Prospect Info: The 2023-2024 Prospects Thread Pt. 3

[RobsonStreet]

You're kidding me, right? Have you been watching this Abbotsford blueline lately?

Throw D-Petey off the deep-end if you have to. He can't be any worse than most of the guys they're trotting out on defense these days.

The only way he's going to acclimatize himself to hockey on the smaller NA rinks is to play. That's what your AHL farm-team is supposed to be all about.

This is basically the Danila Klimovich developmental path that was heavily questioned at the time and did the guy zero favours.

 

[Hodgy]

He’s 19 and has been playing in an ECHL level league. He’s almost certainly worse than age 23-25 guys with much more experience at higher levels. Or a 10-year NHL veteran in Irwin.

I think EP2 is actually pretty overrated here. Seems to unreasonably be lumped in with Willamder and Lekkerimaki.

His development definitely stalled this year when he failed to effectively get decent minutes in the SHL. I thought he looked good in the WJs but his decision making with the puck wasn’t great and I don’t see much more than bottom pairing potential.

 

[Lindgren]

I think EP2 is actually pretty overrated here. Seems to unreasonably be lumped in with Willamder and Lekkerimaki.

His development definitely stalled this year when he failed to effectively get decent minutes in the SHL. I thought he looked good in the WJs but his decision making with the puck wasn’t great and I don’t see much more than bottom pairing potential.

The sad truth is that a prospect with genuine bottom pairing potential is clearly one of the best assets in the Canucks system. After Willander and Pettersson, everybody else is a long-shot, including all those currently playing in Abbotsford. (Not saying you believe anything different.)

 

[beachcomber]

Get D-Petey over here, lots of practices, get him coached up, maybe a few games to have him figure what he needs to do then keep on the path in the off-season. The size and talent are there and so is the team development system these days (Can't believe I said that about the Canucks). No need to rush him. It is all up to how much work he puts in. Two full years in Abby should be the timetable.

 

[ChilliBilly]

This is basically the Danila Klimovich developmental path that was heavily questioned at the time and did the guy zero favours.

No, IIRC, didn't the fact that he was getting an AHL salary make a major difference to his life?

 

[The Iron Goalie]

Willander wrapped up his NCAA regular season posting 2 primary assists.

 

[Fulham]

EP2 has played at least 60 pro games against men, and hundreds against elite junior competition. Not sure he's comparable to Klimovich who had around 8 games of high level junior....

 

[VanJack]

This is basically the Danila Klimovich developmental path that was heavily questioned at the time and did the guy zero favours.

I've focused almost entirely on the Abbotsford Canucks blueline in the last few AHL Network telecasts. And I have to say, guys like Woo and Cicek are just regressing in my mind.

Woo in particular. His zone exits are completely 'hit or miss' and he's shown a penchant for taking dumb penalties that put his team in a real hole. Last night it was a match penalty for a hit to the head; tonight a foolish double minor for roughing and cross-checking handing the other team a four minute PP. And for a guy who's supposed to be 'physical' he just seems to lose every puck battle.

As for Cicek, he was decent after the trade with San Jose but has seriously regressed recently. Is also a guy with absolutely zero vision in the defensive zone. And even Cole McWard is struggling, because his partner Hirose is simply too small to be an effective pro hockey d-man.

Which is a long-winded way of saying that D-Petey can't arrive on this blueline fast enough. Just play the kid. It can't get any worse.

 

[wetcoast]

This is basically the Danila Klimovich developmental path that was heavily questioned at the time and did the guy zero favours.

Klimovich was in the AHL straight out of the draft, EP2 is in his second season out of the draft, no harm in seeing what we have here is there?

 

[iceburg]

That’s a fantastic quote! Reminds me of the dream I had when I was 10 years old. I retired from the NHL without ever having let in a goal …..

 

[Vector]

That’s a fantastic quote! Reminds me of the dream I had when I was 10 years old. I retired from the NHL without ever having let in a goal …..

You’ve technically achieved that dream!

 

[iceburg]

You’ve technically achieved that dream!

Hang on…you’re right!!

 

[RobsonStreet]

Klimovich was in the AHL straight out of the draft, EP2 is in his second season out of the draft, no harm in seeing what we have here is there?

That part is fine. The idea of expecting a player from Allsvenskan to slot in at the top of the depth chart and play major minutes heading into stretch run for the playoffs is not putting that player in a position to succeed. See what we have, but let him earn his minutes.

 

[wetcoast]

That part is fine.

The idea of expecting a player from Allsvenskan to slot in at the top of the depth chart and play major minutes heading into stretch run for the playoffs is not putting that player in a position to succeed. See what we have, but let him earn his minutes.

This is fair and maybe I missed that part if someone said it.

I fully expect him to be a bottom pairing Dman and then start to learn.

 

[David Bruce Banner]

That’s a fantastic quote! Reminds me of the dream I had when I was 10 years old. I retired from the NHL without ever having let in a goal …..

Did you sell your soul to the Devil?

 

[ChilliBilly]

Did you sell your soul to the Devil?

I have tried to sell my soul to the Devil. He apparently isn't interested, because I have never gotten a response.

Was at a skeptics meeting 15 years ago, and a guy got upset when I said "our house is as haunted as any house in the states (we were living in Ferndale at the time)" He basically said thats bullshit. I said, show me a house that is more haunted.

 

[theguardianII]

I guess some chit chat about how ready are the goaltenders is pertinent now.
Who should be called up to back up DeSmith? Or with all the games at home have a rotation.
Who would be closest to stepping up full time? Silovs or the new kid Topoilo?The team is limited in callups now but I don't think goalies count.

 

[VanJack]

I guess some chit chat about how ready are the goaltenders is pertinent now.
Who should be called up to back up DeSmith? Or with all the games at home have a rotation.
Who would be closest to stepping up full time? Silovs or the new kid Topoilo?The team is limited in callups now but I don't think goalies count.

Yep goalies are exempt.....the NHL isn't going to force a team in the NHL to go with one goalie and the equipment manager as the backup.

If they sideline Demko for awhile.....the callup decision will be interesting. Silovs is more experienced of the pair, and has experience in the World Hockey Championships. But Tolopilo might actually have been the better goaltender so far this season in Abbotsford.

I imagine Ian Clark will be consulted on this one.

 

[IComeInPeace]

Anyone else think far less of Silovs as a prospect now?

It feels to me like this has been a significant step backwards for him this season…

I wouldn’t feel comfortable with him as a backup in a meaningful game (and no I’m not saying this because of the one bad goal from center ice)…

He could turn it around but at best I think his play this season has been average. Even last year it was the 2nd half of the season he started to really come on…

…but he has spells where he really underwhelms, and then mixes in some high level play, but his consistency (or lack thereof) is concerning.

I think the organization will look hard at bringing in someone else to compete with him/Tolopilo (or just the #1 job in general) unless he really turns it around down the stretch here.

 

[VanJack]

I catch most of the Abbotsford Canuck games on the AHL Network, and I have to say their record really isn't a reflection on how Silovs has played.

This team just can't score.......and if the other team pots three, they're going to lose most nights. Puts a lot of pressure on the goaltender, knowing that he has to stop virtually everything to give his a team a chance to win.

But having said that, there's no doubt in my mind that Tolopilo has made the biggest strides of any Canuck goaltending prospect. He's simply gargantuan between the pipes, and his athleticism and rebound control have improved dramatically as the season has gone on.

Canucks definitely have something to work with, with Tolopilo.

 

[RobertKron]

I catch most of the Abbotsford Canuck games on the AHL Network, and I have to say their record really isn't a reflection on how Silovs has played.

This team just can't score.......and if the other team pots three, they're going to lose most nights. Puts a lot of pressure on the goaltender, knowing that he has to stop virtually everything to give his a team a chance to win.

But having said that, there's no doubt in my mind that Tolopilo has made the biggest strides of any Canuck goaltending prospect. He's simply gargantuan between the pipes, and his athleticism and rebound control have improved dramatically as the season has gone on.

Canucks definitely have something to work with, with Tolopilo.

The Canucks are top ten in the AHL in GF.

 

[orcatown]

Silvos had poor start and has been hit and miss most of the season. Strung a good series of games together in November and was awarded AHL goalie of the month. But since then has interspersed some good games with was really spotty efforts.

Rarely a straight line to being an NHL level goalie as even the career of Demko demonstrates. Just that, on form, Silvos looks jittery and lacks composure too often. Would say Topopilo looks more settled in the net and has had fewer outright poor games.

However, I think there is little doubt Silvos gets the call up if one is needed based on his play at the end of last season with the Vancouver. Abby, of course, has the third goalie in Sawchenko.

Probably important to see if Silvos is any where close to being able to back up Demko next year.

 

[BenningHurtsMySoul]

So glad we kept Willander. He is going to be crucial to keeping the contention window open.

If he can perform at a $4-5 million level on his ELC during the bad OEL years, it's as if that almost doesn't exist.

 

[Zarpan]

This is basically the Danila Klimovich developmental path that was heavily questioned at the time and did the guy zero favours.

Going from Allsvenskan to the AHL will be a jump for D-Petey, but probably more comparable to the jump Klimovich would have made if he went from Belarus Vysshaya to the QMJHL.

Klimovich's going from Belarus to the AHL would be like putting D-Petey straight onto the NHL roster now.

 

[LemonSauceD]

I think EP2 is actually pretty overrated here. Seems to unreasonably be lumped in with Willamder and Lekkerimaki.

His development definitely stalled this year when he failed to effectively get decent minutes in the SHL. I thought he looked good in the WJs but his decision making with the puck wasn’t great and I don’t see much more than bottom pairing potential.

Prior to this season, he played in 45 games and 17 in his draft year in the 4th best league in hockey. What changed this season was that Orebro decided they wanted to ice a much older team with experience and got a bunch of depth defensive defenseman that were career SHL’ers. Because of that, they weren’t going to slot in a 19 year old into the starting line up when they have more experienced vets back there. They loan him to quite literally the worst team in Sweden’s tier 2 league so he could get the most minutes he could possibly get but having to sacrifice the opportunity to be “playing” in a good league but limited ice time.

He was fine in the world juniors and was playing 21+ minutes a night. His development has not stalled at all. Playing in the Allsvenskan is equivalent to the DEL/ECHL which is slightly a step below the Liiga/NLA. For reference, Seider made the jump from the DEL to the AHL seamlessly as an 18 year old before going to the SHL during the covid year which is more or less equivalent to the AHL in terms of skill level. I’m not saying he’s a Seider, but this isn’t a Klimovich situation where he’s making the jump from quite literally the worst league in hockey to the 3rd best league. There’s a natural progression here.

The AHL will obviously be a significant step for his development. But he has not stalled at all, and is on par with what a higher selected D+2 defenseman is usually at.