Prospect Info: Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL)/Maine Mariners (ECHL) Thread *Part X*

[Osminator]

I really don't think poor performance at the ECHL-level indicates anything about the state of the organization. I mean, some NHL orgs don't even have an ECHL affiliate. The best thing ECHL teams usually get from their affiliates is their goaltender. If there are good young players with an NHL or AHL contract on an ECHL roster, they don't stay in the ECHL for long.

IIRC, the only Rangers/Pack contracted players that started the year in Maine were Halverson, Nell, Melanson, and Salvaggio. Once the season was underway, and Day, Ronning, and Gropp (and also Leedahl and Pedrie), were sent down for stints, the Mariners looked like worldbeaters.

Trickle down effect... not bottom-up of course.
Can't remember where I read this a while ago, but some GM viewed their ECHL team as a direct extension of their AHL farm team with a full dedication to develop players in that league too. Of course had Maine made the playoffs, it wouldn't have meant anything to the NYR organization.

 

[Osminator]

Salvaggio was traded for Taylor Cammarata, who is a better player (PPG+ for Maine) , and despite having a few years of minor-pro experience, is actually younger than the rookie Salvaggio. Sean St Amant was also supposed to be down in Maine on an ECHL contract, but he made a good enough impression that he spent almost the entire season in Hartford. Hartford did have a tendency to keep a taxi squad of extra players up in Hartford rather than send them to Maine, though. Greg Chase was also better than Salvaggio and Melanson and younger despite his minor-league experience.

Also, the ECHL. has instituted pretty strict rules on affiliates parking a lot of AHL-contract players in the minors. Some years back, a team won the Turner Cup with IIRC 15 AHL-contract players on the roster. It's difficult to find ECHL info online (the new website is no help), but basically, if a team over the limit on AHL contracts and these AHL-contracted players haven't played a certain amount of AHL games during the season, then those players are not eligible for their team's ECHL playoff roster. The days of orgs sending 6-10 contracted players down to an ECHL affiliate like the Rangers did in Charlotte are basically over.

Ok, THAT is news to me... thanks for sharing. Didn't realise the ECHL actually went this way.

 

[cwede]

... Can't remember where I read this a while ago, but some GM viewed their ECHL team as a direct extension of their AHL farm team with a full dedication to develop players in that league too...

i believe someone said it, but i have never seen any evidence to believe it

 

[Irishguy42]

Elmer scores his first goal. 1-1

 

[nyr2k2]

Elmer also picked up a PP assist on a Meskanen goal. Pack getting smoked, 5-2.

 

[eco's bones]

Crawley's over a 100 pm's now. I don't mind a guy fighting for a teammate though as it would appear happened here as his opponent Liam O'Brien--a noted tough guy also picked up a 5 minute major for charging. One thing I like about Crawley--he's got spirit.

 

[nyr2k2]

Elmer with his second. Newell picked up a helper on it, his first point.

 

[Irishguy42]

Elmer with his second. Newell picked up a helper on it, his first point.

Elmer could be a really nice pickup for Hartford in the long-run.

 

[Joey Bones]

Elmer has been slowly increasing his production in junior since never getting playing time in Regina. Time flies when given a chance to succeed!!

 

[eco's bones]

Elmer could be a really nice pickup for Hartford in the long-run.

Well Bob McKenzie kind of made a big deal out of the signing which isn't the usual for a CHL free agent signing.

 

[eco's bones]

Hartford up 1-0 after one against Wilkes Barre. Huska in goal. Dmowski from Fogarty and Lettieri. With that point Lettieri will be a point per game AHL player this year.

 

[cwede]

Pack lose in shootout, to the 20-year old Strome brother
TheAHL.com

1 game to go, 5pmET today

 

[Osminator]

I am so ready for the final Pack game this season. Shame the vunt Liam OBrien of Hershey got a 3 game suspension for his hit on Lindgren, was hoping the Pack exit the season with a colossal bang lol

It has been a long and testing Pack season... very testing.

 

[nyr2k2]

Hartford's season just a few minutes from concluding. Down 2-1. Raddysh with the only goal. Old friend Chris McCarthy has 1+1 for Hershey.

 

[Osminator]

For the love of God (any God)... thankfully the Pack's season is O-V-E-R.
Pack finish 28th in the league, that is 4th from the bottom. Only Stockton, Binghamton and Ontario were worse (which is hard to imagine, lol)

I am hoping for drastic and dramatic changes for 2019-2020, would be nice to have a solid proper coaching staff with experience and more, and a 2nd assistant coach like the rest of the league too. I am positive that if the NYR are serious about building from within, they will fork out the necessary $$$.

Peace out on 2018-19.

 

[Levitate]

AT least they’ll get a high draft pick

 

[RangerBoy]

It would be nice if the Rangers hired the best candidate for the job instead of someone who has ties with someone in the front office.

McCambridge played for the Providence Bruins when Gorton was in Boston. McCambridge was an assistant coach to Scott Arniel in Manitoba. Apparently, McCambridge and Arniel are very close friends. Arniel put in a good word for his friend. Drury and Arniel knew each other from Buffalo. Arniel was an assistant coach under Ruff in Buffalo. That’s how Ruff ended up on AV’s staff in New York. Ruff is on Quinn’s staff now.

It’s not what you know but it’s who you know.

 

[eco's bones]

Most of the Rangers best prospects are playing in places other than Hartford.

Georgiev and Andersson spent most of the year with the Rangers. Kravtsov, Shestyorkin and Rykov were in Russia. Reunanen in Finland. Lundkvist in Sweden. Keane in the CHL and Miller and Barron in college. Howden and Chytil never saw Hartford at all. That's pretty much 90% of the cream of our prospects.

Our best prospects in Hartford this year were Hajek and Lindgren. Gettinger, Fontaine, Meskanen and Gropp are further down the food chain.

So to me that is an issue why Hartford struggled a lot this year. Lettieri, Fogarty, Gilmour and Bigras are all good players but not enough to make a good AHL team. The Wolfpack had loads of AHL contracted and/or ECHL callups this year and it showed.

Maybe there is something to the it's a coaching problem issue but I really think the biggest issue is a player personnel issue.

 

[Irishguy42]

Imagine boiling down McCambridge to just who he knows instead of what he's done. He's a good AHL coach.

You make it sound like he's some schlump in Gorton's contact list who can't do anything right but got the job anyway.

 

[Mac n Gs]

I’m not going to blame McCambridge exclusively, although I honestly couldn’t care less if he’s fired or not. My issue lies with the rest of the Hartford coaching staff, which includes a resounding one other coach who had no legitimate experience before joining the Wolf Pack.

And no, I don’t consider one year as an assistant at Mercyhurst as enough relevant experience for a major promotion to a professional team.

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

They really need a goalie that can not meltdown halfway through games next season

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

 

[gravey9]

I really didn't expect this to actually happen. A lot going on today in Rangers world.

 

[Osminator]

For the love of God (any God)... thankfully the Pack's season is O-V-E-R.
Pack finish 28th in the league, that is 4th from the bottom. Only Stockton, Binghamton and Ontario were worse (which is hard to imagine, lol)

I am hoping for drastic and dramatic changes for 2019-2020, would be nice to have a solid proper coaching staff with experience and more, and a 2nd assistant coach like the rest of the league too. I am positive that if the NYR are serious about building from within, they will fork out the necessary $$$.

Peace out on 2018-19.

OFFICIAL: Keith McCambridge has been relieved of his coaching duties with the @WolfPackAHL. In addition, #NYR declined to exercise the option on Wolf Pack Assistant Coach Joe Mormina’s contract for the 2019-20 season.

If you need next week's lottery numbers, just dm me lol

 

[Ranger Ric]

Greg Markiewicz, who attends many games and is one of the Wolfpack bloggers wrote his summary of the season.

He is in a good position to answer questions about the Wolfpack's season.