Prospect Info: Down On The Farm (Ads and Glads)

[Porter Stoutheart]

I'm interested to see how the AHL and ECHL does in the next few years. If they can keep ticket prices in good shape they could see an upswing simply due to more blue collar people not really being able to afford an NHL game with all of the inflation pushing on people. I have a coworker that drives down to watch games in Huntsville all the time.

I have attended more AHL than NHL games in my life. Neither number is large. Then like 10X more junior games, and a bazillionX more minor hockey games. Moving around doesn't exactly set you up for the "community" aspect of buying into minor league hockey. But I would pay a $20 ticket for hockey instead of a movie, as opposed to the hundreds of dollars for an NHL game every time. So there hopefully will indeed be a successful market in that niche for those of us who can't afford the NHL.

 

[Flgatorguy87]

I was really impressed with him while watching the playoffs. His skating and anticipation in the Dzone were top notch, his ability to move the puck with his feet or passing, and knowing when to use which skill were also top notch.

I agree, he seemed really steady. The type that has a potential future as a guy to pair with a rover/puck mover.

 

[Predsanddead24]

My local ECHL team has a deal where you get two 24oz beers from a local brewery and a ticket for $25. It’s about the same price to get the beer from the brewery itself so it’s an essentially a free hockey game with purchase of the beer. Even if it weren’t the only professional sports option anywhere close I’d probably still go all the time.

 

[Armourboy]

My local ECHL team has a deal where you get two 24oz beers from a local brewery and a ticket for $25. It’s about the same price to get the beer from the brewery itself so it’s an essentially a free hockey game with purchase of the beer. Even if it weren’t the only professional sports option anywhere close I’d probably still go all the time.

If we had something in Middle Tennessee I'd go. Clarksville would be pushing it on a regular basis but even there I might go occasionally.

I'd go watch a few in Atlanta but I'm not willingly going back to Atlanta.

 

[ShagDaddy]

Maybe they will build another smaller arena in Murfreesboro like the one in Clarksville and then relocate the Gladiators to Murfeesboro. I’d be a season ticket holder as soon as the tickets went on sale.

 

[Armourboy]

Maybe they will build another smaller arena in Murfreesboro like the one in Clarksville and then relocate the Gladiators to Murfeesboro. I’d be a season ticket holder as soon as the tickets went on sale.

Yeah I'd be on board with that

 

[adsfan]

I don't know for sure his contract status... I seem to recall he (grudgingly?) opted to stay in Milwaukee last year kind of late in the game, when nothing else arose for him?

So I assume he's a "free agent" right now anyway.

I would definitely offer him more $$$ to be HC in Milwaukee than to be the new Lambert in Nashville. I get that his career aspirations might overturn that. Nevertheless. Neither of those positions traditionally makes big money. I'm sure there are people in this group (we seem to have quite a lot of well-off types who can afford to be STHs) who make more than the typical AHL HC or NHL assistant.

They are getting like $100-300k-ish? To me, that whole range is PEANUTS compared to what we pay a single depth tweener hockey player. And yet, that coaching role is actually vastly more important. Having an AHL HC who is successfully developing our best prospects into NHL players is something that is worth far more, IMHO. If the average AHL head coach makes $150k, I would cheerfully pay Taylor $500k to stay and keep on doing what he has been doing with our prospects. That likely blows away any offer he'd get as an NHL assistant also?

I mean, if those numbers are off, just scale appropriately... to me, what he is doing with Milwaukee should be something that we go out of our way to make "worth his while". It's that important. That's not the place to "cut corners" IMO.

As far as I know, Taylor's contract is up June 30th, but I would not testify to that in court. I have never heard him say a word about moving. I don't know anything about his family.

I can tell you that the man who used to be the symphony conductor in Milwaukee stayed for 10 years in my suburb to give his family some stability. We have a good school system and a variety of homes from 2 bedroom / 2 baths to mansions on Lake Michigan. We also have a lot of apartments.

 

[PredsV82]

If Taylor's contract does expire June 30 and he hasn't been extended and he's not been offered an assistant spot with us, then he's waiting to see if he gets a better offer and/or trying to get more money from us

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

If Taylor's contract does expire June 30 and he hasn't been extended and he's not been offered an assistant spot with us, then he's waiting to see if he gets a better offer and/or trying to get more money from us

I can't remember when exactly he re-upped with us last year, I just vaguely seem to recall it was "late in the game"? Probably we have some posts here somewhere about that, but I'm too lazy to search back.

The fact we haven't officially replaced Lambert, and that Trotz made a point of publicly confirming Taylor was a finalist for the HC spot, says to me that job is very much on the table for him.

I just hope he would do the math and determine it's actually a better springboard for him to be HC in Milwaukee than one of 3 assistants in Nashville. It's not like anybody was ever going to hire Lambert as a HC in the NHL, right? Being the junior 3rd ass't in Nashville may be a nicer "lifestyle" in terms of getting the posh NHL travel and perks and all that, but I'm not sure it would really advance his NHL aspirations as much as having another banner year as HC in Milwaukee might? Well, it's up to him. An NHL ass't almost has to put in "several years" to gain a reputation (like Carbery?) before getting a gig. Some AHL HCs step up straight. Brunette has no significant track record as an NHL HC, if things crash and burn with him, the Milwaukee HC almost certainly steps up to replace him? I get that Talyor is 52 now and the clock is ticking, so it would certainly be an interesting dilemma.

Fun fact: Taylor has already been a HC in the NHL, right? He stepped up to replace Hynes during our Covid plague and won a game a couple years ago.

 

[Armourboy]

It may be a case of him weighing his options and trying to get a better deal. Wouldn't shock me at all that he and the team put off any new contract talks til after the playoffs anyways.

 

[adsfan]

What are the overall impressions of Wilsby after his first AHL season?
Did he adjust to north american big ice?
Where would you put him in Nashvilles overall d-men depth chart? 8-10th D? 11-13th D?
See any potential future for him in the NHL?

I see he particpated in 100% of the Admirals games, both regular season and playoffs. I was a little worried how he'd handle the north american style of hockey with less space/less time for decisions, and more physical fore-checking. But at least it appears he has managed to avoid getting injuries. Perhaps his situational awareness has helped him there.

The one thing that Wilsby added to this game in Milwaukee this season was body checking. By 2/3 of the season, he was hitting forwards and making them cough up the puck. Before that point, he would skate over and poke at the puck with his stick or try to steer them away from the goal. I think he can be in the NHL in 2 years.

 

[ShagDaddy]

 

[nine_inch_fang]

Well damn.

 

[PredsV82]

Well damn.

Our best hope is that a decent bit of Taylor's success stems from his assistants, because I would assume we would promote one of them when Taylor leaves

 

[Armourboy]

Big Mistake if we let him get away imo.

 

[triggrman]

Big Mistake if we let him get away imo.

Sometimes, it's not your choice, side pieces move on, when they don't become the lead.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Well if Taylor could land that job with the Leafs, he has to take it IMO. There's more visibility there, on a top team, and in a situation where 1 more year of failure for the team could result in the HC being fired. That's kind of a plum spot if he could land that. Bummer.

 

[Armourboy]

Sometimes, it's not your choice, side pieces move on, when they don't become the lead.

Well when you have your own assistant opening maybe you have a bit more choice on that front.

 

[PredsV82]

Big Mistake if we let him get away imo.

The problem is we interviewed him for the HC spot and then didn't give it to him. He's almost certainly going to look for another organization where he has a clearer path. Trotz had to know that when he turned him down. For all we know Trotz has offered him the assistants job here and he hasn't accepted because he prefers a new organization.

 

[Armourboy]

The problem is we interviewed him for the HC spot and then didn't give it to him. He's almost certainly going to look for another organization where he has a clearer path. Trotz had to know that when he turned him down. For all we know Trotz has offered him the assistants job here and he hasn't accepted because he prefers a new organization.

Well I think not hiring him as the HC was a mistake but guess we will find out.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

I think the Leafs should be talking to John Hynes. There's a guy with NHL coaching experience, that's who you want to take over from Keefe when you fire him!

 

[triggrman]

I think the Leafs should be talking to John Hynes. There's a guy with NHL coaching experience, that's who you want to take over from Keefe when you fire him!

I was hoping Hynes would go to the Stars, Blues or Hawks.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

I was hoping Hynes would go to the Stars, Blues or Hawks.

Nossir, he gets the Leafs job. Leaving Taylor with no choice but to sign back with us!

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Still no word on Taylor! I suppose Scott Ford would be most likely to just step up as HC, he has been an assistant for a lot of years there and could be ready for that challenge?

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

I don't know how much Trotz really handles the minor league signings, probably that is delegated at this point and he just wields a rubber stamp for whatever Nichol does? So while Trotz feels "done", it seems like there might still be a little work left to do for Milwaukee for Nichol. And especially if we are going to populate part of an Atlanta ECHL roster.

So far - and these lines and pairings mean NOTHING, they are just positional illustrations - we have for the Admirals:

Egor Afanaseyev - Fedor Svechkov - Joakim Kemell
Zachary L'Heureux - Nolan Burke - x
Reid Schaefer - ?McCarron/Jankowski? - Anthony Angello
Navrin Mutter - Jachym Kondelik - x
Tye Felhaber*

Marc Del Gaizo - Jake Livingstone
Spencer Stastney - Jordan Gross
Kevin Gravel - Roland McKeown
Adam Wilsby - Luke Prokop
Keaton Thompson* - Jack Matier

Yaroslav Askarov
Troy Grosenick
Gustav Grigals*

* = AHL contract only

I wouldn't be too sure if Burke can stick at center as a pro. His skating and puckhandling may not be up to that? But he did play center in junior, so let's leave him in there for now. It's also hard to say if the Preds will carry both McCarron and Jankowski as spares on the big team or not... probably not... but at the same time, there will probably be injuries and recalls, so can't really count on them being around much in Milwaukee. All in all, I think the Ads still need a couple veteran centers and a couple RWs to be signed to fill out the main team. Then even a couple more to park in Atlanta.

Defense seems to be set. A couple guys will have to start in Atlanta out of Prokop, Thompson, and Matier?

I'm assuming Grigals is sticking around for Atlanta. Could maybe sign another warm body in goal also?