Prospect Info: Grand Rapids Griffins 2019-2020 Part Deux

[izlez]

I don’t know why you’re making ridiculous strawmen arguments and acting like I/others are arguing these things. If Rasmussen becomes a player that scores 40 goals every year he will be one of, if not the best, goal scorers in the NHL and I will be absolutely over the moon ecstatic and eat crow till the day I die. It’s just that he did not seem like he had anywhere near that potential at draft day and from every game I have seen him play has not thus far shown me that he has anywhere near that potential.

Therefore as of now I really do wish we took what was the clear superior choice to me at the time in Necas. I am very happy for the kid to start being more of a scorer/play driver and prove me wrong.

It's boiling over from many conversations I've had. Plenty of people have literally said "it was a bad pick even if he turns into a hall of famer".

And it's just annoying that people act like they know everything and constantly crap all over this kid, despite all his successes.

 

[Hen Kolland]

This reminds me of a famous quotation: "Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into an open sewer and die." Rasmussen here being the cut finger and Vilardi being falling in the open sewer.

I guess the point here is if Rasmussen is a cut finger, he's still holds more value than a dead Vilardi in a sewer. I don't care how long someone missed time, if the alternative is going to take half the amount of time to accomplish the same amount of work, I know who I am going to go with.

Vilardi may have been a better prospect at some point, but if his health concerns are going to cut his ability down at the knees, guess who is no longer the better prospect? Let's see how thing play out long term, but at this point both players are healthy, both are playing in the AHL, and both are 20 years old. Nobody is going to consider Vilardi the better player if his performance never backs it up, and same goes for Rasmussen.

 

[ArmChairGM89]

Necas is good.

Rasmussen is trending to be good.

Necas is driving play from the wing.

why does rass have to drive play from center? What’s wrong with having a play driver at the wing?

Is a play driving 60 point RW better than a power forward/two way forward 60 point center?

If they both wind up being similar point producers, I wouldn’t cry because we took the power center over the play driving winger. I think that’s the right choice actually.

if lafreniere and byfield end up scoring at the same rate over their careers I’d want byfield in the redraft.

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

I guess the point here is if Rasmussen is a cut finger, he's still holds more value than a dead Vilardi in a sewer. I don't care how long someone missed time, if the alternative is going to take half the amount of time to accomplish the same amount of work, I know who I am going to go with.

I'm not disagreeing with that. If I had a time machine, I wouldn't go back and pick Vilardi. I'm just saying that their injuries were absolutely not comparable. Vilardi was injured much worse.

I'd go back and pick Necas, though.

 

[Frk It]

A Lafreniere-Rasmussen-Mantha/Zadina line would be so ****ing filthy.

Imagine a Rasmussen-Byfield-Mantha line.

Just 3 absolute units out there.

and then a Bertuzzi-Larkin-Zadina line.

Grit, speed, and skill/scoring.

 

[Frk It]

delete - doesnt add to conversation

 

[GrGriffins]

Pickard named CCM/AHL Player of the Week

January 13, 2020

Photo: Darren Abate
Calvin Pickard has been selected as the CCM/AHL Player of the Week for the period ending January 12, 2020.

Pickard backstopped the Griffins to three victories last week, turning aside 82 of the 86 shots he faced in his three starts (3-0-0, 1.33, .953).

On Wednesday night, Pickard made 29 saves as Grand Rapids went into Milwaukee and knocked off the division-leading Admirals, 3-2. On Friday, Pickard stopped all 23 shots he faced in the Griffins’ 1-0 home win over Manitoba. And on Saturday, he finished with 30 saves in Grand Rapids’ 6-2 victory over the Moose. Pickard was recalled by Detroit on Sunday and was on the bench for the Red Wings’ game vs. Buffalo that evening.

Pickard has made 24 appearances for Grand Rapids this season, ranking fifth in the AHL in minutes played (1,446) while posting a record of 13-8-3 with a 2.90 goals-against average, a .902 save percentage and two shutouts. The eighth-year pro from Moncton, N.B., has also seen action in two NHL games with Detroit in 2019-20. A Calder Cup champion with Toronto in 2018, Pickard has played in 224 regular-season games in the AHL and has a record of 106-79-30 with a 2.64 GAA, a .913 save percentage and 14 shutouts. He was originally selected by Colorado in the second round of the 2010 NHL Draft, and has made 106 career appearances in the NHL with Detroit, Arizona, Philadelphia, Toronto and Colorado.

 

[GrGriffins]

Looks like Bernier injury is a bit more serious thus the Griffins called up Pat Nagle (G) from Toledo.

 

[MBH]

If this is what acceptance and support looks like I feel bad the kid if/when you all turn on him.

Jesus. What's with the pity party.

Nobody hated this pick worse than I did.
And I want him to be a top 6 winger.

 

[MBH]

Rasmussen and Villardi both have scored 4 goals and 7 assists in the A this year but Ras has done it in 12 games and Vilardi needed 20 and Necas is scoring at a clip much closer to Vilardi than Ras.

Vilardi is good. Not just in front of the net. All over the Ozone. He's got elite vision, elite hands and he's strong.
The only question is how much his injuries slowed a stride that was already average.

 

[SirloinUB]

This reminds me of a famous quotation: "Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into an open sewer and die." Rasmussen here being the cut finger and Vilardi being falling in the open sewer.

Your terrible analogy might hold water if Rasmussen hadn't missed significant time over multiple years. The truth is Rasmussen's injuries have significantly impacted his development and the fact that you can't understand or acknowledge that shows you have a vested interest against Rasmussen.

Have a nice day.

 

[ricky0034]

Love this stuff. Try to compliment him, call him a "complimentary winger".

What if, perhaps, he turns into a #1 center that can drive the play? Again, he is playing #1 center in the AHL at the age of 20.
And of course, if he's scoring 40 goals per year, does it matter that he wasn't the "type" of player that you wanted to draft at the time?

what if Dominic Turgeon turns into the next Gretzky?

 

[SirloinUB]

Imagine a Rasmussen-Byfield-Mantha line.

Just 3 absolute units out there.

and then a Bertuzzi-Larkin-Zadina line.

Grit, speed, and skill/scoring.

You can't go wrong either way. I really hope we can get that elusive top pick.

 

[ShelbyZ]

Looks like Bernier injury is a bit more serious thus the Griffins called up Pat Nagle (G) from Toledo.

Do they still have Kevin Poulin on the PTO?

Is Larsson just kind of hanging out an a #3 goalie for the Griffins?

 

[GrGriffins]

Do they still have Kevin Poulin on the PTO?

Is Larsson just kind of hanging out an a #3 goalie for the Griffins?

Yes to both questions. Poulin is dressing as the backup in the past several games for the Griffins. Not sure what is going on with Larsson at all. Do not know if he is currently hurt or not.

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

Your terrible analogy might hold water if Rasmussen hadn't missed significant time over multiple years. The truth is Rasmussen's injuries have significantly impacted his development and the fact that you can't understand or acknowledge that shows you have a vested interest against Rasmussen.

Have a nice day.

Okay. Agree to disagree, I guess.

 

[ArmChairGM89]

Yes to both questions. Poulin is dressing as the backup in the past several games for the Griffins. Not sure what is going on with Larsson at all. Do not know if he is currently hurt or not.

he has injury problems in the past. I wouldn’t doubt it.

 

[newfy]

Right now he does look like a complimentary winger. Do you watch him in the AHL? I’ve seen a few games and Ras puts up points because he’s impossible to move from the front of the net, but he doesn’t drive the play on his line. If he turns into that, then that would be incredible and I don’t care what “style” he plays if he’s a 1C driving the play, lol.

This is the exact same stuff people said when he was in junior as well. He doesnt drive the play but he managed to put up unreal numbers in the WHL. Doesnt drive the play in the AHL but can play as the first line center in what should be his rookie pro year and go roughly point per game so far. I dont think hes amazing at driving the play but I think its ridiculously exaggerated how hes bad at it. Hes solid but not amazing. Hes also really productive everywhere to the point that maybe having him on the ice despite driving the play less than others might be worth it. You dont win games by driving the play, you win it by producing and thats something Rasmussen has consistently done everywhere.

I've watched a few games of his as well and think he looks just fine out there and he knows where to be in the offensive zone to put up points. Hes not just a net front guy, he finds soft spots in coverage and knows how to bury. Also at center, he can play a big, tough game down low on defense and move down the ice and play more of a powerforward game than a "play driving" center. Thats a valuable player to have

 

[Henkka]

Imagine a Rasmussen-Byfield-Mantha line.

Just 3 absolute units out there.

Imo, that would become our shutdown line. Just impossible to play against those guys, get anything through and they would dominate on the opposite end.

 

[Pavels Dog]

what if Dominic Turgeon turns into the next Gretzky?

You think this is a fitting comparable to a 20 year old top 10 pick who already has a full NHL season under his belt and is PPG in AHL as a #1C in theory developing into a #1C at the NHL level?

 

[ricky0034]

You think this is a fitting comparable to a 20 year old top 10 pick who already has a full NHL season under his belt and is PPG in AHL as a #1C in theory developing into a #1C at the NHL level?

I mean obviously there's some hyperbole in the comparison but neither one is happening so in practice it's pretty comparable yeah

like comparing winning big in the lottery to winning big in the lottery and getting hit by lightning at the same time,yeah there's an obvious difference in the chances but does it matter?

Rasmussen has always been better suited on the Wing and if he did somehow end up being a Center in the NHL long term it sure as hell wouldn't be on the first line

is it quite as impossible as the Turgeon thing? no.......but it's still something like a fraction of a percentage point of a chance at best

 

[Pavels Dog]

I mean obviously there's some hyperbole in the comparison but neither one is happening so in practice it's pretty comparable yeah

like comparing winning big in the lottery to winning big in the lottery and getting hit by lightning at the same time,yeah there's an obvious difference in the chances but does it matter?

Rasmussen has always been better suited on the Wing and if he did somehow end up being a Center in the NHL long term it sure as hell wouldn't be on the first line

is it quite as impossible as the Turgeon thing? no.......but it's still something like a fraction of a percentage point of a chance at best

"some hyperbole" lol. Turgeon becoming Gretzky is a 0% chance. Literally zero. Ras is a #1C at the AHL level at 20 years old. The idea that he could be a #1C in the NHL at 25-30 is... conservatively maybe 5%. Optimistically, and if we were judging Ras the way we judge prospects like Veleno, Zadina, Larkin, Kotkaniemi, Necas, Vilardi, Thomas, etc etc., probably 10-20%.

 

[ricky0034]

"some hyperbole" lol. Turgeon becoming Gretzky is a 0% chance. Literally zero. Ras is a #1C at the AHL level at 20 years old. The idea that he could be a #1C in the NHL at 25-30 is... conservatively maybe 5%. Optimistically, and if we were judging Ras the way we judge prospects like Veleno, Zadina, Larkin, Kotkaniemi, Necas, Vilardi, Thomas, etc etc., probably 10-20%.

those 5%/10-20% numbers are more like his chances of being a 1st liner in general

the chances drop when you're also factoring in him playing at the position his skill set has always been less suited for

 

[ArmChairGM89]

those 5%/10-20% numbers are more like his chances of being a 1st liner in general

the chances drop when you're also factoring in him playing at the position his skill set has always been less suited for

his skill set is not less suited for center.

first of all, your center does not need to be the driver on the line. A winger can be the play driver. Just look at the comparable people keep using. Martin necas drives play from the wing and that’s one of the best third lines in the league.

Second of all, forward positions are all about positional responsibility. More and more systems are incorporating a positionless forward line. Where wingers take center responsibilities in the offensive zone and switch responsibilities in the defensive zone and visa versa. All based on which players are better at which responsibilities.

being a “play driver” essentially means you have good skating, good puck control and good vision. There are plenty of wingers with this skill set that you could sign or draft to play with rass. It doesn’t make him any less valuable. And he’s not terrible at any of those things. He could develop into that without much trouble. But it’s not a requirement to play center. Especially on a third line.

there are bunches of lines that are driven by the winger.

 

[raymond23]

My thoughts on the Rasmussen conversation...

I have a real hard time getting a read on him as a player. He's a pretty awkward player which isn't necessarily a bad thing but it makes him hard to evaluate. He's got size, good skating ability and is noticeably determined. I also think he shows really good understanding of the game and often makes subtle plays that leave me impressed. Biggest question mark for me is his ability to skate with the puck. But right now it's a wait and see approach, I'm not sure how anyone is able to make sweeping judgements on him as a player right now.

Also his production and role in Grand Rapids are nothing to scoff at... keep in mind, this should be his first pro season. He is pretty essential to the Griffins success moving forward which has shown in the two wins since his return.

Do I think he's a line driver? Not in the sense that he'll be taking the puck end to end. But there's a reason that our best player (Chris Terry) has been stapled to his wing. He is a very capable center at the AHL level right now.