Just got off the phone with Komets General Manager David Franke who has to start building his protected list for next week's IHL expansion draft for Dayton. Each team can protect 13 skaters and one goaltender, and as Franke understood the rules, pull a player back into protection once they have lost a player. The most a team can lose is three players.
Franke said the Komets or other IHL members will not release which players they choose to protect.
"You can't protect everybody, but you try to protect the people you think who will come back," Franke said. "There are probably a few guys on there with their sights set on Europe. It will be difficult. We had a championship team the last two years and a lot of these guys were part of both years."
Franke also said he has Komets coach Al Sims working on ranking Kalamazoo players for a dispersal draft which will be held after the expansion draft.
The IHL is expanding its roster to include up to eight veterans, but Franke said it's doubtful the Komets will be able to carry that many and stay under the league's salary cap.
"Knowing who are veterans are, it's gong to be tough to get eight of them in the lineup every night," he said. "I expect our team to again have a lot of rookies on it to offset the higher salaries of our veteran players. We're going to probably have at least six rookies in the lineup every night."
According to Franke, he said veterans Colin Chaulk, Guy Dupuis, Konstantin Shafranov, P.C. Drouin, Kevin Bertram and David Hukalo have all told him they'd like to return next season. Shafranov has told Franke he'd like to retire after next season and playing in the World Championships for Kazakhstan. Franke said he believes goaltender Sebastien Laplante is leaning toward retirement, and Rod Aldoff is undecided on his future.
Hukalo will have shoulder surgery on June 25, and Brad MacMillan may require more work on his injured hand. Franke said he's doubtful Justin Hodgman or Mathieu Curadeau will return next season. The Komets have talked to Keith Rodger and Sean O'Connor about signing for next season.
Comments
Attention ALL bloggers: Blake's vacation is over! That is good news for us all. Now we will get the straight skinny. Wouldn't you like the the fly on the wall in with David and Al? Very tough decisions they have to make in a very short period of time. If you have a God you pray too you just might offer up a prayer for them both. They would appreciate it very much.
Oops! Wouldn't you like to be a fly on the wall? I got in a hurry.
So, this expansion draft is only for players who were on last year's roster and not any new signings (who may or may not make the team) for next season? We didn't have that many returning players last year, so won't most of the unprotected players just be going elsewhere anyway? It sounds like an excercise in futility to me. But who knows. Maybe a few players will actually change hands and play for the teams that draft them. It does seem like anyone definitely wanting to return should be able to do so... unless there are other issues, of course.
Nebus=#1 k-zoo player/Legault to dayton/no mention of Varone?
I wouldn't read too much into that. I didn't have time to go down the entire roster player-by-player.
I would think that Nick Boucher is priority #1. I heard that he might be back. Not 100% sure, but that is what I am hearing. Varone....rumors say Italy?
What will be interesting to see is how many Vet's will be taken in the dispersal draft of Kzoo players. I know one I take because you know he would become an instant fan favorite...Little Willie. With Aldoff being undecided I am sure they won't protect him. We are going to loose the rights to some good players and maybe a fan favorite or two but that is how it goes.
Tyler Willis is a jerk! I do not want him on our team. Way to injury prone. Personally I hope he retires. He will not be part of any ECHL team. He can not skate fast enough or good enough.
I have to agree about Willy. He is a punk and not really worth. Put him up against someone like Thomas and he looks like a Squirt skater (10-year-old). With the speed of our forwards why would you slow it down with someone like Willis. Now Karlander might be a good one to get.
Please, please, please keep Chaulker, Guy, PC & Huk!!! I'd also like to add O'Connor, Thomas and Rodger to their protective list. I have no doubt that they will protect Boucher.
I for one would not want Little Willie on our team. I agree he is too injury prone and past his prime. Now getting Karlander or Nebus would definitely be nice. Or could we get Bootland to come out of retirement and play for us? Now that would be sweet!
Blake, how do they choose the picking order for the dispersal draft? Last place to first place, so we'd get last choice each round?
Don't get me wrong, I don't want to see any of our guys go or not return to the Komets, but there are several Vets who are just plain getting slow due to age. Nothing against any of them, age gets us all, but I would think the powers that be would want to protect some of our youthful talent with the speed to keep up with the competition. It's tough to watch some of our guys getting lots of holding penalties because they can't keep up anymore, but that's just the nature of the beast. I think our Vets have some of the best passing and puck handling in the league, if not the best, but at the same time you have to be able to get around the ice and put bodies on people.
Why do we continually pick up warner. Let this guy go. He hasnt played a full season yet and hes into his 3rd season. You should just take his salary and throw it away because that is what we have done the past 2 years. We are paying a guy to watch the games. Lets move on there are other HOMETOWN kids here that are better and will acctually play
Ok, its time for me to put in my two words. Just give us back Dupis, Chalk, PC, Shaf, Huk and Bertram. I love just to watch them play. Varone going to Italy... whatever, I did like his pep etc. As far as Bucher, he gives me a heart attack every time he leaves the crease.... With Coach in charge, things should be great. oh yeah, leave Willie up in Zoo. We surely don't need his mouth here. Actually, I really rather not see any KZOO in k's uniform. As always, GO KOMETS!