Devils make first big cut.
Already reassigned to Utica were:
Andre Ghantous
Kevin O'Neil
Jace Isley
Tag Bertuzzi
Added to the list:
Jeremy Brodeur
Isaac Poulter
Justin Dowling
Filip Engaras
Joe Gambardella
Brian Halonen
Mike Hardman
Sam Laberge
Nathan Legare
Jack Malone
Xavier Parent
Ryan Schmelzer
Chase Stillman
Max Willman
Daniil Misyul
Will MacKinnon
Mikael Diotte
Jackson van de Leest
My thoughts on still to come:
Topias Vilen (injured)
Josh Filmon (injured)
Adam Beckman (injured)
Injured can't be sent down until game ready.
1 of Santeri Hatakka or Nick DeSimone
Shane Bowers
Colton White
Maybes:
The followig are on NJ PTOS.
It will be up to NJ to either sign or release them. If signed it will be up to NJ to decide whether to waive and send to Utica or keep. Zboril would be sent to Utica.
Kevin Lebanc - I believe he's the only one NJ might keep.
Jakub Zboril - I think they just might sign and send this guy to Utica due to how thin the Comets are on D.
Andy Welinski - I think he gets released.
The Devils currently have 14 forwards on their roster and Foote is not 1 of them.
They currently have 10 D-men. Zboril and Welinski will not remain there.
Hatakka is on Utica's list, but he is injured, as is Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce. So in reality at the moment the Devils have 7 healthy D-men counting Casey.
The Comets currently only have 4 health D-men in town and one of them is van de Leest and we saw enough of him last season to know he is no better than depth. White should be returned before opening day and hopefully Vilen is ready. That would still make only 6 and there are no more until something happens in NJ to free up one of Hatakka or DeSimone.
Look for Adirondack stand ins to be on the roster to start the season. What a shit show when before things got going the D was to be the Comets strong point. It looked like Colton White might actually be the team's 6/7.
The problem with the guys beyond Bowers and Foote is that Lebanc, Zboril and possibly Bastian (I doubt it) are of AHL Veteran status and the Comets already have 4. Only 5 can play at one time.
So, Utica will have 2 good keepers, no #1 center (AGAIN!!!!!!!!!) and that's with Engaras being #4, and a weak D to kick off the season. The future looks no better if even equal to last season as things get underway.