Started this post at noon, but got called away and didn't get it posted until now and only "go comets" has posted anything in that time frame. It appears we are in concert on this one.
Can't believe none of my Utica brethren have commented on this morning's article in the Utica OD centered on Johnson's off season work. Perhaps they are vomiting too much to be able to patch together any comments. Essentially he is praising his off season signings, both for the Comets and the depth I have been saying will be sent to the Zoo.
Let's take the Comets first. He says he was concentrating on surrounding the incoming young group with "good people, good players and a culture that we've been building the last couple seasons." He said "the returning veteran group that includes Hamilton and Bancks is vital." "It was the utmost importance that Bancks and Hamilton were back. Those guys when I talk about their value to us, you can't put a number on it with what they create from a culture, from what goes on in that dressing room to the expectation of showing up and ...using each day to get better." Those 2 have been on teams that have scraped and fought to just make the playoffs since the good players left town. Their playoff teams in the other 3 seasons were one and out and twice and they missed the playoffs the other season.
"It is important for me that those guys know that isn't their only value. I love those two because they're scratching and clawing to get their chance at the next level.. I've challenged them to come back better versions of themselves. I know they will."
He hasn't signed any veteran centers or D-men because "I didn't want to go out and get those journeymen, high-AHL deal players that knew that's just what they were. I wanted guys that are still hungry, that are still trying to improve, that are still trying to take that jump." Hamilton and Bancks????? Seriously?
Wow!!!!! This guy has been hypnotized and programmed to think exactly like Benning. So instead of a TJ Hensick who scores a point per game and would give two kids their best chance to produce at a high level while adjusting to the speed and strength of the pro game, you re-sign Hamilton to center them. H-m-m-m-m, sounds exactly why Benning signed Beagle and Co. Culture, locker room, and mentoring what it takes to be a pro.
I have no problem with this pap, but a guy who can do those things while playing the game at a high proficiency level is far more valuable than a guy who has proven through several pro seasons that he will never be that high level player. Bancks and Hamilton can practice 10 hours a day, 365 days a year, while starving to get to the NHL and it is flat out not going to happen. soon to be 28 and 29 yr-old veteran AHL, hard working, hard checking, penalty killing, 4th line "journeymen", who don't produce points do not become NHL players due to a work ethic. Their work ethic has got them where they are and that's where they will both remain and finish up. Nothing wrong with having them around for the value they provide, but to develop your kids the way you want them to succeed will require more than hard work. They need a high level of talent to play with.
One of those vets he doesn't want would make a world of difference to the highly talented wings who get stuck with Hamilton. Those kids are not grinders. Thus, you don't attach them to grinders. None of the wingers Wacey has had on his line have ever been much for putting up points. Run down the list of forwards that are likely to be here and Darcy and Hamilton will get 4 of them. Dahlen, Boucher, Jasek, MacMaster, Lind, Palmu, Gadjovich, Carcone, Motte, Archibald, Bancks. Where do these great mentors play in that mix with Kero, Gaudette, Goldobin, Gaunce/Granlund/Leipsic (one or even two of these guys will be sent down) also added to those kids?
If Cull plays his best 18 skaters, Bancks and Hamilton wait for injuries and call-ups to crack the lineup. Darcy should be with them. Kero, Gaudette, Granlund/Gaunce make 3 centers. Gaudette gets called up and you start to realize that by mid season you have 1 to 2 good centers with Darcy and Hamilton filling 2 regular spots.
The same becomes true of the D-men. Sifers isn't good enough to force any of the returning kids to the bench. He knows more, but is too slow to actually get the job done. He is the only veteran D-man the team has and he's 36. Without him the D-corps is Juolevi (maybe), McEneny, Sautner, Brisebois, Chatfield, and, Blujus.Take Juolevi up, injure one Comet, never send him down to begin with and the team is playing Sifers and have no backups. Anselmini and Dirk are not AHL players.
That brings me to Johnson's other self boasting. He boasts of having 13 players, more than ever, signed to AHL contracts. This is purposeful depth stocking so they have players on hand if the call-ups and injuries decimate the team like last occurred in 2015-16 and even more so last season. He wants to "make sure even more players are familiar with the team, if needed." "I've made sure the depth signings fit to what we are all about. I think it will make for a much better situation than last year."
If this depth construction is really so all important, which I agree would be a good idea (Toronto has done it for 2 seasons now), then why wouldn't he sign up the few guys who turned out to be the most successful doing it here last season? They already know the system and proved capable of doing a good job. The 7 new guys signed have a total of 0 NHL GP and 104 AHL GP. MacMaster has 11Pts in 18GP including 4Pts/5 Playoff GP for a .61 PPG. The rest have .PPGs ranging from .27 to .00. If/when the **** hits the fan again this season and these are the players brought up, my guess is Conacher will once again be beating the ECHL bushes looking for competent players because these guys will play like Moynihan, Stewart, and Cederholm and be sent back due to gross incompetence.
Much better players than these have come to Utica as PTOs from the ECHL and did not fare much better than water treaders. Some came with backgrounds including ECHL/CHL League MVP, League scoring leader, League top goal scorer, League All-Star, League Playoff MVP, team leading scorer, etc. None of the current newcomers comes close to those credentials. If Johnson thinks they will be the answer, his career as a talent scout for the AHL is done.
2 returning AHL contract players have 16 NHL games played and 14 were played by 13 yr pro Sifers. Sifers, Bancks, Hamilton, and Bachman are protoytpe AHL journeymen. Bachman has had the best numbers of the bunch between the pipes. The other 3 have been very poor at producing offense with Bancks having been the most successful due to a 39 point career high in 15-16. So, in spite of Johnson's claim that he wished to avoid AHL high level journeymen, he has instead wasted contracts on AHL low level journeymen. This analysis comes from a guy who has really liked the play of Bancks and liked Hamilton's game until he became a penalty machine the past 2 seasons.
This team has great potential and if the guys in charge make a couple simple moves it could be a great season. I feel it's going to fall short of expectations because of a poor thought process and failure to recognize the simple moves that would make management look like geniuses in the end.
