2018-19 Utica Comets, Pt. IV: Six more years as your Vancouver Canucks affiliate

[FroshaugFan2]

How much were you willing to bet?

Ruh roh.

Stolarz was supposed to be out 2-4 weeks from Dec 17th, so hopefully he's back soon.

If the Flyers then waive McKenna the Canucks can assign him directly to Utica if they are the only team to put in a claim. However if the Flyers waive Stolarz instead, that would complicate getting a goalie to Utica.

Alternatively the Canucks could make a trade for an AHL goalie. Coreau just went to the Blues for future considerations. Hopefully another team is looking to dump an AHL goalie contract.

 

[tyhee]

This was completely foreseeable. If he got past the Flyers, I expect the Leafs were claiming him. (I wrote one of my long posts about it in the 2018/19 MGMT thread.)

Time for Conacher to go to work again. Time to ????

An AHL affiliate that struggles when the goaltenders don't outplay the opposition is down to one healthy goalie, an ECHLer at that.

In the case of the trade for Leivo, the Leafs required the player they got to already have cleared waivers or be exempt, so the Canucks lost Leipsic and Carcone both. Having just seen how a team makes sure it gets a minor league player for a position, you'd think the Canucks would learn from it.

It would be hard to imagine this level of incompetence if we weren't seeing it.

And yes, I realize that the only immediate effect is that the Comets suffer (again) and the Canucks have nobody at all to call up in case of injury to Markstrom or Demko.

 

[TruGr1t]

This is vintage Benning/Weisbrod stuff. Still couldn't manage a peewee roster.

 

[FroshaugFan2]

Honestly it's shouldn't be too hard to get an AHL goalie. Zucale, Sateri, Montoya, Starrett, or even bring back Joe Cannata. Hopefully Benning doesn't pay more than future considerations.

 

[Jyrki21]

McKenna has to clear waivers (whereas Pyatt doesn't if I understand correctly), but he's not going to get claimed.

Haha, wow... alrighty then.

@Bad Goalie, you still have your pads? You might be getting a call.

 

[Billy Kvcmu]

I guess they call up the ECHL goalie as back up and Kulbakov as starter???
Yikes, who would have thought McKenna out of all ppl got claimed

 

[F A N]

How much were you willing to bet?

$20? $50? Good thing nobody took my bet. I was clearly wrong there.

Seems like the market for AHL goalies is strong this season.

 

[TruGr1t]

$20? $50? Good thing nobody took my bet. I was clearly wrong there.

Seems like the market for AHL goalies is strong this season.

Quite a few people called it due to the fact both Toronto and Philly were at the end of their goalie depth charts due to injury. Canucks management failed to recognize the broader market, of course.

 

[UticaHockey]

Quite a few people called it due to the fact both Toronto and Philly were at the end of their goalie depth charts due to injury. Canucks management failed to recognize the broader market, of course.

Canucks management completely failed to recognize the risk that they inherited with this trade. The way to reduce that risk completely was to only agree to the trade if Ottawa first waived McKenna and he cleared. Another 24 hours is all it would have taken to properly manage the risk.

 

[StreetHawk]

Canucks management completely failed to recognize the risk that they inherited with this trade. The way to reduce that risk completely was to only agree to the trade if Ottawa first waived McKenna and he cleared. Another 24 hours is all it would have taken to properly manage the risk.

And for Ottawa, what would have happened if they lost McKenna to waivers? He’s up with Ottawa due to injury right now as well so not like the Sens could afford to send a different goalie to Vancouver if they lost him?

It might have them meant that the Canucks needed to kee Demko down for a bit longer until guys returned for Philly and Toronto but there’s always injuries.

And let’s not ignore that when the deal went down people here wanted Demko up.

 

[UticaHockey]

And for Ottawa, what would have happened if they lost McKenna to waivers? He’s up with Ottawa due to injury right now as well so not like the Sens could afford to send a different goalie to Vancouver if they lost him?

It might have them meant that the Canucks needed to kee Demko down for a bit longer until guys returned for Philly and Toronto but there’s always injuries.

And let’s not ignore that when the deal went down people here wanted Demko up.

Insist on McKenna clearing waivers or back away from the deal. There was no deadline for making this deal other than an artificial one that they created. I get that they wanted to call Demko up and I support that idea but waiting another week or two until a trade that involved a waiver cleared depth goalie would have been the smart decision. This is not just a Comets problem because the Canucks do not have a healthy goalie under an NHL contract that can be recalled. They will be forced to make a trade which involves trading away another asset or draft pick or they have to find a free agent goalie capable of being called up to the NHL. I'm not sure that the list of available free agents is very large right now.

 

[Hit the post]

Insist on McKenna clearing waivers or back away from the deal. There was no deadline for making this deal other than an artificial one that they created. I get that they wanted to call Demko up and I support that idea but waiting another week or two until a trade that involved a waiver cleared depth goalie would have been the smart decision. This is not just a Comets problem because the Canucks do not have a healthy goalie under an NHL contract that can be recalled. They will be forced to make a trade which involves trading away another asset or draft pick or they have to find a free agent goalie capable of being called up to the NHL. I'm not sure that the list of available free agents is very large right now.

Quit complaining. We all know Benning will peruse all the ECHL or even lower tier leagues in search of candidates they can give a PTO to. Maybe dig up a passed away goalie an do a "Weekend at Bernie's" thing.

 

[lush]

Is there any rule against having two AHL franchises? Or is there just no point in doing so given the contract limits? It would be great if we could house experienced depth players in Utica where they can contend and provide easy callups when travelling. Then have a 2nd AHL team in Abbotsford that basically dresses a full AHL roster of teenagers

 

[StreetHawk]

Is there any rule against having two AHL franchises? Or is there just no point in doing so given the contract limits? It would be great if we could house experienced depth players in Utica where they can contend and provide easy callups when travelling. Then have a 2nd AHL team in Abbotsford that basically dresses a full AHL roster of teenagers

It’s called an ECHL franchise.

 

[UticaHockey]

Insist on McKenna clearing waivers or back away from the deal. There was no deadline for making this deal other than an artificial one that they created. I get that they wanted to call Demko up and I support that idea but waiting another week or two until a trade that involved a waiver cleared depth goalie would have been the smart decision. This is not just a Comets problem because the Canucks do not have a healthy goalie under an NHL contract that can be recalled. They will be forced to make a trade which involves trading away another asset or draft pick or they have to find a free agent goalie capable of being called up to the NHL. I'm not sure that the list of available free agents is very large right now.[/QUO

 

[UticaHockey]

Quit complaining. We all know Benning will peruse all the ECHL or even lower tier leagues in search of candidates they can give a PTO to. Maybe dig up a passed away goalie an do a "Weekend at Bernie's" thing.

I'm on board with offering Bad Goalie a PTO

 

[VanJack]

And for Ottawa, what would have happened if they lost McKenna to waivers? He’s up with Ottawa due to injury right now as well so not like the Sens could afford to send a different goalie to Vancouver if they lost him?

It might have them meant that the Canucks needed to kee Demko down for a bit longer until guys returned for Philly and Toronto but there’s always injuries.

And let’s not ignore that when the deal went down people here wanted Demko up.

This trade didn't really depend on McKenna's status. Nilsson was an impending UFA they had no interest in re-signing, so they basically got a 6th round pick for him. Canucks now have three picks in the sixth round. Can they package a couple of them and move up?

And they had to get Demko up anyway. It's time to test him against NHL shooters. Utica will find somebody to back up Kulbakov until DiPietro arrives from the OHL. Really not a big setback.

 

[Scumbag Frank]

This trade didn't really depend on McKenna's status. Nilsson was an impending UFA they had no interest in re-signing, so they basically got a 6th round pick for him. Canucks now have three picks in the sixth round. Can they package a couple of them and move up?

And they had to get Demko up anyway. It's time to test him against NHL shooters. Utica will find somebody to back up Kulbakov until DiPietro arrives from the OHL. Really not a big setback.

DiPietro plays for one of the best teams in the OHL. They'll be playing for the Memorial Cup deep into May, well after the AHL playoffs have started.

 

[tantalum]

In defense of Jim I never expected it either. Of course I don't even remotely follow the Flyers or Leafs to even know what their injury situation is. A GM probably should. And perhaps they did suspect it and why the 6th was put into the deal...to guard against that possible outcome. That's probably giving them too much credit though.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Is there any rule against having two AHL franchises? Or is there just no point in doing so given the contract limits? It would be great if we could house experienced depth players in Utica where they can contend and provide easy callups when travelling. Then have a 2nd AHL team in Abbotsford that basically dresses a full AHL roster of teenagers

Unless they are Europeans, teens cannot play in the AHL. Well you could sign kids out of US high schools, but that wouldn't include many draftees. The Canadian Jr/NHL agreement says they have to be 20 to play in the AHL or at least turn 20 before a calendar date in December. You can look the exact date up.

 

[ihaveyuidonttouchme]

is emergency call an option? or is that just for nhl?

 

[Billy Kvcmu]

Comets just sign a goalie to a PTO
Not even gonna try to type out his name

 

[tyhee]

...

And they had to get Demko up anyway. It's time to test him against NHL shooters. Utica will find somebody to back up Kulbakov until DiPietro arrives from the OHL. Really not a big setback.

I see this often so it isn't fair to VanJack that I'm singling out his post to reply to, but it was not the case that they "had to get Demko up." His development wasn't going to be ruined by spending some more time in Utica. He wasn't going to be more expensive to re-sign as a RFA this summer because he spent more time in Utica. It's nice that he's considered ready and I'm not against finding a way to bring him up, but there wasn't anything to be lost by waiting until they had the right deal or, if this is the best they could do, the right time to waive McKenna.

Their plans for next season aren't likely to change depending on what Demko does in Vancouver. They'll already have Bachman and DiPietro in the AHL, so it is Markstrom and Demko slated for the NHL, whether Demko adjusts quickly this season or not.

 

[ErrantShepherd]

Comets just sign a goalie to a PTO
Not even gonna try to type out his name

Problem solved?

...I'm sorry but this whole goddamn situation actually made me laugh. Just embarrassing yet hilariously so.
I needed that after the ugly mess with Petey.

Feel bad for McKenna, hope we can eventually reclaim him to hopefully give him some more stability in Utica.

 

[mossey3535]

Canucks management completely failed to recognize the risk that they inherited with this trade. The way to reduce that risk completely was to only agree to the trade if Ottawa first waived McKenna and he cleared. Another 24 hours is all it would have taken to properly manage the risk.

Nawwwwwww. It's not like we tried to waive a guy who we intended to trade, lost him, and then went ahead and traded another guy in his place!

Who could have seen this coming?