Prospect Info: 58th Joni Ikonen

[Schwang]

he played 2 days ago, the regular season ends tomorrow, would have to check if his team is playing or not. Last I check they were in a spot for the play ins.

Laval has 10 games left in the season though only 3 games in April so they could bring him over in May if his season was done but I would be surprised if they did.

I don't think they sign him, but we'll find out in the coming weeks.

Hey. Slow down. 7 games! We don't want to kill the guy! It's Ikonen we're talking about. Maybe a couple periods, then rest him until next year.

 

[Adam Michaels]

Ikonen confirms that Habs won't sign him.

No surprise there considering his injury issues.

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

Posted it in the Ikonen thread, but Joni has confirmed that the Habs will not sign him before June 1st before they lose his rights.

Figures , he just lost too much development time after we picked him and you couldn't justify giving him an ELC . It sucks because there was some real potential there when he got drafted but what are you gonna do I guess .

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

Double post, delete please.

 

[WinterLion]

Posted it in the Ikonen thread, but Joni has confirmed that the Habs will not sign him before June 1st before they lose his rights.

Makes sense we will need the contract space

 

[Adam Michaels]

Figures , he just lost too much development time and you couldn't justify giving him an ELC . It sucks because there was some real potential there but what are you gonna do I guess .

It does suck because as you say, injuries delayed his development. And they weren't minor injuries either. Every year since he was drafted he had significant injuries that kept him out of the line-up months at a time.

 

[JuicyHam]

It's a shame because he was looking like a good prospect before the injuries. Wish him the best

 

[Treb]

He's the kind of guy we could see coming back at 24-25 years old if he can stay healthy and develop.

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

He's the kind of guy we could see coming back at 24-25 years old if he can stay healthy and develop.

It's possible, the raw talent is there like I said. He never really got a chance to put in a lot of work in the gym and build himself up physicaly, that alone could make a big difference. It's hard to add muscle mass when you're constantly rehabbing from some surgery.

 

[Whitesnake]

He's the kind of guy we could see coming back at 24-25 years old if he can stay healthy and develop.

Maybe. But that's the thing though...he needs to stay something he can't seem to be able to stay...healthy. At this point anyway, we have no other choice but to let him walk.

 

[Treb]

Maybe. But that's the thing though...he needs to stay something he can't seem to be able to stay...healthy. At this point anyway, we have no other choice but to let him walk.

I agree. It makes no sense to spend a contract on him right now. I'm just saying he still has a chance to make it down the road.

 

[Whitesnake]

I agree. It makes no sense to spend a contract on him right now. I'm just saying he still has a chance to make it down the road.

Sure. I'd suggest to even keep track of him. I mean....you still can sign him UFA down the road.

 

[habsfan92]

Try out for Laval?

 

[Chet-Nick]

Ikonen confirms that Habs won't sign him.

No surprise there considering his injury issues.

Nothing worse, for a developing prospect, than not being able to stay healthy. A wasted pick.

Montreal's next selection (Scott Walford - 68th overall) was never signed either.

Only blessing is nobody that was drafted immediately after them amounted to anything.

 

[Adam Michaels]

Nothing worse, for a developing prospect, than not being able to stay healthy. A wasted pick.

Montreal's next selection (Scott Walford - 68th overall) was never signed either.

Only blessing is nobody that was drafted immediately after them amounted to anything.

Ikonen was not a wasted pick because you don't know if the kid will stay healthy along the way. And he's the kind of talent you use a pick on. It's unfortunate. But that wasn't a wasted pick.

It's similar to Reway. That kid was a talent worth using a pick on. Health got in the way of his development (and nearly killed him). You may look back and say that was also a wasted pick because the player didn't amount to anything for the organization. But that is definitely the kind of talent you go for.

Walford and Tyszka didn't get signed from the 2017 class, but that is more because the kids didn't progress enough to earn a contract. But out of that 2017 class, Habs drafted, signed, and now have in their pro ranks Poehling, Brook, Fleury, and Primeau.

 

[1909]

Nothing worse, for a developing prospect, than not being able to stay healthy. A wasted pick.

Montreal's next selection (Scott Walford - 68th overall) was never signed either.

Only blessing is nobody that was drafted immediately after them amounted to anything.

Right... But few rounds later Ottawa grabbed Batherson who was playing in the Q. A big, good shooting RW....

 

[Chet-Nick]

Ikonen was not a wasted pick because you don't know if the kid will stay healthy along the way. And he's the kind of talent you use a pick on. It's unfortunate. But that wasn't a wasted pick.

It's similar to Reway. That kid was a talent worth using a pick on. Health got in the way of his development (and nearly killed him). You may look back and say that was also a wasted pick because the player didn't amount to anything for the organization. But that is definitely the kind of talent you go for.

Walford and Tyszka didn't get signed from the 2017 class, but that is more because the kids didn't progress enough to earn a contract. But out of that 2017 class, Habs drafted, signed, and now have in their pro ranks Poehling, Brook, Fleury, and Primeau.

In hindsight it's a wasted pick.

Walford was from using Buffalo's draft spot. He was the eventual 3rd rounder Montreal received for Beaulieu.

I hate when picks from rounds 2-3 don't become NHLers. Olofsson is slowly going down that path. Likely Vejdemo. Fucale, Crisp and Lernout have long fizzled out.

This hurts more with Montreal's track record of 1st round busts.

 

[Chet-Nick]

Right... But few rounds later Ottawa grabbed Batherson who was playing in the Q. A big, good shooting RW....

When a couple of rounds elapse. That means Ottawa also avoided picking him earlier.

Batherson was ranked 117th overall among North American skaters. Add Europeans and goalies. Jake, according to Central Scouting, should have went even further down.

Kudos to Ottawa's scouts covering the "Q" and their player development in the AHL.

 

[Adam Michaels]

In hindsight it's a wasted pick.

Walford was from using Buffalo's draft spot. He was the eventual 3rd rounder Montreal received for Beaulieu.

I hate when picks from rounds 2-3 don't become NHLers. Olofsson is slowly going down that path. Likely Vejdemo. Fucale, Crisp and Lernout have long fizzled out.

This hurts more with Montreal's track record of 1st round busts.

Even in hindsight, to me, Ikonen was worth selecting.

As for Walford, I'm aware of the trade that landed them that pick to pick Walford. Similar to how Ikonen was one of the picks Habs got from Washington in the Eller trade.

Also, Ikonen was not a 1st round pick, he was a 2nd round pick. And he was the third player Habs took that year. They took Poehling in the 1st round. They then took Brook at 56 and then took Ikonen at 58.

 

[LastWordArmy]

I don't think Ikonen can be blamed on bad scouting. He was a legitimate prospect and the injuries did him in. You can't expect scouts to have a crystal ball and know that these injuries are going to happen.

 

[Whitesnake]

I don't think Ikonen can be blamed on bad scouting. He was a legitimate prospect and the injuries did him in. You can't expect scouts to have a crystal ball and know that these injuries are going to happen.

You still can't make him a great pick nonetheless. But true, he wasn't a bad pick at the time for sure. At the time I was more a Morand=Zetterlund fan though. We'll see what the future holds.

But since we're not interested in the Q that much...Morand was clearly not in the cards. Just like Batherson later on wasn't.

The Walford pick was the real waste. Then and now. Thank god right now, that draft seems awfully weak later on.

 

[LastWordArmy]

You still can't make him a great pick nonetheless. But true, he wasn't a bad pick at the time for sure. At the time I was more a Morand=Zetterlund fan though. We'll see what the future holds.

But since we're not interested in the Q that much...Morand was clearly not in the cards. Just like Batherson later on wasn't.

The Walford pick was the real waste. Then and now. Thank god right now, that draft seems awfully weak later on.

I never said it was a great pick though. I look at it as a push.

As for not being interested in the quebec league, I dont agree. The Habs are one of the teams that take the most qmjhl players in the NHL if you look back at drafts.

 

[Tyson]

Every pick is a gamble and most don't pan out. Can't blame scouting for drafting a player more injury prone than Benoit Brunet.

 

[Whitesnake]

I never said it was a great pick though. I look at it as a push.

As for not being interested in the quebec league, I dont agree. The Habs are one of the teams that take the most qmjhl players in the NHL if you look back at drafts.

Lately they aren't. And when they do, it's as fillers. Last time the Habs picked a Q player in the first 3 rounds? 2013. And no, to the follow-up, well maybe it's because there were no Q players not worthy of a top 3 round pick, well since 2013, there were 62 players chosen in the top 3 rounds from 2014 to 2020. Yes, I know some in that list were not available when we decided to talk. Yet, nothing was obviously made to trade up....the way let say we did to get Tinordi. Or...Lernout...

 

[Adam Michaels]

Ikonen is now officially no longer a Habs prospect.