Cole Cassels (MOD Warning Post #417)

[David Bruce Banner]

Could probably have benefited from a season in the Zoo instead. He's too slow and weak as it is, plus the jump from Junior to Pro is larger than many of us here on HFboards appreciate. I don't think the ECHL is such a pariah league anymore, and might be a good place for guys like Cassels (and Stewart, for that matter) to address some the issues with their game.

I still have high hopes for him. It's too bad he had to spend the Summer rehabbing rather than working on his strength and skating, but I hope he's taking this all in and will be more ready when next season comes around.

If he makes it to the NHL, I'm expecting it's via a Gaunce-type route... so, he probably won't be sticking with the big team until 2016 or 2017.

 

[Hardyvan123]

Could probably have benefited from a season in the Zoo instead. He's too slow and weak as it is, plus the jump from Junior to Pro is larger than many of us here on HFboards appreciate. I don't think the ECHL is such a pariah league anymore, and might be a good place for guys like Cassels (and Stewart, for that matter) to address some the issues with their game.

I still have high hopes for him. It's too bad he had to spend the Summer rehabbing rather than working on his strength and skating, but I hope he's taking this all in and will be more ready when next season comes around.

If he makes it to the NHL, I'm expecting it's via a Gaunce-type route... so, he probably won't be sticking with the big team until 2016 or 2017.

Pretty much this and I think he is obviously going to need to work on his skating.

He seems like a character kid and the setback this season is something that he will turn into a positive.

 

[dav1nc1]

People were worrying about shink and gaunce last year too.

Wait till the end of the year

 

[MS]

The player we watched in the OHL playoffs should not be struggling this badly.

He was basically unable to train most of the summer and is pretty clearly still not right.

 

[VanJack]

I understand the Comets are trying to turn him into a winger....might have worked with Gaunce, but no way will it work with Cassels....guy is a centre, pure and simple.....but if his skating is holding him back from playing his natural position, then he needs to go to the 'Zoo to get it right.....he's wasting their time and the Comets time on the wing.

 

[Rebuilt]

Its a big jump from dominating as a 20 year old in junior to being a 20 year old in the AHL with no experience playing against men. Guys like Nylander who are ultra gifted can handle it but guys like Cassells need to work on their skating .

Once he does that he will be fine.

 

[Josepho]

Its a big jump from dominating as a 20 year old in junior to being a 20 year old in the AHL with no experience playing against men. Guys like Nylander who are ultra gifted can handle it but guys like Cassells need to work on their skating .

Once he does that he will be fine.

Also worth noting that Nylander had been playing with men already. I'm not sure if that's the best guy to compare him to.

 

[Wisp]

]Its a big jump from dominating as a 20 year old in junior[/B] to being a 20 year old in the AHL with no experience playing against men. Guys like Nylander who are ultra gifted can handle it but guys like Cassells need to work on their skating .

Once he does that he will be fine.

for eff sakes, his last Junior season was his 19 year old season. people keep saying "he was 20" and implying he was an overager. He's not. He turned 20 in the playoffs.

Cassels will be fine. had a super short summer do to excessively long post-season + rehab. Look for him in the second half of the year.

 

[monster_bertuzzi]

for eff sakes, his last Junior season was his 19 year old season. people keep saying "he was 20" and implying he was an overager. He's not. He turned 20 in the playoffs.

Cassels will be fine. had a super short summer do to excessively long post-season + rehab. Look for him in the second half of the year.

That's true, but early-calender 19 year olds in Juniours who turn 20 before the playoffs are considering virtual overagers as well, unless im missing something.

 

[sda]

That's true, but early-calender 19 year olds in Juniours who turn 20 before the playoffs are considering virtual overagers as well, unless im missing something.

No they are not never heard of a virtual overager

 

[WTG]

It is better for him to stay with Utica.

Just because he's having a rough year doesn't mean we should do something drastic like send him to the Zoo or back to Oshawa.

 

[NuxFan09]

It is better for him to stay with Utica.

Just because he's having a rough year doesn't mean we should do something drastic like send him to the Zoo or back to Oshawa.

I agree in principle about not panicking and doing anything drastic but I don't necessarily feel that sending him to Kalamazoo is drastic. As long as you're not leaving him there to rot, I think there's a lot to gain from sending him to a lower level where he can be a scorer and gain some confidence.

It's also a way to really judge where a player is at. A few years ago, the Rangers were in a similar situation with Michael St. Croix. He was a player who dominated in junior but had question marks as well (for him it was his size, for Cassels it's his skating). He couldn't quite cut it at the AHL level so he was sent to the ECHL. Fast forward to now and he's still there.

Obviously I'm not saying that will be Cassels' fate. What I'm saying is that it ended up being a more practical indicator on the player than forcing him into the AHL lineup and finding out what kind of player he is the hard way.

I say give him until the team is healthy (ie. when Jensen and Kenins return). If he's still not finding his way, send him down. Jensen and Kenins deserve spots over him and he's better playing than sitting doing nothing in Utica.

 

[Pip]

This is why you own your AHL team, to keep players like Cassels who clearly have NHL potential, but are currently not contributing at the AHL level. Keep him in the system for now and see if he can play his way out of it. He was clearly hurt and has a short summer rehabbing. I expect him to have a strong second half.

The ECHL is where prospects go to die.

 

[WTG]

Yeah, sending players to the Zoo would be absolutely horrible.

It'd put it in the same category as basically giving up on a prospect.

 

[Wisp]

That's true, but early-calender 19 year olds in Juniours who turn 20 before the playoffs are considering virtual overagers as well, unless im missing something.

you're not missing anything, you're making stuff up. there's no such thing as a 'virtual overager.' It's his fourth CHL season, like any other player in his age range. Actual overagers - like Mallet and Dane Fox - typically play five CHL seasons.

No one called Dan Hamhuis a overager in his fourth and final OHL season. No one called Max Domi one either, overager for being 20 in his fourth and final OHL season, either. Domi was celebrated.

 

[Hardyvan123]

I agree in principle about not panicking and doing anything drastic but I don't necessarily feel that sending him to Kalamazoo is drastic. As long as you're not leaving him there to rot, I think there's a lot to gain from sending him to a lower level where he can be a scorer and gain some confidence.

It's also a way to really judge where a player is at. A few years ago, the Rangers were in a similar situation with Michael St. Croix. He was a player who dominated in junior but had question marks as well (for him it was his size, for Cassels it's his skating). He couldn't quite cut it at the AHL level so he was sent to the ECHL. Fast forward to now and he's still there.

Obviously I'm not saying that will be Cassels' fate. What I'm saying is that it ended up being a more practical indicator on the player than forcing him into the AHL lineup and finding out what kind of player he is the hard way.

I say give him until the team is healthy (ie. when Jensen and Kenins return). If he's still not finding his way, send him down. Jensen and Kenins deserve spots over him and he's better playing than sitting doing nothing in Utica.

I tend to agree with this and giving prospects big roles and MPG to play in all situations and then the management can assess what they have in any single player.

All too often a guy can and will lose his confidence and rhythm with limited MPG.

 

[Tiranis]

Actual overagers - like Mallet and Dane Fox - typically play five CHL seasons.

Where did this thing with Mallet come from? Everyone constantly calls him an overager. The pick didn't work out but he was a 19 year old putting up excellent numbers while being one of the toughest players in the Q. His season ended before he even turned 20. He was NOT an overager.

 

[dav1nc1]

Where did this thing with Mallet come from? Everyone constantly calls him an overager. The pick didn't work out but he was a 19 year old putting up excellent numbers while being one of the toughest players in the Q. His season ended before he even turned 20. He was NOT an overeager.

It's because he was an overager at the draft. Not an overager in the Q. People get confused.

 

[Hansen]

It's because he was an overager at the draft. Not an overager in the Q. People get confused.

Yeah draft overagers =/= CHL overagers

 

[MISC*]

Y

Any updates on Cole? He was an intriguing prospect.

 

[WTG]

Injured during the off-season didn't get the proper training in the summer.

Green scratches him just so that he can work out. Green also expects major turnaround in his game by Christmas.

 

[AwesomeInTheory]

Gee, it's nice having a coach explain himself without using real good cliches and instead explains his rationale while he's doing it.

 

[F A N]

Gee, it's nice having a coach explain himself without using real good cliches and instead explains his rationale while he's doing it.

Willie has often explained his rationale.

 

[Wilch]

Willie has often explained his rationale.

Explained without using any logic or reason.

 

[brokenhole]

Willie has often explained his rationale.

He does?