Here's a look at some familiar names that are elsewhere in the AHL. I'm sure there may be be more.
These teams will all play against the Comets this season.
Laval Rocket (Montreal Canadiens)
Alex Grenier
Michael Chaput
Hunter Shinkaruk
Toronto Marlies (Toronto Maple Leafs)
Jordan Subban
Griffen Molino
Adam Cracknell
Emerson Clark
Brady Brassart
Hershey Bears (Washington Capitals)
Jayson Megna
Belleville Senators (Ottawa Senators)
Joe LaBate
Cleveland Monsters (Columbus Blue Jackets)
Zac Dalpe
Adam Clendening
Rochester Americans (Buffalo Sabres)
Taylor Fedun
Bridgeport Sound Tigers (NY Islanders)
Mitch Gillam
The following players are on teams the Comets will only see if both teams happen to make the finals of the Calder Cup.
Iowa Wild (Minnesota Wild)
Cal O'Reilly
Colorado Eagles (Colorado Avalanche)
Joe Cannata
That's actually a pretty decent start to an AHL team. The Comets would be well situated with a couple of these guys.
3 d-men - Fedun is the missing #1 puck moving, PPQB veteran D-man.
4 centers - I'd add 2 of those to the roster. Gaudette/OReilly (1-2one way or the other) Chaput, Kero. Let them center the Comets talented group of wings. They can all score and all of them need play makers. Gaudette gets called up and all move up a slot and Darcy/Hamilton fill in the 4th slot.
I'd pass on Brassart and Cracknell.
6 wings.
Grenier, Shinkaruk, Megna, LaBate, Molino, Clark
Comets can do without any of them.
2 goalies -
Cannata and Gillam
Comets can do without them as well.
So I added O'Reilly and Fedun.
Fedun is the only vet in the top 6. 1
O'Reilly and Chaput would be vets at center. 2,3
The vets Utica starts on the wings are Boucher and Archibald. 4,5.
Hamilton, Bancks, and Sifers sit until injuries and call-ups make room.
Oh, but Gaunce is coming down! Okay the Kero/Chaput trade reduced the vets by one and Gaunce fills that #3 spot. O'Reilly(Vet #1)/Gaudette/Kero/Gaunce(Vet#2).
Darcy
Hamilton (vet)
Boucher(Vet#3) and Archibald(Vet#4)
Biega gets sent down instead of Juolevi. Okay then Bulldog goes in an Blujus rest awhile as the #7. He won't be out very long.
Sautner/Fedun (Vet#5)
Brisebois/Biega(Vet#6)
McEneny/Chatfield
Blujus
Sifers
I actually don't see Biega getting demoted over Juolevi.
So Juolevi slides in with Fedun
and Sautner reunites with Blujus. Nope have to play Juolevi
How my Comets would shake out
Dahlen/Gaudette/Boucher(Vet1)
MacMaster/(OReilly/TJ Hensick Type (Vet2)/Jasek
Archibald(Vet3)/Kero/Palmu
Motte/Gaunce (Vet4)/MacEwen
Lind
Gadjovich
Bancks
Carcone
Hamilton
Darcy
Juolevi/Fedun(actually other vet type Vet5)
Sautner/Brisebois
McEneny/Chatfield
Blujus
Sifers
This lineup is going to be very difficult to finalize and I'm betting we see a lot of player jockeying in and out of the lineup over the course of the first 20 games or so. Production is going to be very important to keep yourself in the lineup. A lot of players will be nipping at each others' heels. This kind of competition is a good thing, not bad.
After all that GMing, in reality I don't see them bringing in another vet center in spite of the fact it will bite them in the ass later and Gaunce will get that role and Motte will get the 4th line. That will open up a wing spot for Lind.
Dahlen/Gaudette/Boucher(Vet1)
MacMaster/Kero/Jasek
Archibald(Vet2)/Motte/Lind
Palmu/Gaunce(Vet3)/MacEwen
Carcone
Bancks
Gadjovich
Darcy
Hamilton
Laplante
Juolevi/Vet4 or Brisebois
Sautner/Blujus or Brisebois
McEneny/Chatfield
Sifers and the odd man out in the group above, probably Blujus. Chatfield will be on a short leash as Blujus and Sautner have been a very good pairing in the past and Sautner with either of Briesbois and Chatfield didn't work out well at all.
One thing we have to look at is that McEneny was paired with Sifers often before his injury. So Cull may have other ideas anyways. I hope he doesn't see Sifers as a necessary member of the top 6. If he does it could very well be:
Juolevi/Brisebois
McEneny/Sifers
Sautner/Blujus
and Chatfield in rotation on the right side.
I can't see Dirk and Anselmini as the only thing the Comets have a reserve defenders. They need way more experienced D-men than those 2 especially when you consider how young this DF corps is already in the top 7.
There absolutely is a need for a veteran #1 D-man and then there is still room for another vet either on D or at center. Personally at this point I would make it a D-man. The O should be all right, but the D with all that youth is in danger of being ingested, especially when injuries and call-ups occur.