2015-2016 CHL/NCAA/Euro Prospects Thread

[Whitesnake]

Maybe some offensive help would be nice. But then, Lehkonen stays in Europe for another year. We are SO not ready to welcome him. We don't welcome offense.

 

[montreal]

Watched Evans last night, he was on the ice for 4 of his teams 5 goals. Better game from him although it was another lop sided affair as Notre Dame is just red hot right now winning 10 in a row. Evans had 5 pts this weekend, is now at a ppg, has more assists this year then points last year. He leads the team in assists and 2nd in points behind his linemate Bjork. Going to be interesting to see how much he can bulk up and improve both his lower and upper body strength. Needs a lot of work there but he's still young and should have time to work on it.

 

[Le Barron de HF]

Do you think montreal that after one more year in the NCAA, he'd be ready to make the jump to the AHL? And how does he compare to MacMillan in terms of skills? They sound like they're similar players in terms of style but do you see Evans' being skilled enough to have an impact at the next level?

 

[NotProkofievian]

I find it very difficult to get excited about our NCAA prospects. It seems like we invested a lot of picks in that system, and, outside of Pacioretty, got very little.

 

[montreal]

Lehkonen with 2 goals today so far. Now has 15 on the year, one more and he will have as many goals this year as he had points last year.

Do you think montreal that after one more year in the NCAA, he'd be ready to make the jump to the AHL? And how does he compare to MacMillan in terms of skills? They sound like they're similar players in terms of style but do you see Evans' being skilled enough to have an impact at the next level?

depends on how much strength and mass he adds. He's very weak and skinny, better to leave him at a good program with a good coach then letting Lefebvre get his hands on him imo. But if he gets a lot stronger he might be ready. One thing he also needs to work on is shooting more, he is such a pass first that you know what he's going to do most of the time. That said he can really dish the puck.

MacMillan was quicker and a better skater but they have similar builds at 19 (MacMillan was a Freshman vs Evans being a Soph). It's hard to compare their numbers since MacMillan played on perhaps the best college hockey program under one of the very best coaches. I always felt that Evans should have gone the MacMillan route and waited a year before going to the NCAA which is the much more common way these days. But he held up his own last year and now he's one of their best players so the progress has been impressive just lots of concern over the lack of strength going forward. He doesn't get pushed around as much as MacMillan did in his Freshman year, he's likely not as good in his own end as MacMillan who plays with a high motor but Evans is a regular on the PK. He's more about smarts whereas MacMillan used his speed and tireless efforts more. I'd say Evans has more offensive skill, better playmaker for sure.

 

[Le Barron de HF]

Interesting info montreal, thanks for taking the type to reply.

And I can't say I don't feel the same way NotProkofievian, I had such hopes for Quailer before his injury and he was barely an AHLer. Seems like none of our picks from the NCAA have amounted to anything like you've pointed out. Hopefully Evans (and MacMillan) can turn that trend around for us.

 

[montreal]

Interesting info montreal, thanks for taking the type to reply.

And I can't say I don't feel the same way NotProkofievian, I had such hopes for Quailer before his injury and he was barely an AHLer. Seems like none of our picks from the NCAA have amounted to anything like you've pointed out. Hopefully Evans (and MacMillan) can turn that trend around for us.

well perhaps management has some concerns as well, in the last 4 drafts only 3 NCAAers were picked and those were in the 5th, 6th and 7th rounds (Koberstein, Hawkey, Evans) Before that we had Didier and MacMillan both 4th rounders.

The only high picks we have had, Leblanc, McDonagh, Pac, Kristo, Fischer, Higgins, Komisarek, Hainsey, going back to '92 unless you count 3rd rounders as high picks. Bennett, O'Byrne, and Quailer.

Outside of the 3rd rounders only Fischer and Kristo have failed to play in the NHL. The rest were traded or mishandled for the most part outside of Pac of course.

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

so how excited should we be about Lehkonen?

 

[NotProkofievian]

so how excited should we be about Lehkonen?

Moderately. He's a smart and useful player, and IMO, smart enough to play his game in the NHL. However, his game could also just totally not translate, or he could get destroyed by some AHL ogre. But I like him as a prospect.

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

Moderately. He's a smart and useful player, and IMO, smart enough to play his game in the NHL. However, his game could also just totally not translate, or he could get destroyed by some AHL ogre. But I like him as a prospect.

Thanks, NP. is he comparable to Hudon? Do you like one more than the other?

 

[NotProkofievian]

Thanks, NP. is he comparable to Hudon? Do you like one more than the other?

They play pretty different games, with Hudon being more toolsy, and lehkonen playing a much simpler game which is primarily based on being in the right place at the right time (he picks off a lot of passes because of this, and it's actually kind of impressive). Hudon has also performed very well from the get-go in the AHL, and for that reason I like Hudon better than Lehkonen.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Lehkonen is the best scoring prospect we have in the pipeline.

Whether or not that's a good thing.. That's another question.

 

[NotProkofievian]

http://shl.se/shl-arena/39878/

Here are the highlights. The SHL guys do a good job of getting these uploaded quickly. Anyways, 3 point night for Lehkonen. Got the only assist on Lundqvist's 5-2 goal as well. 2 pretty good goals. One from in close and one from the point.

 

[montreal]

so how excited should we be about Lehkonen?

it's hard to say how he will translate to the smaller ice until we see it, plus he plays on a pretty stacked offensive team. That said he's having a great season so we'll just have to see how he builds off that and what happens when they bring him over.

Thanks, NP. is he comparable to Hudon? Do you like one more than the other?

Like most of our skilled forward prospects, they are both undersized but after that they are very different. Hudon slows things down and his game is all about smarts, Lehkonen has really good hand to eye coordination. Both play a bit chippy and both are good in their own ends. Hudon is the better playmaker, Lehkonen perhaps a better shooter (Hudon can really shoot the puck). I like Hudon a good bit more as he's shown what he can do in the AHL even though he's not the biggest, strongest or quickest as his smarts are off the charts.

Still think Reway is our best scoring prospect although Scherbak when healthy is right there. Hudon and Lehkonen are up there as well.

 

[NotProkofievian]

Still think Reway is our best scoring prospect although Scherbak when healthy is right there. Hudon and Lehkonen are up there as well.

Agreed. Reway is bonkers with the puck.

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

Agreed. Reway is bonkers with the puck.

I hope we don't give up on him or his attitude issues are too much of a problem. I just have a bad feeling that we won't sign him or something stupid. I'm not 100% that he's an NHLer but we have to give the kid a proper shot imo. It would just be stupid not to.

 

[montreal]

I hope we don't give up on him or his attitude issues are too much of a problem. I just have a bad feeling that we won't sign him or something stupid. I'm not 100% that he's an NHLer but we have to give the kid a proper shot imo. It would just be stupid not to.

I don't see that as a big issue, I'm more concerned about money and him coming over to play in the AHL when he can make a lot more in the Euro leagues. Granted we'll just have to see how it plays out.

 

[NotProkofievian]

I don't see that as a big issue, I'm more concerned about money and him coming over to play in the AHL when he can make a lot more in the Euro leagues. Granted we'll just have to see how it plays out.

I'm less concerned about that now that he's playing in the swiss league. He has to come over at some point to learn the small ice game, but in the meantime he's playing in a good league, against good competition.

 

[montreal]

I'm less concerned about that now that he's playing in the swiss league. He has to come over at some point to learn the small ice game, but in the meantime he's playing in a good league, against good competition.

Got to think he's going to get a nice chunk of change from either a KHL or NLA team next year and beyond. That's what concerns me, that he'll get so much money in the Euro leagues that he won't want to come over to the AHL for 70K. Yes he's playing in a good league and doing well and for now there's no problem but we'll see what happens after this season as to what kind of money he gets and how it impacts him the following off season when we have to sign him or lose his rights.

 

[NotProkofievian]

Got to think he's going to get a nice chunk of change from either a KHL or NLA team next year and beyond. That's what concerns me, that he'll get so much money in the Euro leagues that he won't want to come over to the AHL for 70K. Yes he's playing in a good league and doing well and for now there's no problem but we'll see what happens after this season as to what kind of money he gets and how it impacts him the following off season when we have to sign him or lose his rights.

It'd be nice to see him play in the AHL next year, but I think he comes over in 2017. It'd be great if MB got in touch with him.

 

[GREMLIN]

Lehkonen keeps piling up the points with an assist on Frolunda's 1st goal early in the 1st period.

 

[Whitesnake]

Lehkonen keeps piling up the points with an assist on Frolunda's 1st goal early in the 1st period.

This guy either has to be used for us or a value for a trade. Can't believe they didn't ask him to come over next year.

 

[montreal]

It'd be nice to see him play in the AHL next year, but I think he comes over in 2017. It'd be great if MB got in touch with him.

well there was already talk that he's considering re-signing in the NLA, although I figured he would end up in the KHL at least before oil tanked so I don't know how much that is impacting salaries since I haven't followed the league in a while since we haven't had a real prospect there in a long time. So while I'd like to see them bring him over next year I'd be surprised if they did. Just have a real hard time seeing him in the AHL for 70K but we'll see how it plays out.

This guy either has to be used for us or a value for a trade. Can't believe they didn't ask him to come over next year.

Adding mass and strength is what he needs to worry about right now, no harm in leaving him in what may be the 2nd best league in the world under a good coach vs being in the AHL on a crowded roster and a bad coach imo.

 

[Whitesnake]

Adding mass and strength is what he needs to worry about right now, no harm in leaving him in what may be the 2nd best league in the world under a good coach vs being in the AHL on a crowded roster and a bad coach imo.

Do we know how they are trained over there? As far as AHL and crowed roster well sorry, but if I think he's a serious prospect, he's playing top 6. This AHL team do not have enough top players to not make room for 1 more. Especially not next year when at one poitn, some decision will need to happen for Ghetto and Lessio who each have to go through waivers next year. Are we going to re-live another Tinordi moment with Ghetto?

 

[montreal]

Do we know how they are trained over there? As far as AHL and crowed roster well sorry, but if I think he's a serious prospect, he's playing top 6. This AHL team do not have enough top players to not make room for 1 more. Especially not next year when at one poitn, some decision will need to happen for Ghetto and Lessio who each have to go through waivers next year. Are we going to re-live another Tinordi moment with Ghetto?

I'm sure they train hard in the SHL. Management should do what they think is best for Lehkonen's development. If they think it's another year in the SHL then good, if they think it's under a crappy coach in the AHL then so be it. He can still be signed and brought over next year just that my guess would be he stays in the SHL where imo he's better off. He's a serious prospect but even with losing Ghetto, it's going to be crowded. Scherbak, McCarron, Hudon, Carr, DLR plus at least a vet or two. They need to get Gregoire going, MacMillan has been good, they need to see what they have in Crisp if he can stay healthy, Bozon needs time. Does Reway come over? Does Audette make the team, do they give Eisenschmid and or Miceli another look? (I know the Habs are said to be high on Eisenschmid so I think he'll be back and Miceli we'll see if being a ppg in the ECHL is enough to get an AHL or NHL contract)

Does Dumont and or Holloway come back? If not they need to be replaced with vets. There's Lessio and Friberg as well, don't know what the plans will be for them. Granted we don't know what will happen to the roster between now and next year, what other moves will be made. Just don't see any issue with Lehkonen playing in the SHL next year.