Prospect Info: 2018-19 Prospects Thread II (CHL, NCAA, Junior A, Europe)

[chet1926]

How long until Makar is the Avs undisputed #1D? Lets not act like the competition is all that great.

Is say the chances are that he becomes that player rather quickly. I could see him having a Chabot level impact for our team. A guy that comes in and right away makes a huge difference.

 

[Balthazar]

Is say the chances are that he becomes that player rather quickly. I could see him having a Chabot level impact for our team. A guy that comes in and right away makes a huge difference.

Yeah let's set the bar low to minimize disappointment.

 

[chet1926]

Yeah let's set the bar low to minimize disappointment.

I won't be disappointed if he doesn't dominate right away, but he clearly had the skills to come in right away and make a big difference. There is a reason he was drafted highly and there is a reason he is dominating the NCAA right now.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Yeah it's possible to have high expectations and not be disappointed if they aren't immediately hit.

I think he could come in and have a Chabot level impact right away as well. He's legitimately that good, hell he's better then Chabot.

But it's not a big deal if he doesn't dominate immediately either. With the Avs having Barrie and Girard already we wont have to rely on him like Ottawa had to with Chabot right away so we may be able to shelter him and ease him in more.



God damn I cant wait until he's in an Avs jersey though. Never been this excited for an Avs prospect before.

 

[CobraAcesS]

Yeah it's possible to have high expectations and not be disappointed if they aren't immediately hit.

I think he could come in and have a Chabot level impact right away as well. He's legitimately that good, hell he's better then Chabot.

But it's not a big deal if he doesn't dominate immediately either. With the Avs having Barrie and Girard already we wont have to rely on him like Ottawa had to with Chabot right away so we may be able to shelter him and ease him in more.



God damn I cant wait until he's in an Avs jersey though. Never been this excited for an Avs prospect before.

Makar will have a shit ton more pressure than Chabot to even hold down a #6 spot too. When your team is trying to make the playoffs coach isn't going to give you much of a leash.

Chabot got to go out there and play pond hockey for half the f***ing year.

 

[LieutenantDangle]

How long until Makar is the Avs undisputed #1D? Lets not act like the competition is all that great.

Not until Barrie is gone

 

[Foppa Frossa]

Not until Barrie is gone

I've been told by posters here that Girard has already surpassed Barrie.

 

[Avs_19]

 

[Avs44]

Off topic, but Clark is a more useful writer for this team than pretty much any other they've had. Doesn't seem to have many scoops into the organization itself (who does?), but delighted to finally have someone who's dedicated and professional and provides pretty much constant coverage. Thank you The Athletic for providing that.

 

[Foppa Frossa]

Off topic, but Clark is a more useful writer for this team than pretty much any other they've had. Doesn't seem to have many scoops into the organization itself (who does?), but delighted to finally have someone who's dedicated and professional and provides pretty much constant coverage. Thank you The Athletic for providing that.

Thank them with a subscription.

 

[AllAboutAvs]

Bowers with 1G tonight.

 

[Balthazar]

Why more strength? He doesn't look weak or small or anything.

Not saying it's the case here but sometimes players have a stigma attached to them and Makar definitely has a "small defenseman" sticker next to his name (even if it's not true).

 

[LieutenantDangle]

Why more strength? He doesn't look weak or small or anything.

Not saying it's the case here but sometimes players have a stigma attached to them and Makar definitely has a "small defenseman" sticker next to his name (even if it's not true).

I think he could use some extra upper body strength but his base seems solid

 

[CobraAcesS]

I think he could use some extra upper body strength but his base seems solid

Well everyone else gets on the Andy O'Brien train here, so should he. I heard O'Brien is so good you can even grow 3/4ths of an inch.

 

[S E P H]

Not sure I agree with those scouts remarks, I watched the entire UMass/NE game tonight and Makar was very impressive. I am not going to say he's built like a tank, but players were going for hits on him the entire game and majority bounced right off. He's quite well built and obviously looks like he has hit the weight room due to NCAA's schedule. Now this has no impact on when he goes pro because perhaps he needs to add more strength that I cannot see at the NCAA level, but I saw a player who absolutely needs no future years in college.

He played like half of the game for UMass and was one of the main catalysts in regards to UMass rushing the puck out of the zone. What I quite liked to see is that even though he likes jumping up into the play constantly, he's able to pick which plays without going Tyson Barrie reckless. He has a very calm demeanor and knows that he will get chances if he remains patient and that really helps his team much more than trying to force plays that just are not there like Barrie. Makar is also one of the best and most purest breakout passers at the prospect level, think Brisebois quality. Sure some went for icings, but considering how accurate majority of the rest of his passes were was quite the impressive feat since he was dishing them out every other play. Besides his puck rushing ability (or it could surpass it), I would argue that his breakout pass is probably the strongest single unit of his game.

What I personally like about his game the most though is that his field of vision is always on, always scouting for potential plays to be made. Even though Northeastern is top heavy this year, won the game, and Makar got zero points, he made at least three to four prime quality plays for scoring chances. He's also absolutely fantastic on the PP, easily better than Barrie or Girard, because he's so calm under pressure and has top notch passing skills. He's such a weird player though, because he's one of those defenders who might play differently depending on what the coach needs from him. He was a dynamo at junior A, solid two-way presence for Canada, and is back as an offencive dynamo for UMass. His defencive game suffered because of it, but it might be down to the coach wanting him to constantly carry the puck, he honestly looked like the NCAA version of Karlsson out there. That might be high praise, but not sure Avs would need him to play a similar game when he gets to the pros. For that reason I recommend everyone to at least watch him once at the NCAA level because he was far away the flashiest and most impressive player at there (though Tyler Madden is no joke either).

There is still a certain level of rawness for me in his game and I am still not a huge fan of his shot. His shot isn't bad per se, the heaviness is definitely there, but I still see struggles in accuracy (which Barrie has on him). In the end though, I am very happy that he saw he wasn't ready and instead of rushing himself for the sake of ELC money and bonuses, he had a clear head and spent another year in college.

E: I don't want to start up a pointless height debate again, but he looked way bigger than his 5'11" height says. Again it could be an illusion since NE had a super weird camera angle, lighting was pretty much grey, and he's quite thick making him seem bigger than he is, but I am not going to have any complaints about him being too small for the NHL (just doesn't look it nor plays like it).

 

[CobraAcesS]

Not sure I agree with those scouts remarks, I watched the entire UMass/NE game tonight and Makar was very impressive. I am not going to say he's built like a tank, but players were going for hits on him the entire game and majority bounced right off. He's quite well built and obviously looks like he has hit the weight room due to NCAA's schedule. Now this has no impact on when he goes pro because perhaps he needs to add more strength that I cannot see at the NCAA level, but I saw a player who absolutely needs no future years in college.

He played like half of the game for UMass and was one of the main catalysts in regards to UMass rushing the puck out of the zone. What I quite liked to see is that even though he likes jumping up into the play constantly, he's able to pick which plays without going Tyson Barrie reckless. He has a very calm demeanor and knows that he will get chances if he remains patient and that really helps his team much more than trying to force plays that just are not there like Barrie. Makar is also one of the best and most purest breakout passers at the prospect level, think Brisebois quality. Sure some went for icings, but considering how accurate majority of the rest of his passes were was quite the impressive feat since he was dishing them out every other play. Besides his puck rushing ability (or it could surpass it), I would argue that his breakout pass is probably the strongest single unit of his game.

What I personally like about his game the most though is that his field of vision is always on, always scouting for potential plays to be made. Even though Northeastern is top heavy this year, won the game, and Makar got zero points, he made at least three to four prime quality plays for scoring chances. He's also absolutely fantastic on the PP, easily better than Barrie or Girard, because he's so calm under pressure and has top notch passing skills. He's such a weird player though, because he's one of those defenders who might play differently depending on what the coach needs from him. He was a dynamo at junior A, solid two-way presence for Canada, and is back as an offencive dynamo for UMass. His defencive game suffered because of it, but it might be down to the coach wanting him to constantly carry the puck, he honestly looked like the NCAA version of Karlsson out there. That might be high praise, but not sure Avs would need him to play a similar game when he gets to the pros. For that reason I recommend everyone to at least watch him once at the NCAA level because he was far away the flashiest and most impressive player at there (though Tyler Madden is no joke either).

There is still a certain level of rawness for me in his game and I am still not a huge fan of his shot. His shot isn't bad per se, the heaviness is definitely there, but I still see struggles in accuracy (which Barrie has on him). In the end though, I am very happy that he saw he wasn't ready and instead of rushing himself for the sake of ELC money and bonuses, he had a clear head and spent another year in college.

E: I don't want to start up a pointless height debate again, but he looked way bigger than his 5'11" height says. Again it could be an illusion since NE had a super weird camera angle, lighting was pretty much grey, and he's quite thick making him seem bigger than he is, but I am not going to have any complaints about him being too small for the NHL (just doesn't look it nor plays like it).

Every person who admits that Makar has shown a high level of defensive IQ earns a special place in my heart. Hell even that hes half ass good defensively and cares about it at least gets a like.

I've been pushing his ability to read the game against the puck since the WJSS after he was drafted. Then he proved me right again at the WJC. The kid is not all risk all the time, he thinks, he reads, and tries to make the right decision situational within the shift and the game. Which is why when I looked up sitting at the USNTDP USA Hockey arena and seen Keith's picture I thought of him.

 

[UncleRisto]

Well everyone else gets on the Andy O'Brien train here, so should he. I heard O'Brien is so good you can even grow 3/4ths of an inch.

Down south?

 

[Goulet17]

 

[ljb4]

Not sure I agree with those scouts remarks, I watched the entire UMass/NE game tonight and Makar was very impressive. I am not going to say he's built like a tank, but players were going for hits on him the entire game and majority bounced right off. He's quite well built and obviously looks like he has hit the weight room due to NCAA's schedule. Now this has no impact on when he goes pro because perhaps he needs to add more strength that I cannot see at the NCAA level, but I saw a player who absolutely needs no future years in college.

He played like half of the game for UMass and was one of the main catalysts in regards to UMass rushing the puck out of the zone. What I quite liked to see is that even though he likes jumping up into the play constantly, he's able to pick which plays without going Tyson Barrie reckless. He has a very calm demeanor and knows that he will get chances if he remains patient and that really helps his team much more than trying to force plays that just are not there like Barrie. Makar is also one of the best and most purest breakout passers at the prospect level, think Brisebois quality. Sure some went for icings, but considering how accurate majority of the rest of his passes were was quite the impressive feat since he was dishing them out every other play. Besides his puck rushing ability (or it could surpass it), I would argue that his breakout pass is probably the strongest single unit of his game.

What I personally like about his game the most though is that his field of vision is always on, always scouting for potential plays to be made. Even though Northeastern is top heavy this year, won the game, and Makar got zero points, he made at least three to four prime quality plays for scoring chances. He's also absolutely fantastic on the PP, easily better than Barrie or Girard, because he's so calm under pressure and has top notch passing skills. He's such a weird player though, because he's one of those defenders who might play differently depending on what the coach needs from him. He was a dynamo at junior A, solid two-way presence for Canada, and is back as an offencive dynamo for UMass. His defencive game suffered because of it, but it might be down to the coach wanting him to constantly carry the puck, he honestly looked like the NCAA version of Karlsson out there. That might be high praise, but not sure Avs would need him to play a similar game when he gets to the pros. For that reason I recommend everyone to at least watch him once at the NCAA level because he was far away the flashiest and most impressive player at there (though Tyler Madden is no joke either).

There is still a certain level of rawness for me in his game and I am still not a huge fan of his shot. His shot isn't bad per se, the heaviness is definitely there, but I still see struggles in accuracy (which Barrie has on him). In the end though, I am very happy that he saw he wasn't ready and instead of rushing himself for the sake of ELC money and bonuses, he had a clear head and spent another year in college.

E: I don't want to start up a pointless height debate again, but he looked way bigger than his 5'11" height says. Again it could be an illusion since NE had a super weird camera angle, lighting was pretty much grey, and he's quite thick making him seem bigger than he is, but I am not going to have any complaints about him being too small for the NHL (just doesn't look it nor plays like it).

Boston University home games can be streamed for free on Stadium TV. U-Mass Amherst plays there Friday February 1st at 7:30 EST. A good chance to check-in on both Makar and Bowers. I will try to remember to post a link to this game when it is available.

 

[neelynugs]

makar is a beast. very jealous.

how would you guys rank the top 10 avs prospects right now? halfway thru the year, wondering
who you think is most surprising, most disappointing, and guy who's rising up the charts the most.

i really liked what i have seen of kovalenko. great value pick.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Hmmm, probably:


Makar

Kaut
Bowers

Meloche
Greer
Shvyryov
Kovalenko

O'Connor
Morrison
Lewis

Just outside: Ranta, Graves, Henry


*Timmins would be much higher if not for the concussion issues. I think he's our 2nd best prospect behind only Makar but until he can get healthy and start playing again it's impossible to rank him IMO

 

[CB Joe]

makar is a beast. very jealous.

how would you guys rank the top 10 avs prospects right now? halfway thru the year, wondering
who you think is most surprising, most disappointing, and guy who's rising up the charts the most.

i really liked what i have seen of kovalenko. great value pick.

My top 10 would be:

Makar

Kaut
Timmins/Bowers

Meloche/Greer
Graves

Kovalenko/Shvyryov/Morrison

Most Surprising: Graves - I didn't expect anything but he could turn out to be a good bottom pair defenseman.
Most Disappointing: Timmins - He's been injured all year.
Fastest Rising: ? - I don't know if anyone fits here.

 

[Balthazar]

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Speaking of Timmins

Great news for sure.

 

[cgf]

No clue where Annunen, Werner or Shmakov belong, so no goalies on my list. Tiers are very loosely ranked on some combination of reachable potential, how far away they are, how versatile/adaptable their game is, and personal preferences...but I wouldn't argue vehemently against any order you want to put the A's into, and with few exceptions the B's.


Bluechip:
Cale Makar, RHD

A-Prospect:
Martin Kaut, W
Tyson Jost, W
Shane Bowers, C/W
Connor Timmins, RHD
Nicolas Meloche, RHD*

B-Prospect:
A.J. Greer, W
Igor Shvyrev, C/W
Tyler Weiss, W
Nikolai Kovalenko, W
Ty Lewis, W
Sampo Ranta, W
Cam Morrison, C/W


**********
I know nobody else likes Mel as much as I do, but I can't help that y'all don't see the Foote/Manson-clone that's right in front of you