Laviolette returns to wheeling

[syracuse blazers]

Laviolette returns to Nailers

WHEELING, W.Va. - The Wheeling Nailers, ECHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins, announced their first player signing of the 2023 offseason. Wheeling has re-signed forward Peter Laviolette III for the 2023-24 season.Laviolette, 25, played his first professional season with the Nailers in...

www.echl.com

Do you remember feeling old....

I remember when his father(now coach of the rangers was the coach of the wheeling nailers
In my opinion, his father was one of the best coaches the nailers ever had

This is my two cents worth...you can fondly remember things in the past or hate them
Time to enjoy today and smile

Have a wonderful day....Life moves on...treasure it

Click to read more...

 

[CrazyEddie20]

He wouldn't get an ECHL contract if not for the place of his birth and his dad's accomplishments. Good luck to him, though. He'll need it to make it out of training camp.

 

[jabberoski]

He wouldn't get an ECHL contract if not for the place of his birth and his dad's accomplishments. Good luck to him, though. He'll need it to make it out of training camp.

He spent all of last season with Wheeling, so I think he has a decent shot of making the team again.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

He wouldn't get an ECHL contract if not for the place of his birth and his dad's accomplishments. Good luck to him, though. He'll need it to make it out of training camp.

Did you see him play? Write a scouting report for us. LOL

 

[CrazyEddie20]

Did you see him play? Write a scouting report for us. LOL

He's one of hundreds of interchangeable players at the ECHL level. A checking forward with below average hands who gets on the score sheet every second game, plays physical and is big enough to be an intimidating presence, but slow of foot and not particularly agile. Won't kill you defensively, but will occasionally take dumb penalties and isn't going to develop much more. He's at his ceiling.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

He's one of hundreds of interchangeable players at the ECHL level. A checking forward with below average hands who gets on the score sheet every second game, plays physical and is big enough to be an intimidating presence, but slow of foot and not particularly agile. Won't kill you defensively, but will occasionally take dumb penalties and isn't going to develop much more. He's at his ceiling.

I saw him play twice and don't have much issue with most what you've written.

His last year in D3 he showed a scoring touch and his numbers weren't bad for a rookie so I'd give him another year to see where his offensive numbers go. He's certainly big enough to be a net front presence on the PP which would help his production. I don't recall if he played on the PP in the games I saw.

I thought his skating wasn't all that bad. Certainly not a burner, but skated well enough to play in the E as a bottom liner.

While his name piqued interest with Wheeling management, I think he could have found a spot on other ECHL rosters. In the ECHL there is still room for physical players and Laviolette can fill that role.

 

[CrazyEddie20]

I saw him play twice and don't have much issue with most what you've written.

His last year in D3 he showed a scoring touch and his numbers weren't bad for a rookie so I'd give him another year to see where his offensive numbers go. He's certainly big enough to be a net front presence on the PP which would help his production. I don't recall if he played on the PP in the games I saw.

I thought his skating wasn't all that bad. Certainly not a burner, but skated well enough to play in the E as a bottom liner.

While his name piqued interest with Wheeling management, I think he could have found a spot on other ECHL rosters. In the ECHL there is still room for physical players and Laviolette can fill that role.

Yeah, the problem with Division III numbers is that they're totally unreliable. A guy can put up a point a game in Division III, especially one of the lesser leagues, if he's able to "figure something out" despite the flaws in his game - and Division III players generally have significant flaws in their game. That's why you see so few Division III players in the ECHL.

He had no PPG's last year, maybe he got an occasional shift on the peeps, but I doubt it. The guy just doesn't have hands or playmaking ability, which are just as important - or more - than size when playing in front of the net on the man advantage.

Skating and agility are two-fold for a checking forward. You can excuse some bad backward skating on a guy who puts up a point a game if he's able to at least get himself into position to make a play using agility and edgework in the offensive zone. A plumber playing on the bottom line as a checking forward has to be at least as agile going backward as he is going forward, if not moreso. Laviolette isn't fast and isn't super agile as a defensive skater. That and his hands are what limit him as a player.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

Yeah, the problem with Division III numbers is that they're totally unreliable. A guy can put up a point a game in Division III, especially one of the lesser leagues, if he's able to "figure something out" despite the flaws in his game - and Division III players generally have significant flaws in their game. That's why you see so few Division III players in the ECHL.

He had no PPG's last year, maybe he got an occasional shift on the peeps, but I doubt it. The guy just doesn't have hands or playmaking ability, which are just as important - or more - than size when playing in front of the net on the man advantage.

Skating and agility are two-fold for a checking forward. You can excuse some bad backward skating on a guy who puts up a point a game if he's able to at least get himself into position to make a play using agility and edgework in the offensive zone. A plumber playing on the bottom line as a checking forward has to be at least as agile going backward as he is going forward, if not moreso. Laviolette isn't fast and isn't super agile as a defensive skater. That and his hands are what limit him as a player.

Appreciate the insight on him. I will note that there are plenty of D3 players who have been impact players in the ECHL. I've seen plenty of decent ones in the ECHL years of Cincinnati hockey.

I tend to look at kids who have very successful parents on a sympathetic basis. It's hard to follow in the footsteps of a parent who is a "name" in a field. It's got its benefits no doubt. But there's a downside as well to it.

I wish the kid well.

 

[CrazyEddie20]

Appreciate the insight on him. I will note that there are plenty of D3 players who have been impact players in the ECHL. I've seen plenty of decent ones in the ECHL years of Cincinnati hockey.

I tend to look at kids who have very successful parents on a sympathetic basis. It's hard to follow in the footsteps of a parent who is a "name" in a field. It's got its benefits no doubt. But there's a downside as well to it.

I wish the kid well.

Define "plenty" and "impact player." There's about one every four or five years, really, which is far from plenty. There are some guys who go to Division III and light it up and go on to have a nice couple of years in the ECHL, but that's hardly plenty. There are a few who make ECHL rosters every year, but very, very few who are playing on the top D-pair, top two lines, putting coins in the bank on the PP, or starting 2-of-3 games each weekend in net - those are impact players. I haven't seen a plentiful number of them coming to the ECHL out of Division III in my 28 years around the league.

And yeah, it probably sucks to be the kid of an NHL coach who has limited playing ability. There's certainly very little upside to having people question how you got as far as you did continually.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

Jason Deitsch at eliteprospects.com

Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Jason Deitsch, 1980-04-21 Cincinnati, OH, USA USA. Most recently in the CHL with Allen Americans. Complete player biography and stats.

www.eliteprospects.com

Greg Gallagher at eliteprospects.com

Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Greg Gallagher, 1984-02-23 Framingham, WA, USA USA. Most recently in the CHL with Allen Americans. Complete player biography and stats.

www.eliteprospects.com

Just two examples of solid D3 players from the Cyclones. There are more but my point is made. The vast majority of ECHLers come from DI and major juniors programs in the US and Canada. I'm not going to bother debating "plenty" or "impact" but D3 players can be very effective ECHLers like Deitsch and Gallagher.

Laviolette is a bottom line role player. He's a physical presence who can contribute offensively. Probably a 10-12 minutes type of guy. He proved that last season.

 

[CrazyEddie20]

Jason Deitsch at eliteprospects.com

Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Jason Deitsch, 1980-04-21 Cincinnati, OH, USA USA. Most recently in the CHL with Allen Americans. Complete player biography and stats.

www.eliteprospects.com

Greg Gallagher at eliteprospects.com

Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Greg Gallagher, 1984-02-23 Framingham, WA, USA USA. Most recently in the CHL with Allen Americans. Complete player biography and stats.

www.eliteprospects.com

Just two examples of solid D3 players from the Cyclones. There are more but my point is made. The vast majority of ECHLers come from DI and major juniors programs in the US and Canada. I'm not going to bother debating "plenty" or "impact" but D3 players can be very effective ECHLers like Deitsch and Gallagher.

Laviolette is a bottom line role player. He's a physical presence who can contribute offensively. Probably a 10-12 minutes type of guy. He proved that last season.

Two guys who've been retired for 12 years each aren't "plenty." They're examples, but they don't make your point.

Laviolette is at best a bottom line role player, yes. He probably doesn't get a sniff at a training camp if not for his last name. Here's why: bringing a Division III player into camp with his numbers is basically buying a lottery ticket: Maybe you've got something, but the odds are highly likely that you don't. An ECHL team has to pay his travel in and out as well as lodging and per diem during training camp, so that's a couple thousand dollars to sink into a player just to have him in camp. Why bring in a Division III player who's unlikely to be able to play at the ECHL level when you could get a Division I guy who can probably figure out another role and make the roster and/or have some value in a trade? Obviously, Laviolette offers a PR boost, being born in Wheeling and the son of an NHL coach who also coached the team, which outweighs the cost of bringing him to camp.