Islanders Sign Ryan O'Marra

[Kvashinator12]

Hey, in my past posts before the draft I had said I wanted the Rangers to stay away from him. He just seems like the type of guy I wouldn't want to take that high, to be honest.

rather him at 15 than Hugh Jessiman at 9

 

[BelovedIsles]

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=160626&hubname=

Not one but two goals in his debut for Bridge last night versus the Phantoms. Idk if its too early, but thats a good indication. Bring on Comeau and boy o boy Bridge will be STACKED for the playoffs--Nilsson, Bergenheim, Nokie, Gervais, Grebs, Tambs, Colliton, O'Marra, Comeau, Bouchard (tho not a prospect). Chemistry issues would be my only concern...

 

[NYIsles1*]

O'Marra opens scoring for Bridgeport Saturday with his third goal.

 

[Hunter Gathers]

rather him at 15 than Hugh Jessiman at 9

Who said I was happy with the Jessiman pick and wouldn't have rather had a different player?

 

[Kvashinator12]

Who said I was happy with the Jessiman pick and wouldn't have rather had a different player?

just giving you a hard time jonny boy....you know you're one of my favorite posters here, except that you are a rags fan.

 

[luv_canadian_hockey]

It's so great to see a guy from my hometown playing so well and making us proud...I don't think he will get higher then a second liner though...

 

[boredmale]

I wonder if the Islanders will bring him up to play a few games. With us out of the playoff race, they might do it to try create a lil buzz and sell a couple tickets.

Whatever happens hopefully O'Marracan play in the playoffs for the Bridgeport Soundtigers.

 

[Hunter Gathers]

just giving you a hard time jonny boy....you know you're one of my favorite posters here, except that you are a rags fan.

S'all good!

I always mention you when I have to mention the more level-headed Isles posters, so the feeling is mutual!

 

[KH1]

S'all good!

I always mention you when I have to mention the more level-headed Isles posters, so the feeling is mutual!

Aw, isn't that cute...

 

[Hawkhead]

rather him at 15 than Hugh Jessiman at 9

Mike Blunden >>> O'Marra


O'Marra is promising and may/will be a good player but his later round teamate is rock solid

 

[Hunter Gathers]

Aw, isn't that cute...

It's rival love.

 

[NYIsles1*]

O'Marra just scored his fourth for Bridgeport Sunday in the second peirod !!!!!
http://ahl.leaguestat.com/stats/game-summary.php?game_id=1002024

 

[boredmale]

Mike Blunden >>> O'Marra

O'Marra is promising and may/will be a good player but his later round teamate is rock solid

Give me the sure thing anyday. Blunden might turn out to be a great goal scorer but he can turn out to be nothing. O'Marra on the other hand has the downside potential of being a decent 3rd line center. While Blunden had good statistics this year i wouldn't say they are great.

 

[Seph]

Give me the sure thing anyday. Blunden might turn out to be a great goal scorer but he can turn out to be nothing. O'Marra on the other hand has the downside potential of being a decent 3rd line center. While Blunden had good statistics this year i wouldn't say they are great.

To be fair, Blunden's pretty safe too. He's got great size, and clearly has pretty good offensive upside. I don't know if his defensive game is as well developed, but I'd be pretty surprised if he wasn't an NHLer. I would've absolutely loved it if he had last a few more picks so we could've nabbed him the second and had both of them. That said, I do think O'Marra's downsidei is higher than Blunden's, but I think both should be pretty solid players.

 

[FLYLine27*]

Looks like O'marra fell off the adrenaline cloud,

8 games - 4G,1A and a -14

 

[MentalPowerHouse]

He's got Captain written all over him.

I don't see him being anything more than a third line center though.

I dunno how you can really say that. Its clear he is no offensive dynamo but if he works hard he could become a 2nd line center and chip in some points.

 

[Korpido]

I dunno how you can really say that. Its clear he is no offensive dynamo but if he works hard he could become a 2nd line center and chip in some points.

His top end potential is a 2nd line center, i just dont think he'll reach it...


and for a 2 way player, he was a -14 in 8 games! thats pretty un spectacular

 

[Hunter Gathers]

I dunno how you can really say that. Its clear he is no offensive dynamo but if he works hard he could become a 2nd line center and chip in some points.

I think he'll top out as a middle of the road 2nd liner. He's got skills, no doubt, but the upside just isn't there to be much higher. Seems like a nice kid / class act type of player, too.

 

[Hunter Gathers]

His top end potential is a 2nd line center, i just dont think he'll reach it...


and for a 2 way player, he was a -14 in 8 games! thats pretty un spectacular

Yeah, but you have to remember it's his first ever pro games... It's a WEE bit different from playing against kids all around your own age. There's definately an adjustment curve and some people have it built into them where they can just play solid at every level. He might be one of the more normal guys who just needs a bit of time to get used to the better overall play. If I was an Islander fan, I wouldn't be worried about that at all. He's still young as can be.

 

[Transported Upstater]

Yeah, but you have to remember it's his first ever pro games... It's a WEE bit, eh! different from playing against kids all around your own age. There's definately an adjustment curve and some people have it built into them where they can just play solid at every level. He might be one of the more normal guys who just needs a bit of time to get used to the better overall play. If I was an Islander fan, I wouldn't be worried about that at all. He's still young as can be.

Jon Prescription: CANADIAN EDITION!!!!!

 

[Hunter Gathers]

Jon Prescription: CANADIAN EDITION!!!!!

 

[Seph]

Yeah, but you have to remember it's his first ever pro games... It's a WEE bit different from playing against kids all around your own age. There's definately an adjustment curve and some people have it built into them where they can just play solid at every level. He might be one of the more normal guys who just needs a bit of time to get used to the better overall play. If I was an Islander fan, I wouldn't be worried about that at all. He's still young as can be.

He's also playing on a team missing a lot of regulars to injury and call up. Looking at the lineup from the last game they played, they went with 7 Dmen, 3 of which were in the ECHL until the injuries struck, 1 was a 19yo 2005 draft pick in his first AHL game, and the other three are career AHLers with more or less zero chance of ever making the NHL. On top of that, the team only had 8 forwards dresssed, 3 of whom were ECHLers, 1 was a 20yo undrafted juniors guy getting his first taste of pro hockey, a rookie, and two career AHLers.

Kind of hard to judge a guy's defense based on his +/- in a situation like that. Bridgeport at the moment looks like an ECHL team, and not even a full one at that. I suspect he's drawing the top checking assignments as well, because looking at that roster, he's probably the best checking center on the team (not much of an accomplishment, admittedly). And when you're playing in front of a defense that wouldn't stand out in the ECHL against other team's top lines, I don't care how good defensively you are, it's going to be a struggle to have a good +/-. Might as well be knocking Brian Willsie's -21.

Anyway, at the moment, his +/-, while not particularly exciting, doesn't concern me. When he's had more time to adjust and the team is better, then I think it might be worth looking at. But right now, I suspect it's horribly skewed.

 

[Russian_fanatic]

I like O'Marra IMO he compares VERY WELL to Shane Doan, but better playmaking abilities.

 

[KH1]

His top end potential is a 2nd line center, i just dont think he'll reach it...


and for a 2 way player, he was a -14 in 8 games! thats pretty un spectacular

Like Seph said, players who might normally be in Bridgeport (Colliton, Bergenheim, Regier, Nilsson, Tambellini, Gervais, Grebeshkov, Caldwell and maybe a few others) are closing out the season on Long Island.

+/- is a useless stat for that reason. In any case I'd take 5 points in his first 8 professional games on a severely overmatched team any day from O'Marra.

 

[Levitate]

rather him at 15 than Hugh Jessiman at 9

Jessiman was drafted at 12. Yeah not that much better (though there's plenty of time for him to work things out), but if the Rangers had the 9 spot they would have taken Phaneuf, not Jessiman.