2021/22 Utica Comets and ECHL Talk

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Nubmer6

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I see them both in Utica based upon their history.

Have to wonder about Jaros as well. He got one season with Ottawa, but other than that it's been AHL on both coasts. I have to believe that Fitz is still looking to buoy up his Devils D.

I expect we sign another NHL D and keep him in Utica to be the first RHD call-up should we lose someone to injury.
 

Zajacs Bowl Cut

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so Utica is looking something like (depending on who makes it in NJ):

Foote-De Leo-Holtz
Clarke-Mercer-Thompson
Talvitie-Schnarr-Studenic
Greer-Flynn-??

Bahl-Jaros
Okhotyuk-Walsh
Vukojevic-Russo

Wedgewood
Schmid
Daws
 
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Triumph

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so Utica is looking something like (depending on who makes it in NJ):

Foote-De Leo-Holtz
Clarke-Mercer-Thompson
Talvitie-Schnarr-Studenic
Greer-Flynn-??

Bahl-Jaros
Okhotyuk-Walsh
Vukojevic-Russo

Wedgewood
Schmid
Daws

At least one of Foote, Clarke, Mercer, or Holtz will make the team.

So throw Gambardella into one of their spots.

Greer and Flynn were much better than Talvitie last season - Talvitie likely starts the year as an extra forward.
 

Guttersniped

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I was about to post this list up of the remaining RHD from Patrick Williams AHL UFA list tweets who Cap Friendly still have as unsigned.

It’s not very robust at this point so it great to hear we actually picked up one of the RHD still on it. (The Ducks grabbed Greg Pateryn on a one year two-way today and I was pretty jealous.)


Mark Alt (RHD) 29
405 AHL GP 20 NHL GP

Dylan Blujus (RHD) 27
295 AHL GP

Jack Dougherty (RHD) 25
285 AHL GP

Mitch Eliot (RHD) 23
53 AHL GP

Zach Giuttari (RHD) 25
23 AHL GP

Cody Goloubef (RHD) 31
342 AHL GP 160 NHL GP

Luke Green (RHD) 23
28 AHL GP

Jordan Gross (RHD) 26
118 AHL GP 9 NHL GP

Josh Jacobs (RHD) 25
AHL 247 GP NHL 3 GP

Nate Prosser (RHD) 35
186 AHL GP 360 NHL GP

Mitch Reinke (RHD) 25
140 AHL GP 2 NHL GP

Robbie Russo (RHD) 28
358 AHL GP 19 NHL GP

Ben Thomas (RHD) 25
290 AHL GP 5 NHL GP

Andy Welinski (RHD) 28
191 AHL GP 46 NHL GP

Josh Wesley (RHD) 25
98 AHL GP

Colby Williams (RHD) 26
223 AHL GP

The bolded names are players who played in the NHL last season. Ben Thomas is a UFA but I wonder if he really is a UFA or if he has a handshake deal with the Lightning.
 
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Bad Goalie

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I was about to post this list up of the remaining RHD from Patrick Williams AHL UFA list tweets who Cap Friendly still have as unsigned.

It’s not very robust at this point so it great to hear we actually picked up one of the RHD still on it. (The Ducks grabbed Greg Pateryn on a one year two-way today and I was pretty jealous.)


Mark Alt (RHD) 29
405 AHL GP 20 NHL GP

Dylan Blujus (RHD) 27
295 AHL GP

Jack Dougherty (RHD) 25
285 AHL GP

Mitch Eliot (RHD) 23
53 AHL GP

Zach Giuttari (RHD) 25
23 AHL GP

Cody Goloubef (RHD) 31
342 AHL GP 160 NHL GP

Luke Green (RHD) 23
28 AHL GP

Jordan Gross (RHD) 26
118 AHL GP 9 NHL GP

Josh Jacobs (RHD) 25
AHL 247 GP NHL 3 GP

Nate Prosser (RHD) 35
186 AHL GP 360 NHL GP

Mitch Reinke (RHD) 25
140 AHL GP 2 NHL GP

Robbie Russo (RHD) 28
358 AHL GP 19 NHL GP

Ben Thomas (RHD) 25
290 AHL GP 5 NHL GP

Andy Welinski (RHD) 28
191 AHL GP 46 NHL GP

Josh Wesley (RHD) 25
98 AHL GP

Colby Williams (RHD) 26
223 AHL GP

The bolded names are players who played in the NHL last season. Ben Thomas is a UFA but I wonder if he really is a UFA or if he has a handshake deal with the Lightning.

Stay away from Eliott and Wesley.

Reinke is not bad. Was a Comet last season and did a good job. Can move the puck. Was a PP QB, sometimes #1 and sometimes #2. He is a .56 PPG AHL D-man over 3 seasons. His own end leaves a little to be desired, but he has often been saddled with a rookie and as a young D-man himself that's not the best situation to be in. He wasn't secure in his own game yet, let alone being asked to shelter a rookie. I'm not pushing for him ,but if push came to shove he is a lot better than some on that list.

Now, that would be a job for Blujus who sheltered many a Comet including a guy in his 3rd year as a Comet when Dylan arrived in Ashton Sautner. Sautner played his best D over the course of the next 3 seasons when when paired with Blujus.
Blujus is just a steady adequate D-man. Can contribute offensively but is primarily a defensive D-man. He played for Utica for 3 seasons between 2017 and 2020. He was a Binghamton Devil last season.

Sautner is also still out there, but there are better choices at the moment.

I mentioned Robbie Russo a few days ago and said he wouldn't be a bad option and now it appears he has been acquired.
 

Tao Jersey Jones

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Stay away from Eliott and Wesley.

Reinke is not bad. Was a Comet last season and did a good job. Can move the puck. Was a PP QB, sometimes #1 and sometimes #2. He is a .56 PPG AHL D-man over 3 seasons. His own end leaves a little to be desired, but he has often been saddled with a rookie and as a young D-man himself that's not the best situation to be in. He wasn't secure in his own game yet, let alone being asked to shelter a rookie. I'm not pushing for him ,but if push came to shove he is a lot better than some on that list.

Now, that would be a job for Blujus who sheltered many a Comet including a guy in his 3rd year as a Comet when Dylan arrived in Ashton Sautner. Sautner played his best D over the course of the next 3 seasons when when paired with Blujus.
Blujus is just a steady adequate D-man. Can contribute offensively but is primarily a defensive D-man. He played for Utica for 3 seasons between 2017 and 2020. He was a Binghamton Devil last season.

Sautner is also still out there, but there are better choices at the moment.

I mentioned Robbie Russo a few days ago and said he wouldn't be a bad option and now it appears he has been acquired.

Blujus played for Rochester last season.

Robbie Russo was on my list.
 
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Bad Goalie

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Jan 2, 2014
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so Utica is looking something like (depending on who makes it in NJ):

Foote-De Leo-Holtz
Clarke-Mercer-Thompson
Talvitie-Schnarr-Studenic
Greer-Flynn-??

Bahl-Jaros
Okhotyuk-Walsh
Vukojevic-Russo

Wedgewood
Schmid
Daws

Mittens has been signed to an AHL contract so he is still in the mix.

Nico Daws (20), Akira Sccmid (21), and Mareks Mittens (23) are all pro hockey rookies.

Mareks came out of Lake Superior State U. at the end of their season last year and played 4 games for Binghamton. The 2.81 GAA he posted was the best of the 5 keepers who played for them last season. His .899 SV% was 2nd best to only Jeremy Brodeur's .922 in 3GP.

Daws was playing in the DEL (Germany's top league) and posted a 2.90 GAA and an .898 SV% in 10GP.

Schmid played for Sioux City of the USHL (Ameriucan JRs). He posted a 2.01 GAA and a .921 SV%.

The most common trait that can be used to describe this trio is RAW! Wedgewood will get a lot of work.
 

Tao Jersey Jones

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Ah!!!!!!!!!! I knew that!!!!!!!!!!!! Damn, damn, damn. What I get for firing off the cuff. I watched him like 12 times too. Still doesn't change my take on him.

So, we agreed on Russo?
-

- Robbie Russo, 28, was a 4th round selection of the New York Islanders. He played 4 years at NCAA Notre Dame. The Islanders didn't sign him, but he was signed as a free agent out of college in 2015 to a 2-yr ELC by the Detroit Red Wings. He played for AHL Grand Rapids for 3 seasons and was then traded to the Arizona Coyotes where he played 2 years for the AHL Tuscon Roadrunners. Last season no NHL team offered and he signed a PTO with AHL San Jose. He was selected to the AHL All Rookie team in 2015 and selected to the 2016-17 AHL All-Star Team. He wore an "A" in his 2 seasons in Tuscon. After 5 years with 2 NHL organizations he couldn't find another NHL taker. He's now on the route of AHL journeyman if he can find an AHL team with interest. He is a .5 PPG for his AHL career, which says he has a better than average PPG/offensive side than the average AHL journeyman AHLer. Another maybe.

---

I want to see the list of AHL availables, NHL UFAs that their teams have given up on, and those that are waived later on. Better choices will be coming up.[/QUOTE]
I suppose. I watched Russo play in Tucson in 2019.
 
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