Everything is a big secret.
And more so ever since the arrival of Cull. He froze fans out of the building during practices so they couldn't report what and who they saw at practices to fans at the games or in threads like this one or on Twitter or Facebook.. The media has assigned days that he and some players are available to them and it was like that before the COVID issue.
He never answers a question. He made a mistake in a preseason meeting with fans on "Meet The Comets Night" early in his coaching career here. He did answer a question saying he didn't like to have extra players around. If a player is here he must play. Thus, his short rosters that have bitten him every season at one time or another. Remember last year when he inserted D-man LeBlanc to play LW on more than one occasion. In '17-18 he played D-man Adam Comrie on LW several nights. IN one of those games he played Comrie on LW and another D-man on RW (that player's identity slips my mind at the moment). Those are 2 off the top of my head, but there have been quite a few other instances when he didn't have enough players. His answers since then have been airy elides.
That short roster philosophy in a season like this, when they don't have the Zoo to fall back on at least for warm bodies, is evidence of a low coaching IQ. The only thing that has recently saved his ass with a lack of players available is COVID 19. You should note, if you have been paying attention, he has been saying we are in good shape during these short roster situations since February 27, when he played 11 forwards and rotated 7 D. He came back 4 nights later on March 3rd, and did it again, but got into even more of a problem when Lind was injured leaving the team to play with 10 forwards. However one of the 10 was Arseneau, who played sparingly/not intensely in the 3rd. He had 7 days to acquire help, but on March 1oth he played D-man Josh Wesley on RW with McGing back, but now Lind and Arseneau out. Still 11 forwards.
Who knows what we might see over the course of the next few weeks with the 7 extra games, all of which have been postponed. With the upcoming schedule already showing a tighter schedule, the league will be rescheduling those postponed games into that tighter schedule making for even more games in even fewer days. That's a time when you might see teams add a couple extra guys to a full roster as insurance against fatigue as well as a greater likelihood of injuries. Will Utica do such? Not on your life. They are following the new Benning philosophy of taking things day by day. No forward planning of any kind. Of course with the quarantine issues when newbies do come in, that plan is f***ing stupid beyond stupid. Even if a guy does get here, he can't play for a specific number of days depending upon where he came from.
Many in Vancouver believe when Lind is healthy he will be added to the Vancouver Taxi. The return of Anas is a huge plus. I am assuming (not necessarily a good thing to do) that McGing and Arseneau will be healthy giving them a whopping 13 forwards. Moving into a condensed schedule that's a number certain to become less and itr won't take long particularly the way Arseneau has fallen prey to injury the past 2 seasons. They also have only 7 D-men
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That's one extra up front and 1 extra in the rear. No team ever considers that an adequate roster in any season.
They do have 3 goalies. Thankfully St. Louis has sent 3 here thus far. Jon Gillies was a called up, but they sent Joel Hofer down. Jake Kielly id the only keeper supplied by Vancouver. The Taxi goalie in Vancouver is 2nd yr pro (38 pro appearances), Mikey DiPietro. He is yet to see a game this season and his last time playing a game was 3/11/2020. Fantastic development plan for the kid. Watch Holtby not be there next season and Mikey gets tapped for the backup slot and struggles his ass off and fans there decide he's a bust. Man, talk about setting the kid up.
