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Jonathan Lekkerimaki Arrived in Abbotsford

It'll be interesting to see how long Lekkerimaki's latest recall lasts. I suspect if the Canucks continue their March swoon, and they start looking to 'next season', they could keep in the lineup the rest of the way.

I think he's probably accomplished as much as he can at the AHL-level. He needs to test himself against desperate NHL teams night-after-night, who are still in a life-and-death struggle to make the playoffs.

I'm assuming that at season's end, he could still be shipped back to Abbotsford for their playoff series.
 
VanJack said:
Bad Goalie is baaaak!....I see Dougie Hamilton was felled in tonight's game, joining Jack Hughes on the sidelines for the Devils.

They've been linked to Boeser in the past. Maybe this latest setback increases their interest to include a guy like Soucy as well.

Any prospects in Utica the Canucks might benefit in asking for, if they did do a deal with New Jersey?
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Lots of talk on the Boards as to Soucy, Joshua, and Suter. They think 2 seconds, Simon Nemec, and Dawson Mercer would pry 2 of them loose and they would be willing to also add all of Haula, Bastain, Tatar, and Lazar that Vancouver could keep or include as trade pieces themselves.

Boeser has come up a lot lately as well.

The majority is convinced that as soon as Quinn's contract is done, he won't even consider anything other than signing as a free agent in NJ in order to play with his brothers and take a run at the Cup. I'm still laughing even though it's a remote possibility. LOL

As to Prospects in Utica, that's a touchy question with Utica Fans.

You may recall I was always critical of the Canucks not acquiring any top level AHL centers. Well NJ has been worse if that was possible. In 4 seasons the Devils haven't drafted any centers that made it either to NJ or Utica. Thus, you would assume they would acquire at least a couple good ones annually. Here's what we have watched here. the 21-22 team was loaded up front with top prospects who led the Comets to a 1st place finish for the regular season. By playoff time the Team was reduced to rubble by injuries, callups andd crap goaltending.

They barely made the Playoffs in season 2 and were out in the 1st round after winning a 3-game playin.
Did not qualify in season 3.

Started this season with 13 losses and are currently still 3 games below .500 and are 10 points out of a playoff spot.

'21-22 - the first season they brought in 2 mid level AHL guys,
- Frederik Gauthier (32Pts 51 GP
- Brian Flynn 26Pts/61 GP
They both got hurt and have never played another game in North America since.
They had 2 previously drafted prospects in
-Nate Schnarr 26 Pts/43GP, who was traded by NJ for Andrew Hammond (the Hamburgler)
-Aarne Talvitie, who was on year 2 of 3-yr ELC
- Ryan Schmelzer was never drafted but was signed as free agent and given an ELC contract in 18-19. He was considered a really good 4th line AHL centerI, but with Talvitie on board he was #3 penciled in at #3/4 the 21-22 seaoson. As the season progressed he became #3 as a regular and then into the #2 spot where he payed the rest of the season and played several games at #1.
- Chase DeLeo ( a 1-yr NHL 2-way was their best center for the last part of the regular season and the playoffs. For most of the season he was the team's top LW, 56Pts/55GP.
- Joe Gambardella (NHL 2-way see him in 22-23)

The rest of the Comets centers have been;
22-23:
- Joe Gambardella (LW, NHLdeal and then an AHL. He's been a Comet all 4 seasons. Hurt for a lot of the 2nd half of 22-23. Not re-signed by NJ, but the Comets signed him to a 2-yr ending this season)
- Nolan Stevens (2 AHL deals, '22-23 and last part of '23-24 after release from Detoit)
- Nick Hutchinson ('22-23 AHL deal. Moved on to Europe)
- Filip Engaras (ECHL promotion to Utica. in 22-23 Then a 2-way AHL deal in 23-24 and 24-2525 and has been a Comet for 2 and 1/2 seasons because they couldn't stay healthy enough in the middle so it seemed he was always here. This season since from the start the 3/4 Center)
- Brian Pinho (2022-23 NHL 2-way. What a mistake! Got moved to a wing. He wasn'r re-signed and was then signed by the Islanders and assigned to AHL Bridgeport.)
- Tyce Thompson (NJ draft selection. In 22-23 Were trying to make him a center-total failure. Traded November, 2023 to NY Islanders for wing Arnaud Durandeau, who was good for the Comets , but also traded by NJ to Montreal in March '24 for Nathan Legare in what was an AHL deal between the 2, scoring for Laval and "toughness:|" for Utica.
- Ryan Schmelzer
- Aarne Talvitie


'23-24
We were told that Max Willman, Xavier Parent, Ryan Fitzgerald, Shane Bowers, and Kyle Criscuolo were Centers.
Willman and Fitzgerald didn't play a single game there.
- Parent played a handful and
- Stillman even less.
- Bowers played a lot as well at RW and LW. He did end up a regular in the middle in the last 1/4 of the season.
- Kyle Criscuolo (NHL 2-way '23-24. Probably the best of their acquisitions since coming to Utca, but didn't re-sign him. Too small.)
- Justin Dowling (signed by NJ to a 2-yr NHL 2-way in '23-24. I asked you guys for an evaluation and was advised he would be an excellent #2 and could probably be a #1 if necessary. He filled that exact bill, but as I was also told he had a tendency to get injured. So he put up 40Pts in 57GP.
That forced Criscuolo and Schmelzer to handle #1 while he was out.
-Ryan Schmelzer had been penciled in at #3 at the start of the 1st 3 seasons and ended up the #1/2 center.
- Joe Gambardella
- Nolan Stevens

24-25
- Ryan Schmelzer I've already cataloged his progression over the first 3 seasons and he is back this season on an NHL 2-way contract and is now the undisputed #1.
Last season he was the team's leading scorer 12 points ahead of in again out again Justin Dowling.
- Justin Dowling was supposed to be #1, but he has been in NJ for the entire season except the 1st 6 games and a single game on 11/16 (4Pts/7GP). He has played 42 games for the Devils and has accumulated 5Pts with 2Goals.
- Shane Bowers back again on a new 2-yr NHL 2-way. 13 Pts in 47 GP. Yeah, what a contract, huh?
- Filip Engaras
- Jack Malone A free agent out of Boston College signed to 2-yr AHL contract. 10 pts/41 GP
- Joe Gambardella a few games in the middle, but mostly LW.
There have been a couple emegency situations in which someone has played a game or 2 in the middle (Legare, Willman, Parent, Hartman, Stillman), but mainly parent has come off his LW and Legare off his RW in those situations. NJ has done nothing to provide them with anything resembling top level AHL centermen this year.

* I've got a Comets game right now. I'll finish this up later.

:oops: Sorry if I've rambled, but it was good to voice this crap to somebody who didn't know. LOL
 
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Wow! Two seconds, Mercer and Nemec for a rental like Boeser and a d-man in Soucy, who's play has fallen off a cliff and still has another year on his deal.

Where do I sign up?
 
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Bad Goalie said:
24-25
- Ryan Schmelzer I've already cataloged his progression over the first 3 seasons and he is back this season on an NHL 2-way contract and is now the undisputed #1.
Last season he was the team's leading scorer 12 points ahead of in again out again Justin Dowling.
- Justin Dowling was supposed to be #1, but he has been in NJ for the entire season except the 1st 6 games and a single game on 11/16 (4Pts/7GP). He has played 42 games for the Devils and has accumulated 5Pts with 2Goals.
- Shane Bowers back again on a new 2-yr NHL 2-way. 13 Pts in 47 GP. Yeah, what a contract, huh?
- Filip Engaras
- Jack Malone A free agent out of Boston College signed to 2-yr AHL contract. 10 pts/41 GP
- Joe Gambardella a few games in the middle, but mostly LW.
There have been a couple emegency situations in which someone has played a game or 2 in the middle (Legare, Willman, Parent, Hartman, Stillman), but mainly parent has come off his LW and Legare off his RW in those situations. NJ has done nothing to provide them with anything resembling top level AHL centermen this year.
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Interesting info, thanks for the write up. Ive sometimes wondered how the Comets made out after NJ became the parent club.
Just as a bit of trivia , Jack Malone was a Canucks draft pick (6th round in 2019) but was never signed. In an alternate reality where he was signed and Utica was still our AHL affiliate, he likely would have ended up being a Comet anyways.
 
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Bitz and Bites said:
Interesting info, thanks for the write up. Ive sometimes wondered how the Comets made out after NJ became the parent club.
Just as a bit of trivia , Jack Malone was a Canucks draft pick (6th round in 2019) but was never signed. In an alternate reality where he was signed and Utica was still our AHL affiliate, he likely would have ended up being a Comet anyways.
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The Comets have/had some familiar last names: Nolan Foote, Chase Stillman, Tag Bertuzzi, Jeremy Brodeur.
 
Win, lose or draw (no I guess draws are now OTW's or OTL's), those Utica fans are really something. Passionate, unwavering support for their home-town club.

They used to call Detroit "Hockey-Town" when they winning all those Cups. But if the AHL had a 'hockey-town
it would be either Utica or Hershey.
 
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Other than Hughes, maybe the most comfortable looking guy on the powerplay last night against the Jets. Not afraid to hold the puck, moves his feet in anticipation of receiving pucks and gains control quickly, can beat his check to get himself some time and space, waits to draw defenders before moving the puck, passes the puck accurately and crisply with the receiver's handedness and body position in mind. His attention to detail offensively is really impressive, and I doubt he is feeling super confident out there yet as it is. Still whiffing on some plays and has lots of room to improve his engagement and timing, but he looks really good on the man advantage and I think he has potential to soon fill JT's spot to Hughes' left on the half-wall.
 
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I'm of the belief that Lekk can take Boeser's place. Lekk playing at ELC + a lot more cap space letting Boeser go is a way better move than paying a spotty Boeser, who isn't fast enough to play Tocchet hockey, 6.5 million.

With all of our main guys signed, sans Boeser, we will have 13.3 million in cap space next year to sign or trade for 2 impact forwards that can likely be better on offence, and certainly defence.
 
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^ Agreed. Time to let Brock spread his wings and fly....into a f***ing chasm of a "winning" hockey club.

Minny is kind of the safest place for him. He'll be allowed to do what he does best (during the regular season) FLOAT.
 
Hoglander said:
Clearly needs to continue building strength, as his 5v5 effectiveness is not where it needs to be. He's pushed off the puck too easily. That said, he is keeping pace and playing a smart/safe game. I feel confident that in time he'll add the required strength, and his game will take off.
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For sure, I don't even think opponents are even necessarily trying to rag doll him when they do. Kid just goes flying. Won't be surprised if he is sent back down to the AHL, as I doubt Tocchet likes carrying a forward on the 4th line that is a powerplay specialist that can't PK and is weak 5 on 5. No question IMO though, on a good day he can make our stale and predictable powerplay look a lot more interesting.
 
I suspect Lekkerimaki stays with the parent Canucks for the rest of the season for one simple reason. The Cancucks are running out of runway when it comes to demoting and recalling players from Abbotsford.

The only way they could recall Karlsson, was under 'emergency conditions' when Chytil went down. So while he does get manhandled along the wall at times, Lekkerimaki is picking up tons of important experience at the NHL-level.

So even if he only gets 8-10 minutes a night and some first unit PP time--it will do him a world of good in the long run.
 
VanJack said:
I suspect Lekkerimaki stays with the parent Canucks for the rest of the season for one simple reason. The Cancucks are running out of runway when it comes to demoting and recalling players from Abbotsford.

The only way they could recall Karlsson, was under 'emergency conditions' when Chytil went down. So while he does get manhandled along the wall at times, Lekkerimaki is picking up tons of important experience at the NHL-level.

So even if he only gets 8-10 minutes a night and some first unit PP time--it will do him a world of good in the long run.
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Can you explain "running out of runway?" As far as I know, Canucks are free to call up as many waiver exempt players as they want, as often as they want so long as they stick under a 23 man active roster. I understand the emergency recall to be a result of having only 11 healthy forwards with Garland and Chytil out, and they needed someone to recall someone quickly the afternoon before the game to slot in for Garland unexpectedly sitting out.
 
Reverend Mayhem said:
^ Agreed. Time to let Brock spread his wings and fly....into a f***ing chasm of a "winning" hockey club.

Minny is kind of the safest place for him. He'll be allowed to do what he does best (during the regular season) FLOAT.
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And score his ~30 goals.

And be a positive puck possession player.

And be a fantastic net front PP guy.
 
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logan5 said:
I'm of the belief that Lekk can take Boeser's place. Lekk playing at ELC + a lot more cap space letting Boeser go is a way better move than paying a spotty Boeser, who isn't fast enough to play Tocchet hockey, 6.5 million.

With all of our main guys signed, sans Boeser, we will have 13.3 million in cap space next year to sign or trade for 2 impact forwards that can likely be better on offence, and certainly defence.
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Who though?
 
I still question the fit between him and Tocchet. In 2 ways. Either he plays his own game which isn’t as north and south as Tocchet likes, or he plays that style to stay in the lineup but is an ineffective player at 5v5 because of it.

Would love to be wrong.

I agree that he looks right at home on the powerplay
 
BluesyShoes said:
Can you explain "running out of runway?" As far as I know, Canucks are free to call up as many waiver exempt players as they want, as often as they want so long as they stick under a 23 man active roster. I understand the emergency recall to be a result of having only 11 healthy forwards with Garland and Chytil out, and they needed someone to recall someone quickly the afternoon before the game to slot in for Garland unexpectedly sitting out.
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Changes after the trade deadline. You're only allowed to make so many call ups (5 I think) other than emergency call ups due to injury.
 
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Scratched again? Tocchet is not ever going to learn how to play skilled forwards is he? Is he expected to turn him into another Hoglander???
 
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I get the fact that they wanted to get Garland back in, even though he looked to be far from 100 percent.

But Lekkerimaki scratched in favor of guys like Aman and Karlsson, makes zero sense to me.
 
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