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Tailing the Komets

Francis gets recall

The Komets learned Monday that center Chris Francis has been recalled by their American Hockey League affiliate, the Springfield Falcons.

Francis, 21, was signed as a free agent by the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets during the summer of 2010 and began the season skating four games (1 goal, 1 assist) with Springfield before his assignment to Fort Wayne in November.  Francis scored four goals and 17 points while accumulating 12 penalty minutes during his 28-game stint with Fort Wayne.

Posted in: Komets

Comments

Wendy
Tue, 01/18/2011 - 2:57am

"What is the true purpose of AA hockey. Is it a place for vets who never made it to play out their career or is it a place for younger guys to get noticed."
--------------------------------------------
It's both. Though I always thought of it more along of the lines of it being a place for younger guys who need to develop their skills in hopes of getting noticed and vets who love the sport enough to keep playing it after their phone stops ringing who can teach them a thing or two.

kometswin
Tue, 01/18/2011 - 7:24am

Snuff, with all due respect you don't know what you are talking about. Chalk is the heart and soul of this and the last 4 Komet teams for you to minimize his play and his effect on the ice is just show pure and unadulterated ignorance on your part. Sorry to be harsh but I am just so darn sick and tired of many who think Chaulk has nothing to add to this team.

JungleMonkey
Tue, 01/18/2011 - 8:36am

Chaulk is a guy we can all respect and admire. Nobody has question him as a man or a player. Snuff is talking about how he fits as a piece of the organization as a whole. I may not agree with everything that Ol' Snuff has said, but I do see that he makes a valid overall point.

I don't think anyone has ever said that Chaulk doesn't "add anything to this team".

Alan
Tue, 01/18/2011 - 12:20pm

A quick note to Komet91.

If the Komets waived Druin and he was claimed by another team, he would remain the property of the new team regardless of whether he reported or not. So your strategy of waiving him with the idea of him not reporting and thus being available to the Komets later is flawed.

A quick note on injuries, the IR,etc.

Hockey teams are notorious for "hiding" injury information. It keeps other teams from targeting the injury and taking advantage of a weakness. Hit's revelation of O'C eating ice cream and dipping chaw is a prime example. Maybe he had been sick, but maybe he hadn't. Maybe the K's needed to give him a rest to nurse some minor injury and used the flu as a reason for his absence. Curadeau with a bad back? Who knows? It sure would explain some things. Plus while the team is on a run and has some roster pressure, it allows him to recover. Since they've called it a back problem, it probably is something else altogether.

I wouldn't be surprised that the K's contacted Columbus, explained their roster pressure and asked them to assign Francis to Springfield. Regardless, the point is that I think the K's will do whatever is in their power to try to keep this group together. Thomas will still be off for awhile but when he returns the K's may put someone else on IR. Maybe some guys have minor injuries to heal. Maybe, with the number of games coming up, they want to rest a player or two.

The point is when it comes to injuries only a few people know for sure.

kometswin
Tue, 01/18/2011 - 12:35pm

Chaulk certainly is not fitting well right now with this group with 7 points in 6 games or anything. Yeah, he really doesn't fit here does he?

JungleMonkey
Tue, 01/18/2011 - 1:29pm

Dude, we all love Chaulk. I don't think anyone is debating you. Relax.

Mr snufflupugus
Tue, 01/18/2011 - 1:38pm

JM they won't be happy unless we make him mayor, rename the arena and replace the tower in the circle in Indy with a 50 foot gold statue of Colin in a Captain Komet jersey.
As for me, as long as I continue to be misquoted and misinterpreted by people who take what I say in plain English and turn it into something else, I don't see a point in debating or discussing it with them.

Mr snufflupugus
Tue, 01/18/2011 - 1:46pm

BTW JM thanks for the back up. Colin will always be one of those guys some people love and would not mind seeing play as long as he is able to skate. I love the passion. I just wish they would not be so blinded to it that they cannot read an opinion looking to the future without thinking it is a bash of the past.

So maybe we can get the Chaulk defenders on another subject....
Reiter......

At some point Boucher is going to retire or become less effective due to (GASSSSPPP) age.
For the same reason I want to see other vets gone I strongly believe they should let Boucher play the bulk of the games this year and start looking at younger goalies in an effort to perhaps develop the goalie of the future.
Reiter was yet another piece of the past I would have liked to have seen left in the past. He has not played nearly as poorly as his record indicates and would be a piece I would think a top team looking for insurance at the backup position would take a look at. Only question is his salary and how teams could fit him under the cap.

Mr snufflupugus
Tue, 01/18/2011 - 1:57pm

Sorry for the triple post but I missed Wendy.
Wendy you are right I think.
It is interesting how much different AA baseball and AA hockey is. In baseball these days most of your best prospects are in AA. AAA is a higher level but is filled mainly with "4A" players. Guys who are 25+, are no longer considered young prospects but who are talented enough to be recalled in case of injuries. There are of course a bunch of 30 something guys all over AAA that had been in the majors at one time or another and are hanging on. It amazes watching the spring training invites and seeing guys who you remember making the majors in 2000 but never sticking still getting chances.

Hockey is a different world. The best of the best skaters come straight from college or juniors. You have almost zero real prospects at the AA level and the AAA level is also full of 4A players and some second tier but legit prospects.
The wild card is the goalie position. There are quality goalies all over AA and AAA that could do the job at the NHL level if given a chance. I think you are going to see a major influx of that talent this decade.
Think about this, besides Brodeur and maybe Osgood both who are about done, , how many other future HOF goalies are out there now? Compare to 10 years ago. Roy Brodeur Osgood Belfour, Cujo, Hasek and maybe I am forgetting one or two were all playing at a high level.
A long ramble but alot to think about...... Interesting stuff to me. Maybe boring to all of you lol

Wendy
Tue, 01/18/2011 - 7:18pm

Not boring at all. I've heard it said that goalies take longer to develop than players in other positions (apparently even longer than defensemen), which is probably why you see so many older goalies getting their first shots. Quite frankly, there have been many times I thought Brodeur and Osgood were already done. Yet they continue to find ways to surprise me from time to time. But yeah, the clock is definitely ticking there. I've often read laments about the decline of the "franchise goalie". I suppose that's true. There's "King Henrik" Lundqvist for the Ranger, Luongo for Vancouver, Ward for Carolina... I doubt any of them will be going anywhere anytime soon. I'm a fan of Boston's Tim Thomas of course, but Price in Montreal, Hiller for Anaheim, Quick for L.A., and Rinne in Nashville have all looked pretty good.

mightbite
Tue, 01/18/2011 - 7:23pm

Wendy will not say "BOB" the best of all young goalies :)

Wendy
Tue, 01/18/2011 - 7:31pm

Bobrovsky? He's been good, but it's just hard to say yet. With goalies, they can have a good season and then fall off the map. Like Steve Mason.

mightbite
Tue, 01/18/2011 - 7:47pm

I have Bobrovsky,Luongo,Miller,Halak on my fantasy hockey team, in 1st place. Also Crosby,Carter,Richards,Giroux,Briere

Wendy
Tue, 01/18/2011 - 8:21pm

So you've got Crosby and the Flyers? LOL. Unless you're talking about Brad Richards. Somehow, I don't think you are. ;)

mightbite
Wed, 01/19/2011 - 5:19am

Mike Richards & no bruins :)

Wendy
Wed, 01/19/2011 - 6:23am

Hey, I don't blame you. Thomas is the only one who has put in a more or less consistant performance this season. I did forget to mention Fleury, whom I do believe is a franchise goalie, but his occasional down periods always make me a little unsure about him. Hard to say. I'd have mentioned Halak and Miller if their teams were doing better this season. Probably shouldn't have mentioned Quick, but I keep thinking the talent is there no matter how much he and the Kings flounder.

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