2018-19 Utica Comets

[go comets]

I think it's obvious that the Canucks prefer to leave the comets short staffed which forces young players into larger rolls as they did last year.

Last season the team actually got better as new PTO guys came in , but this can also back fire and go downhill quickly.

It will be an interesting season, but without centers that are strong faceoff guys and can control play, the comets will just be chasing the puck most nights especially without a strong d man.

Hopefully Kero and whomever slots in at #2 can fill the void.

 

[Catamarca Livin]

Maybe Gaudette plays in Utica if so center position is not so bad. It will be great for Canuck fans to follow Utica this year though I can understand the Utica fans concerns. The positive is many of these young players will be in Utica for multiple years so fans can get to know them.

 

[Bad Goalie]

I think it's obvious that the Canucks prefer to leave the comets short staffed which forces young players into larger rolls as they did last year.

Last season the team actually got better as new PTO guys came in , but this can also back fire and go downhill quickly.

It will be an interesting season, but without centers that are strong faceoff guys and can control play, the comets will just be chasing the puck most nights especially without a strong d man.

Hopefully Kero and whomever slots in at #2 can fill the void.

This is the problem. Kero has never put up AHL #1 numbers. His .65 PPG is #2 numbers. Cal O'Reilly at .86 and Hensick at .90 are he kind of numbers an AHL #1 posts. The closest the Comets have come to that since O'Reilly left were Hensick with 15Pts in 19GP at the end of the 2015-16. After that it was Chaput last season with #2 numbers at .66 PPG.

Gaudette may put up #1 numbers, but that is yet to be seen both in his presence here in the first place and then that type of production. If he does get assigned here and puts up those kind of numbers he won't be here long. The Comets need a proven AHL play maker because he will be a necessity once all the **** shakes out. We all know how things will transpire between the 2 teams by Christmas.

 

[Bad Goalie]

I think it's obvious that the Canucks prefer to leave the comets short staffed which forces young players into larger rolls as they did last year.

Last season the team actually got better as new PTO guys came in , but this can also back fire and go downhill quickly.

It will be an interesting season, but without centers that are strong faceoff guys and can control play, the comets will just be chasing the puck most nights especially without a strong d man.

Hopefully Kero and whomever slots in at #2 can fill the void.

The Canucks did not leave the Comets short staffed last season so trhe young players would be forced into larger roles. They over staffed the roster with so many vets sent down from Vancouver that the Comets were rotating 10 vets in and out of the lineup. When the vets were sorted out by injuries the Comets didn't have the young players you are talking about on the roster to begin with.

The D had the kids in Chatfield and Brisebois, but they were supported by 3 vets, at least 2 of whom were in the lineup on a nightly basis and often it was 3. Sautner was the only young player to not use the vet support, but proved he couldn't carry a kid as he was paired with both of them early on and it was not good. His success came with the arrival of a more experienced player in Dylan Blujus. So, the kids on D were never forced into bigger roles and were always paired with a vet as is the custom throughout the AHL.

Up front there were NO YOUNG CENTERS on the roster to begin with. That was the major problem. Even with all the vets 3 of Darcy, Bancks, Cassels, Woods, and Hamilton were the centers along with Chaput. This was a horrible middle cast of characters. Darcy and Woods, who were never solid AHL centers, were signed out of camp as a PTOs and Woods would play a total of 14 games due to injury. Bancks is and always has been a very successful grinding winger. Cassels and Hamilton couldn't serve as play makers if their life depended upon it. Are these the "young players" the Canucks wanted to force into bigger roles?

The only young Comet forward given the role of playing at a high level was MacEwen. Carcone failed miserably when he was asked to step up to another level. D'Aoust was steady, nothing fancy, but injured a lot. Molino was a waste of a contract.

Any kids I missed?

This year will see a plethora of young forwards and not one is a center unless we see Gaudette and I'm betting he won't be here long, if at all.

 

[sting101]

ATTENTION!!!!!!!!!!

OPEN APOLOGY TO ALL POSTERS?READERS

Tomorrow I am making an appointment to see a Dr. specializing in Alzheimer's Disease.

Jalen Chatfield played RD with Wiercioch most of last season. How I got this idea in my head that I watched him playing left D I have no idea. I can still see him in my mind playing on the left side of the ice from my seat looking at him across the ice. Any D-man in my end of the rink playing on the opposite side of the ice when the Comets are defending that end is the LD. I can see him clear as day over there., yet I know he was listed as the RD and I have him in all of my game charts on the the right side.

I am correct about Brisebois playing on the right side most games, but again Chatty was also RD on most nights.

I feel like a complete idiot or that I'm losing my mind!

Nope, just an idiot having a senior moment.

Its all good BG, Thats what were here for....lol

LD-Sautner McEneny RD-Chatfield Blujus LD/RD-Brisebois seem like a pretty reliable solid core for the defense....NO?

add in Olli Juolevi for at least until they settle the Edler Del Zotto and Hutton situations this year and i dont see the dilemma's regarding the defense?

Of course injuries can and will occur

C- Kero Gaudette MacMaster Darcy Hamilton.................................Chaput Cassels Cameranesi
LW- Boucher Dahlen Palmu Archibald Gadjovich.............................Goldobin Molino Labate
RW- Motte Jasek Lind MacEwen Bancks Carcone..............................Megna Daoust Cherniwchan
LD- Juolevi Sautner McEneny........................................................Weicioch Holm
RD- Brisebois Blujus Chatfield Sifers
GK- Demko Bachman

Those are some nice upgrades and full seasons from Boucher Archibald McEneny and Blujus would be huge as well

As far a C ice goes......Gaudette and MacMaster who you really liked last year should be a couple nice centres with playmaking abilities and theres always the possibility that Motte and MacEwen could play in the middle too if needed.

As far as the veteran defenseman isn't that what Blujus was signed for and what about McEneny? You might get Quinn Hughes to replace Juolevi by seasons end if things go well also.

anyways i would be f***ing stoked if i was a Utica season ticket holder vs the gong show we have going here in Van

 

[Bad Goalie]

@ Megaterio Llamas

Here is the Brisebois breakdown the best I can come up with.

68 GP in the regular season and 4 in the playoffs.

Regular season -
LD
5 GP with Holm
1 GP with Subban
1 GP with Faust
17 GP with Sifers
24

RD
25 with Holm
8 GP with Sautner
10 GP with Wiercioch
1 GP withSimonelli
44 total games

2018 playoffs
All 4 GP at LD with Sifers at RD

In most cases Cull tried to play the kids with a vet. The Brisebois/Sautner and Chatfield/Sautner experiments was to see if Sautner could carry a rookie. He could not. Sautner functioned best with his version of an experienced partner, Blujus. They prospered together.

Brisebois was with Holm, Wiercioch, and Sifers. If I had to rate those pairings, I would say he fit best with the oldest vet on the team, Sifers. Jaime is a defensive player and that allowed Guillaume to learn the most about playing D at the pro leel. Jaime also covered for Brieser and allowed him to move a little more withthe puck. When playing with Holm or Wiercioch his D was helter/skelter and the other 2 were always taking the puck up ice.

Chatfiled's main vet partner was Wiercioch. He had serious problems defensively early on because Sautner was his partner the first 12 games and Sautner was still trying to prove himself and didn't have the talent to carry a rookie at the same time. Then he sat one out and next got 2 with Cederholm. That duo was disastrous. Finally in game 16 he was paired with Wiercioch and that is when he started to get his act together. He never established himself a solid AHL defender. He had his ups and downs, but the positives soon outweighed the negatives and he finished the season having established the fact he belonged in Utica's top 6. That is both good and questionable. Top 6 is good for any D-man. Utica did not have a strong D when compared to the other playoff teams in the East. Goaltending saved their bacon night after night.

If this team is to be successful and by that I mean more than a bubble team like the past 3 seasons (2 1 and outs and 3rd season in which they fell short in their quest on the last weekend of the seasons), this D-corps needs to up their games to a man and Holm and Wiercioch have to be replaced by better vets than they were. I don't care if they come from Vancouver in the person of say Biega and/or Juolevi or whether they come from somewhere else on planet earth, but Sautner, McEneny (coming off major knee construction and the second major injury of his short career), Briesbois, Chatfield, Blujus, and Sifers are maybe middle of the league defensively by themselves. 2 good vets to replace Wiercioch and Holm allows Sifers to serve as a backup and Blujus becomes #6/7 depending upon McEneny's recovery. Blujus will gets lots of game time.

 

[Megaterio Llamas]

@ Megaterio Llamas

Here is the Brisebois breakdown the best I can come up with.

68 GP in the regular season and 4 in the playoffs.

Regular season -
LD
5 GP with Holm
1 GP with Subban
1 GP with Faust
17 GP with Sifers
24

RD
25 with Holm
8 GP with Sautner
10 GP with Wiercioch
1 GP withSimonelli
44 total games

2018 playoffs
All 4 GP at LD with Sifers at RD

In most cases Cull tried to play the kids with a vet. The Brisebois/Sautner and Chatfield/Sautner experiments was to see if Sautner could carry a rookie. He could not. Sautner functioned best with his version of an experienced partner, Blujus. They prospered together.

Brisebois was with Holm, Wiercioch, and Sifers. If I had to rate those pairings, I would say he fit best with the oldest vet on the team, Sifers. Jaime is a defensive player and that allowed Guillaume to learn the most about playing D at the pro leel. Jaime also covered for Brieser and allowed him to move a little more withthe puck. When playing with Holm or Wiercioch his D was helter/skelter and the other 2 were always taking the puck up ice.

Chatfiled's main vet partner was Wiercioch. He had serious problems defensively early on because Sautner was his partner the first 12 games and Sautner was still trying to prove himself and didn't have the talent to carry a rookie at the same time. Then he sat one out and next got 2 with Cederholm. That duo was disastrous. Finally in game 16 he was paired with Wiercioch and that is when he started to get his act together. He never established himself a solid AHL defender. He had his ups and downs, but the positives soon outweighed the negatives and he finished the season having established the fact he belonged in Utica's top 6. That is both good and questionable. Top 6 is good for any D-man. Utica did not have a strong D when compared to the other playoff teams in the East. Goaltending saved their bacon night after night.

If this team is to be successful and by that I mean more than a bubble team like the past 3 seasons (2 1 and outs and 3rd season in which they fell short in their quest on the last weekend of the seasons), this D-corps needs to up their games to a man and Holm and Wiercioch have to be replaced by better vets than they were. I don't care if they come from Vancouver in the person of say Biega and/or Juolevi or whether they come from somewhere else on planet earth, but Sautner, McEneny (coming off major knee construction and the second major injury of his short career), Briesbois, Chatfield, Blujus, and Sifers are maybe middle of the league defensively by themselves. 2 good vets to replace Wiercioch and Holm allows Sifers to serve as a backup and Blujus becomes #6/7 depending upon McEneny's recovery. Blujus will gets lots of game time.

Hmm. Thanks for the game by game LD/RD break down on Brisebois @Bad Goalie . That's more left side action for Brisebois than I had realized by a pretty substantial measure. It seems like it was being paired with a quality veteran D partner that eventually lifted his sails. The same seems true in Chatfields' case. No surprise there.

I'm kind of disappointed though that there was apparently never a classic Vadnais/Stackhouse wrong-sided lefty/righty Brisebois-Chatfield D pairing deployed. That might have been some fun to watch

 

[Bad Goalie]

delete

 

[Bad Goalie]

Its all good BG, Thats what were here for....lol

LD-Sautner McEneny RD-Chatfield Blujus LD/RD-Brisebois seem like a pretty reliable solid core for the defense....NO?

add in Olli Juolevi for at least until they settle the Edler Del Zotto and Hutton situations this year and i dont see the dilemma's regarding the defense?

Of course injuries can and will occur

C- Kero Gaudette MacMaster Darcy Hamilton.................................Chaput Cassels Cameranesi
LW- Boucher Dahlen Palmu Archibald Gadjovich.............................Goldobin Molino Labate
RW- Motte Jasek Lind MacEwen Bancks Carcone..............................Megna Daoust Cherniwchan
LD- Juolevi Sautner McEneny........................................................Weicioch Holm
RD- Brisebois Blujus Chatfield Sifers
GK- Demko Bachman

Those are some nice upgrades and full seasons from Boucher Archibald McEneny and Blujus would be huge as well

As far a C ice goes......Gaudette and MacMaster who you really liked last year should be a couple nice centres with playmaking abilities and theres always the possibility that Motte and MacEwen could play in the middle too if needed.

As far as the veteran defenseman isn't that what Blujus was signed for and what about McEneny? You might get Quinn Hughes to replace Juolevi by seasons end if things go well also.

anyways i would be ****ing stoked if i was a Utica season ticket holder vs the gong show we have going here in Van

You are not the first poster from Vancouver to put MacMaster in the middle. He may have been there before he got here, but all of his positive play in Utica was spent on LW. You are correct that I am high on this kid, but unless he was playing on the wing for some unknown reason of idiocy, that's where he will be again. I say idiocy because if this kid was a talented center, why would the plugs Utica sent out at center the second half of the season not be replaced in a split second by Tanner MacMaster? So take MacMaster out of the middle, call up Gaudette and the centers after Kero are Darcy, Hamilton, and whomever. "Good luck getting the puck from these centers talented wingers."

Sautner had his first full season playing above #6 and he was still in need of an experienced defender to succeed.

McEneny was starting his second year with the Comets when out for the season after 11 games. He is in essence about begin his second AHL season after losing a full season to major knee construction. Expecting big things to start the season is over the top with optimism.

Brisebois and Chatfield are still very young and in only their second pro seasons and did not have the kind of season that makes them top notch AHL defenders. One is a 3rd round draft pick, but not a can't miss blue chipper. He needs lots of work to be NHL ready and the other is going to be lucky to be a top AHL player. Both still need a vet babysitter like they had all last season.
They are where they are in this franchise because Benning has drafted little in the way of D until Juolevi who has proven to be a project and now Hughes who is back in school. Both of the higher picks have already passed these two by and left them barely visible in the rear view mirror.

Blujus came in as a PTO and earned an AHL contract. He is not exactly one of the AHL's brightest veteran D-men. Yet, with the D the Comets played every night he and Sautner established themselves as the top defensive pairing with puck moving abilities. On a good AHL team Blujus is maybe on the third pairing. If you leave this D-corps as is, he is elevated to top 2/3.

Sifers is a reserve at beat, yet last season he had the best influence on Briesbois's game.

What I guess I am trying to say is these guys fit into a good D-corps if the two defenders who left are replaced by better AHL vets who will not get called up, but will stabilize the kids and give them a partner to help them develop their games instead of scrambling around like fish out of water trying to make sure the other team doesn't score. They can develop into actual promising hockey players.

16 of 31 AHL teams make the playoffs. Bubble teams are comprised mostly of players unlikely to become NHL players of serious note. There are one or two exceptions on those rosters every once in a while. The good teams have a very good mix of top prospects, 6 high level AHL vets (no more) who will likely never get a call-up, NHL/AHL tweeners who are not vets, Europeans brought in to shore up weak spots, and good kids who play the game well, but are just not going to get to the show, but do really well in the AHL and are also not yet qualified as vets. This is how good AHL GMs work with their NHL counterpart to build their rosters.

Henning knew just how this worked. Benning fired him and the Comets have floundered in mediocrity ever since. Ryan Johnson has made no effort to become one of these GMs.

 

[sting101]

You are not the first poster from Vancouver to put MacMaster in the middle. He may have been there before he got here, but all of his positive play in Utica was spent on LW. You are correct that I am high on this kid, but unless he was playing on the wing for some unknown reason of idiocy, that's where he will be again. I say idiocy because if this kid was a talented center, why would the plugs Utica sent out at center the second half of the season not be replaced in a split second by Tanner MacMaster? So take MacMaster out of the middle, call up Gaudette and the centers after Kero are Darcy, Hamilton, and whomever. "Good luck getting the puck from these centers talented wingers."

Sautner had his first full season playing above #6 and he was still in need of an experienced defender to succeed.

McEneny was starting his second year with the Comets when out for the season after 11 games. He is in essence about begin his second AHL season after losing a full season to major knee construction. Expecting big things to start the season is over the top with optimism.

Brisebois and Chatfield are still very young and in only their second pro seasons and did not have the kind of season that makes them top notch AHL defenders. One is a 3rd round draft pick, but not a can't miss blue chipper. He needs lots of work to be NHL ready and the other is going to be lucky to be a top AHL player. Both still need a vet babysitter like they had all last season.
They are where they are in this franchise because Benning has drafted little in the way of D until Juolevi who has proven to be a project and now Hughes who is back in school. Both of the higher picks have already passed these two by and left them barely visible in the rear view mirror.

Blujus came in as a PTO and earned an AHL contract. He is not exactly one of the AHL's brightest veteran D-men. Yet, with the D the Comets played every night he and Sautner established themselves as the top defensive pairing with puck moving abilities. On a good AHL team Blujus is maybe on the third pairing. If you leave this D-corps as is, he is elevated to top 2/3.

Sifers is a reserve at beat, yet last season he had the best influence on Briesbois's game.

What I guess I am trying to say is these guys fit into a good D-corps if the two defenders who left are replaced by better AHL vets who will not get called up, but will stabilize the kids and give them a partner to help them develop their games instead of scrambling around like fish out of water trying to make sure the other team doesn't score. They can develop into actual promising hockey players.

16 of 31 AHL teams make the playoffs. Bubble teams are comprised mostly of players unlikely to become NHL players of serious note. There are one or two exceptions on those rosters every once in a while. The good teams have a very good mix of top prospects, 6 high level AHL vets (no more) who will likely never get a call-up, NHL/AHL tweeners who are not vets, Europeans brought in to shore up weak spots, and good kids who play the game well, but are just not going to get to the show, but do really well in the AHL and are also not yet qualified as vets. This is how good AHL GMs work with their NHL counterpart to build their rosters.

Henning knew just how this worked. Benning fired him and the Comets have floundered in mediocrity ever since. Ryan Johnson has made no effort to become one of these GMs.

Better know a 2018 Canucks camp invitee: Tanner MacMaster

 

[Lindgren]

Better know a 2018 Canucks camp invitee: Tanner MacMaster

From that article:

"With players like Michael Chaput and Cole Cassels out of the organization, MacMaster could have an opportunity to play at centre next season. If he can continue to make his linemates better, MacMaster could be a solid AHL centre. Whether he has the upside to play in the NHL remains to be seen, but he’s certainly worth watching after his performance with Utica."

 

[RobertKron]

From that article:

"With players like Michael Chaput and Cole Cassels out of the organization, MacMaster could have an opportunity to play at centre next season. If he can continue to make his linemates better, MacMaster could be a solid AHL centre. Whether he has the upside to play in the NHL remains to be seen, but he’s certainly worth watching after his performance with Utica."

FWIW, I probably “could have an opportunity to play at centre” with Utica next season, the way things have been looking. Here’s to hoping it doesn’t come down to big bub RBR lacing em back up.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Better know a 2018 Canucks camp invitee: Tanner MacMaster

Like I said and the article did too, he was a LW in Utica and a very good one.
If he is in Cull's plans as a center, so be it, but there has been no word out of Utica or Vancouver that he is expected to be in the middle. I don't recall anyone seeing him at center in the development camp either.

I don't see that article quoting anyone from the Canucks about his being groomed to play center. It was the author's idea based on his college numbers.

I am not arguing with you. I don't have any more concrete facts as to his future position than you do. We will just have to wait and see.

He is on an AHL contract so maybe center would offer him a spot to win since he wouldn't threaten to take a spot from an NHL contracted prospect. For example, he is a a better left wing than Carcone; much better skater, puck handler, passer, and finisher.However, Carcone has a Vancouver contract. No center prospects beyond Gaudette and I continue to state I don't believe he will be in Utica long, if at all. So maybe Tanner does end up at center. Odds are high he'd turn out better than Darcy. Then Hamilton and Bancks can go back to being the shutdown 4th line of 2014-15. They would need one other guy in camp that can play that continuous in your face 200 foot game that Zalewski could play as well as them. M-A-Y-B-E-e-e-e-e--e----e--------e!

 

[tyhee]

... The good teams have a very good mix of top prospects, 6 high level AHL vets (no more) who will likely never get a call-up, NHL/AHL tweeners who are not vets, Europeans brought in to shore up weak spots, and good kids who play the game well, but are just not going to get to the show, but do really well in the AHL and are also not yet qualified as vets. This is how good AHL GMs work with their NHL counterpart to build their rosters.

Henning knew just how this worked. Benning fired him and the Comets have floundered in mediocrity ever since. Ryan Johnson has made no effort to become one of these GMs.

It seems that being hungry for an NHL chance (at least in his mind) is all-important and that it trumps being good enough to contribute what the Comets are missing on the ice. Speaking of his approach:

“My other focus of concern was I want players that aren’t done and have given up on trying to make it to the NHL. ... I didn’t want to go out and get these 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. I think we’ve got a young group, but a very good young group surrounded by good people, good players and a culture will remain there that we’ve been building the last couple years.”
Comets GM Ryan Johnson wants 'hungry' players

He saw no need to fill a team need for a playmaking center or a solid veteran AHL defenceman. It's possible though perhaps unlikely that there is a plan to provide centers from within by transferring wingers who were previously centers but it's hard to imagine what he thinks the idea will be on defence. Some might say he intends Juolevi or Biega to be the #1 defenceman in Utica but if so he's ignoring that either one of them, if #1 in Utica, would also be the #1 callup when an injury hits the Canucks' defence.

I find it hard to believe he can imagine that Sifers (signed to an AHL contract last summer at the then-age of 34 who hasn't played in the NHL in his last eight seasons) and Hamilton (who was extended on an AHL contract this summer, will turn 28 before the start of the coming season, has never had an NHL contract and whose single-season highs in the AHL are 9 goals and 22 points) are really burning for that NHL opportunity, nor that they provide what the Comets need on the ice going forward.

The Comets will probably have more talented prospects than we've seen recently, but it looks like if the Comets are an improved team this season it will be because of those prospects being available and not because of any efforts on Johnson's part.

Perhaps for Johnson, as for Benning, the on-ice success of the AHL affiiliate isn't a priority.

 

[me2]

You've got to look a player in the eyes to see if he is hungry. If he's got hungry eyes, that you can't disguise, he might just take you by surprise.

 

[ziploc]

You've got to look a player in the eyes to see if he is hungry. If he's got hungry eyes, that you can't disguise, he might just take you by surprise.

I think most of our scouting and player development is based on 80's pop songs. "Can he rip it?" "Did you say whip it?" "Yeah, he whips it real good."

 

[Bad Goalie]

Cole Cassels is the latest of last year's Comets to find a new home. He has signed to play with the Grizzlys Wolfsburg (DEL).

So we have:
Chaput - Montreal/Laval
Megna - Washington/Hershey
Molino - To Marlies
Wiercioch - Dinamo Minsk (KHL)
Comrie - Klagenfurter AC (EBEL)

Still out in the cold:
LaBate
D'Aoust
Woods
Garteig
Moynihan
Cederholm
Stewart
The last 4 were Kalamazoo Wings under AHL/Utica contracts called up in emergency roles and all but Garteig were overlooked for future call-ups after failing miserably in previous looks when help was needed.

Of note, Jordan Subban was also signed by the TO Marlies and Mike Zalewski has re-signed to play in Germany with a better team, Kolner Haie.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Veteran PPG center TJ Hensick is still available to the Comets as a free agent.

 

[VanJack]

If Gaunce is the odd man out in the logjam of forwards with the Canucks, could he solve the Comets' problems in the middle?

 

[tyhee]

Veteran PPG center TJ Hensick is still available to the Comets as a free agent.

Notwithstanding how different Hensick and Hamilton are as players, I think the possibility of Johnson signing Hensick disappeared when he signed Wacey Hamilton, just as any possibility that they might sign a #1 defenceman last season disappeared with the Sifers signing.

Perhaps Hamilton, with his career AHL ppg under 0.3 and 0 NHL games, has more room to be hungry for improvement and for a chance to play in the NHL.

Yes, I'm aware of what team his contract is with.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Notwithstanding how different Hensick and Hamilton are as players, I think the possibility of Johnson signing Hensick disappeared when he signed Wacey Hamilton, just as any possibility that they might sign a #1 defenceman last season disappeared with the Sifers signing.

Perhaps Hamilton, with his career AHL ppg under 0.3 and 0 NHL games, has more room to be hungry for improvement and for a chance to play in the NHL.

Yes, I'm aware of what team his contract is with.

Aw man, you took away my ace in the hole. LOL

I was going to save this piec for the time someone came on to tewll us that Johnson signing giuys still hungering for the NHL is why he loves Hamilton and Bancks.

Just exactly how do these still starving for a break grinders get that shot when they are on AHL contracts. They can't get called up! Every decent player on earth would have to be laid up, under contract, or dead before these guys will be offered a contract by JIM BENNING.

This is just another case of smoke blowing up the asses of anyone who cares about the Comets. We know what is missing from this potentially great lineup, but we also know there is no intention to bring those 2 or 3 pieces in and so it will simply be a good team that fails in its potential. It will look "real gud" to start out. Then eventually little by little all the #### hit the fan and the better players are will be out of the lineup and there will be no steady eddie vets left to keep the ship afloat. They will be stuck with Hamilton, Bancks, Darcy,and whoever else they try to make into what they need.

When the ice shavings clear, we will hear the same lame excuses about how the Canucks suffered an inordinate amount of injuries and how the Comets had their share as well and the good kids left just didn't have the pieces left to help them bring it home. You know, that's just how it is on the farm. They aren't supposed to win. All the other BS canned excuses, when they have every opportunity to sign 6 key vets to meet their exact needs and they choose to waste those spots on guys who are all heart, but can't provide the skill level, these kids will need to develop to their highest level in the fastest amount of time. A good solid d-man and a real solid AHL level center could just be the difference at crunch time. Depending on their approach to who they send down it could be 2 defenders and a center or 2 centers and 1 defenseman.

This wouldn't cost a single developing prospect to lose out on anything. There are no prospect centers here to begin with unless we see Gaudette for 2/3 weeks. After that it's Kero and lesser pieces.

On D we have Sautner, McEneny (suspect due to recovering from a serious kne injury), Brisebois, and Chatfield. Send down Juolevi (recovering from back surgery and a bruised ego) or Biega in the event they start out with Olli in Vancouver. Who sits for the good vet d-man? Blujus and Sifers, 2 more hungry guys on AHL contracts hunting for their break? Sifers who will be turning 36 or Blujus. I've said it already. Dylan may sit early on but he will be in the lineup sooner than later. One guy is always out for one reason or another and #7 rolls right in. It's been that way every season. They always have at least 8 and sometimes 9 D-men who play a large number of games over the 76-game season.

Bet your sweet asses the Marlies have this planned out as do many of the other perennial top AHL teams: Lehigh Valley, Wilkes-Barree/Scranton, Syracuse, Grand Rapids, Texas, Ontario and up and downers every other season like Manitoba, Rockford, and Chicago and new comers with active management Tuscon and Charlotte. There will be a race in every division and those who have planned ahead will be able to cope with the normal farm club call-ups and hometown injuries and they will be there come playoff time and be strengthened when their call-ups returne as the NHL teams fail to get in (Utica should benefit in this category) and others lose out quickly.

 

[Bad Goalie]

AHL San Antonio signed .74PPG, 33 yr-old, veteran center Trevor Smith to a contract on July 30. Like I keep saying, these guys are out there but falling by the wayside one by one.

The Comets will be coveting one of those guys by mid season when it's too late to find one and will be scouring through the ECHL for the likes of AHL .24 PPG Tony Cameranesi.

As of today T.J. Hensick is still at large.

 

[DonnyNucker]

AHL San Antonio signed .74PPG, 33 yr-old, veteran center Trevor Smith to a contract on July 30. Like I keep saying, these guys are out there but falling by the wayside one by one.

The Comets will be coveting one of those guys by mid season when it's too late to find one and will be scouring through the ECHL for the likes of AHL .24 PPG Tony Cameranesi.

As of today T.J. Hensick is still at large.

Gaunce > Hensick

 

[UticaHockey]

Gaunce > Hensick

Care to elaborate?

 

[DonnyNucker]

Care to elaborate?

Sure:

Gaunce 6’2 210 -24 years old. Last full season in Utica he scored at a .83 PPG. And that was two years ago I’d hope he scores at a better pace next season.
Hensick: 5’9 170 And 32 years old. Last season .75 PPG.
Imo, Gaunce is a better player now and he also has more upside. Perhaps he is one of the guys Johnson was speaking about when he referenced younger players that are still hungry to earn a promotion.