alfstonker Posted October 9, 2018 Share Posted October 9, 2018 7 hours ago, DeNiro said: Right now the only current forward in the lineup who is 19/20 is Dahlen, and he played in a mens league last season. I get what he's saying about not playing all rookies, but at the same time to see all three of Lind, Gadjovich, and Jasek sitting is kind of disheartening. It's only been two games so I'm not going to get overly concerned. I would just hate to see a situation where we're sending guys back to junior or down to the ECHL without even giving them a shot. If their goal is to keep the status quo of last season and be a bubble team, then this is the lineup to do it. If they want to see what they've got in these young guys and elevate their skill level, now's the time to do it. They shouldn't be afraid of playing 19/20 year olds anyways. I mean it's not exactly hurting the Canucks is it? I think it's really more about playing "safe" players in Johnson's mind. You forget these AHL coaches know they have a short life span if there is no/limited success. There are plenty of guys who would jump at getting the chance to show what they can do in their place. Like the NHL, the coaches find it hard to trust the young guys. It shouldn't be a problem in the AHL but human nature dictates that if it keeps them in a job the coaches will favour the more experienced players to protect their job and claim it is protecting their prospects. Of course there is some truth in it and so it is up to the young guys who get a chance to show they CAN be trusted and maintain consistency. After all that is what will ultimately lead to promotion to the NHL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alfstonker Posted October 9, 2018 Share Posted October 9, 2018 (edited) 12 hours ago, UticaHockey said: I am very familiar with how Tampa Bay uses their AHL team since the Crunch are just 45 minutes from Utica and the Comets play them 12 times a year. Trust me they are not doing anything differently than Vancouver and the Comets when it comes to the usage of veterans and prospects. Syracuse always has veterans in prominent roles. Examples in the past couple of years are AHL/NHL tweeners such as Cory Conacher and Erik Condra. Reid Boucher fits into that AHL/NHL tweener definition and shares one big thing in common with Conacher and Condra in that all of them were mainstays on the #1 power play unit. This year the Crunch have 28 year old Gabriel Dumont and 27 year old Andy Adreoff taking prominent roles up front and 28 year old Cameron Gaunce plus 27 year old Hubert Labrie leading up the defense. I won't even go into the list of absolute plug goons that the Crunch have each year because that is what sells tickets in Syracuse and Tampa Bay supports it. You make it sound like Vancouver and the Comets prioritize veterans over prospects while ignoring the fact that almost every team in the league does the same thing and especially the team that you used as an example. I listed only a few names of veterans but there are plenty more besides them. If the rumors that Gadjovich going back to juniors are even true it is because Ryan Johnson and Jim Benning believe that is the best thing for his development and not some rogue coach in Utica not caring about development. It's kind of funny because that was the same thing Travis Green was accused of. Imo Boucher is a lost cause in the NHL. He is just too laid back, there is no desire to fight and claw in his game when he gets a chance. A goal here or there means nothing in the NHL if the desire and desperation is lacking and that is what I have seen with him. He has the kind of attitude which can be infectious to other young prospects and that is another reason he is better left in the AHL or traded. I doubt he even cares when he is sent down - if he did he would be more like Baertschi and show some temper when he is here. Ironically you could say a player like Boucher is just as guilty of holding a place better allocated to a prospect, who at least will "give it a real go" when he gets promoted. Edited October 9, 2018 by alfstonker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UticaHockey Posted October 9, 2018 Share Posted October 9, 2018 9 hours ago, N7Nucks said: I take it Gadjovich hasn't looked too good in Utica thus far? How has Lind looked? The Comets have played two regular season games and two preseason games. Gadjo played in the home preseason game and was very unnoticeable. Not sure if he played in the away preseason game because there was no stream or radio broadcast. he was scratched in both regular season games. Lind played one of the two regular season games and I think both preseason games. He looks like he has talent but still very tentative looking. He is still learning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
logic Posted October 9, 2018 Share Posted October 9, 2018 @UticaHockey I seen that MacEwen is off to a good start, seems like he did pretty well in his first pro season, has the size, and a really good story of always working hard to get where he is, do you think he has the ability to translate his skills to become an NHL regular? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Vintage Canuck- Posted October 9, 2018 Share Posted October 9, 2018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alfstonker Posted October 9, 2018 Share Posted October 9, 2018 (edited) 3 hours ago, UticaHockey said: The Comets have played two regular season games and two preseason games. Gadjo played in the home preseason game and was very unnoticeable. Not sure if he played in the away preseason game because there was no stream or radio broadcast. he was scratched in both regular season games. Lind played one of the two regular season games and I think both preseason games. He looks like he has talent but still very tentative looking. He is still learning. Regarding Lind, that was exactly how I assessed him in the Canucks pre season. Considering it wasn't his first camp he lacked spark and I hate to see that in a young player. I hope this is not the explanation of "Why is nobody taking Lind?" phenomenon. Edited October 9, 2018 by alfstonker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alfstonker Posted October 9, 2018 Share Posted October 9, 2018 16 minutes ago, -Vintage Canuck- said: That is a dubious quote when you remember Palmu and Jasek have been playing against men in pro leagues but I trust Johnson's judgement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Rob_Zepp Posted October 9, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted October 9, 2018 18 minutes ago, -Vintage Canuck- said: I don't think people can grasp the pace change from CHL or similar to AHL/NHL. This is a huge adjustment and the right thing is to develop, not destroy. Patience and practice will round these kids out the "right way" and if any of them are going to make the show, they will recall these early adjustments as key in their ride. Patience people. Patience. 2 2 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post hobart16 Posted October 9, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted October 9, 2018 Hope everyone had an awesome summer, I had the best one ever and it is a glorious 78 degree day here in God's country today. I went to both games this past weekend and glanced at half a dozen prior pages of comments. We have a LOT of talent this year but I am still a little nervous about our back end. Sifers/McEneny are reliable but you're not going to win the Cup if they are your best d men. Sautner looked better than ever on Saturday, Chatfield remains a bit of a mystery. Every once in awhile he puts on a burst or makes a play and you can see why someone will always want to take a chance on him. Graham? I am not a fan. The big issue is Juolevi, the third youngest guy on the team. Saturday night he was rock solid and boy oh boy he is miles ahead of everyone else on the ice when it comes to seeing the play. That puck isn't on his stick long before he zips a good pass to the open player. He will be fun to watch this year and if Canucks fans are patient he has a world of potential. But, as one famous coach said, "guys with potential get you fired." If he had a little more explosiveness in his skating (like Chatfield), or occasionally blasted someone with a hard check, he might be more impressive out there. But I think as he acclimates to the AHL he could become a real impact player. Boucher was best player on the ice Friday night, Gaunce the best on the ice Saturday night. I thought Kole Lind, the youngest guy on the team (by 4 days over Gadjovich), looked very good physically, skill wise, just got caught a couple of times where he didn't belong. He is going to push some people during pre season eventually but not this year. After that? Who knows. An interesting prospect. Gaudette played well on Friday I thought. Full 200 foot game in him. Woods was helpful last year but was injured and out long term. Not too sure about that fight but between him and Archie and Macewen you have some ass on the ice. Dahlen is very small. He is very skilled and shows up on the ice when you don't expect it. He will be fun to watch but he better eat a lot of chicken riggies while in Utica. Macewen is his usual hustling self. Big, strong and fast. Cant teach that. Palmu is surprisingly effective out there. My god he is short but he doesn't get pushed around like Dahlen. Kero and McMaster are ok didn't show a lot this weekend. Would have been nice to see Ganger regularly but on the theory that he is closer to the end of his career than the beginning, he would just take up some space that a real prospect might use. Hope they can unload him this year. With Demko back eventually the Comets could be a tough out again this year. See you at the Aud. 2 1 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post CRAZY_4_NAZZY Posted October 9, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted October 9, 2018 1 2 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post UticaHockey Posted October 9, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted October 9, 2018 4 hours ago, CRAZY_4_NAZZY said: I was very impressed with Juolevi this weekend. He made a rookie mistake by leaving his feet and diving at a puck near the blue line which he failed to clear for the only goal against Saturday night. But other than that he was the Comets best defenseman in transition all weekend. Nice controlled d-zone transitions without the simple banging the puck off the class. Very smart player. 4 1 3 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3rdGenCanuck Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 Curious to hear what those of you in Utica think of Francesco Aquilini's comments today on his radio interview. He talked about the pros and cons of the Comets being in Utica and the pros and cons of moving them closer to Vancouver. He then said that he's not worried about it right now as the team is committed to Utica for 2 more years. Sportsnet 650 even tweeted out this quote. However, the tweet was deleted after the comment was pointed out as strange by Ryan Biech, obviously because there has been no announcement of the Canucks plans to stay in Utica past this season. What do you guys think? Utica extension on the way? For the record, I am very pro Utica. Maybe that changes when the Canucks are much more competitive and quick call ups become more important, but for now I think the pros of being in Utica far outweigh the cons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JM_ Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 11 minutes ago, 3rdGenCanuck said: Curious to hear what those of you in Utica think of Francesco Aquilini's comments today on his radio interview. He talked about the pros and cons of the Comets being in Utica and the pros and cons of moving them closer to Vancouver. He then said that he's not worried about it right now as the team is committed to Utica for 2 more years. Sportsnet 650 even tweeted out this quote. However, the tweet was deleted after the comment was pointed out as strange by Ryan Biech, obviously because there has been no announcement of the Canucks plans to stay in Utica past this season. What do you guys think? Utica extension on the way? For the record, I am very pro Utica. Maybe that changes when the Canucks are much more competitive and quick call ups become more important, but for now I think the pros of being in Utica far outweigh the cons. FA probably just realized he was committed for 1 not 2 years at this point. While it would be nice to see the prospects here regularly, Utica seems like a great place for the kids to develop, nice and far from our scummy media. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldenAlien Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 (edited) Regarding the Comets' future, the Province just did an article: No extension has been signed, and the lease with the Aud will expire at the end of the season. Canucks can sign an extension, but must decide by Jan. 1, 2019. https://theprovince.com/sports/hockey/nhl/vancouver-canucks/future-of-canucks-affiliation-with-utica-comets-still-under-consideration Also from Utica's Ben Birnell: Also from Birnell: https://www.uticaod.com/sports/20181001/comets-continue-hockey-legacy Quote The teams are in the final year of an initial six-year deal, with an option for six more years. Johnson wants to the see the partnership extended. The Comets get more practice time being close to other teams, he said. The final decision, of course, rests with the Vancouver’s owners. “It’s something I want to see in place for a long, long time,” Johnson said. “It’s very unique in a lot of different ways. It is not something that you can just re-create going anywhere. Anyone that travels and sees the American Hockey League sees that this is a very unique and special environment.” Esche is optimistic that a deal with Vancouver can be reached. An extension had been talked about in 2016, but didn’t come to fruition. Edited October 11, 2018 by GoldenAlien Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Connor comet Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 I listened to the interview and heard aqualina ask someone else in the room and then said it's " one and three" which to me means one year left and a 3 year renewal. Also nothing has been announced so apparently the contract is not done, probably holding out for more $$$ but from that I also get Vancouver has decided to stay ...... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UTICANUCK Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 At this point my opinion is any extension will be short term which buys both sides more time - Vancouver to see what Seattle does (maybe Seattle puts an AHL team in Tacoma or Portland making Abbotsford more feasable - you'd be playing each other 12 times) and for Utica to perhaps entice the Rangers or Islanders to make a move. This would be a win-win for both sides. If this is the last season for the Canucks in Utica perhaps it's an omen. Norfolk won the Calder Cup and lost its team to Syracuse. Manchester won the Calder Cup and lost its team to Ontario. If Utica is going to lose its team what better way to go out than with the Calder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeNiro Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 (edited) 30 minutes ago, UTICANUCK said: At this point my opinion is any extension will be short term which buys both sides more time - Vancouver to see what Seattle does (maybe Seattle puts an AHL team in Tacoma or Portland making Abbotsford more feasable - you'd be playing each other 12 times) and for Utica to perhaps entice the Rangers or Islanders to make a move. This would be a win-win for both sides. If this is the last season for the Canucks in Utica perhaps it's an omen. Norfolk won the Calder Cup and lost its team to Syracuse. Manchester won the Calder Cup and lost its team to Ontario. If Utica is going to lose its team what better way to go out than with the Calder. I don't think Utica will lose their team. They're the envy of small market AHL teams right now. I think there would be more than a few teams lined up to take over and keep them in Utica. I hope the Canucks stay with them long term however. The benefits of moving their affiliate to BC does not outweigh the costs IMO. Edited October 11, 2018 by DeNiro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
86Viking Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 Utica has great fans and has embraced the Comets in a great way, so thanks for that. But its foolish to no think having our farm team closer wouldn't be a smart idea. Closer for our team as a whole to visit and oversee, plus easier travel for call ups. Since some other western conference teams have their AHL teams closer to where they are it only makes sense for the Canucks to do the same. Its not the end of the world if it doesn't happen, I think it would be wise tho Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HockeyHarry Posted October 12, 2018 Share Posted October 12, 2018 Comets should be in bc. I really don’t care if Utica folks are happy. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Where's Wellwood Posted October 12, 2018 Share Posted October 12, 2018 I still think the media here is far too toxic. Leave them in Utica where the fans love them. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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