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

[trick9]

I'm not sure how eager teams in Europe would be in signing junior players from CHL if they don't believe the AHL season is going to be played. The best juniors would propably find a job somewhere but the rest... well you have to go play in pretty bad leagues and still buy into living overseas for a year.

 

[hb12xchamps]

I'm not sure how eager teams in Europe would be in signing junior players from CHL if they don't believe the AHL season is going to be played. The best juniors would propably find a job somewhere but the rest... well you have to go play in pretty bad leagues and still buy into living overseas for a year.

There’s been plenty of guys around McMichael’s age who have been loaned overseas. Edmonton seems to be the team that has sent the most over and LA sent three of their top prospects to one team. I don’t think it would be difficult to convince McMichael to play in the Swiss league. Beautiful cities and plenty of English all around.

 

[Rayquaza64]

Alexei Protas' 4th goal of the year

 

[Holtbyisms]

Alexei Protas' 4th goal of the year

What a killer scouting job nabbing this kid where they did. He looks like a stud.

 

[tenken00]

What a killer scouting job nabbing this kid where they did. He looks like a stud.

I'm starting to think that Brett Leason was all Protas.

 

[Langway]

I'm starting to think that Brett Leason was all Protas.

Nah, it's more that the WHL is a slower paced league and Leason was better able to dominate as an older player. Protas was almost equally good while being two years younger and naturally he's only improved since. Protas was the better prospect at the time because of the age factor but Leason was good in his own right at that level. It's more a matter of Leason continuing to improve in every facet, mainly his skating in order to create room but also adding a little more of a power forward type game and gaining strength. It's a process and anyone that watched Leason in the Memorial Cup should have realized he wasn't really close to being NHL-ready.

 

[Rayquaza64]

Nah, it's more that the WHL is a slower paced league and Leason was better able to dominate as an older player. Protas was almost equally good while being two years younger and naturally he's only improved since. Protas was the better prospect at the time because of the age factor but Leason was good in his own right at that level. It's more a matter of Leason continuing to improve in every facet, mainly his skating in order to create room but also adding a little more of a power forward type game and gaining strength. It's a process and anyone that watched Leason in the Memorial Cup should have realized he wasn't really close to being NHL-ready.

yeah but dude wasnt anywhere close to AHL ready either lmao

 

[racingmoose]

Nah, it's more that the WHL is a slower paced league and Leason was better able to dominate as an older player. Protas was almost equally good while being two years younger and naturally he's only improved since. Protas was the better prospect at the time because of the age factor but Leason was good in his own right at that level. It's more a matter of Leason continuing to improve in every facet, mainly his skating in order to create room but also adding a little more of a power forward type game and gaining strength. It's a process and anyone that watched Leason in the Memorial Cup should have realized he wasn't really close to being NHL-ready.

Leason struggled in the AHL last year and wasn't showing much potential. He needs to turn it around if he wants to be considered a prospect.

 

[tenken00]

Can't sleep so posting some stuff I found from the HF prospects board on Trineyev that he did after the draft:



Today's primary assist:



Today's goal:

 

[Rayquaza64]

i could easily see bogdan becoming a 2nd/3rd line power forward who scores 30-50 pts a year. Pretty good pick

 

[Rayquaza64]

Alex Alexeyev with a beautiful shot for his first career KHL goal

 

[Raikkonen]

Such a nice goal.

 

[Cush]

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Edit: never mind -- found it.

 

[LesDiablesRouges]

Edit: never mind -- found it.

I really love Mahoney. Not only amazing at his craft, but, he seems like such a good guy.

 

[um]

When are we gonna do a new prospects list? Those were always fun.

 

[Ridley Simon]

When are we gonna do a new prospects list? Those were always fun.

I was going to post the exact same thing. Spot on. Time for a new top 20!!

 

[tenken00]

I was gonna try and do one after the draft but then was gonna wait out until it seems like the Caps are finished making moves in case a prospect gets shipped in or out.

 

[Ridley Simon]

I was gonna try and do one after the draft but then was gonna wait out until it seems like the Caps are finished making moves in case a prospect gets shipped in or out.

I guess I would say that roster building is always happening between now and the TDL. So not sure when the perfect time is.

but that old saying “there’s no time like the present!!”

 

[tenken00]

I guess I would say that roster building is always happening between now and the TDL. So not sure when the perfect time is.

but that old saying “there’s no time like the present!!”

Haha true true. Well, we figure that there should be at least one more move happening sometime soon to get under the cap right?

 

[Ridley Simon]

Haha true true. Well, we figure that there should be at least one more move happening sometime soon to get under the cap right?

Perhaps yes. Assuming we even get a prospect back.

 

[tenken00]

From today's Scott Wheeler's Athletic NHL top 50 prospects article:

NHL prospect rankings: Wheeler's top 50, post-2020 draft edition

30. Connor McMichael, C/LW, 19 (Washington Capitals — 25th overall, 2019)
Previous ranking: No. 21

McMichael’s one of those prospects who doesn’t really wow me when I watch him. A nuanced skills-based evaluation of his game probably leaves evaluators a little lower on the number of A-level skills he has (or doesn’t). As a result, it took me a little longer than it probably should have to come around on his upside as a top prospect. But the faster you understand that McMichael’s game is built on a foundation of strong skills and unmistakable on-ice intelligence, the more you can appreciate what makes him so good. His wrist shot is his greatest asset but it’s all the rest that helps him get into spots to score. It’s the head-up nature of his approach without the puck, the way he uses space on give-and-gos, the simplicity of his approach and the detail he plays with all over the ice. And everything else is just strong enough. I’m not convinced of his star power but I’ve come to appreciate his upside as a potential impact player.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

From today's Scott Wheeler's Athletic NHL top 50 prospects article:

NHL prospect rankings: Wheeler's top 50, post-2020 draft edition

30. Connor McMichael, C/LW, 19 (Washington Capitals — 25th overall, 2019)
Previous ranking: No. 21

McMichael’s one of those prospects who doesn’t really wow me when I watch him. A nuanced skills-based evaluation of his game probably leaves evaluators a little lower on the number of A-level skills he has (or doesn’t). As a result, it took me a little longer than it probably should have to come around on his upside as a top prospect. But the faster you understand that McMichael’s game is built on a foundation of strong skills and unmistakable on-ice intelligence, the more you can appreciate what makes him so good. His wrist shot is his greatest asset but it’s all the rest that helps him get into spots to score. It’s the head-up nature of his approach without the puck, the way he uses space on give-and-gos, the simplicity of his approach and the detail he plays with all over the ice. And everything else is just strong enough. I’m not convinced of his star power but I’ve come to appreciate his upside as a potential impact player.

Not sure how Lapierre is below guys like Gunler, Mysak, Denisenko, or Bourque or how McMichael dropped that low but hey, to each their own. I'd take Lapierre over Bobby Brink and Owen Tippett as well.

 

[Rayquaza64]

From today's Scott Wheeler's Athletic NHL top 50 prospects article:

NHL prospect rankings: Wheeler's top 50, post-2020 draft edition

30. Connor McMichael, C/LW, 19 (Washington Capitals — 25th overall, 2019)
Previous ranking: No. 21

McMichael’s one of those prospects who doesn’t really wow me when I watch him. A nuanced skills-based evaluation of his game probably leaves evaluators a little lower on the number of A-level skills he has (or doesn’t). As a result, it took me a little longer than it probably should have to come around on his upside as a top prospect. But the faster you understand that McMichael’s game is built on a foundation of strong skills and unmistakable on-ice intelligence, the more you can appreciate what makes him so good. His wrist shot is his greatest asset but it’s all the rest that helps him get into spots to score. It’s the head-up nature of his approach without the puck, the way he uses space on give-and-gos, the simplicity of his approach and the detail he plays with all over the ice. And everything else is just strong enough. I’m not convinced of his star power but I’ve come to appreciate his upside as a potential impact player.

i personally disagree with wheelers assessment on the "star power", McMichael has definitely shown flashes that he could be a top center in the league but maybe thats just my caps/london knights homer glasses on

 

[tenken00]

Not sure how Lapierre is below guys like Gunler, Mysak, Denisenko, or Bourque or how McMichael dropped that low but hey, to each their own. I'd take Lapierre over Bobby Brink and Owen Tippett as well.

Yeah, I don't know how Wheeler has guys that were drafted way below Lapierre and not close to him in ability on the board while Lapierre is not. He's an injury risk yes, but that should only be taken into consideration in the actual draft itself. Not a prospect list.

Here's the full list - just the rankings (he goes into detail with a writeup on each one as well)