The Fourth 2019-20 Utica Comets Thread

[UticaHockey]

A common sense rule change came out of the AHL meetings during the all star weekend. Any player that has not turned 25 prior to July 1st will no longer be considered a veteran regardless of the number of games he has played prior to the start of a new season. The AHL considers a player to be a veteran at 320 games and veteran exempt at 260 games.

This season both Goldobin and Bailey are under 25 year old players that are classified as veteran exempt. AHL rules allow teams to dress five veterans plus one veteran exempt players each game. When Goldy and Bailey each dress, one has to be classified as a vet while the other can be the vet exempt as you are only allowed one extra vet exempt player each game.

 

[Bad Goalie]

David Pope was returned to Kalamazoo on Monday, 1/27. The Comets only had Pope and Malone as healthy scratches on the weekend so that should mean Stevenson and/or Arseneau are due back by Friday.

Matt Petgrave was returned to Brampton on Sunday/1/26. Rafferty would return from the All Star game , but Petgrave was playing with him in the lineup already. That should mean they expect Blujus and/or Brisebois back by Friday.

I say "should mean" in both instances above because Cull has always put his team in dire straits when an injury (or more) occurred because he doesn't carry enough reserves on the roster to deal with such emergencies and has thus played Teves and Leblanc upfront several times due to only having 11 forwards available at game time. The answer to these injuries a couple days later becomes ECHL slugs.

If they had just signed a couple of proven, experienced AHL UFAs to begin with, this problem would be better remedied. The only roster player they would be missing now if Malone and Stevenson come back is Hamilton, basically out for almost ever. If they don't want more than 3 roster spares, then Stevenson who belongs in the ECHL and Malone who didn't have a proven track record, could both have been assigned to Kalamazoo for the emergency call-ups instead of Sorenson and Pope. Those 2 AHL level extras could have filled in where they have been using Malone and Stevenson. Just a couple of simple blips in the roster building that could have made a world of difference to deal with inevitable injuries/call-ups in season. Competent AHL GMs make those moves in the off season. They don't load up on ECHL level players who won't make any impact at all when called up and often can't even tread water. Those guys only get called in extreme situations like the past couple of seasons when the Comets were down as many as 8 regulars at one time were playing 6-8 ECHL guys nightly. There were nights last year when there was only one Vancouver acquired player on defense and 3 were ECHL call-ups and 2 AHL contracts.

 

[UticaHockey]

David Pope was returned to Kalamazoo on Monday, 1/27. The Comets only had Pope and Malone as healthy scratches on the weekend so that should mean Stevenson and/or Arseneau are due back by Friday.

Matt Petgrave was returned to Brampton on Sunday/1/26. Rafferty would return from the All Star game , but Petgrave was playing with him in the lineup already. That should mean they expect Blujus and/or Brisebois back by Friday.

I say "should mean" in both instances above because Cull has always put his team in dire straits when an injury (or more) occurred because he doesn't carry enough reserves on the roster to deal with such emergencies and has thus played Teves and Leblanc upfront several times due to only having 11 forwards available at game time. The answer to these injuries a couple days later becomes ECHL slugs.

If they had just signed a couple of proven, experienced AHL UFAs to begin with, this problem would be better remedied. The only roster player they would be missing now if Malone and Stevenson come back is Hamilton, basically out for almost ever. If they don't want more than 3 roster spares, then Stevenson who belongs in the ECHL and Malone who didn't have a proven track record, could both have been assigned to Kalamazoo for the emergency call-ups instead of Sorenson and Pope. Those 2 AHL level extras could have filled in where they have been using Malone and Stevenson. Just a couple of simple blips in the roster building that could have made a world of difference to deal with inevitable injuries/call-ups in season. Competent AHL GMs make those moves in the off season. They don't load up on ECHL level players who won't make any impact at all when called up and often can't even tread water. Those guys only get called in extreme situations like the past couple of seasons when the Comets were down as many as 8 regulars at one time were playing 6-8 ECHL guys nightly. There were nights last year when there was only one Vancouver acquired player on defense and 3 were ECHL call-ups and 2 AHL contracts.

I haven't seen an official announcement by the Comets yet but it was mentioned by Ben Birnell on Twitter yesterday that Dylan Sadowy was listed on ECHL transactions as being recalled by the Comets. Pope went down to Kalamazoo and had a hat trick last night.

 

[Bad Goalie]

A common sense rule change came out of the AHL meetings during the all star weekend. Any player that has not turned 25 prior to July 1st will no longer be considered a veteran regardless of the number of games he has played prior to the start of a new season. The AHL considers a player to be a veteran at 320 games and veteran exempt at 260 games.

This season both Goldobin and Bailey are under 25 year old players that are classified as veteran exempt. AHL rules allow teams to dress five veterans plus one veteran exempt players each game. When Goldy and Bailey each dress, one has to be classified as a vet while the other can be the vet exempt as you are only allowed one extra vet exempt player each game.

View attachment 313625

It really gives under 25 guys who became pros at 19 0r 20 and are not given qualifying offers at some time before 25 another shot at in another organization as UFAs without that new organization having to count them as vets. That causes a lot of these guys to get passed up because teams can't use more "vets" when these these guys are far from the actual definition of a veteran.

A large number players who turn pro at 20 and play 4 pro seasons will achieve vet exempt status having started that 4th season at 23. This rule will buy them a 5th season started at age 24.

So as I play with the numbers here, if they started at 19 and turned 20 before December,whatever the date is, it would buy them 2 years as they would start that 4th season at 22. So they still have their 23 and 24-yr-old seasons with no worry about vet status.

This may/should encourage NHL teams to bring their 19-yr-old European draftees to the AHL for NA development a year earlier. Only the bigger and/or supposed bona fide blue chippers like the Nylander bros as an example come to the AHL at 19. Now NHL teams could bring them over at 19 and not have to worry about the vet status issue shrinking their actual number of real veterans they can sign to help those kids develop at the AHL level. As an example Alexander Nylander is now playing for the NHL Chicago Blackhawks an is 21. He has played 223 NA pro games as of today. He would need to play 38 more games to become a vet exempt. If he plays the rest of Chicago's 3 games he would just sneak in under the wire at 22, but at age 23 he would have achieved at least Vet Exempt status and a good chance of having reached Vet status. With this rule change he'd get that extra season at 24 just like the Canadian Jrs who had to wait until 20 to turn pro. This would be a big benefit for him should the reason that Chicago is playing him is due to their cap situation and if he were traded or Chicago made lineup changes and he were sent to the AHL, he wouldn't have vet status. This would be a big deal for both him and the AHL team he was going to as well as the NHL team as well.

The NHL could get their draft picks into their systems before those kids got signed to 2 or 3 year pro contracts in Europe and they have to wait for them to play out those contracts. They make it clear to them in the pre-draft interviews that this would be expected if we draft you and feel you are ready at 19. For a lot of those kids, things would remain just like they are and those kids would come to the AHL just like the Canadian kids at age 20 or maybe even 21. However, a bunch could get here a year early and still be okay in the AHL without veteran status for 6 seasons. The number of games played wouldn't matter because they haven't turned 25. That would give them a leg up to learn the North American game. Then they would be closer to equal to the North American players. Maybe it would also shrink the number of European prima donnas who have played an elite pro season or more in Europe and done well over there and somehow expect some kind of special treatment when they come over because of it. Examples might be Tryamkin, Dahlen, and Palmu.

 

[Bad Goalie]

I haven't seen an official announcement by the Comets yet but it was mentioned by Ben Birnell on Twitter yesterday that Dylan Sadowy was listed on ECHL transactions as being recalled by the Comets. Pope went down to Kalamazoo and had a hat trick last night.

Wow! That would be a surprise considering the fact that his numbers have dictated he should have been called up to actually play when the Comets were using nonproductive guys from Kalamazoo. He is under an AHL contract with the Comets.

If the roster remains in the same state as the last game, there wouldn't be room to put him in the lineup to see what he can do. It would be just like Johnson to call him up to "reward him for his current season in the ECHL" and then send him back without a game. They need to see what this kid can do. He is tearing it up down there. He needs a couple of games up here to see if his game transitions to the AHL.

My suggestion would be to give Gadjovich a night off. He hasn't done anything on either end of the ice outside of his 8x4 foot rectangle in front of the net. I've gone over that in a previous post so I won't repeat it here.

Dylan is a RW/LW. That's:
Boucher
Lind
Perron
MacEwen

or

Bailey
Baertschi
Goldobin
Gadjovich

Comets are playing 6 vets and don't have any more available unable until Graovac returns, whenever the Hell that will be.

I don't see where they would insert this guy into the lineup. Cull doesn't sit Vancouver signed players.
Only other thing I could see would be to move Perron back into the middle and sit Bancks. That's the Devil's work to Johnson and Cull.

A bright light? Malone, Pope, and Sorenson all played in the Comets 6-2 win over Cleveland on 1/18. Maybe a couple guys who played in the 2 debacles vs Belleville could take rotational nights off to create a chance to see if this kid can cut it. If he can't, ship him back, but they have played a few who have done nothing. They will need to recall people again and it would be nice to see if any one of them stands out. Right now that number totals 0.

The next 3 are on the road and they could play this kid and never give the fan base a chance to see him before they ship him back. Cleveland is closer to Kalamazoo than Utica.

When/if all are healthy, Malone, Arseneau, and Sorenson are the only spare forwards. I'd carry this guy, practice his nads, and play him when someone goes down and use Arseneau in Gadjovich's slot. Maybe they get some physicality form one and some offense from the other. Do they have anything to lose in one game? The team hasn't played like any game really matters yet other than the night Benning was in the stands. Only night I saw 18 guys bust their butts for 60 minutes. Cull can't get that out of them for more than 20 minutes/night, if that. This team can work and succeed vs anyone, but getting them to do it doesn't seem to be in Cull's toolbox.

 

[VanJack]

Checking the AHL stats this morning, was amazed to see that Justin Bailey is tied for second in goals in the entire AHL with team-mate Reid Boucher at 24.

What are we seeing with this player? Is this just 'one-off' season, or has something clicked with his game? Obviously Comet fans have seen a lot of him in he previous stops with Rochester and Lehigh Valley. But he seems to me he's making plays with the Comets that he never looked capable of making there.

Would be a huge bonus for the Canucks if he could ever bring that combination of size, speed and a scoring touch, to even a fourth line role.

 

[UticaHockey]

It really gives under 25 guys who became pros at 19 0r 20 and are not given qualifying offers at some time before 25 another shot at in another organization as UFAs without that new organization having to count them as vets. That causes a lot of these guys to get passed up because teams can't use more "vets" when these these guys are far from the actual definition of a veteran.

A large number players who turn pro at 20 and play 4 pro seasons will achieve vet exempt status having started that 4th season at 23. This rule will buy them a 5th season started at age 24.

So as I play with the numbers here, if they started at 19 and turned 20 before December,whatever the date is, it would buy them 2 years as they would start that 4th season at 22. So they still have their 23 and 24-yr-old seasons with no worry about vet status.

This may/should encourage NHL teams to bring their 19-yr-old European draftees to the AHL for NA development a year earlier. Only the bigger and/or supposed bona fide blue chippers like the Nylander bros as an example come to the AHL at 19. Now NHL teams could bring them over at 19 and not have to worry about the vet status issue shrinking their actual number of real veterans they can sign to help those kids develop at the AHL level. As an example Alexander Nylander is now playing for the NHL Chicago Blackhawks an is 21. He has played 223 NA pro games as of today. He would need to play 38 more games to become a vet exempt. If he plays the rest of Chicago's 3 games he would just sneak in under the wire at 22, but at age 23 he would have achieved at least Vet Exempt status and a good chance of having reached Vet status. With this rule change he'd get that extra season at 24 just like the Canadian Jrs who had to wait until 20 to turn pro. This would be a big benefit for him should the reason that Chicago is playing him is due to their cap situation and if he were traded or Chicago made lineup changes and he were sent to the AHL, he wouldn't have vet status. This would be a big deal for both him and the AHL team he was going to as well as the NHL team as well.

The NHL could get their draft picks into their systems before those kids got signed to 2 or 3 year pro contracts in Europe and they have to wait for them to play out those contracts. They make it clear to them in the pre-draft interviews that this would be expected if we draft you and feel you are ready at 19. For a lot of those kids, things would remain just like they are and those kids would come to the AHL just like the Canadian kids at age 20 or maybe even 21. However, a bunch could get here a year early and still be okay in the AHL without veteran status for 6 seasons. The number of games played wouldn't matter because they haven't turned 25. That would give them a leg up to learn the North American game. Then they would be closer to equal to the North American players. Maybe it would also shrink the number of European prima donnas who have played an elite pro season or more in Europe and done well over there and somehow expect some kind of special treatment when they come over because of it. Examples might be Tryamkin, Dahlen, and Palmu.

It is one of the better AHL rule changes that I have seen recently. A 24 year old should still be considered a development player especially if he is getting a new opportunity with a different organization before being cast away as a veteran with limited opportunities to play in the AHL.

 

[Bad Goalie]

It is one of the better AHL rule changes that I have seen recently. A 24 year old should still be considered a development player especially if he is getting a new opportunity with a different organization before being cast away as a veteran with limited opportunities to play in the AHL.

Couldn't have said it better. My thoughts exactly.

 

[Clinton Comets EHL]

Wow! That would be a surprise considering the fact that his numbers have dictated he should have been called up to actually play when the Comets were using nonproductive guys from Kalamazoo. He is under an AHL contract with the Comets.

If the roster remains in the same state as the last game, there wouldn't be room to put him in the lineup to see what he can do. It would be just like Johnson to call him up to "reward him for his current season in the ECHL" and then send him back without a game. They need to see what this kid can do. He is tearing it up down there. He needs a couple of games up here to see if his game transitions to the AHL.

My suggestion would be to give Gadjovich a night off. He hasn't done anything on either end of the ice outside of his 8x4 foot rectangle in front of the net. I've gone over that in a previous post so I won't repeat it here.

Dylan is a RW/LW. That's:
Boucher
Lind
Perron
MacEwen

or

Bailey
Baertschi
Goldobin
Gadjovich

Comets are playing 6 vets and don't have any more available unable until Graovac returns, whenever the Hell that will be.

I don't see where they would insert this guy into the lineup. Cull doesn't sit Vancouver signed players.
Only other thing I could see would be to move Perron back into the middle and sit Bancks. That's the Devil's work to Johnson and Cull.

A bright light? Malone, Pope, and Sorenson all played in the Comets 6-2 win over Cleveland on 1/18. Maybe a couple guys who played in the 2 debacles vs Belleville could take rotational nights off to create a chance to see if this kid can cut it. If he can't, ship him back, but they have played a few who have done nothing. They will need to recall people again and it would be nice to see if any one of them stands out. Right now that number totals 0.

The next 3 are on the road and they could play this kid and never give the fan base a chance to see him before they ship him back. Cleveland is closer to Kalamazoo than Utica.

When/if all are healthy, Malone, Arseneau, and Sorenson are the only spare forwards. I'd carry this guy, practice his nads, and play him when someone goes down and use Arseneau in Gadjovich's slot. Maybe they get some physicality form one and some offense from the other. Do they have anything to lose in one game? The team hasn't played like any game really matters yet other than the night Benning was in the stands. Only night I saw 18 guys bust their butts for 60 minutes. Cull can't get that out of them for more than 20 minutes/night, if that. This team can work and succeed vs anyone, but getting them to do it doesn't seem to be in Cull's toolbox.

The team hasn't played like any game really matters yet other than the night Benning was in the stands. Only night I saw 18 guys bust their butts for 60 minutes. Cull can't get that out of them for more than 20 minutes/night, if that. This team can work and succeed vs anyone, but getting them to do it doesn't seem to be in Cull's toolbox.

This is concerning. heard the same, that many don't like playing for Cull. really started to show the past 2 week on that extended homestand.

 

[UticaHockey]

So Dylan Sadowy wasn't recalled to play for the Comets. He was recalled so that he could be traded to Bridgeport as the player to be named later in the earlier John Stevens trade. Just announced be the Comets.

 

[Blue and Green]

A common sense rule change came out of the AHL meetings during the all star weekend. Any player that has not turned 25 prior to July 1st will no longer be considered a veteran regardless of the number of games he has played prior to the start of a new season. The AHL considers a player to be a veteran at 320 games and veteran exempt at 260 games.

This season both Goldobin and Bailey are under 25 year old players that are classified as veteran exempt. AHL rules allow teams to dress five veterans plus one veteran exempt players each game. When Goldy and Bailey each dress, one has to be classified as a vet while the other can be the vet exempt as you are only allowed one extra vet exempt player each game.

View attachment 313625

The veteran rule change was agreed upon in the CBA negotiations and announced a few months ago.

Bailey's birthdate is July 1, 1985 so by a single day he squeaks into non-veteran status for next season.

 

[Bad Goalie]

So Dylan Sadowy wasn't recalled to play for the Comets. He was recalled so that he could be traded to Bridgeport as the player to be named later in the earlier John Stevens trade. Just announced be the Comets.

Oh, My GOD!

Betting the Isles or Sound Tigers took a look at this kid and somebody might have seen something there.
That was quick.

Comets still waiting for "future considerations" from the Carolina Hurricanes for Dane Fox traded on 3/7/2016. Would have to think Carolina has something of value to offer. What's the hold up?????

 

[Hansen]

If a team is inquiring to trade for a guy you've been keeping in the minors' minors maybe you should give him a shot first?

 

[UticaHockey]

Oh, My GOD!

Betting the Isles or Sound Tigers took a look at this kid and somebody might have seen something there.
That was quick.

Comets still waiting for "future considerations" from the Carolina Hurricanes for Dane Fox traded on 3/7/2016. Would have to think Carolina has something of value to offer. What's the hold up?????

And Bridgeport immediately assigned him to their ECHL team. This kid can't catch a break.

 

[Bad Goalie]

The veteran rule change was agreed upon in the CBA negotiations and announced a few months ago.

Bailey's birthdate is July 1, 1985 so by a single day he squeaks into non-veteran status for next season.

Weird, Huh? Next year he is short of veteran status while this season he was already a Vet Exempt.

Vet Exempt Goldobin would not be a vet next season either. He won't turn 25 until October.

What's the chances of Benning getting either one of these guys? Not Gud!

 

[Bad Goalie]

If a team is inquiring to trade for a guy you've been keeping in the minors' minors maybe you should give him a shot first?

Nah!

 

[Blue and Green]

Weird, Huh? Next year he is short of veteran status while this season he was already a Vet Exempt.

Vet Exempt Goldobin would not be a vet next season either. He won't turn 25 until October.

What's the chances of Benning getting either one of these guys? Not Gud!

They will give Bailey a qualifying offer, count on it. Goldobin won't be back.

 

[Bad Goalie]

They will give Bailey a qualifying offer, count on it. Goldobin won't be back.

I figured this was exactly the response I would get. Would really be great to take advantage of the new Vet rule and keep these 2 guys on the roster and still have room for 6 vets.

Too bad about Goldy, but he appears to be KHL bound. It's too bad they couldn't get a couple Russians who really understand this NA game (like Ovie or Tarasenko) to sit down and jam some sense into this guy's head. Obviously that's never going to happen. He is skilled up the ass and uses those skills to destroy himself instead of keeping it simple and using those skills to assist his game and shoot the puck when there is a shot and pass the puck when there is a pass, but keep the puck going forward at all times. His retreats, stick handling himself out of the puck in traffic, and most frustrating of all, his forced cross ice passes that go the other way. People don't even try to hit him any more. They let him work himself into a box and then read the telegraphed passes and breakup the scoring effort, zone entry, or rush.

Again, it would really be great to take advantage of the new Vet rule and keep these 2 guys on the roster and still have room for 6 vets.

Boucher, Bailey, and Goldobin, and/or Baertschi if no takers want his $3 mil contract should be given one way contracts to help develop the Comets prospects in a big way. Only Bouch and Bart would be Vets. Bailey and Bart are possible call-ups. and if desperate, like has happened before, Boucher and Goldy could fill in in a pinch. Now you add a couple veteran D-men who are no longer NHL players, but have extensive NHL experience that would like to ply their trade as on ice coaches and mentors. 2 like Huskins and Schenn would be perfect examples. Guys like that bow out every season. This would keep them in the game they love and give them a leg up on coaching careers. There is no better possible way to develop young D-men than to place them under the watchful eyes and tutelage of guys who now what it takes to play at the next level. What I have proposed, at the most signs 4 vets, and the roster still has room for demotions from Vancouver that carry vet status.

Players like Bailey and Goldy will be on the free agent market and be signed like lightning due to what they can offer a development team without counting as vets. This is going to be like Christmas in July. The Canucks likely won't act fast enough to take advantage of the white sale due to Benning spending so much time trying to sign the couple NHL level UFAs he's after like every season. The real good AHL level UFAs, especially those cheating the new vet rule, will be gone before they start looking. It should be Johnson's job to be doing the research on what AHL players and NHL question marks have contracts running out and compile a list and then prioritize it and the first day they can be signed the shopping should begin. This is how they should get some actual centers.

That shopping should be the job Johnson has been hired for by Benning as the AHL GM. It's never happened as can be witnessed by the players Johnson has been allowed to sign. They are all AHL contracts offered to guys who have already been Comets on AHL contracts so they don't have to go looking for them, i.e. Bancks, Hamilton, Arseneau, Malone, Leblanc, and the bunch he assigned to Kalamazoo for "depth to fill in when call-ups and injuries reduce the roster numbers". There are guys you do sign as reserves and they should be AHL experinced guys and carried on the AHL roster, not plugs who get assigned to the ECHL that won't do **** when they get called up anyways as we have seen already this season. Either Johnson has no idea how to go about this and thus, shouldn't have the job or Benning won't allow him to actually do his job. Henning got fired for doing such a good job and then disagreeing with Jim about roster construction in the off season in Vancouver. Remember, he was the Comets GM but his official title was Vancouver Assistant GM assigned to run the AHL affiliate. Nobody has actually done that job since the 2014-15 season ended, but Johnson has been wearing the titles - General Manager, Utica Comets & Sr. Director, Player Development.

 

[Bad Goalie]

So, several roster changes for the Comets before they get back at it tomorrow for a 2 game back to back set in Cleveland.

1) Gone:
Justin Bailey and Zack MacEwen

2) Injured
Boucher
Arseneau
Stevenson

2) Incoming:
Tanner Sorenson, David Pope

There's a real sweet swap out. This is what happens when you don't sign a few AHL level players in July that will make the team but not be starters. Injuries and call-ups will give these guys plenty of ice. They might not be at the same level of guys lost, but are at least competitive at the AHL level and can even chip in some points here and there. The ECHL stashes are for desperate times and if/when it's shown they can't do the job, they get sent back and the brass scours the ECHL for the better players down there. Problem is Conacher was real good at that in the past for the Comets, but he is no longer working with the Comets. He was hired by the Canucks as an Amateur Scout. Could very possibly be the result of how well he did scouting the ECHL for players to fill in for the Comets when times were dire.

Pope and Sorenson have already shown their ineptitude (16 combined GP/1 assist) and here they are again.

Malone is healthy and will be one replacement.

Hopefully, Arseneau is cleared to be the other.

3)Trade

We waited a for a couple months now to see when the "Ghost" would finally give Kalamazoo's top scorer on an AHL contract with Utica would get a chance to see if his offense could transition into the AHL. On 1/27/20 AHL .com reported Dylan Sadowy was traded to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers as the player to be named later in the trade for John Stevens.

The Comets only have 11 healthy forwards for the game vs Cleveland tonight.
- They had 5 days off.
- They knew the Call-ups were coming.
- They knew their injury situation.
- They agreed to a trade of Sadowy.
- They play a D-man upfront due to a shortage of forwards!

This is mismanagement 101.

If you ever needed more proof of what a moron Johnson is, here it is laid out in a crystal clear package. He never constructed a complete roster in the first place. There were not enough AHL level forwards signed to slot in for the day to day injuries, call-ups, illnesses, and whatever else might cause a regular to miss a game. Instead he signed ECHL players to AHL contracts and expected them to be capable of handling such emergencies.

It's apparent he hasn't even got enough forwards at that level to fill out tonight's roster come game time. This has occurred on several occasions and tonight is another. This in spite of the fact he knew what the Comets had available on their roster in advance. 7 D-men on the game night roster means one of them will once again fill in on the wing.

They should have learned by now his summer stash is not competent enough to play in the AHL. Suck it up, admit it, and get some real help! Maybe it's time to find a couple more Forwards that are sitting on someone else's roster like Stevens. That's all he'll get at this point in the season.

Maybe it's high time they call in their chit with Carolina? They still owe the Canucks a player to be named later in the Dane Fox trade 3 years ago. Didn't take the Isles long to call in their marker for Stevens. Just about 3 weeks to be exact. H-m-m-m-m, 3 weeks. H-m-m-m-m, 3 years!! Get on the stick boys!

 

[Bad Goalie]

I assume there is a screw-up with the AHL.com transactions page.

They list Dylan Sadowy traded to Bridgeport on 1/27/20.

Then today 3 days later they list Dylan Sadowy as added to the Utica roster.

Only 2 possible explanations.
1) He had to be called up to be traded and they made the move after the fact. However, I don't believe it is necessary to such. You can trade a player from an ECHL team to an AHL team as long as no NHL/AHL/ECHL special rules are involved. IE waivers which would not apply here.

2) Any player in the ECHL may be loaned to any AHL team who asks and just maybe Sadowy is going to be on loan to the Comets. However, I'm not sure an ECHL player under contract to one AHL team can be loaned out to a different AHL team.

Neither of these explanations seems plausible to me and I am going to guess there was some kind of screw-up at AHL.com and Sadowy is gone.

**EDIT**
Apparently #1 was the answer. They had to bring him up in order to trade him to another AHL team.

 

[Blue and Green]

Boucher, Bailey, and Goldobin, and/or Baertschi if no takers want his $3 mil contract should be given one way contracts to help develop the Comets prospects in a big way.

They will do everything possible to trade Baertschi by the deadline, and again in the summer if they can't get a deal done in February. The Canucks' cap situation next season is not good; they can't afford to keep Baertschi in the minors.

Unless Bailey sticks in the Canucks' lineup after his call-up there is no reason to give him a one-way contract. Qualifying him to maintain his rights is cheap (175k AHL, 735k NHL) and he has no leverage unless he's willing to leave for the KHL. As things currently stand they should be able to sign him for a solid raise on his AHL salary; I'd guess around 275k-300k plus another 25k-50k as a guaranteed minimum top-up.

They can also retain Boucher's rights for one final year with a two-way qualifying offer (450k AHL, 500k guaranteed, 788k NHL). He'll probably be looking for another raise on his AHL & guaranteed salaries if he maintains his current scoring pace.

Hard to envision them giving Goldobin a QO for 945k; he clearly isn't in the Canucks' future plans. A one-way contract would be better used for a premium depth centre.

 

[Bad Goalie]

They will do everything possible to trade Baertschi by the deadline, and again in the summer if they can't get a deal done in February. The Canucks' cap situation next season is not good; they can't afford to keep Baertschi in the minors.

Unless Bailey sticks in the Canucks' lineup after his call-up there is no reason to give him a one-way contract. Qualifying him to maintain his rights is cheap (175k AHL, 735k NHL) and he has no leverage unless he's willing to leave for the KHL. As things currently stand they should be able to sign him for a solid raise on his AHL salary; I'd guess around 275k-300k plus another 25k-50k as a guaranteed minimum top-up.

They can also retain Boucher's rights for one final year with a two-way qualifying offer (450k AHL, 500k guaranteed, 788k NHL). He'll probably be looking for another raise on his AHL & guaranteed salaries if he maintains his current scoring pace.

Hard to envision them giving Goldobin a QO for 945k; he clearly isn't in the Canucks' future plans. A one-way contract would be better used for a premium depth centre.

I pretty much see the reality of this issue much the same as yourself. I always like to pipe dream about the ways things could be done, but know they won't. LOL

"Hard to envision them giving Goldobin a QO for 945k; he clearly isn't in the Canucks' future plans. A one-way contract would be better used for a premium depth centre."

This appears to the Comets fan base as another pipe dream. We have been looking for this event to take place since O'Reilly left in the summer of 2015. Megna, Chaput, and Graovac were supposed to be answers to the Comets center deficit, but like other Comets depth centers, circumstances have seen full seasons in which that center hardly played for the Comets at all. They need a well paid center that, like O'Rielly, they have no plans to ever recall. Their prospect wings require centers to excel. Bringing in a quality center and then using him in Vancouver does the prospects zero good.

Camper fits the Vancouver won't call him, but he is not the high quality guy like O'Reilly. He is 1 #2/3 center. The Comets have 4 "Vet" wings with big numbers, Boucher, Baertschi, Bailey, Goldobin. A kid can prosper on a wing opposite these guys and a mediocre to less center, Lind is an example. Camper has centered:
Boucher/Lind
Goldobin/Boucher
Bailey/Lind
Roussel/Lind
Perron/Lind
Goldobin/MacEwen
Goldobin/Perron
Bailey/Macewen
In most cases he has been with Goldobin, Boucher, and/or Bailey. These guys have great numbers and Camper has 26 points. O'Reilly's numbers would be off the charts with these wingers.

Jasek has been between Baertschi, Boucher, Goldobin, and Bailey most of the season, He has 19 points!

Imagine this team without those 4 wings and the centers they have used all season. It would not have been a pretty picture.

A player down here on a one-way means he likely won't be here long. They need a couple quality centers that won't be going anywhere. My oneway comments were purely hypothetical hallucinations.
However, the idea of going Christmas shopping for proven 25-yr-old AHL UFAs like Bailey should be Johnson's (Benning's?) #1 Farm priority the moment that white sale begins. This will be big this summer as AHL teams try to season their farm rosters with excellent players that don't count as vets to help the development of their prospects while maybe finding a diamond in the rough like Vancouver is currently hoping Bailey could be. I have my doubts about the likes of who Johnson will be signing.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Loved Johnson's quotes about the Sadowy move this morning.

Our wingers have been a strength point in regards to depth. So it was a matter of filling a need (at center). It was my urgency and necessity in getting a center (that played a role)."

I guess he believes that Stevenson, Sorenson, and Pope have proven to be very effective forward depth.

So, Stevens was the answer to that necessary urgent need? I'm laughing my ass off. so, based on this latest quote from the "Ghost" the Comets weren't desperate for a center as long as his 2 heroes were still able to play center, Bancks (who isn't a center in the first place) and Hamilton, who hasn't lived up to his #1 position of 4th line center of an extraordinary forechecking line comprised of himself, Bancks, and Zalewski since 2014-15, but I'll give him the 2015-16 season as well. 36 GP by the 3 and a total of 4 points with Stevenson accounting for 3 of them and Pope none. Wow, what depth!

Comets have had an urgent center need every season Johnson has been here and he never acted once to remedy the situation. Early on in the '14-15 season the Comets team faced a center need and Henning promptly worked an AHL trade with Edmonton for Will Acton in exchange for Kellan Lain who was not producing as a 3rd/4th line center. While not being a great point collector, Acton was strong defensively and did pick up 19 points in his 45 GP. He was AHL experienced and played a complete 2-way game. I mention this deal because when Henning recognized a need he acted upon it. No one has doen that since he was fired in the summer of 2015.

Acquiring a center who was a press box center on a last place Atlantic Division Bridgeport team wasn't close to what the Comets needed and shows just how incompetent this troll is at his job. This quote shows just how out of touch with AHL hockey he is. "John (Stevens) has done well for us in penalty situations. He's been a great addition It was just something I needed to fill."
Oh, and Stevens first appeared in the lineup on 1/10 and has played in 9 games. During that swing the Comets are 4-5 and have surrendered 9 PP goals 5 of which have come in the last 3 games and he was on for 3 of them. That is not good penalty killing at all.
In total, he has been on the ice for 9 goals against in his 9 GP, while picking up 3 points. T

Meanwhile, Sadowy, who has been out with an injury since early January, was till leading the Wings with 17 goals and 34 points in 29 GP.

"Dylan is a high-scoring winger that Bridgeport had interest in to help out and be possible depth for them." Johnson said. Guess the Comets couldn't have used a high scoring wing when the roster was reduced and Sorenson and Pope proved not to be an answer of any kind. WE have to accept that ECHL players don't normally keep their scoring rates at the AHL level. In fact, most do just what Pope and Sorenson have done. Thus, it becomes imperative to try the other guys you have down there. When Conacher was here, the second the Zoo call-ups proved to be incompetent, he went scouting the ECHL and signed the best he could find to PTOs. They usually weren't scoring gurus, but they could play a strong defensive game and didn't hurt the team's cause and occasionally picked up a point here and another there and thus, chipped in offensively. Johnson signed 6 (maybe 7) guye this summer for depth and thus far the only one to prove competent up front, while not producing points, is Stevenson.

They knew what they had in D-man Petgrave from last season. He played in both losses to Belleville on the weekend. He was the 2nd unit PP point man and was on for a SHGA and one ES goal on Saturday.

The depth signed by Johnson was not AHL level depth. Thye are emergency caa-ups at best and should not have been counted on to fill an open spot for several games running. Those guys should be AHL level guys signed to the regular roster as players not in the daily lineup ,but capable of stepping in when called upon and holding up their end of the bargain. They are called AHL depth and they serve as reserve help all season long and will play a goodly number of games. Johnson signed one of them, Arseneau.

 

[Clinton Comets EHL]

These 2 games in Cleveland are unbelievably important, can't be overstated.

Plan for the worst, hope for the best.

Maybe getting on the road will help, we have many more away games than home left.

Stevens, Stevenson, Sorensen, Pope and Petgrave. Yikes. I like Bingo's roster better at this point.

 

[LickTheEnvelope]

DiPietro with his first pro shutout tonight, 27 saves, in Utica 3-0 win over Cleveland