2018-19 Utica Comets Thread

[Pure961089]

I think Utica has a better chance of getting Adam Gaudette than they do Jonathan Dahlen.  Maybe a few games but Dahlen’s too good.  He was the only good player on a bad Timra team last year.  He dragged the team on his shoulders and they won their way to the SHL which they had absolutely No Business Winning based on the overall skill of Timra.  

[Pure961089]

Utica is going to get an insurgence of youth next year.  Juolevi, Gaudette, Palmu, Lind and Gadjovich.  Jasek will improve, and they’ll probably get Motte and Liepsic as well. Maybe even Jake Virtanen?  They’re going to be fun to watch.  

Edited July 6, 2018 by Pure961089

[Gaudette Celly]

12 minutes ago, Pure961089 said:

Utica is going to get an insurgence of youth next year.  Juolevi, Gaudette, Palmu, Lind and Gadjovich.  Jasek will improve, and they’ll probably get Motte and Liepsic as well. Maybe even Jake Virtanen?  They’re going to be fun to watch.  

 

[Kanukfanatic]

12 minutes ago, Pure961089 said:

Utica is going to get an insurgence of youth next year.  Juolevi, Gaudette, Palmu, Lind and Gadjovich.  Jasek will improve, and they’ll probably get Motte and Liepsic as well. Maybe even Jake Virtanen?  They’re going to be fun to watch.  

Virtanen has a zero percent chance of being in Utica in my opinion. He progressed well last year and has something very few on the team have...speed and size. He will not be seeing Utica.

[UticaHockey]

26 minutes ago, Hutton Wink said:

 

Cross Liepsic off too. He won't clear waivers.

[MattJVD]

Think there is any chance Gagner would clear waivers if we don't have a roster spot for him in Vancouver? He could be a great 1C in Utica.

[Nuxfanabroad]

On ‎2018‎年‎7‎月‎7‎日 at 8:05 AM, Kanukfanatic said:

Virtanen has a zero percent chance of being in Utica in my opinion. He progressed well last year and has something very few on the team have...speed and size. He will not be seeing Utica.

Hallejuhah KFC..preachin' the truth!

[gameburn]

On ‎6‎/‎24‎/‎2018 at 5:45 PM, TGT68 said:

And the other problem being it is unlikely the Canucks are deep enough to send down a surplus center.  A scenario where they signed another NHL center AND Petterssen or Gagner was slotted to start at center might maybe push Gaudette to the AHL.  But I really can't see them doing that to the Hobey Baker Winner after not sending him to Utica last year.  

With July's UFA signings, of course, a lot has changed.

With the logjam at the forward position in Vancouver, I think a lot of potential centers will be in Utica at one point or another this season.

Granlund and Gagner, surprisingly, along with Gaudette could all end up in Utica.

Beagle, Sutter, Horvat are the starting centers for the Canucks. With, we hope, Pettersson as the fourth center (probably on the 2nd line.) 

Roussel and Schaller are almost certainly going to be in the starting lineup, so that means dual position players like Granlund, Gaunce, and Gagner will be available -- whether Granlund clears waivers is an interesting question, as his cap hit is very friendly.  Gagner and Gaunce will clear, and so would Beagle, given his extravagant contract. Not saying they will all be in Utica, but it seems possible that one or more will be.  Almost certainly Gaunce will be.  Next most likely is Gaudette.  Then Gagner, then Granlund last.

Edited July 8, 2018 by gameburn

[Kootenay Gold]

There is little chance that Gagne would be put on waivers. Not likely anyone would pick him up at his cap hit and he would still have to be paid his full 3.5 mil in the minors if he cleared. More likely that he is traded at some point with the Canuck's retaining some of his salary.

 

Edited July 8, 2018 by Kootenay Gold

[gameburn]

On ‎6‎/‎25‎/‎2018 at 11:19 AM, aGENT said:

I think a LOT will depend how they do in free agency and/or trade. I'd love to see us take on a cap dump (+assets) for a guy like Anisimov. 

 

Alternately, if we sign guys like Beagle and say Riley Nash (my hope...along with a Roussel or Reaves), Gaudette almost certainly starts in Utica (which I'd personally be fine with as we need the injury depth IMO).

 

(Most of the wingers could be moved up and down)

 

Leipsic, Horvat, Boeser

Roussel, Sutter, Eriksson

Baer/Goldobin, Nash/Anisimov, Pettersson (sheltered O-line)

Granlund, Beagle, Virtanen

 

Gaunce/Gagner

 

 

Man, this post is brilliant.  Canucks did in fact sign Beagle and Roussel, and the UFAs were, it turns out, critical to the start of this season coming up.

I wish they'd listened to your idea about Anisimov and picking up a cap dump!! 

 

 

 

Edited July 8, 2018 by gameburn

[aGENT]

2 hours ago, gameburn said:

Man, this post is brilliant.  Canucks did in fact sign Beagle and Roussel, and the UFAs were, it turns out, critical to the start of this season coming up.

I wish they'd listened to your idea about Anisimov and picking up a cap dump!! 

 

 

 

Not too late to do so

 

 

[gameburn]

16 minutes ago, aGENT said:

Not too late to do so

 

 

I hope you're right.  Rather see Anisimov playing with Pettersson than Sutter lol.

[gameburn]

On ‎7‎/‎6‎/‎2018 at 3:46 PM, Pure961089 said:

I think Utica has a better chance of getting Adam Gaudette than they do Jonathan Dahlen.  Maybe a few games but Dahlen’s too good.  He was the only good player on a bad Timra team last year.  He dragged the team on his shoulders and they won their way to the SHL which they had absolutely No Business Winning based on the overall skill of Timra.  

Interesting.  How did you manage to follow those games; to know so much about him?

 

Edited July 9, 2018 by gameburn

[gameburn]

7 hours ago, MattJVD said:

Think there is any chance Gagner would clear waivers if we don't have a roster spot for him in Vancouver? He could be a great 1C in Utica.

We've been talking about that on another thread.  Definitely a possibility if Pettersson stays with the Canucks as a center, or if enough of the young guns make the team. For that matter Beagle would clear too (too nice that contract we gave him.)  Gagner is more likely, but still not the best option for the team, as they would probably want to trade him, perhaps retaining some of the salary.  

The logjam of forwards is so bad in Vancouver, that Utica is sure to get at least one vet and as many as 5 of the young forwards that don't make the starting lineup.  (Gaunce, Motte, Boucher, and presumably two of Gaudette, Gadjovich, Goldobin and Leipsic.)

Edited July 9, 2018 by gameburn

[gameburn]

On ‎7‎/‎8‎/‎2018 at 2:38 PM, Kootenay Gold said:

There is little chance that Gagne would be put on waivers. Not likely anyone would pick him up at his cap hit and he would still have to be paid his full 3.5 mil in the minors if he cleared. More likely that he is traded at some point with the Canuck's retaining some of his salary.

 

I think you are describing the most likely scenario.

 

Nevertheless, there are a lot of fine young hockey players trying out this Fall; if even half of them make the team, then a veteran or two will be moved/waived. 

 

The Canucks have a proven record of playing the young guys -- and of waiving veteran players to make room for them.  Chris Higgins was waived to Utica at one point, and he was paid much more than the young guys who took his place.  I can see both Eriksson and Gagner getting waived or traded for next to nothing at some point, perhaps even with the Canucks retaining some salary.   If you like the potential of Dahlen, Lind, Juolevi, Hughes, Gadjovich, Pettersson and even "older" prospects like Goldobin and Leipsic, then something has to give this year or next.  Beagle, Sutter, Roussel, Gagner, Eriksson, Gaunce, Granlund, even Edler and Hutton -- these guys could all be redundant within a year and a half, perhaps even sooner.  In the case of Gaunce and Granlund, perhaps within a few months.

 

[CanucksJay]

If all goes well for Utica, what does the team look like next season?

 

Lind

Dahlen

Gadjovich

Jasek

Palmu

Gaudette

Goldobin *waiver risk

Petterson

Motte

Boucher *waiver risk

Archibald

 

Juolevi

Hughes

Brisbois

Sautner

 

 

[JamesB]

On 7/8/2018 at 2:36 PM, gameburn said:

With July's UFA signings, of course, a lot has changed.

With the logjam at the forward position in Vancouver, I think a lot of potential centers will be in Utica at one point or another this season.

Granlund and Gagner, surprisingly, along with Gaudette could all end up in Utica.

Beagle, Sutter, Horvat are the starting centers for the Canucks. With, we hope, Pettersson as the fourth center (probably on the 2nd line.) 

Roussel and Schaller are almost certainly going to be in the starting lineup, so that means dual position players like Granlund, Gaunce, and Gagner will be available -- whether Granlund clears waivers is an interesting question, as his cap hit is very friendly.  Gagner and Gaunce will clear, and so would Beagle, given his extravagant contract. Not saying they will all be in Utica, but it seems possible that one or more will be.  Almost certainly Gaunce will be.  Next most likely is Gaudette.  Then Gagner, then Granlund last.

 

On 7/6/2018 at 4:05 PM, Kanukfanatic said:

Virtanen has a zero percent chance of being in Utica in my opinion. He progressed well last year and has something very few on the team have...speed and size. He will not be seeing Utica.

 

On 7/6/2018 at 4:31 PM, UticaHockey said:

Cross Liepsic off too. He won't clear waivers.

These are all correct statements in my view. Virtanen and Leipsic will be on the team (barring trades) because they would not clear waivers and the Canucks would (rightly) get roasted if gave up those guys on the waiver wire. Even if they are outplayed in camp, unless the margin is huge, they will be on the team.

 

Gagner, Gaunce, and Beagle would clear. The Canucks "won" the bidding war on Gagner and Beagle, which means no other team was will to pay what the Canucks paid.

But there is no way the Canucks will waive Beagle. And I doubt if the Canucks will waive Gagner. It probably makes more sense to play him, hope he puts up decent numbers, and then retain salary and trade him for a pick or prospect at the deadline.

 

As for Gaunce, I don't see how there is room for him. I expect him to start the season in Utica, where he could play center if necessary.

 

There is also a lot of talk about Granlund. At most points in the season he probably would not clear but, at the start of the season when all teams are putting guys on waivers to get down to the 23 man limit and very few players are injured, I think we would clear. So I think there is a pretty good chance he plays in Utica as well. And he could also play center.

 

I think Gaudette is on the bubble. I think he likely starts in Utica, but there is a small chance he makes the team. Before the Canucks signed three bottom six UFAs, I thought he was a lock to make the team, but it is hard to see it now.

 

In any case, Utica should have a very good team.

Edited July 10, 2018 by JamesB

[gameburn]

7 minutes ago, JamesB said:

 

 

These are all correct statements in my view. Virtanen and Leipsic will be on the team (barring trades) because they would not clear waivers and the Canucks would (rightly) get roasted if gave up those guys on the waiver wire. Even if they are outplayed in camp, unless the margin is huge, they will be on the team.

 

Gagner, Gaunce, and Beagle would clear. The Canucks "won" the bidding war on Gagner and Beagle, which means no other team was will to pay what the Canucks paid.

But there is no way the Canucks will waive Beagle. And I doubt if the Canucks will waive Gagner. It probably makes more sense to play him, hope he puts up decent numbers, and then retain salary and trade him for a pick or prospect at the deadline.

 

As for Gaunce, I don't see how there is room for him. I expect him to start the season in Utica, where he could play center if necessary.

 

There is also a lot of talk about Granlund. At most points in the season he probably would not clear but, at the start of the season when all teams are putting guys on waivers to get down to the 23 man limit and very few players are injured, I think we would clear. So I think there is a pretty good chance he plays in Utica as well. And he could also play center.

 

I think Gaudette is on the bubble. I think he likely starts in Utica, but there is a small chance he makes the team. Before the Canucks signed three bottom six UFAs, I thought he was a lock to make the team, but it is hard to see it now.

 

In any case, Utica should have a very good team.

Utica will be fun to follow this year and probably next year as well.  

You may be right about waivers at the start of the season: every team has more players than it can use, and many have no cap space either.

[elvis15]

On 7/8/2018 at 2:38 PM, Kootenay Gold said:

There is little chance that Gagne would be put on waivers. Not likely anyone would pick him up at his cap hit and he would still have to be paid his full 3.5 mil in the minors if he cleared. More likely that he is traded at some point with the Canuck's retaining some of his salary.

 

His cap hit would be reduced by about $1M (it's just a bit over that actually) and it's not our money so it doesn't matter what he's paid. That said, they'd certainly try and move him unless he's an utter disappointment/no one will take him.

[Pure961089]

22 hours ago, CanucksJay said:

If all goes well for Utica, what does the team look like next season?

 

Lind

Dahlen

Gadjovich

Jasek

Palmu

Gaudette

Goldobin *waiver risk

Petterson

Motte

Boucher *waiver risk

Archibald

 

Juolevi

Hughes

Brisbois

Sautner

 

 

Fixed it :-)