Prospect Info: 2019-2020 In The System: Springfield Thunderbirds, CHL, NCAA, Europe, etc.

[letsgrowcactus]

College:
Knight allowed 4 goals on 25 shots while his team loses in OT after outshooting the opponent 40-25; looks like a rare bad game by him. Hutsko had 8 SOG and scored another goal (yawn, what's new?); now 14+6 in 20 GP. Finkelstein with a primary assist (3+11 in 21 games; 13 points in the past 12 games).
Gildon's team shuts down their opponent 1-0; he's pointless in the win.
Wisconsin wins 6-4 but both Lindmark and Inamoto are pointless.
Cole Krygier scores the GWG goal in a 4-2 win - he is 3+3 for 6 points in 25 games, beating last year's totals of five points.

WHL:
Ludvig with an assist in a 8-2 win. That team has been unbeatable the past month, maybe longer.
Rybinski and Wedman face each other again; Rybinski pointless, Wedman with the OT winner in a 3-2 win.

Europe:
Denisenko pointless the past two games - his team lost both and scored just one goal IIRC.

 

[letsgrowcactus]

Hunt-Saarela-Tippett
Rodewald-Audette-Thompson
Heponiemi-Pu-Haggerty
Lowry-Abols-Ang

Cross-Keeper
O'Gara-Schemitsch
Massie-Prow

Monty is back and between the pipes for the rematch against Hershey, the Birds have a chance to get within 3 points of the 2nd place Bears at home tonight.

Well....welll......wellllll.....look who scored!
2:03 into the 1st, Heponiemi has scored his first goal of the year in 34 games, from Haggerty (5) and Pu (1).
That's Pu's first point this year, honestly forgot he was on the team , he's only played 4 games though. Good for Aleksi, he can finally have some quality sleep now.

The Birds fail to convert on a PP with 12 mins to go and just a minute after it expired, Hershey tie it up at 1.
16:37 into the 1st, Prow gets his 5th from Lowry (16) and Ang (13)
Despite being outshot 11-5 in the period, the Birds lead 2-1 after 20 mins.
SPR will start the 2nd on the PP as HER took a late penalty with 3 seconds left in the 1st.

SPR fail to convert on their 2nd PP, Hunt takes a penalty just a minute later and HER capitalize on their PP to tie it at 2. The Bears give the Birds another chance on the PP just 3 mins later but it's the Bears who strike, getting a SHG to take a 3-2 lead.
Haggerty takes a 5 min boarding penalty with 8 mins to go in the 2nd, SPR giving this game away at every turn now.
HER takes advantage on the PP again and go up 4-2 with 6 mins left in middle frame.
Another HER penalty, another failed PP attempt by SPR.
The Bears 2/3 on the PP have a 29-18 shot advantage despite SPR having the extra PP, who are now 0/4 after 40 mins. Giving up 30 shots after 40 mins has been a problem all year it seems.

Birds are more interested in penalties than winning I guess,
Lowry takes a 2 min boarding and HER go on the PP 2 mins into 3rd but SPR do kill it off.
HER gives the Birds another PP 5 mins in but yet again, they fail to score and now 0/5 on the night.
The Bears seal it with an empty netter with 2 mins to go, Birds lose 5-2.

Montembeault takes the loss stopping 35/39, falling to 4-5-1 on the year, depsite a decent .913 sv%.
The Birds are 24-19-2 after 45 games. 31 games to go and just one point out of a playoff spot.

Don't think the TBirds will make it TBH. Just one point out but the teams around have games in hand on them. Obviously still a lot of games left but they'd need a winning streak to really get back in the race. Expect them to finish 5th or 6th again
Any idea why Borg didn't play?

 

[TheImpatientPanther]

Don't think the TBirds will make it TBH. Just one point out but the teams around have games in hand on them. Obviously still a lot of games left but they'd need a winning streak to really get back in the race. Expect them to finish 5th or 6th again
Any idea why Borg didn't play?

Ya getting out-shot nearly every game is not a winning strategy, a lot rests on the goalies shoulders most nights. This is their best stretch of hockey so far and it shows how big of a hole they dug themselves into at the start of the year.
Last night the PP went silent and they lost the game in the 2nd period. They play Bridgeport (last place in their division) tonight, then off for all star break and come back to face Hartford (1st place in their division)

Borgstrom is day to day, got banged up in their last game.

 

[TheImpatientPanther]

Not Monty's best game but hung out to dry on a lot of these plays

 

[Coaches Coroner]

Serron Noel gets his first as a Kitchener Ranger. So far he's come as advertised; huge, very fast, very skilled. I think the points will come once more chemistry is built. My only critique is that he needs to be more selfish. Has a good shot but has a tendency to try and make a pass that doesn't work out (teammate wasn't expecting it etc) when shooting was the right option.

 

[RealHumanBean]

Serron Noel gets his first as a Kitchener Ranger. So far he's come as advertised; huge, very fast, very skilled. I think the points will come once more chemistry is built. My only critique is that he needs to be more selfish. Has a good shot but has a tendency to try and make a pass that doesn't work out (teammate wasn't expecting it etc) when shooting was the right option.

Sounds like he'll fit in perfectly with the panthers

 

[Prominence Problem]

College:
Knight allowed 4 goals on 25 shots while his team loses in OT after outshooting the opponent 40-25; looks like a rare bad game by him. Hutsko had 8 SOG and scored another goal (yawn, what's new?); now 14+6 in 20 GP. Finkelstein with a primary assist (3+11 in 21 games; 13 points in the past 12 games).
Gildon's team shuts down their opponent 1-0; he's pointless in the win.
Wisconsin wins 6-4 but both Lindmark and Inamoto are pointless.
Cole Krygier scores the GWG goal in a 4-2 win - he is 3+3 for 6 points in 25 games, beating last year's totals of five points.

WHL:
Ludvig with an assist in a 8-2 win. That team has been unbeatable the past month, maybe longer.
Rybinski and Wedman face each other again; Rybinski pointless, Wedman with the OT winner in a 3-2 win.

Europe:
Denisenko pointless the past two games - his team lost both and scored just one goal IIRC.

The one Prospect I am definitely eating crow on this year is Hutsko. Although it's not eating crow, because last year he was injured and basically didn't put up much pointwise, so I said I wanted to see what he can do this season.

I am generaly pleased now.

 

[Dread Clawz]

The one Prospect I am definitely eating crow on this year is Hutsko. Although it's not eating crow, because last year he was injured and basically didn't put up much pointwise, so I said I wanted to see what he can do this season.

I am generaly pleased now.

Hutsko has that Hawryluk-like determination. I think they both make it as regulars eventually.

 

[KapG]

Well...OT is quietly putting together quite the season in Springfield. Another goal and assist tonight so far. Up to 39 in 46. Extremely respectful. From the sounds of it he’s really rounded out his game the last couple years also. Progressing real nice

Be nice to see him get a look at some point

 

[TheImpatientPanther]

Bridgeport (15-24-4-1, 8th in Atlantic) @ Springfield (24-19-2-0, 6th in Atlantic)
Heponiemi not in the lineup after scoring last night. Borgstrom also out, remains day to day
Montembeault gets back to back starts before the AHL All-Star break.

No scoring in the first period, SPR goes 0/2 on the PP, that's 0/7 in their last 4 periods. Shots even at 16 a piece.

Plenty of goals in the middle frame.
7:12 into the 2nd, Massie gets his 3rd of the year from Lowry (17) and Schemitsch (11)
The Tigers tie up 2 mins later but 3 mins after that,
12:32 into the 2nd, Tippett scores his 19th from Audette (19) and Montembeault (2)
Tigers tie it back up just under 5 mins later.
19:10 into the 3rd, Hunt pots his 8th of the year from Rockwood (2) and Tippett (20)
All goals are even strength, SPR leads 3-2 after 40 mins. Tigers have the 29-26 shot advantage.

4:00 into the 3rd, Rodewald scores his 3rd from Abols (8) and Thompson (11) to make 4-2 for the Birds.
13:00 into the 3rd, Audette puts the game out of reach at 5-2 with his 10th from Keeper (12) and Prow (15)
19:13 into the 3rd, Saarela adds his 11th of the year from Tippett (21) to make it a 6-2 final for SPR.
All 6 of the goals by the Birds came at even strength.

Keeper has 6 helpers in his last 10 games.
Schemitsch has a goal and 5 assists in his last 10 games.
Audette has 4 goals, 8 assists in his last 15 games
Tippett has 8 goals and 9 assists in his last 15 games, he's now inside the top 10 in total points at 9th in the whole league with 40 points in 46 games, although he has played a couple more games than the guys around him.

Montembeault had a busy night, stopped 41/43 to take the win and improves his save% to .918. Tippett is your 1st star, Audette is the 2nd and Hunt rounds out the 3 stars of the night.

 

[MintyFresh88]

Very nice to see Tippett being an impact player in his first professional season. This is exactly what we needed to see and hopefully it carries over into a full time nhl role next season.

 

[Jean Luc Discard]

 

[letsgrowcactus]

OHL:
Koly was pointless in a 4-1 win.

WHL:
Ludvig collected three assists, 5 SOG, +2 in a 6-5 shootout win over Rybinski's Thunderbirds. Rybinski was pointless, +1 in the game. Ludvig is currently at 42 points in 46 games.
Wedman had a goal and was 1st star in a 3-2 OT win. Nice moment of protecting the puck with his body for the goal.

College:
Lindmark had a shorthanded primary assist in a 2-5 loss (last goal was an empty netter). Was also on ice for four goals against, three of them on the PK including a 3-on-5 (Wisconsin took 7 penalties in total and it cost them the game).
Gildon had a PP assist and 4 SOG in a 1-1 tie. He's currently at 20 points in 24 games.
Boston college lost another game, this time 3-2 in OT. Knight allowed three goals on 25 shots, two of them PP goals (BC outshot Maine 38-25); Hutsko had 5 SOG and both him and Finkelstein had assists on the same PP goal. Hutsko is now at 20 points in 18 games, Finkelstein at 15 points in 22 games and with team's 2nd best +/- of +15 (his D partner is +16, leading the team). On the other side of the game, Patrick Shea (2015 pick) was 1st star and scored the OT winner. He's having a very meh season so I don't expect us to sign him.

 

[TheImpatientPanther]

OHL:
Koly was pointless in a 4-1 win.

WHL:
Ludvig collected three assists, 5 SOG, +2 in a 6-5 shootout win over Rybinski's Thunderbirds. Rybinski was pointless, +1 in the game. Ludvig is currently at 42 points in 46 games.
Wedman had a goal and was 1st star in a 3-2 OT win. Nice moment of protecting the puck with his body for the goal.

College:
Lindmark had a shorthanded primary assist in a 2-5 loss (last goal was an empty netter). Was also on ice for four goals against, three of them on the PK including a 3-on-5 (Wisconsin took 7 penalties in total and it cost them the game).
Gildon had a PP assist and 4 SOG in a 1-1 tie. He's currently at 20 points in 24 games.
Boston college lost another game, this time 3-2 in OT. Knight allowed three goals on 25 shots, two of them PP goals (BC outshot Maine 38-25); Hutsko had 5 SOG and both him and Finkelstein had assists on the same PP goal. Hutsko is now at 20 points in 18 games, Finkelstein at 15 points in 22 games and with team's 2nd best +/- of +15 (his D partner is +16, leading the team). On the other side of the game, Patrick Shea (2015 pick) was 1st star and scored the OT winner. He's having a very meh season so I don't expect us to sign him.

Ludvig's Winterhawks are on some kind of run right now, 19-0-1 in their past 20 games.
That's insane, they lead the league by 2 points over the Oil Kings who have played 3 more game.
They finished 9th overall last year with a record of 40-22-3-3 (86pts) and sit at 35-6-2-3 (75pts) this year.
Went out first round in 5 games last year, they're clearly the team to beat this year. They can likely clinch a playoff spot with another 3-4 wins and they have 22 games to go.

They were 9th in both GA and GF last year and now 2nd in GA and 3rd in GF this year.
Love to see him have a good improvement across the board from his 1st to 2nd year but this season has been monstrous for his confidence/progression.
He's also excelling on the PP, tied for 2nd in PPG (5) and tied for 5th in PPA (14) among defensemen. 19 of his 42 pts on the PP. Hoping this progression isn't just a coincidence because of the team success?
Maybe we have a couple chances to hit on a future PPQB in Gildon and Ludvig?

 

[Dread Clawz]

Ludvig's Winterhawks are on some kind of run right now, 19-0-1 in their past 20 games.
That's insane, they lead the league by 2 points over the Oil Kings who have played 3 more game.
They finished 9th overall last year with a record of 40-22-3-3 (86pts) and sit at 35-6-2-3 (75pts) this year.
Went out first round in 5 games last year, they're clearly the team to beat this year. They can likely clinch a playoff spot with another 3-4 wins and they have 22 games to go.

They were 9th in both GA and GF last year and now 2nd in GA and 3rd in GF this year.
Love to see him have a good improvement across the board from his 1st to 2nd year but this season has been monstrous for his confidence/progression.
He's also excelling on the PP, tied for 2nd in PPG (5) and tied for 5th in PPA (14) among defensemen. 19 of his 42 pts on the PP. Hoping this progression isn't just a coincidence because of the team success?
Maybe we have a couple chances to hit on a future PPQB in Gildon and Ludvig?

I'm kinda looking at it from a similar but different angle. I hope once ludvjg jumps to the pros, he doesn't ditch the physicality, fighting, shot blocking, strong defensive play...the things that got him to this point. Because we need those things on the Panthers. Ludvig always had decent hands, so I'm worried about that part of his game. Even if he doesn't become a big point producer in the bigs, he should still be at least a 5-20-25 guy, which is fine because we have a lot of d-men that put up points.

 

[letsgrowcactus]

Ludvig's Winterhawks are on some kind of run right now, 19-0-1 in their past 20 games.
That's insane, they lead the league by 2 points over the Oil Kings who have played 3 more game.
They finished 9th overall last year with a record of 40-22-3-3 (86pts) and sit at 35-6-2-3 (75pts) this year.
Went out first round in 5 games last year, they're clearly the team to beat this year. They can likely clinch a playoff spot with another 3-4 wins and they have 22 games to go.

They were 9th in both GA and GF last year and now 2nd in GA and 3rd in GF this year.
Love to see him have a good improvement across the board from his 1st to 2nd year but this season has been monstrous for his confidence/progression.
He's also excelling on the PP, tied for 2nd in PPG (5) and tied for 5th in PPA (14) among defensemen. 19 of his 42 pts on the PP. Hoping this progression isn't just a coincidence because of the team success?
Maybe we have a couple chances to hit on a future PPQB in Gildon and Ludvig?

The thing about Ludvig is that he was/is projected as a defensive, physical shutdown-type dman:

"Old-school defensive defenseman who can take care of his own zone." [dobberprospects]

"In the third round, the Panthers selected [...] John Ludvig. Ludvig scored just 18 points in 58 games for the Portland Winterhawks, but is highly touted for his shutdown acumen and ability to kill penalties." [Miami Herald]

"In looking at Ludvig, the first thing that stands out is his physicality.
At 6-foot-1 and 198-pounds, he's an 18-year-old with a mean streak who puts a little bit of fear into his opponents every time he hops over the boards onto the ice. [...] Not afraid to get his hands dirty, he also gladly participated in his fair share of fights.
"I'm definitely a defense-first type of guy," said Ludvig[...]. "The main thing with me is that I play hard and like to win. I'm going to do whatever it takes to win. Whether it's blocking a shot, fighting, trying to score a goal, I'll do it."
Playing top-pairing minutes with the Winterhawks, he was typically tasked with shutting down the opposition's top players on a nightly basis. An exceptional shot blocker and penalty killer, he wants to round out his game next season in Portland by showcasing a little more on offense.

"I am a hard-nosed player and I am not going to take it easy on anyone, but a lot of people don't know that I have a little bit of offense in me," Ludvig said. "I plan on showing that in the future." [summer 2019, nhl.com article by Jameson Olive] <<<Love that last paragraph.

"[Ludvig, a] shutdown defenseman registered five goals and 13 assists for 18 points in 58 games. He led all Western Conference skaters with a plus-38 rating during the regular season and did so while matching up against opponents top lines.
The 6-foot-1, 200-pound skater played a pivotal part on the Winterhawks penalty kill, leading them to a top-five finish in the WHL. " [Winterhawks site]

"[Ludvig] is better known for his defensive play and physicality than his offensive upside. [...] The left-handed blueliner is a strong shot-blocker and penalty killer. He may never pan out as a top-pair defenseman, but he could become a shutdown defenseman that eats up some minutes. " [the hockey writers]

"He has no offence" was the one constant complaint against him. When you look at this analysis - I'm not sure about his foot speed but the other weaknesses they mentioned? He's made huge strides in those areas.
Most of the good/great shutdown dmen in the NHL produced good/great offence in juniors. To see Ludvig produce like this... I don't want to get too excited but honestly it's probably too late for me.

(And yes, he's definitely benefiting from his team somewhat... but he's still 5th on that team in points and 3rd among WHL defencemen. You need skill for that. Not to mention he was producing like this at the beginning of the season when the team was still figuring things out...)

 

[Dread Clawz]

The thing about Ludvig is that he was/is projected as a defensive, physical shutdown-type dman:

"Old-school defensive defenseman who can take care of his own zone." [dobberprospects]

"In the third round, the Panthers selected [...] John Ludvig. Ludvig scored just 18 points in 58 games for the Portland Winterhawks, but is highly touted for his shutdown acumen and ability to kill penalties." [Miami Herald]

"In looking at Ludvig, the first thing that stands out is his physicality.
At 6-foot-1 and 198-pounds, he's an 18-year-old with a mean streak who puts a little bit of fear into his opponents every time he hops over the boards onto the ice. [...] Not afraid to get his hands dirty, he also gladly participated in his fair share of fights.
"I'm definitely a defense-first type of guy," said Ludvig[...]. "The main thing with me is that I play hard and like to win. I'm going to do whatever it takes to win. Whether it's blocking a shot, fighting, trying to score a goal, I'll do it."
Playing top-pairing minutes with the Winterhawks, he was typically tasked with shutting down the opposition's top players on a nightly basis. An exceptional shot blocker and penalty killer, he wants to round out his game next season in Portland by showcasing a little more on offense.

"I am a hard-nosed player and I am not going to take it easy on anyone, but a lot of people don't know that I have a little bit of offense in me," Ludvig said. "I plan on showing that in the future." [summer 2019, nhl.com article by Jameson Olive] <<<Love that last paragraph.

"[Ludvig, a] shutdown defenseman registered five goals and 13 assists for 18 points in 58 games. He led all Western Conference skaters with a plus-38 rating during the regular season and did so while matching up against opponents top lines.
The 6-foot-1, 200-pound skater played a pivotal part on the Winterhawks penalty kill, leading them to a top-five finish in the WHL. " [Winterhawks site]

"[Ludvig] is better known for his defensive play and physicality than his offensive upside. [...] The left-handed blueliner is a strong shot-blocker and penalty killer. He may never pan out as a top-pair defenseman, but he could become a shutdown defenseman that eats up some minutes. " [the hockey writers]

"He has no offence" was the one constant complaint against him. When you look at this analysis - I'm not sure about his foot speed but the other weaknesses they mentioned? He's made huge strides in those areas.
Most of the good/great shutdown dmen in the NHL produced good/great offence in juniors. To see Ludvig produce like this... I don't want to get too excited but honestly it's probably too late for me.

(And yes, he's definitely benefiting from his team somewhat... but he's still 5th on that team in points and 3rd among WHL defencemen. You need skill for that. Not to mention he was producing like this at the beginning of the season when the team was still figuring things out...)

Like Ludvig said in the summer, he has a little offense in him. And he planned on showing it. He's finally getting an opportunity to do so.

 

[TheImpatientPanther]

@Dread Clawz and @letsgrowcactus

Nice to hear. We got some really hard nosed guys coming up through the ranks on defense. You can tell management has really focused on it with recent draftees or free agent signings. Stillman and Ludvig look to be promising mid round picks.
Keeper is also a tough SOB, quietly having a good rookie season in SPR. (5 goals, 17pts +8, 83 PIMs) in 46 games. Wish AHL would list hits.

Looking forward to Ludvigs playoff run.
This year we should focus even more on defense, we have been forward heavy in the 1st and 2nd rounds the last few years. Been impressed with the scouting as of late, especially those mid rounders.

 

[letsgrowcactus]

Like Ludvig said in the summer, he has a little offense in him. And he planned on showing it. He's finally getting an opportunity to do so.

It's sure nice to see it reflected on the score sheet though.
A physical shutdown dman who is black hole offensively is still somewhat useful especially come playoffs... but a physical shutdown dman who can produce? YES PLZ.

 

[Dread Clawz]

@Dread Clawz and @letsgrowcactus

Nice to hear. We got some really hard nosed guys coming up through the ranks on defense. You can tell management has really focused on it with recent draftees or free agent signings. Stillman and Ludvig look to be promising mid round picks.
Keeper is also a tough SOB, quietly having a good rookie season in SPR. (5 goals, 17pts +8, 83 PIMs) in 46 games. Wish AHL would list hits.

Looking forward to Ludvigs playoff run.
This year we should focus even more on defense, we have been forward heavy in the 1st and 2nd rounds the last few years.

Koly is a nasty sob too. He doesn't hit as much as Ludvig, but when he does you can tell he enjoys inflicting the pain. Sometimes he'll just go crazy in one shift and throw 3-4 hits.

I agree, we'll see what picks we have after the tdl, but for the 1st round I like Jake Sanderson, Braden Schneider, and William Wallinder in our range, in that order. (I'm assuming we don't make it to the conference finals). Justin Barron is my #4 choice, even though I don't like him that much. But he should still become a top 4, puck moving d that makes a good first pass with good size. I don't see 4 defensemen going by the time we pick though. The first round is going to be dominated by forwards.

 

[letsgrowcactus]

@Dread Clawz and @letsgrowcactus

Nice to hear. We got some really hard nosed guys coming up through the ranks on defense. You can tell management has really focused on it with recent draftees or free agent signings. Stillman and Ludvig look to be promising mid round picks.
Keeper is also a tough SOB, quietly having a good rookie season in SPR. (5 goals, 17pts +8, 83 PIMs) in 46 games. Wish AHL would list hits.

Looking forward to Ludvigs playoff run.
This year we should focus even more on defense, we have been forward heavy in the 1st and 2nd rounds the last few years. Been impressed with the scouting as of late, especially those mid rounders.

I'd focus primarily on center TBH. More defence sounds good and with a little luck we should be good on the wings and in net for a while, but if Borgstrom doesn't make it, we don't have a single guy who projects as a possible 2C and only have a few guys with realistic 3C potential. Given how much Trocheck relies on his speed, I don't trust his game to age well. Schwindt, Lindmark, Meireles, Wedman, Ang, Rybinski, Schutz, Lammikko... I don't see a second line center there. Malgin or Saarela? Yeah...

 

[TheImpatientPanther]

Koly is a nasty sob too. He doesn't hit as much as Ludvig, but when he does you can tell he enjoys inflicting the pain. Sometimes he'll just go crazy in one shift and throw 3-4 hits.

I agree, we'll see what picks we have after the tdl, but for the 1st round I like Jake Sanderson, Braden Schneider, and William Wallinder in our range, in that order. (I'm assuming we don't make it to the conference finals). Justin Barron is my #4 choice, even though I don't like him that much. But he should still become a top 4, puck moving d that makes a good first pass with good size. I don't see 4 defensemen going by the time we pick though. The first round is going to be dominated by forwards.

Ya definitely seen Koly get pissed, but he's been noticeably better at staying out of the box this year. 44PIMs in 53 games last year, 14PIMs in 35 games so far this year. He's already got some decent size to him at 6'1 and 190lbs. Still growing and building that adult strength.

I like that these D prospects are leaders on their team if they have a letter or not. They seem to have good pedigrees and decent skill on both sides of the puck.

I like Schneider because he's a RD and that's our weakest depth imo, assuming Borgstrom pans out. Seems he can do it all and has a good toolbox and like that he looks up to Weber and Pietrangelo's game who take care of their own end first.
Not as familiar with the other two to be honest. Barron has dropped a bit no?

I'd focus primarily on center TBH. More defence sounds good and with a little luck we should be good on the wings and in net for a while, but if Borgstrom doesn't make it, we don't have a single guy who projects as a possible 2C and only have a few guys with realistic 3C potential. Given how much Trocheck relies on his speed, I don't trust his game to age well. Schwindt, Lindmark, Meireles, Wedman, Ang, Rybinski, Schutz, Lammikko... I don't see a second line center there. Malgin or Saarela? Yeah...

Good point, both C and RD are the weakest links. Confident in the scouting department to check off one of those two asks (2C or top 4 D) with the 1st and 2nd if we keep both picks. I do like how Schwindt, Hutsko and Saarela are playing of late.

Let's not give up on Borgstrom yet, could be a slow burn still. Any guys you've had your eyes on in the draft, in our projected range, whether C or D?

 

[Dread Clawz]

I'd focus primarily on center TBH. More defence sounds good and with a little luck we should be good on the wings and in net for a while, but if Borgstrom doesn't make it, we don't have a single guy who projects as a possible 2C and only have a few guys with realistic 3C potential. Given how much Trocheck relies on his speed, I don't trust his game to age well. Schwindt, Lindmark, Meireles, Wedman, Ang, Rybinski, Schutz, Lammikko... I don't see a second line center there. Malgin or Saarela? Yeah...

If I was gm, I'd approach it like this...

Go heavy on d in our top 90 picks, maybe pick one center. Definitely pick d with our 1st rounder.

I agree with you on our organizational depth at center, we have a lot of good potential 3rd and 4th line centers. I would pick a center with our 1st in 2021. There's a lot of good centers in next year's draft. Also, next year's draft is stacked for d-men, so that should mean more quality centers available by the time we pick, even if it's late in the 1st.

 

[Dread Clawz]

Ya definitely seen Koly get pissed, but he's been noticeably better at staying out of the box this year. 44PIMs in 53 games last year, 14PIMs in 35 games so far this year. He's already got some decent size to him at 6'1 and 190lbs. Still growing and building that adult strength.

I like that these D prospects are leaders on their team if they have a letter or not. They seem to have good pedigrees and decent skill on both sides of the puck.

I like Schneider because he's a RD and that's our weakest depth imo, assuming Borgstrom pans out. Seems he can do it all and has a good toolbox and like that he looks up to Weber and Pietrangelo's game who take care of their own end first.
Not as familiar with the other two to be honest. Barron has dropped a bit no?



Good point, both C and RD are the weakest links. Confident in the scouting department to check off one of those two asks (2C or top 4 D) with the 1st and 2nd if we keep both picks. I do like how Schwindt, Hutsko and Saarela are playing of late.

Let's not give up on Borgstrom yet, could be a slow burn still. Any guys you've had your eyes on in the draft, in our projected range, whether C or D?

I didnt even notice that about Koly , good to see him controlling his aggression.

Yeah I'm a big Schneider fan. I think he has the highest upside of any d in the draft besides Drysdale. But I think Sanderson is more likely to hit his ceiling, or come close to it. I really like his competitiveness, he hates to lose, he has offensive upside but is more focused on defense. He's also the son of Geoff Sanderson, so he's got that nhl pedigree. We also like picking guys from the usntdp. And he's a NoDak commit, they're really good at producing nhl players.

Yeah Barron is a faller, i think he's still a safe bet to be a top 4 guy though, just don't think he's the type of guy we need. Plus he has a health issue, he has blood clotting problems which could become an issue down the road. But yeah, he's #5 on my list for d-men. Maybe #6, I have Emil Andrae in that range too. Topi Niemela not far behind. I wouldn't be shocked if we picked him either being that he's in Finland. But i see him more as a late 1st/ early 2nd type guy.

Wallinder is huge, should fill out to at least 6'4" 220 lbs., is an exceptional skater(his skating is often conpared to broberg's by swedes), he has considerable offensive upside, but he focuses more on defense. He's got the tools to make one salivate, that's why he's #4 on my list for d-men, but he is still pretty raw. But even if he never rounds out his offensive game, he should still be very effective in his own zone.

 

[vendetta]

Definitely have to draft Center heavy this draft imo