There used to be a saying in sports that went something like, 'a player shouldn't lose his spot due to injury.'

Those days are long gone, however, and if the replacement is getting the job done, they usually keep the gig.

For the Manitoba Moose, winners of eight straight with a lineup bolstered by parts stolen from ECHL jalopies and hot rods alike, their roster is still a work in progress.

Considering the club has two regulars in Vancouver with the Canucks and five full-timers on the injured list, all with the possibility of returning in the near future, jobs with the Moose are decidedly insecure.

"There are so many good players out there, and young guys that step up and come in and play well, I don't think anything is guaranteed," said Moose coach Scott Arniel, who will take his club out on the road today to begin a four-game road trip. "There are guys that have been around for a while. When Jason Jaffray comes back he gets to go on his old line no matter how well his replacement is going."

The Moose have fattened their roster -- there were 29 players in Saturday's team picture -- down the stretch with call-ups from the ECHL and the signing of two players to amateur contracts for the rest of the season. Once the playoffs begin they'll need to rely on their clear-day roster of 20 skaters and two goalies unless injuries put them in an emergency situation.

"When you bring guys in to fill roles, and we have a bunch of them here right now, some of them are on amateur contracts and they can play anytime, but when everyone is healthy, we have to go with our 22-man clear-day roster," said Arniel. "You really can't do anything about it. There are only so many guys you can play."

Defenceman Danny Rahimi has stepped into the Moose lineup and played admirably with others in Vancouver or injured.

The 20-year-old is not on the Moose clear-day roster and could be ineligible if other blue-liners get healthy or if defencemen Nathan McIver and Luc Bourdon are sent down from Vancouver.

"He's done a good job. He has a lot to learn as a young defenceman and it's a hard position to learn to play. Danny and Max (Fortunus) seem to have some nice chemistry and they've done a good job against the opposition's scoring line. Danny seems to be more and more comfortable day in and day out," said Arniel. "He recognizes there are lots of bodies around but the one thing we preach is to make the most of your opportunity and don't look down the road. This has been a crazy situation since mid-December and you don't know what's going to happen."

Rahimi has seen action in 32 games with the Moose this season and has developed rapidly. He's not worried about the road ahead, just the ice under his feet.

"It's been great. I'm getting lots of ice and the opportunity to show what I can do," said Rahimi. "I'm not worried about guys coming back. I know when they do I can't play and that's bad for me but I can't worry about it now. I have to just play my best. When I can't play, I'll just try and stay ready in case the team needs me. Next year, because of this chance, hopefully I'll have a better chance to play for the team the whole year. The guys coming back are good guys and I'm happy for the team. Hopefully they can help the team win."

gary.lawless@freepress.mb.ca