Prospect Info: #110 OA - Goalie - Joren Van Pottelberghe, SWEDEN-JR. U18

[SCD]

He played in Europe's 2nd best league for two seasons...he wasn't great but not too bad either.

That would be equivalent to ECHL

 

[Hinterland]

That would be equivalent to ECHL

Ridiculous take. Name me only one player who got a job in the NLA coming from an ECHL team. NLA clubs are looking for NHL guys only...maybe an AHL superstar here and there. NHL clubs are also just about even in games against NLA clubs. For example in 2009 ZSC beat the Chicago Blackhawks (best possible lineup including Toews, Kane, Ladd, Sharp, Brouwer, Byfuglien, Campbell, Hjalmarsson, Keith, Seabrook and co) 2-1 to win the Victoria Cup and in 2011 the Rangers got humiliated by EV Zug 4-8 despite icing their best squad minus Lundqvist. A good everyday NHL lineup with as many stars as those teams iced against Swiss teams would never lose against an ECHL team...not even against an AHL team and not even in an exhibition game.

 

[Killerjas]

Will he ever get signed? He will be 22 this summer and he has a contract until the end of the 2020/2021 season

 

[Oddbob]

Him not being signed, is likely a him not getting signed, as if he was good enough, he likely would have been signed by now. Could still happen, but I wouldn't count on it.

 

[Henkka]

Him not being signed, is likely a him not getting signed, as if he was good enough, he likely would have been signed by now. Could still happen, but I wouldn't count on it.

End of June this year should be the deadline for NHL contract.

Some times they have went with AHL contracts to push it outside the contract limit, but don't think it will happen on this case. It's more a thing with North-Americans.

 

[Hockeyfannnn91]

Him not being signed, is likely a him not getting signed, as if he was good enough, he likely would have been signed by now. Could still happen, but I wouldn't count on it.

Think it would be real dumb,everyone knows goalies take longer to develop and he’s not even 22 yet and Had real good upside , he’ll get a bigger role now in the Swiss league with senne(who’s already 23) signed to the devils

They can easily resign rybar to one year if they’re worried about the 50 contract limit and flip him with pottelberghe next season if he is willing to come down

 

[Killerjas]

His contract at Davos won't be extended but he is joining fellow NLA team Biel-Bienne next season. He signed a contract for 2 seasons and he is expected to be a back-up next year.

This pretty much means that his chances to make it in to America is next to zero now, otherwise he would not sign this soon after he heard his contract at Davos won't be extended.

 

[Hockeyfannnn91]

His contract at Davos won't be extended but he is joining fellow NLA team Biel-Bienne next season. He signed a contract for 2 seasons and he is expected to be a back-up next year.

This pretty much means that his chances to make it in to America is next to zero now, otherwise he would not sign this soon after he heard his contract at Davos won't be extended.

I just checked , he wont be a back up next season as jonas hiller is retiring

I dont understand swiss hockey league , how can someone sign with someone else while the season is currently happening? Either way im sure he has an out clause incase the wings show him interest?most players do , i know we have larsson but he’s struggled thus far but either way he’s turning 23 next summer so even if he comes to north america at 24 he can still have a career.

Sheshtyorkin for the rangers came now and he’s 24 , we’ll see what the future brings but our pipeline is too shit to just write him off at 22 . He seems to be having a good season

 

[Slapper]

In finnish Liiga the best players are locked up before christmas for next year. Clubs just dont announce it before their current team is out of playoffs.

Im also pretty sure that JVP:s Swiss contract has an NHL-out clause as is the case with other hockey leagues in Europe (excluding KHL teams). If JVP signs with Detroit then the contract is terminated with Biel. Sometimes NHL team, player and Euro team make a deal about loaning the player to Europe if he doesn't break into the NHL ( In a team called Ilves in Liiga there's three: Lukas Dostal (Ana), Arttu Ruotsalainen (Buf), Lassi Thomson (Ott).

 

[Sticktape]

Anyone else want to see this guy come over? He'd have every opportunity to prove himself a goalie prospect could ask for.

 

[jfrank21]

Pretty sure this ship has sailed. They tried to get him to come over a couple of years ago and he didn't want to. At least that is what I remember.

 

[Henkka]

Pretty sure this ship has sailed. They tried to get him to come over a couple of years ago and he didn't want to. At least that is what I remember.

I think what happened few years ago is meaningless. He hasn't been ready to come over.

 

[ShelbyZ]

Pretty sure this ship has sailed. They tried to get him to come over a couple of years ago and he didn't want to. At least that is what I remember.

That's pretty much what it was. Wings wanted to bring him over when they had two spots open in GR in the 2018 offseason, but he wanted to stay and continue battling Gilles Senn for the starting job for Davos (which IIRC, is close to where his family lives). The Wings then brought in Patrik Rybar. JVP ended up shooting himself in the foot, as Davos had made a coaching change that prompted them to bring in Anders Lindback as starter. Senn and JVP had to battle for the #2 job, when Senn won and JVP got demoted. I'm pretty sure there was article where Wings goalie development coach Brian Mahoney Wilson talked about how he didn't like something about how JVP was being coached and thought it was a better idea for him to come over and cut his teeth in GR when we was still young (like 21).

There was rumbling that he might've come over the next offseason, but the Wings signed Larsson to go to GR and JVP signed a 2-year extension with Davos when Senn signed with the Devils.

IIRC, the deal had some sort of out clause for the 2nd year that would've allowed him to sign in the NHL, but instead used it sign a two year deal with Biel to be the #1 guy after Jonas Hiller retired at the end of 19-20.

I can't find it now, but I recall some article I had to translate from when the Biel deal was signed where he said he hadn't closed the door on the NHL and hoped a couple of years as a starter in the NL would translate to that opportunity.

Based on that, if he does ever come over, it probably wouldn't be until after next season. But that probably largely depends on where the Wings are at with Petruzelli, Larsson, Fulcher, Brattstrom and/or whoever else might be in the mix at that point.

FWIW, JVP just turned 24 and is a year younger than when Merzlikins finally made the jump from the same league. However, Merzlikins resume was a lot nicer as he had 4 solid years as a starter under his belt and lots of sparkling international appearances for Latvia.