There are numerous guys who can succeed in lower levels, but doesn't have quite all the tools to pull it off at the NHL level. We see it across many gaps in competition (guys who can dominate juniors due to their physical gifts, but get stuffed at the pro level when everyone has equal tools to them) and across multiple sports ("AAAA" baseball prospects). Among Bears alums you can also look at Keith Aucoin, Alexandre Giroux, and Mitch Lamoureux. Bourque has plenty of hockey sense and speed in his game, but not the elite levels of those skills required to overcome his lack of size. Similar story for Aucoin and Lamoureux.
I've seen a lot of older, long-time ticket holders talking about the relationship with the Capitals negatively recently. There's been some chatter about it on the Hershey Bears Fans FB group and I've seen twitter posts by the arena "bullshit chant leader" Terry on twitter where he's negatively talked about the Caps.
Nothing about Bourque, but apparently Mann is not happy with the situation and may leave the team in his own accord. Could have just been venting, but this is coming from people downstairs and very close to the situation.
In your estimation what would the Caps need to do to help the Bears ice a good team? Sign good AHL UFAs to two-ways?
The Bears did well 2015/2016, but have not been a very dynamic team since 2009/2010. As you have noted, the success of the Capps over the last decade puts them in a "win now" mode so high-end prospects are traded for NHL ready assets or put on the big team very quickly. Also, speaking to those who should be working closely with the Caps, there is not much communication and support. Someone very close to the team told me not long ago that they felt like red-headed stepchildren.
That would certainly help, as the coaching staff is certainly not happy with the level of talent available to them. However from a hockey ops point of view better communication and collaboration would be the primary need. As I noted before, these are not necessarily my sentiments but come from conversations with people close to it. Sometimes a problem may be exaggerated or blown out of proportion when venting over a hockey soda after a game.
I did think it was illuminating recently, near around the traded deadline or so, when MacLellan was asked about Hershey's competitive and/or success and he blew it off as basically an afterthought. I think it's illustrative of his continued fixation on the top team winning to the exclusion of longer game management decisions that fall by the wayside. Does Hershey do exit meetings after their season (as NHL teams do)? I'd be curious just how much support they get relative to most teams, in terms of parent club involvement. Kolzig is sort of involved I guess and there's the coaching staff but it may be time to move on from Mann and bring in someone that better aligns with whoever ends up coaching Washington next season. The timing of that could be tough depending on just when Washington finally sorts that out but Hershey probably needs to move away from the more checking-type approach toward something younger and faster. They need the pieces from the Caps and that will continue to be an issue up front for a while most likely. Pinho, Pilon & Malenstyn should join the team next fall but they're definitely going to need some older, more consistent talent than they had this season.
I honestly don't know, haven't heard much about either. I'll see what I can dig up later this week.
Doesn't he have to wait until his KHL contract expires in late April (I think it is late April?) to sign? It seemed like his team, which offered him a contract extension, won't let him terminate his contract early, so I thought he'd have to wait. So seems that current assignment in AHL is unlikely, no?
That's what I thought but the reports and tweets out there made it sound like he'd be here sooner. Maybe they meant he was told he'd report to Hershey next season.
There's at least enough uncertainty with both him and AJF that they're not locks to be there at least. They may see time there but it sort of depends on what happens with Beagle, DSP and others like Boyd & Barber that will require waivers. Whereas those three I mentioned definitely should be there, with perhaps Pinho the closest from being NHL-ready.
