2022-23 Utica Comets and ECHL thread

[Guttersniped]

It's a wonder they won so many games. Not blaming any players -- just that what they had was not that talented. Time will tell what next year will bring.

It would have been nice if they were able to attract some FAs to fill in the holes at center but so far they only signed Quinnipiac’s bottom 6 center TJ Friedman.

Before everyone jumps in saying FAs don’t matter, in contrast, Florida added:
BU’s Wilmer Skoog
Ohio State’s Jake Wise
U of N Dakota’s Mark Senden
Quinnipiac’s 2nd line center Skylar Brind’Amour

That’s a lot center depth to add to their minors just with NCAA signings. Must be nice.

 

[tailfins]

It would have been nice if they were able to attract some FAs to fill in the holes at center but so far they only signed Quinnipiac’s bottom 6 center TJ Friedman.

Before everyone jumps in saying FAs don’t matter, in contrast, Florida added:
BU’s Wilmer Skoog
Ohio State’s Jake Wise
U of N Dakota’s Mark Senden
Quinnipiac’s 2nd line center Skylar Brind’Amour

That’s a lot center depth to add to their minors just with NCAA signings. Must be nice.

Advantage of a no tax state rearing it’s head once again!

(kidding)

 

[Bad Goalie]

Advantage of a no tax state rearing it’s head once again!

(kidding)

It's not like there's a lot of openings on that roster either. That argument keeps coming up about NJ. Why sign with NJ since their roster is set and you have no chance of cracking that roster? I guess that depends upon what you think of yourself and what you think you can become.

Most of these guys get at the most a 2 yr contract. If you put up really good numbers in the AHL and the team you signed with has no room, your numbers WILL get you another contract and likely with a team who actually needs what you have to offer.

 

[Guttersniped]

It's not like there's a lot of openings on that roster either. That argument keeps coming up about NJ. Why sign with NJ since their roster is set and you have no chance of cracking that roster? I guess that depends upon what you think of yourself and what you think you can become.

Most of these guys get at the most a 2 yr contract. If you put up really good numbers in the AHL and the team you signed with has no room, your numbers WILL get you another contract and likely with a team who actually needs what you have to offer.

I think there will be opportunities for forwards and FAs should look at the ELCs and the prospect pool as their competition.

It’s definitely not just about that. Toronto often blocks call-ups opportunities with TDL signing but they do very well with FA signing.

They have the benefit of the location of their minor teams (Toronto/Newfoundland). They pour a ton of money and work into the minors and player development. All players get a ton of attention from development coaches so even if the Leafs are blocked they still get a lot from being in the system. Their minor league teams are typically stacked too, so that helps them succeed at that level.

Ironically they don’t always benefit from the guys they develop down there, because those guys end up blocked by of all the vet depth and end up elsewhere, but their reputation for player development is second to none.

The opportunities at forward in NJ will become more obvious at some point, because when you get this thin in your pool and the minors it eventually shows in the big club. Center isn’t an easy position to fix through UFA.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Post season thoughts
Part III
What about next season? Let's look at who is eligible, what they did, and waht that could mean for next season.

Players already signed for next season:
First, unless a miracle occurs, there will be no demotion of any current Devil to Utica next season.

What players who were in Utica will move up to NJ? IMO the answer to that involves a total of 3 possible players:
1) Akira Schmid - Unless Ruff has some kind of kindred affection for Mackenzie Blackwood he will either be traded or if that can't happen even for futures, he will not be offered a contract and will be allowed to walk as a free agent. Thus, Shmid's performance this season should have earned him a spot with NJ when camp breaks next season.
He will turn 23 in 4 days and be a 23-yr-old NHL roster goalie until some time during the 2nd round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It will only be his 3rd year of professional hockey. As history shows, the hockey grave yards are filled with goalies who came onto the scene looking brilliant only to flare out like a flashbulb.
Fitz may see the need to acquire a solid vet for Utica to play with Daws and serve as a backup for NJ should Schmid prove to still need some more AHL development time. We don't know if anything in part of that scenario will come to pass. IMO opinion he is a NJ Devil.

2) Alexander Holtz - Alex's ELC slid for the 21-22 season. He was an outstanding AHL player that season. This year was the first of his 3-yr ELC. IMO, shared with many NJ observers, Alex was dealt a raw deal this season. We all know he wanted to be in NJ and we all know a large number in the fan base felt likewise. The problem is the Devils took a kid with huge promise and misused him. A 20-yr-old prospect with a top AHL season behind him either plays a lot of NHL games or he returns to the AHL and plays every day.

When NJ broke camp, Holtz was with them. He had a super camp playing with Hughes. The season opened and the line that Holtz played the preseason with was not together.

He was sent to Utica on 11/22/23 basically to get his legs back under game conditions. Utica had 3 games scheduled in 4 days between 11/23, 25, &, 26. Alex played all 3 and scored 2 goals and assisted on 2 more. He was recalled to NJ on 11/28.

On 2/17, he was again reassigned to Utica at his request. He had played a total of 19 games in NJ up to that date. He would play 2 games on 2/18 and 2/20. He was injured in that 2nd game. he had not recorded a point in either game.

He returned from injury on 3/5. In the 6 games that foloowed he scored 4 goals and assisted on 2 more. In the next 3 he was quiet on the score sheet and looked out of sorts.

Then he would disappear from the lineup for the rest of the regular season (9 games). At first he was getting a rest day, which became an illness, and finally reported to have been Mono.

He returned for the playoffs and was not the Holtz we knew. I am certain he was not really recovered and it showed in his game. He didn't score a goal, but picked up 5 assists.

In all he played 14 regular season games recording 6G/5A/11Pts. n 6 playoff games he had 5 Pts, all assists. That's 6G/11A/17Pts in 20 GP. Considering he would eventually be diagnosed with Mono we know he must have been playing while coming down with it. He then returned while still not having fully recovered to the player we know he is.

Alex is still young If the Devils expect to get what they want from the player they though he would be when they drafted him, they have to play this kid on a regular basis. They can either do that in New Jersey or in Utica. They cannot go back to using him occasionally and placing him in the pressbox more than he plays. He is still very young. He will be 21 when the season starts and won't turn 22 until 1/23. He has 2 seasons left on his ELC. They have time on the cheap to get this kid going. IF they really want this get to excel, it's either play him in the NJ Top 6 or let him be the Comets #1 until something happens in NJ and he's the first call-up who can step right in.

3) Nolan Foote - Nolan will turn 23 early next season (November, 29). He will be staring his 4th pro season with the 1st having been the '20-21 COVID aberration. Basically, the 2 pro seasons he's had in Utica are what he will be judged upon. He missed the last game of this season to an injury that cost him all of the playoffs as well. He had 2 call-ups with NJ in which he played 6 games and scored a goal. That made 5 goals and 2 assists in 19 NHL games. Promising? Yes. NJ next up? Questionable.

He's had 2 very respectable AHL seasons points wise.He's played just 55 games in both seasons with 32 points in '21-22 and 37 this season. The biggest difference this season from the prior was an increase from 14 goals to 20. A 5 point increase is not a big deal. You would have thought his numbers would have increased considerably. You might be able to excuse it due to the fact he played without any talented centers. However, Clarke played under the same circumstances and recorded 25 goals and 58 points while playing 13 more games. We don't know what Nolan's numbers would have been with those games. Nolan Has size at 6'3" and 201 lbs. He skates well while not excellent and lacks the kind of speed the Devils play with. He can be physical, but doesn't make it a regular part of his game. is 27 minutes in penalties were basically the every day 2-minute hockey penalties of the tripping, hooking, and holding variety.
He was not a physical force as you would expect a power forward to be. He was checked off the puck a lot and his efforts to force his way past opponents 1 on 1 along the boards with the puck usually failed and often left him laying on the ice. This particular hole in his game could cost him in NJ. He is not going to be a Top 6 forward. He will have to be physical and the ability to kill penalties would help. He's not a plus at that assignment.

If I had to choose at this very moment, he would be the one to get the first opportunity. NJ has more than a top 6 set of forwards. Holtz's chances of cracking that group right now are slimmer than Foote's chances of working into the bootom 6 especially if the Devils move on from any players in that current group like Wood or Bastian. Holtz would have to hope Jersey moves away on Tatar or Haula or both to open up the ice for him.

Other players the Devils have in Utica that could be considered top prospects:

1) Greame Clarke - For those who were thinking Graeme belonged in that group above, I would be shocked at this time if that were to be true at the moment. He lacks in every attribute that Holtz possesses and Alex can't force himself into the lineup.

Clarke is not a good puck handler. He doesn't like to pass the puck when he is in possession in the offensive zone, but he can't hold onto it vs. pressure. Eventually he realizes he has to pass and it's most often too late and he turns it over.
He gets stripped while skating with the puck.
He tries to stick handle into scoring spots and loses the puck.
He is weak trying to get the puck out of his own end either through passing or skating it out.
His defensive work there is even worse. Playing the body is not in his playbook and stick checks don't work against offensive players who can stick handle and or skate better than him.
He has a good shot and can score when he has a clear shot at the net. Unfortunately he can't create the space for himself very often.
Like the rest of the Comets forwards, he loses most board battles for the puck. That's if he actually engages at such. IMO he is guaranteed to be in Utica next season on the final year of his ELC. If he can improve upon the issues mentioned in this post, he may become one of the many scoring forwards destined to do it in the AHL as their skill sets don't translate to the next level.

2) Tyce Thompson - Some may accuse me of having selected Tyce as my #1 whipping boy. That is just not so. Tyce has laid every ounce of criticism upon himself. As mentioned earlier he entered this season after HOLDING OUT for a better contract as an RFA! Holding out based upon what? 1 point in 9 NHL games in 2 seasons? The fact he played all 4 seasons in the NCAA before signing and and then signing a 2-yr ELC and burning the first year off by virtue of playing 7 games with the Devils left him 1 more season to prove he deserved another contract.

He then spent most of that 2nd season injured after 2 games with the Devils. He would be assigned to Utica in time for him to play16 games at the end of the Comets season. He put up 15 points in those 16 games and 2 more in 5 playoff games. Did that make him so good he could hold out for a big raise above the ELC contract now expired? Apparently someone in New Jersey fell for it. He signed another 2-yr contract that 2nd of which would be a 1-way deal.
He made $175,000 dollars for one of the worst seasons by any Comets player who was supposed to produce for his team. He was 13th on the team in scoring. He had 7 goals:
#1 in game 3
#2 in game 6
#3 in game 12
#4 in game 20
#5 in game 23
#6 in game 25
#7 in game 35
He would go the next 37 regular season games and all 6 playoff games without another goal.
He recorded 19 assists bringing his point total to 26. Has 26 points earned him what will probably be the highest paid salary in Utica next season? A salary that will probably rank among the highest in the AHL at, DON'T GASP, $775,000!!!!!!!!!!!!! The only way that salary is acceptable is if he plays in New Jersey from start to finish next season. It would take a miracle for that to happen. It could happen. Miracles do happen.

Tyce Thompson will be 24 and a Utica Comet. Most players don't begrudge other players for negotiating contracts for more money than they make, but they expect that guy to show some semblance for why he got it. I don't thing anyone will say anything, but if Holtz, Clarke, Foote, Walsh, Schmelzer, and Halonen (along with Nemec and Stevens if either are here) have to play with this guy and he continues to play this poorly or not at least better than most of them it will be a hard pill for them to swallow.

I posted this earlier but the repetition fits here. Thompson skated like a mad man chasing down the puck and players with it, but whenever he caught up nothing happened. Have rarely seen a player skate harder and accomplish less than him.
He tried to be physical, but usually came out on the short end.
Never saw a player miss the net with his consistency.
He will be here and I hope he gets some counseling to help him cope with his disappointment and help him get his confidence back. Then he needs to do hard work on improving the basic hockey skill sets: stick handling, passing, skating with the puck in traffic, getting a better center of gravity on his skates (he can't be so easy to knock down and he can't keep losing his balance), shooting accuracy, taking hard passes (any passes) without them bouncing off his stick, learning how to take on an opponent entering his zone with the puck and not end up looking like a pylon that the opponent has to skate by, get with a hard working veteran pro who can give him some tips on how to achieve success in puck battles, ,and so much more. I don't like saying it but other than hard working (in spite of poor results) I would rank his season as the worst of the top 12 forwards on the team. He finished 14th in scoring. Johnsson who only played 36 games scored 30 points, Jack Dugan who was traded after 51 games had 11 goals and 27 points.

3) Reilly Walsh - Calling Reilly a top prospect might be pushing it at this point. He will be an RFA and the Devils would have to sign him with a significant raise. If they offer and he doesn't like it, he can file for arbitration. The only way he doesn't stay with them is if they don't offer the contract and he becomes a free agent.
He has been the Comets #2 scoring N.J. prospect the past 2 seasons. This season it was #2 overall and last season #5 overall behind DeLeo, Zetterlund, Greer, and Holtz. I think he gets signed and they hope to slide him down with a mob and hope he clears waivers.
He has his defects, but he is a decent AHL defender. He's not going to break onto the Devils roster, but he could be a right side call-up.

4) Simon Nemec - As an 18-yr-old first year NA pro, Simon proved to be a very talented young D-man and worthy of the #2 selection in the 2022 draft. He turned 19 mid-february and would still not be eligible to play in the AHL this coming season if he was a Canadian Jr. The same situation Josh Filmon faces and will put him back in Jrs for another season.
Simon has held his own against the much more mature and stronger AHL players, but he is still raw. The mistakes he makes down here, and they were still coming during the playoffs, will kill him in the NHL. His physicality is also lacking. Thus, he has lots of trouble with net front coverage, puck battles on the boards, and he is prone to hits. I'm not going to run the kid down and point out every defect. His positives outweigh the negatives. His hockey IQ is very high. He thinks the game on a high level which has helped his play as well as aided in keeping him safe. The only games he missed were when he was playing in the WJCs and 3 games after he returned when Dineen realized the kid needed a rest and he gave him a game off. For a kid his age his durability was amazing. I think his development has farther to go before he is NHL ma byal.It wouldn't hurt him to get a lot stronger either. They don't need to force this KID onto the roster and into the lineup. Another year with a lot more responsibility would be a much better path for him to follow and would be a wiser decision for the powers that be in NJ.

5) Nico Daws - Nico will be a Comet next year and most likely be #1. There is no way he is in NJ. He needs to build upon the success he earned the latter part of this season when Akira spent so much time in NJ. It's time for him to take the reins and be a legitimate #1. If he can do that it's possible that he Akira can be net partners again in the future.

That's it for top prospects in Utica. Most are still likely to be here again next season.

Next up other players on NJ contracts both already Comets and others to become such in part IV.

 

[Bad Goalie]

I think there will be opportunities for forwards and FAs should look at the ELCs and the prospect pool as their competition.

It’s definitely not just about that. Toronto often blocks call-ups opportunities with TDL signing but they do very well with FA signing.

They have the benefit of the location of their minor teams (Toronto/Newfoundland). They pour a ton of money and work into the minors and player development. All players get a ton of attention from development coaches so even if the Leafs are blocked they still get a lot from being in the system. Their minor league teams are typically stacked too, so that helps them succeed at that level.

Ironically they don’t always benefit from the guys they develop down there, because those guys end up blocked by of all the vet depth and end up elsewhere, but their reputation for player development is second to none.

The opportunities at forward in NJ will become more obvious at some point, because when you get this thin in your pool and the minors it eventually shows in the big club. Center isn’t an easy position to fix through UFA.

I find no arguments with your take on the opportunities for UFAs being signed by NJ. The problem I have is their history of not doing such.

NJ will never do what Toronto does with their minor league system. The center issue in NJ is already critical in terms of building for their future. They have already reached the point that the only centers they have are at home. They can sub in off their own roster with wings that can play center, particularly Mercer. There are none percolating in Utica and definitely none in Adirondack. There are none in the pipeline either.

We all know top wings need top centers. Their wing production this season suffered greatly from that absence.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Post season thoughts
Part IV.

NJ contracts still on the books.

1) Michael Vukojevic - Vuk has been here the past 2 seasons and will definitely be back next year. It will be his final ELC season. He has yet to establish himself as a game day regular. He began the season playing 14 of the 1st 15 games. Then he was scratched for 5 of the next 6. Then he was back in the lineup for the next 9. Then he started rotating in and out for a bunch of games. Then in late January into February he played 9 more in a row, sat 2 , played 2, and on 2/18 broke his finger and was out for the season as the finger was surgically repaired requiring a pin to aid the healing process.
He played 37 games.
One more season and he becomes an RFA.

2) Brian Halonen - Brian will be in his final ELC season. He kept getting better as the season progressed. He was at 30 points with 17 goals when he was felled by Appendecitis before game 63 and missed the last 10 games. He would return for the playoffs and recorded 1 point, a goal. He was not at his best.

Can only hope the way he was playing before he had to be operated on for the appendix continues. As it is he still finished #8 in scoring after having played only 57 games. He was on pace to score 20 goals. If he managed that pace for a whole season, next year 25 would not be out of the question. He has a nose for the net and has a real good shot to go along with it.

3) Tyler Wotherspoon - Tyler has another year on the contract he signed with NJ before this season. He is a veteran workhorse on D and only missed games because he was called up by the Devils. He was Nemec's partner and mentor all season. Would be nice to watch that duo work together again next season. He will be paid $325K

4) Jeremy Groleau - Jer is much in the same situation as Vukojevich except he is an RFA. I get a good feeling he will get a contract with a bit of a raise. Like Michael he is an adequate D-man if paired with a stronger partner. He was paired with Russo or Walsh for much of the season. However, there were games when he got a much bigger role. He was paired with Nemec when Wotherspoon got called up. I'm not sure who was covering for the other, LOL. He was also paired with ECHL call-up Filip Gourley. That was definitely a situation in which he was carrying Gourley.

Down the home stretch Jeremy was in the lineup almost every night. He played 4 of the 6 playoff games and one of his 2 scratches was in place of Vilen. It wasn't the time to use Vilen in a must win situation against Toronto. I guess he was promised a game if he came over all the way from Finland. On the season he played 43 regular season games and recorded 10 points including 2 goals.

5) Zack Hayes - Zack was acquired in a trade with AHL Chicago for Jack Dugan. He just turned 24 on April 24th. He also has some size at 6'3" and 218 lbs.

He played 15 of the 16 games the Comets played after he arrived. He recorded 1 goal and 3 assists. He also played the first 3 of the 6 playoff games. Geertsen took his slot for the last 3 game vs. Toronto. He didn't get a point in his 3 games in the playoffs. He is an RFA and I have no idea what Dineen, Mac, and Fitz have in mind for him. He didn't jump off the ice at you when he was playing. He certainly can't fill the slots that may be left by Russo and Geertsen (Cover those 2 later)

6) Timur Ibragimov - Came to the Comets from San Jose in the Meier deal. He is an RFA. He will be a 3rd year pro. He arrived here after having spent the season playing 53 games with ECHL Wichita. He played 15 games for Utica and scored 3 goals and recorded 6 points. He played in 2 of the playoff games recording 1 assist. The Comets can find a lot better players than this kid. I don't see NJ using a contract on him. If they can talk him into an AHL deal, he'd be a decent depth player and could play regularly in Adirondack. He has played mostly in the ECHL before coming here so it's not something he'd likely oppose. On the other hand it wouldn't surprise me if he opted to go back to Russia. Then again, he never played in the KHL and with the situation in Russia, Adirondack might seem to be just fine. I also think he would get time in Utica.

7) Aarne Talvitie - It's no secret that becoming an RFA has led Aarne to make a career decision. There is no place for him in NA after the result of his injury finally determined that his game just isn't good enough. Having scored a paltry 3 goals and 14 points over 58 games is not satisfactory to him. Forget what NJ and the Utica brass thinks about it. He will return to Finland and play at home for as long as they find his game acceptable.
I respect the total effort he gave the Comets every time he stepped onto the the ice. No one worked harder regardless of the lack of production. He was a 2-way player and gave it everything he had. Good luck to you back home, Aarne. I only hope your replacement works as hard.

Next up the UFAs in Part V of post season thoughts.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

It would have been nice if they were able to attract some FAs to fill in the holes at center but so far they only signed Quinnipiac’s bottom 6 center TJ Friedman.

Before everyone jumps in saying FAs don’t matter, in contrast, Florida added:
BU’s Wilmer Skoog
Ohio State’s Jake Wise
U of N Dakota’s Mark Senden
Quinnipiac’s 2nd line center Skylar Brind’Amour

That’s a lot center depth to add to their minors just with NCAA signings. Must be nice.

Depends on what you're trying to achieve with an AHL affiliate.

If the goal is to win Calder Cups than loading up on FA's makes a lot of sense.

If you're trying to be successful while developing players it would seem the Devils/Utica are on the right path.

The more free agents that are signed the less opportunity (and ice time) there is for the players looking to contribute at the NHL level.

Seems like New Jersey has a nice balance of competitive AHL veterans with legitimate prospects.

 

[tailfins]

Depends on what you're trying to achieve with an AHL affiliate.

If the goal is to win Calder Cups than loading up on FA's makes a lot of sense.

If you're trying to be successful while developing players it would seem the Devils/Utica are on the right path.

The more free agents that are signed the less opportunity (and ice time) there is for the players looking to contribute at the NHL level.

Seems like New Jersey has a nice balance of competitive AHL veterans with legitimate prospects.

Except that the Devils didn’t slot prospects in at center.

People would be happy if the Devils signed some college FAs. Those guys could be prospects for bottom six roles.

The problem is leaving gaps in the roster and not having a plan of how they’ll be filled. That doesn’t seem like it helps anyone.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Seeing as center is not likely to be an organizational need for the foreseeable future the situation in Utica hardly seems pressing. I'd imagine it will be addressed this summer.

 

[TF1970]

is holtz still waiver exempt next season?

 

[UticaHockey]

is holtz still waiver exempt next season?

Per Cap Friendly Holtz will not require waivers until the beginning of the 2025-26 season or after he plays 132 more NHL games....which ever comes first.

 

[TF1970]

Per Cap Friendly Holtz will not require waivers until the beginning of the 2025-26 season or after he plays 132 more NHL games....which ever comes first.

Ah - was curious just with regards to the likelihood of him being in the NHL next season vs. back in Utica.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Haven't seen it mentioned anywhere.

Have any Comets joined the Devils as so-called Black Aces?

 

[nugg]

Haven't seen it mentioned anywhere.

Have any Comets joined the Devils as so-called Black Aces?

#NEWS: We have added the following players to our 2023 Stanley Cup Playoff Roster:

Forwards: Graeme Clarke, Nolan Foote, Brian Halonen, Alexander Holtz, and Tyce Thompson

Defensemen: Simon Nemec and Topias Vilen

Goaltender: Nico Daws

 

[Guttersniped]

Seeing as center is not likely to be an organizational need for the foreseeable future the situation in Utica hardly seems pressing. I'd imagine it will be addressed this summer.

It’s very much an organizational need. You need to look at the prospect pool, ELCs and RFAs to judge the depth at a position.

We’re currently struggling with center depth in NJ, we don’t have a real 3C (a common problem but it’s hurting us now).

UFAs or short term contracts (Haula, Lazar) don’t factor in here.

And signing FAs would have been a way to address it, that’s when these players are available. I gave an example of Florida, who picked up a bunch of centers that would have been very useful for us.

We need to do better with FA signings. There’s still players available so we can still do something but we struck out so far.

If want to continue to be a successful team then have to do better with that, it’s something they need to work on.

 

[My3Sons]

It’s very much an organizational need. You need to look at the prospect pool, ELCs and RFAs to judge the depth at a position.

We’re currently struggling with center depth in NJ, we don’t have a real 3C (a common problem but it’s hurting us now).

Really? Don’t make me break out the trope.

 

[tailfins]

Really? Don’t make me break out the trope.

She did say "a real 3C"

 

[Bad Goalie]

Post season thoughts
Part V.
The free agents:

1) Robbie Russo - Robbie has been the 2nd half of the Comets veteran duo on D along with Wotherspoon. For 2 seasons they have been the foundation upon which the Comets have built their Defense corps. In 2 seasons Russo has missed a total of 3 regular season games. Wotherspoon had some injury problems in '21-22, but this season only missed 6 games due to 2 call-ups to N.J. They have taken young kids under their tutelage and helped them grow into competent professional D-men. Bahl and OK would be good examples. Vukojevic and Groleau have been coming along under Russo's watchful eye this past season while Nemec has been Wotherspoon's main charge for the season.

They both contribute to the offense while being defense first D-men. Russo puts up more on the offensive side. He was #6 in scoring in '21-22 on a team rife with offensive talent up front. He slipped to #11 this season, but that was only 6 points lower than #6 Nemec and 7 less than #s 4 and 5 Gambardella and Schmelzer on an offensively challenged team up front. What a difference a year made. No effort was made to fill in some of the gaps left by Holtz, Zetterlund, Greer, and DeLeo.

The question now is what will happen with Robbie. Will NJ want to bring him back? He was paid $320K this season. It was a raise of $40K over his previous season. His point totals were comparable. His +/- slipped notably, but considering the poor defensive play of the forwards it was to be expected (Wotherspoon's +26 in '21-22 fell off the cliff to +9). He would have to receive another raise. They know what they have with him and they have to recognize the job he's done.

His cohort Wotherspoon is signed for next year. Tyler turned 30 in March and Robbie turned 30 in February. They're age is fine. Robbie plays the right side and Tyler the left making 2 pairs dependable. Should Walsh be re-signed, and I see no reason why he won't, that gives the Comets a very solid core once again. The rest of the D is left oriented while Walsh and Russo play the right side.

On the other hand what does Robbie want to do? He's from Illinois although I don't have any idea if he has put down any roots there or anywhere else for that matter. Does he think he can do better financially somewhere else? That would be a risk that's not necessary to take if the Devils want to bring him back. The corps next season will not be as experienced as the group they were bringing back this year. All AHL teams need solid veteran d-men to stabilize their defense.

All we can do now is wait and see.

2) - Mason Geertsen - Mason apparently was signed by NJ this past season for the purpose of playing with the Comets. He was paid $300K for his services. The question with Mason is twofold. Is NJ interested in keeping him on to serve the same purpose. I will say the Comets were not involved in a lot of fisticuffs this season. Mason led the team in penalties with 136 minutes. Laberge on an AHL contract was not averse to dropping the gloves either, but his 47 minutes don't compare. The point is that not many guys were interested in taking them on. I mean that's par for the course in the AHL right now. Lots of yapping, pushing, and "Why I oughtas" but not any further in most cases. He was a much better defenseman than a forward because not only did he
clear the crease, but his presence did deter camping out in the crease in the first place.

The second part of the question is whether or not he thinks he can do better for himself with another franchise. Can he get a deal with someone that will land him on an NHL roster? He's played 8 years of professional hockey and only N.J gave him a season in the NHL and he has never played a game for anyone else other than that season. Thus, I don't think any NHL team is going to fill that order.

Another wait and see.

3) Joe Gambardella - Joe is a heart and soul kind of player. He set the tone for how one should play the game. He was a driving force for most of the season, but the last 25 games or so he seemed to have lost a step and his passes were not as sharp. His shot lost its zip and he wasn't as effective on the boards. Putting it simply Joe wasn't Joe. I have to believe he was playing at less than 100%, but he put himself out there every night anyways. This was his 2nd season of a 2-yr deal. He was paid $320K for his services. He's a New York boy so I don't think he'd mind coming back. It's all up to the Devils. I can only say he would be missed if the normal Joe could came back.

Still another wait and see.

4) Jayce Hawryluk - Jayce came to Utica from Ottawa for futures. That means he was of little value to the Senators. He had a horrible time trying to get across the border. He was acquired on 3/10 and it was 4/1 before the Comets could get him into the lineup. He had an assist the 1st game. He played in all 7 games remaining in the regular season. He recorded 2 goals and an assist. In the playoffs he played all 6 games and put up 6 assists.

He turned 27 on Jan/1. He's got plenty of hockey left in him if it's good. It will be his 8th professional season. He's played 98 NHL games and 174 AHL games to go along with 39 in the SHL. His AHL #s are better than adequate at .61 PPG. He's a prototype pest that can play hockey. He's been penalized 230 minutes in his 174 AHL GP. He was his pest self during his short time here, but his penalty time was negligible in the 7 regular season games, 4 mins, and 2 mins in 6 Playoff games.

Based upon the season before he got here, I would think he'd be glad to get a contract. He was only getting $170K in Belleville before they traded him here for nothing. If he could maintain his AHL play, he would be a good acquisition on the cheap.

Oh, well. Wait and See.

5) Brian Pinho - Brian signed a 2-way contract with NJ paying him $325K. He scored 8 goals in the first 13 games. It was 46 games later when he got #9 and 4 games after that he got #10. That production was not worth $325K!!!!!!!!!! NO? compare:

Clarke - 25 Goals > $70k
Foote - 20 Goals > $70k
Halonen - 17 Goals > $80k
Stevens - 15 G > AHL contract

Besides his low production, he was an unsuccessful forechecker, back checker, and penalty killer.
I would not re-sign this guy. There's a lot more talent out there who will give you a better game than Brian did.

I will operate on the notion that he won't be back when I put together a list of those who will.

Next up
Part VI
The AHL guys

As of this moment only 2 of these guys have contracts for the up coming season.

1) Captain Ryan Schmelzer will return. He is a center. He is at best a #3 and with good centers he's #4, which was the case in '21-22. He has been a #1 or #2 for a majority of this season. Just look at the wings he's centered. Most of the time they are guys we would consider Top 6. Dineen often placed top wings on all 3 lines to hopefully get scoring. Schmelzer is as hard working as any hockey player and one of the top workers on this team. His Achilles is he cannot score in spite of several great chances every night including a host of breakaway chances throughout the season. He finished with 6 goals, but finished tied for 4th in scoring with Gambardella. The guy set up his wings all season long, but with their low scoring achievements he only recorded 29 assists. Only Clarke and Walsh #s 1 and 2 in scoring had more.

He is signed for next season and will likely still be the captain. Hopefully for the sake of the team he will be #3 or 4. Meaning much better scoring centers with the same kind of passing skill will surpass his totals and he will be as pleased as can be.

2) Nolan Stevens - Nolan will turn 27 in July. He has played 5 years of professional hockey. He's only had 1 other season to compare to the one he just finished. Thatwas in the 2019-20 season with AHL San Antonio. He had 9G/22A/31Pts in 50GP.

This season was similar in points, but he made a big jump in the scoring department. He scored 15 goals and added 18 assists for 33 points in 48 GP. Nolan is injury prone. 59/50/27/53/48 GP in his 5 seasons.
He was pushed up the ladder in terms of his position at center. Pinho never panned out. Talvitie is a #4 at best and he DID his best at that spot. Hutchison wasn't going to excel above the bottom 6.
Schmelzer was a #3/4 pushed just like Stevns into roles neither should have been asked to play. When that's all you've got and apparently you don't have permission to look for anything better you put the pegs into the holes they fit best. Dineen failed miserably with Pinho and Thompson attempting to play the #1 spot. At times as the season progressed we saw Pinho centering the likes of Parent and Hawryluk/ Ibragimov and Thompson, Ibragimov and Parent,, Engaras and Senyshyn. Pinho also showed up on the wing where he belonged in the first place.

Stevens got similar duty. Gambardella and Clarke, Clarke and Johnsson, Geertsen and Halonen, Geertsen and Clarke, Laberge and Halonen, Parent and Hawryluk.

It went on game after game. evry game new line mates or same linemates with 3 differenmt centers in consecutive games. Dineen never seem ed to have any idea who should play with whom. it was like he was always looking for the magic bullet, but the continual pull the lineup out of the hat was probably more harm than help.We saw guys apparently fed up with the mickey mouse rearranging trying to do it on their own.
Clarke turned into a once I have it no one else is going to get it until I lose it, which became a common event.
Stevens started to copy him.
Walsh enacted a very poor copy of Bobby Orr
More tried the same.
It was terrible.
Dineen eventually squashed that nonsense, but the team by that point had difficulty completing more than 2 passes in any sequence right through the playoffs.

If Stevens can be re-signed for the express purpose of playing #3 or 4 center depending upon how he and Schmelzer are going, I might do it. On the other hand if a proven better and more productive AHL center is available, I'd sign him. If a UFA NCAA or unsigned Jr with good skills comes along I might take a flier on them to come to camp and prove their value. Centers are a must this season if the Powers that be want their wings to succeed. It was obvious that the lack the top 2 centers haunted this team from game 1 through the playoffs. It also killed their PP, # 32 in the AHL. Skilled centers have to be employed next season or the top wing prospects will have seasons below their expected production once again.

3) Xavier Parent - The X-man was signed to a 2-yr AHL deal and was expected to be a full-time Adirondack Thunder with a call-up a possibility. All he did was put up PPG numbers with
23G/28A/51Pts. He played 14 games for the Comets in 3 different calll-ups.

He got his 1st goal on his 2nd call-up. It came during game the CometsOn his third call-up he stayed with the club until they were elimnated from the playoffs.
He was recalled on 2/29 and played in the Comets games #53, #54, and #55. He recorder his 1st AHL point with an assist in the Comets 4-1 win over Belleville in Gmae #53. He scored his first AHL goal in Game #55 in a 6-4 victory over the Syracuse Crunch. He was sent back to Adirondack.

We could see this 5' nothing kid had talent, but he was still figuring out how to fit into the faster, more physical, higher skilled game.

His final recall was on 3/21. He would remain with the Comets until they lost out in the playoffs. He would be on sight and on the game day roster for game #61 on 3/24. He would play in 8 of the Comets final 11 games. He would score 2 more goals and record 2 more assists. That means in 14 games played with the Comets he recorded 3 goals and 3 assists.

He was 21 and playing his 1st season of professional hockey after an extra year of Jrs and not being drafted. He attended NJ's camp and was signed to an AHL contract after an impressive showing in Jersey.

He found himself on the Comets game day roster for 5 of the 6 playoff games. All he did was score 3 goals and add an assist. His 3 goals tied him for 2nd with Schmelzer and Talvitie, 1 behind the leader. Walsh with 4. These names give you a serious explanation as to why the Comets didn't do better in the playoffs. When an AHL contracted center known to not score goals (6 on the season), Talviitie who had 3 on the season, and a rookie call-up in the final weeks of the season all score more goals than any other forwards on the team, you have your answer.

Xavier assisted on Laberge's OT winner to eliminate Laval.
He scored the 3rd goal after which the Comets would blow the 3-0 lead and eventually fall to Toronto 6-5 in not in game 1.
He scored Utica's only goal in game 4, a 4-1 loss to the Marlies eliminating them from the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs.

This kid figured it out. He is a successful forechecker. He back checks like a demon. He can carry the puck and get into the offensive zone with it. That was a problem all season for the Comets forwards. They couldn't do it. This little dynamo goes to the net front and takes the beating to get scoring chances. That's another negative trait of the '22-23 Comets. Of all the wings to play for the Comets only Foote, Gambardella, and Halonen know where the net front is and went there consistently.

My prediction is he will be a Comet when they break camp next season.

4) Sam Laberge - Sam is a consistent hard working, grinding, physical forward with a hard shot (when he takes it). Sam battled injuries all season and only played 43 games as result. He scored 8 goals and added 8 assists for 16 points.

He is unsigned. If they want to sign him to another AHL contract as a 4th line grinder or depth forward, I wouldn't object.

5) Nick Hutchison - Sorry Nick, but the game has passed you by. You gave your all, but this team needed productive centers and you were on the bottom of that group.
He was scratched on and off during his active time. He started to show a little spark before leaving with an injury on 2/22 never to return again.

In 3 years of professional hockey he has payed 82 ECHL games and 63 AHL games. His AHL game has been weak with 16Pts in 63GP.
The AHL has a lot of UFA players and a whole lot of them will be better than Nick. 4G/5A/9Pts in 31 GP.

Next up - Part VII
The newbies

 

[Bad Goalie]

Post season thoughts
Part VII
The newbies

The following players have contracts for next season. Only Vilen played a game this season and that was game 3 of the Toronto series played in Utica.

1) Topias Vilen - 20-yr-old, 6'1"/194 lb LD from Finland. He was 2021 5th Rd selection (#129) of the NJ Devils.
He has played 127 games in the Liiga. Those games will be applied to his professional games played when the AHL determines a player's veteran status. It's no problem right now.
In his single game in Utica, which I observed, he had good straight ahead speed. Right off the bat his nerves showed as the 1st time he touched the puck he looked up ice and passed the puck directly to a Marlie just outside the blue line. He got it together and was adequate in the ice time he got. His most impressive moment was when he caught up to a Marlie breaking in on Nico Daws. That Marlie had the whole neutral zone head start and Vilen broke up the play from behind just before he took his shot. Thus, my comment on his straight ahead speed.

Would have to see him over the course of several games before making any kind of assessment of his game. The Comets as a whole were poor defensively that night

2) Santeri Hatakka - 22-yr-old, 6'1" 192 lb LD from Finland (will turn 23 on Jan/15/2024). He was a 2019 round 6 (#184) by the San Jose Sharks.

He has played 1 full season in the San Jose system, 9 NHL-2A/41 AHL- 3/9. This past season he played 8 games with AHL San Jose (2A) and was injured and didn't play another game.
He was acquired by NJ in the Meier trade. NJ assigned him to Utica and he has been on the roster listed as injured from that point.

Next season will, in reality, be his 2nd professional season. I would guess the 2022-23 season will slide as injury limited his season to 8 games. Either way the new season will still see him on an ELC.
We have nothing to assess anything. He is to us, a rookie.

3) Danill Misyul - 6'3"/176 lb LD from Belarus, who will turn 23 on 10/20. He was a 2019 round 3 (#70) of the NJ Devils. He has played 184 games in the KHL over 5 seasons. He is 77 games from being classified as Veteran Exempt. With the AHL paying 72 game seasons that will give him 2 seasons in which he is free of Veteran status. His KHL offensive numbers are poor to say the least 21 Pts in 184 GP. I have nothing to make an opinion on other than statistics and the opinions of those from the NJ site who have actually seen him play. My most trusted poster on this subject is @Guadana. He has been high on this kid so I'm of the opinion he will be a good player. That's where it ends. My own assessment will come from his play in Utica.

My biggest concern is whether or not he has the European escape clause that so many players from Europe have in their contract. If they don't make the AHL team, they escape the AHL and return to Europe. Hatakka has already moved past that and Vilen says he has no issues playing in the AHL.

These 3 defenders, all on the left side, will be in competition for top 6 status. Wotherspoon Vukojevic, Groleau, Hatakka, Vilen, and Misyul are in competition for the starting 3 left spots. They won't be the only defenders to get a look either. There are always free agents given a look and who knows what NJ will do in off season trades that might result in another D-man or 2 in the Utica camp.

There are 2 new forwards we know will be on hand.

4) Chase Stillman - 20-yr-old, 6'1"/185 lb RW fresh out of the OHL. He was a 2021 1st Round selection (#29) of the NJ Devils. He is not a favorite of the NJ fan base, particularly those on HF Boards. We know he is guy who plays with a lot of energy and in the AHL that will mean being a real pest. Utica could use a couple of those types. They had, and hopefully will retain, Jayce Hawryluk who is very good at that task. His 29 points in '21-22 and 48 in '22-23 are inferior to the kind of production #1 selections usually come with. All that can be hoped for is that his work ethic can lead to a very strong NHL bottom 6 player. He'll get to put that theory to work in Utica next season. If it doesn't happen, he will play out his ELC and be let go.

5) TJ Friedmann - An undrafted 25-yr-old, 6'2/181 lb 5-yr NCAA Quinnipiac graduate student. I keep reading postd that say he is a center. The Quinnipiac roster lists him as a forward. Eliteprospects lists him as a RW. HockeyDB lists him as a RW. The Comets announced they signed forward TJ Friedmann. The Hockey News Network in St. Louis lists him as a RW. I guess we'll wait to see where DiNeen pencils him in. I hope he learned his lesson and won't try to force the square peg into the round hole for game after game a fter game all season as he did with Brian Pinho. If thie kid shows center isn't it . get him out on the wing. Adirondack is also a possibility if he can't crack the Utica roster. It helped Xavier Parent as he went PPG with the Thunder and made his way onto the Utica roster over the course of the last 13 games and 5 of the 6 playoffs. Some time in the ECHL for those not guaranteed anything can sometimes be very valuable.

The Comets roster is unsettled at this time and after this season not many are guaranteed to be back particularly those on AHL contracts.


Coming up
My thoughts on who WILL be playing in Utica next season as well as those most likely.
Part VIII

 

[Guadana]

3) Danill Misyul - 6'3"/176 lb LD from Belarus, who will turn 23 on 10/20. He was a 2019 round 3 (#70) of the NJ Devils. He has played 184 games in the KHL over 5 seasons. He is 77 games from being classified as Veteran Exempt. With the AHL paying 72 game seasons that will give him 2 seasons in which he is free of Veteran status. His KHL offensive numbers are poor to say the least 21 Pts in 184 GP. I have nothing to make an opinion on other than statistics and the opinions of those from the NJ site who have actually seen him play. My most trusted poster on this subject is @Guadana. He has been high on this kid so I'm of the opinion he will be a good player. That's where it ends. My own assessment will come from his play in Utica.

I`m not a fan of his gamae with the puck. In defensive zone too. But he was competent without the puck in defensive zone. Will se how things will go.

 

[Bad Goalie]

VIII.
What will the Comets look like next year?

We don't really know the answer to that question, but minus a trade there are some pieces that will feed into that answer.

Up Front -
1) Ryan Schmelzer (C)- Comets captain signed a 2-yr AHL deal last off season. He will be back. His best spot is #3/4 center. He is a set up man, but his speed hurts if he is forced to play Top 6. He did that a lot this pas season. He managed to score 6 goals and added 29 assists for 35 points. On a low scoring team those stats earned him a tie for 4th in team scoring with Joe Gambardella. He actually put up 3 more points than he recorded in '21-22. (AHL contract $?)

2) Brian Halonen (LW/RW) - Brian has another year remaining on his 2-yr ELC. He stared slowly, but eventually became a steady performer and had scored 17 goals with 16 assists before experiencing appendicitis requiring surgery after game #62 (3/24/23). He would return to action on the first game of the playoffs on 4/19/23, 26 days later. He had 1 goal and 1 assist. Watching him, I'd have to say he was rusty and did not come back playing as well as he was before his medical issue. Hopefully, he can grow off the season he was having and have an even better season if he can stay healthy. 17G/13A/30Pts 57GP. ($80K)

3) Xavier Parent (LW) - Xavier signed a 2-yr AHL contract before last season after a good camp in NJ on a PTO invite. He played most of the season in ECHL Adirondack recording 51Pts in 50 GP. He played 14 games for the Comets including 8 of the last11. He scored 3G and added 3A for 6Pts.
He then played 5 of the six playoff games and recorded 3 goals and 1 assist. (AHL contract $?)

4) Chase Stillman (RW) - He will begin his pro career in Utica. Hope he's ready to try and play his best and forget where he was drafted. Based on past performance he is not going to be a high scoring 1st round star. He has to play his type of game and make himself a very useful part of his new team. ($80K)

That's it for absolute '23-24 Comets forwards.

My guess for probably.

5) Tyce Thompson (RW)- His season has not earned him anything in NJ. Expect him to start here and will have to be a top scoring forward to get a call from NJ. (CapFriendly says $775K)

6) Graeme Clarke - (RW) In spite of being #1 in scoring with Utica this past season (25G/33A/58Pts), I don't believe he will dent the Devils' lineup. He has to be a top 6 forward. He lacks everything necessary to play lower at this junction of his career. This is what cost Holtz this past season in NJ. Holtz is a much better player than Clarke and it doesn't take much to see that. He has to improve in the rest of the game. He doesn't have a magic scoring touch that would allow an NHL team to play him just for his scoring. I'm also pretty sure he won't put up points like that up there either. Last year of his ELC. ($70K)

Aleander Holtz ($80K)
Nolan Foote ($70K)
These 2 guys are still on ELCs. The Devils probably keep at least 1 of these 2 It will first depend upon their decisions on Tatar, Haula, and Wood.
Then they have the Bratt/Meier big contracts to deal with.
Boqvist, Sharangovich, Bastian, McLeod also have to get qualifying offers. the Meier /Bratt contracts if both get signed will detrmine how much they can afford to offer these guys. Things will get tight and Holtz and Foote on ELCs are cheap. Holtz actually has 2 more years on an ELC

RFA's - Require a qualifying offer.
Timur Ibragimov - I don't think they spend a contract on this guy. It won't be beneficial to the team as he is nothing better than depth. He is it for forwards needing a qualifying offer. ($?)

UFA forwards.
Note there are no centers above and there are none with UFA status.
Talvitie is going back to Finland
Pinho if re-signed (which I would vote against) he should play RW. ($325K) That salary says
BYE-BYE to me.
Hawryluk (LW)was on a $750K/$150K 2-way contract when acquired from Ottawa. He is worth the $150K, but I don't think NJ offers him the 2-way. They could give him the $150K easily to play in Utica on an AHL deal.
Geertsen (LD/LW) is up to the Devils. he can help the Comets, but is not instrumental in their success if they let him go for a Center. ($300K)
Gambardella (LW) is not known to be more than a .5 PPG player and he has done that in both seasons here. He is a heart and soul guy and a real leader. He is from New York State so he is close to home. If he'd like to stay, I'd bring him back. ($320K)
With a good center he would work out great with him and a guy like Clarke (RW) or Holtz (RW).

Foote or #1 LW / #1C/ Holtz or Clarke if Holtz is gone
Gambardella/#2C/ Clarke or #2RW if Clarke moves up
Halonen / Schmelzer/ Thompson (He's not better than the 2 above him and he has to earn a better spot
Hawryluk/ #4 C/ Stillman (He has to earn his way up the order)

Parent is #1 right side depth forward.
Stevens could be the #4 center
Laberge could be the #1 left side forward.
Both Laberge and Parent have played both sides.

Geertsen is a LD/LW. He is not an offensive forward and with the number of LD in camp some will be in Adirondack. Not sure there is room for him. If Foote is NJ, Geertsen is not a replacement. Would guess they still, have to sign a real good LW and Hawryluk would go for Geertsen.

They need to spend money for a #1C, a #2C, and a historically good scoring AHL wing. Pinho's exit pays for 1 of them. The remainder of this forward roster is really cheap.

On D after Wotherspoon and Ruuso or facsimile every D-man is on an ELC.

Defense -
Wotherspoon (LD) returns/has to clear waivers
Vukojevic (LD) is signed (ELC)
Hatakka (LD) is signed (ELC)
Vilen (LD) is signed (ELC)
Misyul (LD) has signed (ELC)

Nemec (RD) is signed (ELC) It's not determined where he will be (AHL/NHL)

Groleau (LD) (RFA)
Walsh (RD) (RFA)
I think both will get a qualifying offer. However with the line of LDs Groleau may become expendable unless he can play the right side which he did when Nemec was at the World Jrs..

Russo (RD) (UFA) would have to clear waivers)

If Nemec is in NJ and Russo doesn't get re-signed the Comets would be in dire starits for right side d-men

Goal -
Both goalies (Daws and Brennan) will be on ELCs and become the Comets tandem with Daws as #1 unless the Devils get a vet to play with Daws and let Brennan start in Adirondack. The 2nd option is the better of the 2. Brennan will turn 20 on 9/27/23, just before the season opens. Wouldn't hurt to let him get his feet wet in the ECHL. With 4 guys in the NHL/AHL callups will give Brennan his share of time in Utica.

 

[UticaHockey]

Post season thoughts
Part VII
The newbies

The following players have contracts for next season. Only Vilen played a game this season and that was game 3 of the Toronto series played in Utica.

1) Topias Vilen - 20-yr-old, 6'1"/194 lb LD from Finland. He was 2021 5th Rd selection (#129) of the NJ Devils.
He has played 127 games in the Liiga. Those games will be applied to his professional games played when the AHL determines a player's veteran status. It's no problem right now.
In his single game in Utica, which I observed, he had good straight ahead speed. Right off the bat his nerves showed as the 1st time he touched the puck he looked up ice and passed the puck directly to a Marlie just outside the blue line. He got it together and was adequate in the ice time he got. His most impressive moment was when he caught up to a Marlie breaking in on Nico Daws. That Marlie had the whole neutral zone head start and Vilen broke up the play from behind just before he took his shot. Thus, my comment on his straight ahead speed.

Would have to see him over the course of several games before making any kind of assessment of his game. The Comets as a whole were poor defensively that night

2) Santeri Hatakka - 22-yr-old, 6'1" 192 lb LD from Finland (will turn 23 on Jan/15/2024). He was a 2019 round 6 (#184) by the San Jose Sharks.

He has played 1 full season in the San Jose system, 9 NHL-2A/41 AHL- 3/9. This past season he played 8 games with AHL San Jose (2A) and was injured and didn't play another game.
He was acquired by NJ in the Meier trade. NJ assigned him to Utica and he has been on the roster listed as injured from that point.

Next season will, in reality, be his 2nd professional season. I would guess the 2022-23 season will slide as injury limited his season to 8 games. Either way the new season will still see him on an ELC.
We have nothing to assess anything. He is to us, a rookie.

3) Danill Misyul - 6'3"/176 lb LD from Belarus, who will turn 23 on 10/20. He was a 2019 round 3 (#70) of the NJ Devils. He has played 184 games in the KHL over 5 seasons. He is 77 games from being classified as Veteran Exempt. With the AHL paying 72 game seasons that will give him 2 seasons in which he is free of Veteran status. His KHL offensive numbers are poor to say the least 21 Pts in 184 GP. I have nothing to make an opinion on other than statistics and the opinions of those from the NJ site who have actually seen him play. My most trusted poster on this subject is @Guadana. He has been high on this kid so I'm of the opinion he will be a good player. That's where it ends. My own assessment will come from his play in Utica.

My biggest concern is whether or not he has the European escape clause that so many players from Europe have in their contract. If they don't make the AHL team, they escape the AHL and return to Europe. Hatakka has already moved past that and Vilen says he has no issues playing in the AHL.

These 3 defenders, all on the left side, will be in competition for top 6 status. Wotherspoon Vukojevic, Groleau, Hatakka, Vilen, and Misyul are in competition for the starting 3 left spots. They won't be the only defenders to get a look either. There are always free agents given a look and who knows what NJ will do in off season trades that might result in another D-man or 2 in the Utica camp.

There are 2 new forwards we know will be on hand.

4) Chase Stillman - 20-yr-old, 6'1"/185 lb RW fresh out of the OHL. He was a 2021 1st Round selection (#29) of the NJ Devils. He is not a favorite of the NJ fan base, particularly those on HF Boards. We know he is guy who plays with a lot of energy and in the AHL that will mean being a real pest. Utica could use a couple of those types. They had, and hopefully will retain, Jayce Hawryluk who is very good at that task. His 29 points in '21-22 and 48 in '22-23 are inferior to the kind of production #1 selections usually come with. All that can be hoped for is that his work ethic can lead to a very strong NHL bottom 6 player. He'll get to put that theory to work in Utica next season. If it doesn't happen, he will play out his ELC and be let go.

5) TJ Friedmann - An undrafted 25-yr-old, 6'2/181 lb 5-yr NCAA Quinnipiac graduate student. I keep reading postd that say he is a center. The Quinnipiac roster lists him as a forward. Eliteprospects lists him as a RW. HockeyDB lists him as a RW. The Comets announced they signed forward TJ Friedmann. The Hockey News Network in St. Louis lists him as a RW. I guess we'll wait to see where DiNeen pencils him in. I hope he learned his lesson and won't try to force the square peg into the round hole for game after game a fter game all season as he did with Brian Pinho. If thie kid shows center isn't it . get him out on the wing. Adirondack is also a possibility if he can't crack the Utica roster. It helped Xavier Parent as he went PPG with the Thunder and made his way onto the Utica roster over the course of the last 13 games and 5 of the 6 playoffs. Some time in the ECHL for those not guaranteed anything can sometimes be very valuable.

The Comets roster is unsettled at this time and after this season not many are guaranteed to be back particularly those on AHL contracts.


Coming up
My thoughts on who WILL be playing in Utica next season as well as those most likely.
Part VIII

Great write up BG. One point of clarification on the number of games played towards the AHL veteran limits. Games played in the European professional leagues by junior age players don't count towards the 260 or 320 game limits. None of the games that Vilen played in the Liiga should count against the AHL vet limits. The games that Misyul or Hatakka played when junior age should not count either. None of them will be close to AHL vets next season but deducting those junior age games played will help a couple of years down the road if they are still in the AHL.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Great write up BG. One point of clarification on the number of games played towards the AHL veteran limits. Games played in the European professional leagues by junior age players don't count towards the 260 or 320 game limits. None of the games that Vilen played in the Liiga should count against the AHL vet limits. The games that Misyul or Hatakka played when junior age should not count either. None of them will be close to AHL vets next season but deducting those junior age games played will help a couple of years down the road if they are still in the AHL.

Games played in all European major leagues count against the vet rules. Liiga is Finland's major league, SHL is Sweden's, KHL is Russia's. I didn't realize Jr aged players were exempt?

My Bad?

 

[My3Sons]

Games played in all European major leagues count against the vet rules. Liiga is Finland's major league, SHL is Sweden's, KHL is Russia's. I didn't realize Jr aged players were exempt?

My Bad?

Well you are the Bad Goalie…