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UticaHockey

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Everything posted by UticaHockey

  1. I said on here last year when Demko was first signed that everyone needs to keep their expectations realistic. Almost all goalies will struggle at first adjusting to the pro game. Thatcher even said himself that it has been an adjustment because the shots are quicker and there is much more traffic in front of the net. He has looked just as I expected him to look....make some great saves but also give up some goals that he should have stopped. He was giving up too many goals high on the glove side in his first few games and Rollie has been working with him on glove positioning and to not go down into his butterfly so soon. The raw talent is obvious but there are technical flaws in his game that need to be worked out. Demko needs to get into a routine where he is studying film and working with Rollie during the week on technical aspects of his game and then playing on the weekends to apply what he is learning. But to do this he can't be watching Bachman play with a ball cap on from the end of the bench. Demko will have some bad games as every young goalie has but with the right amount of work and teaching he should continue to improve as the season goes on. For those who expected him to be NHL ready this season or possibly next should step back and give the kid some time to develop. I don't expect Demko to replace Miller next year in Vancouver. The smart thing to do would be to sign a proven NHL back up goalie to a short term deal and let Demko work on his game another year in the AHL.
  2. With about 7 minutes left in the game Bachman pulled something, possibly a groin, when making a save and needed some assistance leaving the ice. Demko came in and made 4 saves and while he looked a little shaky on the first two he survived the pressure in the final minutes and help the Comets hang on to a 2 - 1 win. There has been some grumbling in Utica about Green's usage of Demko because Bachman has been getting a majority of the starts. Looks like it will be Demko's net now but you still hate to see an injury be the reason.
  3. Nice first professional win by Thatcher Demko tonight. Gave up a weak one in the first period but clamped down after that. He came up huge late in the third period when the ref lost his composure and handed the Comets three minors at the same time including an unsportsmanlike on Pedan and a bench minor on Green. Stood on his head to kill a full 2:00 minutes of 5 on 3 and 2:00 more minutes of 5 on 4 to preserve a 2 - 2 tie and send the game to OT.
  4. As a goalie parent I couldn't disagree with you more. Getting peppered nightly leads to bad habits and lack of confidence. You want your goalie see plenty of quality shots but being peppered night after night on a bad team is not a recipe for success.
  5. No an ELC with $70K in the AHL. He can make much more than that by going back to the KHL. Hence the problem...
  6. Question about Tryamkin. Since he has the out clause in his contract not allowing him to be sent to the AHL can he be sent to Utica on a two week conditioning assignment and still collect his NHL salary? The first two weeks of November when the Canucks are out east would be a perfect opportunity for Tryamkin to get some games in with the Comets.
  7. For those who thought Demko was going to step right into the AHL and dominate like he did in college it's time to reset your expectations. Its a big jump for goaltenders and Thatcher will be no exception. Then on top of it from what I saw from the Comets this weekend he doesn't have a very good team in front of him from the forwards down to the defense. I like what I saw in Demko's game but he will need a significant amount of development before he is a top level AHL goalie let alone a NHL goalie. Patience will be required when discussing how Demko looks in his rookie season.
  8. Here's to Brock Boeser turning pro at the end of the NCAA season and teaming up with Troy Stecher on a long Calder Cup run in Utica.
  9. From https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-expansion-draft-rules/c-281010592 The following rules were approved for the 2017 Expansion Draft: Protected Lists * Clubs will have two options for players they wish to protect in the Expansion Draft: a) Seven forwards, three defensemen and one goaltender * Eight skaters (forwards/defensemen) and one goaltender * All players who have currently effective and continuing "No Movement" clauses at the time of the Expansion Draft (and who to decline to waive such clauses) must be protected (and will be counted toward their club's applicable protection limits). * All first- and second-year professionals, as well as all unsigned draft choices, will be exempt from selection (and will not be counted toward their club's applicable protection limits). Player Exposure Requirements * All Clubs must meet the following minimum requirements regarding players exposed for selection in the Expansion Draft: i) One defenseman who is a) under contract in 2017-18 and played in 40 or more NHL games the prior season OR played in 70 or more NHL games in the prior two seasons. ii) Two forwards who are a) under contract in 2017-18 and played in 40 or more NHL games the prior season OR played in 70 or more NHL games in the prior two seasons. iii) One goaltender who is under contract in 2017-18 or will be a restricted free agent at the expiration of his current contract immediately prior to 2017-18. If the club elects to make a restricted free agent goaltender available in order to meet this requirement, that goaltender must have received his qualifying offer prior to the submission of the club's protected list. * Players with potential career-ending injuries who have missed more than the previous 60 consecutive games (or who otherwise have been confirmed to have a career-threatening injury) may not be used to satisfy a club's player exposure requirements, unless approval is received from the NHL. Such players also may be deemed exempt from selection by the League.
  10. I was watching the Sabres and Leafs game last night and the announcers made a good point. With 40 to 50 players still in camp it becomes a real problem running special teams and systems drills in practice because there are just too many players. It makes sense to trim down the roster early and send the guys that are not competing for an opening day roster spot to the Comets camp.
  11. Absolutely beautiful! Check out @UticaComets's Tweet:
  12. Good timing for this article. It's funny that they start it out talking about Malcolm Subban who I wasn't impressed with at all when he played against the Comets and got yanked in the game. http://m.thn.com/blog/should-prospect-goaltenders-play-a-lot-in-the-ahl-or-a-little-in-the-nhl/
  13. Both Murray and Vasilevsky were highly touted. Murray was a third round draft choice and came off a great last season in juniors. Vassy was a first round draft choice and played in the KHL as a teenager.
  14. Don't forget that Murray played a full season in the AHL and would have played a second full season if Fluey didn't get hurt. Vasilevsky was moved up probably too soon because until Bishop got hurt he was sitting on the bench instead of playing regularly. Tampa sent Vassy back to Syracuse three times this year to get him some games then called him back up. Not an ideal development plan.
  15. If his parents are helping him pack it is for Russia and not Utica. Demko has been invited to play for team USA in the World's.
  16. Demko and Boeser both could sign and join Utica immediately just as Larkin did last year with Grand Rapids. It probably would have to be an ATO with the Comets for the remainder of the season since the NHL season is over and then a ELC with Vancouver starting in the 2016-17 season. AHL teams have been adding college guys left and right the past two weeks.
  17. There will always be the occasional Jimmy Vesey exception but the overwhelmingly majority of college players that are drafted and NHL ready after their freshman or sophomore year will turn pro and leave college early. Take the money now instead or continuing to play for free and risk a career changing injury.
  18. Exactly. Let's see Jack Eichel could have stayed at BU for three more years and chose what team he wanted to sigh the exact same ELC contract with or start making that NHL money now and get millions sooner when he becomes a RFA after three seasons. It's a no brainer. Boeser can start making money next season too even if it is only AHL and get a nice fat paycheck in three years as a RFA instead of getting a degree and his first NHL check under an ELC contract.
  19. I think you meant to say that NCAA rules prohibit a player from signing a pro contract instead of permit but I'm pretty sure most people understood the point you were making.
  20. Looks like Gaunce will be eating popcorn in the press box tonight. I'm happy for Comets players to get a look in Vancouver down the stretch now that the Canucks are no longer chasing a playoff dream. But don't call them up to be a healthy scratch when the Comets have 4 ECHL PTOs on the roster and fighting for their playoff lives.
  21. Are some people really freaking out about a college freshman going back for his sophomore year?
  22. Brendan Burke tweeted some info the other day concerning papering and call ups after TDL and he knows his stuff when it comes tothe CBA and the implications on the AHL. That's why i was pretty confident about this.
  23. They can not be sent down to the AHL at any point during the rest of the year including the playoffs. There is another Tryamkin thread over on hfboards and if you dig back a few pages someone posted the actual language in the CBA that addresses the issue. It sounds a bit like lawyer speak but yes that is the bottom line.
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