The Vancouver Canucks, in their quest to finalize their roster for the 2024-25 NHL season, have placed defensemen Jett Woo and Guillaume Brisebois on waivers, officially announced on Thursday. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was the first to break the news before the franchise made it public. This move comes as the Canucks continue to trim their training camp roster in preparation for the regular season, which is just weeks away. The Canucks, after two preseason games, still had a roster of 48 players. With final rosters due to the NHL by October 7, they need to cut at least 24 players in less than two weeks. This means two cuts per day, so it makes sense that they chose to place Woo and Brisebois on waivers for the purpose of sending them down to the Abbotsford Canucks in the AHL.
Jett Woo's Journey to the Waiver Wire
A couple of years ago, it seemed like Jett Woo's development had hit a brick wall. His first two seasons in the AHL were not promising. After a solid major junior career, he managed just 13 points in 70 games and ended up as a healthy scratch. There were even times that when he did get in the lineup, it was as a fourth-line forward. However, in the last two seasons, Woo has revitalized his prospects. The 24-year-old took on big minutes in Abbotsford, playing a physical shutdown game and chipping in points, putting up 31 points in 62 games last season. He even earned a call-up to the NHL last season when Carson Soucy got injured, though he didn't get into the lineup for any games.
The Competition at Right-Shot Defence
Despite his recent improvement, the Canucks have a whole bunch of other right-shot defencemen, creating a challenging situation for Woo. At the NHL level, they have Filip Hronek, Tyler Myers, and Vincent Desharnais in the lineup, with Noah Juulsen and Mark Friedman likely to be the seventh and eighth defencemen. Even if the Canucks have a couple of injuries on the right side, they have right-shot defencemen ready to fill in, making it difficult for Woo to get called up.
Woo will have to compete with Cole McWard for a call-up opportunity, though McWard is currently recovering from offseason surgery for a lower-body injury. The Canucks also have Christian Felton, signed as a college free agent, who had a solid Young Stars Classic and is still on the team's roster.
In this year's camp and in his one preseason game, Woo showed some confidence jumping up in the offensive zone, but had some defensive troubles. He has some work to do to get called up this season.
Guillaume Brisebois: A Long Journey with the Canucks
Guillaume Brisebois has been with the Canucks organization longer than any player except Brock Boeser, and he actually signed with the Canucks before Boeser did. Despite this, the 27-year-old Brisebois has only played 27 games in the NHL. His biggest inroad came in the 2022-23 season, when he played 17 games and finally scored his first career NHL goal eight years after he was drafted.
The Impact of Injury
Any hope of Brisebois building off that year was crushed in the final game of the 2023 preseason when he took a high hit from Seattle Kraken forward Brandon Tanev. That injury put him on the Injured Reserve for almost the entire season with what was suspected to be post-concussion syndrome, though the Canucks never officially confirmed.
Brisebois eventually felt good enough to get into games in the AHL, playing eight games in the regular season as the team ramped up for the playoffs. Unfortunately, his symptoms resurfaced and he missed the entire playoffs.
Fortunately, Brisebois is feeling much better after an offseason of recovery, and there have been no reported issues as he dealt with the contact of training camp. Right now, it's just about making sure he's fully healthy and can get back to playing the game he loves.
Brisebois' Perseverance
It's a testament to how well-liked Brisebois is as a person and how low-maintenance he is as a player that he's stuck with the same organization for nine years, toiling in the minors for the vast majority of that time. This move to the AHL is a chance for him to continue his recovery and find a spot on the roster.
This is a significant period of roster churn as NHL teams finalize their rosters for the upcoming season. It remains to be seen whether Woo and Brisebois will return to the Canucks roster this season, but their time on the waiver wire presents them with a chance to prove their worth in the AHL.
The Next Chapter: A Fresh Start in the AHL
The AHL is the stage for players to continue their development and prove their worth to NHL teams. Woo and Brisebois, both experienced players, are now entering a crucial phase of their careers. The pressure is on, but they have the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities and earn another shot at the NHL. The Canucks, meanwhile, are looking to solidify their roster for the upcoming season. It's a win-win situation for all involved, as these two talented defensemen have a chance to shine, while the Canucks can continue to evaluate their roster for the long term. This is just the first wave of roster cuts, and we can expect more movement as teams finalise their rosters ahead of the season opener.
