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

[NYR Viper]

i believe with young players you develop the stuff they do well and make them do that very well. you focus on the stuff they need to work on as well but accentuate the positive and improve the negative.

if a kid is a natural offensive player, you focus on what he brings and develop that. that stuff can't be taught. size, speed, hands, instinct, intuitiveness, creativity, IQ. it can be developed further and improved but you either have it or you dont. if you do, let the kid play. let him play his game but within the boundaries of a team system

everyone can learn to back check and play defense.

if its an attitude thing then thats completely different.

To be fair, most defensive deficiencies are from a lack of effort or lack of willingness.

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

i believe with young players you develop the stuff they do well and make them do that very well. you focus on the stuff they need to work on as well but accentuate the positive and improve the negative.

if a kid is a natural offensive player, you focus on what he brings and develop that. that stuff can't be taught. size, speed, hands, instinct, intuitiveness, creativity, IQ. it can be developed further and improved but you either have it or you dont. if you do, let the kid play. let him play his game but within the boundaries of a team system

everyone can learn to back check and play defense.

if its an attitude thing then thats completely different.

If not now, then when?

 

[Kovalev27]

K Andre is playing college hockey. Not pro hockey. There’s a difference. Actually he should play a year in the A.

 

[gravey9]

K Andre is playing college hockey. Not pro hockey. There’s a difference. Actually he should play a year in the A.

We'll see how he progresses this year. But his firmness and awareness in the D zone needs to grow substantially before he turns pro. I would strongly consider leaving him at Wisconsin if he his play in his own zone doesn't mature quite a bit. With him, we will need to be really patient. He will be figuring out how to play D and use his body around the net for several years. I would like him to just shut down other teams when he's on the ice before we're moving him to the next level.

 

[ColonialsHockey10]

We'll see how he progresses this year. But his firmness and awareness in the D zone needs to grow substantially before he turns pro. I would strongly consider leaving him at Wisconsin if he his play in his own zone doesn't mature quite a bit. With him, we will need to be really patient. He will be figuring out how to play D and use his body around the net for several years. I would like him to just shut down other teams when he's on the ice before we're moving him to the next level.

Prepare for people to look at his stats and be pissed when they find out he’s not ready.

From my viewings he has a loooong way to go. His progress is great, and he’s a blue chip prospect, but he’s far from NHL ready at this point.

 

[Joey Bones]

That arena is empty....

 

[Ola]

That arena is empty....

Yeah, and the entire upper section of the arena is closed so the ppl showing in the lower section are the only ones there. I would be on that the real number is around 500 people there and that is generous. Has been like that for years. Of those 500, many look pretty lost.

If they could find an arena to move to that would house 600-700 ppl of which like 50% would be hockey fans -- it would be pretty awsome and a biiiig upgrade over Hartford.

 

[Profet]

Yeah, and the entire upper section of the arena is closed so the ppl showing in the lower section are the only ones there. I would be on that the real number is around 500 people there and that is generous. Has been like that for years. Of those 500, many look pretty lost.

If they could find an arena to move to that would house 600-700 ppl of which like 50% would be hockey fans -- it would be pretty awsome and a biiiig upgrade over Hartford.

Ronkonkoma Vision Project Developers Receive Extension - Arena Digest

A train ride away from MSG... and actually in NY.

 

[iggyDDS]

Yeah, and the entire upper section of the arena is closed so the ppl showing in the lower section are the only ones there. I would be on that the real number is around 500 people there and that is generous. Has been like that for years. Of those 500, many look pretty lost.

If they could find an arena to move to that would house 600-700 ppl of which like 50% would be hockey fans -- it would be pretty awsome and a biiiig upgrade over Hartford.

Maybe they can move it to Brooklyn... hell, I'd go to some games...

 

[Levitate]

wish we'd get some info about Hartford practices adn stuff but that's asking too much

 

[Ranger Ric]

Maine places forward, Greg Chase, and defenseman, Josh Couturier, on injured reserve and adds to the active roster defenseman, Jeff Taylor, who was sent down by Hartford and Ty Ronning from the reserve list. While Ronning is eligible to play being on the 21 one man active list Maine will have to scratch two players to reach the 19 man playing list. Dmowski was one of the scratches in Maine's first game.

 

[Leetch3]

 

[RangersFan1994]

Barzal is the reason they picked this awful player. Gropp has an NHL shot. yea right. that was smoke by the Rangers scouts. awful pick. i would not resign him this summer. waste of trash

 

[eco's bones]

Barzal is the reason they picked this awful player. Gropp has an NHL shot. yea right. that was smoke by the Rangers scouts. awful pick. i would not resign him this summer. waste of trash

Not a great pick for sure but when we're getting into the middle of the 2nd round there really aren't guarantees. There are 18 year olds who plateau and don't get better--guys like Iverson or McColgan would be examples.

.....and yeah I wouldn't re-sign him either.

 

[RangersFan1994]

Not a great pick for sure but when we're getting into the middle of the 2nd round there really aren't guarantees. There are 18 year olds who plateau and don't get better--guys like Iverson or McColgan would be examples.

.....and yeah I wouldn't re-sign him either.

even a 22 minor leaguer would have been a better choice than selecting Gropp with the pick for Carl Hagelin.

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

Barzal is the reason they picked this awful player. Gropp has an NHL shot. yea right. that was smoke by the Rangers scouts. awful pick. i would not resign him this summer. waste of trash

He was picked because he carried the Thunderbirds while Barzal was injured

 

[RangersFan1994]

He was picked because he carried the Thunderbirds while Barzal was injured

he was picked because the Rangers scouts thought Gropp was carrying Barzal. Rangers still need to improve their scouting in my opinion

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

he was picked because the Rangers scouts thought Gropp was carrying Barzal. Rangers still need to improve their scouting in my opinion

This is the first time I’ve heard that take. And they hired a new WHL scout last year and picked Matthew Robertson in the 2nd, seems like they’ve already taken steps towards better scouting

 

[nyr2k2]

he was picked because the Rangers scouts thought Gropp was carrying Barzal. Rangers still need to improve their scouting in my opinion

Source on that? I've never seen that stated nor insinuated in my life. Only that they really liked Gropp and thought he performed just fine away from Barzal.

 

[nyr2k2]

Barzal is the reason they picked this awful player. Gropp has an NHL shot. yea right. that was smoke by the Rangers scouts. awful pick. i would not resign him this summer. waste of trash

He absolutely has an NHL shot. Did you watch him in Hartford? The shot is legit. He just doesn't have the presence to find open space like he did in the WHL, and in turn can't get that shot off from any high-percentage places.

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

He absolutely has an NHL shot. Did you watch him in Hartford? The shot is legit. He just doesn't have the presence to find open space like he did in the WHL, and in turn can't get that shot off from any high-percentage places.

This is a huge reason I’m so wary on prospects who’s calling card is their shot

 

[RangersFan1994]

This is a huge reason I’m so wary on prospects who’s calling card is their shot

Brandon Pirri also has a nice shot and that is all he has. similar players

 

[eco's bones]

I think the Rangers saw a 6'3'' guy with a goal scoring knack--thought he'd fill out more than he did and continue to be a goal scorer after he turned pro. His numbers in the WHL after his draft year didn't improve significantly---nor the rest of his game. He's a decent--not a great skater and despite his size he hasn't really filled out that much and is not really a physical player. IMO he's a become a decent AHL player which is a disappointing result.....but it happens---look at Zach Senyshyn--look at Kieffer Bellows.

Guys like Bellows, Wahlstrom, Tippett--mainly specializing at lower levels as big deal goal scorers in any given draft year often come up short because they have nothing else to fall back on.

 

[Raspewtin]

Can't believe the 6th best player from the 2015 draft is ECHL bound

 

[nyr2k2]

Can't believe the 6th best player from the 2015 draft is ECHL bound

Do you believe Gordie on that one? Or do you think he was just blowing smoke? I don't always agree with his draft approach, but to actually have Gropp sixth would just be an otherworldly misjudgement. That's not to say he definitely wasn't being genuine. Just seems crazy to me. Like you can point to McIlrath and I could at least understand the logic, the projection. Gropp was never that good.