Speculation: Minor League Affiliates (Hershey Bears, SC Stingrays) - summer 2018 to summer 2019

Status
Not open for further replies.

racingmoose

Registered User
Apr 11, 2016
245
266
Walker and Pilon are big holes that they don't have anyone to fill. Both bring energy, speed, good hands, and in Walker's case physical play. They pulled off the win last night even though they had 13 shots for the game and only 1 in the third. Vanacek was excellent and the Bears penalty kill, especially Malenstyn, was solid.
 
  • Like
Reactions: hb12xchamps

hb12xchamps

Registered User
Dec 23, 2011
8,790
5,390
Pennsylvania
Walker and Pilon are big holes that they don't have anyone to fill. Both bring energy, speed, good hands, and in Walker's case physical play. They pulled off the win last night even though they had 13 shots for the game and only 1 in the third. Vanacek was excellent and the Bears penalty kill, especially Malenstyn, was solid.
They'll slide Pinho to 3C but having to ice Gus is definitely a major step down. He's just way too slow to play in todays fast paced game. There's no other centers in SC worth calling up since Kelly Zajac retired last year.

If Walker stays up, I'd assume Mason Mitchell gets the recall. He has 5 goals and 2 assists in 7 games since being sent down. I never got why they wouldn't give him any playing time outside of being forced to play 8 minutes a night with Gustafsson. He has shown he can be a physical presence and is a decent skater for his size. The outside chance at a recall is Jordan Samuels Thomas. He'll probably be in Hershey anyway once SC is officially eliminated from the playoffs, which will most likely be the next few days
 

racingmoose

Registered User
Apr 11, 2016
245
266
They'll slide Pinho to 3C but having to ice Gus is definitely a major step down. He's just way too slow to play in todays fast paced game. There's no other centers in SC worth calling up since Kelly Zajac retired last year.

If Walker stays up, I'd assume Mason Mitchell gets the recall. He has 5 goals and 2 assists in 7 games since being sent down. I never got why they wouldn't give him any playing time outside of being forced to play 8 minutes a night with Gustafsson. He has shown he can be a physical presence and is a decent skater for his size. The outside chance at a recall is Jordan Samuels Thomas. He'll probably be in Hershey anyway once SC is officially eliminated from the playoffs, which will most likely be the next few days

I'd like to see Mitchell get a recall. He's was never really given much of an opportunity and when he's unleashed physically he can have an impact.

There's some guys to take their places, but nobody with the talent those guys have. I agree that Gus is a big step down. Not to sound mean, but he's an ECHL level player.
 
  • Like
Reactions: hb12xchamps

hb12xchamps

Registered User
Dec 23, 2011
8,790
5,390
Pennsylvania
Bears lost yesterday but received some help from Lehigh Valley. They beat WBS to reduce the Bears magic number to clinch a playoff birth down to 2. I believe WBS and Lehigh Valley play again today
 

Holtbyisms

Matt Irwin is a legit talent
Jul 1, 2012
6,915
3,574
Bedford, PA
A question for our Bears experts @hb11xchamps, @racingmoose, @Holtbyisms, or anyone else, is there anything up with LOB? No points in 8 games, 1 goal and 2 assists in 19 games, 1 goal and 4 assists in 25 games. I know he's not supposed to be a scoring dynamo, but the recent numbers look ugly (versus 15 goals and 9 assists in his first 47 games). Any insight?

Thanks!
He was outrageous hot at the start of the year (unsustainable) and nobody else on the team could buy a goal so he was playing in scoring roles. With other heating up and him being used in a different role it certainly cut into point totals. I don't think there's anything wrong with him per say but I think he's come back down to earth.
 
  • Like
Reactions: VaCaps Fan

hb12xchamps

Registered User
Dec 23, 2011
8,790
5,390
Pennsylvania
A question for our Bears experts @hb11xchamps, @racingmoose, @Holtbyisms, or anyone else, is there anything up with LOB? No points in 8 games, 1 goal and 2 assists in 19 games, 1 goal and 4 assists in 25 games. I know he's not supposed to be a scoring dynamo, but the recent numbers look ugly (versus 15 goals and 9 assists in his first 47 games). Any insight?

Thanks!
I think @Holtbyisms pretty much hit the nail on the head in regards to his early pace being unsustainable. I think Liam’s ideal role on the team is more of a leader on and off the ice and a defensively responsible forward who can penalty kill. The extra points that have come with it are an added bonus. He is Hershey’s Walmart Brand Tom Wilson without the scoring role.

I think he has tried to shift his focus from being physically overpowering and fighting this year to being a little quicker and more of an offensive contributor. He’s been solid on the forecheck and has been a battler along the boards when he’s played on the first line with Sgarbossa and Barber. It hasn’t necessarily lead to a lot of points but he has made plays that resulted in keeping possession of the puck or causing a turnover that eventually leads to a Bears goal. I just don’t think being an offensive contributor is his best role on this team.

I’ve always enjoyed Liam since he has been a Bear. A lot of his popularity though was gained through big hits and fighting and he hasn’t done a ton of that the past few seasons. The few fights he has had this season were pretty disappointing. I think when the playoffs hit we’ll see the agitating, physical Liam come back and his point production go down. He really got into guys heads during the CC run a few years back. Throw him on the third line with Pilon/Pinho as the Center and Malenstyn as his wing and make it a shutdown line.
 

francaisvolantsparis

Registered User
Nov 21, 2018
1,540
568
Nice
Pretty sure he blew his knee out (again) and won't play again until next year. Such a shame though, they could send Johansen to South Carolina if he was healthy!

7632.jpg


TheAHL.com

This pic was uploaded on theahl.com site yesterday. Don't know what to think.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: VaCaps Fan

racingmoose

Registered User
Apr 11, 2016
245
266
I think @Holtbyisms pretty much hit the nail on the head in regards to his early pace being unsustainable. I think Liam’s ideal role on the team is more of a leader on and off the ice and a defensively responsible forward who can penalty kill. The extra points that have come with it are an added bonus. He is Hershey’s Walmart Brand Tom Wilson without the scoring role.

I think he has tried to shift his focus from being physically overpowering and fighting this year to being a little quicker and more of an offensive contributor. He’s been solid on the forecheck and has been a battler along the boards when he’s played on the first line with Sgarbossa and Barber. It hasn’t necessarily lead to a lot of points but he has made plays that resulted in keeping possession of the puck or causing a turnover that eventually leads to a Bears goal. I just don’t think being an offensive contributor is his best role on this team.

I’ve always enjoyed Liam since he has been a Bear. A lot of his popularity though was gained through big hits and fighting and he hasn’t done a ton of that the past few seasons. The few fights he has had this season were pretty disappointing. I think when the playoffs hit we’ll see the agitating, physical Liam come back and his point production go down. He really got into guys heads during the CC run a few years back. Throw him on the third line with Pilon/Pinho as the Center and Malenstyn as his wing and make it a shutdown line.

This nails it. Even though he isn't getting the goals and points he did for a stretch of games, he still makes a lot happen. He's excellent along the boards, is actually a strong skater, and a really good penalty killer. Even when he isn't scoring, he provides a lot of value. He has learned to pick his moments for physical play instead of running around looking for it all the time as he did his first couple years.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Holtbyisms

WanderingCapsFan

Registered User
Mar 31, 2008
574
475
Marana, Arizona, USA
Thanks for the replies on LOB, guys. It's difficult to picture what's going on 3000 miles away. I get to see some AHL games here with the Tucson Roadrunners. I'm often disappointed at the lack of physicality in the AHL game. Cheers.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Holtbyisms

895

Registered User
Jun 15, 2007
8,380
6,998
So I keep reading mixed reviews on Johansen. Some say he sucks and hasn't progressed much in 2 years and some say he has. I guess the truth is somewhere in the middle?

Either way, it doesn't seem like a great pick so far. I will be glad to be proven wrong though.
 

Raikkonen

Dumb guy
Aug 19, 2009
10,716
3,166
Russia
So I keep reading mixed reviews on Johansen. Som say he sucks and hasn't progressed much in 2 years and some say he has. I guess the truth is somewhere in the middle?

Either way, it doesn't seem like a great pick so far. I will be glad to be proven wrong though.

He may not be an AHL star but can he handle things being on the left from Carlson? Thats totally another question.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 895

Holtbyisms

Matt Irwin is a legit talent
Jul 1, 2012
6,915
3,574
Bedford, PA
So I keep reading mixed reviews on Johansen. Some say he sucks and hasn't progressed much in 2 years and some say he has. I guess the truth is somewhere in the middle?

Either way, it doesn't seem like a great pick so far. I will be glad to be proven wrong though.

He's a good second pairing guy at the NHL level who will do all the right things and stabilize a pairing. He's exactly what he was drafted to be. I don't think anyone expected him to be a stud #1 when he was selected. There are a few guys taken after him in the second that I'd definitely rather have but every team missed Debrincat and some others so its hard to call LuJo a bad pick at this point.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->