Prospect Info: Penguins #2 prospect

[BADoglick]

Jarry has dominated at the AHL level. I think he is going to be an above average starting goaltender in a few years.
Unfortunately it will likely be with someone else.

 

[Pharrell Williams]

i am on the campaign for gustavsson

 

[Tasty Biscuits]

Jarry is a top 5 goalie prospect. Him being less valuable to us does not change that.

Add Ölund.

Agreed. I don't see how organizational need should affect ranking a prospect's potential. If we had 4 Kessels in the lineup right now, Sprong would still be our #1 prospect.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

This not considered enough of a landslide?

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

The "organizational need" argument against Jarry was always moot.

The "goalies are the most difficult position to project by far" one isn't.

 

[Freeptop]

I like Jarry, but has he shown the upside to be a #1 at the NHL level? He's played one game...and his stats in that game weren't good at all.

I went with him, but depending on what you read, unlike when I would read about Murray, some scouts do believe he will be a backup NHL netminder. Almost every scouting report I read about Murray said that he showed starter potential. Gustavsson's scouting report reads much more like Murray's. Gustavsson needs to stay healthy though.

I wouldn't read anything into Jarry's stats in that one game. That was a meaningless game for the Pens in which he was playing behind a roster that was sitting most of the top players against a team that wasn't doing the same thing.
Here's the list of scratches for that game (ordered by player number, as per the official NHL rosters from that game http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20162017/RO021226.HTM ):
Penguins: Ruhwedel, Schultz, Daley, Cullen, Kunitz, Rust, Cole, Sheary, Guentzel, Malkin, Crosby, Murray

Rangers: Clendening, Puempel, Hayes, Fast, Kreider, Smith, Kapmfer, Rannta

The Pens sat literally half their roster (including their entire first line and 2/3rds of their second), and still only barely lost to the Rangers 3-2. I don't think one can really infer anything from Jarry's stats in that game.

Jarry has the most success at the level closest to the NHL, but goalies are the least predictable of all the positions, by far. I think you have to either have draft pedigree or a really remarkable AHL start as a goalie to be looked at as a can't miss prospect.

Jarry has been very good on balance, but he slumped late and lost the WBS starter's role by the playoffs in each of the last 2 years to DeSmith, who isn't anybody's idea of a blue chipper.

Jarry didn't lose the starter's role to DeSmith in the playoffs this past year. He wasn't available, because he was backing up Fleury in the NHL at the time. By the time Murray was ready to play again, the Baby Pens were already eliminated.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

The "organizational need" argument against Jarry was always moot.

The "goalies are the most difficult position to project by far" one isn't.

In fairness, every position in the Pens prospect pool is difficult to project because they seem to always take "projects" that need a lot of seasoning. How many folks saw Guentzel becoming what he has compared to how many thought Tangradi would be the next Ryan Malone?

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

In fairness, every position in the Pens prospect pool is difficult to project because they seem to always take "projects" that need a lot of seasoning. How many folks saw Guentzel becoming what he has compared to how many thought Tangradi would be the next Ryan Malone?

There are no guarantees with prospects at any position, of course.

But in general, goalies are much more volatile than other positions so I have trouble ranking them highly unless they have an outstanding pre-NHL track record. Jarry's is very good, but not enough for me to put him over a guy like ZAR.

 

[torrencemd]

I think Kessel and ZAR on the 2nd unit could create some headaches. Kessel needs to be the man on the PP. The one-timer opportunities aren't his bag. More often than not he whiffs, or he stops a puck he should one-time.

Sprong - Hornqvist - Crosby
Letang - Malkin

Kessel - ZAR - Guentzel
Maatta (?) - Schultz

I'd feel comfortable letting Guentzel take draws.

Now we just need that #3 center and upgrade our top 4 D and we will be straight for the final years of 87 and 71...