It could be a few more weeks before Vancouver Giants head coach Michael Dyck has his final roster completely settled, due in part to players like netminder Jesper Vikman, who could be moving to the NHL.

Vikman, who was a fifth-round pick (125th overall) by the Golden Knights, was at his second training camp with the Las Vegas NHL franchise as the pre-season drew to a close.

He had 35 games in the regular season last year, ending up with a 17-15-2 record and three shutouts. In the postseason, Vikman had a 6-5 record.

鈥淚f he has a great camp, he won鈥檛 be back,鈥� Dyck remarked.

Another example is Fabian Lysell, a standout from last season, who was at Bruins camp.

Lysell was drafted as a European, which means even if he doesn鈥檛 clinch a spot on the Bruins roster at camp, he could still play for Boston鈥檚 development team, the American Hockey League Providence Bruins, Dyck explained.

鈥淭he chances of him coming back are not very good,鈥� was Dyck鈥檚 assessment.

As well, some players who aged out last season 鈥� Alex Cotton, Adam Hall and Connor Horning 鈥� have left Dyck with the task of building a new team with much younger players.

During one pre-season game, in September, half the Giants roster was 鈥渟till in high school,鈥� Dyck pointed out, with one player aged 15, four 16-year-olds and five 17-year-olds.

Dyck鈥檚 task is to mould those promising individual players into a team.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of good talent here, and good chemistry,鈥� Dyck remarked.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e a good group of guys.鈥�

But developing them into a team won鈥檛 happen instantly, he cautioned.

鈥淚t鈥檒l take a little longer,鈥� he waned.

鈥淚t takes a lot of time to get connected.鈥�

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While some other teams, at least in the beginning, might be bigger and quicker than the youthful Giants players, they shouldn鈥檛 expect an easy time of it, he said.

鈥淲e want to be hard to play against,鈥� Dyck promised.

With the end of the pandemic, and the sudden interruptions and cancellations it inflicted on the team schedule, is Dyck looking forward to a season where the game isn鈥檛 overshadowed by a public health crisis?

鈥淲e certainly hope so,鈥� Dyck told the 91原创 Advance Times.鈥�

鈥淥ne thing we鈥檝e learned, is there鈥檚 some things you can鈥檛 control.鈥�

And if there are sudden, unfortunate twists of fate of COVID magnitude?

鈥淲e鈥檒l roll with it,鈥� Dyck predicted.

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Giants鈥� first regular season game will be on home ice at the 91原创 Events Centre against Seattle Thunderbirds on Friday, Sept. 23. Puck drops at 7:30 p.m.