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Tailing the Komets

Some things I've heard today

* Seems obvious to me the Komets are trying to load up on their developmental players, which is 128 pro games or less under the last CHL collective bargaining agreement. They've got four already in Keith Rodger, Brandon Naurato, Bobby Phillips and Derek Patrosso. That's smart to save room on the salary cap, and each team had to play five last season.

* Lincoln Kaleigh Schrock told me he's had several offers from ECHL teams and he's trying to decide which opportunity will give him the best opportunity to advance his career. He's scheduled to meet again with the Komets over the next week or so. "It's not about money,'' he said.

* David Franke said he's focusing on signing Leo Thomas, P.C. Drouin and Guy Dupuis as his veterans, which will leave him at least one, maybe two more spots available.

* Justin Chwedoruk said he counts as a veteran under CHL rules and he has not heard from the Komets yet. He said he's got a couple of options in Europe.

* The Komets have talked to Mathieu Curadeau who said he has interest in returning to Fort Wayne, but he also is looking for the best chance to move up first. "Fort Wayne has been an amazing place for me for two years, and they are in a good position to ask me back."

* Matt Syroczynski said he's conttalking with the Komets, has an offer in Europe and another in the ECHL. "I'm not in a huge rush to decide."

* David Hukalo said he has no idea what's going to happen with himself. He's still looking for a job.

*  David Franke said he'll likely be announcing some more signings later this week and next week. The Komets are talking to more players from Flint and Port Huron, and ``there are a ton of players out there looking for work."

* Just because your favorite player has not been listed here does not mean the Komets are not talking to them. It just means I have not heard back from that player to hear it from their mouths yet.

Posted in: Komets

Comments

Z.Anderson84
Tue, 07/06/2010 - 2:21pm

The only guy IMHO that could even come close to having the impact offensively on the team that Chaulk had is Mathieu Curedeau. He needs to be a priorty sign for this team.

Y2K
Tue, 07/06/2010 - 2:28pm

Curadeau would be a huge signing for us!

Wendy
Tue, 07/06/2010 - 3:00pm

Welcome back, Blake. Good vacation?

Blake Sebring
Tue, 07/06/2010 - 3:14pm

Yup. Read all the Camel Club series and starting on Death Gate Cycle.

teresa215
Tue, 07/06/2010 - 3:28pm

No offer to Chewy yet? That guy works his tail off every night. This limited vet number is going to get on my nerves!

Any word on Bouch or Timmy yet? I think they should go after Nolan if one of them isn't coming back. Or there's always LLAAAAARRRYYY!!!!

mightbite
Tue, 07/06/2010 - 3:39pm

Woods ? MacMillan ? POPP?????????

Blueline Baby
Tue, 07/06/2010 - 4:02pm

Wouldn't Mathieu Curadeau, Matt Syroczynski, and Brad MacMillan all count as veterans? Also, is there no "tweener" status in this league? No one has mentioned that term yet this off-season. Just wondering.

And I truly think this is possibly the most nail-biting off-season there has been yet! (ok, we say that each off-season, but I really mean it this year!)

Mark21
Tue, 07/06/2010 - 4:30pm

"Tweener" counts as those players between 128 games of pro experience and 301

Blueline Baby
Tue, 07/06/2010 - 5:50pm

Gotcha, Mark....that makes sense....so how many of those can we play and carry? Or are they the "developmental" players we're talking about? I know it's 4 vets, 5 developmental players....is there a minimum number of rookies we must play each game? Sorry if this is old news to some....I just learned all this for the IHL, now I need to learn all this for the CIHL, or whatever we are gonna call this! :)

Jay Kunta Quinta
Tue, 07/06/2010 - 5:52pm

Sorry Blake, but as you pointed out, the developmental players are 128 games and less. Derek Patrosso has played in 139 games as of the end of last season. He would fall in the tweener category.

Y2K
Tue, 07/06/2010 - 5:53pm

MacMillan has play 156 games not including the five he played in the LNAH. I don't know if those count of not. Curadeau has played 198 not including 4 in LNAH.Syroczynski has played 256

Y2K
Tue, 07/06/2010 - 5:54pm

Developmental in the CHL is what we called a rookie in the IHL.

Blake Sebring
Tue, 07/06/2010 - 5:57pm

Yep, good catch, Jay. Thanks.

Steve
Tue, 07/06/2010 - 6:54pm

BLB, for me the most nail biting off-season was between '89-'90 and '90-'91, in other words the summer of 1990.

When they moved from the IHL to the UHL it wasn't all that great either but there was more info available because the UHL was already established and we were joining them, not dating them.

For me this off season isn't particularly nail biting, it just requires patience until all the details get worked out, then the nail biting can begin when the season starts and we see how well the team Sims, Chaulk and the Frankes put together will compete under new rules and against new opponents.

Mathieu played for Kzoo last year because he felt he would get better exposure to higher leagues by being in the ECHL, which is probably correct. He could have made more money playing here. I wouldn't be surprise to see Shrock and possibly a couple more make the same decision for the same reason and with the lower salary cap money may not even enter into the decision at all.

Hit Somebody!!!
Tue, 07/06/2010 - 8:45pm

Curdy comes back and I will be sold on this coming year. That kid is a stud at this level. Would love me a line full of Curdy, OC, and Schrocky.

That would be classic. Rock'em Sock'em and Pass'em by line.

Please.

Hit Somebody!!!
Tue, 07/06/2010 - 9:11pm

No BWs sighting?

Blake Sebring
Tue, 07/06/2010 - 9:56pm

They are talking, and he said he thinks it will get done. Leo is close, also. Nick has talked with the Komets and is also considering some offers in Europe. They have not talked to Tim Haun yet, but expect to this week.

Dschebig
Wed, 07/07/2010 - 8:03am

Question-Since the Goaltenders do not count towards the Vet limit. Do the Goaltenders count as Development players? That is if the games played is in that range. Last year Haun counted as a rookie. Back to vacation. It's Blake's fault he woke me up.

Alan
Wed, 07/07/2010 - 8:06am

Not even talked to Chewy? This is a real good example of how goofed up this off season is. No one knows the rules, the GM's have to go by last years CHL limitations to start signing guys, and a ticket increase for about 14% less games.

Hit, your line of Curadeau, Shrock, and O'Conner would be a nice line. Trouble is that none of them are signed and when you read between the lines only O'Conner seems like a real possibility.

Chewy was a guy who played hard ALL the time. (Remember the discussions on here about players who only play 75% all out and the grief everyone gave him.) Well, this reduced vet limit has taken a guy like Chewy and put him on the back burner. Lewis, the CHL Commissioner, has stated he thinks the vet rule will be changed. He wasn't sure if the change meant more vets allowed or raising the number of games played before reaching the veteran status. ( I'm banking that they will raise the the number of games played in order to reach the vet status because Colorado has so many players that have now reached the vet limit. I would raise the number of vets allowed to six, if it was me.)

One more change I would make would be to raise the salary cap. This tiny cap is ridiculous. The cap is salary per week. If they want to save money than compress the season by a week or two. Or start the season later. The typical IHL schedule played very few games in October vs. the months of March and even April. Don't start the season until November and play more games in Nov, Dec, & Jan. Each week you save puts $10,000.00 back in the hands of the owners.

Blueline Baby, games 1-128 "developmental", 2-300 games "tweeners", 301 and above "veterans". That is as it stands now.

David Franke stated in Blakes introduction above that "there are a ton of players out there looking for work". I'm not surprised by that statement. However, with the limited means he is working with to put a roster together, what difference does it make? The salary cap is so small that there is a real danger for the talent level to fall even further. Mironovic and Rodger? Sure, they bring some experience to the team defensively and I thought Mironovic had really improved last year. Rodger hardly got to play. These players keep you "young" but are not impact players at all. ( I did like the signing of Petrosso and Naurato as they keep you young and have proven themselves offensively also.

Maybe I just got up on the wrong side of the bed today. But today is July 7th. Twenty three more days until season ticket money is due and still no information on what I am purchasing. Patience is a virtue and I'm trying real hard but realistically I think something needs to be said, announced, extended, or whatever.

The Franke's and every other GM of the CHL-IHL are being forced to put their teams together in a "fog". The time has well passed to clear things up.

( Opposing views will be read with an open mind and welcomed.)

Alan
Wed, 07/07/2010 - 8:11am

Sorry Blueline, meant to type 129-300 games "tweeners". Got in too much of a hurry. Please excuse the mistake.

Rob
Wed, 07/07/2010 - 8:37am

Let's see, ticket price increase, lower salary cap, fewer veterans, less games, more travel. There are more teams and the IHL is propped up. It looks like the bad outweighs the good 5-2. If that were a hockey score I would say somebody got stomped.

I share Alan's fustration. People want to buy season tickets but they don't know what they're paying for and no one is coming forward with any FACTUAL information. How long does it take to make these kind of decisions, I mean really?

I don't see another championship in Fort Wayne next year. The salary cap issue is going to hinder Frankes inept ability to find the talent they've been finding. I just don't see players wanting play for less. There might be a few, but the majority of them won't. Frankes' reputation might heal that some, but just being treated good doesn't keep the lights on (love don't pay the rent). If the Frankes can get the pick of the litter from the pool of the CHL and defunt IHL teams, then perhaps my first sentence might be untrue. But, I don't see it happenin'. We'll see.

How does the ECHL NOT make sense?

Hit the post
Wed, 07/07/2010 - 8:37am

Getting around the salary cap? I thought that was a common practice with housing allowances, etc.

Rob
Wed, 07/07/2010 - 9:19am

The point wasn't what the salary went for.

Hit the post
Wed, 07/07/2010 - 9:23am

Rob, I believe you are mistaken. Do you recall the article published in the Ft. Wayne paper a few years ago that spoke to that very subject?

Blake Sebring
Wed, 07/07/2010 - 9:42am

Right, because EVERYONE had heard of Frankie DeAngelis, Lincoln Kaleigh Schrock and Mathieu Curadeau before they got to Fort Wayne. When anyone else could have signed them. Or Leo Thomas after he got released by Bloomington.

There will always be new players, new favorites that no one else has ever heard of.

Y2K
Wed, 07/07/2010 - 10:20am

Komets just re-signed Thomas and signed Craig Cescon and Matt Ward

Burgee
Wed, 07/07/2010 - 10:50am

i like cescon because he hammered Bouchard or anyone else that needed it, whenever they were close in the playoff games i watched up in flint and Musky.

and i hope Bouchard comes back on another team so Cescon can pound him while in a K's uniform.

Rob
Wed, 07/07/2010 - 12:04pm

Just like EVERYONE knows about the rest of the AA players yet didn't seem to repeat as champions.

I think the "mistake" is, is that not all players are in it for the love of the game. They want to get paid and advance. That's was my point.

MR SNUFFLUPUGUS
Wed, 07/07/2010 - 1:26pm

"Frankes inept ability to find the talent they

Rob
Wed, 07/07/2010 - 1:34pm

I used the wrong word, don't know what I was thinking then. I meant to use the word competent, before you become quickly dismissive of an idea like others are on here.

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