Jason MacIsaac
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I know he would be behind Nemec and Walsh for PP time and behind Okhotiuk/Bahl, Nemec, Russo and veteran for PK time. Even if he is getting a 1/3 of the 5 on 5, I believe he gets more in the AHL in better situations.
2022-23 Utica Comets and ECHL thread
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UticaHockey
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Per Ben Birnell on Twitter both AJ Greer and Freddy Gauthier will test the free agent waters tomorrow. Not sure if either were offered a contract by the Devils. Two big holes to fill on the Comets.
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I believe it was reported that Greer was at least in talks with the Devils. Gauthier I don't see much of a reason to keep, as long as they find some centers elsewhere.
Reading your opinion of how he would be behind so many Comets and therefore not get enough ice time since he would be missing from the key situations of the PP and PK, I admit some confusion. I wonder how you see him passing all of those guys in one svelte swoop onto the NHL roster where better D-men have deprived all those you mention of even making the big club. If Nemec proceeds to be the real deal he is expected to become, he will be on the big club when Mukh returns. Also, one of Ok or Bahl or even both just might be there as well. He will arrive not having had to compete with any of the 3 in Utica or the top 4 in NJ.
If Mukh has the skills and talent I have been led to believe he possesses (though he didn't show them in his very brief stay here during the playoffs last season), wouldn't the coaching staff have the common sense to elevate him to those positions? I'm sure Nemec is going to be afforded those opportunities if he shows he is best suited for the job.
There are no awarded positions by some predetermined pecking order. Players are all in the same pool and where they play and in what situations is first settled upon during camp. Then a kind of show me period takes place and weak play will see another given a shot and so on until the best players for specific situations are identified. He would have just as much chance as the next guy.
Killing penalties often sees all 6 being needed since game situations often require a player not in the top 2 pairs to be called upon: player or players on the shift before the penalty is called have to rest, one of the regulars is in the box, in game injuries shortens the D to 5 guys, etc., That provides a player to show he is very good at the task and he may soon find himself doing a lot of PK duty.
PP situations also see players move around and one player may rise beyond the guy that was originally there. Other times guys screw up enough for a coach to insert a new guy into his 2 PP units. Walsh was not the only PP QB in town last season. That role changed a lot. Russo and Bahl took on the role as well. There were also times when 2 D were employed on the same PP unit.
In short, Mukh is either ready to play over here or he isn't. His ice time will be determined by his play. Another season in the KHL doesn't make him better than any of the guys he is competing against for a job. In fact, if Nemec and one of Bahl/OK excel in their development and Severson is re-signed, Mukh may again be behind the 8-ball. A rebound from the sophomore slump by Smith may jam things up even more. He could come over next season and find himself behind Hamilton/ Severson/Nemec and Siegenthaler/Hughes/ Bahl/OK or even Smith.
When a team is this young and guys are fighting for spots, players can easily see themselves on the outside looking in. It won't be easy for him to just step in and supplant a guy who has established that he belongs.
That can be a negative result of not being on hand to fight for your spot with the others. He will have to be exceptional just show up and push out an established placeholder.
I think there's going to be a learning curve, and we're not sure if that will take place in the AHL or NHL. The fear is that, being a Russian, he'll demand NHL or nothing. The fear may be unfounded, and comes from players like Boqvist who had that written into his contract.
Jason MacIsaac
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Or he can stay in the KHL and we maximize the development of all our defensmen. I know you are biased to get the best team in Utica but I am biased to get the best team in NJ.
No, I am biased to get Europeans to NA if they are supposed to be real good prospects. I wasn't impressed with him during his play during the playoffs. I really don't care what he does, but there a lot of guys here pushing for what could be the role he was intended for and if he keeps himself out of the picture those guys just might fill the slots and leave him SOL. Competing with those guys head to head is the best way for him to establish his rank in the mix.
Like I already posted. Hamilton and Severson already own 2 of them. Re-signing Severson is not the worst idea. The guy is good. Nemec is a star in waiting if everything written about him is true. That's 3 very good RDs.
Left side has Siegs, Bahl/Ovy, and Hughes next year (AHL 1st?). It's not like the Devils are going to save a slot for him if these other guys he's in competition with prove to be good players.
Was Smith's season a sophomore slump? If the answer turns out to be yes, he will be in the lineup when/if Mukh comes over next season as well.
Another issue is how many rookies do NHL teams looking to make a move in the standings start on D in one season? So many fans on this site don't want any further delays in this team staring to roll. Not many teams with the number of very short on NHL experienced D-men the Devils look to be playing very soon are real good right off the bat.
He could also end up being a key figure in a trade for another real good LD. New guy, Siegs, Hughes, Smith (?) maybe a good move. There are more young D coming in the pipeline. Fitz has done good job stocking the future on D. Right now Mukh is one of them. If he turns out to be another NHL or I play in the KHL. he may get passed up pretty quickly.
I agree that a European player is best served with an adjustment period to North America and an AHL one is better both from a playing and attention perspective. This is nothing new with Russian players but they aren’t all the same. My impression is that Mukhamadullin has a contract solely with NJ after next seasons and at his age he can certainly spend all or part of a season in Utica to acclimate. He has all the tools to be good and has had some success in a very good pro league. I’m sure there will be an adjustment but if he’s a smart player he should be able to figure it out.
Mukhamadullin's ELC only has a European Assignment Clause for last season and this coming season. After this year, he doesn't have a choice about where he wants to play, he'll be in Utica or New Jersey, trades or any Russian issues notwithstanding. I think Jason is right that Walsh and Nemec are likely to be featured on the power play more - Walsh is 3 years older and Nemec is a much higher pick - but I think it's pretty likely that neither guy is in Utica in 2023-24.
So, Mukh in Utica in '23-24 when his competition there now is gone. Playing in NJ I'd guess? That makes it '24-25 when he would be the Devils choice to replace whom?
He's really pressing the issue and you must be assuming that of the 7 NJ has at that point, he easily pushes 1 of them to the curb. Hamilton, Siegs, Hughes, and Nemec will definitely be there. I'd venture a guess that 1 of his Utica competitors in Bahl and OK (and I lean towards OK) is a regular. At that point the Devils have to have had a competent 3rd on the right side and he had better hope it's not Severson or an even younger UFA signing that is very solid. Heck that guy might be signed this summer.
Only time will tell how this works out. It's a problem lots of team would like to have. Hopefully, I am still alive to see the outcome.
UticaHockey
Registered User
That sucks, but if the contract is 1-way, so much the better for him. Doubt it though. He only made $130K last season on his 2-way. Apparently whatever it is, he will make more than NJ was willing to shell out. Right now it's listed as the NHL minimum of $750K, but the numbers for the minors haven't been finalized on CapFriendly. Has to be more than last season I would have to think. Also maybe he thinks his chances of playing with the Bruins are higher than with NJ.
Will hate to see his efforts worked against the Comets if he's with Providence!
Looking like the Devils added 4 for Utica today - Geertsen, Pinho, Dugan, and Wotherspoon. Not terrible but I'd like more at the center position.
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Excited about Dugan being reunited with Thompson but yeah, I agree.
Center Cameron Hughes is still available among other.
He's signed to a two-way contract with a tiny guarantee so I am going to say, yes. I expect to see him in New Jersey, but I don't think he will spend much time here.
Dugan like Jack Dugan? He’s not a VGK prospect anymore?
EDIT: twitter search reveals he wasn’t qualified as well as a bogus report that he re-signed with Vegas.
EDIT: twitter search reveals he wasn’t qualified as well as a bogus report that he re-signed with Vegas.
Greer's contract for 2 years is a 1-way. Big pay raise from $135K to $750K and next season $775K. He's definitely worth that even in the AHL. NJ simply let one of the best AHL players leave and with their Cap surplus it seems foolish. That contract would have been peanuts for them and been so valuable to their kids on the farm. He was a leader personified and showed the kids what it takes to succeed in the pros. His work ethic and in game efforts were to be admired for sure. All of that showed up on the score sheet as well.
I cannot remember the last time the Devils signed a one-way contract with the intent to put that player in the minors. Don't expect it out of this organization.
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Hayden Hawkey is still available. No truth to the rumors that they will now be the Utica Friars.
Zippy316
aka Zippo
Where do the Comets stand as far as AHL Veterans and roster makeup.
Seems like the Devils still need a depth defender and/or extra body up front at forward. Curious to see if there’s still room in Utica for a Gauthier type that can fill in small minutes at the NHL level with the intent of playing the majority of the year in Utica.
Seems like the Devils still need a depth defender and/or extra body up front at forward. Curious to see if there’s still room in Utica for a Gauthier type that can fill in small minutes at the NHL level with the intent of playing the majority of the year in Utica.
Current players considered vets by AHL rules. They can only play 5 of these guys in a game. A veteran exempt may accompany the 5 on game night thus totaling 6. The number of VEs can exceed the 1 but any extra VE must replace a vet. So the combination still never exceeds 6.
Joseph Gambardella, LW (VE) NJ contract 3 games over the 260 limit at 263 GP making him a VE really sucks.
Robbie Russo, RD (VET) NJ contract
Tyler Wotherspoon, LD (VET) NJ contract
That's it for current vets. They can and should add 3 more and do it like yesterday, as the good ones are being rapidly scooped up. Deleo and Gauthier, both centers, are still available and there are others that some posters have even identified by name. Some of Utica's foes have already been loading up. Buffalo is a great example signing players for Rochester. If they can find guys like Pinho and Dugan who haven't reached vet status, but are good AHL talent all the better. Usually the proven centers are veterans of the AHL/NHL, not ECHL players with big numbers or undrafted NCAA/Jr players with avg totals.
Geertsen will throw a large monkey wrench into things on the farm if he is sent there. The guy will be a worthless slug taking up valuable space. He would be a Vet making a much more productive player get scratched. Not cool when his only purpose is to be a goon. 297 AHL GP with 9G/41A/50Pts for a .17PPG, -23, but, oh goodie - 519 PIM.
They need quality centers. Depth defenders are Wotherspoon and Russo. They don't need another one. I repeat, the NEED is at least 2 CENTERS. A 3rd would let a guy like Deleo (if signed) play the wing where he is even better.
UticaHockey
Registered User
De Leo is off the board. He signed a two year contract with Anaheim with a nice bump in salary on the AHL side of the two way contract. $400K guarantee this season and $450K next season.
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