Prospect Info: General Prospect Discussion Thread 2020-21 - Part 2

[57special]

17 goals in 20 games is awfully impressive. Still have decent hopes for him.

His team isn't great.

I think that he will have speed, a good shot, and decent size to work with. Remains to be seen if he can bring his offense to the NHL level. If not, he will have to adjust and become more of a two way player.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

I get Hoffman vibes from him.

 

[16thOverallSaveUs]

It’s always looked like he has trouble with the faster pace when I’ve watched him at higher levels than the WHL. Whether it be Iowa, WJC camp, etc I see that. He’s only 19, though, and he’s going to have a lot of time to continue to improve. I think he has a chance to be a good 2nd line forward. Really happy with that pick.

 

[57special]

Iowa up 1-0 against Rockford. Boldy from Bitten and Dewar. PP one timer from the halfwall. Wide open net, but Boldy didn't hesitate, and fired it in from about 25-30' before the goalie could get across.

Hunt is getting some TOI.

 

[MuckOG]

Iowa up 1-0 against Rockford. Boldy from Bitten and Dewar. PP one timer from the halfwall. Wide open net, but Boldy didn't hesitate, and fired it in from about 25-30' before the goalie could get across.

Hunt is getting some TOI.

Here is Boldy's goal....

 

[57special]

ROR looking more and more confident. It's a shame he has to play junior next year

 

[BagHead]

ROR looking more and more confident. It's a shame he has to play junior next year

I don't know, might be that he'll be so advanced for that league that he'll find some offensive flair. As an anecdote, I remember playing on a pretty intense server for Counterstrike back in the day. I then went to a noob server for a couple months and absolutely steamrolled. Then, when I went back to my old server, suddenly I had a kill-to-death ratio that I'd never been able to before having that time to learn in a slower paced environment. Did wonders for my technical-skills development as an FPS gamer.

I wouldn't be shocked if it would be similar for a lot of guys who got to play AHL this year, but then had to go back to juniors. Or maybe I'm just being overly hopeful that he'll turn into 2-way defender, not just a stay-at-home guy.

 

[57special]

I don't know, might be that he'll be so advanced for that league that he'll find some offensive flair. As an anecdote, I remember playing on a pretty intense server for Counterstrike back in the day. I then went to a noob server for a couple months and absolutely steamrolled. Then, when I went back to my old server, suddenly I had a kill-to-death ratio that I'd never been able to before having that time to learn in a slower paced environment. Did wonders for my technical-skills development as an FPS gamer.

I wouldn't be shocked if it would be similar for a lot of guys who got to play AHL this year, but then had to go back to juniors. Or maybe I'm just being overly hopeful that he'll turn into 2-way defender, not just a stay-at-home guy.

Actually, I want him to just get bigger, stronger, and more confident moving the puck out of his own end- maybe start getting his shot off, which is pretty decent.. IMHO, we've got plenty of D prospects who provide offense, but will need solid defenders with a bit of size in the future.

 

[thestonedkoala]

Actually, I want him to just get bigger, stronger, and more confident moving the puck out of his own end- maybe start getting his shot off, which is pretty decent.. IMHO, we've got plenty of D prospects who provide offense, but will need solid defenders with a bit of size in the future.

I agree; we need more Brodin type players.

My hope in 22-23 is:

Brodin - Spurgeon
O'Rourke - Addison
Soucy - Menell
Suter

That'd be a damn good group of guys if they all hit their peak. At that point, Suter should go on LTIR or be bought out or something. I think given that O'Rourke got to hit the AHL this season, that pushed his development up a bit. I think if we're lucky, he'll turn into a Nick Schultz type of player for the Wild.

 

[MuckOG]

 

[f7ben]

Pretty sickening Boldy wasn’t given a shot. His peers all have been promoted and found some success and it’s clear he is going to be in this roster next year. I don’t buy the team chemistry bullshit because Parise is being scratched so plugs like bjuhstad and Johansson and rask can play

 

[DeagleJenkins]

Pretty sickening Boldy wasn’t given a shot. His peers all have been promoted and found some success and it’s clear he is going to be in this roster next year. I don’t buy the team chemistry bullshit because Parise is being scratched so plugs like bjuhstad and Johansson and rask can play

Must mean parise is garbage.

 

[BagHead]

I'm glad Boldy has done so well with his limited time in the AHL. I know the league is a little weaker this year compared to most, but it's still fairly impressive that he's come in and just kept scoring. Bodes well for his NHL ceiling.

 

[57special]

Keep in mind that he is featured on the #1 PP, and plays with the best players on the team. That helps his #'s. I am fairly confident that he will make the team next year, but I don't see how he can be inserted into the lineup now at the last minute unless there are multiple injuries...maybe he could play in the next game if they decide tO rest some players, but don't know if tHey can do that and stay within the Covid protocols.

If he was a C, I'd say screw it, and bring him up anyways.

 

[57special]

Tim Army on Boldy(paraphrasing).
-very smart and coachable
- great puck skills, whether it be passing, shooting, vision, etc.
- he excels with the puck on his stick below the top of the circles in the O zone.
- needs to work on his game when the puck isn't on his stick. Sounds like it is mostly about positioning when defending, to limit chances of opponents, and on breakouts, where he has to tighten up rather than fly the zone wide.
- he understands that offensive players like him are more likely to turn the puck over a bit more, just like a HR hitter in BB strikes out more.
- says skating is better than most think, especially his edgework.

 

[Slotski]

Tim Army on Boldy(paraphrasing).
-very smart and coachable
- great puck skills, whether it be passing, shooting, vision, etc.
- he excels with the puck on his stick below the top of the circles in the O zone.
- needs to work on his game when the puck isn't on his stick. Sounds like it is mostly about positioning when defending, to limit chances of opponents, and on breakouts, where he has to tighten up rather than fly the zone wide.
- he understands that offensive players like him are more likely to turn the puck over a bit more, just like a HR hitter in BB strikes out more.
- says skating is better than most think, especially his edgework.

I especially like the point of "skating is better than most think, especially his edgework".

 

[guitarhunterdude]

Tim Army on Boldy(paraphrasing).
-very smart and coachable
- great puck skills, whether it be passing, shooting, vision, etc.
- he excels with the puck on his stick below the top of the circles in the O zone.
- needs to work on his game when the puck isn't on his stick. Sounds like it is mostly about positioning when defending, to limit chances of opponents, and on breakouts, where he has to tighten up rather than fly the zone wide.
- he understands that offensive players like him are more likely to turn the puck over a bit more, just like a HR hitter in BB strikes out more.
- says skating is better than most think, especially his edgework.

Sounds like an NHL-ready player to me. Seems like an act of sheer cowardice not to play him on the big team when his peers (Caufield, Newhook, etc.) are doing so well. Management seems scared to take the shine off the new toy and there's just no excuse for it. He's 20, time for him to sink or swim like the rest of the guys from his draft and for us to see what we really have.

 

[57special]

want to add some context to Boldy's numbers in this game. His secondary assist was him basically chucking a puck into an empty corner, where Shaw(?) was lucky enough to recover it, then set up Hunt from the point. His goal was a ENG.

 

[57special]

Sounds like an NHL-ready player to me. Seems like an act of sheer cowardice not to play him on the big team when his peers (Caufield, Newhook, etc.) are doing so well. Management seems scared to take the shine off the new toy and there's just no excuse for it. He's 20, time for him to sink or swim like the rest of the guys from his draft and for us to see what we really have.

I don't completely agree- you have to look beyond the points. He probably wins about 55% of his puck battles in the AHL, and while his edgework is good, his stride isn't always there. Also spends far too much time being near stationary on the ice, rather than the constant motion you see from most NHL players....the Ness's will fix that up this summer, hopefully? Might take a year or so, just like it did with Tuch. He is not dominating the AHL, by any means.

I don't see him being a better option to what we have as a checking winger in the NHL at this time. The only possible place for him would be as Fiala's other wing, IMO, and on the 2nd PP. He has nowhere near the speed and skating of Johansson, at this point, and it would be asking a lot for him to mesh with Fiala, or the PP, at this late date.

 

[keppel146]

Sounds like an NHL-ready player to me. Seems like an act of sheer cowardice not to play him on the big team when his peers (Caufield, Newhook, etc.) are doing so well. Management seems scared to take the shine off the new toy and there's just no excuse for it. He's 20, time for him to sink or swim like the rest of the guys from his draft and for us to see what we really have.

I disagree with this. Not surprised a new GM isn’t just tossing him in the ocean. In BG we trust.

 

[57special]

Some other impressions after watching more Iowa games this year than I ever have;

- Still like Dewar. Skilled, with good wheels, and a good head. Not big, but has a good base. Seems to be a bit of a tweener...to skilled to be a 4th line C, maybe not good enough to be a middle six offensive C. He needs to be a really good passer(he is good now, but..) if he is to make an impact in the NHL, i think. Sneaky good shot.

- Shaw. Similar to Dewar. Maybe not quite the skater. Even shorter, but squat, has a good connection to the ice, and feistier than Dewar. Good, not great skills, and decent vision. Tweener vibes, though.

- ROR has improved throughout the season. Earlier on he was hesitant, but is much more confident now. Was getting roughed up a bit earlier, but now he can more than hold his own in the AHL physically except against the toughest customers. Nothing jumps out at you in terms of puck and skating skills, but he has them. Boring but competent game that I could see morphing into a NHL regular in a couple of years as long as he matures normally and keeps working. Excited about him and his defending abilities.

- Belepedio. Solid two way guy. Not tall, but strong and physical. Good, not great, PMD skills. Wins puck battles. Can easily see him playing NHL minutes. Can play both sides. At 24yo, will need to start showing that he is other than an above average AHL'er.

- Addison has been talked about by a lot of people already. Seems to be slowing down a bit...maybe getting tired? Still can't get a read on how good of a defender he is...is he Hunt level bad, or? I don't see him making egregious mistakes out there, or being really disinterested. Also can't get a read on how strong he is. He seems to be reasonably strong out there for a smaller guy. There is no doubt that he excels with the puck on his stick, but is more of a distributor than a end to end guy.

- Duhaime. Thought he was an unskilled guy, but seems to have decent speed and an ok shot. Tough, with a physical game, but not a goon. I could see him being a budget 4th liner in the NHL, or at least getting a chance to be one. 23 yo.

- Chaffee. More skilled, less tough Duhaime. 23yo...clock is ticking.

- Jones. Who knows, he's a goalie.

- Giroux. Slightly lesser version of Shaw and Dewar. Like him and his game. Tweener due to size, skating, and not having one skill that pops.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

I didn’t want to watch Johansson play after the TDL; let’s just say that he hasn’t changed my mind. But whatever.

 

[P10p]

Some other impressions after watching more Iowa games than i ever have;

- Still like Dewar. Skilled, with good wheels, and a good head. Not big, but has a good base. Seems to be a bit of a tweener...to skilled to be a 4th line C, maybe not good enough to be a middle six offensive C). He needs to be a really good passer(he is good now, but..) if he is to make an impact in the NHL, i think. Sneaky good shot.

- Shaw. Similar to Dewar. Maybe not quite the skater. Even shorter, but squat, has a good connection to the ice, and feistier than Dewar. Good, not great skills, and decent vision. Tweener vibes, though.

- ROR has improved throughout the season. Earlier on he was hesitant, but is much more confident now. Was getting roughed up a bit earlier, but now he can more than hold his own in the AHL physically except against the toughest customers. Nothing jumps out at you in terms of puck and skating skills, but he has them. Boring but competent game that I could see morphing into a NHL regular in a couple of years as long as he matures normally and keeps working. Excited about him and his defending abilities.

- Belepedio. Solid two way guy. Not tall, but strong and physical. Good, not great, PMD skills. Wins puck battles. Can easily see him playing NHL minutes. Can play both sides. At 24yo, will need to start showing that he is other than an above average AHL'er.

- Addison has been talked about by a lot of people already. Seems to be slowing down a bit...maybe getting tired? Still can't get a read on how good of a defender he is...is he Hunt level bad, or? I don't see him making egregious mistakes out there, or being really disinterested. Also can't get a read on how strong he is. He seems to be reasonably strong out there for a smaller guy. There is no doubt that he excels with the puck on his stick, but is more of a distributor than a end to end guy.

- Duhaime. Thought he was an unskilled guy, but seems to have decent speed and an ok shot. Tough, with a physical game, but not a goon. I could see him being a budget 4th liner in the NHL, or at least getting a chance to be one. 23 yo.

- Chaffee. More skilled, less tough Duhaime. 23yo...clock is ticking.

- Jones. Who knows, he's a goalie.

- Giroux. Slightly lesser version of Shaw and Dewar. Like him and his game. Tweener due to size, skating, and not having one skill that pops.

I will add that Addison took a huge hit a couple weeks ago that lines up with his play slowing down a bit. Wouldn't be surprised if he is playing with a nagging injury. Looked very fast and slick out there to start the season.

 

[57special]

I will add that Addison took a huge hit a couple weeks ago that lines up with his play slowing down a bit. Wouldn't be surprised if he is playing with a nagging injury. Looked very fast and slick out there to start the season.

Great point. He does look toned down compared to earlier, when his skating and creativity stood out.

 

[GuerinUp]

beckman is back in iowa according to russos twitter