When the Comets pseudo-GM Johnson openly espouses the philosophy that the Comets (HE!!!!!! and I must assume BENNING) don't want to sign AHL pros that are better than the prospects, just exactly how well do you expect the prospects to develop? Just browse that Syracuse roster you eluded to. You won't see any Darcy, Woods, Gardiner, Hamilton, Bancks, Arseneau, Blujus, or Graham facsimles dotting their game day lineup.
Blujus is one of the Comets most dependale D-men even when the D-corps is healthy. Syracuse cut him from their roster last season after training camp and sent him to the ECHL where Utica picked him up on a PTO and later signed him to an AHL contract. They re-signed him to another for this season. He is not a veteran D-man that will settle a defense and become the mentor for all the kids like a Schenn or Huskins, but then again it fits the profile. Can't have a guy better than Brisebois or Chatfield. Sautner and McEneny will serve the role of mentor and show these young guys the way, NOT. They need that solid vet just as much as the other 2. Without them the Comets D holds in game fire drills more often than any other defense in the AHL. Most AHL top 6s contain 2 veteran D-men. They play with the 2 kids and the older prospects pair together. Johnson/Bnning's idea of these two vets are Sifers and Blujus. Blujus will be able to play next year before reaching vet staus by AHL rules.
Sifers is 36 and playing on borrowed time and worn out wheels.
As to the forwards if they shouldn't be better than the prospects that would mean they can't be better than Lind, Gadjovich, Jasek, and Palmu. Correct? Well centered by Woods, Darcy and Gardiner they still aren't as good. Put a center pair of O'Reilly and Hensick, who are light years ahead of the Comets AHL deadwood trio, with these kids and I bet you would have seen much better results.
Prospects sent to Utica without a proper support package are doomed to fail. Kids coming into a very good pro league against men, many who have NHL experience and/or a few years of AHL experience along with younger players who have been in the league for 1-4 years, left to fend for themselves or as some say learn from being thrown into the fire or learn by making mistakes and fixing them, will usually play very poorly. Many actually get eaten alive a la Palmu. Jasek has fared the best because he came over from a European pro league and had played vs men before. Lind and Gadjovich looked like deer in the headlights for almost half the season.
Just exactly WTF is meant by Johnson's philosophical statement? It may be one of the stupidest damned concepts I have ever heard. When your prospects have never played a minute of pro hockey at any level, just how good are they making it possible to know just how good the vets would have to be not to be better than them? Did you follow that twisted illogic? That is 100% pure idiocy. You put these kids with players who can help show them the way by playing on their lines or paired up defensively. Their natural talents then meld with the new system and they learn how to take their game to the next level.
D-O-H-H-H-H!!!!!!!!!!! Homer Simpson logic as I live and breathe.
Let's make sure the veteran co-pilot isn't better than the new guy who has never flown a plane before because we want the new guy to be able to excel and not have to cede to the vet's abilities. How about the vet teaches the new guy the ropes and then let's him excel at this own pace until he's ready to solo? Witness the Syracuse Crunch, Toronto Marlies, and who whole ****load of other competently run AHL franchises. Of course these franchise are sent a load of prospects from the picks these NHL management teams acquire as well as college players signed and developed in the AHL along with free agent JRs and Europeans. These prospects are not just prospects by definition, but are thought to have hockey skills and IQ at a potential level to be able to at least become good AHL players if not NHL players. Benning has acquired top picks thanks to NHL rules to help floundering franchises, but has opted to avoid adding extra picks and his undrafted selections have not been stellar and his European UFAs have been few and not the most talented. Look at where some of the Tampa players and those in Syracuse were drafted and where they got some of the others who didn't get drafted and those they picked up as add-ons in NHL trades.
You do not see the same kind of futures planning going on in Benning's moves. His moves are all help me now. I used to say, as others do, that Benning has a zero patience level. I have moved on to the belief he has no patience at all except after he acquires a player and then his patience goes through the roof in order to somehow prove he was correct. If that guy ends up a 3rd or 4th line regular it was still an okay move a la 6th OA pick Jake Virtanen and the same logic is now being applied to 5th OA selection Olli Juolevi. JB will eventually give up when it is obvious there is no hope, but look at the price that was paid for a player he no longer employs.
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