Prospect Info: Hartford Wolf Pack/Maine Mariners Thread: Part XIV

[nyr2k2]

ah i missed that distinction...I knew there was something I was missing...so the rangers are trying to spread the wealth by bouncing those guys back and forth.

That what it appears. It may only be a couple hundred bucks or whatever for each day, but that can go a long way for these guys without distressing the parent club one bit.

 

[Fitzy]

ah i missed that distinction...I knew there was something I was missing...so the rangers are trying to spread the wealth by bouncing those guys back and forth.

What a strange season

 

[Ranger Ric]

There are 161 days in the NHL season. The Rangers appear to be moving 11 Hartford players onto the taxi squad who are under contract to the Rangers and don't have a one way contract or high AHL minimum. 161 days divided by 11 players is 14.6 days per player. At $400 per day that's close to $6K per player. So it's not nothing.

That what it appears. It may only be a couple hundred bucks or whatever for each day, but that can go a long way for these guys without distressing the parent club one bit.

 

[gravey9]

For Cuylle as a 19 year old coming from being one of the older players in his junior hockey league, I would have to imagine it could certainly be a factor jumping up to a league where you're suddenly you're no longer facing off against your peers, but grown ass men with many more years experience both playing the game and engaging in the rough stuff & fisticuffs. I haven't been able to view a game so I haven't seen him play but I know he projects to be a big-bodied, hard-nosed power forward type (if he pans out)... I'm curious how he's currently approaching the game at the AHL level, being one of the youngest guys out there... I wouldn't blame any player if they played a more reserved physical game to start their careers at these professional levels, until they felt more comfortable and acclimated...

He's only played 4 games. He's been pretty physical for a 19 year old who just turned Pro. He looks physically capable of withstanding the AHL grind. But he seems more focused on driving offense and being positionally sound. He's been strong along the boards. He's shown good hands, good shot, decent skating, and better vision than many of the other forwards. But he's not out there antagonizing or pushing and shoving, etc. He's building a solid base to build off of. I think he and Barron just need to work on becoming puck hounds a bit more. While they aren't pure motor guys like Berard or say Hoglander -- pressuring D is sort of a main component of pro forechecking. They both have a chance of being very good below the goal line and along the walls.

 

[nyr2k2]

He's only played 4 games. He's been pretty physical for a 19 year old who just turned Pro. He looks physically capable of withstanding the AHL grind. But he seems more focused on driving offense and being positionally sound. He's been strong along the boards. He's shown good hands, good shot, decent skating, and better vision than many of the other forwards. But he's not out there antagonizing or pushing and shoving, etc. He's building a solid base to build off of. I think he and Barron just need to work on becoming puck hounds a bit more. While they aren't pure motor guys like Berard or say Hoglander -- pressuring D is sort of a main component of pro forechecking. They both have a chance of being very good below the goal line and along the walls.

Cuylle has been good. I was more convinced he could withstand the physical rigors of the AHL over someone like Vierling simply because he is more physically developed. I was hoping to see him just be able to hang, but to see him making plays is a pleasant surprise.

 

[gravey9]

Cuylle has been good. I was more convinced he could withstand the physical rigors of the AHL over someone like Vierling simply because he is more physically developed. I was hoping to see him just be able to hang, but to see him making plays is a pleasant surprise.

Agreed. What's been interesting is the way in which he's generated offense hasn't been what you often see from young kids especially from major junior. He's not making crazy irresponsible passes or trying to skate the puck around multiple guys. He's keeping it simple, making smart low risk offensive plays and yet managing to be one of the more effective players at creating offense. I just hope he keeps building in that same direction. The no short cuts version of developing an effective pro style game.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

As was posted in the link earlier, players are paid their FULL AHL salary when they're on the taxi squad. When they're on the AHL roster, they're paid that prorated amount, which we knew from the outset was 40%. So a guy on an ELC with no minimum salary guarantee will pick up more money by spending a day or two on the taxi squad than in the AHL because his salary isn't prorated for the time he's on the taxi squad.

NHL to Taxi Squad to AHL Salary Structure

Yes, but they use the AHL base salary for the calculation, like shown in the example. They make more because it isn't pro-rated, but the base salary used for this, is their AHL salary.

It's nice for guys like Richards, Khodorenko etc to get some extra dough for a few days

 

[nyr2k2]

Yes, but they use the AHL base salary for the calculation, like shown in the example. They make more because it isn't pro-rated, but the base salary used for this, is their AHL salary.

It's nice for guys like Richards, Khodorenko etc to get some extra dough for a few days

You said "For the purposes of salary paid out, being on the taxi squad is the same as being in the AHL." My point is that is wrong, for guys on two-way deals. The salary paid out to them is paid at a higher rate when they are on the taxi squad than it is when they are on the AHL roster. Of course the base salary is the same, but the lack of proration totally changes what is actually paid to the players. And it's nice to see the Rangers doing it.

 

[cwede]

put ELC guys on the taxi squad saves cap space (and possibly bonus overage) while screwing the kids out of $$...

i dont think anyone is getting screwed,
the pandemic and hard Cap are affecting everyone, players understand that,
and NYR players know that the org is willing to spend,
but also that the hard Cap means various allowed tactics should be exercised,
for the team to be in best position, to possibly make helpful moves later in season

 

[nyr2k2]

i dont think anyone is getting screwed,
the pandemic and hard Cap are affecting everyone, players understand that,
and NYR players know that the org is willing to spend,
but also that the hard Cap means various allowed tactics should be exercised,
for the team to be in best position, to possibly make helpful moves later in season

Yeah I think it would be different if the club were to put Kakko and Shesterkin, for example, on the taxi squad after every game and only recall them on game days. That would be kind of f***ed up. That's not really what's happening, though. While it's unfortunate that the ELC guys end up losing money as a result, I think this was pretty much an anticipated tactic that most teams would employ.

 

[Leetch3]

i dont think anyone is getting screwed,
the pandemic and hard Cap are affecting everyone, players understand that,
and NYR players know that the org is willing to spend,
but also that the hard Cap means various allowed tactics should be exercised,
for the team to be in best position, to possibly make helpful moves later in season

i said it jokingly...but technically those guys are losing $$ by being put on the taxi squad. in a normal year teams could do the same and assign guys who don't need waivers to the ahl between games to get them off the cap but it would never be done.

i get why the team is doing it and why its being done...but every day someone like miller is on the taxi squad he is getting paid that day based on $70k ahl salary not $832,500 nhl base salary. that adds up when its done enough times otherwise the team wouldn't do it. so i joked about him being 'screwed' but the kids are losing a decent chunk of change on top of the salaries being pro-rated.

 

[Vitto79]

i said it jokingly...but technically those guys are losing $$ by being put on the taxi squad. in a normal year teams could do the same and assign guys who don't need waivers to the ahl between games to get them off the cap but it would never be done.

i get why the team is doing it and why its being done...but every day someone like miller is on the taxi squad he is getting paid that day based on $70k ahl salary not $832,500 nhl base salary. that adds up when its done enough times otherwise the team wouldn't do it. so i joked about him being 'screwed' but the kids are losing a decent chunk of change on top of the salaries being pro-rated.

yea it stinks but w covid and a flat cap it’s a business necessity

what I am not sure about is calling up a Gettinger to the taxi he is still getting an AHL pay no?

I read they are getting some guys NHL pay but they must be on the acting live roster technically for that

 

[nyr2k2]

yea it stinks but w covid and a flat cap it’s a business necessity

what I am not sure about is calling up a Gettinger to the taxi he is still getting an AHL pay no?

I read they are getting some guys NHL pay but they must be on the acting live roster technically for that

ELCs are two-way contracts, meaning you're paid one salary for being in the NHL and one for being in the minors. Gettinger's NHL salary is $700K and his minors salary is $65K. So for each day he's on the taxi squad he receives pay based on his NHL salary, whereas if he's in Hartford, he's receiving pay based on the minors number. So you can imagine that even just for one day, it's a substantial difference in pay for these guys. It's a paper transaction to get a day or two of NHL pay for Gettinger (and probably Reunanen, too).

Exacerbating things is that in the AHL the salaries have basically been prorated down to 40%--so in the AHL a guy like Gettinger is actually being paid based off of a $26K salary. On top of that, most of these guys haven't earned a paycheck in forever since the AHL was shut down for so long. It's tough.

It's great that the team is doing this for the guys.

 

[Ranger Ric]

Warm up lines from Bob Crawfod.

Warmup lines for
@WolfPackAHL
vs. P-Bruins: Barron-Richards-Newell, Gettinger-O'Leary-Greco, Cuylle-Khodorenko-Ronning, Whelan-Rueschhoff-Thompson. D: Reunanen-LoVerde, Geertsen-Raddysh, Taylor-Crawley. Huska starts in net.

Richards back in. Rueschholff playing center. Looking forward to seeing the Richards and Khodorenko lines.

 

[nyr2k2]

Newell (hot start) from Reunanen and Barron has Hartford in front.

Barron stoned in front, picked up the puck, swung it up the boards, Reunanen at the left point fired a nice pass to Newell at the edge of the right circle and he flipped one in.

 

[RangersFan1994]

Newell (hot start) from Reunanen and Barron has Hartford in front.

Barron stoned in front, picked up the puck, swung it up the boards, Reunanen at the left point fired a nice pass to Newell at the edge of the right circle and he flipped one in.

Tarmo better get called up soon

 

[Fitzy]

Tarmo better get called up soon

Starting to feel like the plan is to just play him in the AHL the full season.

Hopefully he doesn’t get tired and ask for a trade

 

[True Blue]

Starting to feel like the plan is to just play him in the AHL the full season.

Hopefully he doesn’t get tired and ask for a trade

Honestly not the worst things in the Wolf for someone like he and Barron.

And if spending a year on Hartford makes him ask for a trade, then he belongs as far away from this franchise as possible.

 

[True Blue]

Tarmo better get called up soon

I think there’s preference to let him and Barron marinate

 

[cwede]

Warm up lines from Bob Crawfod.
Warmup lines for @WolfPackAHL vs. P-Bruins:
Barron-Richards-Newell, Gettinger-O'Leary-Greco,
Cuylle-Khodorenko-Ronning, Whelan-Rueschhoff-Thompson.
D: Reunanen-LoVerde, Geertsen-Raddysh, Taylor-Crawley.
Huska starts in net.
Richards back in. Rueschholff playing center. Looking forward to seeing the Richards and Khodorenko lines.

Thanks.
so,at D, Taylor's first game, Giutarri sits again, Sieloff, now sitting too after playing 3 straight.
Elmer still a spare. Dmowski sits 3rd in a row.
Fontaine out again too, reports he was injured, tho at same time he got a paper call-up to Taxi.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

I think there’s preference to let him and Barron marinate

The decision around Barron makes sense because he isn't ready and his performance bonuses affect the cap situation. Barron isn't really dominating. Among forwards, he'd probably be my 3rd choice to call up right now behind Khodorenko and Richards.

But Reunanen was one of the last cuts in 2019, then developed 18 months in Finland and is now dominating the AHL.

 

[Ranger Ric]

Reunanen continues to be the best Pack player. I'd be surprised if he isn't given a few games in the NHL this year. Several forwards look promising but I agree they are not ready.

1-1 after 2. Pretty sleepy second period. Only 10n shots for both teams in the period. At end of period Richards moved off first line. Huska not giving up any easy goals but not tested very much.

The decision around Barron makes sense because he isn't ready and his performance bonuses affect the cap situation. Barron isn't really dominating. Among forwards, he'd probably be my 3rd choice to call up right now behind Khodorenko and Richards.

But Reunanen was one of the last cuts in 2019, then developed 18 months in Finland and is now dominating the AHL.

 

[gravey9]

The decision around Barron makes sense because he isn't ready and his performance bonuses affect the cap situation. Barron isn't really dominating. Among forwards, he'd probably be my 3rd choice to call up right now behind Khodorenko and Richards.

But Reunanen was one of the last cuts in 2019, then developed 18 months in Finland and is now dominating the AHL.

Re: Barron vs Khodorenko and Richards. This is not accurate in terms of play so far. Richards is finally back in after being out since the first Pack game. He has looked ok so far. Khodorenko has interesting hands, but is average size. He's not doing anything to seperate himself from, well... the Pack.

That said, Barron is showing decent progression since game 1. He's winning more and more board battles. His stick is more active. He's imposing his size more and more. And I would argue he's consistently one of the best HFD forwards. Is he driving play every single shift? Not quite. But to say Richards and Khodorenko are ahead of him is perhaps a calculation either based on their position or some other consideration. But purely from whose making the biggest impact, it's Barron right now. We have to give a mulligan to Richards though as he's hardly played and battled COVID. And on top of that, it's really hard for any of the Pack players to really stand out as they're playing like 1 game a week.

 

[gravey9]

Providence carried majority of play in 2nd period. Wolf Pack weren't great at breakouts. And not causing enough turnovers to get much offensive zone time. There were some good shifts and a decent first half of PP.

 

[nyr2k2]

I mean the jitterbug Newell has been the biggest contributor behind Brodzinski. Rueschhoff has been quite noticeable as well. Barron has been solid, Khodorenko has shown flashes. Richards looked good his first game and looked decent early today before I fell asleep. Cuylle has been surprisingly active, as well.

I wouldn't say any of Barron, Khodorenko, or Richards have been the best forward down there.