Prospect Info: Prospects & Minor League Teams Thread

[PelleLindbergh]

I'm not as high on Yan as others. His ceiling is probably around NHL scoring line sniper. He floor is around AHL team hopper or European League scorer. Hard to pin down a comparable. Kid has good size but is average to below average on the boards. He is average (though willing) around the net. He just doesn't jump out of the screen like some others do. Although he is having a good season for AHL rookie standards ... he is still only scoring at about .5 ppg pace. While his contemporaries who have much better 2-way games are scoring at around .65 to .80 ppg pace. He is certainly behind the others due to injuries ... he has missed around 15 games this season. The coaching staff is going to need to see more out of Yan. More compete, faster decision making ... he just needs to raise his level overall. As with others young players ... needs to find consistency and build man strength. Decent tool set though - hands, skating, shot all very nice.

Not good enough to crack the Lightning's top 6 forward group. Not enough two-way player to be on the bottom six. I think he is going to put up some good numbers in the AHL and he gets traded in two or three seasons to an organization that has a roster spot open in the NHL or needs some scoring depth. I know this organization can squeeze every ounce of talent and Yan will get every opportunity to make the most out of his potential.

Thanks for the detailed response!! Much appreciated.

 

[Werewolf]

Baby Bolts: 3 vs Baby Hurricanes: 1 - game from Sunday, Feb. 18th:

Tammela - Cirelli - Joseph
Stephens - Verhaeghe - Volkov
Bournival - Condra - Archabault
Walcott - Yan - Gallant

McNeil - McBain
Masin - Cernak
Bodie - Thomas

Ingram

 

[Steazy Doo]

Who is a more valuable player trade wise. Cernak or Masin?

 

[ultra63]

Cernak looked good in training camp

 

[HoseEmDown]

Who is a more valuable player trade wise. Cernak or Masin?

I say Cernak just because he's RD. Both strong defensively with Masin having the edge in offense. I see both as topping at as a 4, just not enough offense to be a top 3 defender.

 

[EXTRAS]

How many years until cernak playa for tampa, guesses?

 

[HoseEmDown]

How many years until cernak playa for tampa, guesses?

He'll play a game next year. He's going to be 4th on the depth chart unless we trade for a RD. I can see an injury to one of the other RD so he gets called up and plays. Should be fulltime in 2 seasons when Girardi comes off the books.

 

[Werewolf]

Cernak’s ascension to big boy club duty correlates with Foote’s performance and Yzerman’s addition of a RHD defenseman at the TDL.

So a bit of a guessing game. But let’s project out as the roster stands now with current contracts. Sustr is not coming back. So next year we are looking at Stralman, Girardi, and Dotchin up with the big club. Cernak and Foote in Syracuse. Koekkoek would still be the #7D with the Lightning. Cernak could see injury call-up duty as soon as next season.

The other variables would be Yzerman bringing in a RHD at the TLD. The extension of that players contract. Re-signing Stralman at the end of next year. Foote’s development trajectory. And being able to move Dotchin at some point before he hits UFA status as he turns 24 next month.

With all that said...I think Cernak would do well now. No worse than Sustr or Dotchin. He has a NHL body and has a better skill set than Dotchin. But Cernak won’t be fast tracked. Him and Masin as defensive defenseman will spend a bit of time in Syracuse. My guess is he spends another full year of top 4 duty in the AHL unless we are totally blasted with injuries as Dotchin will probably be depth so we are looking at two injuries on the right side before Cernak. The year after that I see him reasonably start his cup of coffee stints with the Lightning.

 

[Werewolf]

Hoping Dumont and Peca are back playing tonight for Syracuse. This musical chairs of Centers has been a bit of a downer. I hope the lineup looks something like this tonight:

Bournival - Peca - Condra
Verhaeghe - Cirelli - Joseph
Volkov- Dumont - Walcott
Tammela - Stephens - Yan

Good to have some center depth again.

 

[Werewolf]

Baby Bolts vs Amerks:

Joseph - Dumont - Cirelli
Bournival - Stephens - Condra
Verhaeghe - Peca - Volkov
Yan - Tammela - Walcott

McNeil - McBain
Masin - Cernak
Bodie - Thomas

Ingram

 

[Artorius Horus T]

Somppi scores another 2 goals

I JUST COPY AND PASTE what i posted elsewhere:

Somppi gets 2 goals, so another multi-point game for Otto.
13 goals, 24 assists in his last 20 games (1.85 ppg)

- both of his goals were 5 on 5 goals -

3rd in QMJHL scoring with 75 points, still 2 behind 2nd place.
leads the league in +/- +36

- 6 points ahead of Zadina -

PS. leads the league in SH points (2+4=6) 3 player T​

 

[Artorius Horus T]

57 5 on 5 points, 12 pp points, 6 sh points
(leader in 5 on 5 points and sh points)

 

[Werewolf]

What a season Somppi is having. Is he the main driver on his line or is he benefitting from playing with some very high end talent? At this pace Lightning are going to have to make some room for the kid. Lots of centers down in Syracuse. Dumont, Peca, Cirelli, Howden, Tammela, Verhaeghe, Stephens. Some of them have already moved to Winger but lots of depth down the middle for sure.

I certainly thought Lipanov had all the makings of a breakout season...but Somppi has just moved so fast in his development. Still early but this could be another 7th round gem for the Yzerman scouting team.

 

[HoseEmDown]

What a season Somppi is having. Is he the main driver on his line or is he benefitting from playing with some very high end talent? At this pace Lightning are going to have to make some room for the kid. Lots of centers down in Syracuse. Dumont, Peca, Cirelli, Howden, Tammela, Verhaeghe, Stephens. Some of them have already moved to Winger but lots of depth down the middle for sure.

I certainly thought Lipanov had all the makings of a breakout season...but Somppi has just moved so fast in his development. Still early but this could be another 7th round gem for the Yzerman scouting team.

He is the main driver but he's also playing with a top 5 pick potential top 3 in Zadina. He's also 20 now so this type of production isn't that unheard of for a player their last year in junior. I think a major reason for his season is that he's fully healthy. His draft year he was adjusting to NA then got hurt, last year he was still recovering and wasn't 100%. Now he's healthy and fully adjusted and were seeing the production that was expected of him earlier.

As for Syracuse Peca won't be back, he's waiver eligible so will be on the big club even if it's in the pressbox. This is how I see the lines shaking out this early.

Joseph - Cirelli - Stephens
Katchouk - Howden - Raddysh
Verheaghe - Dumont - Volkov
Yan - Sommpi - Tammela

As for Lipanov I think he's going through a bit of what Sommpi did, tough adjustment to NA and now maybe hurt. He's a disappointment for sure but he showed some good things this year and has the tools and body type to become a good player still. He needs a big year next year just to make the WJC team.

 

[These Are The Days]

It didn't help that Lipanov got traded to a miserable Sudbury Wolves team

 

[Bolt32]

Had a dream about the Lightning last night which is weird, because I cant really recall me ever having a dream about them. Anyway, we called up Verhaeghe and he turned into a 25 goal scorer in the NHL. Playing in a 2/3rd line role. Just thought it was weird....would be nice to see it come true though.

 

[Werewolf]

With the caveat everything might change in the next few days...

Big Boy Club:
If Kunitz doesn't come back. There will be 3 roster spots open to makeup a 13F roster unit. Conacher, Peca, and Erne have the inside track on these three spots. Sustr also doesn't come back ... that gives us 7 defenseman. Vasi and Budaj round out the roster of 22 which is what we normally carry. Only transactions we have to do is pickup the RFA options on Koekkoek, Vladdy, Erne, Peca, and Paquette. Point and Serge still on ELCs.

Baby Bolts:
Lynch, Condra, McNeil, and Gallant don't come back. Dumont is signed. Bournival is RFA - he is a good forward vet option. McBain and Bodie ... think they are both good defensive vets - but neither can run the PP the way we need and we need some prospect space. Maybe Hajek and Foote can handle the PP duties. I like McBain more than Bodie ... but Bodie plays the left side which is more of a depth need. Hard decision here, dunno. I have them both coming back. Using your lineup which is perfectly fine...we will probably need roster spots for both RFA options: Bournival and Walcott. Bournival would see regular duty. Ingram (ELC) and Domingue (RFA) as the Syracuse goaltenders. One of Pasquale or Riopel (both UFA) can be signed to ECHL.

Joseph - Cirelli - Stephens
Katchouk - Howden - Raddysh
Verheaghe - Dumont - Volkov
Yan - Sommpi - Tammela
* Bournival / Walcott - use Walcott as 13F. Tammela to ECHL. Bournival gets bottom 6 duty.

And on defense:

Masin - Cernak
Bodie - Foote
Hajek - McBain
* Thomas / Spencer / Sosunov - use Thomas as 7thD. Spencer and Sosunov (who already signed his ELC) probably head to ECHL. MacLeod who finishes college career doesn't get a contract.

 

[Werewolf]

With all this talk of sending picks out ... we will need to re-stock our pipeline again. Picks are still valuable since all that would be left in the pipeline to turn pro next year after this year's graduating class is Lipanov:

Colton (NCAA - we won't see for a long time)
Lohin (NCAA - we won't see for a long time)
Walker (NCAA - we won't see for a long time)
Guttman (NCAA - we won't see for a long time)
Zuhlsdorf (NCAA - we won't see for a long time)
Perbix (NCAA - we won't see for a long time)
Oldham (NCAA - we won't see for a long time)
MacLeod (finished school not getting a contract)
Paquette (won't be getting a contract)
Salminen (won't be getting a contract)

 

[HoseEmDown]

I don't like the idea of having Thomas, Spencer and Sosunov all as potential scratches. McBain and Bodie are better than them to an extent but I prefer we take the chances and play the kids. Might as well trade Thomas or Spencer for at least something because they'll become the next Blujus who we just let walk for nothing. I don't have a problem with Sosunov and one of the two RD as extras just not all 3.

For forwards I think we let Bournival and Walcott walk because I see Conacher on Syracuse next year. I didn't put him in the lineup but he's not playing much right now for the Bolts and with Peca and Erne needing to be on the team best to have him on Syracuse helping them out. That puts Tammela as the 13th whichnis fine for him and we can get a depth guy easily.

For prospects Lohin and Colton will be juniors next year so only two more years from turning pro, we also could see if either wants to after next season like Hart. So we could add Lipanov, Colton and Lohin in the 19-20 season. Just depends on who we think will move up to the big club. If all the current rookies and next year's ones are still there then no need to rush either and let them finish school. The rest are long term but a Walker or Guttman can make a huge jump and become ready much faster than 4 years.

 

[Stormbreaker]

 

[Artorius Horus T]

17th multi-point game for Somppi (2+1) since he was cut from WJC camp roster
(8 goals in his last 5 games)

 

[Stormbreaker]

 

[Stormbreaker]

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Where is your prospect rankings?

 

[Stormbreaker]

Where is your prospect rankings?

Bolt Prospects | Your Online Source for Tampa Bay Lightning Prospect News