Hockey's Future Top 50 prospects Spring 2007: 11-25

[Hunter Gathers]

he's played 7 gamesw, arn't you jumping the gun a bit?

I'm just responding to someone who called out Montoya by saying basically saying Halak is a better player, which I haven't seen thus far at the NHL level.

 

[xander]

Let's see.... I would have been less surprised if Sergei Kostitsyn would have made it to this list than Jaroslav Halak.

well there's a few spots left (going on the assumption that Malkin and Kopitar won't be included.) I'm not sure if Halak should be there, but he's a canidate to fill one of those mystery slots.

 

[Jeffrey]

So has Marek Schwarz (a whole 60 minutes more) ... and you don't see me screaming, "OMG, MONTOYA IS OVERRATED, WHAT A LOSER!"

wow ...
some people here like to overreact..
the plan is not to make halak a legitimate top 50 (which he's not)...
it's just to prove that AHL stats is a good indicator of hockey skills but not the only factor !

 

[Shabutie]

What's your point? Montoya won't see NHL ice until next year. All we know now is that Halak has not been great at the NHL level and has a ******** to prove right now that he's actually a legitimate NHL prospect. Montoya hasn't had the chance and he won't for a while.

Halak was thrown into a cage of lions. The team was playing absolutely dreadful, and the last game he played, so did he. During the other games however, he could not be blamed for a majority of the goals he let in.

When it comes to the AHL, he's dominated... Unfortunately we can't compare him to Montoya at the NHL level.

 

[xander]

I'm just responding to someone who called out Montoya by saying basically saying Halak is a better player, which I haven't seen thus far at the NHL level.

yeah, but questioning whther Halak is a legitimate pro prospect based on 7 games is a bit much. He's got a good base of junior work, this season didn't come out of nowhere. I don't know if he's gonna make it, but lets give him alittle more time before we start reaching conclusions. He's earned an adjustment period.

 

[Hunter Gathers]

Halak was thrown into a cage of lions. The team was playing absolutely dreadful, and the last game he played, so did he. During the other games however, he could not be blamed for a majority of the goals he let in.

When it comes to the AHL, he's dominated... Unfortunately we can't compare him to Montoya at the NHL level.

Montoya's been simply amazing since around mid December. The Wolfpack are the youngest team in the entire AHL, if I believe correctly. There are hardly any vets on the team and now Callahan and Dubinsky are both with the big club (so it'll be interesting to see how much Montoya steps up now).

The guy had a bit of an injury problem in the beginning of the year which gave him a bit of a slow start, but he's been about as lights out as possible since December.

 

[Jeffrey]

the only sad thing with goalie ... is that montoya is stuck behind lundqvist ..
I know it does not discredit his skills and potential .. but it will be hard for him to prove himself in the NHL.

That's why I believe, Price might become a regular before montoya even tough he's 2 years and half younger !

 

[Hunter Gathers]

yeah, but questioning whther Halak is a legitimate pro prospect based on 7 games is a bit much. He's got a good base of junior work, this season didn't come out of nowhere. I don't know if he's gonna make it, but lets give him alittle more time before we start reaching conclusions. He's earned an adjustment period.

I never said he wasn't. Again, no one wants to give me credit from a few months ago when I said that I think he's going to be a good player now that he had some bad NHL games and I criticize him.

All of a sudden I'm the ****ing bad guy around here.

It's a serious joke. You say something negative about a Hab prospect and you're attacked left and right.

 

[Jeffrey]

Montoya's been simply amazing since around mid December. The Wolfpack are the youngest team in the entire AHL, if I believe correctly. There are hardly any vets on the team and now Callahan and Dubinsky are both with the big club (so it'll be interesting to see how much Montoya steps up now).

The guy had a bit of an injury problem in the beginning of the year which gave him a bit of a slow start, but he's been about as lights out as possible since December.

its not true ... i calculated both teams (wolfpack and the bulldogs) and the bulldog are slightly younger !
but kasparaitis might influence the age a little bit !

 

[Le Golie]

I have never seen HF put together such a terrible list. Among other glaring mistakes, Rask ahead of Price AND in the top 10?

Nothing short of a joke. Sad really that this site is supposed to provide expertise in the area of prospects, yet all other publications who do one future watch type issue a year are far more reliable.

 

[Jeffrey]

I never said he wasn't. Again, no one wants to give me credit from a few months ago when I said that I think he's going to be a good player now that he had some bad NHL games and I criticize him.

All of a sudden I'm the ****ing bad guy around here.

It's a serious joke. You say something negative about a Hab prospect and you're attacked left and right.

well you can attack the prospect but you have to have good arguments to back you up ...

 

[Shabutie]

Montoya's been simply amazing since around mid December. The Wolfpack are the youngest team in the entire AHL, if I believe correctly. There are hardly any vets on the team and now Callahan and Dubinsky are both with the big club (so it'll be interesting to see how much Montoya steps up now).

The guy had a bit of an injury problem in the beginning of the year which gave him a bit of a slow start, but he's been about as lights out as possible since December.

Halak has been amazing since entering the AHL.

Yet you decide to judge him on the 7 games he played on the 3rd worst team in the NHL (which we statistically had been since December 27th).

 

[Hunter Gathers]

its not true ... i calculated both teams (wolfpack and the bulldogs) and the bulldog are slightly younger !
but kasparaitis might influence the age a little bit !

AFAIK, the Wolfpack were the youngest team in the AHL before the season started. Remember that 20 year old Dubinsky and 21 year old Callahan are on the Rangers right now.

 

[xander]

I never said he wasn't. Again, no one wants to give me credit from a few months ago when I said that I think he's going to be a good player now that he had some bad NHL games and I criticize him.

All of a sudden I'm the ****ing bad guy around here.

It's a serious joke. You say something negative about a Hab prospect and you're attacked left and right.

I'm not attacking you (and I have no reason to defend hab prospects), I was just wondering if you where bing a bit harsh on Halak. That's all.

 

[Jeffrey]

I have never seen HF put together such a terrible list. Among other glaring mistakes, Rask ahead of Price AND in the top 10?

Nothing short of a joke. Sad really that this site is supposed to provide expertise in the area of prospects, yet all other publications who do one future watch type issue a year are far more reliable.

I know your not a habs fans ... but bruins fans wont be happy with that comment !
never say something bad against a bruins prospect even less if you compare him with a habs prospect .. it will definately dont turn well !

 

[Hunter Gathers]

Halak has been amazing since entering the AHL.

Yet you decide to judge him on the 7 games he played on the 3rd worst team in the NHL (which we statistically had been since December 27th).

What the **** are you talking about? I never judged him. I said he hasn't played good in the NHL thus far and obviously still has a lot to prove before he's hailed as a really legitimate starting goalie prospect.

What the hell is so ****ing awful about saying that?

 

[Hunter Gathers]

well you can attack the prospect but you have to have good arguments to back you up ...

WHEN did I ATTACK HALAK?

Wow, this is a serious joke. I say something negative about your prospect and now all of a sudden I'm attacking the guy?

Holy crap!

 

[Jeffrey]

AFAIK, the Wolfpack were the youngest team in the AHL before the season started. Remember that 20 year old Dubinsky and 21 year old Callahan are on the Rangers right now.

good with me , but the bulldog is clearly not far from them !

 

[hockeytown5]

I'd put serious money on Parent not being in the top 10 and Mueller being included.

 

[Shabutie]

What the **** are you talking about? I never judged him. I said he hasn't played good in the NHL thus far and obviously still has a lot to prove before he's hailed as a really legitimate starting goalie prospect.

What the hell is so ****ing awful about saying that?

How has montoya proved more than Halak at this point, is what I'm asking.

 

[Hunter Gathers]

good with me , but the bulldog is clearly not far from them !

Good to know. Like I said, all of you Habs fans are so quick to forget that I was praising Halak earlier in the year and saying that he looks like he's going to be a good one.

None of you remember the good comments I gave him then.

 

[xander]

I think we're splitting hairs talking about the .3 differance (or whatever it is) in the average age between hamilton and hartford. They're both young.

 

[Hunter Gathers]

How has montoya proved more than Halak at this point, is what I'm asking.

I'm not saying he has. Just that I disagree that Halak has somehow proven a lot more than Montoya which was what you were implying with your original post where you insinuated that you saw Halak as the superior player.

Montoya has a gold medal at the WJCs. While it doesn't mean much, it shows the guy can really step up when the pressure counts. He's a real winner. That was his main thing when he was drafted. He was a winner and a real competitor. I'd honestly be shocked if Montoya was not a starting goalie in the NHL (on what team I do not know).

 

[Jeffrey]

WHEN did I ATTACK HALAK?

Wow, this is a serious joke. I say something negative about your prospect and now all of a sudden I'm attacking the guy?

Holy crap!

again its not about halak ...
damn it .. you just said yourself that you cannot attack any habs prospects without getting any heat .. i just responded to you !

 

[Ted Hoffman]

wow ...
some people here like to overreact..
the plan is not to make halak a legitimate top 50 (which he's not)...
it's just to prove that AHL stats is a good indicator of hockey skills but not the only factor !

No, MXD tried cutting down Montoya by pointing to how much time Halak has logged in the NHL so far ... and I'm saying, "so what?" Pointing to how much NHL game time anyone currently considered a prospect has logged and comparing it to Montoya's is meaningless.