Prospect Info: Caps Top Prospects General Discussion Thread Vol. 1

[usiel]

On Protas monitoring his foot speed development is the key thing for me.

 

[Silky mitts]

 

[Langway]

Liked Foerster & Neighbours among the first round bubble forwards.

 

[kicksavedave]

Yan Kuznetsov? Come on, make this happen so we can hear "No relation" for another 10 years.

 

[usiel]

Florchuk with the hat trick on Friday.

 

[Langway]

Hat trick McMichael. Up to 33 goals in 32 games now. I legit would trade him for maybe five prospects tops.

 

[francaisvolantsparis]

Hat trick McMichael. Up to 33 goals in 32 games now. I legit would trade him for maybe five prospects tops.

Very soon we will have seven forwards for six places in our top-6.

 

[Raikkonen]

Very soon we will have seven forwards for six places in our top-6.

19 and 92 - most talented human forwards Caps have - started on the 4th line. Nothing bad happened.

 

[Langway]

On NHLN tonight at 7 eastern. Potential late first rounders include Sanderson, Smilanic, Bordeleau and Brisson. Mike Knuble will be the honorary coach of the NTDP side.

 

[artilector]

Very soon we will have seven forwards for six places in our top-6.

8 with Eller.

 

[artilector]

Re: CMM, it's great that he's putting up all these numbers, but from my limited viewing of highlights/team Canada the thing that gives me a bit of pause is this -- what's his truly elite skill?

He seems like a generally well-rounded prospect offensively, but without some kind of truly elite ability, it can be a bit problematic for such guys to really shine in the NHL. (Unless they're Scandinavian, in which case they tend to arrive with built-in elite defensive instincts/discipline, heh)

 

[895]

Re: CMM, it's great that he's putting up all these numbers, but from my limited viewing of highlights/team Canada the thing that gives me a bit of pause is this -- what's his truly elite skill?

He seems like a generally well-rounded prospect offensively, but without some kind of truly elite ability, it can be a bit problematic for such guys to really shine in the NHL. (Unless they're Scandinavian, in which case they tend to arrive with built-in elite defensive instincts/discipline, heh)

Hockey IQ

 

[Langway]

Hockey IQ

And an elite wrister. He doesn't dominate defensively/competitively all-around, hence the likelihood of starting as a winger IMO, but the offensive instincts are pretty high level. In the pre-season with the Caps, the offensive craftiness was on display. If he were completely NHL-ready he'd perhaps be putting up historic OHL numbers. As-is he's still tracking toward something like a top 5 offensive season in that league from the past decade plus.

If there's a question it's about his off puck play perhaps but I think that comes around with pro experience and as he further matures physically.

 

[Silky mitts]

Re: CMM, it's great that he's putting up all these numbers, but from my limited viewing of highlights/team Canada the thing that gives me a bit of pause is this -- what's his truly elite skill?

He seems like a generally well-rounded prospect offensively, but without some kind of truly elite ability, it can be a bit problematic for such guys to really shine in the NHL. (Unless they're Scandinavian, in which case they tend to arrive with built-in elite defensive instincts/discipline, heh)

Wrist shot release is 100/100

 

[kicksavedave]

Wrist shot release is 100/100

So he's Alex Semin?

 

[ALLCAPSALLTHETIME]

So he's Alex Semin?

Semin +++

 

[Silky mitts]

So he's Alex Semin?

Semin would rip a wrister from the top of the circle and in slow motion it’s like how could anyone stop that one. Very heavy and tough to pick up but he needed space to get it off. With CMM it’s like below the hashmarks he scores and in slow motion it’s like I don’t think the goalie picked that up at all. Like there is something going on with this guys hands that’s different than other guys because the goalie was looking short side all the way.

 

[Melkor]

And an elite wrister. He doesn't dominate defensively/competitively all-around, hence the likelihood of starting as a winger IMO, but the offensive instincts are pretty high level. In the pre-season with the Caps, the offensive craftiness was on display. If he were completely NHL-ready he'd perhaps be putting up historic OHL numbers. As-is he's still tracking toward something like a top 5 offensive season in that league from the past decade plus.

If there's a question it's about his off puck play perhaps but I think that comes around with pro experience and as he further matures physically.

It better be more than just wrister. James Neal has an elite wrister but he's a pretty average/underwhelming player at basically everything else.

 

[Marshall]

How are his bongo skills?

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

It better be more than just wrister. James Neal has an elite wrister but he's a pretty average/underwhelming player at basically everything else.

I'd be thrilled if McMichael has 12 20+ goal seasons, a 40+ goal season, and a 30+ goal season.

 

[Melkor]

I'd be thrilled if McMichael has 12 20+ goal seasons, a 40+ goal season, and a 30+ goal season.

Correction: 10 20+ goal seasons out of which 1 is a 40 goal season. Neals also only 4 times managed to reach a 50 pt mark. The longevity is remarkable but the way McMichael gets praised here I suspect people expect more from him than riding coat tails of elite centremen.

 

[Sam Spade]

I get a very Claude Giroux vibe from McMichael. His passing, his lethal shot, his awesome face-off ability, and he is a better skater.

Would be thrilled if he turned out to be like him.

 

[Raikkonen]

Guroux is one of the best scorers of the past decade IIRC. Would be not half bad.

 

[Hivemind]

I get a very Claude Giroux vibe from McMichael. His passing, his lethal shot, his awesome face-off ability, and he is a better skater.

Would be thrilled if he turned out to be like him.

I think Giroux is more slippery with the puck on his stick. At his best, Giroux manages to find ways around defenders with the puck very well, even when he's not burning through the neutral zone at speed. He can be exceptional in tight spaces when playing at his peak. A really good combination of hockey sense, puck protection, and hands. He also looooves his one timers.

McMichael might pick up a bit of the one timer tendencies from Giroux, but I'm not sure he's going to be as good in tight spaces as Giroux is. Hopefully he will be, as Giroux is one heck of a player. But I'm thinking McMichael is a more stylistic match for Logan Couture. Great vision, good on the rush, able to find the open ice with and without the puck.

 

[Silky mitts]

I get a very Claude Giroux vibe from McMichael. His passing, his lethal shot, his awesome face-off ability, and he is a better skater.

Would be thrilled if he turned out to be like him.

Where have you seen the passing?