-
Posts
2,372 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
2
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Blogs
Gallery
Everything posted by UticaHockey
-
Boucher was sent down last time one day before he would have required waivers so yes with this call up he will require waivers to come back down again. Boucher should clear waivers now that the trade deadline has passed because he can't be placed on another team's playoff roster and another team can't send him to their AHL team without waiving him first at which time the Canucks can claim him again and send him directly to the Comets. Not a zero chance that he won't be claimed but a very small chance.
-
If Demko's mental toughness is so weak that he can't handle his AHL coach saying he isn't NHL ready then Vancouver might as well trade him now because there is no way he will ever survive in that media market. I'm sure that the recent interviews with Vancouver media about possibly playing this season and then reading to social media hype and trade deadline rumors involving Nilsson possibly being moved isn't helping. But with that said I think he is a tough kid that is just having a bad stretch of games mainly due to flaws in his game that need to be worked on. His rebound control is a glaring weakness and he was being bailed out night after night by his defense. Now with Holm in Vancouver and Sifers plus Chatfield injured those rebounds are going into the net. His tendency to go down to early and then make himself small by dropping his shoulders and hands has been worse the past few games but is a weakness that he has battled through all season. He has been very lucky with the number of shots off the crossbar and high post but now those shots are finding the back of the net. These flaws can and I believe will be fixed but they have to be fixed before he is NHL ready.
-
It was the exact honest assessment of the NHL Readiness of players that Travis Green always gave when asked by the media. Specifically but not limited to Jordan Subban, Hunter Shinkaruk and Brendan Gaunce.
-
To be fair Demko's play started to regress before Cull's comments. I'm trying to set expectations correct for those that want him called up and start playing now. The kid still has flaws in his game and further development is needed.
-
-
From an outsider's perspective there are just way too many of them trying to make a living by covering the same team. Negative news always generates more clicks and viewership than positive news so it becomes a race to the bottom.
-
I understand that from a fan base that wants to move past the current core and bring in the next generation of players. You guys are frustrated. What I don't get is the media that should know better and fuels it for clicks, follows, likes and ratings to their radio shows.
-
Demko gave up 5 goals on 24 shots tonight as his two biggest holes were exposed on every one of them. Shots high to the glove side and rebound control. Thatcher is progressing nicely in his development but he still has holes in his game that need to be worked on before he is ready for the NHL. Those in the Vancouver media and the fans that don't watch him play every game need to have some patience and let the kid develop. He is capable of stealing games and making highlight reel saves with his athleticism but if he is going to be a number one goalie in the NHL for years to come he needs to develop the technical side of his game more before he is thrown into the fire in front of a lottery team that is looking for a top three pick in the draft. Thatcher Demko will not improve the Vancouver Canucks today but if they let him develop properly maybe he can be the goalie of the future.
-
He can join the Comets after his junior season ends and doesn't need to be under a NHL contract. I doubt he would see any game action however.
-
Great video interview with Demko's dad and the biggest Comets fan in San Diego.
-
-
And Demko's dad trying to listen to the Comets game on the flight to Utica. The Comets tied it with Demko pulled in the final minute and won in OT. Yes we refer to them as the Cardiac Comets too.
-
It's a bit of a joke on Twitter with his dad because the last two times that he booked a flight to Utica Thatcher was called up and he didn't get a chance to see him.
-
I agree with your Rick Dhaliwal comment. Solid news based on solid interviews without all of the opinionated click bait garbage that is typical form most Vancouver media sources on Twitter.
-
Lockwood's numbers don't look like the kind of player that leaves school after his sophomore season.
-
On the technical side the biggest weakness that Demko needs to work on is his rebound control which has been bad lately. He is giving up way too many fat juicy weak side rebounds and has been bailed out by his teammates in a number of games and not bailed out in others. The other weakness is high shots glove side. He has a tendency to go down early and drop the glove while doing so. He was very bad at this last year and continues to improve but it is still a weakness that NHL shooters would exploit. Demko is a very competitive athlete and puts pressure on himself to win which is exactly what you want in a goalie. But the external pressure to win in Utica is nothing compared to what it would be in Vancouver. The Utica media is basically an extension of the Comets PR team and the toughest question he will receive is has he tried the Chicken Riggies yet or what does he think of Utica Greens. The Vancouver is a whole different animal where the more clicks they generate means job security and the more negative they are the more clicks they generate. Dealing with them while trying to still develop as a young goalie is not a good idea. Demko is only a year and a half into his pro career and just a half year into being a starter in the minors. He still has technical flaws that he is working on. If he was being brought up to a top level team in the NHL that limits quality scoring chances then he would be being brought into an environment to be set up for success. Bringing him to the Canucks right now is setting him up for failure.
-
If you listen to the audio link that I posted above the dangers of promoting a young goalie that is still developing too soon to a weak NHL team is that they will alter their playing style because of the barrage of high quality scoring chances they face each night. Instaed of working of the fundamentals that will build the foundation that the young goalie will work from the rest of their career bad habits will creep in as they try to do anything to keep the puck out of the net. There is so little to gain from exposing a young goaltender that is still working on fundamentals to a team destined for a lottery pick and so much to lose.
-
My thoughts exactly. "You could crush him" http://ckstam.streamon.fm/listen-pl-5547?smc=10 https://twitter.com/TSN1040/status/943649757041393664
-
And if Demko comes up and struggles half of the CDC, HF Boards and Canucks media Twitter will be questioning how good of a prospect Demko really is. Kick him aside and start counting the days before DiPietro plays in Vancouver.
-
Demko has played well for the Comets but he has had some real clunkers recently with a 7 goal game against Bridgeport and a 5 goal game against Toronto (I am betting tonight's rematch against Toronto could be a problem too). Vancouver with the injuries is not a good team right now which is the same story as the Comets. Goaltending has been inconsistent in both Vancouver and Utica but is not the root of the problem with either team, Thatcher Demko is not going to make the Vancouver Canucks a better team in 2017-18 because he still has holes in his game that are being exploited by AHL shooters. Those holes need to be worked on in the AHL where he is the number one and starting about 2/3 of the games. If he takes those same holes to Vancouver against NHL shooters while playing in front of a struggling team it won't go well. The last thing his development needs is to get lit up in the NHL and then ride the bench for an extended period instead of playing consistently in the AHL. A question for the impatient fans in Vancouver who just need to see with their own eyes what Demko could do for a game or two how do you propose the Canucks do this? Do they call him up for a week or two and run with three goalies on the roster for a while or do you place Nilsson or Markstrom on waivers and risk losing one of them for a "looksee" at Demko. Thatcher's time will come soon enough either this season if called up as an injury replacement or in another year when his development warrants a permanent call up and trading or demotion of one of their existing goalies.
-
What is the possible upside to this idea of shortcuting Demko's development?
-
I'm not sure about that.
-
Chaput was also playing well in Utica and the Gaunce - Chaput - Virtanen line looked to me as the best line Saturday in Calgary. The Nucks needed a center with Sutter and Hovat on IR which is why Chaput got the call instead of Boucher. If the injury to Sven is severe enough Boucher may be the next to get the call.
-
Boucher has been great. A NHL wrist shot and one timer. Second in the AHL in goals plus he is 3 for 3 in shootouts as well as an OT game winner. I don't see any issues with his game in the defensive zone or away from the puck and in my opinion is a better defensive player than some of the Comets so called defense first forwards that provide no offense. It will crush the Comets to lose Boosh right now but he deserves another chance to prove he is a NHL player and not the typical "AAAA" player that is too good for the AHL but can't show the same skill set in the NHL.
-
The fact that Chaput was called up does make it sound like Bo is going on IR and Demko is for Dorsett to be move to LTIR. To suggest Horvat is likely going on LTIR is standing on the ledge on a very windy day.