2024-25 Utica Comets and ECHL thread

[Guttersniped]

Welinski has signed a PTO with the Comets. That can mean a lot of things.

They can let him practice and decide he's not worth having to jockey him around with the other 5 guys already signed and qualified as veterans.

They can give him a couple games and then say thanks, but no thanks.

They can sign him and wait until 1 of the other 5 is injured and then put him in.

They can keep re-signing him to PTOs every time one runs out.

They can give him a contract because they are convinced he's better than 1 of the 6 they are playing.

They can just sign him and keep him around for emergencies.

They give him a contract because that's the deal he worked out with NJ.

Who knows what comes of this.

They only have Vilén coming back from injury now so they could use him on defense.

 

[Bad Goalie]

They only have Vilén coming back from injury now so they could use him on defense.

This is correct, but what I was saying is the Comets have 5 VETS BEFORE Welinski was added. So for him to play one of the other vets has to sit:

Dowling - 1 of only 2 good centers
Schmelzer - Team captain and last season's point leader
Nick DeSimone - The best vet D-man
Colton White - The other VET D
Joe Gambardella - Every day top 6 LW.
Welinski - A VET D We

The D in town are
DeSimone
White
Misyul
Diotte
MacKinnon
vzn de Leest
Welinski

Andy should obviously play before van de Leest! Comets have to sit an important piece.

With Willman, Hardman, Halonen, and Gambardella that's a strong left side.

Halonen likes to play RW. That would allow Filmon to play LW.

Hardman plays both sides like Halonen.

You also have Foote and Leberge on LW.

Parent also plays both sides, but they lost his offense last year when they played him there.

The right side if the 2 LW/RW guys switch over leaves Stillman and Legare.

Malone and Wendt are also RWs.

With Dowling, Bowers, and Schmelzer in the middle They still need a 4th C. Engaras was that guy during the llast part of '23-24. Parent can also play thereas can Hardman and Malone.

This is where Dineen goes nuts. he has too many players up front and he can't play them all. Shortly there will be shipment of Comets to Adirondack. Your guess is as good as mine since every Comet is on an NHL contract of some sort except (off the top of my head, except Gambardella, Parent, and Malone.

Malone can go down and Wendt didn't shown any sense of good play in NJ. Unless Filmon lights things up after having missed the lst few days in NJ, he may also end up with the Thunder for a bit.

Defensively the Comets are hurting. MacKinnon should be depth and van de LLest belongs in Adirondack.

My guess is that Gambardella will suffer the consequences of the D-shortage and sit in order to play Welinski. That's if DiNeen wants to make that move on day 1.