2018-19 Utica Comets

[cc]

It looks like the comets signed winger Reid Gardiner to a 1 year deal. Offensive player that put up decent numbers.

 

[FroshaugFan2]

Quite the glut of young wingers on the Comets; Jasek, Dahlen, Lind, McMaster, Motte, MacEwen, Palmu, Gadjovich, Carcone, Laplante, and now Gardiner.

Laplante almost certainly starts in the ECHL, but the rest will be looking for playing time with the Comets. Will be interesting to see how it all shakes out.

 

[Lindgren]

It looks like the comets signed winger Reid Gardiner to a 1 year deal. Offensive player that put up decent numbers.

He's from Humboldt.

Here's some more on Gardiner from Cory Hergott:

Comets Sign Forward Reid Gardiner to One Year AHL Deal

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

Quite the glut of young wingers on the Comets; Jasek, Dahlen, Lind, McMaster, Motte, MacEwen, Palmu, Gadjovich, Carcone, Laplante, and now Gardiner.

Laplante almost certainly starts in the ECHL, but the rest will be looking for playing time with the Comets. Will be interesting to see how it all shakes out.

It kind of boggles my mind that Laplante even has a contract. He should absolutely be ECHL bound.

 

[JumpierPegasus]

Can he play centre? Because Utica has so many wingers already.

I actually like the signing since Gardiner has played well at every level, but just tallies on another winger

 

[ihaveyuidonttouchme]

i can already see BG pulling his hairs no centers?? who needs centers??

dont keel me

 

[tyhee]

Interesting signing.

Maybe they're impressed with him but it looks to me like a depth signing, someone to start the year in the ECHL and come up to fill in when injuries hit. One the face of it, there have to be more than enough wingers ahead of him on the depth chart that it would be a surprise if he made the Comets' opening day roster.

If that's what Ryan Johnson is doing and he isn't looking for a playmaking center, it raises the question of whether he's just buying spare wheels for a cart before it has planking to carry things.

Conacher has done a great job in finding players in the ECHL to bring to the Comets on professional tryout contracts. The players he's brought in have, in general, done yeoman work. After last season I came to the conclusion that marginal AHL/ECHL players to act as injury depth in Utica was a minor (as opposed to major) problem because of Conacher's ability to find adequate fillins.

On the other hand, with the surplus of wingers in the system between Vancouver and Utica, a minor league playmaking center seems like a larger problem. I'd have much rather seen the Comets sign Hensick (as an example) than Gardiner and Hamilton. I don't mean to prejudge Gardiner's career-merely state that it looks that he is intended to be a minor league depth player this season.

I don't think the Comets or Canucks have any intention of signing another veteran as a #1 or #2 playmaking center in Utica and that the management team sees Hamilton and Darcy as enough in the way of AHL signings at center and that they see Kero as the the Comets' #1 center replacing Chaput, in much the same way as imo they saw Sifers as their #1 veteran on defence.

Here's hoping I'm wrong.

 

[krutovsdonut]

supposedly they have asked lind about trying out as a centre. they also have mcewen, mott, dahlen and pettersson who were centres.

i wonder if they are going to try hard to develop some of those guys into centre prospects.

 

[Just A Bit Outside]

Utica is the Montreal of the AHL cause who needs centres anyway?

 

[cc]

supposedly they have asked lind about trying out as a centre. they also have mcewen, mott, dahlen and pettersson who were centres.

i wonder if they are going to try hard to develop some of those guys into centre prospects.

I have the same thought. Gaunce can also play center and I can see him waived to Utica.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Not happening BG...... You should be used to it by now..... Resigning Hamilton fulfills the need for a center in the Canucks minds...... However perverted their thought process is....

Looking forward to an exciting group of rookies struggle through the season with no Playmaking centers....... hopefully Kero, Motte and Macmaster can fill those rolls.

I'll buy into Kero. He is a center with similar AHL numbers to Chaput.

Motte hasn't played center at least since his call-ups in Columbus and also only played on the wing in both Vancouver and Utica. If they think he can be a center, why the Hell didn't he play there last season when the Comets were desperate for anything even resembling a Center. Same for MacMaster or MacEwen. Mac 1 played RW all season and Mac 2 was on LW during his entire ATO and did very well out there. Well enough to earn a Vancouver contract in my estimation. Put the efforts of D'Aoust and Molino to shame and was a much better all around player than Carcone has ever been.

Cameranessi, Leitner, and Cherniwchan (all PTOs) played at center down the stretch and Cameranessi actually played game 1 of the playoffs.

I don't see any of those guys above in the middle. It will end up Gaudette, Kero, Darcy, Hamilton, and Bancks in reserve. No Gaudette (which is how I see it until proven wrong) then just bump every guy up one slot. Any further shortages and the PTOs start rolling in. Good luck to Vancouver when they come looking for center call-ups after Gaudette, if he is ever here in the first place. They don't care since half of their team can be squeezed into center if need be and they will just call up wingers to slide into those slots where the guys now playing center were. Same problem will exist up there. Talented wings with **** in the middle holding them back.

Everyone in Vancouver is going to be blaming Cull for his failure to develop the prospects well enough while continuing to call us whiners because we lament at the lack of anything to play in the middle that has the slightest ability to play with the talent they have on their wings.

 

[Bad Goalie]

I have the same thought. Gaunce can also play center and I can see him waived to Utica.

You are talking about a couple guys who have had nothing but success playing on the wing and now you think maybe they should try to become centers?

Dahlen set the Swedish Allsvenskan on its ear last season on the wing. That league is no where near the SHL nor the AHL. So what, let's put all that success aside and cap his forward movement and try to make him an NHL center overnight with a few months in the AHL.

MacEwen had a tough time playing on the wing for an entire season particularly in his own end and now you want him to shoulder the defensive responsibility needed to play in the middle?

Motte has played for 3 NHL teams as a wing, but sure he can go back to center because they were all wrong in deciding he really isn't NHL center material.

Lind was outstanding in his last 2 years in Jrs out on the wing, but he never hit the hundred point total that the JR superstars do. He struggled in Utica at the end of last season and was actually scratched for all 5 of their playoff games. LEAVE THE DAMNED KID ALONE! Quit trying to put square pegs into round holes.

If Benning recognizes the lack of centers in his entire organization, maybe he should have tried to sign a couple with offensive talent instead of Beagle and Co. Then he should add a couple centers to Utica's roster. This isn't ****ing rocket science. You need centers, go get them. They are out there especially at the AHL level. Use those centers to speed up the development process for the slew of kids the Canucks have on the wings. You don't screw them all up trying to convert them to the hardest position to play up front when they have already proven their promise on the wings. If they all succeed and you don't have room for them all, you now have some ammo to use to get a couple centers.

Drafting some centers might be a great idea as well. Since Jim has been here how many NHL center prospects are in the system or already with the big club? Of course that gets a boost from keeping all of your picks, dumping players at the TDL for more picks, trading players you don't want any more for more picks, and taking on cap dumps for more picks or prospects, maybe even centers.

 

[Bad Goalie]

It looks like the comets signed winger Reid Gardiner to a 1 year deal. Offensive player that put up decent numbers.

The only place we see the decent numbers are in the WHL and the ECHL. We have seen point leaders and goal scoring leaders from all over the ECHL in the past 3 seasons and once they get into the AHL lineup they have to play their assses off just to tread water. They put up little if any points no matter how many games they play in.

Gardiner will not make the team out of camp, get assigned to Kalamazoo, and get called in when the team is ultra shorthanded. Conacher seems to be stocking the Zoo with players as an insurance policy to lessen the need to go hunting in times of emergency. With the number of wings the Comets will have in camp the bottom will really have to fall out for this kid to find his way onto the roster unless he blows the wigs off of everyone who has to make roster decisions out of camp.

By the way Pat, you have 2 very good veteran AHL contract centers out there still unsigned that would actually fill a much greater need and they would fit right into the Comets lineup. see post #141.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Interesting signing.

Maybe they're impressed with him but it looks to me like a depth signing, someone to start the year in the ECHL and come up to fill in when injuries hit. One the face of it, there have to be more than enough wingers ahead of him on the depth chart that it would be a surprise if he made the Comets' opening day roster.

If that's what Ryan Johnson is doing and he isn't looking for a playmaking center, it raises the question of whether he's just buying spare wheels for a cart before it has planking to carry things.

Conacher has done a great job in finding players in the ECHL to bring to the Comets on professional tryout contracts. The players he's brought in have, in general, done yeoman work. After last season I came to the conclusion that marginal AHL/ECHL players to act as injury depth in Utica was a minor (as opposed to major) problem because of Conacher's ability to find adequate fillins.

On the other hand, with the surplus of wingers in the system between Vancouver and Utica, a minor league playmaking center seems like a larger problem. I'd have much rather seen the Comets sign Hensick (as an example) than Gardiner and Hamilton. I don't mean to prejudge Gardiner's career-merely state that it looks that he is intended to be a minor league depth player this season.

I don't think the Comets or Canucks have any intention of signing another veteran as a #1 or #2 playmaking center in Utica and that the management team sees Hamilton and Darcy as enough in the way of AHL signings at center and that they see Kero as the the Comets' #1 center replacing Chaput, in much the same way as imo they saw Sifers as their #1 veteran on defence.

Here's hoping I'm wrong.

"Here's hoping I'm wrong."

You have a building full of season ticket holders who agree with you. Sifers has no shot at being the veteran D-man the club needs. He's lost enough steps already at 35 that makes his ability to even function for 15 minutes a night is a task. Kero (AHL .65 PPG) is hopefully an even swap for Chaput (AHL .66 PPG). That leaves them another center equal or better than him short. Hensick (.90 AHL PPG) would fill that role like the slipper on Cinderella's foot.

Hamilton can't offer an ounce of help to any wingers hoping to impress with their goal scoring skills. He is a mucking 4th line checker who could do just as well with a broom as his stick. He is 27 with 381 AHL games under his belt as a center. His PPG is .29 or basically a point every 4 games. Darcy should get Hamilton's 4th line role. He does have some offensive skills but we have seen him most productive while centering Goldobin and Boucher. His .32 PPG in the AHL isn't a whole lot better than Wacey's and that is actually misleading. As I stated, he benefited from his work with Goldy and Bouch. He is 24 yrs - old and has only played 134 AHL games. That in itself is not very impressive. Factor in his 24/46GP last season and he only has 19 points in the rest of his AHL career. Many posters see him as a solid #3 AHL center and I question that role. I see him as the heir apparent to Wacey in that 4th line checking role with an occasional offensive contribution especially if he has a couple wingers with some scoring touch. The center they need is not on the roster and that's if Gaudette starts here. Without Adam they need 2 more centers badly.

 

[krutovsdonut]

ok then

 

[UticaHockey]

It is now 12 days since the free agent signing period opened up. If there was a plan to add a veteran #1 center in Utica to work with the kids it would have been done by now. Apparently it is not a priority for Johnson and Benning and the plan is to go with what they have for depth already. No surprise as it is exactly what I expected.

 

[Megaterio Llamas]

He's from Humboldt.

Here's some more on Gardiner from Cory Hergott:

Comets Sign Forward Reid Gardiner to One Year AHL Deal

Of course he is. Any hockey player from Saskatchewan out there is bound to be on Benning's radar for a spot in Utica. Being from Saskatchewan is a more important criterion than, say, being able to actually play,.

 

[cc]

You are talking about a couple guys who have had nothing but success playing on the wing and now you think maybe they should try to become centers?

Dahlen set the Swedish Allvenskan on its ear last season on the wing. That league is no where near the SHL nor the AHL. So what, let's put all that success aside and cap his forward movement and try to make him an NHL center overnight with a few months in the AHL.

MacEwen had a tough time playing on the wing for an entire season particularly in his own end and now you want him to shoulder the defensive responsibility needed to play in the middle?

Motte has played for 3 NHL teams as a wing, but sure he can go back to center because they were all wrong in deciding he really isn't NHL center material.

Lind was outstanding in his last 2 years in Jrs out on the wing, he never hit the hundred point total that the JR superstars do. He struggled in Utica at the end of last season and was actually scratched for all 5 of their playoff games. LEAVE THE DAMNED KID ALONE! Quit trying to put square pegs into round holes.

If Benning recognizes the lack of centers in his entire organization, maybe he should have tried to sign a couple with offensive talent instead of Beagle and and Co. Then he should add a couple centers to Utica's roster. This isn't ****ing rocket science. You need centers, go get them. They are out there especially at the AHL level. Use those centers to speed up the development process for the slew of kids the Canucks have on the wings. You don't screw them all up trying to convert them to the hardest position to play up front when they have already proven their promise on the wings. If they all succeed and you don't have room for them all, you now have some ammo to use to get a couple centers.

Drafting some centers might be a great idea as well. Since Jim has been here how many NHL center prospects are in the system or already with the big club? Of course that gets a boost from keeping all of your picks, dumping players at the TDL for more picks, trading players you don't want any more for more picks, and taking on cap dumps for more picks or prospects, maybe even centers.

I only said I think the Canucks organization are probably considering to try some of these players out down the middle because of their winger depth. We already know that Benning would like EP to convert to the middle at some point so that shows he's open to that. My opinion was restricted to just suspecting what their plans were, not whether I thought it was a good idea or not.

I was told that dahlen did play center for his team last season. How much he played at that position is unknown to me. I did watch some games where he was taking faceoffs so I assume he was the center but I didn't watch a lot of games and it was on a computer screen.

I remember gaunce more from his junior days when he played entirely as a center but for their own reasons, the Canucks decided to develop him as a winger. Perhaps they wanted him to be more of a physical winger because of his size so he can forecheck and hit more. Gaunce didn't exactly play with pace even at the junior level so maybe the thought was that by putting him on the wing so he could simplify his game. Anyways, I won't rule out the possibility that they may try him again as a center at some point. He seems defensively aware enough at least.

I suspect the Canucks may want to use the comets as a development ground to experiment with some players to see how they would fare as a center. I could be wrong but it is starting to look like there are too many wingers to not at least be thinking of that.

 

[cc]

The only place we see the decent numbers are in the WHL and the ECHL. We have seen point leaders and goal scoring leaders from all over the ECHL in the past 3 seasons and once they get into the AHL lineup they have to play their assses off just to tread water. They put up little if any points no matter how many games they play in.

Gardiner will not make the team out of camp, get assigned to Kalamazoo and get called in when the team is ultra shorthanded. Conacher seems to be stocking the Zoo with players as an insurance policy to lessen the need to go hunting in times of emergency. With the number of wings the Comets will have in camp the bottom will really have to fall out for this kid to find his way onto the roster unless he blows the wigs off of everyone who has to make roster decisions out of camp.

By the way Pat, you have 2 very good veteran AHL contract centers out there still unsigned that would actually fill a much greater need and they would fit right into the Comets lineup. see post #141.

We'll have to see. Someone obviously liked something about his game enough to sign him already instead of as a tryout at camp. I can't really comment on a player I know nothing about other than his stats. I think he's probably a good skater who plays with pace and a high IQ because that seems to be their trend now.

 

[clunk]

Most of these guys towards the bottom would be good Utica signings

2018 NHL Free Agents Tracker

You'd think they'd want to have at least a decently competitive team for Utica but again, it's overlooked. There are still a number of good names there that would be top 6 centres in the AHL.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Most of these guys towards the bottom would be good Utica signings

2018 NHL Free Agents Tracker

You'd think they'd want to have at least a decently competitive team for Utica but again, it's overlooked. There are still a number of good names there that would be top 6 centres in the AHL.

You would think that anyone in a managerial position with an ounce of common sense would be on top of this from the get-go, particularly the guy who holds the position of Utica Comets GM. His continuous invisible behavior tells me he is not allowed to make any moves. He is merely a front between Benning and any AHL questions that may arise like, "Jim, you have stated the Utica Comets don't have the play making centers your prospects need to produce. Why don't they have any? More so, since you know that fact, why don't you acquire a couple?" Jim can then say that's something you'll have to take up with their GM, Ryan Johnson.

As was stated above by "UticaHockey", it is plain to see they have already made up their minds on this and the fact that 13 days of free agency have now passed, and the good ones keep shrinking as more get signed every day, makes me believe he is correct.

Several of the guys on your list would be a fit, but most of those guys will require Jim to give up one of his precious 50 slots. They will want at least an NHL 2-wayand he doesn't wan to part with them because you never know when a passed over NHL hidden diamond like Pouliot, Etem, Beagle, etc.or the promising unsigned talent like Yan-Pavel Laplante, Brandon Molino, and Mackenze Stewart will become available and he needs those slots.

I have taken the liberty to fix that issue for him and found guys with historically good AHL resumes that will sign on an AHL contract, e.g. TJ Hensick and his AHL .90 PPG, which allow Jim to hoard his precious final spots while giving the first real crop of top notch prospect wings to flourish with talented centers instead of AHL checkers (Wacey Hamilton) and bottom of the barrel hard working, but low on talent 3rd line centers reconditioned from the ECHL like Cameron Darcy. I love both of those guys and the work ethics they exhibit, but they are both far short in the skills needed to bolster the talents of guys like Dahlen, Jasek, MacMaster, MacEwen, Lind, Palmu, Gadjovich, Boucher, Motte, Archibald, and even Carcone. That's enough wings to comprise 5-6 lines without further surprise finds. That doen't include checkers like Bancks who would play with the likes of Hamilton. I cansee Gajovich starting out on the 4th line with this mix of talent. Give these guys some cente3rs that know how to get them the puck!!!!!

 

[UticaHockey]

Most of these guys towards the bottom would be good Utica signings

2018 NHL Free Agents Tracker

You'd think they'd want to have at least a decently competitive team for Utica but again, it's overlooked. There are still a number of good names there that would be top 6 centres in the AHL.

Max Reinhart is an interesting name on that list. He had a really good AHL year in Abbotsford and always played well against the Comets but has regressed ever since. Might be worth taking a flyer on him.

 

[m9]

I think that probably 2 out of Gaunce, Granlund, and Gaudette don't make the Canucks. Maybe there's an injury or a guy get picked off waivers, but I do think at least one of those guys will join Kero and Motte to form a pretty decent top 3 C's in Utica.

I understand why Utica fans would be concerned given how bad management is at what they have done in the past, but I actually think they are going to be okay at C.. at least as of now.

 

[Bad Goalie]

I think that probably 2 out of Gaunce, Granlund, and Gaudette don't make the Canucks. Maybe there's an injury or a guy get picked off waivers, but I do think at least one of those guys will join Kero and Motte to form a pretty decent top 3 C's in Utica.

I understand why Utica fans would be concerned given how bad management is at what they have done in the past, but I actually think they are going to be okay at C.. at least as of now.

I appreciate your concerned thoughts and encouraging optimism. However, we have been listening to and reading posts from Vancouver for years now (this is the start of #4 since Henning was fired) filled with encouraging morale boosters and the conviction that this would be the season that Vancouver would provide the Comets with the center strength they needed.

In 15-16 it was going to be Gaunce and "Watch how Friesen takes advantage of his opportunity." Gaunce got 46 games on the first line with Shinkaruk and Grenier and spent the rest of the year with Vancouver, 38 pts/4th in team scoring. Shinkaruk was traded after 45 games and still finished first in goals and 2nd in team scoring. Friesen put up 31 pts in 65 games, 8th on the team, skating with Kenins and Jensen until Jensen was traded after only 27 GP and then a potpourri of RWs. Benning never acquired anything to replace Jensen or Shinkaruk. TJ Hemsick was acquired in an AHL TDL and put up 15 pts in 19 games. Easily the top point getter in that time span. The Comets were one and done in the playoffs 3 games to 1 with Albany

In 16-17 all of Utica's prayers were to be answered with the signing of Chaput and Megna. Megna was called up after 4 games having recorded 3 pts. Chaput after 10 games with 13 points recorded. Neither played another minute in Utica that season. Curtis Valk and Pascal Pelletier were then asked to become the top guys in the middle. Valk, in his first AHL season after 2 in the ECHL, did a yeoman's job and finished the season 2nd in scoring with 46 points to Archibald's 47. Pelletier's legs gave out after a decent start. By season's end he had become burned out and was scratched on several occasions.
Cassels at #3 increased his point total 4 pts better than his first season and posted 11 pts in 66GP.
4th liner Hamilton notched 19 in his 67 GP.
Needless to say this team with all of its "grit", "character" and "work ethic" had low scoring totals and understandably didn't make the playoffs.

In 17-18 the centers were to be Chaput once again along with Cassels and Hamilton as the 3 and 4. NO #2? No other centers were acquired!!!!!!!!!! Out of camp Cameron Darcy and Brendan Woods made the roster as PTOs and would both later sign AHL contracts.
Woods played a grand total of 14 games due to injuries. He had 4 points in his 14 GP.
Darcy was also hurt on and off over the season and managed 46 games and notched 24 pts in his 46 GP. His point total was skewed by being placed between Goldobin and Boucher while Chaput centered other lines as Cull tried everything to find some secondary scoring with any 2 wingers. The best success with that came near the end of the season when Cull was aligned with rookies MacMaster and Jasek. Skating between Bouch and Goldobin often resulted in points simply by getting the puck to Goldobin at any spot on the ice and he and Bouch would manage to get scoring chances. Darcy was proof of that as well as Bancks, also a grateful recipient early in the season when he was selected to center those 2. He finished the season with 17 p0ints and I believe I posted some time back that 12 of them came from those 2 guys in the first 25 games or so.
Cassels broke out and had his best season as a pro with 26 pts in 69 GP. We were hoping to get that kind of results in his first season and watch him build on that. Cassels wasn't even offered a contract this season.
Hamiton chipped in 22 points in 45 GP . It was his highest point total in his 4 seasons as a Comet. When healthy (he also missed a lot of time injured) he also skated up the lineup due to the frequent absences of Woods and Darcy and Chaput's call-up time.
The rest of the season:
Tony Cameranesi
Matt Leitner
Nolan Valleau
Brian Ward
Justin Taylor
Caleb Herbert
all saw duty at center for the Comets (not Motte, MacEwen, MacMaster, Dahlen, nor Lind).

If they bring in Cassels on an AHL contract (because no one else wants him) he would be an experienced AHL center acquired for the Comets.
Hamilton, in spite of the fan base hoping they had seen the last of him, was signed to another 2 year AHL deal. Yep, he is the other answer for the 2 experienced AHL centers the Comets need to acquire. Saves Benning from even having to look since apparently Johnson has some kind of visual impairment and can't do any looking himself. He must also have a hearing impairment and can't listen to any suggestions from Conacher, Cull, or any other hockey minds in the hockey related publications in Vancouver, who all have printed a piece or part of a piece in which they point out that Vancouver needs to get play making centers onto the farm to help out all the promising prospects.

It matters not if Vancouver supplies centers that are only going to get recalled. This is a development team and those guys should be going up. Gaudette, if he's ever even here, Granlund (I doubt it), Gaunce, or even Leipsic will be the first call-ups when centers are needed.

They are big assets when here, but the 2 experienced AHL guys I keep talking about are on almost every single AHL roster and they can step up and help hold down the fort when the call-ups go to the big club. They also fail to steal ice from the kids, but are placed in position to complement the kids. For a simple example Chris Mueller (32) was the Marlies top center and #2 point getter. #1 was Captain Ben Smith (30) on LW. The other top center was a 25 yr-old Finn brought in as a FA to do just what he did, center a scoring line with no expectations of playing for the Leafs. He was #3 in points. They skated 8 rookies, 6 of whom played every playoff game, 10 players who were 2nd or 3rd year pros, and 3 4th yr pros. Several guys went up and down between the Leafs and the Marlies, but were all back by game 5 against the Comets and they went on to win the Calder Cup.They had exactly 5 Veterans and 1 Veteran Exempt on their team. Exactly what the AHL allows for veterans to play in a developmental league. They didn't have to rotate them because they had too many. 2 were veteran D-men, 2 were centers, 1 a LW, and 1 a RW.

Vancouver screws this veteran issue all up. Last year at 1 point the roster had 11 vets rotating all over the place trying to get them all game time in between sitting one out here and there. Cull was trying to keep them all happy and more so in game shape for both the Comets and when the call came from Vancouver to bring them up. Utica was not a development team. It was a place for Benning to stock veteran call-ups.

This season the roster already has a vet on D in Jaime Sifers. Really a waste of that spot as he is not close to a STRONG veteran defender. You don't sign this kind of guy just because he is a vet with lots of experience. He has to be able to perform at a high level so he actually is an on ice role model for how the game gets played, particularly positional play, especially away from the puck. This wasn't Weircioch nor Sifers last year. The team was often a train wreck in their own end with players away from the puck seemingly always showing up uncovered in the slot, in the circles or lower for one timers, or tip ins on the back door. Sifers wasn't even strong enough to have his play dictate he couldn't be left out of the lineup. Right now he should be in a reserve role right off the bat.
Hamilton is a veteran center who also could easily be a reserve rather than a top 4 center. He makes #2.
Bancks will be hard pressed to actually have the skills required to match up with this year's kids, but his tenacity, forecheck, back check, defensive zone play, and penalty kill talent will make it hard for Cull to keep him out of the lineup in some capacity. He is also the team captain and makes #3.
Reid Boucher enters this season as a vet. He is the first vet you insert into this lineup without question. He's $4.

This brings the total to 4 and with a Vet center like Hensick that's #5. That's all that can play on any given night. A Veteran Exempt (VE) could fit into the lineup and play along with 5 vets. The Comets don't have a VE at the moment.

A good veteran D-man that the Comets desperately need moves Sifers to reserve. A second veteran skilled center moves Hamilton to a reserve. Oh, well. Both of these guys will get games as the injuries in both cities ramp up.

Still veteran problems? YEP, Jim's cuts!?

Hughes (Doubt he signs. I think he goes back to school, comes out in April, burns a year off of his ELC.) and Juolevi are the only 2 D-men that won't count as Veterans and neither has to be waived to be sent down.

Gaudette, Boeser, and Motte are the only forwards Vancouver could send down that don't qualify as a Veteran and aren't a waiver problem.

Gaunce, Virtanen, Goldobin, Hutton, Stecher, Leipsic, Pouliot, Kero, wouldn't be vets, but all have to be waived.

Boucher, Granlund, and Archibald are all vets and would have to be waived.

Thus, the Comets have 4 vets and really need the 5th one and that's before Vancouver cuts.

Juolevi, Hughes, Gaudette, Boeser and Motte are the only players that might get cut and don't need to worry about waivers and neither would be a vet. Motte will get cut.
I think Juolevi has a good chance.
Gaudette is a no on my list, but many say he will get sent down.
Boeser and Hughes don't get cut.

8 more could be cut but would need to pass waivers to get to Utica.
Kero gets cut and gets through waivers.
Gaunce has a chance of a demotion and is 50/50 on my list of getting through. I don't believe any of the other 6 listed in this group will be sent down with an exception in the back of my mind for Goldobin, but I think he would get claimed.

Only Granlumd in the last 3 will not have a chance of being sent down. Both Boucher and Archibald will get cut and I think they make it to Utica.

So once again I end this diatribe with a thank you for your encouraging thoughts, but you should see very clearly by this diatribe why we are hesitant to believe anything we hear until we see the players skating on the Utica Aud ice surface. Til then wishful fans, but realist skeptics.

 

[Hit the post]

So once again I end this diatribe with a thank you for your encouraging thoughts, but you should see very clearly by this diatribe why we are hesitant to believe anything we hear until we see the players skating on the Utica Aud ice surface. Til then wishful fans, but realist skeptics.

If it's any consolation, Benning & Co., ain't running the Canucks (non-drafting) operations any better (at least they're consistant in their mediocrity...)