UticaHockey
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Thompson is getting paid $775K to play on the 4th line with a couple of AHL contracted guys. Nice work if you can get it.
2023-24 Utica Comets and ECHL thread
- Thread starter NJDevs26
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Mgd31
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BurntToast
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Mgd31
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Jersey Fan 12
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- Nov 20, 2006
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Chateau Bow Wow. So there may be lingering resentment in the organization about the way he ended last season.Thompson is getting paid $775K to play on the 4th line with a couple of AHL contracted guys. Nice work if you can get it.
Jason MacIsaac
Registered User
This team has no offense, the forwards are just plungers. I also don't understand Foote on PP2.
I see 2 GP's?
Who else would play PP2?
But more importantly, imo, who is PK1 on D?
Mgd31
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UticaHockey
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Hatakka got hurt in game 2 in Toronto. He got hit near the Comets bench and for some reason the door wasn't secure and opened. He took exception to the hit and ended up with 4 minutes for roughing. If I remember correctly he served the penalties but never took another shift that game.
BurntToast
Registered User
I would consider Nemec and Hatakka the top call-up candidates (both on defense) and both are out. No hope of replacing Smith!
The Devils have some depth on offense but the A squad is rough..
The Devils have some depth on offense but the A squad is rough..
We seem to have zero depth on offense in Utica. I don't know that we have a single NHL player there.
To further emphasize that opinion. The Comets are playing with a total 13 forwards and that was only because Fitzgerald was activated for Saturday's game. The extra forward is Timur Ibragimov, who played the 1st 2 games and was immediately press boxed for Fitz. Fitz actually LOOKED like a guy who has only played a total of 17 hockey games since 2020-21 when he played a whopping 28 games. He has battled serious injury and his climb back to a respectable level of AHL competition won't be an easy one after 3 years of little play.
The forwards they have under contract and sent to ECHL Adirondack are not nearly as good as anyone they have in house. They have been using Engaras at center because the 2nd center NJ acquired for them couldn't get through practice without injury and is yet to play.
NJ has Halonen, but won't send him down until he is healthy. Nolan Foote is also there. Both were said to be ready, hopefully, by Thanksgiving.
The Comets had 8 D to start and they looked to be the Comets best players.
Then:
- Nemec went down in game 1 after striking his head/neck on the stanchion at the end of the Syracuse bench. He was said to be day to day and that was 10 days ago. The injury looked pretty bad so I'm not surprised.
- Hatakka went down in game 2 in Toronto. No word on his return.
- Cal Foote was called up today.
Result is as of this typing Utica has 5 healthy D-men. Don't know if one of Nemec or Hatakka will be ready for Friday's game in Syracuse.
I am on record as saying the Devils did not acquire enough numbers for an actual AHL roster. Check Jacob MacIsaac's comment above (post #232). He called the Comets a bunch of plungers. That's a new one to me, but I believe he was telling any one reading here that the team is offensively worse than last last year's goal starved team.
It is early on, but the ability to even threaten to score by most of the team has not been seen. They are currently in last place in the North Division.
- They have scored 6 goals in those 3 games and only 3 in the last 2.
- Of the 6 goals, Willman has 2.
- The last 2 games Dowling has assisted on all 3 of them. Problem is what's behind him. Like last season, there is a total absence of setup men.
- Schmelzer has already become #2 once again. He is a grinding, hard working, #3 type center who is not going to be setting up a whole lot of goals. He has scored 1 of the 6.
- Center Shane Bowers was acquired from Boston for Reilly Walsh. He's a .37 PPG Ahl player in 177 AHL GP. Thus far, he is pointless. Thompson was with him all 3 games. The other wing was Parent for the 1st game and then he was promoted to the first line with Dowling and Willman. Stillman the last 2 games and as Thompson was dropped to the 4th line Bowers and Stillman were joined by Fitzgerald. That's not exactly a strong 3rd line.
- However, Engaras has centered a line of Laberge and Ibragimov for games 1 & 2 and then Thompson joined that line in Ibragimov's spot. That is the 4th line.
Neither lines 3 or 4 are very impressive on paper and even less so on the ice. I have to say when/if we see Criscuolo, he should strengthen the top 3 no matter which of 2/3 he or Schmelzer centers.
Bowers will go to #4 for now and Engaras can eat popcorn. Tierney in that mix would move Bowers out of the middle.
- Clarke's lone goal came on a direct draw from Dowling and a shot by Graeme 4 seconds into the Comets only PP goal of the season out of 12 chances.
- The Comets' PP is clicking at an 8.3% rate. If you have ever played one of the old table top hockey games in which the players had a fixed slot they were attached to and they could go nowhere but that short straight ahead slot, then you have seen the Utica Comets PP. There is no play-making. They don't cause the PK to move at all. Perimeter passing, eventually one shot, and done It's pitiful.
@Jacob MacIsaac's plunger descritption would go hand in hand with mine. The team is a bunch of plumbers. I'm not sure how many of you use the term "quick hands" to decsribe one of a player's positive assets. The Comets, at the moment anyways, rarely demonstrate that trait. Put a puck between them and an opponent and the opponent get his stick on it first. It means the loose puck near the net front becomes a scoring chance for the opponent and a blocked shot, a deflected puck, or a slapped away puck for a shot that never was by the Comets in the opponent's end. It's the same case in gathering up loose pucks in open ice, along the boards, in a group struggle, or in scoring chances > they get the shot off, but it was so slow in happening that it becomes easy for the keeper to maka the save.
That's the next issue. They seem to match or out shoot their opponent. It's the quality of the shot that counts. They are not getting high quality chances and when they do, they hit the goalie, who doesn't have to move or makes a cherry picking glove save. The shots are not coming from the area mapped out from a line between the dots and then 2 straight lines from the dots to the goalline. That box is where the goals come from. The Comets don't get a whole lot of shots from that box. The quick hands often needed in that area aren't there to challenge the opponent.
Unlike last year, this team is winning a lot of draws. They are hitting their passes and receiving them without having to chase after the puck they couldn't handle. Once in the offensive zone it's a lengthy struggle of possession and failure to eventually get a shot before the puck is back out of the zone. I say struggle because they are so slow at making anything happen due to their straight line hockey and continually sending the puck back to the point because their lane is shut off. Nobody, except Dowling, is able to dangle at all. They beat the first guy in open ice but can't move past the 2nd one so a conflict occurs and the back pass or dump to the corner or end boards is their only out. They don't enter the O-zone with any kind of idea of what they are planning to do so we don't see give and gos, no weaving in and out back and forth by guys changing sides while moving towards the netfront, thus no passes to open guys coming into high danger zones created by the other 2 or even 3 moving the puck in and out of the scoring lanes causing the D to disrupt their positioning as they have to adjust to the guys moving the puck. You know, like their opponents do on every G D'd time up trhe ice!
They work their asses off to end up with a shot from the point at a goalie with no traffic in front, from the side boards for another easy stop (or it misses the net and starts the opponent's breakout), or top of the circle with the goalie standing right there with noone between him and the shooter > cherry picking time.
It's a hard working team without the skillsets to put the puck in the net. Seems like I've said that many times before, but seeing is believing.
I'm not convinced this is all on the players. These same issues existed all last season and he did nothing to change the systems to meet the skill level of his players.
"Well, they have to play the Devils' game" you say.
"Why?" I question.
"So they will be ready when the call comes!"
I bought into that in year 1 because the roster was full of prospects who were battling to make the big club. They scored a lot odf goals so their defensive lapses were overcome by answering those goals and then some. Bahl and Holtz are all that came from that roster. Foote may stay after he becomes healthy, but is it because he is so good, or because they might lose him on waivers, or because they are better off playing a homegrown product hoping he gets it instead of a veteran tweener like Tierney. Chris gets claimed and it's too bad, but he wasn't someone they had future hopes for. Maybe Foote gets it and becomes somewhat what they wanted from him?
You go throught the current Comets roster and you've got Nemec and a real longshot in Clarke and it's a lo-o-o-o-ng shot. Since that's the case, coach what you've got. This isn't a speed team with goal scoring skills. Nobody here except maybe a healthy Nemec is going to bring the crowd out of their seats with what they are doing with the puck or their feet or a combiation of both. This team will stand them up with a goal of any kind, a loud hit, a great save, a pure s**t call by a ref, or a fight.
Would actually like to see what this team could do with the best 18 players they could put on the ice when all are haealthy. The closest to that was the 4-3 OT loss on opening night and they were missing Criscuolo, who would have replace Engaras and Halonen who would have pushed Ibragimov out of the picture. Supposedly, that would have given them a #2 center and Halonen has an offensive touch that might just set up 3 lines that might start clicking. Don't know, but that would be the best this team can get unless one of Foote or Tierney are added to the mix.
Can't do anything more than watch and hope. If they don't get some punch, April is a long way from now.
Jason MacIsaac
Registered User
I'm not concerned about losing Nolan Foote to waivers, coming off a long-term injury in a league where a lot of teams are operating on short rosters. At present there's 11 teams who could not fit him in, and that number likely grows as the season wears on.
Mgd31
Registered User
I think your original point still stands though.
It's bleak for sure. As excited as we are about some of our prospect pipelines, the glaring lack of NHL prospects at forward in Utica is disconcerting. Our best forward prospects are in Europe, Juniors, or College. Filmon, Gritsyuk, etc. I don't think Clarke or Thompson are real NHL prospects at this point. Nolan Foote is a maybe. Stillman is a maybe.
The defense is good in Utica. Some legitimate NHL prospects - Nemec, obviously, but also Misyul, Vilen, Hattaka. Cal Foote has been an NHL player.
But Brennan getting beat out by Poulter and Kallgren was disappointing in goal, as neither Poulter nor Kallgren are NHL goalies. Daws is still a prospect.
But outside of the D there are no NHL top 2 line players (or #1 goalies). Scary.
The defense is good in Utica. Some legitimate NHL prospects - Nemec, obviously, but also Misyul, Vilen, Hattaka. Cal Foote has been an NHL player.
But Brennan getting beat out by Poulter and Kallgren was disappointing in goal, as neither Poulter nor Kallgren are NHL goalies. Daws is still a prospect.
But outside of the D there are no NHL top 2 line players (or #1 goalies). Scary.
You hit the nail on the head when you suggested that any forward prospects of note are not playing in the AHL. Gritsyuk and Filmon and Hameenaho are all legit prospects so the cupboard isn’t completely bare but it is diffuse.
I don't think the organization ever wanted to put Brennan in Utica; he didn't have a great year in the W, and better for him to stay with Adirondack all year if possible. He would've had to have an incredible summer + camp to get promoted to Utica.
Jason MacIsaac
Registered User
I like it, what's worse then pluggers...damn plungers.
The Comets made 2 roster adjustments today.
Filip Engaras was returned to ECHL Adirondack. Can only assume that means Kyle Criscuolo is ready to make his debut.
Colin Felix was recalled from ECHL Adirondack. He is a RD. I think that must mean with Foote in NJ, he will play the right side with Russo and if Nemec still can't go LD Vukojevic will be the 3rd RD as he was on Saturday. That's not a strong trio when you consider it should be Russo with Nemec and Foote. Felix is 24 and this would be his 2nd AHL game.
Filip Engaras was returned to ECHL Adirondack. Can only assume that means Kyle Criscuolo is ready to make his debut.
Colin Felix was recalled from ECHL Adirondack. He is a RD. I think that must mean with Foote in NJ, he will play the right side with Russo and if Nemec still can't go LD Vukojevic will be the 3rd RD as he was on Saturday. That's not a strong trio when you consider it should be Russo with Nemec and Foote. Felix is 24 and this would be his 2nd AHL game.
Jersey Fan 12
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- Nov 20, 2006
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Tend to disagree. Whether right or wrong, NHL clubs are generally bypassing the AHL with their top prospects. J. Hughes, Mercer and Hischier all skipped the league while Holtz played just one season.
Rightly or wrongly, clubs are leaving development to junior, college or Europe (I'd imagine finance plays a big factor in this strategy).
With the number of forwards on the Devils' reserve list wouldn't be too concerned.
The AHL has become a place for AAAA players capable of playing lower line roles or filling spots when injuries occur.
The days of Lou U no longer seem to apply.
Well, that does have merit, JF12. It bums me out though, because we know injuries happen and rosters aren't always what we want from them.
- Apr 20, 2005
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