This is all about the GM doing Boucher a favor by enabling him to sign a KHL contract early. In terms of returning to play, the AHL is light-years behind the NHL these days, and they simply can't operate without fans in their buildings.
So who knows when the Utica Comets will eventually get back on the ice? It might not be until January. And sadly there are a lot of UFA's and RFA's who are left in total limbo, and might not earn a paycheck for the rest of 2020.
Of course I'n not heard anything about the KHL either. Supposedly they're all gathering for training camps shortly, but will this actually happen? I'm not sure about the economics of the KHL, but I'd be surprised if they're viable without fans in the building.
But obviously Boucher and his agent thing otherwise.
Chalk up Boucher to the Corona virus and foreshadowing by Benning. Once the pandemic wiped out the AHL and delayed the NHL indefinitely things didn't look rosy for Bouche. When the NHL finally started to set things up for a return to this season and playoffs, the teams were allowed to bring up AHL players like a Black Aces team. Boucher was not on the list constructed by Benning. Hint #1.
The AHL has zero plans for the 20-21 season. It is purely on the path of the COVID-19 virus. Without a guaranteed fan base (sold out in Utica starting with the 2015 run up to the playoffs and the playoffs which followed and ending with the last game this season on 2/29) if the league were to have to play before no fans or a very limited number, the AHL, which is purely dependent on the gate, will not play the season at all. Hint #2.
If the next NHL season is as strapped for dollars as it appears it will be, the AHL vets will be likely be looking at smaller paychecks and some of the RFA status guys may simply not be given QOs. Hint #3.
He would have very likely been amenable to re-signing a Canucks contract, but after being arguably the top player in the AHL this past season considering that he played 10 fewer games than the player who outscored him by 3 points for the AHL scoring title. He led the Comets in both goals and points for the last 3 seasons running. In the 2019-20 season he set the Comets records for both goals and points and then this season broke both of his own records in only 53 GP. He also was selected to AHL All Star Classic 3 times and was named to the AHL All-Star First team this season as well. Considering all of his accomplishments which were better every season, would probably have asked for a little more money and it would have been warranted. Not sure Benning would have seen it that way and that is backed up by the fact that Benning gave him permission to get out of his contract to negotiate with other teams. Hint #4.
So, when you look at this list of uncertainty, a player like Boucher was guaranteed nothing for 20-21. The KHL offer was a sure thing and pays him $1.1 Mil. That's twice what he would earn here for 2 seasons. Can't blame him one bit for taking better care of his family.
He will play for Avangard Omsk of the KHL in Moscow. His will be coached by former NHL boss Bob Hartley and join former Canuck Sergei Shirokov and othe Former NHLers Vyacheslav Voynov, Cody Franson, Brandon McMillan, and Alexei Emelin.
Others on the roster this season were:
former Nashville Predator Taylor Beck
former Colorado Avalanche Sven Andrighetto
former Oiler, Penguin, Coyote, and Senator Rob Klinkhammer
4yr AHL-Rockford IceHog Ville Pokka
Best of luck to you Reid. You will be missed by by the Utica fan base, but even moreso by your teammates, especially the likes of Lind, Jasek, Lockwood, Michaelis.
Reid had become a complete player. He played both ends, back checked hard, played on both special team units. He was the best Comets forward to model the pro game. Who knows who will adopt that role now. Bailey is not a complete 200 ft player. Baertschi will not be there and Camper will probably be in Europe like Boucher. That doesn't leave much with what we know they have coming back.
AHL Hockey will start again at some point. Whether it's 2020-21 or 2021-22 or whenever. The forward prospects currently down here will not become Canucks if they don't get game somewhere and it's not going to be in Vancouver even if the NHL allows for a larger roster because they are not going to get enough game time to make it happen. They most likely won't even get practice time with the regulars because the practices will probably get broken up into 2 groups, the regulars and then the rest. We also know practice is not sufficient to learn the pro game.
