GDT: 2017 Traverse City NHL Prospect Tournament (Matthew Wuest Memorial) (8-12 September)

[Kovalev27]

I hope everyone just watched video of Gordie Clark breaking down this tournament then come back and tell me this doesn't matter to management.

Pretty much disgusted and agree with him 100 percent. Very disappointed in lias Andersson and the older defensemen.

If you think this was just pond hockey and no one cares about how they did you are kidding yourselves.

 

[Matz03]

I hope everyone just watched video of Gordie Clark breaking down this tournament then come back and tell me this doesn't matter to management.

Pretty much disgusted and agree with him 100 percent. Very disappointed in lias Andersson and the older defensemen.

If you think this was just pond hockey and no one cares about how they did you are kidding yourselves.

They beat Chicago on day one, so they are really the true champions.

But on a serious note, this was definitely an embarrassing performance from the group. This was an older group, especially on D and the likes for Pionk, Bereglazov, Day, Zboro, were nowhere good enough. I'm more convinced our prospect pool is indeed worst in the league. Outside of Andersson and Chytil, absolutely no forwarder depth at all. I suspect Gropp will struggle mightly in the Ahl, especially with no playmakers there.

Crawley deservedly got some praise, and with Clark surprised by his game I wonder if they already made up their mind on sending him back. He might actually be better than some current Hartford options and maybe they'll reconsider with the big camp. The goalies were good, but if the AHl team looks as bad they'll look equally terrible as well.

 

[Kovalev27]

I think our forward prospect pool is easily the worst in the league. And it's not close.

Andersson Chytil and I hope Gropp otherwise no one close to being a future nhler. That's bad really bad.

Nieves is about 30 so I don't even count him. If he can't make it now forget about him.

But I'm glad Gordie took this seriously as I suspected the organization would. It's not ok to go to a tournament like this and play that badly. That's not how this organization prides itself. To pretend it doesn't matter is a defensive mechanism because of how bad we were. It mattered. It mattered plenty.

I saw it in anderssons interview and Gordies interview was basically my posts from past 5 days in human form lol.

 

[Inferno]

good find Kovy. Agreed...i was pretty disappointed in their performances...happy to see Gordie call it like it was.

 

[Mac n Gs]

Yes, 23 year old Boo Nieves is about 30. C'mon now Kov, the rampant pessimism based on a prospect tournament is ****ing ridiculous

 

[HatTrick Swayze]

Boom, Gordie dropping the mic on that one. Don't usually hear him so unfiltered.

 

[Kovalev27]

Yes, 23 year old Boo Nieves is about 30. C'mon now Kov, the rampant pessimism based on a prospect tournament is ****ing ridiculous

I'm obviously being sarcastic on Nieves but this is it for him make or break. That is not sarcasm

 

[nyr2k2]

"That's the way it goes in a rookie camp."

"It's getting guys ready for the big camp."

Pretty much sums it up. You can be disappointed but in the end it's a rookie camp, and what really matters is what happens during the big camp. Gordie sums it up.

 

[Inferno]

thats why all the people who are poo-pooing honest assessments of older or supposedly more developed players looking mediocre to downright awful bothers me.

No, its not "no big deal". It's a big deal when you look like crap against your peers. You can poo-poo upper end performances because again its against kids..but when youre playing against peers i prefer to be a little more critical and a little less upbeat about elite performances.

This was an embarrassing traverse city for the Rangers.

 

[Inferno]

"That's the way it goes in a rookie camp."

"It's getting guys ready for the big camp."

Pretty much sums it up. You can be disappointed but in the end it's a rookie camp, and what really matters is what happens during the big camp. Gordie sums it up.

oh come on...you KNOW thats not what you take from that video. that was his way of not throwing them completely under the bus...but if he really felt that way, he wouldnt have said what he said about individuals like he did.

 

[Kovalev27]

I can't believe u pulled those two sentences and pretended like that was gordies message summed up. I mean that is laughable man. His message was clear as day.

Unacceptable performance from guys that need to be ALOT better in main camp.

 

[NoQuitInNewMexico]

Is Gordie always that forthright? Kind of want to see more/older clips of him on camera now

 

[nyr2k2]

oh come on...you KNOW thats not what you take from that video. that was his way of not throwing them completely under the bus...but if he really felt that way, he wouldnt have said what he said about individuals like he did.

What I wrote is absolutely what I take away from the video.

Even if he did throw the team under the bus, or if he's seething with anger that the team sucked, do you think these performances will dictate anything? Or do you think training camp and the preseason schedule will dictate who goes where? My point all along has been that you can analyze this tournament till the cows come home, but again, it's only a very minor evaluation tool and the make or break stuff is yet to come. I have never heard anything from Gordie to indicate otherwise.

 

[Irishguy42]

Crawley is definitely turning some heads here.

Clark putting some words down for all the camp-goers to hear. Haven't heard him be this blunt before.

 

[nyr2k2]

I can't believe u pulled those two sentences and pretended like that was gordies message summed up. I mean that is laughable man. His message was clear as day.

Unacceptable performance from guys that need to be ALOT better in main camp.

The two quotes I pulled are the ones that are important for those that want to project roster spots and league assignments based on these four games.

For the FINAL time because I'm getting ****ing tired of repeating myself, analyzing players and being upset with their performances is fine. However, everything changes once camp begins. Bereglazov's fate will be determined by camp and preseason, not by this. Andersson, same thing. And on and on.

 

[Inferno]

What I wrote is absolutely what I take away from the video.

Even if he did throw the team under the bus, or if he's seething with anger that the team sucked, do you think these performances will dictate anything? Or do you think training camp and the preseason schedule will dictate who goes where? My point all along has been that you can analyze this tournament till the cows come home, but again, it's only a very minor evaluation tool and the make or break stuff is yet to come. I have never heard anything from Gordie to indicate otherwise.

Basically what you just said is...I'm not going to analyze this tourament because more important games are on the horizon.

which is literally true all year till the seasons over.

My assessment of these players are for what i saw.

I'm not going to just ignore it because more important things are on the horizon.

Thats the kinda thinking that leads to the whole..oh they'll turn it on for the playoffs mentality.

I evaluate what i have...i dont just throw it away because theres more important stuff on the horizon.

 

[nyr2k2]

Basically what you just said is...I'm not going to analyze this tourament because more important games are on the horizon.

which is literally true all year till the seasons over.

My assessment of these players are for what i saw.

I'm not going to just ignore it because more important things are on the horizon.

Thats the kinda thinking that leads to the whole..oh they'll turn it on for the playoffs mentality.

I evaluate what i have...i dont just throw it away because theres more important stuff on the horizon.

That's silly. I'm talking about those that want to say, oh, player X is trash and clearly an AHL player, or, player Y is gonna have to go back to league Z because he sucks. The people prognosticating roster assignments and future careers based on four ****ing exhibition games.

 

[Joey Bones]

See!! There are positives!!

 

[Inferno]

That's silly. I'm talking about those that want to say, oh, player X is trash and clearly an AHL player, or, player Y is gonna have to go back to league Z because he sucks. The people prognosticating roster assignments and future careers based on four ****ing exhibition games.

well yeah i totall agree with that.

But i think saying like. Lias Andersson hasnt looked all that great...i worry about him being NHL ready, or saying boy Beargloves sure doesnt look like a player ready to step in the NHL right now....i think thats a legit takeaway from this tournament...because thats the concerns i personally have right now.

I also think Pionk is closer to the NHL than Day..which is a bit surprising to me.

 

[Kovalev27]

I'm wondering why you think these guys can flip a switch literally overnight and make the team when looking that bad against their peers?

If anything you are expecting a massive turnaround. Reason Gordie and I among others are so concerned is there's no evidence to show that's going to happen. You are giving benefit of the doubt and that's fine but downplaying the significance of what we all just saw in a tournament days from camp for some guys projected to make an impact on the NHL roster is putting your head in the sand

 

[Kovalev27]

I'd agree Pionk closer than Day but I expected that. He's very raw. Needs at least a year in Hartford I'd say.

 

[Matz03]

I'm obviously being sarcastic on Nieves but this is it for him make or break. That is not sarcasm

Nieves is probably the only Ahl call up option we have. He has the skating and size to be a checker and I wouldn't discount him to at least fill in in that role. But that's his ceiling at this point, it should be obvious by now. And Gropp, whom I followed really closely last year I'm souring on big time, size skating and shot are there but missing everything else for an NHL player. I suspect he'll have a really hard time in the Ahl this year, there is no one that can carry they play for him. Kovacs, after needing to be better coming into camp, kind of stunk it up overall though it's just the start. I don't see him as a checking line player, and I surely don't see the offensive tools either. I want to see how he starts out the season though.

 

[Matz03]

Is Gordie always that forthright? Kind of want to see more/older clips of him on camera now

No he's not, never seen him like this. Generally he's super positive with everyone. He was clearly embarrassed.

 

[Roo Returns]

Gordie's also at the tail end of his career. This new core he's assembling might be the last shot he has to win a Cup, so he may be much more blunt.

He's probably also sending a message to the guys to step it up.

On Gropp-He might become one of those 20G-20A journeyman, or something like a Brett Connolly 3rd liner. He needs to do more away from the puck.

Day to me is basically Tom Poti or Christian Bachman with the puck. He's a better skater.

Both Day and Gropp aren't going to just turn physicall overnight. It may not be in their nature.

 

[cwede]

Nieves has had just 1 year pro,
while its not make or break for his career,
this is a huge opportunity

Stepan stepped into a full time NYR C role as a rookie after 2 years of college
Hayes stepped into a full time NYR C role as a rookie after 4 years of college (but hurt 1/2 of '13)

here is Nieves at 1 full year of pro after 4 years of NCAA,
and the team opened up a full-time C spot

if he doesn't come in and grab it, he has only got himself, or concussions to blame