Prospect Info: Development Camp ‘23

[TCB]

• Sweeney on Lohrei: "Mason has been right out in front; he expects to challenge for a spot this year. I think it was really important for him to get into Providence last year and play and be in a pro-environment, to know what he able to get away with at the college level that may or may not translate at the pro level and then it'll be another step. He'll go through the progressions of Rookie Camp and play in some exhibition games, and we'll see where he's at. He's healthy. A year ago, he was recovering from knee surgery and has made some nice gains in all the areas that he's needed too to be back at full strength. You love the size; you love the puck poise. The execution and the pace of play are probably going to dictate when it translates, but we're excited about his trajectory and what he can bring to our organization."
• Sweeney on Matthew Poitras: "Well, he only has two options. He is either going to come back and play in the OHL or he'll play in Boston. In my meeting with Matthew… He had a terrific year and his hockey sense, his skill, really stand out for us. The pace of play and the strength of play against NHL players is what dictates whether a player can make that jump. It's a big jump, but we really like his hockey IQ, and he needs to focus on being a little bit more shot ready, I think he's a pass first guy, but he sneaky has a really good shot. So, maybe that just needs to develop a little more and know when to be selfish in certain situations, but he'll get a chance in camp to hopefully see that translate, I think he'll play… I know Monty was talking about different players and opportunity and we'll see. He'll make the progression through Rookie Camp and then get into main camp and see if they can't get into exhibition games and they'll be several of those guys and Matthew is one of them."

 

[JoeIsAStud]

Brunet was impressive- controlled play and showed a nice wrister- again needs a year in juniors ( or the AHL) and some added muscle. Couldn't tell from the scrimmage how much his defensive skills have been developed

Good stuff. Yeah I do hope Brunet is in Providence. I don't believe another year in the Q is likely to do much for his defensive development, but maybe it would help his offence to put up 125 points

 

[bbfan419]

No. I just had a total hip replacement so I am not going anywhere. Tomorrow I have my first post op with the surgeon. They say driving 6 to 8 weeks...I say by 4 weeks.

I really appreciate the reports from those going

Take care Susan, hope you heal quickly and feel better.

 

[DominicT]

Went M- W & F to DC

Beesfan above did a very good job but major emphatic disagree on Poitras . I might empty the Hockey Encyclopedia before I get to Hamill as a comp to him. Don’t see the Krejci either. Maybe a Higher competitive Ryan Spooner on Red Bull who goes into traffic areas

Lysell showed his skating and slick hands but he’s probably operating at 80%

The fact he was there and showed high tools was significant

Lohrei grew up playing forward as a sub 6 foot player before a growth spurt and position change and it shows when he has the puck - excellent hands and uses reach and body ro get into space with tune to make plays

These are my THREE I’d put money on if healthy become good NHL players (top 6 F & top 4 D)

Note: none of rhe players mentioned played in the Stanley Cup playoffs and were matched up against players from CHL, USHL, NCAA, and Europe

If I say something nice about a Forward he wasn’t up against Radko Gudas or Chandler Stephenson or Jane Stephenson

FREDERIC BRUNET

Got to the point I was waiting for him in scrimmage to jump over the boards he was so much fun to watch. He’s a playmaker and can move - looking forward to see what he does against guys significantly older and more experienced in AHL. Against 18-22 year olds impressive

KRISTIAN KOSTADINSKI LD

He’s huge - really huge, and didn’t look out of place in the scrimmage which considering his pre draft stuff I saw as high as round 3 and usually 4 or 5 means he’s got something

7th round - No brainer

ETHAN RITCHIE LD

One of my favorite players- older brother of Avs first round pick Calum, he flies

He’s 6’1 and his stats in Sarnia blew away Mast - and he led the Sting with a plus 39

He’s signed to an AHL contract as was undrafted - to me he was ‘wtf Eric, who the heck is this’ ….curious what others say because he stood out from the first skating drill Monday to Fridays shoot out

I’ll do Three Forwards later

Nassar
Duran
Pelosi

Duran & Pelosi I set out to consciously watch

Nassau kept showing up well

I can tell you Ritchie had 4 offers. He chose the Bruins for two reasons, first being he likes the way they develop defencemen.

 

[PepeBostones]

Thank you to all who shared their views from the past week. Always appreciated

 

[Dellstrom]

• Sweeney on Lohrei: "Mason has been right out in front; he expects to challenge for a spot this year. I think it was really important for him to get into Providence last year and play and be in a pro-environment, to know what he able to get away with at the college level that may or may not translate at the pro level and then it'll be another step. He'll go through the progressions of Rookie Camp and play in some exhibition games, and we'll see where he's at. He's healthy. A year ago, he was recovering from knee surgery and has made some nice gains in all the areas that he's needed too to be back at full strength. You love the size; you love the puck poise. The execution and the pace of play are probably going to dictate when it translates, but we're excited about his trajectory and what he can bring to our organization."
• Sweeney on Matthew Poitras: "Well, he only has two options. He is either going to come back and play in the OHL or he'll play in Boston. In my meeting with Matthew… He had a terrific year and his hockey sense, his skill, really stand out for us. The pace of play and the strength of play against NHL players is what dictates whether a player can make that jump. It's a big jump, but we really like his hockey IQ, and he needs to focus on being a little bit more shot ready, I think he's a pass first guy, but he sneaky has a really good shot. So, maybe that just needs to develop a little more and know when to be selfish in certain situations, but he'll get a chance in camp to hopefully see that translate, I think he'll play… I know Monty was talking about different players and opportunity and we'll see. He'll make the progression through Rookie Camp and then get into main camp and see if they can't get into exhibition games and they'll be several of those guys and Matthew is one of them."

Two really exciting prospects. They have time to develop but really looking forward to seeing their journey.

 

[Saxon Eric]

 

[UncleRico]

• Sweeney on Lohrei: "Mason has been right out in front; he expects to challenge for a spot this year. I think it was really important for him to get into Providence last year and play and be in a pro-environment, to know what he able to get away with at the college level that may or may not translate at the pro level and then it'll be another step. He'll go through the progressions of Rookie Camp and play in some exhibition games, and we'll see where he's at. He's healthy. A year ago, he was recovering from knee surgery and has made some nice gains in all the areas that he's needed too to be back at full strength. You love the size; you love the puck poise. The execution and the pace of play are probably going to dictate when it translates, but we're excited about his trajectory and what he can bring to our organization."
• Sweeney on Matthew Poitras: "Well, he only has two options. He is either going to come back and play in the OHL or he'll play in Boston. In my meeting with Matthew… He had a terrific year and his hockey sense, his skill, really stand out for us. The pace of play and the strength of play against NHL players is what dictates whether a player can make that jump. It's a big jump, but we really like his hockey IQ, and he needs to focus on being a little bit more shot ready, I think he's a pass first guy, but he sneaky has a really good shot. So, maybe that just needs to develop a little more and know when to be selfish in certain situations, but he'll get a chance in camp to hopefully see that translate, I think he'll play… I know Monty was talking about different players and opportunity and we'll see. He'll make the progression through Rookie Camp and then get into main camp and see if they can't get into exhibition games and they'll be several of those guys and Matthew is one of them."

That’s a slightly interesting comment by Sweeney on poitras there

 

[TCB]

That’s a slightly interesting comment by Sweeney on poitras there

Yep. He's basically saying if he shows he's good enough, he's not going to holding him back

 

[Saxon Eric]

2023 Draft picks

Mamouth Kristian Kostadinski had himself quite the week. After being mortified by his lack of mobility and questioning the "upside" at what looked to be a wasted pick I watched him play vs his peers and changed my tune.
He's well schooled on how to defend, doesn't unnecessarily chase, knows where to go, is physical and clears the crease with ease, he was a vacuum cleaner any time they tried to attack his side and his skating became noticeably better from Monday to Friday, he's a very long term project that just turned 18, everything that's a flaw is fixable

Casper Nassen who is an overager by 1 year showed a bit more polish than many of his peers, another one I was initially skeptical about with his foot work but once the sessions changed from skating around cones to more game like situations he shined a bit more, first couple of steps are heavy but he's a powerful skater, big dude with soft hands and a lethal shot,deadly in tight,now the interesting part is where will he play next year,he doesn't start College till 2024,hopefully ends up in North America sooner than later

Ryan Walsh is a double overager who had a decent camp, effort and motor looked fine, sneaky shot, was responsible defensively , I still have questions about his skating, not sure if there's much upside if any? Some of my peers thought he had a strong camp
I'll track him at Cornell this year and we'll see

Beckett Hendrickson,just a solid prospect who had a very strong camp, a typical well trained NTDP player, I was impressed with his hands/vision combo, + shot, high IQ who looks to be on a similar path like Andre Gasseau, extra year in the USHL should do wonders for his offensive game, the one negative I have with him is he's very light

Chris Pelosi, Dude is a dirt dog, always in the middle of the action, hunts the puck relentlessly, max effort, forced turnovers all week, you notice him when he's on the ice, never backs down, skating was slightly above average , hands/shot are good but I think there's room for improvement , hell of a pick!

I'll cover the invites next

 

[rocketdan9]

Nasty move

 

[rocketdan9]

2023 Draft picks

Chris Pelosi, Dude is a dirt dog, always in the middle of the action, hunts the puck relentlessly, max effort, forced turnovers all week, you notice him when he's on the ice, never backs down, skating was slightly above average , hands/shot are good but I think there's room for improvement , hell of a pick!

Kind of sounds like Matthew Tkachuk type game.... minus the hands/shot

Looking forward to his progression

 

[Kegs]

Kind of sounds like Matthew Tkachuk type game.... minus the hands/shot

Looking forward to his progression

I certainly wish upon a star that he is Matthew Tkachuk esq

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

hell of a pick!

Oh no

 

[DKH]

2023 Draft picks

Mamouth Kristian Kostadinski had himself quite the week. After being mortified by his lack of mobility and questioning the "upside" at what looked to be a wasted pick I watched him play vs his peers and changed my tune.
He's well schooled on how to defend, doesn't unnecessarily chase, knows where to go, is physical and clears the crease with ease, he was a vacuum cleaner any time they tried to attack his side and his skating became noticeably better from Monday to Friday, he's a very long term project that just turned 18, everything that's a flaw is fixable

Casper Nassen who is an overager by 1 year showed a bit more polish than many of his peers, another one I was initially skeptical about with his foot work but once the sessions changed from skating around cones to more game like situations he shined a bit more, first couple of steps are heavy but he's a powerful skater, big dude with soft hands and a lethal shot,deadly in tight,now the interesting part is where will he play next year,he doesn't start College till 2024,hopefully ends up in North America sooner than later

Ryan Walsh is a double overager who had a decent camp, effort and motor looked fine, sneaky shot, was responsible defensively , I still have questions about his skating, not sure if there's much upside if any? Some of my peers thought he had a strong camp
I'll track him at Cornell this year and we'll see

Beckett Hendrickson,just a solid prospect who had a very strong camp, a typical well trained NTDP player, I was impressed with his hands/vision combo, + shot, high IQ who looks to be on a similar path like Andre Gasseau, extra year in the USHL should do wonders for his offensive game, the one negative I have with him is he's very light

Chris Pelosi, Dude is a dirt dog, always in the middle of the action, hunts the puck relentlessly, max effort, forced turnovers all week, you notice him when he's on the ice, never backs down, skating was slightly above average , hands/shot are good but I think there's room for improvement , hell of a pick!

I'll cover the invites next

Excellent

With the way the world is now it’s easier to follow and find updated information and video of the players you covered

 

[DKH]

Good stuff. Yeah I do hope Brunet is in Providence. I don't believe another year in the Q is likely to do much for his defensive development, but maybe it would help his offence to put up 125 points

I thought he is

 

[DKH]

That’s a slightly interesting comment by Sweeney on poitras there

What he say?

 

[Beesfan]

What he say?

• Sweeney on Matthew Poitras: "Well, he only has two options. He is either going to come back and play in the OHL or he'll play in Boston. In my meeting with Matthew… He had a terrific year and his hockey sense, his skill, really stand out for us. The pace of play and the strength of play against NHL players is what dictates whether a player can make that jump. It's a big jump, but we really like his hockey IQ, and he needs to focus on being a little bit more shot ready, I think he's a pass first guy, but he sneaky has a really good shot. So, maybe that just needs to develop a little more and know when to be selfish in certain situations, but he'll get a chance in camp to hopefully see that translate, I think he'll play… I know Monty was talking about different players and opportunity and we'll see. He'll make the progression through Rookie Camp and then get into main camp and see if they can't get into exhibition games and they'll be several of those guys and Matthew is one of them."

I agree with the poster who called this interesting, as Sweeney normally is much more reserved about the possibility of junior eligible players making the NHL roster. Hints at some appetite from Monty to give Poitras a shot too.

Personally, I am skeptical. The skill is there, but Poitras needs a lot of physical development before NHL is a consideration. He's not a young Bergeron in that regard.

 

[DKH]

• Sweeney on Matthew Poitras: "Well, he only has two options. He is either going to come back and play in the OHL or he'll play in Boston. In my meeting with Matthew… He had a terrific year and his hockey sense, his skill, really stand out for us. The pace of play and the strength of play against NHL players is what dictates whether a player can make that jump. It's a big jump, but we really like his hockey IQ, and he needs to focus on being a little bit more shot ready, I think he's a pass first guy, but he sneaky has a really good shot. So, maybe that just needs to develop a little more and know when to be selfish in certain situations, but he'll get a chance in camp to hopefully see that translate, I think he'll play… I know Monty was talking about different players and opportunity and we'll see. He'll make the progression through Rookie Camp and then get into main camp and see if they can't get into exhibition games and they'll be several of those guys and Matthew is one of them."

I agree with the poster who called this interesting, as Sweeney normally is much more reserved about the possibility of junior eligible players making the NHL roster. Hints at some appetite from Monty to give Poitras a shot too.

Personally, I am skeptical. The skill is there, but Poitras needs a lot of physical development before NHL is a consideration. He's not a young Bergeron in that regard.

He’s a completely different player then Bergeron

I would be very surprised if he made Boston

There is a lot he can work on in CHL - strength, faceoffs, developing good habits and not bad because it’s easier

I see a lot of steak with his sizzle

The prospect I think that could surprise and make the Bruins is Lysell as a third line RW if Geekie starts of as third line center

 

[DKH]

Poitras' Playmaking Has Been His Calling Card | Boston Bruins

Bruins forward prospect had monster offensive season in OHL

www.nhl.com

 

[DominicT]

He’s a completely different player then Bergeron

I would be very surprised if he made Boston

There is a lot he can work on in CHL - strength, faceoffs, developing good habits and not bad because it’s easier

I see a lot of steak with his sizzle

The prospect I think that could surprise and make the Bruins is Lysell as a third line RW if Geekie starts of as third line center

Danny boy! How are you my man. Couple of things I have to disagree with on the bolded.

Let me start with faceoffs. He's already a 57.3% player on the dot among players with 100 or more faceoffs in the OHL. Poitras took 782. For comparison, Shane Wright was 54.2%. Faceoffs are not something they generally work on in the OHL so I don't think he will get much better there at that level. He already dominates at that level.

Second thing is strength. The OHL is not the NCAA. They don't come close to matching the NCAA in terms of off ice training/facilities. Nor do they have the time. It is very rare for an OHL player to add strength/mass during the season. Most of their strength and conditioning training is done in the offseason. I mentioned earlier I was at one of his training sessions earlier this summer and was shocked at the effort he was putting in. And he still has a month and a half to go and is already stronger than a year ago.

I've been on a half dozen podcast since the Cup was awarded and Poitras has been my dark horse to make the squad in camp with the caveat that it all depends on the "Bergeron Decision". Personally, I would like to see him in the OHL another season, but no way am I counting him out until Bergeron says he's coming back.

 

[DKH]

Danny boy! How are you my man. Couple of things I have to disagree with on the bolded.

Let me start with faceoffs. He's already a 57.3% player on the dot among players with 100 or more faceoffs in the OHL. Poitras took 782. For comparison, Shane Wright was 54.2%. Faceoffs are not something they generally work on in the OHL so I don't think he will get much better there at that level. He already dominates at that level.

Second thing is strength. The OHL is not the NCAA. They don't come close to matching the NCAA in terms of off ice training/facilities. Nor do they have the time. It is very rare for an OHL player to add strength/mass during the season. Most of their strength and conditioning training is done in the offseason. I mentioned earlier I was at one of his training sessions earlier this summer and was shocked at the effort he was putting in. And he still has a month and a half to go and is already stronger than a year ago.

I've been on a half dozen podcast since the Cup was awarded and Poitras has been my dark horse to make the squad in camp with the caveat that it all depends on the "Bergeron Decision". Personally, I would like to see him in the OHL another season, but no way am I counting him out until Bergeron says he's coming back.

Excellent info

He attacked this camp right from the beginning

He gives the vibe I don’t want to go back

Bruins prospect pool is maligned but they don’t need 4 centers that can play on the top two lines - one will suffice and he looks it.

Side note - Locmelis looked even smaller or lighter than Poitras so the NCAA should be a good place for him - he’s clearly got hockey sense he needs what Merkulov does

My Providence source says Merkulov is strong and significantly more filled out then Lysell - merkulov & Lohrei came from one of the best training programs around at OSU

 

[DKH]

Danny boy! How are you my man. Couple of things I have to disagree with on the bolded.

Let me start with faceoffs. He's already a 57.3% player on the dot among players with 100 or more faceoffs in the OHL. Poitras took 782. For comparison, Shane Wright was 54.2%. Faceoffs are not something they generally work on in the OHL so I don't think he will get much better there at that level. He already dominates at that level.

Second thing is strength. The OHL is not the NCAA. They don't come close to matching the NCAA in terms of off ice training/facilities. Nor do they have the time. It is very rare for an OHL player to add strength/mass during the season. Most of their strength and conditioning training is done in the offseason. I mentioned earlier I was at one of his training sessions earlier this summer and was shocked at the effort he was putting in. And he still has a month and a half to go and is already stronger than a year ago.

I've been on a half dozen podcast since the Cup was awarded and Poitras has been my dark horse to make the squad in camp with the caveat that it all depends on the "Bergeron Decision". Personally, I would like to see him in the OHL another season, but no way am I counting him out until Bergeron says he's coming back.

I was with a few of your podcast hosts Tuesday if you want to list the names I think folks would enjoy

Good for driving, housework & treadmill listening to hockey Bruins info

 

[TCB]

 

[UncleRico]

• Sweeney on Matthew Poitras: "Well, he only has two options. He is either going to come back and play in the OHL or he'll play in Boston. In my meeting with Matthew… He had a terrific year and his hockey sense, his skill, really stand out for us. The pace of play and the strength of play against NHL players is what dictates whether a player can make that jump. It's a big jump, but we really like his hockey IQ, and he needs to focus on being a little bit more shot ready, I think he's a pass first guy, but he sneaky has a really good shot. So, maybe that just needs to develop a little more and know when to be selfish in certain situations, but he'll get a chance in camp to hopefully see that translate, I think he'll play… I know Monty was talking about different players and opportunity and we'll see. He'll make the progression through Rookie Camp and then get into main camp and see if they can't get into exhibition games and they'll be several of those guys and Matthew is one of them."

I agree with the poster who called this interesting, as Sweeney normally is much more reserved about the possibility of junior eligible players making the NHL roster. Hints at some appetite from Monty to give Poitras a shot too.

Personally, I am skeptical. The skill is there, but Poitras needs a lot of physical development before NHL is a consideration. He's not a young Bergeron in that regard.

I bet he will be in the OHL next year, but who knows. I just think it’s very interesting what Sweeney said. At least for me those comments make it appear as though he is closer than anticipated.