2022-23 Utica Comets and ECHL thread

[Bad Goalie]

It's been 8 days since I last posted about the Comets lack of centers. I gave a sample of guys available to fill the the top 2 Center spots as well as a few forwards that could play on the wings where the Comets are still missing some bodies.

The Comets potential roster has yet to be adjusted for the missing pieces especially the dire need down the middle.

Before anyone mentions Pinho, he played RW in Hershey last season and his .45 PPG avg in 172 AHL GP is not the kind of number a top AHL center needs to put up. That's much closer to last season's Fred Gauthier, who was an excellent #3.

 

[Emperoreddy]

 

[UticaHockey]

Well if you equate minor league hockey to baseball we just signed a 24 year old center with the following resume.

AAA - AHL - 2 games played
AA - ECHL - 57 games played
A - SPHL - 23 games played.

My grade for the Devils free agent signings targeted for Utica this season is a D-.

 

[My3Sons]

Well if you equate minor league hockey to baseball we just signed a 24 year old center with the following resume.

AAA - AHL - 2 games played
AA - ECHL - 57 games played
A - SPHL - 23 games played.

My grade for the Devils free agent signings targeted for Utica this season is a D-.

How does this even happen? How does the team sign a non-prospect with no apparent resume at this point? Is it a money issue and the AHL teams don't want to pay more than the minimum AHL salary so they just find guys who say OK to that? If you folks can see the dearth of AHL talent to support the prospects the team can also. Which makes their lack of effort surprising and self defeating in some way. NJ has some excellent wing prospects, defenders, and even goalies, but not much in the way of centers.

 

[Guttersniped]

Hey, they signed a guy from one of my lists!

My fringy list, but hey, he’s there. Might not do much but he’s scrappy with some pop.

Also…

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Well if you equate minor league hockey to baseball we just signed a 24 year old center with the following resume.

AAA - AHL - 2 games played
AA - ECHL - 57 games played
A - SPHL - 23 games played.

My grade for the Devils free agent signings targeted for Utica this season is a D-.

Are we going down this road again?

Last summer there were endless complaints about the players signed to AHL contracts - several of whom spent most of the season with Adirondack and were only summoned to fill in for injuries or callups.

Realistically, the bulk of the lineup will consist of players sent down - and with the added experience and influx of possibly Nemec and some of the other prospects in the system there may not be as big a need for outside AHL veterans.

The Comets seem to know what they are doing and more than likely once again put a competitive product on the ice.

 

[forceten]

I think the objection and concern is legitimate, JF12. There have been significant losses and no significant replacements.

 

[Guttersniped]

How does this even happen? How does the team sign a non-prospect with no apparent resume at this point? Is it a money issue and the AHL teams don't want to pay more than the minimum AHL salary so they just find guys who say OK to that? If you folks can see the dearth of AHL talent to support the prospects the team can also. Which makes their lack of effort surprising and self defeating in some way. NJ has some excellent wing prospects, defenders, and even goalies, but not much in the way of centers.

It’s a two-way AHL/ECHL contract, it’s not a bad thing for this player. If he got a one way ECHL contract it wouldn’t be with us.



I don’t have trouble with this deal. I don’t have trouble with the guys that left, it’s been AHL musical chairs with all the top UFAs. I even (sadly) accept that we aren’t going to draw talent like flies to our AHL org like some other organizations (ANA, TOR, PIT, MTL, etc) for a number of reasons.

Am I disappointed with the off-season so for in terms of the lack of signings (esp considering some of the talent available), of us not adequately replacing the forwards we lost in Utica, and the black hole at the center position? *sigh* *heavier sigh* *an endless series of sad sighs*

But we’ll see what leftovers they pick-up with more signings or PTOs.

 

[My3Sons]

It’s a two-way AHL/ECHL contract, it’s not a bad thing for this player. If he got a one way ECHL contract it wouldn’t be with us.



I don’t have trouble with this deal. I don’t have trouble with the guys that left, it’s been AHL musical chairs with all the top UFAs. I even (sadly) accept that we aren’t going to draw talent like flies to our AHL org like some other organizations (ANA, TOR, PIT, MTL, etc) for a number of reasons.

Am I disappointed with the off-season so for in terms of the lack of signings (esp considering some of the talent available), of us not adequately replacing the forwards we lost in Utica, and the black hole at the center position? *sigh* *heavier sigh* *an endless series of sad sighs*

But we’ll see what leftovers they pick-up with more signings or PTOs.

If they added another center prospect like the kid they picked up after development camp I'd get it (sign Morrison for heaven's sake he's a legit pro prospect at least) but if you are going to roll out AHL/ECHL tweeners in multiple center spots that sounds ugly.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

I think the objection and concern is legitimate, JF12. There have been significant losses and no significant replacements.

There are still plenty of 4A type players in free agency hoping for NHL contracts.

I'm sure as camps shake out the Comets will find a way to fill the roster.

 

[forceten]

I hope so !

 

[Bad Goalie]

The AHL 2-way is y

Well if you equate minor league hockey to baseball we just signed a 24 year old center with the following resume.

AAA - AHL - 2 games played
AA - ECHL - 57 games played
A - SPHL - 23 games played.

My grade for the Devils free agent signings targeted for Utica this season is a D-.

The AHL 2-way is the handwriting on the wall. He will not be a Comet. He will be in camp to help lines even out, but will be cut when the team is constructed. Adirondack will have a lot of players from Utica and many might not even be ECHL level competent. e.g. this signing.
NJ Asst GM Dan MacKinnon proved to be as incompetent as Vancouver Asst GM Ryan Johnson in filling out depth for the Comets. Last year the best Mac did with a bunch of signings turned out to be a workhorse with few puck skills in Samuel Laberge. A competent 4th line banger with a sense of defensive responsibility. The rest simply sucked.

I checked last night against a list I, a totally unqualified NHL Asst. GM, assembled 9 days ago looking at a list of unsigned players with some solid AHL experience:
- Sam Anas
- Tyler Benson
- Kyle Rau
- Cedric Paquette
- Brendan Perlini
- Alan Quine
- Frederik Gauthier
- Michael Chaput
- Bryan Flynn
All of the above are centers.

While I was at it, there are a few other players the Comets could use a couple of. Their 4 lines will not be AHL deep from top to bottom.
- CJ Smith (LW) 58Pts in 60GP with AHL Chicago last season
- Chris Terry (LW/RW) 61Pts in 61GP with AHLBridgeport last season
- Justin Bailey (RW) 27Pts in 30GP with AHL Abbotsford last season

What DOES Utica have?
1 - Thompson (15Pts/16GP) Injured most of the season
2 - Pinho (17Pts/27GP) in AHL Herrshey - injury shortened season)
3 - Dugan (18Pts/35GP), in AHL Henderson - battled injuries)
These guys will be good if the injury bug is not going to be a recurring problem.

4- Foote (hopefully) 32Pts/55GP

5 - Clarke (24Pts/52GP)
6 - Gambardella (31Pts/52GP)
These 2 were 3rd line forwards last season and Clarke saw time on the 4th line and was scratched for Halonen for the 1st 2 playoff games.

7 - Halonen, 23 yrs-old turning 24 in January (LW/RW), failed to prove all that in 14 GP at the end of last season. He is signed for the next 2 seasons with a NJ contract. He is already a make or break type of guy. At his age he produces or quickly sinks to the bottom of the pool.

These guys are the Comets centers:
8 - Schmelzer (32Pts/64GP as the #3/#4 center depending upon who was playing ahead of him.
9 - Talvitie (24Pts/68GP) as the regular #4 center. Also played RW when 4 other centers were used (Schnarr, Gauthier, Deleo, Flynn, Schmelzer. Schnarr was traded and not replaced. Flynn missed 11 games and was often used as a RW, Gauthier missed 22 regular season games including the last 11 and then add all 5 playoff games to the 22.

10 - Samuel Laberge, LW (13Pts/53GP) 4th line. Can't be counted upon to score goals, but is a physical force, hard fore checker and defensively responsible.

11 - Nolan Stevens, LW (12/Pts/20GP AHL Springfield) and (7Pts/33GP AHL Iowa) last season. This will be his 2nd stint in Utica after having played here in the COVID shortened 2019-20 season. Numbers in Iowa are certainly not jaw dropping.

12 Xavier Parent, LW (106Pts/65GP last year in the QMJHL. Just turned 21 on March, 23. He will be 21 most of the season and is typical of the high scoring undrafted Jrs that teams take a flier on. The knock on him is his size at 5'8"/170. I reserve any judgement on this kid. He may be the surprise signing of the season or he could prove to be the shot in the dark that missed miserably.

Guys you can't count on for anything in the way of consistent positive AHL performances and all 3 are piss poor centers.
- Nick Hutchison - 27, (C) 32 AHL GP in 2 seasons3G/4A/7Pts.
- Nick Rivera, 26 (C), 9 AHL GP total in 2 seasons all with the Comets. 1A.
- Garrett Van Whye - 25, (C) fresh out of U. of Michigan. 4th year (last year) 42GP 6/6/12. That's just not close to good for a college Sr at a major D1 hockey school. 1GP for Utica, 0Pts, got hurt.

The rest:
- Sebastian Vidmar, LW (43Pts/59GP) ECHL Adirondack last season. 28-yrs-old and his 1GP for AHL Stockton in the 2018-19 season is the only AHL level game he has played in his career.
- Filip Bratt (LD) 20 yrs old and as raw as it gets. Almost nothing of any kind of meaningful hockey in his background.
- Dylan Blujus - A 28-yr-old journeyman LD/RD familiar to the Comets organization. Played here from 2017-18 thru 2019-20. Very responsible stay at home D-man. He will be very good depth, but as aa AHL "VET" by rule will be used wisely as the Comets likely have 5 "VETs" and 1 "VE" who will play ahead of him. Injury and callups will make him available to Dineen or else 1 of the other 5 "VETs" would be scratched in order to put him in the lineup.

There are some good players here and some not good at all. The not good at alls will be in Adirondack. The Devils need to fill out this lineup or the season will be heading towards a big disappointment. Last year's team was missing centers. Those missing pieces were deadly in the playoffs. This team is missing some important forwards and the top 2 CENTERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I doubt they will have to worry about the playoffs if those pieces are not obtained.

The D and goalies are very much the same, especially if only one of Bahl or Okhotyuk are kept in Newark.

Right side
Nemec
Russo
Walsh

Left side
Bahl/OK
Wotherspoon
Vukojevic
Groleau

IF NJ keeps Bahl and OK I guess the stand in would be Geersten, but he has the same problem as Blujus. both are "VETS" on a team already playing their quota. That is if NJ signs a couple veteran centers and a real good scoring forward.
Right now Russo and Wotherspoon are the VETs in the starting18 man lineup.
Gambardella is the VE.

3 more vets can be included ------ 2 centers and a proven high scoring AHL forward.

Geertsen doesn't fit the model and Blujus is known depth on a 1-way AHL contract meaning he isn't going anywhere. Giving Geersten a forward role as a VET is a sacrilege when you know why the AHL made the rule. The spot is allowed for real good players to assist the prospects in growing their game. That's why I didn't mention him until now.

 

[BurntToast]

The AHL 2-way is y


The AHL 2-way is the handwriting on the wall. He will not be a Comet. He will be in camp to help lines even out, but will be cut when the team is constructed. Adirondack will have a lot of players from Utica and many might not even be ECHL level competent. e.g. this signing.
NJ Asst GM Dan MacKinnon proved to be as incompetent as Vancouver Asst GM Ryan Johnson in filling out depth for the Comets. Last year the best Mac did with a bunch of signings turned out to be a workhorse with few puck skills in Samuel Laberge. A competent 4th line banger with a sense of defensive responsibility. The rest simply sucked.

I checked last night against a list I, a totally unqualified NHL Asst. GM, assembled 9 days ago looking at t a list of unsigned players with some solid AHL experience:
- Sam Anas
- Tyler Benson
- Kyle Rau
- Cedric Paquette
- Brendan Perlini
- Alan Quine
- Frederik Gauthier
- Michael Chaput
- Bryan Flynn
All of the above are centers.

While I was at it, there are a few other players the Comets could use a couple of. Their 4 lines will not be AHL deep from top to bottom.
- CJ Smith (LW) 58Pts in 60GP with AHL Chicago last season
- Chris Terry (LW/RW) 61Pts in 61GP with AHLBridgeport last season
- Justin Bailey (RW) 27Pts in 30GP with AHL Abbotsford last season

What DOES Utica have?
1 - Thompson (15Pts/16GP) Injured most of the season
2 - Pinho (17Pts/27GP) in AHL Herrshey - injury shortened season)
3 - Dugan (18Pts/35GP), in AHL Henderson - battled injuries)
These guys will be good if the injury bug is not going to be a recurring problem.

4- Foote (hopefully) 32Pts/55GP

5 - Clarke (24Pts/52GP)
6 - Gambardella (31Pts/52GP)
These 2 were 3rd line forwards last season and Clarke saw time on the 4th line and was scratched for Halonen for the 1st playoff games.

7 - Halonen, 23 yrs-old turning 24 in January (LW/RW), failed to prove all that in 14 GP at the end of last season. He is signed for the next 2 seasons with a NJ contract. He is already a make or break type of guy. At his age he produces or quickly sinks to the bottom of the pool.

These guys are the Comets centers:
8 - Schmelzer (32Pts/64GP as the #3/#4 center depending upon who was playing ahead of him.
9 - Talvitie (24Pts/68GP) as the regular #4 center. Also played RW when 4 other centers were used (Schnarr, Gauthier, Deleo, Flynn, Schmelzer. Schnarr was traded and not replaced. Flynn missed 11 games and was often used as a RW, Gauthier missed 22 regular season games including the last 11 and then add all 5 playoff games to the 22.

10 - Samuel Laberge, LW (13Pts/53GP) 4th line. Can't be counted upon to score goals, but is a physical force, hard fore checker and defensively responsible.

11 - Nolan Stevens, LW (12/Pts/20GP AHL Springfield) and (7Pts/33GP AHL Iowa) last season. This will be his 2nd stint in Utica after having played here in the COVID shortened 2019-20 season.

12 Xavier Parent, LW (106Pts/65GP last year in the QMJHL. Just turned 21 on March, 23. He will be 21 most of the season and is typical of the high scoring undrafted Jrs that teams take a flier on. The knock on him is his size at 5'8"/170. I reserve any judgement on this kid. He may be the surprise signing of the season or he could prove to be the shot in the dark that missed miserably.

Guys you can't count on for anything in the way of consistent positive AHL performances and all 3 are piss poor centers.
- Nick Hutchison - 27, (C) 32 AHL GP in 2 seasons3G/4A/7Pts.
- Nick Rivera, 26 (C), 9 AHL GP total in 2 seasons all with the Comets. 1A.
- Garrett Van Whye - 25, (C) fresh out of U. of Michigan. 4th year (last year) 42GP 6/6/12. That's just not close to good for a college Sr at a major D1 hockey school. 1GP for Utica, 0pts, got hurt.

The rest:
- Sebastian Vidmar, LW (43Pts/59GP) ECHL Adirondack last season. 28-yrs-old and his 1GP for AHL Stockton in the 2018-19 season is the only AHL level game he has played in his career.
- Filip Bratt (LD) 20 yrs old and as raw as it gets. Almost nothing of any kind of meaningful hockey in his background.
- Dylan Blujus - A 28-yr-old journeyman LD/RD familiar to the Comets organization. Played here from 2017-18 thru 2019-20. Very responsible stay at home D-man. he will be very good depth, but as aa AHL "VET" by rule will be used wisely as the Comets likely have 5 "VET" and 1 "VE" who will play ahead of him. Injury and callups will make him available to Dineen or else 1 of the other 5 "VETs" would be scratched in order to put him in the lineup.

There are some good players here and some not good at all. The not good at alls will be in Adirondack. The Devils need to fill out this lineup or the season will be heading towards a big disappointment. Last year's team was missing centers. Those missing pieces were deadly in the playoffs. This team is missing some important forwards and the top 2 CENTERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I doubt they will habve to worry about the playoffs if those pieces are not attained.

The D and goalies are very much the same, especially if only one of Bahl or Okhotyuk are kept in Newark.

Right side
Nemec
Russo
Walsh

Left side
Bahl/OK
Wotherspoon
Vukojevic
Groleau

IF NJ keeps Bahl and OK I guess the stand in would be Geersten, but he has the same problem as Blujus. both are "VETS" on a team already playing their quota. That is if NJ signs a couple veteran centers and a real good scoring forward.
Right now Russo and Wotherspoon are the VETs in the starting18 man lineup.
Gambardella is the VE.

3 more vets can be included ------ 2 centers and a proven high scoring AHL forward.

Geertsen doesn't fit the model and Blujus is known depth on a 1-way AHL contract meaning he isn't going anywhere. Giving Geersten a forward role as a VET is a sacrilege when you know why the AHL made the rule. The spot is allowed for real good players to assist the prospects in growing their game. That's why I didn't mention him until now.

You guys complain tooooo much. The team looks solid.

 

[Bad Goalie]

If they added another center prospect like the kid they picked up after development camp I'd get it (sign Morrison for heaven's sake he's a legit pro prospect at least) but if you are going to roll out AHL/ECHL tweeners in multiple center spots that sounds ugly.

AHL Charlotte agrees with you. They signed him.

 

[Bad Goalie]

You guys complain tooooo much. The team looks solid.

Keep giving us your false beliefs.
I watched a great team fail in the end last season due to no centers and the quality they have thus far is way below that. The forwards lost have not been replaced with even near equals. I'll let you in on "solid" when I see it.

 

[Guttersniped]

AHL Charlotte agrees with you. They signed him.

You’re (understandably) thinking of Cam Morrison, but they’re talking about board fav, undrafted center Logan Morrison.

 

[BurntToast]

Keep giving us your false beliefs.
I watched a great team fail in the end last season due to no centers and the quality they have thus far is way below that. The forwards lost have not been replaced with even near equals. I'll let you in on "solid" when I see it.

There are a lot of guys with upside, and depending on who makes the roster, you could end up with Boqvist.

 

[nugg]

You’re (understandably) thinking of Cam Morrison, but they’re talking about board fav, undrafted center Logan Morrison.

Logan went to development camp with Dallas. Don't know if they signed him though, but likely.

 

[Guttersniped]

There are a lot of guys with upside, and depending on who makes the roster, you could end up with Boqvist.

Boqvist isn’t likely to be risked on waivers, don’t see him going down. We’ll see.

You need seasoned tweeners to win in the AHL. That’s just how it works.

1st in scoring, De Leo, and T-2nd in scoring, Greer are gone. This isn’t shocking, it’s musical chairs with the top UFAs, but new guys need to come in.

T-2nd in scoring, Zetterlund, isn’t waiver exempt anymore and likely won’t be there.

4th in scoring, Holtz, is still waiver exempt, but who knows how much of the year he’s down there.

De Leo: 55GP 21G 35A 56 pts
Greer: 53GP 22G 30A 52 pts
(Zetterlund: 58GP 24G 28A 52 points)
(Holtz: 52GP 26G 25A 51 points)

De Leo was the 29th highest scorer in the league, Zetterlund/Greer were 42nd/43rd. It’s not like the team can lose all these guys, not add any heavy hitters and do as well.

We also lost Gauthier (51GP 8G 24A 32 points) and Schnarr (43GP 13G 13A 26 points), key center depth. Flynn probably didn’t produce as much as they wanted but was a veteran skill guy (61GP 13G 13A 26 points).

Jack Dugan is a nice add, but he’s more of a play maker. If he can stay healthy, Brian Pinho can be solid productive center for them.

Those are the only new additions who you can count on significantly contributing (assuming Pinho is finally healthy). If you’ve seen what top tier teams are adding, that isn’t nearly enough and we have a real center depth problem. It gets worse if the plan isn’t to keep Thompson down there because his waiver exempt (sorry Tyce).

They can still make additions, though a ton of opportunities for great additions have been lost because other teams signed most of the desirable UFAs. @Bad Goalie is right about his criticisms. The goaltending and defense have a solid (if young) base but scoring looks light and centers are a nightmare. I’m still hoping we see more to come because I don’t right now see a team that has any shot of winning in playoffs.

You need to build a team for that and we haven’t done that. If you track the additions that the upper echelon of AHL teams have made this summer you would see how outclassed we are. The only positive is a lot of those teams are out West (Chicago is insane. Again.). But also, for example, Rochester is going to be way better too, they made a bunch of nice moves.

 

[Bad Goalie]

You’re (understandably) thinking of Cam Morrison, but they’re talking about board fav, undrafted center Logan Morrison.

Yeah, Logan with his 100Pts/60GP yet not drafted makes him another Parent type signing. His numbers make him worth the risk. Cam wasn't exactly the same since he was drafted, but not signed.

Either of these kids would be more worth a shot than the 3 guys whose careers show them to not be worth the risk other than to stock Adirondack. Putting them on the ice between the wingers the Comets are likely to have would be ludicrous. Rivera, back for another season, was all the evidence of that one needs to see.

 

[UticaHockey]

Kinda assumed that Gauthier was not going to be re-signed by the Devils but it is official now.

 

[Guttersniped]

Logan went to development camp with Dallas. Don't know if they signed him though, but likely.

Logan understandably got a bunch of invitations to development camps but choose Dallas in part because he knew personally knew their Player of Personnel Rich Peverley.

They’re from the same home town in Ontario (Guelph, if you were wondering lol) and work out at the same gym in the off-season.

They would have an advantage now at getting him for a AHL deal obviously. Will they offer him a two-way? Not sure, might depend on the interest he gets from other teams.

Logan Morrison is a tantalizing prospect. Should Stars buy high on his potential?

FRISCO — Perhaps the most intriguing prospect at last week’s Stars development camp was not a Stars prospect at all. Logan Morrison was invited to development...

www.dallasnews.com

 

[Bad Goalie]

There are a lot of guys with upside, and depending on who makes the roster, you could end up with Boqvist.

Boqvist would be a godsend.

THE UPSIDE CENTERS CURRENTLY EMPLOYED HAVE NO MORE UPSIDE THAN THEY HAVE ALREADY SHOWN.

Schmelzer and Talvitie are what they are, good #3/4 bottom 6 centers. They were tried in the top 6 when the Comets were in desperate need of center help at the end of last season and couldn't cut it. Schmelzer is 29, in his 5th season of pro hockey. His .44 PPG is what it is. He's not going to suddenly develop the speed and puck skills needed to lead a line of e.g. Dugan/Pinho or Foote/Thompson. Talvitie isn't even a consideration above what his step up position to #3 would be. His injury has killed his skating at that level in the lineup and his puck skills just aen't superior enough to make up for his skating.

Don't insult anyone's hockey IQ by considering Hutchison, Rivera, and VanWhye as AHL level centers with "upside"! If anything they are 4th line depth and in that position Rivera has stunk up the ice in 2 back to back seasons.

That's it for centers on this roster. Using Thompson in the middle when the Devils have no plans of any kind to make him a center is also not an answer. With his shoulder problem Pinho is much better suited on RW where he and Thompson give the Comets a strong 1/2. I suppose the Devils may hace signed him to play in the middle, but I'd label him a #2 if that's the case. .45 PPG in 172 AHL games is not the production needed to be labeled an AHL #1 center. Schmelzer has a comparable .44 PPG in 197 AHL GP and we know he isn't a top 2C either.

I'll bang this drum until I die. I've been involved with AHL hockey for 60+ years and I know without a doubt if young promising wingers don't have talented centers, their development is stunted. The Comets don't have #s 1 and 2.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Logan went to development camp with Dallas. Don't know if they signed him though, but likely.

He is still available! Dallas must be considering other choices and has no hold on him. The Devs could sign him if they wanted to.

 

[Triumph]

Boqvist is never going to make it to Utica this season, he scored 10 goals last year and is signed for just above the minimum, these players do not make it through waivers