Prospect Info: 2019-2020 Prospect Info and Discussion

[Vagrant]

Yeah, I thought it was just a "paper" exercise at the time, but then when it was announced that they called up Gibbons, I was perplexed by it. What we don't know is what they told him or what message they gave him. If it was something like:

"Goat, you're doing great, but we don't want to waste you on the 4th line and right now, we don't have a top 9 spot for you. So we think it's best for your continued development to head back to Charlotte and play top minutes that we need you to have. If you continue to progress like you have, we'll expect to see you back here again, but playing more meaningful minutes, if somebody gets injured and/or their game falls off. Keep up the good work."

I agree with Minjaben though, he seems to get better with every callup/send down.

teams tend to know when teams are coming in hot with scouts. if the hurricanes are working on something and feel like they're close, they may have sent gauthier down with the intention of giving the scouts a better look at him. that would make sense as to why you call up a veteran and why the timing was somewhat suspect. i think for the style of game that gauthier projects to play, he's basically beaten the ahl for that projection. the same could have been said at this time last year about poturalski, zykov, carrick, saarela, and roy. i think that last bit is sort of self-explanatory. you probably want scouts to watch him more in the minors than you do playing him for ten minutes of nervous hockey if you're trying to make him a trade chip.

more and more teams are looking for bottom six players with the ability to play grind it out hockey and have a bit of scoring touch. it wouldn't shock me if there were teams around the league that would be interested in putting gauthier in that kind of position today. the upside there is tremendous. we're also experiencing an interesting phenomenon in the fact that we're a very good team by most any measure and other organizations like to shop for cheap labor in minor league systems of teams that are performing well under the presumption they would be getting opportunities elsewhere.

the thing about making him available, if they are, is that of all the guys we've shipped out as superfluous, gauthier has the most substantial upside of them all perhaps save saarela, but it's a different kind of upside. he could easily become a 20 goal scorer in the nhl even if the assists never came. he's the type of player that could do that from the third line. he has pretty elite hands around the net and he's learned a lot about how to use his frame to shield the puck and create chances. but those are the type of dice rolls that you have to make sometimes when trying to build your team for the future and stay competitive in the present. i don't endorse the idea of gauthier being traded until i see what it could do for our team. if the upgrade would be non-substantial, let him get more burn in charlotte and keep building that confidence.

 

[TheReelChuckFletcher]

teams tend to know when teams are coming in hot with scouts. if the hurricanes are working on something and feel like they're close, they may have sent gauthier down with the intention of giving the scouts a better look at him. that would make sense as to why you call up a veteran and why the timing was somewhat suspect. i think for the style of game that gauthier projects to play, he's basically beaten the ahl for that projection. the same could have been said at this time last year about poturalski, zykov, carrick, saarela, and roy. i think that last bit is sort of self-explanatory. you probably want scouts to watch him more in the minors than you do playing him for ten minutes of nervous hockey if you're trying to make him a trade chip.

more and more teams are looking for bottom six players with the ability to play grind it out hockey and have a bit of scoring touch. it wouldn't shock me if there were teams around the league that would be interested in putting gauthier in that kind of position today. the upside there is tremendous. we're also experiencing an interesting phenomenon in the fact that we're a very good team by most any measure and other organizations like to shop for cheap labor in minor league systems of teams that are performing well under the presumption they would be getting opportunities elsewhere.

the thing about making him available, if they are, is that of all the guys we've shipped out as superfluous, gauthier has the most substantial upside of them all perhaps save saarela, but it's a different kind of upside. he could easily become a 20 goal scorer in the nhl even if the assists never came. he's the type of player that could do that from the third line. he has pretty elite hands around the net and he's learned a lot about how to use his frame to shield the puck and create chances. but those are the type of dice rolls that you have to make sometimes when trying to build your team for the future and stay competitive in the present. i don't endorse the idea of gauthier being traded until i see what it could do for our team. if the upgrade would be non-substantial, let him get more burn in charlotte and keep building that confidence.

I expect Gauthier in our lineup next year, not traded, unless something really good is offered and our Borg couldn't possibly refuse it. However, it's a good thing that other teams seem to highly covet him and our other prospects.

 

[A Star is Burns]

Brindy can't have any competition in the gym. He must go.

 

[Navin R Slavin]

Brindy can't have any competition in the gym. He must go.

Brindy won't ever have any competition in the gym.

 

[poobags]

Brindy won't ever have any competition in the gym.

RBA is in competition WITH the gym, not with the other simple gym members.

 

[NotOpie]

The Drury discussion got me thinking about center depth in the organization. What once was a noted weakness now appears to be something of a strength. I would like us to have at least one more high end center prospect. Here's what I see as of today:

NHL
Sebastian Aho
Jordan Staal
Eric Haula
Lucas Wallmark

AHL
Eetu Luostarinen
Morgan Geekie
Janne Kuokkanen (LW/C)
Clark Bishop
Steve Lorentz (LW/C)

NCAA/International/Juniors
Jack Drury
David Cotton (LW/C)
Jamieson Rees
Ryan Suzuki
Blake Murray
Massimo Rizzo
Luke Henman

While Suzuki might rise to the Top 6 level, I'd have to say the jury's still out until we see a larger sample post eye injury. Still, there's a lot of solid, if unspectacular talent in that group.

I'd hope we'd again be looking for either RW or C in that 1st round.

 

[MinJaBen]

The Drury discussion got me thinking about center depth in the organization. What once was a noted weakness now appears to be something of a strength. I would like us to have at least one more high end center prospect. Here's what I see as of today:

NHL
Sebastian Aho
Jordan Staal
Eric Haula
Lucas Wallmark

AHL
Eetu Luostarinen
Morgan Geekie
Janne Kuokkanen (LW/C)
Clark Bishop
Steve Lorentz (LW/C)

NCAA/International/Juniors
Jack Drury
David Cotton (LW/C)
Jamieson Rees
Ryan Suzuki
Blake Murray
Massimo Rizzo
Luke Henman

While Suzuki might rise to the Top 6 level, I'd have to say the jury's still out until we see a larger sample post eye injury. Still, there's a lot of solid, if unspectacular talent in that group.

I'd hope we'd again be looking for either RW or C in that 1st round.

Probably should include Necas is this list somewhere. I doubt the organization has ruled him out as a center just yet.

 

[TheReelChuckFletcher]

The Drury discussion got me thinking about center depth in the organization. What once was a noted weakness now appears to be something of a strength. I would like us to have at least one more high end center prospect. Here's what I see as of today:

NHL
Sebastian Aho
Jordan Staal
Eric Haula
Lucas Wallmark

AHL
Eetu Luostarinen
Morgan Geekie
Janne Kuokkanen (LW/C)
Clark Bishop
Steve Lorentz (LW/C)

NCAA/International/Juniors
Jack Drury
David Cotton (LW/C)
Jamieson Rees
Ryan Suzuki
Blake Murray
Massimo Rizzo
Luke Henman

While Suzuki might rise to the Top 6 level, I'd have to say the jury's still out until we see a larger sample post eye injury. Still, there's a lot of solid, if unspectacular talent in that group.

I'd hope we'd again be looking for either RW or C in that 1st round.

The 2018 and 2019 drafts really helped with the center depth, I think. I hope that the Canes can get Cotton and Henman signed soon. Cotton's become a very good NCAA player, is fully AHL-ready, and would add a nice jolt to the top 6 in Charlotte, while I've been impressed with Henman's playmaking skills this year watching his QMJHL games (he may need some ECHL time next year to further build up his frame before he can contribute in Charlotte, though). As far as the 2020 draft is concerned, they should (and will) just pick BPA and prioritize fit later.

 

[GoCanes2015]

Not sure I would leave Haula in there from a long term perspective.

The Drury discussion got me thinking about center depth in the organization. What once was a noted weakness now appears to be something of a strength. I would like us to have at least one more high end center prospect. Here's what I see as of today:

NHL
Sebastian Aho
Jordan Staal
Eric Haula
Lucas Wallmark

AHL
Eetu Luostarinen
Morgan Geekie
Janne Kuokkanen (LW/C)
Clark Bishop
Steve Lorentz (LW/C)

NCAA/International/Juniors
Jack Drury
David Cotton (LW/C)
Jamieson Rees
Ryan Suzuki
Blake Murray
Massimo Rizzo
Luke Henman

While Suzuki might rise to the Top 6 level, I'd have to say the jury's still out until we see a larger sample post eye injury. Still, there's a lot of solid, if unspectacular talent in that group.

I'd hope we'd again be looking for either RW or C in that 1st round.

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

Not sure I would leave Haula in there from a long term perspective.

I have to agree.

Ideally we have Haula for one more year and then it is Necas’ spot.

 

[My Special Purpose]

I have to agree.

Ideally we have Haula for one more year and then it is Necas’ spot.

Fearless prediction: Necas is our No. 1 center in 2021-22 and Aho is a winger.

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

Fearless prediction: Necas is our No. 1 center in 2021-22 and Aho is a winger.

Could happen

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

Fearless prediction: Necas is our No. 1 center in 2021-22 and Aho is a winger.

Tired: how are we going to sign Svechnikov and Hamilton in 2021?

Wired: how are we going to sign Svechnikov in 2021 and Necas in 2022?

 

[TheReelChuckFletcher]

Tired: how are we going to sign Svechnikov and Hamilton in 2021?

Wired: how are we going to sign Svechnikov in 2021 and Necas in 2022?

Those two are actually tied together. Svech and Necas would be super-easy to sign if Dougie is traded instead of extended. If Dougie is extended, however, the Necas re-signing becomes a lot more difficult.

 

[Unsustainable]

Our 2022 Centers:

Necas
Staal
Wallmark
Drury

 

[TheReelChuckFletcher]

Our 2022 Centers:

Necas
Staal
Wallmark
Drury

My personal guess is that knowing this organization, Staal gets dealt the moment that his possession numbers hit the decline. Perhaps 3 years from now, though I obviously don't believe that they'll be rushing into it anytime soon, because he's still a valuable piece. I see their centers looking like this by 2022:

Aho
Necas
Wallmark
Luostarinen

Drury and Suzuki on the cusp, with Geekie somewhere on the RW. If Suzuki pans out in a big way, that's when I see Aho moving back to the wing.

 

[bleedgreen]

Fearless prediction: Necas is our No. 1 center in 2021-22 and Aho is a winger.

Don’t disagree about Aho but Necas hasn’t shown any increasing center tendencies. He may honestly be a more effective offensive player on the wing.

 

[NotOpie]

Not sure I would leave Haula in there from a long term perspective.

I have to agree.

Ideally we have Haula for one more year and then it is Necas’ spot.

....I believe the operative phrase used was "....as of today".

Don’t disagree about Aho but Necas hasn’t shown any increasing center tendencies. He may honestly be a more effective offensive player on the wing.

I see no reason to move Necas to center in the near term. Right now he's playing pure RW and doing it very well. He's currently the worst FO% player on the team (given small sample size) too. Once his defensive game rounds into shape, I could see him as the second line RW....

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

....I believe the operative phrase used was "....as of today".
..

Expanding on posts is not allowed

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Not sure I would leave Haula in there from a long term perspective.

I have to agree.

Ideally we have Haula for one more year and then it is Necas’ spot.

for a moment, I thought Gocanes was talking to himself.

 

[Lempo]

for a moment, I thought Gocanes was talking to himself.

 

[SlavinAway]

for a moment, I thought Gocanes was talking to himself.

What’s wrong with that?!

 

[SlavinAway]

What’s wrong with that?!

Nothing really...

 

[NotOpie]

Expanding on posts is not allowed

Speaking of expanding....

 

[Vagrant]

forgotten man jesper sellgren is having a really solid year for lulea. some of our shl buddies will have to inform us better, but he's likely either playing with erik gustaffson (former flyer) or the swedish 1st round defender at the WJC presently. seems to be a more of a steadying presence with an offensive defenseman. i think that is his route to the league as well.