Zetterlund has to clear waivers to be sent to Utica - fairly certain he'd get claimed if the Devils try to send him down. He should have an inside track to making the opening night roster.
Now getting into the lineup is a different story - right now with Zetterlund, they have 14 forwards and it's not clear who would sit.
With 14 forwards only 1 of Bahl and OK can be in NJ, but both are waiver exempt.
Based on the 13 forwards currently on the NJ roster if Zetterlund is also a Devil and he has earned it coming into camp, that's 14. That means Utica currently has 10 forwards counting HOLTZ and 6 D-men.
If Holtz makes the NJ roster with Z, somebody has to get the axe that isn't waiver exempt.
Geertsen screws up the roster big time.
As a "Vet" by AHL rules the Comets count him as 1 of their 5 that can play shorting the team 1 vet with a whole lot more talent. They have 2 D VETS right now who will play every night, Russo and Wotherspoon.
Mason would make 3 Vets.
Top 2 centers are still not on board. Pinho's AHL #s label him an AHL #3. When I saw him last season, Hershey was using him as a RW. Those guys should be vets with AHL 1/2 #s of .75 and up PPG with #1 usually somewhere around 1PPG (Chase Deleo became the Comets #1 and he finished with 56 Pts/55 GP. None of the other 5 centers was better than .6 PPG. Pinho is a an AHL career .45 PPG.
If the Comets are to succeed they need to acquire those 2 top centers and they will be Vets.
They have already signed 4 Vets and 1 VE
V Russo (RD)
V Wotherspoon (LD)
V Geertsen (LD/LW)
V Blujus (LD/RD)
VE Gambardella (LW)
V XXX #1C
V XXX #2C
Blujus knows he is a depth D and will not be pushing for a regular spot in the Top 6. Even with Geertsen in the lineup:
Geertsen
XXX #1C
XXX #2C
Gambardella
Ruuso
Wotherspoon
all are okay for the game night roster.
Geersten just makes the signing of a scoring vet forward less likely. The exception would be if NJ doesn't care if Dineen has Geertsen join Blujus in the well to watch the game.
Last season the Devils skated 4 forwards and 2D as the VET coalition.
1/2. The 2 D are back.
3. Gambardella becomes the replacement at VE for AJ Greer. Gambardella will have to explode to replace AJ's numbers
4. Nobody close to Deleo at center has been acquired.
5. Gauthier was the key center as he played #2 and #3, was one of top 2 PK forwards, the best defensive center, the top faceoff man and ended up a .63 PPG which far surpassed his AHL career numbers which stand at .39 PPG. He has also not been replaced.
6. Flynn was a tweener C/RW who did not live up to his clippings. He was supposed to be a high scoring vet that could produce either in the middle or on either wing. He put up 26PTs in 61GP, not the kind of season he was expected to produce.
Not sure Geertsen can do any better and as a LW. Where he fits is questionable as
Foote, Gambardella, Dugan, Parent, Laberge, Stevens are all LWs.
Thompson, Holtz, Pinho, Halonen, Clarke, and Talvitie (when not #4 C) are RWs.
That's not a bad forward group.
In the middle:
XXX #1C
XXX #2C
Schmelzer
Talvitie
would make the Comets strong once again.
JC go sign Sam Anas, Alan Quine, Cedric Paquette, Michael Chaput. There are some who were in the KHL that are probably back in NA looking for a gig like Cal O'reilly did a few years back. There are some European Vets who might just like to ply their skills on an AHL team hoping to impress enough to get a shot at the NHL. The Marlies have had a few of these types in the past few seasons. There are more who have yet to be released from NHL camps, but that's a long time to put all of your eggs in a basket and hope they are there and want to sign with you.
The forwards the Comets will slate to skate on the top 2 lines need a guy to get them the puck. These guys are a few who have a history of having done that and the Comets top 4 wings are good enough to up the point totals of their centers.
Logan Morrisson is penciled in to go back to Jrs. He put up 100 pts in 60GP last season. What does he have to prove back there against kids? Give him a flier. I'm sure he would jump at the chance and who knows what he might have to offer. That's just throwing something else out there.
Centers! Centers! Centers! That's the difference between the Comets being really good again and looking good, but losing out when push comes to shove vs the contenders in the North and Atlantic.
