WJC thread

[Svechhammer]

Its hard to look at this tournament and not think that we might have a stacked prospect pool going forward. Seems like every kid we have in it is contributing in a meaningful way.

 

[Bunch of Jurcos]

Have the puck for the first 15 minutes of the period, lead in shots 16-7, down 2-1 after 1. This seems...familiar.

As the period went on the Czech defenders did a really good job with active sticks near the goal. Drury made some nice passes to the front of the net but they weren't able to capitalize. Still early but the building was absolutely rocking after the second goal. I wish we did that here in the US.

 

[Cardiac Jerks]

Its hard to look at this tournament and not think that we might have a stacked prospect pool going forward. Seems like every kid we have in it is contributing in a meaningful way.

Honka isn’t really putting up points and I’ve seen a number of negative posts about his play from Finnish fans, unfortunately.

Have to admit I haven’t caught a single game of theirs.

 

[TheReelChuckFletcher]

Honka isn’t really putting up points and I’ve seen a number of negative posts about his play from Finnish fans, unfortunately.

Have to admit I haven’t caught a single game of theirs.

Honka is a notoriously swingy prospect, though. This early in his career, he will have great games and bad games. He’s the highest ceiling AND lowest floor prospect that the Canes have in their entire system. He’ll either be an offensively-gifted stud D in the NHL or a complete burn-out, no in-between at all.

 

[spockBokk]

Honka isn’t really putting up points and I’ve seen a number of negative posts about his play from Finnish fans, unfortunately.

Have to admit I haven’t caught a single game of theirs.

From what I've seen of part of 2 Finland games is that Honka is a very, very good skater and he's been able to use his skating and stickhandling to create offense in the offensive zone. He has also been set up as a triggerman on the left circle on Finland's 1st (I think) PP unit. His one-timer has pep, but I haven't yet seen him get one of those on net.

He seems to defend adequately in the neutral zone, mostly due to his skating, but he's a Gardiner-like adventure in his own zone, consistently losing board battles or turning the puck over while trying to skate it out himself.

If he ever comes close to being passable defensively on a sheltered 3rd pair, he's going to be an NHL player, in my estimation. His offensive skills are that good. However, looks like he's got a ton to learn on the defensive side of the puck if he's ever going to sniff the NHL.

He's still one of my favorites, if not my favorite prospect to follow at the moment though.

 

[Bunch of Jurcos]

Yes Drury just scored but Jesus what stick handling and passing from Zegras. That was beautiful.

 

[Cardiac Jerks]

Drury makes it 3-2 and Zegras is in sole possession of the tournament scoring lead. 9 points - all assists.

 

[A Star is Burns]

Dammit, I thought we agreed he can't score.

 

[GoldiFox]

Zegras is something else. Magnificent playmaker.

 

[TheReelChuckFletcher]

I would normally hate to trade Dougie after the season that he's having, but if Bob Murray was willing to give us Zegras if we can't sign him, I'd run up to the press conference room with a shit-eating grin on my face. That's how much I love Zegras as a prospect.

 

[Cardiac Jerks]

If you’re not already watching the game turn it in for the final 10. 3-3 game.

 

[A Star is Burns]

Come for the hockey, stay for the old Czech man reactions

 

[Cardiac Jerks]

Backup for the Czechs is Marek Malik’s son.

 

[Bunch of Jurcos]

That give and go that led to the game winner was a thing of beauty. Vengeance is ours!

 

[bleedgreen]

Anyone else kinda groan when they just keep saying "Jack Drury is the go to faceoff guy for the US?"

He keeps not really doing anything, though.

Marcus Kruger, ladies and gentlemen.

His ceiling seems to be third line center, which makes for a poor second rounder to me sometimes but maybe he’s viewed as a near lock for making at least as a fourth line center so he was rated high? I had hopes until I saw him skate at that first camp. Then I stopped having any hopes and was annoyed we drafted him there. He’s basically a slower Clark Bishop to me at this point unless he really works at the skating and improves his offense.

 

[bleedgreen]

The thing with Puistola is that he is always in the right place at the right time. In his 2g scored yesterday, for the first he just so happened to have his stick on the ice about 3ft outside the crease ready for a perfect pass. On his second goal, all he had to do was again have his stick on the ice to receive a great pass for an easy finish. I've heard some prognosticators really go on about his hockey IQ, and I think they're spot on with that. He just has that knack to know where to be to score, and he's willing to go to the front of the net in order to do so.

He still has quite a lot of maturing to do physically and evidently his skating and defensive game needs work, like most guys his age, but he seems to innately have the skill and IQ you can't teach. That other stuff, bulk, defensive awareness and skating, can all be developed. Knowing exactly where to be to benefit while a play is unfolding, you can't teach.

And on a side-note-I hope CAR takes a flyer on this Tanus kid, who seems to have a ton of chemistry with Puistola, somewhere around the mid to later rounds this year.

I agree he has the iq and is a solid prospect. I just don’t think we can glean anything from his performance in the tournament yet. I’m hoping when they get down to the nitty gritty he has another level the other teams struggle to contain.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

His ceiling seems to be third line center, which makes for a poor second rounder to me sometimes but maybe he’s viewed as a near lock for making at least as a fourth line center so he was rated high? I had hopes until I saw him skate at that first camp. Then I stopped having any hopes and was annoyed we drafted him there. He’s basically a slower Clark Bishop to me at this point unless he really works at the skating and improves his offense.

I'm curious why you say that. The chances of getting better than that in the 2nd round is pretty slim. A quick look back at drafts and the number of players drafted in round two that became consistent top 4 D / Top 6 F. (I may have missed a few as I did this quickly)

2010: 3 players: Faulk, Toffoli, Zucker
2011: 3 players: Saad, William Karlsson, Kucherov
2012: maybe 3 players - Tierney, Severson, McCabe
2013: None? Closest are probably Lehkonen, Tyler Bertuzzi, and maybe Compher
2014: 2? Montour and Dvorak (not sure about Lemieux)
2015: Aho, Carlo, Dunn. Maybe R. Andersson down the road as well as a couple others
2016+ probably too early to tell.

So over that stretch, you might have an 8-10% chance of getting a guy with a ceiling of a top 6 F / top 4 D out of the 2nd round. You are more likely to get Brock McGinn's and Jordan Martinook's than you are to get a Sebastian Aho or Justin Faulk.

I'm fine if you don't like the pick though, (I don't know much about the guy so won't disagree with you on that), I just was curious why you expect better than a ceiling of a 3rd line Center, when that's what you typically get in round 2.

 

[bleedgreen]

I'm curious why you say that. The chances of getting better than that in the 2nd round is pretty slim. A quick look back at drafts and the number of players drafted in round two that became consistent top 4 D / Top 6 F. (I may have missed a few as I did this quickly)

2010: 3 players: Faulk, Toffoli, Zucker
2011: 3 players: Saad, William Karlsson, Kucherov
2012: maybe 3 players - Tierney, Severson, McCabe
2013: None? Closest are probably Lehkonen, Tyler Bertuzzi, and maybe Compher
2014: 2? Montour and Dvorak (not sure about Lemieux)
2015: Aho, Carlo, Dunn. Maybe R. Andersson down the road as well as a couple others
2016+ probably too early to tell.

So over that stretch, you might have an 8-10% chance of getting a guy with a ceiling of a top 6 F / top 4 D out of the 2nd round. You are more likely to get Brock McGinn's and Jordan Martinook's than you are to get a Sebastian Aho or Justin Faulk.

I'm fine if you don't like the pick though, (I don't know much about the guy so won't disagree with you on that), I just was curious why you expect better than a ceiling of a 3rd line Center, when that's what you typically get in round 2.

I don’t expect a guy who actually shows up and is better than a third center, I expect a guy that if he develops has a higher ceiling than that. I’d hope for someone that has a ceiling of the second line but is less likely to reach that. If you think the guy at best has a chance of the third line if everything goes perfect then I’d think you could get him much later.

Aho had the hopes of being at least a second liner I would suspect. Faulk played the style of a top four guy. They’re just less likely to reach it than a high first rounder.

 

[geehaad]

Agreed. Like Loustarinen, he seemed to be a too-safe bottom-6’er. Lou has impressed me more than that low expectation, though, so maybe Drury can be more...? I dunno.

 

[The Stranger]

His ceiling seems to be third line center, which makes for a poor second rounder to me sometimes but maybe he’s viewed as a near lock for making at least as a fourth line center so he was rated high? I had hopes until I saw him skate at that first camp. Then I stopped having any hopes and was annoyed we drafted him there. He’s basically a slower Clark Bishop to me at this point unless he really works at the skating and improves his offense.

A slower Clark Bishop eh? And you still give him the ceiling of a 3rd liner...very generous.

Can you elaborate on your evaluation of his skating?

 

[bleedgreen]

A slower Clark Bishop eh? And you still give him the ceiling of a 3rd liner...very generous.

Can you elaborate on your evaluation of his skating?

Weak on his edges, limited length in his strides, not a lot of quick twitch adaptation to make up for it.

I don’t get your comment. I think Bishop is pretty quick actually, especially with the hustle he puts in. Bishop is generally under appreciated here for what he brings as a fourth line center. I think he should have that job right now.

 

[raynman]

Weak on his edges, limited length in his strides, not a lot of quick twitch adaptation to make up for it.

I don’t get your comment. I think Bishop is pretty quick actually, especially with the hustle he puts in. Bishop is generally under appreciated here for what he brings as a fourth line center. I think he should have that job right now.

When has Bishop ever been as effective as Lucas Wallmark in that role?

 

[A Star is Burns]

When has Bishop ever been as effective as Lucas Wallmark in that role?

 

[ookhaab]

Backup for the Czechs is Marek Malik’s son.

Born in Raleigh too.

 

[bleedgreen]

When has Bishop ever been as effective as Lucas Wallmark in that role?

Not saying he’s remotely better than Wallmark, only that I think he’s the best fourth center we have in the organization. I think Wallmark should be higher in the lineup as well, I don’t like him as a fourth liner at all.