Confirmed with Link: Habs sign Hayden Verbeek

[Fozz]

Here's what Brock had to say about him back in January in a top 10 undrafted players worth signing.

10. Hayden Verbeek - Forward - Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
Absolute warrior on the ice. Easily one of the hardest working players in the league. Doesn't have the world's most dynamic skill set but gets the most out of it possible by using his brain, his skating ability, and his lower body strength (a real bull despite being only 5'9). Always fighting for loose pucks, especially near the crease and in the slot where he's extremely elusive. Also, watch this guy in the neutral zone. Does a great job stopping advances and lifting sticks to break up plays, turning the tide the other way. Verbeek is also one of the OHL's best penalty killers. Again, not sure the offensive skill set is good enough for him to be a significant NHL player, but if the Hounds make it all the way this year, he's going to get a ton of exposure. All heart. All hustle.

I was about to post this. Hard working with very limited skills... Typical signing for a team that doesn't believe in talent and tries to build a team to win games 2-1.

 

[Andrei79]

No, it's impossible. No one has ever seen him play except Bergevin.

Love when posters assume everyone is as ignorant as they are.

Just 2 days ago, me and Schlemko talked about the Soo game in the draft thread. 2 days.


Youve posted about Sandin in two different threads in the last 2 weeks.

I guess we all close our eyes when Verbeek gets the puck ? Right admiral ?

 

[Whitesnake]

Why is he not deserving of a contract.....like, how do you validate such a notion?? What parts of his game are beyond flawed that he’s an automatic AHL rat??

And again, find me the junior players with the statsline that he has that made them NHL'ers. So it's normal that since the majority and then some have had better statsline that he did, that this signing brings skepticism......

At one point, if the guy can not translate some of his offensive game, chances are I guess he could insert himself in the 4th line. But as much as a bull he is in juniors, he'll meet guys day after day with bigger bodies than he does and we will see how effective his game will be in the NHL. I mean, there are players that have a great production in juniors in their last year and will not develop into anything. So you have to think that the ones who don't...might have a less chance to do so? Based on what? Based on reality? Does that mean that it will automatically fail? No. We do have to wait 'cause exceptions DO occur. But as of now, we can't be excited by a guy who will have to defy the odds to make it. But I guess that if one guy can do it, it's the guy with such determination......But yes, that's usually what the automatic AHL rats are made of....guys like him.

 

[Michelangelo]

Bergevin and Timmins think hockey talent is inherited.

Fitting, considering Bergevin didn't have any hockey talent

He must have thought he had the wrong bloodlines

 

[Habs100]

Well it kinda did. The incredibly big majority playing from 1st to 4th lines have had great stats. And usually more than just their 20 year old season. Sure, if they know that Bradley is not committed well those stats take a big blow. But usually, you do sign guys that have as much impressive stats as possible for guys not drafted year.

I'm sure they're aware of that.

 

[Whitesnake]

I'm sure they're aware of that.

If they'd be aware of the obvious, we wouldn't be in the position we are in today.

 

[Wats]

Saw he was signed on Habsprospects site. Thought process:

1. Oh nice, let's look at his stats
2. Wow this is pretty mediocre for an over ager, must be Pat Verbeeks son.
3. Eliteprospect...Well close enough. Wonder what this favour is for

How come a successful UFA prospect signing team like Tampa goes after high scorers but Habs don't. Now I don't mind they signed him to be a future 4th liner, it's the fact they do this AND waste draft picks on these types of players. Why not just continue to sign your future 4th liners and only go after higher upside players in draft?

 

[Catanddogguitarrr]

lol When you don't expect them to do something....they just do it. Hey Bloodlines, Timmins loves him. 4th season in the OHL. Not even PPG. Bad playoffs stats. Perfect.

Perfect !! Typically Timmins player. Come on in Ben Maxwell and Cory Urquhart.

 

[Whitesnake]

Anyone have a link for the Sault Ste Marie - Saginaw game today?

 

[Habs100]

Yeah and Bradley had 34 goals, so I still don't understand your point. He's much smaller and he's a lot less productive than Bradley, regardless if we're only counting goals or points as a whole.

My point wasn't about comparing his stats. My point was, if you're going to bring up stats, like saying "he's not even a point per game player" should probably also note that he scored 30.

And obviously they've seen Bradley's stats and his stats and can do the math to see the difference but decided to sign him anyways for other reasons.

 

[Whitesnake]

Saw he was signed on Habsprospects site. Thought process:

1. Oh nice, let's look at his stats
2. Wow this is pretty mediocre for an over ager, must be Pat Verbeeks son.
3. Eliteprospect...Well close enough. Wonder what this favour is for

How come a successful UFA prospect signing team like Tampa goes after high scorers but Habs don't. Now I don't mind they signed him to be a future 4th liner, it's the fact they do this AND waste draft picks on these types of players. Why not just continue to sign your future 4th liners and only go after higher upside players in draft?

Well we do......but choose the wrong ones. When I saw Waked signing, I happen to watch this game play a lot. And while he had stats.....I wasn't a fan of his game. We will have to wait but it's not looking awesome. We did sign Dany Massé once after Bruins signed Riendeau, and despite the stats, it was CLEAR that Massé had absolutely no future. So, like I said, there are guys with stats that you still can know that they have no future. We did make a case for Barré-Boulet and I would have signed him. This is a guy you take a chance on. But it doesn't mean he will succeed either. But if you have to take a chance, you do with those guys. Alexandre Alain is another no-brainer that should have been signed.

 

[soo hound girl]

Anyone have a link for the Sault Ste Marie - Saginaw game today?

It is on sports net at 3pm vs Saginaw game #2 you will get to check him out there

 

[Whitesnake]

My point wasn't about comparing his stats. My point was, if you're going to bring up stats, like saying "he's not even a point per game player" should probably also note that he scored 30.

And obviously they've seen Bradley's stats and his stats and can do the math to see the difference but decided to sign him anyways for other reasons.

I guess that a comparison we will be watching is with Jeremiah Addison. He also never was PPG. But is a great skater, and probably with better hands than Verbeek. Though nobody thinks he's top 6 material, Addison could be bottom 6 at best. But Addison had fine stats for 3 seasons in a row in juniors. While Verbeek just started to have good stats in his 5th season.

 

[Whitesnake]

It is on sports net at 3pm vs Saginaw game #2 you will get to check him out there

Great. Thanks!

 

[CoopersFalls]

Anyone have a link for the Sault Ste Marie - Saginaw game today?

It’s going to be on Sportsnet.

Whoops a couple mins behind, I was.

 

[LaP]

I'm OK with signing this kind of player but as stated by others, it would have been far better perceived within the context of having signed more players that are actually filling glaring needs.

I'm left wondering who the big fish free agents are and how many of them are still available.

That's what puzzles me about the "it doesn't hurt comments". We had to deal with those all summer long last summer. Hemsky doesn't hurt. Streit doesn't hurt. Then we had to deal with them again this season. Logan Shaw doesn't hurt. Byron Froese doesn't hurt. Niemi doesn't hurt. No risk all reward moves.

For one those are no risk no reward moves. The chances for them to reward are almost as low as winning a significant prize at the loto. Nobody bothers their friends with them buying loto tickets and making money before they actually win. I mean those moves should probably not have their own thread imo. They should be added to existing threads. This one should be in the Rocket thread because it's 99.99% a Rocket move.

For two sometimes in life it's not about what you do but about what you don't do. Yes those moves are normal. But they are normal as long as they are nothing moves behind bigger moves. In the grand scheme of things those moves should not really be talked about outside of Rocket fans. It's not that those moves hurt the team. It's that MB has not been doing anything else for the last year and a half. If your loved one do something you don't like but it doesn't hurt you maybe you wont mind if he's/she's doing his/her share with every day works in the house. But if he/she stands pat on his/her ass and do the same thing then maybe you will lose it.

I'm done waiting personally. I'll give him a chance this summer cause i have to but i'll tear him apart next fall if he continues to stand pat doing nothing moves on a regular basis.

 

[Whitesnake]

It’s going to be on Sportsnet.

Whoops a couple mins behind, I was.

lol No problem. Thanks. I just saw that I had already PVR'ed it.

 

[Whitesnake]

That's what puzzles me about the "it doesn't hurt comments".

Yeha, those comments are pretty dumb. It does hurt when you keep signing guys. You actually, as an organization, believes in them. So will gave them the chance to shine. And you have a limitation in contracts. So signing players that aren't good signings AFFECTS you WAY MORE than not hurting you. What's not hurting you are AHL/ECHL contracts. What's not hurting you are invite players to development camps. That doesn't hurt you. Everything else that involves a contract might hurt you. You actually might have to buy a contract at one point....

 

[WeThreeKings]

It's not about hurting.. it's about the philosophy.

Hayden Verbeek isn't known for his skills. Pezzetta wasn't known for his skills.

There's a clear nepotism angle with Verbeek as well.

And their obsession with good bloodlines continues, which means Tkachuk is our pick if he's available. Which is even more scary.

 

[Habs100]

I guess that a comparison we will be watching is with Jeremiah Addison. He also never was PPG. But is a great skater, and probably with better hands than Verbeek. Though nobody thinks he's top 6 material, Addison could be bottom 6 at best. But Addison had fine stats for 3 seasons in a row in juniors. While Verbeek just started to have good stats in his 5th season.

Clearly they signed this player knowing his stats. Not sure what they're thinking. Would be interested to get an explanation of why they'd sign a player who had a good goal scoring last year, after not good previous years. You're post pointing out he 29 of his 30 even strength goals sounds like one reason. I guess they think he's a late bloomer that can still develop.

 

[Habs100]

Clearly they signed this player knowing his stats. Not sure what they're thinking. Would be interested to get an explanation of why they'd sign a player who had a good goal scoring last year, after not good previous years. You're post pointing out he 29 of his 30 even strength goals sounds like one reason. I guess they think he's a late bloomer that can still develop.

Or maybe it's reverse nepotism: Pat Verbeek is Assistant GM with the lightning and a former scout of the Red Wings, two successful organizations. Maybe they want to lure Pat over by bringing Hayden into the fold

 

[LaP]

And their obsession with good bloodlines continues, which means Tkachuk is our pick if he's available. Which is even more scary.

Not sure if it's scary. Tkachuk is a very good prospect and should be picked in the top 5 or 6. I liked what i've seen of him at the u20.

 

[Habsfan18]

I was about to post this. Hard working with very limited skills... Typical signing for a team that doesn't believe in talent and tries to build a team to win games 2-1.

CHaracter.

 

[Tyson]

Bergevin signed his pal’s nephew...the insanity continues

 

[LastWordArmy]

I'm OK with signing this kind of player but as stated by others, it would have been far better perceived within the context of having signed more players that are actually filling glaring needs.

I'm left wondering who the big fish free agents are and how many of them are still available.

No undrafted free agents fill glaring needs. There is no top 6 C, there is no top 4 defenceman. All of the guys who are undrafted are being signed for depth.