Because if someone gets hit by a puck in warmups or whatever, they want somebody there to be in the lineup. I've never known a team to carry 20 who can carry more, and they get almost nothing out of carrying 20 - they can't pull Bernier off LTIR.
2022-23 Utica Comets and ECHL thread
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Because if someone gets hit by a puck in warmups or whatever, they want somebody there to be in the lineup. I've never known a team to carry 20 who can carry more, and they get almost nothing out of carrying 20 - they can't pull Bernier off LTIR.
UticaHockey
Registered User
Does Fitz read this site?
Need a forward in Buffalo? Dugan was scratched tonight. So was Talvitie. Either can join Wotherspoon upstairs.
Comets are in Charlotte, North Carolina on Friday and Saturday. Will be leaving Utica tomorrow. NJ has to make a decision pretty quick. It's a long way from NC to call somebody up. Dugan, Talvitie, or Halonen would not be missed. If It's Halonen, Senyshen would get his spot. He was a healthy scratch tonight as well.
Jersey Fan 12
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Mgd31
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Not sure, Holtz had an assist and 3 shots. He’s got a goal and assist tonight so far
Devils731
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- Jun 23, 2008
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apparently Holtz didn’t get credit for the goal but he was right there trying to poke in the rebound.
Mgd31
Registered User
Yea I saw that after. Lookin at the replay, it didn’t look like he touched it. So he got a PP assist and 3 shots.
Mgd31
Registered User
Wotherspoon has been returned.
If Bastian is out as all NJ posters state, the Devils are down to 11 forwards and 6 D.
Look to see at least 1 forward recalled in the morning. Could be more guys than that.
Geertsen still has 1 more suspension game to sit out so, unfortunately for the Comets he won't be 1 of them.
Bahl and Holtz return from a Friday/Saturday back to back in Charlotte after playing at home on Wednesday. Based upon AHL travel they are likely tired. That would describe all of the Comets. In their 3 games with Utica, the Comets took 5 of 6 points. Holtz had 3 points. During those same 3 games Foote and Thompson recorded 1 point each on the same goal. Then again, Clarke had 2 goals and an assist.
Typeded this last night at 1AM but forgot to post it. Damned Dementia!
If Bastian is out as all NJ posters state, the Devils are down to 11 forwards and 6 D.
Look to see at least 1 forward recalled in the morning. Could be more guys than that.
Geertsen still has 1 more suspension game to sit out so, unfortunately for the Comets he won't be 1 of them.
Bahl and Holtz return from a Friday/Saturday back to back in Charlotte after playing at home on Wednesday. Based upon AHL travel they are likely tired. That would describe all of the Comets. In their 3 games with Utica, the Comets took 5 of 6 points. Holtz had 3 points. During those same 3 games Foote and Thompson recorded 1 point each on the same goal. Then again, Clarke had 2 goals and an assist.
Typeded this last night at 1AM but forgot to post it. Damned Dementia!
So, Holtz and Bahl. That was expected.
Daws too! WTF?
VV/Schmid/Daws? If they pull up Daws, then Schmid must be returned unless they are going to tell us that VV is now injured. Comets play home tomorrow. They have a little more than 24 hours to get either a goalie or an explanation moving in a NW direction.
Daws too! WTF?
VV/Schmid/Daws? If they pull up Daws, then Schmid must be returned unless they are going to tell us that VV is now injured. Comets play home tomorrow. They have a little more than 24 hours to get either a goalie or an explanation moving in a NW direction.
Devils731
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Schmid is a little sick so Daws is just a precaution.
Daws will likely be returned for tomorrow.
Schmid is a sickie baby. Fine. Daws backs up tonight. Devils don't play again until Friday. Comets need Daws for Wednesday game vs Laval. Probably not, Huh? If VV is the only healthy G in house, Daws has to be there for practice. That leaves the Comets with Poulter. At least there is enough time to get another ECHL guy to Utica for backup. Right now they have one goalie for practice and no backup.
I'm sure the powers that be have it figured out. NOT! Last time we were in this situation they brought in a kid from NJ who hadn't played hockey in over 2 years!!!! Get it together powers. This is worthless Vancouver Assistant GM/Comets GM material.
I'm sure the powers that be have it figured out. NOT! Last time we were in this situation they brought in a kid from NJ who hadn't played hockey in over 2 years!!!! Get it together powers. This is worthless Vancouver Assistant GM/Comets GM material.
nugg
NJ Hammerhead Bats!
Utica needs a new GM, (assistant NJ GM), I know a guy. He slings beer, but should be slinging contract offers 
Just checking on Xavier Parent's progress in Adirondack. The Thunder suck. Their record is 4-6-3-1 for 12 points and placing them in 6th place in the 7-team North Division 17 points behind division leader Worcester with 29. A wishful positive is that the Thunder have played the least number of games in the Division.
Xavier has put up a very respectable 10 points in 11 GP. He put up 106 points in his final junior season ('21-22) with 51G and 55A in 65GP. He is 21 years of age with a March birthday. The Comets signed him 2 a 2yr-AHL contract. Maybe he could put up some points here over the dolts that are not producing. The Comets are starved for offense from the majority of their AHL contracted players:
- Nick Hutchison 4Pts (2G/2A) 11GP
- Samuel Laberge 4Pts (2G/2A) 12GP
- Zach Senyshen 4Pts (2G/2A) 15GP
- Nolan Stevens 4Pts (1G/3A) 12GP
The exception to the rule is Ryan Schmelzer with 8Pts on 8A in 12 GP. He's the only center on the team doing what centers are supposed to do - set up his mates for goals.
Assists by Comets centers:
- Schmelzer 8A in 12GP
- Pinho 4A in 14GP
- Thompson 2A in his 7GP as a center.
- Talvitie 2A in 11GP
- Hutchison 2A in 11GP
- Stevens 3A in 12GP
The Comets have played 15 games but were in a 16th when the lights went out in the 2nd period and it will be completed at a later date. That game is being counted as a 16th game for individual statistics. Foote, Nemec, and Russo are the only Comets to have played in every game.
Andreas Johnsson leads the team with 13 points on 3G/10A and has only played in 11 games. What NHL players do in the AHL. Put him with 2 top AHL players and his numbers would be off the charts.
Pinho leads the team in goals with 8 in 14GP. He knows where the net is and puts himself in position for rebounds and tap ins. As a center he basically does not fit the role. He is RW (square peg) being forced into the #1 center role (round hole).
Foote is 3rd with 6 in 16GP.
Not exactly a stellar performance for a guy many believe is a prospect expected to play for the Devils. When he was sent down after training camp, many posted it would be best for him to return to Utica and dominate the AHL. This is far from dominance.
The rest of the roster reveals a team short on goal scoring prowess:
Graeme Clarke - 3G / 15GP
Brian Halonen - 3G / 15 GP
Tyce Thompson - 3G / 12 GP
Jack Dugan - 2G / 14GP This guy was an off season acquisition along with Pinho to take the spots of Greer and DeLeo. It's not even a comparison.
Reilly Walsh - 1G / 15GP
Robbie Russo - 1G / 16GP
Simon Nemec - 1G / 16GP
Nikita Okhotiuk - 1G / 8GP
Aarne Talvitie - 0G / 11GP
Mason Geertsen - 0G / 11GP
Joe Gambardella - 0G / 7GP
Michael Vukojevic - 0G / 15GP
Jeremy Groleau - 0G / 7GP
Kevin Bahl - 0G / 3GP
ALEXANDER HOLTZ - 2G/1A 3GP (This is what top prospects do in the AHL.)
These are all guys on NJ contracts. 8 are on ELCs.
You've seen above what little contributions the guys on AHL contracts have made.
The Comets have scored 41 goals in 15+ games (have to count the 1+ periods played in the lights out games) and Johnsson has set up 10 of them and Schmelzer 8. Neither has combined with the other on a single goal.
6 of Johnsson's 10 assists and all 8 of Schmelzer's were primary assists. That's 18 of the 41 goals.
The other 23 goals in the 15+ GP have come from the entire rest of the team. 1 of the 23 was unassisted. So that's 22 goals in 16 games. Other than Walsh with 7 and Clarke with 5 no other Comet has more than 4.
Including those mentioned besides Johnsson and Schmelzer, 23 Comets have contributed to the other 22 goals scored. With Walsh's 7 and Clarke's 5 that doesn't leave a lot of assists to go around.
This team has averaged 2.5 goals/game.
They have lost 6 games by 1 goal (2 of those in OT and 1 in a shootout)
They have lost 2 more by 2 goals.
Only 1 game in which they were beaten badly, 8-3 by Syracuse. It was 8-1 after 2 periods and the Crunch went through the motions to avoid a total humiliation.
They are the WORST team in the AHL at scoring goals. The numbers show the Comets scoring 41 goals. That's tied with Hartford for last place in the AHL.
They have surrendered 46 goals which is 5th best in the AHL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The numbers don't lie. I am on record as stating before the season that without centers the team would be hard pressed to score goals. Even I wouldn't have said that would mean dead last in the league for goals scored.
I also stated that they would have good goaltending and a strong defense. Their current spot at 5th best in the league at preventing goals says that was also spot on.
I don't see this team all of a sudden becoming a scoring giant, but a couple more players that score at even Pinho's rate would push this team into the mix.
Elite prospects works out the numbers and projects at their current pace each projects to score the following:
Pinho - 40 G
Foote - 27 G
Thompson - 17 G
Clkarke - 14 G
For the last 3 guys as top prospects that just sucks. These guys are supposed to be goal scorers. If they could even hit 35 thatt would increase the team total by 47.
Clarke scored 10 last season so 35 seems out of the picture.
Thompson scored 6 in 16 last year which is Foote's number at present and that only projects to 27 for both of them or 26 short. These guys are supposed to be the best Comets and they should both be scoring goals pretty much at Pinho's pace.
I see the 3 of them coming up way short. The Devils need to seek some AHL scoring help. Maybe a player or 2 out of Europe. Maybe an AHL trade using say Groleau,, Wotherspoon, Clarke, and Geertsen in any combination of 2 to get some scoring. If it doesn't happen, this version of the Comets will be hard pressed to even become a bubble team.
Xavier has put up a very respectable 10 points in 11 GP. He put up 106 points in his final junior season ('21-22) with 51G and 55A in 65GP. He is 21 years of age with a March birthday. The Comets signed him 2 a 2yr-AHL contract. Maybe he could put up some points here over the dolts that are not producing. The Comets are starved for offense from the majority of their AHL contracted players:
- Nick Hutchison 4Pts (2G/2A) 11GP
- Samuel Laberge 4Pts (2G/2A) 12GP
- Zach Senyshen 4Pts (2G/2A) 15GP
- Nolan Stevens 4Pts (1G/3A) 12GP
The exception to the rule is Ryan Schmelzer with 8Pts on 8A in 12 GP. He's the only center on the team doing what centers are supposed to do - set up his mates for goals.
Assists by Comets centers:
- Schmelzer 8A in 12GP
- Pinho 4A in 14GP
- Thompson 2A in his 7GP as a center.
- Talvitie 2A in 11GP
- Hutchison 2A in 11GP
- Stevens 3A in 12GP
The Comets have played 15 games but were in a 16th when the lights went out in the 2nd period and it will be completed at a later date. That game is being counted as a 16th game for individual statistics. Foote, Nemec, and Russo are the only Comets to have played in every game.
Andreas Johnsson leads the team with 13 points on 3G/10A and has only played in 11 games. What NHL players do in the AHL. Put him with 2 top AHL players and his numbers would be off the charts.
Pinho leads the team in goals with 8 in 14GP. He knows where the net is and puts himself in position for rebounds and tap ins. As a center he basically does not fit the role. He is RW (square peg) being forced into the #1 center role (round hole).
Foote is 3rd with 6 in 16GP.
Not exactly a stellar performance for a guy many believe is a prospect expected to play for the Devils. When he was sent down after training camp, many posted it would be best for him to return to Utica and dominate the AHL. This is far from dominance.
The rest of the roster reveals a team short on goal scoring prowess:
Graeme Clarke - 3G / 15GP
Brian Halonen - 3G / 15 GP
Tyce Thompson - 3G / 12 GP
Jack Dugan - 2G / 14GP This guy was an off season acquisition along with Pinho to take the spots of Greer and DeLeo. It's not even a comparison.
Reilly Walsh - 1G / 15GP
Robbie Russo - 1G / 16GP
Simon Nemec - 1G / 16GP
Nikita Okhotiuk - 1G / 8GP
Aarne Talvitie - 0G / 11GP
Mason Geertsen - 0G / 11GP
Joe Gambardella - 0G / 7GP
Michael Vukojevic - 0G / 15GP
Jeremy Groleau - 0G / 7GP
Kevin Bahl - 0G / 3GP
ALEXANDER HOLTZ - 2G/1A 3GP (This is what top prospects do in the AHL.)
These are all guys on NJ contracts. 8 are on ELCs.
You've seen above what little contributions the guys on AHL contracts have made.
The Comets have scored 41 goals in 15+ games (have to count the 1+ periods played in the lights out games) and Johnsson has set up 10 of them and Schmelzer 8. Neither has combined with the other on a single goal.
6 of Johnsson's 10 assists and all 8 of Schmelzer's were primary assists. That's 18 of the 41 goals.
The other 23 goals in the 15+ GP have come from the entire rest of the team. 1 of the 23 was unassisted. So that's 22 goals in 16 games. Other than Walsh with 7 and Clarke with 5 no other Comet has more than 4.
Including those mentioned besides Johnsson and Schmelzer, 23 Comets have contributed to the other 22 goals scored. With Walsh's 7 and Clarke's 5 that doesn't leave a lot of assists to go around.
This team has averaged 2.5 goals/game.
They have lost 6 games by 1 goal (2 of those in OT and 1 in a shootout)
They have lost 2 more by 2 goals.
Only 1 game in which they were beaten badly, 8-3 by Syracuse. It was 8-1 after 2 periods and the Crunch went through the motions to avoid a total humiliation.
They are the WORST team in the AHL at scoring goals. The numbers show the Comets scoring 41 goals. That's tied with Hartford for last place in the AHL.
They have surrendered 46 goals which is 5th best in the AHL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The numbers don't lie. I am on record as stating before the season that without centers the team would be hard pressed to score goals. Even I wouldn't have said that would mean dead last in the league for goals scored.
I also stated that they would have good goaltending and a strong defense. Their current spot at 5th best in the league at preventing goals says that was also spot on.
I don't see this team all of a sudden becoming a scoring giant, but a couple more players that score at even Pinho's rate would push this team into the mix.
Elite prospects works out the numbers and projects at their current pace each projects to score the following:
Pinho - 40 G
Foote - 27 G
Thompson - 17 G
Clkarke - 14 G
For the last 3 guys as top prospects that just sucks. These guys are supposed to be goal scorers. If they could even hit 35 thatt would increase the team total by 47.
Clarke scored 10 last season so 35 seems out of the picture.
Thompson scored 6 in 16 last year which is Foote's number at present and that only projects to 27 for both of them or 26 short. These guys are supposed to be the best Comets and they should both be scoring goals pretty much at Pinho's pace.
I see the 3 of them coming up way short. The Devils need to seek some AHL scoring help. Maybe a player or 2 out of Europe. Maybe an AHL trade using say Groleau,, Wotherspoon, Clarke, and Geertsen in any combination of 2 to get some scoring. If it doesn't happen, this version of the Comets will be hard pressed to even become a bubble team.
It’s not a great year for Utica since NJ doesn’t have the center prospects they’d need to compete. It also doesn’t help that NJ has had Holtz and Bahl gathering dust rather than playing a bunch in Utica. NJ has really gone to the drafting well in Europe a bunch and those guys are seemingly slower to come over. Hopefully guys like McCarthy and Moynihan and a couple of others start to filter up from thr NCAA. At least NJ is good enough now that prospects will be allowed to mature with AHL time.
Ah, the future looks bright. So, just grin and bear a year of utter frustration because the brass didn't give the farm 2 guys when they had the chance all summer long while all the other franchises signed them up. That wouldn't have been a very hard task to perform.
It's utter neglect of the prospects they still have down here and to me it says they don't really regard them as prospects any longer. Maybe they should have provided them an opportunity to shine so they could have become very useful for NJ's future in trades. The very weak numbers they are putting up at the moment won't make them very valuable and the 2 guys that would have prevented this were never even considered.
Fitz has his eyes so focused on the future that he is failing to see how helpful the present can be in accomplishing that objective.
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The question I have is how does thr Utica GM moss this? You saw it quickly and presumably NJ could see it coming as well. Just sort of odd.
UticaHockey
Registered User
I agree with all of this and add one observation. The Devils have been amazingly healthy so far this season which has been a big reason for their early success. Outside of Blackwood the first real injury to any skater just occurred with Bastian. The Devils AHL depth hasn't been tested at all so far this season. This inevitably will change at some point. Who will provide any offense if the Devils need to call up multiple players to fill top six roles? And who do the Comets turn to when players do get called up? The depth is razor thin.
Agree completely. Adirondack sucks so what could they possibly offer that would even allow the Comets to tread water inn the abyss they are already in. Parent, who has not spent a minute at this level and then who? I wanted him to be called up and eased into a game or 2 to see what he might be able to offer, not get an emergency call because Pinho and Foote were injured.
The Comets depth isn't razor thin. Beyond Groleau and Blujus on D and 3 of the whichever plug forwards Dineen keeps rotating in and out every game, there is no depth. There is little difference between Talvitie, Dugan, Hutchison, Senyshen, Laberge, Stevens, and Geersten in terms of offensive output. Halonen, Clarke, and Gambardella are not offensive playdrivers either. Thompson, Foote and Clarke are supposed to be, but they haven't shown much of it either. Thus, the scoring abyss this team is in. The team was poorly consrtucted from day 1.
Not to get picky, but Bastian isn't their first. Palat holds that distinction. He's been out so long that people overlook his presence.
UticaHockey
Registered User
Classic Devil
Spirit of 1988
It’s tough because the AHL is the development league that players seem to despise. The Kravtsov issues began when he didn’t want to play in Hartford, I don’t think Grits will want to play for Utica. You basically need to find tweeners that will sign for high dollar AHL two way deals. I think the Leafs do this specifically so the Marlies will be a good place for prospects to develop.
Classic Devil
Spirit of 1988
I know. And I think it would be smart for us to do the same.
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