Prospect Info: Nikita Scherbak

[Habs 4 Life]

Seems Habs focused on developing centers from wingers, wingers from center, wingers from goalies (Crisp).

And we've seen defenseman's dressed as forwards, this team I tell you!!!

 

[MasterDecoy]

Interesting experiment for sure

 

[Habaddict]

Seems Habs focused on developing centers from wingers, wingers from center, wingers from goalies (Crisp).

I for one prefer only a few wingers converted to goalies, in the
organization at any given time.

Wingers into centers is a little more unusual, but centers to wing
is absolutely routine. I wonder what portion of NHL wingers played
primarily center until they turned pro.

 

[WeThreeKings]

I for one prefer only a few wingers converted to goalies, in the
organization at any given time.

Wingers into centers is a little more unusual, but centers to wing
is absolutely routine. I wonder what portion of NHL wingers played
primarily center until they turned pro.

Almost all of them. The most important forward position is center, so naturally the best players play there, when they are kids/junior age, they will play C on their teams. It is only later on, major junior etc. when they start getting converted to wing.

It really depends on their play. Generally you want your center to be a very good puck handler, be able to create space, a great playmaker, the ability to go left or right, and with a good shot to keep goalies honest from the middle of the ice. Generally, they are good skaters, as they need to play in all three zones.

So, everything Galchenyuk is and everything Desharnais is not.

 

[Habaddict]

Almost all of them. The most important forward position is center, so naturally the best players play there, when they are kids/junior age, they will play C on their teams. It is only later on, major junior etc. when they start getting converted to wing.

It really depends on their play. Generally you want your center to be a very good puck handler, be able to create space, a great playmaker, the ability to go left or right, and with a good shot to keep goalies honest from the middle of the ice. Generally, they are good skaters, as they need to play in all three zones.

So, everything Galchenyuk is and everything Desharnais is not.

Oops,my bad. I should have known I was creating another opportunity
for a DD/Chuck center rant.

And I agree with you on the rest of this. The previous poster commented
on centers to wingers. I'm just saying that this is natural.
However in Europe
they seem to start good scorers on the wing at a younger age. I'd have
to go back and look,but I suspect many of the great scoring wingers since
1980 have been Europeans. Bure, Jagr ,Selanne ,Mogilny, Kovalchuck,
Jari Kurri (sp?), Ovechkin, come to mind.

 

[Habaddict]

And we've seen defenseman's dressed as forwards, this team I tell you!!!

Markov was converted from center to defense.


Not by the Habs, but stiil on this theme.

 

[jwrocks1]

well, he is playing very well there. He's creative. His skating looks to have returned to his normal after the ankle injury.

All that said, he is not a centre. It's fine to use him as a "change of pace" or "shakeup" type move. But NS is a winger. He seems to be finding his rythym in the pros now. Leave him in StJ on the top line top PP and let him eat tons of mins, stay healthy. next season, he'll get a real shot at a roster spot.

 

[Habaddict]

well, he is playing very well there. He's creative. His skating looks to have returned to his normal after the ankle injury.

All that said, he is not a centre. It's fine to use him as a "change of pace" or "shakeup" type move. But NS is a winger. He seems to be finding his rythym in the pros now. Leave him in StJ on the top line top PP and let him eat tons of mins, stay healthy. next season, he'll get a real shot at a roster spot.

Well he's not a center yet. But he's barely 20. And he has a lot of the
tools.

One of my favorite exHabs, Damphouse, was converted to center after
nine or ten very good years as a left winger in the NHL. Actually so was
Jacques Lemere

 

[jwrocks1]

Well he's not a center yet. But he's barely 20. And he has a lot of the
tools.

One of my favorite exHabs, Damphouse, was converted to center after
nine or ten very good years as a left winger in the NHL. Actually so was
Jacques Lemere

I have no problem giving him time. But I do wish there were some better coaches for him....Maybe Damphousse?

 

[Habaddict]

I have no problem giving him time. But I do wish there were some better coaches for him....Maybe Damphousse?

Well yes, that is a general problem. And on that note, the timing
of the move to center was also a bit strange. Being as he just came
back from a series of injuries,and has played hardly at all as a pro.
You would think they'd let him settle in a bit,before giving him more
challenges.

 

[montreal]

The kid is showing good flashes. He looks like a player still adapting to the pro game. What is interesting is that he is now given a chance to play on the first line and first PP unit. I also like his size. He is taller than Galchenyuk. Look as tall as Eller, he just needs to mature a bit physically. THe end of the season will be interesting to follow to see his progression. The type of kid that can have a non linear developpment curve. Remember he spent his last junior season under Kevin Constantine in Everett, an ultra defensive coach. That's why I like the move to center and the first line. It's as if the organization wants him to regain his offensive mind.

he is showing flashes for sue, made a real nice pass to Holloway that he just mis-fired or that would have been a sure goal. Right before Lessio got called up Scherbak set him up with a beauty of a pass but he couldn't convert it. On the other hand his lack of strength is very apparent, and he's not looked so good on draws but hopefully he'll be healthy this off-season and we'll see what he can do next year.

Well that could be fun to watch. But in the NHL you might only see them
together on the power play. At least a lot of the time. McCarron could turn
into a net crashing scorer, but I'm more dreaming of a crushing defensive
center, who plays extra minutes on the Power Play. Where as Scherbak
can hopefully be a first line type along side Chuck. And I really don't care
which one plays center. As far as I'm concerned, as long as they become
impact players in the NHL, they can both play wing, and someone else can
play center. Maybe we will try adding another very short center. Reway???
Such a line might make some interesting passes!

I agree, I don't really care who plays center as long as they become impact players in the NHL. I ranted so hard in the Hamilton thread last year about how important it was to get a better coach in the AHL when we had 2 high end prospects incoming in Scherbak and McCarron that so much of our future is riding on both ending up as good as we hope they will be. Only time will tell and as long as they end up being impact NHLers then it will bode well for us in the near future.

 

[jwrocks1]

Well yes, that is a general problem. And on that note, the timing
of the move to center was also a bit strange. Being as he just came
back from a series of injuries,and has played hardly at all as a pro.
You would think they'd let him settle in a bit,before giving him more
challenges.

100% agreed. But, he has done well despite that. It highlights his talent level. Hopefully the Habs can develop him and McCarron to be top 6 NHL talents. it would really solve our scoring issues. But that is a 1 (as in 1 more) -3 yr plan.

 

[Habaddict]

100% agreed. But, he has done well despite that. It highlights his talent level. Hopefully the Habs can develop him and McCarron to be top 6 NHL talents. it would really solve our scoring issues. But that is a 1 (as in 1 more) -3 yr plan.

I think we have a really good spread of different types of forwards
coming up in those years. Hudon and DLR are also very interesting.
And our "shot in the dark",Reway.

 

[NobleSix]

Great to see him produce after the bad injury luck he's had so far. Hopefully he can stay healthy and establish himself.

 

[CanadienShark]

Dude, come on, after 6 games if he can't get anything going then he is just never going to amount to anything at center

Signed MT

Or if he does get something going, we should probably demote him... you know, because creating adversity and punishing good play for the young guys is the real way to develop them...

It's interesting to see Scherbak at centre now. I remember thinking (and agreeing with others who said the same thing) that Scherbak had the kind of game that would suit a centre last year and the year before.

 

[DangerDave]

Well that could be fun to watch. But in the NHL you might only see them
together on the power play. At least a lot of the time. McCarron could turn
into a net crashing scorer, but I'm more dreaming of a crushing defensive
center, who plays extra minutes on the Power Play. Where as Scherbak
can hopefully be a first line type along side Chuck. And I really don't care
which one plays center. As far as I'm concerned, as long as they become
impact players in the NHL, they can both play wing, and someone else can
play center. Maybe we will try adding another very short center. Reway???
Such a line might make some interesting passes!

It's hard to say. Some players just have that chemistry together and some don't. Chucky and Scherbak seem very similar to me and sometime that works, other times it doesn't. I still think it would be good to try em out together in the AHL. Sometime skill players like Scherbak need a guy like Mac to make room for them and help out their defensive side of the game and sometimes Mac needs a guy like Scherbak to get his offense going. The nice thing is both can finish and both can pass.

 

[Runner77]

How likely for Scherbak to do well at centre or to stick there?

 

[DangerDave]

How likely for Scherbak to do well at centre or to stick there?

I think he may do ok but he's gonna struggle with the defensive side in my opinion. Offensively, he'll be great I think. He plays both wings so he's comfortable on either side and he loves cutting in on the off wing and sniping using the dman as a screen so he'll have more tools to work with. It's worth a shot but I think we're more in need of RWers and that's his best position imo. Never know though, maybe he excels at C.

 

[Scintillating10]

Except developing the one they have at the NHL level

Bergs says its not that easy to do

 

[montreal]

How likely for Scherbak to do well at centre or to stick there?

it's anyone's guess at this point. I think he has the tools but needs to get a good bit stronger as he's going to have trouble trying to contain bigger players down low. Plus so far he hasn't been too impressive in the face-off circle (don't have the numbers so it could be better then it looks) unlike McCarron who since moving to center looked impressive in the face-off circle.

 

[montreal]

Scherbak with 3 pts in the last 3 games, 8 pts in the last 17 games. Not great but not bad when you consider he played only 4 games before those 17 games going back to the end of October (where he was just getting back to form from his off-season injury)

 

[OpenIceHit]

Scherbak with 3 pts in the last 3 games, 8 pts in the last 17 games. Not great but not bad when you consider he played only 4 games before those 17 games going back to the end of October (where he was just getting back to form from his off-season injury)

Great news! Is he still playing at center?

 

[montreal]

Great news! Is he still playing at center?

he was moved to LW but then back to Center now.

 

[OpenIceHit]

he was moved to LW but then back to Center now.

What the hell? Wasn't he supposed to play RW?

 

[montreal]

What the hell? Wasn't he supposed to play RW?

In 29 games in the AHL, half of them as a 19 year old, he's played all 3 forward positions. Not sure what Lefebvre is doing but then again I rarely understand the moves he makes.