2021/22 Utica Comets and ECHL Talk

[Guttersniped]

An AHL team going with 2 rookies in the net is courting disaster before they start. The Comets are loaded with talented prospects and a group of competent experienced extras. It would be a crying shame for those guys to see a promising season go to Hell because their young keepers have no solid veteran presence to share the net with. Teams are grown from the goal out and when its weak there to start, it's hard to compensate for that problem. The fact is that the young D needs solid goaltending to help them out as they develop their game. When you know an error likely means a very good chance of a goal against, the pressure not to make a mistake usually leads to just that, mistakes.

I doubt NJ is going to carry 3 goaltenders much longer, unless they’re afraid of losing Wedgewood (maybe to NYI since Varlamov is hurt, though it’s not clear what’s wrong and/or how much faith they can put into Schneider in the short term).

Even then, other teams have tried to carry three goalies (the Leafs with Dell last season for example) and it becomes unworkable sooner rather than later. They weren’t planning on going with two rookie goalies in Utica, sometimes shit happens. The best case scenario is getting Wedgewood down there because keeping three goalies on a 23 man roster is dumb, and after a one too many minor injuries to skaters who can’t play or go on the IR, eventually unfeasible.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Cry me a river..


Daws played great in preseason and has experience in a professional league. Schmid was one of the best goalies in the USHL. We don’t need some other teams trash.

No 2-rookie goalie team has ever excelled in the AHl unless they had a monser team in front of them. Fact is I don't think I can recall such a situation ever.

Don't give me the USHL as proof a kid is ready for the AHL! It's a Jr league not as good as the Canadian Jrs.

Professional League. The DEL? GERMANY's top league? Not even a comparison to the AHL and he played 10 games and recorded an .898 Save %.

These are the kind of kids who get paired up with a Veteran goalie and share the chore for the season. The kid starts out slowly and by the end of the season you hope he has achieved the level where he has been rotating starts for the 2nd half of the season. If he turns out to be really good, you have a Thatcher Demko in Utica or Vasilevsky in Syracuse or Linus Ullmark in Rochester. These are all former AHL All-Star keepers and NHL goalies now.

Thatcher Demko was a far better rookie prospect than either of these 2 kids and he shared the crease with AHL journeyman goalie Richard Bachman and by the end of the season had played 45 games and became the #1 after Bachman suffered an injury. His second year he played another 46 games in rotation. His 3rd season he was a Vancouver Canuck. I don't see either of these kids at that level 2 years from now.

Daws should be sharing with Wedgewood and Akira should be dueling with Mitens in Adirondack. NJ would be asking way too much of these kids to shoulder the responsibility of carrying the Comets in their rookie seasons. Daws is not a Demko, Vasilevskey, or Ullmark at the same stage in his career. Those are the kinds of keepers who can carry an AHL team. Utica didn't do crap with Demko and neither did Rochester with Ullmark in spite of both of them posting great numbers and holding their teams in game after game when the team in front of them surrendered glorious scoring chances in bunches every game.

 

[Bad Goalie]

I doubt NJ is going to carry 3 goaltenders much longer, unless they’re afraid of losing Wedgewood (maybe to NYI since Varlamov is hurt, though it’s not clear what’s wrong and/or how much faith they can put into Schneider in the short term).

Even then, other teams have tried to carry three goalies (the Leafs with Dell last season for example) and it becomes unworkable sooner rather than later. They weren’t planning on going with two rookie goalies in Utica, sometimes shit happens. The best case scenario is getting Wedgewood down there because keeping three goalies on a 23 man roster is dumb, and after a one too many minor injuries to skaters who can’t play or go on the IR, eventually unfeasible.

Totally agree with this. Some seem to worry, you included, that Wedgewood might get claimed at this stage where he would have cleared easily a week ago. It would have been Wedgewood starting out as #1 and mentoring Daws. Hopefully if the rookie is up to it the 2 start sharing the crease in rotation, particularly with the number of back to backs, 3 in 3 nights, or the 3 in 4, 4 in 5, or 4 in 6 that happen in the AHL.

This kind of heavy schedule with 2 rookies is not advisable.

 

[Tao Jersey Jones]

 

[Tao Jersey Jones]

2 Vukojevic, Michael D
5 Russo, Robbie D
7 De Leo, Chase C/LW
9 Holtz, Alex RW
10 A Flynn, Brian C
13 A McGrath, Patrick RW
15? Thompson, Tyce C
15 Gambardella, Joe C
16 Schnarr, Nate C
17 A Greer, A. J. LW
20 Zetterlund, Fabian C
22 Walsh, Reilly D
25 Foote, Nolan LW
26 A Schmelzer, Ryan C
35 Daws, Niko G
38 A Groleau, Jeremy D
38? Gauthier, Frederik F?
40 Schmid, Akira G
44 Stevens, Luke LW
77 Talvitie, Aarne C
82 A Okhotiuk, Nikita D
88 Bahl, Kevin D
90 Boqvist, Jesper C
92 Clarke, Graeme RW
-- Wotherspoon, Tyler D

 

[UticaHockey]

Two rookie goaltenders concerns me but otherwise I like the roster.

 

[Tao Jersey Jones]

 

[Tao Jersey Jones]

 

[Bad Goalie]

This is Post #606

I have made the proper adjustments to the #606 Post explaining where those no longer in camp went.
NHL contracts:
16 Nate Schnarr (C)
38 Jeremy Groleau (LD)
2 Michael Vukojevic (LD)
39 Robbie Russo (RD)
46 Brian Flynn (C/RW)
15 Joseph Gambardella (LW/C)
92 Graeme Clarke (C/RW)
25 Nolan Foote (LW)
77 Aarne Talvitie (C)
20 Fabian Zetterlund (C/RW)
88 Kevin Bahl (LD)
22 Reilly Walsh (RD)
35 Nico Daws (G)
17 A.J. Greer (LW)
82 Nikita Okhotyuk (LD)
40 Chase De Leo (LW/C/RW)
90 Jesper Boqvist (C)
40 Akira Schmid (G)
9 Alex Holtz (RW)
23 Tyler Wotherspoon
12 Tyce Thompson

cleared waivers, but hasn't been reassigned:
Frederik Gauthier (C)

AHL contracts:
26 Ryan Schmelzer (C)
13 Patrick McGraith (RW)

44 Luke Stevens - (24 yr-old LW, 6'5"/207) 4yrs D-I NCAA Yale U., '20-21 12GP with AHL W-B/Scranton
Luke is the only player that still remains in camp without a contract to anyone. He is still on his tryout contract.

These 6 on Utica AHL contracts were reassigned to ECHL Adirondack. From the moment the signing of these guys were announced, I said they were not AHL material. NHL teams always have AHL contract players on their AHL affiliate, but these guys were not the type of players I am referring to.
14 Tyler Irvine (RW)
39 Samuel Laberge (RW)
37 Jordan Kaplan (F)
21 Patrick Grasso (C)
11 Joe Masonius
34 Mareks Mitens (G)


Invites:
all 4 of the following were already signed to the Adirondack Thunder and were sent back

25 Nick Rivera - (32 yr-old C, 5'10"/190) 4yrs D-I NCAA Minn. ST. U. (Mankato) Jr/Sr "C"
27 Colin Long - (32 yr-old C, 5'11"/190) 4yrs DEL, 1yr Allsvenskan, 3 yrs Italy, 1yr Austria
47 Nick Hutchison - (26 yr-old C, 6'3"/201) 4yrs D-I NCAA Canisius College, 1yr ECHL Indy Fuel
90 Greg DiTomaso - (25 yr-old RD, 6'1"/187) 4yrs Ryerson U. (Canada) '21-22 "C"

These 2 were released from their tryout contracts

33 Brandon Kasel - (25 yr-old G, 6'2"/174) 4yrs DIII NCAA Skidmore College
19 Alex Brink - (27 yr-old F, 6'0"/201) 5yrs D-I NCAA Brown U.​

THIS IS BASICALLY THE ROSTER THE COMETS WILL OPEN THE SEASON WITH.

Rochester Americans @ Utica Comets
Sunday 10/17/2021
3pm

15 Forwards:
7 Chase De Leo (LW/C/RW)
9 Alex Holtz (RW)
10 Bryan Flynn (C/RW)
12 Tyce Thompson
13 Patrick McGraith (RW)
15 Joseph Gambardella (LW/C)
16 Nathan Schnarr (C)
17 A.J. Greer (LW)
20 Fabian Zetterlund (C/RW)
25 Nolan Foote (LW)
26 Ryan Schmelzer (C)
44 Luke Stevens (LW)
77 Aarne Talvitie (C)
90 Jesper Boqvist (C)
92 Graeme Clarke (C/RW)

Cleared waivers but has not been reassigned. Come on Wood, heal!
-- Frederik Gauthier (C)


7 D-Men:
2 Michael Vukojevic (LD)
5 Robbie Russo (RD)
22 Reilly Walsh (RD)
23 Tyler Wotherspoon (LD)
38 Jeremy Groleau (LD)
88 Kevin Bahl (LD)
85 Nikita Okhotiuk (LD)


2 Goalies:
35 Nico Daws
33 Akira Schmid

It's obvious that for an AHL team this number is too small. The Devils still have cuts to make, but with their current difficulties there is no way to tell how many players will still be coming down. This situation at the moment already shows why the Comets will easily become short handed with just a couple guys out of the lineup in NJ coupled with the same in Utica. Most of those no longer in camp proved themselves lacking in the necessary talent/skill/skating abilities needed to play at this level.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Rochester will bring some familiar faces to town on Sunday.
On defense Mitch Eliot and Josh Teves played for the Comets during the past 2 seasons. Neither was a top 6 D-man.

Eliot recorded 2G/7A/9 Pts in 53GP.

Teves recorded 1G/5A/6 Pts in 52GP.

Up front Mason Jobst and Mark Jankowski were connected to New Jersey.

Jobst played 12 games with the Binghamton Devils last season recording 5G/3A./8 Pts. In the proposed lineup on the Rochester page he is the odd man out.

Jankowski was a PTO in the Devils camp this season and was among the final cuts, which was a release making him a UFA once again. I thought he would have been an excellent AHL contract for the Comets. We'll see if I was correct based upon the effort he puts out for the Amerks. The announcement of Mark's signing was released today. He may be entered into their lineup for Sunday.

 

[Mgd31]

Will anyone be posting streams this year for the games?

 

[Brodeur]

AHLTV free preview this weekend, I can probably toss on the Utica season opener on a second screen during football on Sunday.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Cry me a river..


Daws played great in preseason and has experience in a professional league. Schmid was one of the best goalies in the USHL. We don’t need some other teams trash.

I'm not as concerned as @Bad Goalie but that is with the assumption that Scott Wedgewood will do the bulk of the goaltending for the Comets.

Similarly, while I see potential for Daws and Schmid, a handful of games in Germany with a sub .900 save percentage and success in the USHL as a 20-year-old hardly guarantee that they are ready for the AHL.

There is reason to be hesitant about the current goaltending picture.

 

[Tao Jersey Jones]

 

[Tao Jersey Jones]

(Paywall)

Opening roster

Forwards
Number Name
90 -- Jesper Boqvist
92 -- Graeme Clarke
7 -- Chase De Leo
10 -- Brian Flynn
25 -- Nolan Foote
15 -- Joe Gambardella
17 -- AJ Greer
9 -- Alexander Holtz
13 -- Patrick McGrath
26 -- Ryan Schmelzer
16 -- Nathan Schnarr
44 -- Luke Stevens
77 -- Aarne Talvitie
12 -- Tyce Thompson
20 -- Fabian Zetterlund

Defensemen
88 -- Kevin Bahl
38 -- Jeremy Groleau
82 -- Nikita Okhotiuk
5 -- Robbie Russo
2 -- Michael Vukojevic
22 -- Reilly Walsh
23 -- Tyler Wotherspoon

Goaltenders
35 -- Nico Daws
33 -- Akira Schmid

General Manager: Dan MacKinnon. Head coach: Kevin Dineen. Assistant coaches: Sergei Brylin, Ryan Parent.

 

[Tao Jersey Jones]

2 Vukojevic, Michael D
5 Russo, Robbie D
7 De Leo, Chase C/LW
9 Holtz, Alex RW
10 A Flynn, Brian C
12 Thompson, Tyce C
13 A McGrath, Patrick RW
15 Gambardella, Joe C
16 Schnarr, Nate C
17 A Greer, A. J. LW
20 Zetterlund, Fabian C
22 Walsh, Reilly D
23 Wotherspoon, Tyler D
25 Foote, Nolan LW
26 A Schmelzer, Ryan C
33 Schmid, Akira G
35 Daws, Niko G
38 A Groleau, Jeremy D
38? Gauthier, Frederik F?
44 Stevens, Luke LW
77 Talvitie, Aarne C
82 A Okhotiuk, Nikita D
88 Bahl, Kevin D
90 Boqvist, Jesper C
92 Clarke, Graeme RW

 

[Tao Jersey Jones]

 

[Tao Jersey Jones]

 

[Brodeur]

Speaking of WBS Penguins, if you have an Office fan in your life who likes hockey: FROM DWIGHT tshirt

I bought a bunch for stocking stuffers last year.

 

[Mgd31]

So these guy play tomorrow and don’t play again till Friday? Makes no sense.

 

[Bad Goalie]

So these guy play tomorrow and don’t play again till Friday? Makes no sense.

The majority of AHL games are played on the weekends (FRI, SAT, SUN) so not unusual at all.

 

[UticaHockey]

I figured they would paper him back to Utica to technically serve his two game suspension and then if they actually need him down the road he can play. Virtually no teeth in that suspension.

 

[JimEIV]

Has Utica announced any COVID protocols? Basically I'm asking if I need documentation to get into a game.

 

[Tao Jersey Jones]

Scratches: Vukojevic, McGrath, Schnarr, Stevens

 

[My3Sons]

No Holtz?