Prospect Info: 2022 Sens Development Camp

[RAFI BOMB]

I think that begs the question for Loheit and Novak - if they’re good enough to recieve ELC’s - why can’t they produce in the NCAA?

I am less sure about Loheit as I haven't watched much of his play at the NCAA level but he did show some decent skill in dev camp.

Novak has shown that ability. He was producing at Bentley but that was in the AHA so he transferred to Northeastern where he would face tougher competition in Hockey East. I watched a fair amount of his play at Northeastern last season and he was generating a lot of quality chances but he was just snakebitten. He was held pointless for the first nine games of the season but that wasn't a reflection of his play. He was generating, it just wasn't going in. That is why he ended up having back to back 2 goal games in his 10th and 11th game of the season.

Novak was asked to take on a lot of different roles. At the start of the season he was manning the point on the powerplay and against his former team he was looking like Ovechkin out there. He could have had a ton of points that game. But Northeastern had a fairly deep team and as a transfer from the AHA he was often given more of a depth role with a lot of defensive responsibilities. Even then he generated scoring chances and produced points shorthanded or when the opposing team pulled their goalie and had an extra man on the ice. He reminded me a lot of Nick Paul in the type of game he was playing. They sometimes played him at center and other times at wing. There were a few players on Northeastern that were snekebitten early on so sometimes other players weren't converting on his quality passes.

I think he was going through a bit of an adjustment going from the AHA to Hockey East and his new team was asking him to take different roles and moving him around a lot, and that other players on his new team were also struggling for whatever reason that it impacted his overall production. From what I saw, he was doing a lot of good stuff with his play and that his production would have been significantly higher with a bit of luck. I also think he has a lot of good tools that could lead to production at a higher level such as his shot.

 

[GermanSpitfire]

I am less sure about Loheit as I haven't watched much of his play at the NCAA level but he did show some decent skill in dev camp.

Novak has shown that ability. He was producing at Bentley but that was in the AHA so he transferred to Northeastern where he would face tougher competition in Hockey East. I watched a fair amount of his play at Northeastern last season and he was generating a lot of quality chances but he was just snakebitten. He was held pointless for the first nine games of the season but that wasn't a reflection of his play. He was generating, it just wasn't going in. That is why he ended up having back to back 2 goal games in his 10th and 11th game of the season.

Novak was asked to take on a lot of different roles. At the start of the season he was manning the point on the powerplay and against his former team he was looking like Ovechkin out there. He could have had a ton of points that game. But Northeastern had a fairly deep team and as a transfer from the AHA he was often given more of a depth role with a lot of defensive responsibilities. Even then he generated scoring chances and produced points shorthanded or when the opposing team pulled their goalie and had an extra man on the ice. He reminded me a lot of Nick Paul in the type of game he was playing. They sometimes played him at center and other times at wing. There were a few players on Northeastern that were snekebitten early on so sometimes other players weren't converting on his quality passes.

I think he was going through a bit of an adjustment going from the AHA to Hockey East and his new team was asking him to take different roles and moving him around a lot, and that other players on his new team were also struggling for whatever reason that it impacted his overall production. From what I saw, he was doing a lot of good stuff with his play and that his production would have been significantly higher with a bit of luck. I also think he has a lot of good tools that could lead to production at a higher level such as his shot.

With Novak you have to also note that he is a soon to be 24 year old - still playing in the NCAA. At that age and his size, he should be able to dominate physically. We’ll see I guess.

In my opinion anything less than 40 points and he isn’t worth an NHL contract. Julian Napravnik was in a similar position last year and put up almost 50 points yet he only got an AHL contract.

 

[Hale The Villain]

Novak and Loheit aren't even worth talking about.

Extreme longshots to make it and if they somehow pull it off it'll be as replacement level dime-a-dozen players.

 

[playasRus]

Novak and Loheit aren't even worth talking about.

Extreme longshots to make it and if they somehow pull it off it'll be as replacement level dime-a-dozen players.

Ever worth it to give them 100k AHL contracts for 1-2 years and hope they pan?

 

[Hale The Villain]

Ever worth it to give them 100k AHL contracts for 1-2 years and hope they pan?

They can't even score at the college level

ECHL fodder. Nothing more.

 

[RAFI BOMB]

With Novak you have to also note that he is a soon to be 24 year old - still playing in the NCAA. At that age and his size, he should be able to dominate physically. We’ll see I guess.

In my opinion anything less than 40 points and he isn’t worth an NHL contract. Julian Napravnik was in a similar position last year and put up almost 50 points yet he only got an AHL contract.

I find it odd that the comparable you chose was an undrafted college free agent who is listed at 5'11 167 lbs. An NHL organization didn't identify NHL upside in Napravnik and then allocate resources to try to develop him and actualize that perceived potential. I don't know much about Napravnik as a player but his small size and low pims suggest that there is a quite limited role he could potentially have at a higher level, and the kind of role that would require quite a bit of skill to be able to attain.

Novak on the other hand was drafted by the Sens. They saw some NHL potential and felt he was worth drafting and trying to develop. He was drafted out of the NAHL as an overage prospect. He would have been seen as a late bloomer and a project that was going to take some time to develop. They have been trying to help him develop but covid has prevented them from running two of the development camps that he would have been brought to. Now that they have a chance to finally run one again he was invited and he performed well. He wouldn't have gotten an invite if the Sens were no longer interested in him.

He is a versatile forward who can play center and wing. He can play a skilled powerforward game, work the point on the powerplay, he has a powerful shot and has the hockey sense to get himself in shooting positions, kill penalties and be a defensive forward, agitate and be a physically imposing checker. He is very smart positionally and has demonstrated the ability to play a very reliable game that can earn the trust of coaches at the higher level. He is the swiss army knife role player with size, grit, skill, speed, compete, defensive awareness and some meanness. He is the type of role player that NHL organizations tend to covet.

I see the NHL upside in him, kind of like Kastelic who I was high on way before most people. I was convinced that Kastelic was going to be a good NHL player and so far that looks like it is going to be the case. I was also high on Nick Paul well before most others saw him as a good player. I feel the same way about Novak that I did with Paul and Kastelic. I believe he will be a very valuable role player when he finishes developing.

I also believe that some players take longer to grow into the player they are capable of becoming. A guy like Mason Marchment didn't break out in the NHL until he was 26 years old.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

With Novak you have to also note that he is a soon to be 24 year old - still playing in the NCAA. At that age and his size, he should be able to dominate physically. We’ll see I guess.

In my opinion anything less than 40 points and he isn’t worth an NHL contract. Julian Napravnik was in a similar position last year and put up almost 50 points yet he only got an AHL contract.

Yes and no. Do to the pandemic there were a lot more 24 and 25 year olds in college hockey due to the NCAA waiver granting players a fifth year of eligibility.

This should eventually work it's way out in a couple of seasons once these couple of classes get through the system.

But for instance, last season a school like Quinnipiac had a ton of graduate and transfer students and it was almost men vs boys when they played some of the Ivy League schools, which do not accept transfers.

 

[Burrowsaurus]

I totally forgot about Ben Roger. Anyone watch this guy in the CHL?

 

[Good in Osgoode]

I totally forgot about Ben Roger. Anyone watch this guy in the CHL?

Watched him in a couple of games between the Fronts & 67's after he got traded to Kingston mid-season.
Thought he was a very good skater for a guy his size (listed at 6' 4", 205lbs). He is quite lanky and certainly room to put on another 25lbs or so. Handled the puck well. Not overly physical. Jumped up in the play a few times but still has the ability to get back. Overall, the thing that stood out for me was his skating.

 

[Cosmix]

I find it odd that the comparable you chose was an undrafted college free agent who is listed at 5'11 167 lbs. An NHL organization didn't identify NHL upside in Napravnik and then allocate resources to try to develop him and actualize that perceived potential. I don't know much about Napravnik as a player but his small size and low pims suggest that there is a quite limited role he could potentially have at a higher level, and the kind of role that would require quite a bit of skill to be able to attain.

Novak on the other hand was drafted by the Sens. They saw some NHL potential and felt he was worth drafting and trying to develop. He was drafted out of the NAHL as an overage prospect. He would have been seen as a late bloomer and a project that was going to take some time to develop. They have been trying to help him develop but covid has prevented them from running two of the development camps that he would have been brought to. Now that they have a chance to finally run one again he was invited and he performed well. He wouldn't have gotten an invite if the Sens were no longer interested in him.

He is a versatile forward who can play center and wing. He can play a skilled powerforward game, work the point on the powerplay, he has a powerful shot and has the hockey sense to get himself in shooting positions, kill penalties and be a defensive forward, agitate and be a physically imposing checker. He is very smart positionally and has demonstrated the ability to play a very reliable game that can earn the trust of coaches at the higher level. He is the swiss army knife role player with size, grit, skill, speed, compete, defensive awareness and some meanness. He is the type of role player that NHL organizations tend to covet.

I see the NHL upside in him, kind of like Kastelic who I was high on way before most people. I was convinced that Kastelic was going to be a good NHL player and so far that looks like it is going to be the case. I was also high on Nick Paul well before most others saw him as a good player. I feel the same way about Novak that I did with Paul and Kastelic. I believe he will be a very valuable role player when he finishes developing.

I also believe that some players take longer to grow into the player they are capable of becoming. A guy like Mason Marchment didn't break out in the NHL until he was 26 years old.

I am not convinced that Kastelic will become a full time NHL level player. If he were to become a more physical player and hit to hurt, then I could see a 4th line role for him. So far, he seems like many other big guys we have seen pass through the league with short careers. I hope he turns out to be more than he has shown so far. We need bigger tougher physical players on the the team.

 

[RAFI BOMB]

I am not convinced that Kastelic will become a full time NHL level player. If he were to become a more physical player and hit to hurt, then I could see a 4th line role for him. So far, he seems like many other big guys we have seen pass through the league with short careers. I hope he turns out to be more than he has shown so far. We need bigger tougher physical players on the the team.

Well, I'm convinced that Kastelic will be a full time player. I guess we just have a different perspective on some of these players.

 

[God Says No]

Well, I'm convinced that Kastelic will be a full time player. I guess we just have a different perspective on some of these players.

I am not convinced that Kastelic will become a full time NHL level player. If he were to become a more physical player and hit to hurt, then I could see a 4th line role for him. So far, he seems like many other big guys we have seen pass through the league with short careers. I hope he turns out to be more than he has shown so far. We need bigger tougher physical players on the the team.

Yeah, I'm with @Cosmix. I see Kastelic as a cup of coffee guy. He looks good in short bursts, but his lack of offense will ultimately curb his career in the NHL.

 

[Ice-Tray]

He hasn’t had much of a chance to shine offensively, most bottom 6 rookies have to show they are willing to work hard and be defensively responsible before the can flex offensively. He had a nice two goal game, and has looked pretty comfortable in the O Zone.

If he can crack the 4th line out of camp we’ll get a good look at what he can bring. I don’t put too much into limited showing like he, JBD and Tompson got last year. All three need at least a few months of games to be allowed to make mistakes and learn to be comfortable.

 

[Oscar The Grouch]

Watched him in a couple of games between the Fronts & 67's after he got traded to Kingston mid-season.
Thought he was a very good skater for a guy his size (listed at 6' 4", 205lbs). He is quite lanky and certainly room to put on another 25lbs or so. Handled the puck well. Not overly physical. Jumped up in the play a few times but still has the ability to get back. Overall, the thing that stood out for me was his skating.

Imagine being a 6'4" D-man with great skating in the OHL and putting up 13 pts in 55 games in your 19 yr old season. I just don't see it.

And I see his mom at the local grocery store all the time, so I'd love to see him do well.

 

[JD1]

If Kastelic can win his share of draws he strikes me as a guy that can carve out a career playing 4th line and pk minutes. Big strong body that can skate

 

[JD1]

I read through this whole thread yesterday. Idk why but I wasn't paying attention to it during the camp itself

Guys are pretty high on Ostapchuk after the playoffs he had. So I find it interesting that @aragorn had Greig and Boucher in their own tier given the two of them were there, placing Boucher in a tier above Ostapchuk. Boucher obviously had a less than successful year but the tools all seem there. One thing of note - when he was drafted Dorion commented on his ability to score from outside the dots and while Mann had him briefly he commented on his shot. Interesting to hear the reports from aragorn about his shot. Hard, quick release and a corner picker. Perfect for a winger

 

[Tuna99]

If Kastelic can win his share of draws he strikes me as a guy that can carve out a career playing 4th line and pk minutes. Big strong body that can skate

This is a job well done:

Norris
Stutzle
Pinto
Kastelic

 

[Micklebot]

I read through this whole thread yesterday. Idk why but I wasn't paying attention to it during the camp itself

Guys are pretty high on Ostapchuk after the playoffs he had. So I find it interesting that @aragorn had Greig and Boucher in their own tier given the two of them were there, placing Boucher in a tier above Ostapchuk. Boucher obviously had a less than successful year but the tools all seem there. One thing of note - when he was drafted Dorion commented on his ability to score from outside the dots and while Mann had him briefly he commented on his shot. Interesting to hear the reports from aragorn about his shot. Hard, quick release and a corner picker. Perfect for a winger

I'm not overly surprised that Boucher had a strong camp, he's always been a guy with good tools and a guy that works hard with a good motor, so this is the type of environment where he'll thrive for sure.

It's too bad Sanderson wasn't ready to go and participate in all the drills. I would also have liked to see Jarventie and Kleven there too.

 

[Good in Osgoode]

Imagine being a 6'4" D-man with great skating in the OHL and putting up 13 pts in 55 games in your 19 yr old season. I just don't see it.

And I see his mom at the local grocery store all the time, so I'd love to see him do well.

Yeah, the numbers are pretty low. Maybe missing the 20-21 season might have hurt his development or that he was on the second pairing with the Fronts in 21-22. This will be a big year for him and I would expect that you will see much better numbers this year.

 

[aragorn]

I'm not overly surprised that Boucher had a strong camp, he's always been a guy with good tools and a guy that works hard with a good motor, so this is the type of environment where he'll thrive for sure.

It's too bad Sanderson wasn't ready to go and participate in all the drills. I would also have liked to see Jarventie and Kleven there too.

The only Belleville Sen at camp that I can remember was Mandolese G, I assume it's because they played a full season & wanted to give them some extra time to heal & rest for next season. I would have liked to see a few more guys up close there too.

 

[Bileur]

If Kastelic can win his share of draws he strikes me as a guy that can carve out a career playing 4th line and pk minutes. Big strong body that can skate

He already gets around pretty well once he gets going. If he can add a little explosiveness and short area agility on top of face offs there will definitely be a place for him in the NHL.

He doesn’t have quite the size (6’3 220 is still plenty) but I see him in the mould of a Gaustad or Rupp. Very useful fourth liner who won’t have problems finding NHL chances on other teams

 

[Micklebot]

The only Belleville Sen at camp that I can remember was Mandolese G, I assume it's because they played a full season & wanted to give them some extra time to heal & rest for next season. I would have liked to see a few more guys up close there too.

This year's dev camp seemed much smaller than previous years to me. I think the old rule of thumb was guys would attend up to three regardless of what league they'd played in, provided they didn't crack the NHL roster that is.