beekay414
Registered User
Hershey's always good and a great place to play so it's not a surprise players stay there/sign there.
2023-24 Utica Comets and ECHL thread
- Thread starter NJDevs26
- Start date
- Dec 20, 2018
- 21,911
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Winning the Calder Cup for the 12th time is a nice cherry on top lol.
Anyway here’s when we signed guys to NHL contracts, for how much and their ages when signed.
2022-23 (free agency starts July 13, 2022)
July 13
Tyler Wotherspoon (29, LHD) 2 year/2 way deal (300k, 325k)
Jack Dugan (24, LW) 1 year/2 way deal (125k)
Brian Pinho (27, C,RW) 1 year/2 way deal (325k)
2021-22 (free agency starts July 28, 2021)
July 28
Chase De Leo (25, C/W) 1 year/ 1 way deal (300k)
Bryan Flynn (33, RW) 1 year/ 1 way deal (280k)
July 29
Joe Gambardella (27, LW) 2 year/2 way deal (280k, 320k) *re-signed to 2 year AHL deal in May*
Robbie Russo (28, RHD) 2 year/2 way deal (280k, 320k) *re-signed to 1 year AHL deal in May*
2020-21 (free agency starts Oct 9th 2020)
[weird truncated AHL season w/ no playoffs, Bing Devils play 35 games in Newark practice facility]
*no one new*
2019-20 (free agency starts July 1st 2019)
July 1
Ben Street (32, C) 1 year/ 2 way deal (425k) *re-signs for 2020-21 w/ 1 year/ 2 way deal (425k)*
Matt Tennyson (29, RHD) 2 year/ 2 way deal (guaranteed 400k both years)
Dakota Mermis (25, LHD) 1 year/ 2 way deal (guaranteed 250k)
Oct 6
Joe Morrow (26, RHD) 1 year/ 2 way deal (250k) *deal terminated on Dec 15 2019*
Feb 23 2020
Julian Melchiori (28, LHD) 1 year/ 2 way deal (150k)
2018-19 (free agency starts July 1st)
July 1
Eric Gryba (30, RHD) 1 year/ 2 way deal (Guaranteed 350k)
John Ramage (27, RHD) 1 year/ 2 way deal (guaranteed 150k)
Kurtis Gabriel (25, RW) 1 year/ 2 way deal (Guaranteed 100k)
July 25
Eric Tangradi (29, LW) 1 year/ 2 way deal (Guaranteed 300k)
beekay414
Registered User
lol for certain. My grandparents live in SC PA so I've been to a few Hershey games. They have some real good fans and it's a great place to play for career AHLers.
Like I said, the franchises who want the best for their team go and get them fast. These were 2 dynamite possibilities.
Phillips was in Calgary last year.
- Dec 20, 2018
- 21,911
- 47,435
It's true. He produced as well or better than anyone they currently have other than Dowling.
If you drag your feet, most of the solid players are gone in the first week.
Perhaps Arizona would be good trading partners for us as they are flush with center and a considerable amount of RD prospects.
Jason MacIsaac
Registered User
Clarke - Dowling - Thompson
Schmelzer - Bowers - Hawryluk(?)
Parent - Criscuolo - Halonen
Laberge - Gambardella - Stillman
Ibragimov
Vilén - Nemec
Misyul - Russo
Hatakka - Wotherspoon
Vukojevic
Is it just me or is this team horseshit?
Schmelzer - Bowers - Hawryluk(?)
Parent - Criscuolo - Halonen
Laberge - Gambardella - Stillman
Ibragimov
Vilén - Nemec
Misyul - Russo
Hatakka - Wotherspoon
Vukojevic
Is it just me or is this team horseshit?
It's not good, but I don't think it's done yet. I'm skeptical Hatakka plays. There's definitely some tweener-type players still floating around out there that could end up here.
- Dec 20, 2018
- 21,911
- 47,435
Basically, yes. Hawryluk isn’t signed as far as I know.
Sure wish they signed more guys. Oh well.
Zippy316
aka Zippo
It does look disappointing at the moment.
I wonder where they stand on veterans and VEs. Not sure where Criscuolo or Dowling fall under there.
The Devils also have quite a lot of NHL contract slots open. They have signed quite a few guys to AHL deals, but I wonder if they still look to add 2/3 players to the AHL team. The team could definitely use it.
Prospects would be good, but another top center is a necessity. A prospect can't fill that role. Without that extra experienced veteran center with numbers to prove what he can do for the prospects on the wings, this coming season will just be a repeat of last season. Wings expected to produce will struggle all season to try and make things work for themselves and have middling seasons. It's not good for their development. They had a good center corps for the inaugural season for wings like Z, Holtz, Foote, etc. They had the kind of productive seasons you want your prospects to have. Last season, the center position was a group of 3/4 centers with 2 trying to fill the 1/2 positions and as well as they played it obviously just wasn't enough.
Thompson had a horrible season. Footwe didn't live up to expectations. Clarke was the guy who got to work with the best of the centers and Gambardella who is a wrecking ball puck retriever and puts the puck on your stick. Clarke got the best of the centers with a mix and match of Schmelzer and Stevens. As a result he had the most productive season. His 58 points were #27 in the league nearly 30 less than the league leader, ex-Comet Michael Carcone's 85.
2 of the guys I listed as available as free agents were gobbled right up.
Chris Terry #4 with 78 Pts/67GP
Matthew Phillips #5 with 76 Pts/73GP
The #6 point totals were racked up by 30-yr-old Rocco Grimaldi, 73 Pts/70GP. He is still loose based on everything I can find. He was on an AHL contract last season with the San Diego Gulls (56 Pts/54GP) and was traded late in the season to the Rockford IceHogs (17 Pts/16GP).
He won't be unsigned for long. What a fit he would be!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Putting Bowers at #2 is insane at this point. His numbers say he is a #4 until he shows he is recovered from his past issues and can move up.
Gambardella does not play center. He is a LW. In the mess drawn up here He is the #1LW.
Schmelzer is a center.
Clarke is a RW.
According to his press clippings and his own thoughts (before last season held out for an NHL 1-way of $775K for the 2023-24 season) he should be the #1 RW. After recording a total of 7 goals and 26Pts last season only a fool would start him out there this season. Thus, Dineen might do it.
Hawryluk is a RW and would fit on the #1 RW ahead of Thompson to start out.
Parent and Ibragimov were mostly ECHL players last season. Parent showed flashes at the end of the season for the Comets. The jury is out on him coming into this season.
Schmelzer, Laberge, Parent, and Ibragimov are AHL contracted players and except for Schmelzer are bottom 6 at best.
On D, I suppose a veteran like Wotherspoon could play RD, but aside from Nemec and Russo there are no other RD on this roster and Nemec is still a ?.
The question is whether this roster is horseshit. The answer would be yes, if this were the best the Comets could put on the ice. Either NJ management makes some decisive upgrades or it will be a long cold winter in Utica.
They have an incomplete roster. They HAVE to sign more guys, especially if they intend to keep Foote, Holtz, and Clarke as so many posters are advocating. With those guys out of the picture the remaining roster upfront wouldn't stand a chance.
C - Dowling, Schmelzer either /or Criscuolo, Bowers
LW - Gambardella, Halonen, Parent, Laberge,
RW - Stillman, Thompson, Friedman
That would be every forward under either on an NHL or AHL contract.
Gambardella does not play center. He is a LW. In the mess drawn up here He is the #1LW.
Schmelzer is a center.
Clarke is a RW.
According to his press clippings and his own thoughts (before last season held out for an NHL 1-way of $775K for the 2023-24 season) he should be the #1 RW. After recording a total of 7 goals and 26Pts last season only a fool would start him out there this season. Thus, Dineen might do it.
Hawryluk is a RW and would fit on the #1 RW ahead of Thompson to start out.
Parent and Ibragimov were mostly ECHL players last season. Parent showed flashes at the end of the season for the Comets. The jury is out on him coming into this season.
Schmelzer, Laberge, Parent, and Ibragimov are AHL contracted players and except for Schmelzer are bottom 6 at best.
On D, I suppose a veteran like Wotherspoon could play RD, but aside from Nemec and Russo there are no other RD on this roster and Nemec is still a ?.
The question is whether this roster is horseshit. The answer would be yes, if this were the best the Comets could put on the ice. Either NJ management makes some decisive upgrades or it will be a long cold winter in Utica.
They have an incomplete roster. They HAVE to sign more guys, especially if they intend to keep Foote, Holtz, and Clarke as so many posters are advocating. With those guys out of the picture the remaining roster upfront wouldn't stand a chance.
C - Dowling, Schmelzer either /or Criscuolo, Bowers
LW - Gambardella, Halonen, Parent, Laberge,
RW - Stillman, Thompson, Friedman
That would be every forward under either on an NHL or AHL contract.
Both Dowling and Criscuolo are Veterans as are Russo, Wotherspoon, and Gambardella.
Schmelzer is Veteran Exempt.
Based upon the rules this fills out the number of Vets with the 1 VE who can play on any game night, 5 +1. The addition of any more Vets or VEs to the roster would mean healthy scratches unless injuries open up more slots. More than 1 VE can play, but after 1, each additional VE means a Vet has to sit.
e.g..
2 VEs? 4 Vets
3 VEs? 3 Vets
Etc.
- Dec 20, 2018
- 21,911
- 47,435
Both Dowling and Criscuolo count as Veterans with over +320 pro games played.
There were a number of impact AHL players available who weren’t veterans, we just didn’t sign them.
These two are fine but we needed more and it would have been nice to grab at least one younger player with upside who wasn’t a vet.
Here’s some of who’s left, not that we’re signing them either.
These are the remaining forwards from a top 50 list (from Inside the AHL), minus guys who’ve played for us before (
Not Veterans (under 260 pro GP)
128 pro GP
159 pro GP
#45/Max Willman (28/LW/C) (Lehigh Valley)
192 pro GP EP link
Veteran:
Between 260-320 pro GP
Over 320 pro GP
#3/Rocco Grimaldi (30/RW) (Rockford/ San Diego) +320 pro GP EP link
+320 pro GP
+320 pro GP
+320 pro GP
#23/Kieffer Bellows (25/LW) (Lehigh Valley)
232 pro GP EP link
+320 pro GP
+320 pro GP
+320 pro GP
#29/Danny O’Regan (29/C) (Grand Rapids)
+320 pro GP EP link
+320 pro GP
#40/Justin Bailey (28/RW) (Bakersfield)
+320 pro GP EP link
+320 pro GP
Out of juniors I would like
More Non-Veterans (No QO)
176 pro GP
150 pro GP
173 pro GP
We have a ridiculous amount of contract spots after we sign Bahl, we have to plan to be using them for something.
Last edited:
Zippy316
aka Zippo
Interesting. So I suppose that means any additions moving forward should most likely fall under the VE limit or else they’d be a bit redundant.
I imagine that seriously limits the options available to Utica.
Yeah it’s a bit concerning. One thing that this organization has really struggled on is recruitment at the AHL level. Originally, I chalked that up to Binghamton not being a particularly desirable destination, not sure if Utica also has that bad mark too.
As the prospect pool naturally starts to thin out as the NHL team gets competitive, it’s going to be more important to sign some of these guys. I’m assuming soon the focus developmentally will end up being on wingers, given how strong our center group looks long term. Will be even more important for the Devils to recruit some quality AHL centers to aid their development
I think it just comes down to money. Matthew Phillips got a 1 way deal, but the top AHL free agents tend to get guarantees of around 450k-550k. The Devils gave Dowling 500k and Criscuolo 330k. Thompson is going to make a one-way salary as well which likely complicates things. But the Devils have typically not spent that much on the AHL club.
Jason MacIsaac
Registered User
I just threw players down, there was very little thought put into position, if any at all.
Like how George threw those kids down with very little thought when he thought the room was on fire?
- May 8, 2010
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OmNomNom
Taco is Love, Taco is Life
Monsieur Verdoux
Registered User
Why hire good players when you can hire your relatives. Nepotism as its finest. 
Why hire good players when you can hire your relatives. Nepotism as its finest.
I don't think Tom is so blinded that he expects his kids to do more than be loyal foot soldiers. He would probably admit that Utica needs more in the way of reinforcements but whether he will get the ok from ownership to spend there is a different question.
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