Minor League Thread 2017-18: Part VIII

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Any non-Rangers affiliated player should be gone. They can sign Joly, but everyone else that isn't Rangers property needs to GTFO. And that bonehead coach too.

 

[Osminator]

Any non-Rangers affiliated player should be gone. They can sign Joly, but everyone else that isn't Rangers property needs to GTFO. And that bonehead coach too.

Not mincing words ey? Hahahahaha. You've pretty much hit the nail on the head though.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Not mincing words ey? Hahahahaha. You've pretty much hit the nail on the head though.

Well, it can't get any worse than it is right now, and this isn't an environment where I want our prospects to develop. I don't expect Hartford to win the Calder every year, but I do expect them to be at least competitive. They made the right move getting a guy like Beck, but they need more than that.

 

[Osminator]

Well, it can't get any worse than it is right now, and this isn't an environment where I want our prospects to develop. I don't expect Hartford to win the Calder every year, but I do expect them to be at least competitive. They made the right move getting a guy like Beck, but they need more than that.

We agree 200% on this... the 16/17 Pack were abysmal from top to bottom and anything other than a new coaching staff would be a tremendous surprise. Mind you, they didnt even have a handful of prospects to work with and the D was beer league level. Im sure they gambled on Kovacs and Stromwall having big seasons, but were overwhelmed like Ive never seen before at the AHL level.

It was very frustrating to watch them get their backs beat and individual players looking totally lost. The overall poor goaltending didnt help either. What a tough tough year for the Pack...

 

[Osminator]

On a positive note... The Greenville Swamp Rabbits are up 2 games to 0 in the best of seven vs. the South Carolina Stingrays. They play an awesome type of game and their players are stepping up in all positions. Game 3 is tomorrow Monday, give them a look, you'll enjoy the hockey.

 

[Osminator]

Greenville Swamp Rabbits vs. SC Stingrays Game 3 tonight (Rabbits lead 2-0)

 

[Ranger Ric]

To put some statistical context to how bad things were here is a link that shows each players 5x5 goals for and against. https://mobile.twitter.com/undefined/status/853424447927320576/photo/1. The team average is 41%. 5x5 goals for to goals against.

Some interesting points:

The Rangers signed 3 free agents last summer other than Jimmy Vesey. Looking at the 5x5 play you see that Chapie. Stromwell and Gilmour were pretty bad, all around 30%. When you lack draft choices you need to use the free agent market to make up for the draft choice deficiency. The Rangers completely whiffed on these guys and they all are under contract for another year. Maybe we get lucky and Stromwell decided to go back to Sweden and voids his deal freeing up a contract.

As bad as these guys were, Robin Kovacs was worse at 27%. When I went to a Wolfpack game in December and saw Kovacs play he didn’t look like he belonged in the AHL let alone the NHL. But I was not willing to write such a young, foreign player who was the 62nd pick in the draft so quickly. Unfortunately he never seemed to improve. When the Rangers traded for Eric Staal last year I think I remember there was a discussion about whether the Rangers would include Kovacs or Saarela. This year Kovacs scored 12 points in 72 games and Saarela scored 10 points in 9 games. If the Rangers chose Kovacs over Saarela maybe they made a mistake.

The best player on the team was Marek Hrivik who came in at 56%. That’s remarkable given how bad the team was. Beck, in a limited sample size, also was above 50%.

The news is not all bad. Boo Nieves and Michael Paliotta came in at 47% and Ryan Graves and Steven Fogarty were at 44%. Given how bad the team was these numbers are not horrendous. In a limited call up, Oksanen was at 58%. Given how well he did in with Greenville it is hard to understand why he didn’t get more of a chance with Hartford.

Let’s hope the Rangers can signed a few more free agents to build up the talent pool in Hartford.

We agree 200% on this... the 16/17 Pack were abysmal from top to bottom and anything other than a new coaching staff would be a tremendous surprise. Mind you, they didnt even have a handful of prospects to work with and the D was beer league level. Im sure they gambled on Kovacs and Stromwall having big seasons, but were overwhelmed like Ive never seen before at the AHL level.

It was very frustrating to watch them get their backs beat and individual players looking totally lost. The overall poor goaltending didnt help either. What a tough tough year for the Pack...

 

[nyr2k2]

I said all season that Paliotta was incredibly underrated, and that Fogarty was much better than his basic statistics indicated.

 

[Osminator]

Swamp Rabbits got major beatdowns from the SC Stingrays in games 3 and 4, lose 6-0 in game 3 and 5-1 in game 4.

Game 5 back in Greenville with the series tied at 2.

 

[Revel]

Swamp Rabbits got major beatdowns from the SC Stingrays in games 3 and 4, lose 6-0 in game 3 and 5-1 in game 4.

Game 5 back in Greenville with the series tied at 2.

Ouch. Didn't expect that. Can we send anyone down from Hartford to help them...since Hartford's season is over? Or is that not allowed?

 

[nyr2k2]

Any non-Rangers affiliated player should be gone. They can sign Joly, but everyone else that isn't Rangers property needs to GTFO. And that bonehead coach too.

I mostly agree, however Matt Carey and Chris Brown would be decent bottom six options next season. They play tough. Noonan, the defenseman, also looked pretty okay. Only on AHL deals, obviously.

I'd also like for them to retain Oksanen for another season if he's not already under contract.

 

[Ranger Ric]

Greenville had to submit a playoff roster and the only player from the Wolfpack that is on the list is Joly.

Ouch. Didn't expect that. Can we send anyone down from Hartford to help them...since Hartford's season is over? Or is that not allowed?

 

[Revel]

Greenville had to submit a playoff roster and the only player from the Wolfpack that is on the list is Joly.

Thanks Ric. Joly was the one guy I was really thinking about. Good to know he can play. I guess he isn't playing because he's still hurt from that puck to the face. Adding a guy like him could be huge for Grenville. Let's hope they get him in the line-up.

 

[Osminator]

Greenvile did lose their captain Cameron to a cheap shot in game 2, but there is no real game recap, news, roster moves info out there as their social media is 100% targeting 8 to 10 year olds with #keepstomping and "Ready for game X?" Propaganda. If u are a true GSR fan, valuable info is terribly hard to come by... ur lucky to get tweets announcing the starting 6...

 

[cwede]

I mostly agree, however Matt Carey and Chris Brown would be decent bottom six options next season. They play tough. Noonan, the defenseman, also looked pretty okay. Only on AHL deals, obviously.

I'd also like for them to retain Oksanen for another season if he's not already under contract.

If Brown would take an AHL deal, sign him for 2 and make him Captain.
But if he gets an NHL Offer elsewhere, but not from us, color him gone.
A 2d rounder from '09 with >20 NHL games, offering depth O as well as grit and faceoffs in the A, he might just get another NHL deal

Almost certainly Oksanen's AHL deal is 1 year.
I dont know of precedent where a first year pro signed an extended minor league contract.
The hope on the young player's side is to prove he was worth an ELC all along.
And given that some of the doubt on Oksanen was based on
- healthy recovery from injury,
- some from perhaps over producing, thanks to being on Eichel's wing in '14-15,
- as well as some due to his skating,
i bet he gets an ELC from someone.
Also his experience at D (although not for 3 years) makes him more versatile at least at minor league level.

 

[nyr2k2]

Disagree on Oksanen. He was great in the ECHL but only managed to get into 15 games in the AHL at age 24 on a terrible team. He's the exact type of guy IMO that you give another AHL deal to. Unless there's a team that absolutely loves him, I'd imagine the ELC will have to wait another year. He'll have to show more in the AHL first.

 

[Osminator]

An old WP name resurfacing with Greenville:

Greenville:

Add Brodie Dupont, F returned from loan to Bakersfield [4/18]

 

[RangerBoy]

Boo Nieves started the year off well and demonstrated flashes of speed and skill. His hard work earned him a one-game emergency recall by the Rangers who were on the road in Vancouver, but the second half of the season didn’t provide much happiness. Nieves missed 19 games with a concussion. He returned in Hershey and scored a gorgeous goal on a breakaway, but never played another game in the season because his symptoms returned the next day.

“I’m doing well,” Nieves said. “I had to take the time off and sometimes you have to step aside even though you don’t want to you have to take in account your health and wellness and be able to be ready to go at it next year. Because of medical staff, they did a great job with me with plenty of workouts off the ice. I feel as close to 100 percent as I’ve felt in some time,”.

http://www.howlings.net/2017/04/18/cantlon-wolf-pack-wrap-up-day/

Nieves suffered a concussion at Traverse City. He suffered two concussions this season.

Gernander finished the last of the exit interviews as well as his organizational discussions with Rangers Assistant GM, and Trumbull native, Chris Drury. Also in those meetings was Assistant Coach, Keith McCambridge, and Assistant Coach/Assistant GM, Pat Boller.

The Rangers need to make a change. Gernander has been the head coach for the last 10 seasons. He was an assistant coach for two years prior to being named head coach. There is no one else qualified to coach the AHL team!!!

There is no college coach or junior coach or former NHL player qualified to coach Hartford?

Offer Gernander another position in the organization. Pro scout.

 

[Revel]

Thanks for the article on Nieves, RB. This is some scary stuff going on with Nieves. I don't know what to think about his concussion. Is it worse to get a 2nd concussion, or is it worse to have symptoms from a prior concussion come back and rear their ugly head? It sounds like his concussion was a doozy, and I'm worried it did some damage that will always haunt him. Keeping my fingers crossed for his well-being.

Agree on Gernander. Time to hand the reigns over to someone else. I'm sure there are several guys that would jump at the chance to coach Pro hockey.

 

[ManUtdTobbe]

Nicklas Jensens KHL rights were just traded to Jokerit along with Tim Erixons rights, i'd assume they have an oral agreement with atleast one of them. Losing Jensen would be a pretty big blow to Hartford.

 

[RangerBoy]

Pittsburgh hired Mike Sullivan to coach their AHL team. He spent the season in between Vancouver and taking the Pittsburgh job working as a pro scout for the Hawks. In the entire hockey world,there is not single coach more qualified than Gernander???Sullivan moved up when Johnston was fired.

 

[cwede]

Nicklas Jensens KHL rights were just traded to Jokerit along with Tim Erixons rights ... Losing Jensen would be a pretty big blow to Hartford.

http://www.jokerit.com/jokerit-hankki-pelaajaoikeuksia-ufasta

yeah
although i am not sure a re-signed Jensen would pass thru waivers to Hartford next fall anyway
Fingers crossed that this trade was made because
Salavat Yulaev Ufa plans to sign Philip Larsen
he played 26 NHL games this year,
but spent 2 prior full seasons in KHL
http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=6006

UPDATE - and so they did
Philip Larsen Signs Two-Year Deal In KHL
https://www.prohockeyrumors.com/2017/04/philip-larsen-signs.html

UPDATE #2 - Jensen and Hrivik are now listed on NYR roster atthe NYR site
https://www.nhl.com/rangers/roster

 

[Ranger Ric]

Both Erixon and Jensen are restricted free agents. So if the Rangers and Penguins make qualifying offers those clubs would retain their rights. I can't recall whether the Russians and the US have agreed to respect each other's contract rights. Perhaps the KHL will sign RFAs who have not agreed to a contract. Isn't this what happened to Carl Klingberg?

It doesn't appear that Erixon will get a chance with the Penguins so the team may not care. I think Jensen has a shot at making the Rangers next season, particularly if they lose a forward to Las Vegas. But I agree that it would be difficult for Jansen to pass through waivers. And if he can sign with the KHL I can't say that I blame his for feeling that AV won't give him a chance.

http://www.jokerit.com/jokerit-hankki-pelaajaoikeuksia-ufasta

yeah
although i am not sure a re-signed Jensen would pass thru waivers to Hartford next fall anyway
Fingers crossed that this trade was made because
Salavat Yulaev Ufa plans to sign Philip Larsen
he played 26 NHL games this year,
but spent 2 prior full seasons in KHL
http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=6006

 

[cwede]

Both Erixon and Jensen are restricted free agents. So if the Rangers and Penguins make qualifying offers those clubs would retain their rights. I can't recall whether the Russians and the US have agreed to respect each other's contract rights. Perhaps the KHL will sign RFAs who have not agreed to a contract. Isn't this what happened to Carl Klingberg?

as i understand it, yes, we retain Carl Klingberg's NHL rights because we QO'd him then he signed in KHL
not sure for how long
i believe he is considered a "defected" player

that section of CBA [ 10.2 (b) ] is tough reading
begins on p.32
if you have the .PDF i got from internet
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT
BETWEEN NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE AND
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYERS' ASSOCIATION
September 16, 2012 - September 15, 2022

 

[nyr2k2]

If we qualify a player we retain his rights. However unless the player signs the QO, he can go sign in Russia as they don't consider an unsigned QO a valid contract.