With the preseason schedule wrapped up, the Vancouver Canucks are working on trimming their roster down before opening night. They got that process started by placing goaltender Richard Bachman on waivers yesterday, with the intent to send him to the American Hockey League’s Utica Comets.
If Bachman gets to Utica, he will likely fill the role as Thatcher Demko’s mentor. That could mean starting Bachman and bringing Demko along slowly, or starting Demko with Bachman taking pressure off him as the backup. However, it isn’t a foregone conclusion that Bachman will get to Utica, although he probably will.