stonecoldstevebernier

Can't wait to see him and Dahlen together in a few years. We're starting to build a nice group of young forwards now.

Fair enough, we're definitely lacking in the offensive skill department down there. Valk's legit though, I'm really hoping they get him signed again. If Cassels doesn't get his act together this year he could easily be leapfrogged by MacEwen and/or Zhukenov. MacEwen and Zhukenov are both pretty good on faceoffs but Zhuk went from second line centre to first line winger in the playoffs cause Chicoutimi lost German Rubtsov to injury, so he didn't take very many draws but his offensive numbers went up. I have no idea how JB or management envisions him though so for all I know maybe he gets cast as a centre again in the AHL. Him and MacEwen could actually be a good combination together, I like the idea of putting Zhuk with two bigger linemates the way Valk meshed with Archibald and Grenier last year.

Where people are getting this top line centre idea from, I have no idea... he's shown average offensive ability at the junior level. Nothing mind boggling or overwhelming. He's got offensive creativity and playmaking skills but wasn't a first line centre in junior. He's supposed to be the first line centre on a team of men in a league he's never played in before? Valk should be the 1C in Utica next year - if he doesn't get re-signed, then a UFA in the O'Reilly/Chaput mold to anchor the team should be there. Cassels is ideally the 3C but depth issues might force him into the 2C role if he can handle it. Hamilton is the defensive 3C or 4C. I feel like Zack MacEwen is a better fit at centre than Zhukenov actually and could nab the last spot in that interchangeable 2/3/4 group. Zhukenov played wing all throughout the playoffs so that might be where he ends up if he chooses the AHL, depending on injuries and call-ups.

That's way past optimistic... I think a lot of people underestimate how tough it is to go from junior to the AHL. Averaging a point per game in the QMJHL at 20 means he's ready to be on an NHL powerplay? The players in the AHL will be faster and way stronger than the Q, and you can look at guys like Carcone and Laplante last year to see how tough the adjustment is. Cassels is another guy who had a huge pedigree coming out of junior - although he was slowed by injuries his first year, he still hasn't figured things out on the offensive side of things after two years of his ELC. Carcone's last season in the Q blows Zhukenov's out of the water and he was a non-factor in Utica the first half of the year, but he had a great finish to the season once he'd learned how to play the pro game and found some chemistry with his linemates. Laplante couldn't make an impact at all in Utica and his numbers from his last junior season are pretty similar to Zhukenov's. Zhukenov is of course, his own player, but I don't see him stepping in right away and tearing it up - the AHL is not an easy league to score in. He had a great playoff run last year but struggled against Saint John and their superior team system. I can definitely see him being a PP2 guy in Utica but finding space at even strength will be a challenge to start, the Q is littered with small skill players that get weeded out at the next level. I see him having a similar trajectory to Carcone, both are smaller and shifty players who can be offensively creative. He's by no means a blue chip prospect though and shouldn't be rushed, although I do hope we see him with the Comets next year and not in the KHL.

Edler-Stecher Hutton-Tanev Pedan/Juolevi-Gudbranson Biega (Holm, McEneny, Subban) Don't think we're in the market for any of those higher priced players as they would bump Pedan/Juolevi off of the roster and all of the other young guys one spot further away from being on the team. Obviously injuries will occur but at least one should have the opportunity to be a regular or we're not really being faithful to the rebuilding model. Only kind of d-man we should be looking at is a depth piece in the Biega mold, in my opinion.

Once this is done, maybe time to start the 2017-18 thread? @UticaHockey

No risk at all on an AHL only deal, he'll likely spend some time in the ECHL but if he performs well enough there he'll be given the opportunity to move up. (Similar to Valk who started in the ECHL and developed into a top six guy for Utica on a series of AHL deals.) Also adds potential depth for Utica when injuries hit so they don't have to rely on PTOs as much.

Interesting... sounds like he's getting an NHL deal? Pretty impressive for a guy who had to start over in the ECHL two years ago when it looked like his NHL hopes were done. Might be useful as an occasional call-up and he's invaluable to the Comets so I'm glad they're bringing him back. Hope they get Valk back too.

Not a huge surprise. I wouldn't mind him back as an AHL guy because the Comets are always in need of scoring and they'll need some vets to do the heavy lifting and insulate the kids. But those types of players can always be replaced year by year.

If they toss in Nick Schmaltz, then we'll talk. Put Boeser and Schmaltz together again and combined with Horvat plus a possible high centre pick this draft and we could suddenly have the makings of a deep centre ice for years to come. Plus Seabrook would be a good choice to anchor a young defense for the next few years while he's still effective. Trade Tanev for other assets and hopefully Sbisa is taken by Vegas to maintain space on the back end for the prospects to compete. Ah, one can dream though...

I like Ratelle, got to watch him a few times in the playoffs with Zhukenov in Chicoutimi. He's on the smaller side but came up clutch more than a few times for them and doesn't shy away from the physical play at all. Also wouldn't mind inviting Olivier Galipeau again, who we invited last year. He was also on Chicoutimi this year and was a real standout for them in the playoff run, the kind of defenseman that does it all. We are a little crowded for middling defense prospects, but barely any invitees get contracts anyway so it wouldn't hurt to take another look.

Oxygen consumption rates which translate to a player's endurance levels. I'm not super familiar with the math behind it though.

*continues to hope for Yamamoto to fall to 33*

He's a great hard nosed player who showed some offensive spark this season. Definitely caught my eye when Saint John was playing Zhukenov and Chicoutimi in the playoffs, surprised the Lightning didn't sign him unless its because he didn't want to sign there. They are pretty deep with prospects though.