Prospect Info: 2014-2015 Rangers Prospects Thread *Part IV* (Player Stats in Post #1; Updated 6/2)

[nyr2k2]

**INFORMATION CURRENT AS OF: TUESDAY 6/2/2015 @ 7:00 AM EST**
$ PLAYER SIGNED TO NHL CONTRACT
ATO PLAYER SIGNED TO AMATEUR TRYOUT
C TEAM CAPTAIN - A ALTERNATE CAPTAIN
† - PLAYER IS CURRENTLY INJURED




NORTH AMERICAN JUNIOR PROSPECTS -- OHL, QMJHL, USHL, WHL, Others

#| Player | P/Sh. | DOB | Ht. | Wt. | Games | Goals | Assists | Points | +/- | PIM | Team/League | Drafted | HF

57| Donnay, Troy $ A |RD/R|2/18/94|6'7"|205|45|4|19|23|+26|53|Erie Otters/OHL|UDFA 2013 (NYR)| 5.5 C
||||||19|0|5|5|-3|21|Erie Otters/Playoffs

27| Graves, Ryan $ A |LD/L|5/21/95|6'5"|215|50|15|24|39|+17|49|Québec Remparts/QMJHL|R4 #110 2013 (NYR)| 7.0 D
||||||21|5|6|11|+11|25|Québec Remparts/Playoffs
|||||| 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | +1 | 4 | Québec Remparts/Memorial Cup
|||||| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 0 | Team QMJHL/Super Series

13| Iverson, Keegan |C/R|4/5/96|6'1"|220|68|15|24|39|+3|91|Portland Winterhawks/WHL|R3 #85 2014 (NYR)| 6.0 C
||||||17|2|7|9|+4|27|Portland Winterhawks/Playoffs

22| Mantha, Ryan |RD/R|6/18/96|6'5"|225|52|10|15|25|+21|45|Niagara IceDogs/OHL|R4 #104 2014 (NYR)| 6.0 D
||||||11|1|5|6|+3|6|Niagara IceDogs/Playoffs

23| Nanne, Tyler |RD/R|3/17/96|5'10"|183|29|7|6|13|-6|32|Madison Capitols/USHL|R5 #142 2014 (NYR)| 6.5 D
|||||| 14 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -9 | 14 | Sioux Falls Stampede/USHL

18| Nejezchleb, Richard |RW/L|5/2/94|6'3"|208|47|19|30|49|-27|62|Tri-City Americans/WHL|R5 #122 2014 (NYR)| 6.5 C
||||||4|1|0|1|-7|8|Tri-City Americans/Playoffs
|||||| 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | +2 | 0 | Brandon Wheat Kings/WHL

19| Tambellini, Adam $ A |C/L|11/1/94|6'3"|191|71|47|39|86|+43|30|Calgary Hitmen/WHL|R3 #65 2013 (NYR)| 6.5 C
||||||16|13|13|26|+1|10|Calgary Hitmen/Playoffs

#| Player | P/Glv. | DOB | Ht. | Wt. | Games | Wins | Losses | OTL | GAA | SV% | SO | Team/League |Drafted|HF

31| Halverson, Brandon |G/L|3/29/96|6'4"|188|50|40|5|2|2.63|.913|6|S.S.M. Greyhounds/OHL|R2 #59 2014 (NYR)| 7.5 C
||||||14|10|4|0|2.94|.893|1|S.S.M. Greyhounds/Playoffs
|||||| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 1.00 | 1 | USA/U20 WJC

COLLEGE PROSPECTS -- NCAA

#| Player | P/Sh. | DOB | Ht. | Wt. | Yr. | Games | Goals | Assists | Points | +/- | PIM | Team/Conference | Drafted | HF

26| Fogarty, Steven C |C/R|4/19/93|6'3"|212|Jr.|39|9|12|21|+8|6|Notre Dame Fighting Irish/HE|R3 #72 2011 (NYR)| 6.5 D

12| Nieves, Cristoval |LW/L|1/23/94|6'3"|200|Jr.|35|7|21|28|+3|18|Michigan Wolverines/B10|R2 #59 2012 (NYR)| 6.5 C

INTERNATIONAL PROSPECTS -- ELH, KHL, Liiga, SHL, Others

#| Player | P/Sh. | DOB | Ht. | Wt. | Games | Goals | Assists | Points | +/- | PIM | Team/League | Drafted | HF
55| Andersson, Calle $ |RD/R|5/16/94|6'2"|207|30|5|12|17|-4|16|HC Lugano/NLA|R4 #119 2012 (NYR)| 6.0 D
||||||6|0|3|3|E|0|HC Lugano/Playoffs
|||||| 18 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -2 | 6 | EV Zug/NLA
|||||| 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | E | 0 | EV Zug / Champions HL
|||||| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- | 0 | EV Zug / Swiss Cup
|||||| 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -2 | 2 | Sweden/EHC
|||||| 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 | Sweden/International

89| Buchnevich, Pavel |LW/L|4/17/95|6'2"|176|48|13|16|29|+8|16|HC Severstal Cherepovets/KHL|R3 #75 2013 (NYR)| 7.5 C
||||||11|8|12|20|+5|32|Almaz Cherepovets (MHL)/Playoffs
|||||| 7 | 1 | 5 | 6 | -1 | 2 | Russia/U20 WJC
|||||| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | E | 0 | Russia/EHT
|||||| 7 | 3 | 5 | 8 | +2 | 16 | Russia/U20 International

24| Zámorský, Petr $ |RD/R|8/3/92|5'11"|190|10|1|4|5|+4|8|Örebro HK/SHL|UDFA 2014 (NYR)| 6.0 C
||||||6|2|2|4|-2|4|Örebro HK/Playoffs
|||||| 25 | 3 | 3 | 6 | -2 | 18 | Espoo Blues/Liiga
|||||| 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | E | 8 | Czech Republic/EHT
|||||| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | E | 4 | Czech Republic/International

#| Player | P/Glv. | DOB | Ht. | Wt. | Games | Wins | Losses | OTL | GAA | SV% | SO | Team/League |Drafted|HF

30| Shesterkin, Igor |G/L|12/30/95|6'1"|187|6|3|0|3|2.33|.917|0|SKA St. Petersburg/KHL|R4 #118 2014 (NYR)| 7.5 D
||||||13|7|4|2|2.47|.910|1|SKA-1946/Playoffs
|||||| 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1.72 | .943 | 1 | SKA-Kareliya/VHL
|||||| 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2.26 | .934 | 0 | SKA-1946/MHL
|||||| 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1.98 | .938 | 1 | Russia/U20 WJC
|||||| 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1.58 | .949 | 1 | Team Russia/Super Series
|||||| 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1.45 | .962 | 0 | Russia/U20 International

NORTH AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL PROSPECTS -- AHL, ECHL, NHL

#| Player | P/Sh. | DOB | Ht. | Wt. | Games | Goals | Assists | Points | +/- | PIM | Team/League | Drafted | HF

4| Allen, Conor $ |LD/L|1/31/90|6'1"|210|72|11|23|34|+1|111|Hartford Wolf Pack/AHL|UDFA 2013 (NYR)| 7.0 C
||||||12|1|1|2|-4|10|Hartford Wolf Pack/Playoffs
|||||| 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 4 | New York Rangers/NHL

2| Bodie, Mat $ |LD/L|3/7/90|6'0"|175|75|5|27|32|+11|42|Hartford Wolf Pack/AHL|UDFA 2014 (NYR)| 7.0 C
||||||15|3|4|7|+1|6|Hartford Wolf Pack/Playoffs

25| Bourque, Ryan $ A |LW/L|1/3/91|5'9"|178|1|0|0|0|-1|0|New York Rangers/NHL|R3 #80 2009 (NYR)| 6.5 D
|||||| 73 | 12 | 20 | 32 | -3 | 27 | Hartford Wolf Pack/AHL
|||||| 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | +1 | 2 | Hartford Wolf Pack/Playoffs

19| Fast, Jesper $ |RW/R|12/2/91|6'0"|185|58|6|8|14|-1|8|New York Rangers/NHL|R6 #157 2010 (NYR)| 7.0 C
||||||19|3|3|6|+1|2|New York Rangers/Playoffs
|||||| 11 | 1 | 8 | 9 | -2 | 2 | Hartford Wolf Pack/AHL

39| Haggerty, Ryan $ |RW/R|3/4/93|6'0"|201|76|15|18|33|-1|34|Hartford Wolf Pack/AHL|UDFA 2014 (NYR)| 6.5 C
||||||14|2|4|6|+4|4|Hartford Wolf Pack/Playoffs

13| Hayes, Kevin $ |C/L|5/8/92|6'5"|225|79|17|28|45|+15|22|New York Rangers/NHL|R1 #24 2010 (CHI)| 7.0 C
||||||19|2|5|7|-3|2|New York Rangers/Playoffs

15| Hrivík, Marek $ |LW/L|8/28/91|6'1"|197|72|12|21|33|+8|12|Hartford Wolf Pack/AHL|UDFA 2012 (NYR)| 6.5 D
||||||15|3|6|9|-1|6|Hartford Wolf Pack/Playoffs

5| Hughes, Tommy $ |RD/R|4/7/92|6'2"|215|42|1|6|7|+6|27|Hartford Wolf Pack/AHL|UDFA 2013 (NYR)| 6.5 D
||||||15|1|2|3|-2|4|Hartford Wolf Pack/Playoffs

26| Kantor, Michael $ |LW/R|2/2/92|6'0"|198|2|1|1|2|+3|0|Greenville Road Warriors/ECHL|UDFA 2013 (NYR)| 5.5 D
|||||| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | E | 14 | Hartford Wolf Pack/AHL

48| Klingberg, Carl $ |LW/R|1/28/91|6'3"|214|13|2|9|11|-2|4|Hartford Wolf Pack/AHL|R2 #34 2009 (WPG)| 6.5 C
||||||13|4|3|7|+2|6|Hartford Wolf Pack/Playoffs
|||||| 51 | 15 | 15 | 30 | E | 41 | St. John's IceCaps/AHL
|||||| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 0 | Winnipeg Jets/NHL

29| Kristo, Danny $ |RW/R|6/18/90|5'11"|185|72|22|24|46|+11|35|Hartford Wolf Pack/AHL|R2 #56 2008 (MTL)| 7.5 D
||||||15|3|3|6|-6|2|Hartford Wolf Pack/Playoffs

24| Lindberg, Oscar $ |C/L|10/29/91|6'1"|190|75|28|28|56|+7|68|Hartford Wolf Pack/AHL|R2 #57 2010 (PHX)| 6.5 B
||||||15|3|13|16|E|6|Hartford Wolf Pack/Playoffs
|||||| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | E | 0 | New York Rangers/NHL

3| McCarthy, Chris $ |LW/R|7/30/91|6'1"|205|5|1|0|1|-3|0|Hartford Wolf Pack/AHL|UDFA 2014 (NYR)| 6.5 D
|||||| 63 | 15 | 24 | 39 | +7 | 12 | Greenville Road Warriors/ECHL

8| McIlrath, Dylan $ |RD/R|4/20/92|6'5"|220|73|6|11|17|+5|165|Hartford Wolf Pack/AHL|R1 #10 2010 (NYR)| 6.5 B
||||||15|0|2|2|+2|23|Hartford Wolf Pack/Playoffs
|||||| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | E | 9 | New York Rangers/NHL

10| Miller, J.T. $ |LW/L|3/14/93|6'1"|205|58|10|13|23|+5|23|New York Rangers/NHL|R1 #15 2011 (NYR)| 7.0 B
||||||19|1|7|8|+3|2|New York Rangers/Playoffs
|||||| 18 | 6 | 9 | 15 | -3 | 12 | Hartford Wolf Pack/AHL

49| Nicholls, Josh $ |RW/R|4/27/92|6'3"|192|5|0|1|1|-1|0|Hartford Wolf Pack/AHL|R7 #182 2010 (TOR)| 6.0 D
|||||| 53 | 21 | 22 | 43 | -8 | 20 | Greenville Road Warriors/ECHL

8| Noreau, Samuel $ |RD/R|1/31/93|6'5"|225|67|2|9|11|+1|114|Greenville Road Warriors/ECHL|R5 #136 2011 (NYR)| 6.0 D
|||||| 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 13 | Hartford Wolf Pack/AHL

6| Skjei, Brady $ ATO |LD/L|3/26/94|6'3"|206|8|0|0|0|+2|5|Hartford Wolf Pack/AHL|R1 #28 2012 (NYR)| 7.5 C
||||||15|1|2|3|-3|16|Hartford Wolf Pack/Playoffs
|||||| 33 | 1 | 9 | 10 | +7 | 32 | Minnesota Golden Gophers/NCAA

18| St. Croix, Michael $ |RW/R|4/10/93|5'11"|183|59|14|27|41|-10|44|Greenville Road Warriors/ECHL|R4 #106 2011 (NYR)| 6.0 D

#| Player | P/Glv. | DOB | Ht. | Wt. | Games | Wins | Losses | OTL | GAA | SV% | SO | Team/League |Drafted|HF

31| Missiaen, Jason $ |G/L|4/25/90|6'8"|206|5|1|2|1|3.56|.884|0|Hartford Wolf Pack/AHL|UDFA 2011 (NYR)| 6.0 D
|||||| 37 | 18 | 15 | 3 | 3.08 | .900 | 2 | Greenville Road Warriors/ECHL

70| Skapski, Mackenzie $ |G/L|6/15/94|6'3"|192|28|15|8|4|2.40|.914|3|Hartford Wolf Pack/AHL|R6 #170 2013 (NYR)| 6.5 D
||||||2|0|1|0|5.43|.821|0|Hartford Wolf Pack/Playoffs
|||||| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.50 | .978 | 1 | New York Rangers/NHL
|||||| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3.17 | .906 | 0 | Greenville Road Warriors/ECHL

----------​

[fieldset="Previous Rangers Prospects Threads:"]
2014-2015 Rangers Prospect Thread *Part I*:http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1698893
2014-2015 Rangers Prospect Thread *Part II*:http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1746161
2014-2015 Rangers Prospect Thread *Part III*: http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1818523

2013-2014 Rangers Prospect Thread *Part I*: http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1465133
2013-2014 Rangers Prospect Thread *Part II*: http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1563491
2013-2014 Rangers Prospect Thread *Part III*: http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1597483
2013-2014 Rangers Prospect Thread *Part IV*: http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1641895
[/fieldset]

[fieldset="League Links:"]
Big Ten Conference (B10): http://www.bigten.org/sports/m-hockey/
Czech Republic Tipsport Extraliga (ELH): http://www.hokej.cz/
East Coast Hockey League (ECHL): http://www.echl.com/
Hockey East (HE): http://www.hockeyeastonline.com/
International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF): http://www.iihf.com/
Kontinental Hockey League (KHL): http://en.khl.ru/
Finland Liiga (Liiga): http://www.liiga.fi/
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA): http://www.ncaa.com/sports/icehockey-men/d1/
National Hockey League (NHL): http://www.nhl.com/
National League A (NLA): http://www.nationalleague.ch/NL/de/index.php
Ontario Hockey League (OHL): http://www.ontariohockeyleague.com/
Québec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL): http://en.lhjmq.qc.ca/
Slovakia Tipsport Extraliga (SZLH): http://www.hockeyslovakia.sk/
Supreme Hockey League (VHL): http://www.vhlru.ru/en/
Swedish Hockey League (SHL): http://www.shl.se/
Western Hockey League (WHL): http://www.whl.ca/
United States Hockey League (USHL): http://www.ushl.com/[/fieldset]


[fieldset="Other Resources:"]
CHL Stats (CHL Advanced Stats): http://chlstats.pythonanywhere.com/
College Hockey News: http://www.collegehockeynews.com/
College Hockey Stats: http://www.collegehockeystats.net/
Elite Prospects: http://www.eliteprospects.com/
HockeyStats.ca (AHL Advanced Stats): http://chlstats.pythonanywhere.com/
Hockey's Future - New York Rangers: http://www.hockeysfuture.com/teams/new_york_rangers/
Hockey Reference: http://www.hockey-reference.com/
Internet Hockey Database: http://www.hockeydb.com/
U.S. College Hockey Online: http://www.uscho.com/
[/fieldset]

Click to read more...

 

[nyr2k2]

Petr Zamorsky is done for the year in Sweden, his team lost 4-2 in games to Växjö.

Petr had a strong series offensively and finnished with 4 pts in 6 POs games. He scored on a real rocket from the blueline for the second straight game. I can't find any highlights up yet, but I will try to post his goal tonight because it really shows a lot of what this kid is about.

I haven't seen a full game with him yet in the SHL, I might pick up a rerun of this game tomorrow. I was a bit screwed by the network listing Örebro's game as being on the national channel several times and then changing game last minute.

Anyway, a few comments after seing quite much of him anyway here and there during the POs series. Zamorsky is small, he is not very good defensively and he is quite passive and soft defensively. Finesse player defensively as well as offensively, sometimes he can do some things real well defensively, but he doesn't have much of an edge to his game.

Offensively he is poised with the puck, I wanna see more of him in relation to how he passes the puck under pressure etc, but the fundamentals for a real good passing game is there.

The big upside with this kid is how he plays on the PP. No doubt. Both for Örebro and for the Czech National team, coaches just puts him on the point of the PP and lets him fire away. I just found this vid, can you guys watch it in NA? Start watching at 1.15:
http://www.svt.se/sport/ishockey/orebrovaxjo

I kind of like this kid and this signing for this reason only basically. Players that play certain ways tends to transform well to the next level, some examples of these types can be a Dale Weise with his speed and grinding game or Antony Duclair with his top notch speed and confidence around the net or Carl Hagelin with his forechecking game and so forth, those type of players very seldomly run into a wall and just don't get through to the next level, they can fail but at least they tend to push things and at least get chances here and there. The common denominator I guess is that its areas where you just must hit the ice and play your game and you will be noticed and you will get involved, no matter what level you play on.

Playing defense in the NHL will be a huge challenge for Zamorsky for sure. No doubt. And I am a bit agraid of how Kenny Gernander will develop this kid, you won't get much use of him if you stick him on a 3rd pairing in a minor role giving him the good ol fashion tough threatment to see if he is willing to prove himself etc. And no matter what its perfectly possible that he never gets close to the NHL.

But, this kid can definitely play real well on the point of a Power Play. I saw a lot of Marek Zidlicky when he was about the same age and played in Finland. Zidlicky was definitely better overall than Zamorsky and also better than him on the PP, and Zidlicky definitely had/has a very underrated mean streak and physical game -- for a player his size. It won't stick out at the NHL level, but he is also not manhandled physically because of it. Anyway, Zamorsky's PP game and offensive game isn't elite, then I would be real excited. I remember seeing a young Brian Rafalski too, he and Zidlicky and Kimmo Timmonen and co where world class PMDs and you could see it in Europe instantly, but its still real good and it will be interesting to see how much he can develop it the coming years.

I am kind of sceptical of forwards going to the AHL from Europe to "develop", its where you should go to learn the NA game not how to learn how to play the game. But for Ds its usually better. I would probably however like to see Zamorsky stay another year in the SHL. Grow into a bigger role at this level and dominate more offensively. He is the type that its perfectly possible that everything just comes together when he is 26, not 22. We can't hurry and aim at like him replacing Dan Boyle, its too soon I would bet at least.

Thanks for the report, Ola. Interesting that your observation is that he's passive, since when we signed him he kind of came with the reputation of being a bit of a wild-man. I expected an edge to him. Is it possible that he's just not yet comfortable in the SHL, and way trying to be a little more under control? Historically he had been a PIM-per-game kind of guy, but seems to have curtailed that this year.

IIRC, he was pretty good in camp. I know that's worth little, but still, it's enough for me to be exciting about his potential down the road. Eager to see what he brings next year.

The Hitmen season wrapped up yesterday, playoffs start on Friday.

Tambellini was a standout for the team this year, finishing with 86 points (47G, 39A) in 71 GP. He also finished an astonishing +43, and picked up 30 PIMs (all minors).

He's also wearing an A, although I would argue that he is more of a leader on the team than the captain (Kenton Helgesen) based on on-ice actions and watching him on the bench. The Hitmen have always favoured longevity on the team when it comes to picking the captain so it's no surprise that Helgesen was awarded it over Tambellini.

The radio announcers here keep saying he's playing "NHL-level hockey" but I would disagree - he's playing top level WHL hockey, but he needs to bring a more physical aspect to his game (he gets pushed around in the corners, and in front of the net) before he'll really make it at the next level. He does have a great shot and the intangible aspect that many future NHL players have - the ability to bring the best of his game out at crucial times.

Tambellini was the best player on the Hitmen this season, so best of luck to him in the Rangers organization moving forward.

I will drop in with updates through the playoffs, as relevant.

Thanks for the analysis. It all sounds good. I'm a little concerned that he's getting pushed around in the corners and in front of the net, though. The biggest concern with him with regards to his professional prospects has to do with his strength (IMO), so I'm a little discouraged to hear he's still struggling with that at the WHL level as an overage prospect. I know he has made some strides in terms of bulking up, but his strength could prove problematic next season and moving forward.

 

[Let Blaine Die]

I know a lot of people were talking about getting Nieves to go pro because of the wealth of talent at centre that Michigan will have next year. If I'm the Rangers I'd look at the Dylan Larkin situation as to whether to ask Nieves to go pro. Apparently, Detroit is trying to get Larkin to go pro and, if so, Nieves might be better served staying at Michigan for one more year.

 

[Beer League Sniper]

Nieves hasn't even been able to find consistency at the NCAA level. Unless he just isn't getting a fair shot, which doesn't seem to be the case, I would prefer that he stays at Michigan another year.

There's no reason to rush the kid to Hartford unless management feels that Michigan is stunting his development.

 

[BBKers]

Tambellini & Graves have already signed pro contracts for next year.
Skjei, Buchnevich, and maybe Fogarty + Nejezchleb will likely go pro this summer
Dark horse is Nieves - but has he proved anything yet really? Do not think so.

Waiting in the wings for possible future pro contracts would then be (maybe more?):

• Nieves (likely)
• Iverson
• Mantha
• Nanne
• Walcott
• Halverson
• Shesterkin
• 2015 draft picks

After dumping current deadweight contracts there should be roster space to sign 2-3 free agents from NCAA, juniors or €urope then I presume.
Some contracts to dump would be:
Missiaen
Kristo
Crabb
Hunwick
Kostka
Mueller

Question marks as I see it are (thinking RFAs Fast, Miller, Lindberg, McIllraith and Klingberg all get resigned with small raises/QOs):
Sheppard (UFA)
MSL (UFA)
Hagelin (RFA)
Hrivik (RFA)
Chris Bourque (UFA)

Plus there is a quartet down in Greenville (St Croix, Noreau, Nicholls and McCarthy) that have not shown much to cheer about. Yet . Add Zámorský, Donnay and Andersson to this group too. Lots of movable pieces if Sather gets trigger happy

Time will tell

 

[Steve Kournianos]

Rangers CHL prospects all had solid seasons. Really no complaints. NCAA prospects as well. IMO Boo and Tambo get moved to the wing since they both have world-class shots. That might be why Duclair was traded.

Nejezchleb, Tambo, Boo and Buch are all snipers. Iverson is a PF. Fogarty essentially a checking center.

Graves, Mantha, Walcott and Nanne all played on top PP units. Skjei did a little as well.

Herman reported that Nanne has a high-ankle sprain and is done for the season. Good job cracking that one. And the Shesterkin riddle was solved last week.

Halverson can't be faulted for his easy season. He did his job.

I think the farm system has improved from a year ago only because of the output. Still thin in defensive defensemen and two-way forwards. Need some Cally/Dubi/Hagelin types.

 

[nyr2k2]

CHL leagues start their playoffs in the next couple days. Here are the match ups:

Niagara (Mantha) opens against Ottawa. That's a 4-5 match up and should be a good series.

Erie (Donnay) also in action tomorrow. They play Sarnia. Erie is one of the league's top three teams and Sarnia finished below .500. Should be a quick one. Donnay has to sit the first game to finish serving his suspension for a hit to the head on 2/28.

SSM (Halverson) opens Friday against Saginaw. Saginaw finished 29-36-3. SSM was the best team in the OHL and had a goal differential of +146. The money is on that being a sweep for Soo. I wouldn't be surprised to see Raaymakers, the other goalie on Soo, get a start or even two in that series.

In the Q, Quebec (Graves) open Friday with Cape Breton. Shouldn't be too tough for Quebec to take that series. The Remparts will host the Memorial Cup this season, so Graves has hockey left even if the team goes out.

Blainville-Boisbriand (Walcott) faces Gatineau. They should roll Gatineau, though the Armada have struggled to find consistent offense this year. It's made worse by the fact that Wally D has missed a few games recently with a lower-body injury that he's been trying to push through. He's supposed to be good for the series opener Friday, but injury info on CHL kids is sketchy at best and it wouldn't be a huge surprise if he was out. He plays over half the game for that team and is really the catalyst from the back end (with SJ's kid Jevpalovs driving the play up front).

In the Dub--Calgary (Tambellini) opens with Kootenay. The Ice aren't particularly good and Tambo should run roughshod over their crappy defense. Friday start.

Tri-City (Nejezchleb) start with Kelowna on Friday. Tri-City should be a quick out. The Rockets are, for my money, the best team in the WHL. TC barely made it in--by far the weakest team in the field. They can't score goals and aren't very good at preventing them, either.

Last up is Portland (Iverson) against Seattle. Portland played much better as the season progressed. They're a tough team to play against. They finished sixth in the league, but I actually think they have a reasonable shot to make it out of their conference. Kelowna stands in the way. Opener Friday.

 

[eco's bones]

Tambellini & Graves have already signed pro contracts for next year.
Skjei, Buchnevich, and maybe Fogarty + Nejezchleb will likely go pro this summer
Dark horse is Nieves - but has he proved anything yet really? Do not think so.

Waiting in the wings for possible future pro contracts would then be (maybe more?):

• Nieves (likely)
• Iverson
• Mantha
• Nanne
• Walcott
• Halverson
• Shesterkin
• 2015 draft picks

After dumping current deadweight contracts there should be roster space to sign 2-3 free agents from NCAA, juniors or €urope then I presume.
Some contracts to dump would be:
Missiaen
Kristo
Crabb
Hunwick
Kostka
Mueller

Question marks as I see it are (thinking RFAs Fast, Miller, Lindberg, McIllraith and Klingberg all get resigned with small raises/QOs):
Sheppard (UFA)
MSL (UFA)
Hagelin (RFA)
Hrivik (RFA)
Chris Bourque (UFA)

Plus there is a quartet down in Greenville (St Croix, Noreau, Nicholls and McCarthy) that have not shown much to cheer about. Yet . Add Zámorský, Donnay and Andersson to this group too. Lots of movable pieces if Sather gets trigger happy

Time will tell

I'm pretty sure Walcott can't go back to the Q and Nejezchleb can't go back to the WHL next year--that they've run out of CHL elegibility--that the Rangers will have to decide whether to sign them or not. Halverson will go back to the OHL but I could see the Rangers signing him.

Nejezchleb does not strike me as a player likely to play in Hartford and Walcott might start in the ECHL as well. I'd be more inclined to sign Walcott and let Nejezchleb walk.

Nieves is not a consistent player. He has size and speed--not a lot of grit or desire to go to the dirty areas of the ice and though he's a good playmaker--he doesn't finish nearly enough and AHL/NHL goaltenders and defensemen will read off these tendencies and adjust accordingly. I'm wondering if we just have a larger and better skating version of Michael St. Croix. So in my eyes Nieves should go back to Michigan U. for his senior year. He hasn't proven enough and the possibility that he might go UFA next summer does not particularly worry me--at least not at the moment.

The big deals are signing Buchnevich and Skjei. Fogarty I'm kind of iffy on. He's got a chance but he's 4th line checking material.

Nanne goes to Ohio St. U. next year and will probably need at least 3 years and possibly all 4 years there. He's a long way away.

Not sure why we signed Missiaen again this year. He got passed by in the food chain rather easily this year by first year pro MacKenzie Skapski. Is there a single compelling reason to give Missiaen another contract? I can't see one.

Dump Crabb. Definitely dump Kostka.

 

[Beacon]

In many ways, the playoffs are a better indicator of what prospects are worth than the longer regular season. Tighter defense, more checking, better teams. In particular, I want to see how Halverson will perform against the top teams after the first round.

 

[denominator]

In the Dub--Calgary (Tambellini) opens with Kootenay. The Ice aren't particularly good and Tambo should run roughshod over their crappy defense. Friday start.

You say that with such confidence I want to believe you, but I have less faith that this will be an easy series. The Hitmen have always struggled against the Ice - last year, a better Hitmen team lost to a worse Ice team in the first round.

The x factor in the series will be Sam Reinhart - last year he put up 17 points in the 6 game series (as did Jaedon Descheneau riding shotgun to Reinhart) and was simply uncontrollable. This year, the Ice were a bottom 4 team until Reinhart came back from Buffalo and dragged them into the playoffs. If the Hitmen defence can shut down Reinhart, I think it will be a short series. If he runs rampant through them again, it's going to be hard to watch.

 

[Khelvan]

Tambellini & Graves have already signed pro contracts for next year.
Skjei, Buchnevich, and maybe Fogarty + Nejezchleb will likely go pro this summer
Dark horse is Nieves - but has he proved anything yet really? Do not think so.

Waiting in the wings for possible future pro contracts would then be (maybe more?):

• Nieves (likely)
• Iverson
• Mantha
• Nanne
• Walcott
• Halverson
• Shesterkin
• 2015 draft picks

After dumping current deadweight contracts there should be roster space to sign 2-3 free agents from NCAA, juniors or €urope then I presume.
Some contracts to dump would be:
Missiaen
Kristo
Crabb
Hunwick
Kostka
Mueller

Question marks as I see it are (thinking RFAs Fast, Miller, Lindberg, McIllraith and Klingberg all get resigned with small raises/QOs):
Sheppard (UFA)
MSL (UFA)
Hagelin (RFA)
Hrivik (RFA)
Chris Bourque (UFA)

Plus there is a quartet down in Greenville (St Croix, Noreau, Nicholls and McCarthy) that have not shown much to cheer about. Yet . Add Zámorský, Donnay and Andersson to this group too. Lots of movable pieces if Sather gets trigger happy

Time will tell

I don't see Hunwick getting "dumped," so to speak. He has proven he fits in nicely as a 7th defenseman. I would guess he stays unless McIlrath is ready to fill that role.

 

[RangerBoy]

Iverson is facing his friends in Seattle. He was suspended for having tape on his hand in a fight against Seattle after an incident in the prior Seattle game where a Seattle player spit on Iverson. A lot of bad blood here.

 

[haveandare]

Not super shocked, but kind of bummed to hear that Noreau and McCarthy haven't shown much at the ECHL level.

 

[Beacon]

I don't see Hunwick getting "dumped," so to speak. He has proven he fits in nicely as a 7th defenseman. I would guess he stays unless McIlrath is ready to fill that role.

McIlrath will need to pass through waivers, which I don't see the Rangers doing. They will make him their #7. I don't think Hunwick wants to play in Hartford, so he'll go elsewhere.

 

[Steve Kournianos]

Tambo named to WHL EC 2nd AS team. Zipay and/or THN didnt list him in top-10 NYR propects in Future Watch.

 

[cwede]

Tambellini & Graves have already signed pro contracts for next year.
Skjei, Buchnevich, and maybe Fogarty + Nejezchleb will likely go pro this summer
Dark horse is Nieves - but has he proved anything yet really? Do not think so.

After dumping current deadweight contracts there should be roster space to sign 2-3 free agents from NCAA, juniors or €urope then I presume.

Question marks as I see it are (thinking RFAs Fast, Miller, Lindberg, McIllraith and Klingberg all get resigned with small raises/QOs):
Sheppard (UFA)
MSL (UFA)
Hagelin (RFA)
Hrivik (RFA)
Chris Bourque (UFA)

Plus there is a quartet down in Greenville (St Croix, Noreau, Nicholls and McCarthy) that have not shown much to cheer about. Yet .
Add Zámorský, Donnay and Andersson to this group too.

my OPINIONS mixed with some facts

I expect MSL back at a discount because he wants to play here
and Hagelin back too because he's at the core of AV's speed game

Sheppard probably leaves, unless we can trade Glass (recall his Cap hit exceeds his salary, Cap floor teams like that)

I expect Fogarty and Nieves to go back to school.
Maybe Skjei too. (yes I know many of you won't understand why)

Hrivik should be re-signed, not great numbers but aside from a slump this first half, steady, solid body with some offensive instincts.

Let him and Klingberg be the 'young' veterans and no more Malone/Crabb/Potulny's

Nejezchleb will be 21, he will turn pro - maybe he'll accept a AHL deal.

Donnay, signed, definitely here (...hartford, greenville) next year

Zamorsky too - btw his Swedish season ended yesterday, not sure if he'd be eligible to join HWP.... if he was 'loaned' does that mean he was playing under his NYR contarct?

Calle Andersson I expect another year overseas, maybe in Swedish league, per eliteprospects his deal is through '17

Tarnasky will be back, but most of the older HWP guys will be gone,
maybe C Bourque stays too, successful season and Ryan has another year on his deal

Of the Greenville guys I expect Noreau in Hartford,
maybe Nicholls too (2d in scoring on team, with many less games),
and if St Croix and McCarthy aren't AHL regulars by the end of next season, then i guess away with them

I expect Walcott, Donnay, Nejezchleb may also spend much time in at Greenville

 

[FLYLine27*]

Tambo named to WHL EC 2nd AS team. Zipay and/or THN didnt list him in top-10 NYR propects in Future Watch.

Zipay?

90% of posters here know more about whats going on with the the Rangers than he does.

 

[eco's bones]

my OPINIONS mixed with some facts

I expect MSL back at a discount because he wants to play here
and Hagelin back too because he's at the core of AV's speed game

Sheppard probably leaves, unless we can trade Glass (recall his Cap hit exceeds his salary, Cap floor teams like that)

I expect Fogarty and Nieves to go back to school.
Maybe Skjei too. (yes I know many of you won't understand why)

Hrivik should be re-signed, not great numbers but aside from a slump this first half, steady, solid body with some offensive instincts.

Let him and Klingberg be the 'young' veterans and no more Malone/Crabb/Potulny's

Nejezchleb will be 21, he will turn pro - maybe he'll accept a AHL deal.

Donnay, signed, definitely here (...hartford, greenville) next year

Zamorsky too - btw his Swedish season ended yesterday, not sure if he'd be eligible to join HWP.... if he was 'loaned' does that mean he was playing under his NYR contarct?

Calle Andersson I expect another year overseas, maybe in Swedish league, per eliteprospects his deal is through '17

Tarnasky will be back, but most of the older HWP guys will be gone,
maybe C Bourque stays too, successful season and Ryan has another year on his deal

Of the Greenville guys I expect Noreau in Hartford,
maybe Nicholls too (2d in scoring on team, with many less games),
and if St Croix and McCarthy aren't AHL regulars by the end of next season, then i guess away with them

I expect Walcott, Donnay, Nejezchleb may also spend much time in at Greenville

well--those are all reasonable guesses IMO. Andersson signed a 3 year deal and Zamorsky a 2 year deal with the Rangers last summer. Not sure what's going on there. Graves and Donnay will be turning pro as well. Hughes has another year--Noreau has another year and the Rangers will re-sign McIlrath and Allen--though McIlrath will no longer be waiver exempt. Bodie? AHL/NHL insurance defenseman other than Kostka? Walcott then? Skjei? --who they wanted to sign last year. That's just the defense.

Looking at Zamorsky, Andersson, Graves, Donnay--possibly Walcott (I don't think after this year he'll be CHL eligible) and Skjei--there's no way they have that many first year pros in Hartford. I'd guess two but three would be the limit and I'd bet Graves will be one of them and if Skjei signs he will be another.

 

[Beacon]

Tambo named to WHL EC 2nd AS team. Zipay and/or THN didnt list him in top-10 NYR propects in Future Watch.

Their list is always terrible, but for s''ts and giggles, how did THN rank us?

 

[Mikos87]

Interesting pieces at play. Lots of SPCs will be cleared and I expect a bunch of HFD players to walk.

McIlrath can do himself a favor by signing a league minimum instead of taking on his qualifier. Saves the Rangers a ton in cap space, and maybe he gets a one-way deal in exchange.

Hunwick should be brought back at 600-800k but he may get a better deal elsewhere. This system suits him... he hasn't been able to stick in a zone defense or a box+1 defense. Too undersized for that, and his strengths aren't utilized.

I think AV is a coach that would prefer to carry 8 defensemen instead of 7 since it allows him to do more at practice while still maintaining that lefty righty balance. He said he preferred that during his 1st training camp with the team, but with cap space so tight, that never really took place.

Either way Allen and if Skjei turns pro, will be the other guys leading the way in terms of defensive depth. Then you have Graves. That's a solid trio for HFD.

Upfront, I think its time to bye to the Bourques on NHL SPCs but I would love to have them back on AHL deals. Simply a matter of the 50 contract limit. The elder Bourque and Lindberg are the reason why HFD might make the playoffs this year.

I would like to bring back Hrivik but there might not be a spot for him in the big club and more money in the Euroleagues... He's been playing center and can line up at wing. Either one of Lindberg or Hrivik can fill the role Sheppard is currently doing, but my bet is on Lindberg since he can take draws and kill penalties too.

I'd like to see both Zamorsky and Donnay in HFD simply because they're righty shots, but my gut tells me HFD will go out and get a veteran RD to bring the youth along. They should look getting some of the recent Manchester players on the backend. The Monarchs AHL Defensemen are very well coached and good.

Does MSC make the AHL next year??

Being a perimeter offensive player in the WHL can net you a lot of points but that doesn't work in the pros... is he willing to battle to get there? There'll be spots open in HFD down the middle.

I would rather sign Fogarty than Nieves... why? Big body RH center from a defensive powerhouse that can check. Nieves always struck me a soft perimeter player with a passive game... he's gotten surpassed by younger players in Mich year after year. Doesn't inspire much confidence. HFD needs a Fogarty type player.

Calle Anderson is another interesting name.. his Swiss league stats look good, but I haven't seen him play, but I do know that a couple of scouts have really liked him. He's another RH shot D that HFD has room for.

Nejezchleb is another interesting name... Heard he plays a very mercurial game, but he was leading the WHL in P/60 for the bulk of the year. The player leading the NHL in P/60 this year is Rick Nash. Not saying he's that type of player based on a nerd stat metric, but he's a skilled scorer... one that does it with little ice time. Question is.. was he getting benched because of his effort? Or is he just taking advantage of 3rd line matchups as an overager... I haven't seen him but it just goes to show you that you have to watch the games and not be blinded by advanced stats.

 

[bobbop]

Less room to maneuver on contracts than in prior years.

 

[Beacon]

Less room to maneuver on contracts than in prior years.

I'd let Allen walk. He may find a job with another NHL team, but not the Rangers. Opens a contract for us and gives him a chance.

 

[BBKers]

Less room to maneuver on contracts than in prior years.

True. The resultat in the playoffs will therefore this season more than ever very much determine WHO stays and who goes. Will be interesting to follow.

 

[Beacon]

Not sure if this is the right place to put it, but how many prospects are we able to call up from Hartford without sending anyone down? In the last game or two don't matter, I'd like to replace vets with rookies. For one, the vets get to rest a little before the playoffs (and less likely to be injured). Two, we give kids some NHL experience.

I definitely think McIlrath should replace Boyle if the last game or two don't matter. Boyle is old and could use time off before (hopefully) a long playoff run, while Big Mac would be well-served getting NHL time.

Play Hrivik instead of St. Louis. Sure MSL got a 2 week break with his injury, but another game off right before the playoffs won't hurt him, and it gives Hrivik a chance to make his NHL debut, allowing the Rangers to see what they've got in him.

If we have the roster space, I'd consider putting Lindberg in for Hayes. Obviously KH isn't old, but college rookies tend to hit the wall. He hasn't done it and only got better with time, but what's the harm in him playing 1-2 less games as a precaution? Let's remember that playoffs are much tougher than the regular season, and also that it's often good for rookies to just watch the game from the top because they can see some things they don't realize when they are busy playing.

 

[nyr2k2]

Hunwick should be brought back at 600-800k but he may get a better deal elsewhere. This system suits him... he hasn't been able to stick in a zone defense or a box+1 defense. Too undersized for that, and his strengths aren't utilized.

I'm good with bringing back Hunny. As you said, he has proven to be a good fit in our system, and isn't necessarily suited for the system a lot of other teams run. He's a very capable 7th/8th.

Either way Allen and if Skjei turns pro, will be the other guys leading the way in terms of defensive depth. Then you have Graves. That's a solid trio for HFD.

I definitely bring Allen back. If McIlrath underwhelms, and we have an injury or two, he's right back in the mix. I'd rather keep him as the guy ninth or tenth on the depth chart than try our hand with guys like Kostka and Hunwick. Obviously Hunwick worked out, but there's no guarantee we can find another guy of his caliber for a minimum deal.

Upfront, I think its time to bye to the Bourques on NHL SPCs but I would love to have them back on AHL deals. Simply a matter of the 50 contract limit. The elder Bourque and Lindberg are the reason why HFD might make the playoffs this year.

I'd take both of them back, for sure. I wouldn't be surprised if Ryan wanted to try another organization though and see if he can make an NHL roster. He has been passed on the depth charts by a half a dozen guys here. I don't know that he'll be able to find a better spot elsewhere, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him try. His window here is closed.

I would like to bring back Hrivik but there might not be a spot for him in the big club and more money in the Euroleagues... He's been playing center and can line up at wing. Either one of Lindberg or Hrivik can fill the role Sheppard is currently doing, but my bet is on Lindberg since he can take draws and kill penalties too.

Thinking the same about Hrivik. I'd love to have him back--I think he's capable of playing in the NHL right now--but I'm sure someone else can offer him a better opportunity. Either here or in Europe. I think he could go overseas and be a really good player. I want Sheppard back as well, but he's UFA (I believe) and might be out of our price range.

I'd like to see both Zamorsky and Donnay in HFD simply because they're righty shots, but my gut tells me HFD will go out and get a veteran RD to bring the youth along. They should look getting some of the recent Manchester players on the backend. The Monarchs AHL Defensemen are very well coached and good.

I want Zamorsky to come over for sure. Donnay, to me, seems ticketed to Greenville. I watched him a few times this year and his skating isn't great. I think he's just too slow. Much like Noreau, he'll probably need a year in the ECHL to adjust to the pro game.

Does MSC make the AHL next year??

Being a perimeter offensive player in the WHL can net you a lot of points but that doesn't work in the pros... is he willing to battle to get there? There'll be spots open in HFD down the middle.

I doubt it, personally. I haven't seen him this year but he has shown a pretty significant statistical regression. That's concerning. I never liked him anyway. He's just a tick too slow with his decision making. He's also not exactly fleet of foot.

I would rather sign Fogarty than Nieves... why? Big body RH center from a defensive powerhouse that can check. Nieves always struck me a soft perimeter player with a passive game... he's gotten surpassed by younger players in Mich year after year. Doesn't inspire much confidence. HFD needs a Fogarty type player.

I really want to sign Fogarty. I like Nieves but am indifferent as to whether we sign him or have him play another year at Michigan. The talent is there, just not sure if he can put all together.

Calle Anderson is another interesting name.. his Swiss league stats look good, but I haven't seen him play, but I do know that a couple of scouts have really liked him. He's another RH shot D that HFD has room for.

I've always been underwhelmed by Calle, though I haven't seen him this year. I like the tools, but they've never translated into production. When he was traded to his dad's team he picked it up, but it's hard to draw any conclusions from his performance in the NLA.

Bodie is RFA. Let him walk. Kristo will be gone. Missiaen needs to quit hockey. Crabb and Mueller have been huge disappointments and should be gone.