practical 26-27 man roster at the NHL level substantially decreases his chance of not only NHL opportunity, but NHL pay.
Fraser Minten I think you'd want to be able to see what you might actually have with him, rather than him being stuck down there.