Prospect Info: CBJ Prospect Thread IX

[spintheblackcircle]

I’m probably one of the few here who believes Milano will still have an NHL career. It’s just that it won’t be here.

He's turning 23 next week and has played the 6th fewest games of any 1st round pick of his draft year. If he was a full time NHL player, he would be by now.

 

[majormajor]

He's turning 23 next week and has played the 6th fewest games of any 1st round pick of his draft year. If he was a full time NHL player, he would be by now.

There's plenty of full time players who began their careers at age 23 or later.

 

[Doggy]

I don't follow the youngsters like a lot of you do, but as an outsider, it seems Milano, Bemstroem, TFW, Foudy, and Tex are all on the smallish side. Watching this Boston series, I don't know if we load up on these types of players they'll be able to compete.

Bemstrom was a 4th rounder and TFW was a seventh round pick. Big, offensively-gifted hard-working players don't usually fall to the fourth round...there's going to be some question marks about their game. Foudy and Tex are both young and 6' tall, give them time and they will fill out their frames just fine.

 

[Doggy]

I think Torts just gets in Milanos head, so it affects him. But if he can get good minutes- gets some success i think snowball effect will come, Because you can see skill& certain mindset on his play easily, that many dont have.

What mindset is that? Granted I have not seen him play live in a long time but he was a kid who skates around taking shots from impossible angles that may dazzle and score on AHL quality goalies (and lower) but are not going to cut it against NHL competition on a regular basis.

I don't know...he seems to be a controversial kid and I am not sure any of us look at him objectively any more. We would all love to see him succeed with the CBJ since we invested a first round pick on him but either you have it out for him and think he's never going to be anything or the kid has a bright future and Torts keeps messing it up. There's no middle ground.

I think unfortunately for him he was over-drafted as#16 overall and he can't shake that label. Doesn't look like he is going to live up to that hype. It doesn't help when you see the NHL production drafted right round him from Jakub Vrana and Dylan Larkin to Alex Tuch. BTW, #25 that year...David Pastrnak who killed us in Game 5

 

[majormajor]

I don't follow the youngsters like a lot of you do, but as an outsider, it seems Milano, Bemstroem, TFW, Foudy, and Tex are all on the smallish side. Watching this Boston series, I don't know if we load up on these types of players they'll be able to compete.

Some of those guys aren't small, but I agree not of them project to be particularly punishing to play against. Howson made some great picks to get Josh Anderson and Boone Jenner, and acquired Foligno and Dubinksy. That's given the club a well earned reputation for being hard to play against. Jarmo hasn't had to look for those types because the team had plenty and skill was the shortcoming.

But now our tough players aren't getting any younger. Jarmo will have to start looking for more toughness and strength in coming drafts.

 

[majormajor]

I don't know...he seems to be a controversial kid and I am not sure any of us look at him objectively any more. We would all love to see him succeed with the CBJ since we invested a first round pick on him but either you have it out for him and think he's never going to be anything or the kid has a bright future and Torts keeps messing it up. There's no middle ground.

I think most of us know the kid has some warts and some good goal scoring skill. I think he could win an NHL job somewhere next Fall. I don't have a problem with the way Torts has coached him.

I think unfortunately for him he was over-drafted as#16 overall and he can't shake that label.

That was years ago. If he shows strongly in someone's camp next Fall I think whoever has him is going to be pleased, and not make reference to his draft position.

 

[majormajor]

Bemstrom was a 4th rounder and TFW was a seventh round pick. Big, offensively-gifted hard-working players don't usually fall to the fourth round...there's going to be some question marks about their game. Foudy and Tex are both young and 6' tall, give them time and they will fill out their frames just fine.

You're right. That makes it all the more shocking we got Josh Anderson in the 4th round - usually the Canadian junior ranks are picked clean of 6 footers by the end of the third round.

 

[pled]

Madden play TFW on PP bit surprising since he never played young player through the season.

and if people aren't too depressed to stop watching hockey Veini is playing in the WC

 

[AndBoomGoesTheCannon]

TFW goal from earlier tonight

 

[spintheblackcircle]

 

[EspenK]

State of the Organization: CBJ Prospects Breaks Down The Blue Jackets' Pipeline, Including Names to Watch in 2019-20

Here are the Blue Jackets’ top 10 prospects. In parentheses, you'll find where they rank in the magazine's overall top 100 list.
1. Liam Foudy (51)
2. Vladislav Gavrikov
3. Elvis Merzlikins
4. Gabriel Carlsson
5. Daniil Tarasov
6. Alexandre Texier
7. Andrew Peeke
8. Emil Bemström
9. Veini Vehviläinen
10. Trey Fix-Wolansky

With 3 of those being G's and 2 guys most likely on the team next season and 2 more with at least a reasonable chance to be in Columbus in 2019-20 and a third round pick not looking too good on the prospect front.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

State of the Organization: CBJ Prospects Breaks Down The Blue Jackets' Pipeline, Including Names to Watch in 2019-20

Here are the Blue Jackets’ top 10 prospects. In parentheses, you'll find where they rank in the magazine's overall top 100 list.
1. Liam Foudy (51)
2. Vladislav Gavrikov
3. Elvis Merzlikins
4. Gabriel Carlsson
5. Daniil Tarasov
6. Alexandre Texier
7. Andrew Peeke
8. Emil Bemström
9. Veini Vehviläinen
10. Trey Fix-Wolansky

With 3 of those being G's and 2 guys most likely on the team next season and 2 more with at least a reasonable chance to be in Columbus in 2019-20 and a third round pick not looking too good on the prospect front.

Some have been saying this for years. When the pool looks shallow the counter is often that a lot of the best prospects were already on the team. List looks decent enough to me.

 

[majormajor]

With 3 of those being G's and 2 guys most likely on the team next season and 2 more with at least a reasonable chance to be in Columbus in 2019-20 and a third round pick not looking too good on the prospect front.

This seems backwards to me. Are you saying that all the guys having a good chance of making the Jackets roster means it is "not looking too good on the prospect front"? Perhaps you meant "will thin the prospect pool next year"? These guys are only valuable to us if they make the team at some point. And why would 3 being G's be a bad thing?

State of the Organization: CBJ Prospects Breaks Down The Blue Jackets' Pipeline, Including Names to Watch in 2019-20

Here are the Blue Jackets’ top 10 prospects. In parentheses, you'll find where they rank in the magazine's overall top 100 list.
1. Liam Foudy (51)
2. Vladislav Gavrikov
3. Elvis Merzlikins
4. Gabriel Carlsson
5. Daniil Tarasov
6. Alexandre Texier
7. Andrew Peeke
8. Emil Bemström
9. Veini Vehviläinen
10. Trey Fix-Wolansky

Must have been some budget cuts at THN. They whiffed on Texier (they put out their ranking before he came to North America). And I'd also think that Gavrikov or Merzlikins might figure in the top 100. Perhaps they just forgot about older prospects not playing in North America.

As for CBJ prospects' list, I think it's a solid top 10. There's no way I'd put Carlson ahead of Texier or Tarasov. Texier especially is a proven gem. But I'm glad someone still likes Carlson - many have been too quick to write off the young D-man.

 

[EspenK]

This seems backwards to me. Are you saying that all the guys having a good chance of making the Jackets roster means it is "not looking too good on the prospect front"? Perhaps you meant "will thin the prospect pool next year"? These guys are only valuable to us if they make the team at some point. And why would 3 being G's be a bad thing?

Yeah I meant "thin going forward" especially if Tex, Bemstrom & Foudy don't all pan out which I think the odds say they won't.

3 G's in and of itself is not bad but presumably only 1 of them will be a 1st string guy for the Jackets. Now if they turn into a production line like Nashville's that ultimately produced Pekka Rinne great but if not then I'm not sure I wouldn't rather have a couple of solid top 6 F prospects. To me that is where the Jackets are weakest. Assuming of course that at least one of the 3 G's turns out to be a long term starter.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

The top end of our list is up there with many NHL teams. Foudy, Gavrikov, Merzlikins, and Texier are all legit NHL prospects who could have big time careers in the NHL (personally, I don't see Foudy having that kind of potential, more of a third liner IMO, but for arguments sake I'll put him here). Bemstrom, Tarasov, Peeke, and Vehvilainen all have high end potential as well, but we'll have to see how they do this season in their respective leagues to see just how much potential they have, especially Bemstrom, Peeke, and Vehvilainen. Regardless, these are very good prospects to have in any system.

The issue is after this group there is almost no NHL potential to our prospect list. Carlsson has the potential, but two years in a row now he's stagnated in his growth, and its fair to wonder if he'll ever be good enough as he has been passed over by multiple defensemen in the system. TFW is a good late round gamble, but in my personal opinion I don't see him being more than an AHL scorer with some cups of coffee in the NHL. Stenlund, Milano, and Robinson are there, but how much NHL potential do they really have?

We also have some prospects who I have no clue about so we'll just have to let time decide how impactful they could be going forward (Marchenko, Berni, Karlberg).

I'd put us in the late middle of the pack in regards to prospect rankings. Which with how many picks we've traded the past few years, is pretty decent.

 

[majormajor]

The top end of our list is up there with many NHL teams. Foudy, Gavrikov, Merzlikins, and Texier are all legit NHL prospects who could have big time careers in the NHL (personally, I don't see Foudy having that kind of potential, more of a third liner IMO, but for arguments sake I'll put him here). Bemstrom, Tarasov, Peeke, and Vehvilainen all have high end potential as well, but we'll have to see how they do this season in their respective leagues to see just how much potential they have, especially Bemstrom, Peeke, and Vehvilainen. Regardless, these are very good prospects to have in any system.

The issue is after this group there is almost no NHL potential to our prospect list. Carlsson has the potential, but two years in a row now he's stagnated in his growth, and its fair to wonder if he'll ever be good enough as he has been passed over by multiple defensemen in the system. TFW is a good late round gamble, but in my personal opinion I don't see him being more than an AHL scorer with some cups of coffee in the NHL. Stenlund, Milano, and Robinson are there, but how much NHL potential do they really have?

We also have some prospects who I have no clue about so we'll just have to let time decide how impactful they could be going forward (Marchenko, Berni, Karlberg).

I'd put us in the late middle of the pack in regards to prospect rankings. Which with how many picks we've traded the past few years, is pretty decent.

I don't agree that our list is shallow.

It's not a top ten pool because there's no blue chippers in it, but I think it's a decent list in terms of quality and depth after that.

Carlsson is 22. Guys emerge as top 4 D starting at later ages than that. Ekholm was getting run out of town by Trotz at that age.

Milano is an NHL scorer, he'd be there already if he was on a thinner roster. He'll probably join a team like the Devils next year.

Stenlund I'm disappointed in, Robinson is a 4th liner. I'd say Sherwood has just as much upside now as Mike Hoffman did at his age. We don't know much about him, but by the boxcar stats TFW is better than Tyler Johnson at a comparable age.

Marchenko, Berni, and Karlberg are just the type of could-be-anything-or-nothing guys that you want in the 15-20 of your pool.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

I don't agree that our list is shallow.

It's not a top ten pool because there's no blue chippers in it, but I think it's a decent list in terms of quality and depth after that.

Carlsson is 22. Guys emerge as top 4 D starting at later ages than that. Ekholm was getting run out of town by Trotz at that age.

Milano is an NHL scorer, he'd be there already if he was on a thinner roster. He'll probably join a team like the Devils next year.

Stenlund I'm disappointed in, Robinson is a 4th liner. I'd say Sherwood has just as much upside now as Mike Hoffman did at his age. We don't know much about him, but by the boxcar stats TFW is better than Tyler Johnson at a comparable age.

Marchenko, Berni, and Karlberg are just the type of could-be-anything-or-nothing guys that you want in the 15-20 of your pool.

Come on now. Hoffman was a PPG and near GPG in junior, and a pretty good player in the minors. His worst season in the minors is as good as Sherwood's best season in the minors (to date). They're nothing alike. I don't get the infatuation with Sherwood at all.

Tyler Johnson was a needle in a haystack, and while I'm not saying TFW has no hope, I don't think counting on him to be close to the next Tyler Johnson is very likely.

Ekholm might have been getting run out of town by Trotz at 22, but at least he was good enough to play in the NHL. Carlsson is not.

 

[EspenK]

Jacket Goggles...gotta love 'em.

 

[thebus88]

Jacket Goggles...gotta love 'em.

Can I ask what your personal predictions were on the CBJ team making the playoffs the past 3 years, before each season??

Also would you have considered those who said they'd make the playoffs of having "Jacket Goggles"??

 

[majormajor]

Come on now. Hoffman was a PPG and near GPG in junior, and a pretty good player in the minors. His worst season in the minors is as good as Sherwood's best season in the minors (to date). They're nothing alike. I don't get the infatuation with Sherwood at all.

"Infatuation"? I don't see anyone infatuated with Sherwood. I see a few people thinking he's got a decent chance, most people ignoring him, and one poster dissing on him at every opportunity.

Here's the side by side numbers, with age and months in September of that year:

	League	GP	G	A	P
Sherwood age 21 9m	AHL	56	16	9	25
Hoffman age 20 11m	AHL	74	7	18	25
Hoffman age 21 11m	AHL	76	21	28	49

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Sherwood's AHL rookie year (his only year in the AHL) looks better than Hoffman's rookie year, but he was 10 months older.

Tyler Johnson was a needle in a haystack, and while I'm not saying TFW has no hope, I don't think counting on him to be close to the next Tyler Johnson is very likely.

I never said anything to the effect that I was "counting on him" to be anything. I think TFW has a decent (>20%) chance of becoming a top six forward in the NHL. You're giving me a purposefully bad reading.

Ekholm might have been getting run out of town by Trotz at 22, but at least he was good enough to play in the NHL. Carlsson is not.

Carlsson has played more NHL games than Ekholm had at his age. Ekholm had played 3, Carlsson has played 17. Ekholm didn't play his 17th NHL game until he was a full year older.

Jacket Goggles...gotta love 'em.

Apparently Jackets Goggles help you keep your facts straight.

 

[Xoggz22]

I think people are sleeping on Marchenko. To me, he has the highest ceiling of our forwards.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

"Infatuation"? I don't see anyone infatuated with Sherwood. I see a few people thinking he's got a decent chance, most people ignoring him, and one poster dissing on him at every opportunity.

Here's the side by side numbers, with age and months in September of that year:

	League	GP	G	A	P
Sherwood age 21 9m	AHL	56	16	9	25
Hoffman age 20 11m	AHL	74	7	18	25
Hoffman age 21 11m	AHL	76	21	28	49

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Sherwood's AHL rookie year (his only year in the AHL) looks better than Hoffman's rookie year, but he was 10 months older.



I never said anything to the effect that I was "counting on him" to be anything. I think TFW has a decent (>20%) chance of becoming a top six forward in the NHL. You're giving me a purposefully bad reading.



Carlsson has played more NHL games than Ekholm had at his age. Ekholm had played 3, Carlsson has played 17. Ekholm didn't play his 17th NHL game until he was a full year older.



Apparently Jackets Goggles help you keep your facts straight.

You're making way too much out of this. Over a nothing prospect too, which is odd.

I don't bash him at every turn. You brought him up, I responded. This isn't our first discussion about this either. I would understand if this was one of our top prospects that the team was going to have to count on going forward, but its Kole Sherwood. If he becomes a 4th line player the team would consider it a success. So, I don't really get why you rush to defend your arguments on the kid.

I didn't really mean you were counting on TFW and you know I didn't mean that. Stop reaching.

The Ekholm thing I was going off your statement and didn't review the information myself. So, apologies there. But the point still stands that he has stagnated ever since he came here and has been passed over by people who shouldn't be ahead of him (Kukan, Harrington, Clendening, etc). It's concerning. Too early to give up on him, but its also too late to keep giving him opportunities to bounce back. Sometimes they just don't have it. Next year is a big one for him because he could easily push out Harrington or Kukan if he has a better camp than them (assuming all three are still on the roster).

 

[majormajor]

You're making way too much out of this. Over a nothing prospect too, which is odd.

I don't think he's a "nothing prospect" and I'll make as much out of that as I want to.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

I don't think he's a "nothing prospect" and I'll make as much out of that as I want to.

Apparently so.

 

[thebus88]

Just to throw my 2 cents in here.... I watched quite a bit of the TC tournament last summer, and while some may say its just a summer tournament, the truth is that the rink is full of NHL scouts and upper management watching the most NHL ready prospects they have against other teams same top guys, while being able to implement team strategies and really seeing how these guys stack up against teams FULL of other top players. Other than the WJC it is the highest level of game that an NHL prospect could play in. Its quite literally AHL level. And these guys know its a BIG opportunity or event in their young careers.

With that said, I was actually VERY impressed with Sherwood. I will not go as far as to compare him to Hoffman, as I don't think the skating or pure shot is there, but as can be looked up, my comparison is Hartnell. And I'm dead serious, both the style of player and the potential he could have at the NHL level. Maybe a poor mans Hartnell is more accurate, as he was fine at his peak as a top line/top 6 winger, and Sherwood upside is more 3rd line guy. But the size, grit, and legit hands/scoring ability in tight/around the net is there.

Who disappointed me was TFW. I say this as a small dude who still plays to this day, both an offensive and/or a defensive or "feisty" style, you could say that he plays. Was not impressed, at all. Some guys need a game or 2 to gets their legs and hands working fully, and this would have been the highest level he'd have played at the time, and some guys there (a lot really) were quite a bit older, played in the tournament already, AND played in the AHL, so there are legit excuses, Imo. Anyways, my point is at this point, I see Sherwood with more NHL potential than TFW.

Carlsson is terrible and I've been saying it longer than anybody. I cant believe our scouting staff/Jarmo made the decision to draft him when they did...ALSO NOT TO MENTION (as somebody else on here did somewhat recently-DK who) the decision by both Jarmo AND TORTS to actually dress this guys for a game against Crosby/Malkin and the f***ing Penguins. The only way I see him having ANY sort of NHL career is if he FOCUSES on his physical size and his fitness level, and just becomes a big-strong defensive defenseman who is capable at keeping up. He seriously needs to get in ELITE physical condition. His skating is currently terrible, and it always has been. And he literally doesn't impress at ANYTHING else. The fact that this publication had him as our top prospect last year, and still has him at 4 now, says all I need to know about how I trust their opinion on things.