Prospect Info: Adam Almquist: Will he make the NHL?
- Thread starter Laser Rayzor
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DatsyukToZetterberg
Alligator!
You said it right there. Unless he comes up & is an absolute stud I think he becomes part of a package to upgrade our center situation.
kuick
Tatar Sauce
The Zetterberg Era
Ball Hockey Sucks
He has great hockey sense, if he picks up another half step and gets a little stronger even with the depth a space will probably be made for him. I think he is an NHL player, just have a feeling Ouellet and Jensen will jump him in quick order and he winds up as trade bait.
Almqvist and a add on our part for Brendan Smith's brother Reilly in Dallas would be something I am very interested in. Nill has always had very nice things to say about him and Dallas could use a more cerebral puck mover and decision maker that is good in his own end.
Almqvist and a add on our part for Brendan Smith's brother Reilly in Dallas would be something I am very interested in. Nill has always had very nice things to say about him and Dallas could use a more cerebral puck mover and decision maker that is good in his own end.
RayMoonDoh
Outta Waiver Stuff
Run the Jewels
Make Detroit Great Again
I know people want to think he's the next Tobias Enstrom, but Enstrom played 82 games as a 23 year old and put up 38 points.
Kindl hasn't put up that many points as a 26 year old.
Smith didn't as a 24 year old and he's better than Almqvist.
Kronwall had his first 40ish point season as a 27 year old.
So yeah...he's not Tobias Enstrom. He's a tweener AHL/NHL guy who can contribute on the power play. I can't see him being a regular in Detroit with all the talent we have coming through the system.
Kindl hasn't put up that many points as a 26 year old.
Smith didn't as a 24 year old and he's better than Almqvist.
Kronwall had his first 40ish point season as a 27 year old.
So yeah...he's not Tobias Enstrom. He's a tweener AHL/NHL guy who can contribute on the power play. I can't see him being a regular in Detroit with all the talent we have coming through the system.
It is a bit of a broken record, but he still needs to get much stronger and bigger. I thought he accounted for himself nicely in the AHL given his lack of strength. I wouldn't be shocked to see him in the NHL a couple of years down the road, but doubt that it is with this organization.
Frk It
Mo Seider Less Problems
- Jul 27, 2010
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In my opinion he's a career AHL'er or Euro league player due to a lack of size/speed/strength.
We all gripe about our d getting beat up by teams that forecheck well and our tendency to get pinned in our own end. Almqvist would get killed by NHL forwards in his own end on the forecheck IMO. Guy is great in the O-zone and has great combo of awareness, instincts, and passking skills in the O-zone. I think the rest of his game is never going to translate well to the NHL level though.
That's just my opinion, but after watching him play a decent amount I feel pretty strongly about it.
We all gripe about our d getting beat up by teams that forecheck well and our tendency to get pinned in our own end. Almqvist would get killed by NHL forwards in his own end on the forecheck IMO. Guy is great in the O-zone and has great combo of awareness, instincts, and passking skills in the O-zone. I think the rest of his game is never going to translate well to the NHL level though.
That's just my opinion, but after watching him play a decent amount I feel pretty strongly about it.
Point Shot
Keep It Realgud
- Feb 12, 2013
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Almqvist is more than holding his own in the AHL when he came over with doubts that he was too small for the American game.
If you believe Hakan Andersson, Almqvist has the kind of hockey sense that transcends size. I think he makes it. Maybe he's never a first-pairing guy, but he has the tools to make it.
If you believe Hakan Andersson, Almqvist has the kind of hockey sense that transcends size. I think he makes it. Maybe he's never a first-pairing guy, but he has the tools to make it.
Henkka
Registered User
Just compare him to Tobias Enström on the Jets team. And you can't see almost any difference. Both are small, smart, mobile puckmovin defencemen.
Frk It
Mo Seider Less Problems
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The Zermanator
In Yzerman We Trust
- Jan 21, 2013
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I was at the game tonight. I don't think Almqvist's speed is necessarily the problem. I did notice that he lacks explosiveness. He has the gears, it just takes him some time to get into them. Putting on some muscle would do wonders for him.
Petes2424
Registered User
- Aug 4, 2005
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I think the comparisons to Enstrom will continue. He played very much like him tonight in his debut
joe89
#5
- Apr 30, 2009
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I guess you only need a quick look at his legs to see that he's still got a lot of gym work to do. I don't doubt he's trying to, though.
Henkka
Registered User
Too bad his double mistakes in the 3rd period cost some points for us. Hopefully AA learned something about the net-front game. Don't leave the position behind the goal if there's no coverage and be better at clearing rebounds. Guys like Ladd and all "Holmströms" of the league won't hesitate a millisecond to whack those loose pucks in.
zecke26
Registered User
- Jan 16, 2003
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on the 3rd goal he made a mistake, but so did lashoff who went for the hit instead of the puck and all three Fs were not were they should be.
on the 4th goal he did nothing wrong. he had to defend 2 players because two others ****ed up the play (kindl? tatar?) and while AA tried to use his body to defend the crease, the famous #71 should have attempted to clear the puck instead of just standing around.
AA was on the ice for both goals against, but you can't blame him for both.
InjuredChoker
Registered User
it was andersson losing his man (scheifele) again. he was just standing there couple of feet behind him when scheif was all alone in front of the slot.
4th goal started from kindl turnover that started that odd man rush. and of course cleary did nothing in front of the net. kindl turned it over to little. tatar took him out of the play but he managed to pass the puck before that. tatar made the right play imo. made some other nice defensive plays too.
Eastopia
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- May 26, 2012
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His first minus was not on him. Lashoff lost his board battle but it's mainly on Tatar and Andersson. Tatar should have attacked the passer or just covered the pass into the slot but instead decides to swerve away from him AND the goal scorer. Andersson should have been closer to the goal scorer too but really, Tatar just allowed a free pass into the slot because he predicted a pass back to the D. The 4th goal came as the result of a 2 on 1 after a bad giveaway by Kindl and you blame Almqvist? Tatar should have seen it was a 3-on-2 and not have taken the body, Cleary coming back just parked himself stupidly to watch when he should have helped clear the puck. Almqvist took out the pass as he should and it's really hard to blame him for that goal.
But sure, if you want a scapegoat when none of our regulars play like they care at all I guess the kid in his first NHL game will do.
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newfy
Registered User
- Jul 28, 2010
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Too small and the wings defensive prospects are too young/good for him to make the wings.
Sproul, Ouellet and Jensen all move the puck well and have a pretty big size/strength advantage. On top of that I think someone like Nedomlel might be more suited to the bottom pairing role if he pans out as well.
On top of that you've got Dekeyser, Smith, and Lashoff who are really young on the wings already while none of the other D are old by any means either.
Sproul, Ouellet and Jensen all move the puck well and have a pretty big size/strength advantage. On top of that I think someone like Nedomlel might be more suited to the bottom pairing role if he pans out as well.
On top of that you've got Dekeyser, Smith, and Lashoff who are really young on the wings already while none of the other D are old by any means either.
Henkka
Registered User
I'm not wanting a scapegoat or anything. I was spotting that he made defensive plays, that could have done better. Better clearings and positionings, and those goals would never happened. He learned from those, for sure. He knows now, that there's less time for actions in NHL than in AHL. But takin these "minuses" off from him, and pointing only to others, is a very biased view. There were many guys that made mistakes in a group. Usually when a goal happens, it needs three mistakes in-a-row. Typically a central zone mistake, defensive mistake and a goalie mistake. Almquist was on one of those groups in both 3-period goals. Othervise, he played a very good game. 1-2 periods were perfect from him. Created some chances, 3rd most of our defencemen.
Eastopia
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- May 26, 2012
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You said, and I quote:
"Too bad his double mistakes in the 3rd period cost some points for us."
You picked one and only one guy to blame not just why we let in those goals but also why we lost the game. That's not fair on any level whatsoever and it absolutely is scapegoating.
As I stated previously, Almqvist is not to blame for those goals against. Tatar was also on the ice for both those goals, he actually made mistakes on both those goals, one of them much bigger than any you could possibly put on Almqvist. Yet I saw in your analysis in the game thread that you didn't even credit him with a single mistake. Why is that? Quincey caused a breakaway that lead to WPG's first goal and he failed to stop the cross-crease pass that lead to their tying goal. Why not blame our loss on his godawful play instead? At least he's supposed to be experienced and those things are absolutely his fault. Or how about Kindl? He was a -3. Part of that was being paired with Quincey of course, but he was also the one making the initial and biggest mistake on the 4th goal, getting caught by the offensive blue. Yet you blame that goal on squarely Almqvist simply because he couldn't clear the puck quickly enough when he was alone in the crease against two WPG players in his first NHL game ever.
So why did you choose Almqvist and blame it all on him? As I've said a few times before, our whole team played disinterested and there's no way you can win when you do that unless the other team simply gifts it to us. You picked one guy and blamed it on him and I really don't see why you'd pick him when there are much better targets for that if you really want to do it, other than that Almqvist was an easy target for you.
I take issue with that.
WesNichols14
Registered User
I chose that he would be a regular on another team but I think it he will start as a regular in Detroit and be a trade piece in a package the kid is an NHL talent, his offensive IQ is just up there but imo his is the odd man out of the youth movement on the Detroit defense. his size is whats going to get him moved he's not a 2-way D and he's not as good as Sproul in the offensive zone. you add in that Kindle and Smith are going to be here for at least the next few years. and DD and Kronwall are going to play out the rest of there Career here (Just calling it now DD is going to one day be a Captain of this team) that leaves 3 roster spots and AA is not going to beat out Ouellet, Sproul, Marchenko, Backman or Jensen in the next few years. we have the luxury a deep talented Defensive prospect pool, and sadly that means not everyone that we love is going to make it. at least not as Wings.
Pavels Dog
Registered User
He looked like a Red Wing to me. I guess we have to decide sooner or later if we still want to try and be a skill team, a puck possession team. Because if we do, Almqvist fits in much better than Lashoff, Quincey, Smith and possibly even Ericsson and Kindl.
I wouldn't be concerned by a few iffy defensive plays in a game where everyone played horrible defense.
Look at how patient, confident and smart he is with the puck. Atleast for me that was great to see if you compare to all the panicked plays by most of our other d-men.
Next season:
Kronwall-Ericsson
Dekeyser-Kindl
Oullet-Almqvist
Smith/Lashoff.
I wouldn't be concerned by a few iffy defensive plays in a game where everyone played horrible defense.
Look at how patient, confident and smart he is with the puck. Atleast for me that was great to see if you compare to all the panicked plays by most of our other d-men.
Next season:
Kronwall-Ericsson
Dekeyser-Kindl
Oullet-Almqvist
Smith/Lashoff.
