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

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Ola

Ola

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cwede said:
Just my own contradicting opinion, but this rush to judgement re Howden and Hajek seems over the top and premature. These kids are just turning 22 mid/late in this season, 18 months ago they were Junior players.
Yes its become more common that some kids early 20's become fully productive NHLers right away, but not every one.
And on a deeper or contending team, these 2 guys would not have been rushed into so much NHL duty so soon.

I see no compelling evidence that either wont become core regulars for the primes of their NHL careers.
Virtually none of us were as fully effective professionally, or in life, at 22, as we were at 25.

And btw these guys were not acquired for what they'd be at 22. The team is taking a longer view. So should some of us
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I think Hajak is a little harder to predict. He has a lot of fundamentals in place. I think he could take rapid strides in his development if things goes his way. It’s like with McD. He grew fairly well under Torts but then broke out completely when AV came in and let the Ds loose. Sauer spent such a long time in the AHL.

I think we are rushing to judge Howden for sure though. I like his speed and energy. I also think we could push him more physically. But he should be able to take some strides.
 

Levitate

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Ola said:
I think we are rushing to judge Howden for sure though. I like his speed and energy. I also think we could push him more physically. But he should be able to take some strides.
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I mean...again he just doesn't make good decisions with the puck at all. I'll be happy as hell if he can take steps forward and look more solid but...he just seems lost out there a lot of the time. Again, I think he would have benefited greatly from being sent down but it feels like those first couple of months last year made management think "yeah he's totally ready now let's keep him up here forever"
 
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nyr2k2

nyr2k2

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jas said:
Right now, a 4th line with Lemieux, Howden and Fast would be ideal.
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I don't know what, if anything, Howden excels at now. That's not to say he can't be a good NHLer, but right now he doesn't do a whole lot. Lemieux and Fast have easily definable skill sets that make them great in a bottom six capacity. Howden just kind of exists.
 
Ola

Ola

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Levitate said:
I mean...again he just doesn't make good decisions with the puck at all. I'll be happy as hell if he can take steps forward and look more solid but...he just seems lost out there a lot of the time. Again, I think he would have benefited greatly from being sent down but it feels like those first couple of months last year made management think "yeah he's totally ready now let's keep him up here forever"
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I would even say that he doesn’t make decisions with the puck, which is more of a problem than making bad decisions.

Some guys plays like the end boards is magnetic and always make plays to get their ASAP. I think in today’s game that it is much more important to always have your head up and evaluate if you should go to the net or not, and if it’s not, to create situations in which it is. Howden does not, he goes in one direction only. Many coaches would find that very problematic but DQ doesn’t.

However, I personally think that Kreider at the same age was much more under the ice than Howden, for example. Howden seems to be a great kid and he has those galloping legs. I would be surprised if he didn’t improve in these areas over the coming years.
 
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Vitto79

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UnSandvich said:
I'd rather Lemieux, Fast, and an actual NHL player, thanks
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so I always thought Howden would be protected at the expansion draft but now I think he'd pass threw anyway. Hajek same deal.

Also Howdesn been playing the wing so they trust McKegg more than him it seems
 
JimmyG89

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nyr2k2 said:
I agree with all of this, except Shesterkin. He has always played in a timeshare, so as far as I'm concerned, we should feed him all the starts we can this year. He's up to 31--if we can double that between the rest of the NHL season and the AHL playoffs, I think that would be really helpful moving forward. I think the most games he has started in a year is around 50 or so.
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He's the only guy I'd send down at the end of the season that is a propsect. If they could get Di Guiseppe down again for the playoffs, that's fine too.

Kakko, Chytil, Lindgren, and Fox do not need to play those game. Kakko and Fox have never suited up in the AHL, and Chytil and Lindgren barely played down there. They'll be in a whole bunch of games as is.

Shesty gives them the best chance at a deep run. Huska is good, but he's not Shesterkin. Unless he is getting 3 out of every 5 starts the rest of the way, which he should at this rate, then he should go back down.

The only thing that would stop me: if he gets the invite from Russia to play in the worlds. Georgiev took that experience last year and has improved this season. Shesterkin should be rewarded for his play if he can be.
 
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nyr2k2

nyr2k2

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JimmyG89 said:
He's the only guy I'd send down at the end of the season that is a propsect. If they could get Di Guiseppe down again for the playoffs, that's fine too.

Kakko, Chytil, Lindgren, and Fox do not need to play those game. Kakko and Fox have never suited up in the AHL, and Chytil and Lindgren barely played down there. They'll be in a whole bunch of games as is.

Shesty gives them the best chance at a deep run. Huska is good, but he's not Shesterkin. Unless he is getting 3 out of every 5 starts the rest of the way, which he should at this rate, then he should go back down.

The only thing that would stop me: if he gets the invite from Russia to play in the worlds. Georgiev took that experience last year and has improved this season. Shesterkin should be rewarded for his play if he can be.
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Yeah I wouldn't stop Shesterkin from playing in the WC, but otherwise, they should get him down to Hartford and let him start basically every game.

Agree completely on the rest.
 
nyr2k2

nyr2k2

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IDK if it was mentioned yet but the other day the Rangers assigned Elmer to Hartford from Maine, and then sent Taylor and Gewis Lerter-Zossage back to Maine.
 
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GAGLine

GAGLine

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Osminator said:
What are the odds of Georgiev joinimg the Pack again? Is he still waiver exempt? Conditioning loan?
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He is subject to waivers. They could send him down on a conditioning stint, but I think those are limited to 2 weeks.
 
JimmyG89

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Wolfpack are back in action tonight. Rykov was a scratch again and Crawley was called up and is playing in his spot. Believe this is scratches in 2 of the last 3 games. Wonder if something is nagging him.
 
JimmyG89

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Baby Pens score with 3 seconds left in the first, in an otherwise inauspicious 1st period to take a 1-0 lead after 1. Lettieri blocks the first shot, it stung him and Pierre-Olivier Jospeh got his own shot and cranked one past Huska. Unfortunate bounce after Lettieri took the first shot away.

Not much else going on in the period, but I'll say Hajek with the puck looked as good as I've seen him in his own zone. Felt like he realized what ice he had and took it instead of making a tough play through a player.
 
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JimmyG89

JimmyG89

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Pack tie the game at 1 with a contribution from the 4th line. Dmowski chips one in after a scramble in front of the net.

LoVerde was crashing the net on the play and gets an assist, McBride with the 2nd assist.
 
nyr2k2

nyr2k2

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I have as much fun playing "Is that an empty seat or a person?" watching these games as I do actually watching these games.

There are legit 5 people there tonight. They might be attendants.
 
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