Canucks, Jets Make Early Training-Camp Cuts

The Winnipeg Jets made their first training-camp cuts after Sunday’s preseason overtime loss, trimming six players — sending defenceman Edison Engle and forwards Jacob Cloutier, Kevin He and Owen Martin back to junior clubs and releasing goalie Alex Worthington and defenceman Ethan Frisch — leaving 48 players in camp ahead of Tuesday’s exhibition with the Oilers (Jonathan Toews expected). The Vancouver Canucks brought 59 players to Penticton, concluded the formal portion of camp with a scrimmage, and made nine initial cuts — sending recent draftees Gabriel Chiarot, Riley Patterson, Aleksei Medvedev and Kieren Dervin back to junior teams while assigning others to the AHL affiliate — as they work toward a 23-man roster by Oct. 6. Early preseason work and the scrimmage suggest Vancouver’s top six is largely taking shape, with Elias Pettersson flanked by Jake DeBrusk and Brock Boeser while Filip Chytil and Evander Kane project as the second line. Veterans Quinn Hughes, Filip Hronek and Conor Garland have injected competitive intensity and leadership, but a contentious bottom-six battle remains, with Nils Höglander, Teddy Blueger and Garland a plausible third line that could be reshuffled if waiver-exempt rookie Jonathan Lekkerimäki or others force their way onto the roster. Many roster decisions will be finalized during the upcoming preseason games.