Confirmed with Link: Amerks sign Myles Powell and Jake Linhart to ATO's Linhart signs ATO w/ Cincy 3/21, Powell released

[Dingo44]

I know this was posted in the Amerks thread, but could have repercussions for the Sabres. Myles Powell was a Hobey Baker finalist in 2018.

AMERKS SIGN PAIR TO AMATEUR TRYOUTS

Rochester Americans General Manager Randy Sexton announced today that the team has signed forward Myles Powell and defenseman Jake Linhart to Amateur Tryouts (ATO).

Powell, 23, recently concluded a four-year collegiate career at Rochester Institute of Technology (AHA), where he finished with 105 points (45+60) in 149 games with the Tigers. This season, Powell, a two-time AHA Champion, posted career-highs with 26 assists and 39 points while serving as one of four senior captains. He finished second on the team in scoring for the third straight year and was a finalist for the 2018 Hobey Baker Award.

The 5-foot-9, 175 pound-forward became just the 10th player in RIT’s Division I history to record 100 or more points. He finished his tenure at R.I.T. tied for second in program history with nine game-winning tallies while ranking sixth all-time with 45 career goals.

Before attending R.I.T., the Courtenay, British Columbia, native appeared in 148 games between the Cowichan Valley Capitals, Victoria Grizzles and Alberni Valley Bulldogs of the BCHL. In three seasons in the BCHL, he amassed 107 points (44+63).

Linhart, 22, completed a four-year career at the University of Wisconsin (Big-10) with 13 points (1+12) in 37 games this season for the Badgers. He totaled 60 points (15+45) over 142 career appearances with Wisconsin.
The Brookfield, Wisc., native posted a career-best 17 assists and 23 points during the 2016-17 season while being one of five Badgers to appear in all 36 games. Following his junior campaign, the 5-foot-11, 185-pound blueliner was named to the All Big-Ten Second Team and was the recipient of the Suter Family Award, presented annually to the team’s unsung hero.

Prior to attending Wisconsin, Linhart skated two seasons with the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL, where he notched 27 points (3+24) in 116 games from 2012-14.

Click to read more...

 

[Chainshot]

Linhart's game I would call "honest". He played a ton and even though his senior season numbers weren't great, he's a decent puck mover at the NCAA level. I've seen him when looking in on Weissbach and he's serviceable.

Powell has had some very good scoring totals over the course of his career. Hopefully these are the first of more.

 

[dang111]

Did they play in tonight's game?

 

[dotcommunism]

Did they play in tonight's game?

No. Linhart isn't even listed as signed on the AHL transactions page yet.

 

[misterchainsaw]

If Garbowsky couldn't make it in the AHL, I don't see Powell making an impact. Although I continue to believe Garbowsky was a victim of circumstances in Rochester and wasn't really given a fair shake.

Powell probably wasn't even the best player on an underachieving RIT team this year.

I'll be rooting for him, but I don't see much coming from it.

 

[old kummelweck]

How many player can the Amerks carry on their roster?

 

[LaxSabre]

RIT Tiger Hockey @RITMHKY -
Way to go @mylespowell94! Congrats to Myles and best of luck with the @AmerksHockey!
Great feeling to know you only are heading a few miles down the road!
Amerks are getting a great player and excellent teammate!

 

[Chainshot]

For those who've watched RIT, is there any parallel to draw with Garbowsky?

 

[misterchainsaw]

For those who've watched RIT, is there any parallel to draw with Garbowsky?

Not really. Garbowsky was the clearly better 2-way player, and when he was hot (which could include his entire senior year) he put RIT on his back and carried them into the national tournament by playing against everyone else's top lines.

They have similar stature (which works against both of them), if anything Powell is slightly smaller than Garbowsky with probably less ability to leverage the frame he does have in terms of protecting the puck along the boards.

I don't mean to say that Powell is awful at everything except offense, because he wasn't (at least at the NCAA AHA level), but if you're going to play in the AHL as a professional you kind of have to dominate Atlantic Hockey competition and be noticeable on most nights, and I didn't really see that often enough out of Powell. I was honestly a little shocked anyone that graduated this year got an AHL deal (I could see the Norrish's and Powell in the ECHL though...Brady Norrish might have had AHL potential but he has had two catastrophic knee injuries in the last two years). I was more worried about losing Erik Brown a year early to some AHL team that wanted to give him a shot, to be honest.

To cap it off, Garbowsky also produced offense at a higher level than Powell did as well, in terms of both their best respective seasons as well as their overall careers. Garbowsky had 114 points in 128 career games (missed a large part of his junior year with an injury) and put up 54 points in 40 games in his senior season, while Powell ended up with 105 points in 145 career games with his best season being 39 points in 37 games this year on an RIT team that was overall pretty talented offensively.

Like I said, I'll be rooting for him, but nothing I saw over 4 years screamed AHL or NHL potential.

EDIT: I guess the one place where he will have an advantage over Garbowsky is that Powell is a natural winger, whereas the Amerks tried unsuccessfully to convert Garbowsky from center to wing (Garbowsky has since gone on to have great success in Colorado (ECHL) as a center, which makes me hopeful someone will give him a shot this off season)

 

[Chainshot]

Surprised it's Linhart that gets let go from his ATO first. Is that a matter of bodies to play forward for Powell or has he been passable?

 

[dotcommunism]

While Linhart was released from his ATO with Rochester, he subsequently signed one with Cincinnati.

 

[ForsbergMoDo21]

I'll basically echo what misterchainsaw has said above. In my opinion Garbowsky was one of if not the best player I've seen play for RIT. Obviously Tanev is unquestionably the best today, but in just looking at their time in the NCAA it's very close. I'd say misterchainsaw's descriptions of Garbowsky and Powell is accurate. Especially Garbo's senior year. He was a 2-way monster that put the team on his back. Offensively potent, defensively sound, killed penalties, effective on the powerplay, and came up in a lot of clutch moments. I don't know what those circumstances might have been that Garbowsky fell victim to, but I was certainly surprised to not see him able to stick in the AHL at least. Considering that, I'm not sure I see how Powell has any better chance. But then again, different circumstances, different player. Who knows?

Honestly, the cynic in me was thinking that this is a low percentage flyer they're taking on a player and Amerks might just be looking to create a minor stir and sell some tickets to RIT fans now that their season is over.

 

[UnleashRasmus]

I'll basically echo what misterchainsaw has said above. In my opinion Garbowsky was one of if not the best player I've seen play for RIT. Obviously Tanev is unquestionably the best today, but in just looking at their time in the NCAA it's very close. I'd say misterchainsaw's descriptions of Garbowsky and Powell is accurate. Especially Garbo's senior year. He was a 2-way monster that put the team on his back. Offensively potent, defensively sound, killed penalties, effective on the powerplay, and came up in a lot of clutch moments. I don't know what those circumstances might have been that Garbowsky fell victim to, but I was certainly surprised to not see him able to stick in the AHL at least. Considering that, I'm not sure I see how Powell has any better chance. But then again, different circumstances, different player. Who knows?

Honestly, the cynic in me was thinking that this is a low percentage flyer they're taking on a player and Amerks might just be looking to create a minor stir and sell some tickets to RIT fans now that their season is over.

As well as trying out a kid that is a local asset that they can get a look at in practice to see how he fits. There's nothing certain in the world of hockey. Every look is worth it, in most cases.

 

[Chainshot]

Powell's been released from his ATO.



Seems he was an available warm body while things were thin, wish him the best wherever else he lands.