Prospect Info: In the System IX (Ads and Prospects)

[nine_inch_fang]

The coaching staff could very well be waiting to call Afanasyev back up until he accomplishes certain goals or bench marks. I have no idea what those things are but whatever they have him working on they may not want to interrupt the progress.

Could Afanasyev help the Preds now by filling a top 6 spot and maybe getting some points? It's very possible.
Could the results be much better if he stays in the AHL for however many games to be fully ready for NHL time? Also, very possible. I guess it's a risk reward estimate for the coaching staff and development team right now.

 

[AdmiralsFan24]

Currently regretting my purchase of AHLTV ama.

 

[nine_inch_fang]

Currently regretting my purchase of AHLTV ama.

???

 

[cjerina]

???

His point is there's no reason to watch the Admirals.

Its a bad indicator when your new PTO signing is your first line center:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FEhH_WDX0Agx8jM?format=jpg&name=medium

Aaron Sims also confirmed Patrick Harper and Zach Solow were healthy scratches, so the option to run 11 F/ 7 D is not due to injuries.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

We should have picked up some guys on waivers and let Smith and McCarron go back to Milwaukee. Clifford and Brooks have to be at least as good for us right now as those guys, then they could go back and try to help keep things from getting too much further off the rails in Milwaukee.

Of course, there is some real money attached to Clifford on a 1-way deal, but the difference isn't huge compared to keeping one of those other guys around, and we're running a good bit below the Cap and with a pretty tame budget compared to most teams.

Not that Smith or McCarron would necessarily be enough to save Milwaukee either, but in the spirit of "every little bit counts..."

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

I was also checking out and wondering if Brandon Pirri or Boo Nieves are playing anywhere yet... maybe they have life reasons not to be playing hockey this year, fair enough, or injuries, etc. But maybe there are still a tiny few players out there who are a little better than just PTO'ing guys who are more like ECHL players?

Also maybe not, also Covid, also maybe they tried and not everybody wants to move to Milwaukee, etc. Probably there are no really easy answers, it will just come down to the coaching staff working with what they've got.


Also we should have some guys inbound from Junior/Europe/College later in the season, and maybe we shouldn't load up Milwaukee too deeply, because we'll want some of those guys to get a taste of some games late in the season too, probably? Evangelista, Prokop, Parssinen, L'Heureux could join if their teams finish earlier, Kondelik and Stastney should be graduating?

So maybe it is just a season for taking our lumps in Milwaukee, for a change?

 

[cjerina]

I think its too much work to dig into, but the Ads weren't that great (though not this bad) in 18/19, then went on a run in March/April to make the playoffs.

I think there's time to rebound, its just giving the time for the 'prospects' to show who is and isn't AHL quality. Then hopefully, the team can replace those players with more developed/older ECHL guys.

I think Pirri would be a pipe-dream, esp. with him being paid 1-way contracts the past 2 years. That being said, the rumor was he got traded from Vegas's system to the Blackhawks was because he wanted to keep living in Chicago. Milwaukee isn't *that* far away if he really wanted to keep playing. Plus he's a wing, and the team needs center depth (IMO).

edit: Hooray, Cole Smith is back.

 

[Armourboy]

I mean when the big team retools so does the little one. It's just one of those things that happens. Used to see the same thing happen with the Sounds from time to time.

 

[Predsanddead24]

I wonder if anyone has ever looked into whether or not AHL team record provides any indication on the number of players who eventually make it into the NHL. I would think it would but who knows. Was poking around old Admirals seasons and their worst season pointswise in the last 20 years the team was led in scoring by Arvidsson, Watson, Sissons, Leipsic, and Aberg. Bitteto, Fiala, Salomaki, and Gaudreau were all on that team too. That's nine players who ended up playing 100+ NHL which seems pretty good to me despite the team itself being not very good.

 

[cjerina]

I wonder if anyone has ever looked into whether or not AHL team record provides any indication on the number of players who eventually make it into the NHL. I would think it would but who knows. Was poking around old Admirals seasons and their worst season pointswise in the last 20 years the team was led in scoring by Arvidsson (21), Watson (22), Sissons (20), Leipsic (20), and Aberg (20). Bitteto (24), Fiala (18), Salomaki (21), and Gaudreau (21) were all on that team too. That's nine players who ended up playing 100+ NHL which seems pretty good to me despite the team itself being not very good.

One thing I'd point out from that team is that it was VERY young with a lot of draft picks (and transactions/injuries). I added the ages as listed on hockeydb for those guys listed, and besides Bitteto, the oldest was Watson at 22.

If not for injuries, I don't think Gaudreau makes the team long-term. If not for Leipsic getting traded, I don't think Fiala comes over from Switzerland (although I believe Fiala's showing at that point allowed Poile to trade Leipsic.)

That team is definitely a EA NHL video game 'stacked' roster where the reality was few of those listed players played together much to make a cohesive team. That was discussed on one of the Admirals podcasts as well, but I forget who it was discussed with, either Gaudreau or Oligny I believe.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

I wonder if anyone has ever looked into whether or not AHL team record provides any indication on the number of players who eventually make it into the NHL. I would think it would but who knows. Was poking around old Admirals seasons and their worst season pointswise in the last 20 years the team was led in scoring by Arvidsson, Watson, Sissons, Leipsic, and Aberg. Bitteto, Fiala, Salomaki, and Gaudreau were all on that team too. That's nine players who ended up playing 100+ NHL which seems pretty good to me despite the team itself being not very good.

I bet it might almost be an inversely proportional relationship. In my head anyway, a lot of strong AHL teams are powered by veteran players who aren't really long-term NHL players. Although you might have to be careful how you tagged them, because they'd also be guys who got some cups of coffee.

Our 2019-20 Covid-shortened Ads powerhouse... 12 guys ended up in the NHL. Novak, Carrier, Pitlick, Tolvanen, Trenin, Gaudreau, Blackwell, Jeannot, Olivier... well Tinordi, Harpur, and McCarron are atm anyhow. That's the last time Milwaukee iced a team, to now. And Carr was the leading scorer and went to Switzerland too. This should be considered a Good Thing, imo.

 

[Predsanddead24]

I bet it might almost be an inversely proportional relationship. In my head anyway, a lot of strong AHL teams are powered by veteran players who aren't really long-term NHL players. Although you might have to be careful how you tagged them, because they'd also be guys who got some cups of coffee.

Our 2019-20 Covid-shortened Ads powerhouse... 12 guys ended up in the NHL. Novak, Carrier, Pitlick, Tolvanen, Trenin, Gaudreau, Blackwell, Jeannot, Olivier... well Tinordi, Harpur, and McCarron are atm anyhow. That's the last time Milwaukee iced a team, to now. And Carr was the leading scorer and went to Switzerland too. This should be considered a Good Thing, imo.

I'd guess maybe there is some sort of sweet spot where you have just enough AHL vets to not be terrible while still getting your prospects the ice time they need to develop. Maybe a bubble playoff team? Maybe there's no relationship at all and it's all in how good the staff down there is at developing young players.

 

[adsfan]

His point is there's no reason to watch the Admirals.

Its a bad indicator when your new PTO signing is your first line center:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FEhH_WDX0Agx8jM?format=jpg&name=medium
Aaron Sims also confirmed Patrick Harper and Zach Solow were healthy scratches, so the option to run 11 F/ 7 D is not due to injuries.

For our friends in Music City, Milwaukee has used the 11 / 7 several times this season.

One home game, I was counting Dmen and the pairings changed. Nobody was in the penalty box. It took me about a whole period to realize that the Ads were playing with seven. When a forward got hurt, they were playing 3 lines and substituting the 10th forward.

In the IHL in the 1960s and early 1970s the teams played with 5 Dmen and 9 forwards, so the pairings would change. Later, it was 16 skaters dressed, so teams usually played 6 Dmen and 10 forwards.

 

[GoldOnGold]

The Preds' 2015 draft class, which looked pretty rough a couple of years ago, is suddenly looking great. Carrier, Trenin, Novak, and Vejmelka (who still counts!) are all full NHLers now.

 

[adsfan]

Milwaukee finally won on the road to be 1-7! They were the only AHL without a road win.

Grimaldi scored the first goal at 1:25 of the game and scored again with 2 minutes remaining, SH and EN in a 5-2 victory over the Manitoba Moose.

The Ads are 2-2-1 against the Moose and 4-9-1 overall. Only 3 more road games to go in November.

 

[herzausstein]

Milwaukee finally won on the road to be 1-7! They were the only AHL without a road win.

Grimaldi scored the first goal at 1:25 of the game and scored again with 2 minutes remaining, SH and EN in a 5-2 victory over the Manitoba Moose.

The Ads are 2-2-1 against the Moose and 4-9-1 overall. Only 3 more road games to go in November.

Glass has seemingly picked things up and has been doing well down there. I wonder if they’ll look to call him back up or if Novak has cemented his position and we will have to wait for injury

 

[PredsV82]

Glass has seemingly picked things up and has been doing well down there. I wonder if they’ll look to call him back up or if Novak has cemented his position and we will have to wait for injury

Novak is apparently getting scratched now that Cousins is back.
I'd leave Glass down there and let him build confidence

 

[Armourboy]

Don't see why we are so dead set on playing Cousins. Poile isn't likely to bring him back after this season anyways.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Don't see why we are so dead set on playing Cousins. Poile isn't likely to bring him back after this season anyways.

Who else are you going to play, though? We shaved off some depth. Cousins is a legitimate NHL bottom-6 player. (Although I will get agitated if they ever put him on the PP again, of course!) He's a better player than Novak, no offense to Novak who is growing very nicely into a player. He's a better player than Olivier or McCarron too, for sure. We're trying to make the playoffs here. I don't see any argument whatsoever for not playing Cousins.

 

[Armourboy]

Who else are you going to play, though? We shaved off some depth. Cousins is a legitimate NHL bottom-6 player. (Although I will get agitated if they ever put him on the PP again, of course!) He's a better player than Novak, no offense to Novak who is growing very nicely into a player. He's a better player than Olivier or McCarron too, for sure. We're trying to make the playoffs here. I don't see any argument whatsoever for not playing Cousins.

Bring Afanasyev up, or Glass. If Nick Cousins is the difference in us making the playoffs we have no business being in the playoffs .

Edit: I'd bench McCarron and Olivier over Cousins and Novak though.

 

[herzausstein]

Bring Afanasyev up, or Glass. If Nick Cousins is the difference in us making the playoffs we have no business being in the playoffs .

Edit: I'd bench McCarron and Olivier over Cousins and Novak though.

I agree about McCarron and olivier. At this point I don’t mind trying to pump some value into cousins for a trade deadline trade. Glass or afanasyev should be up instead of McCarron and olivier as we already have a tough guy line .

 

[Scoresberg]

Svechkov and Askarov as expected.

 

[EXTRAS]

Hows farrance looked?

 

[adsfan]

Hows farrance looked?

I have posted about him before. He looks like an AHL player. He passes well with 1G and 9A in 17 games played. That puts him 4th on the team in scoring.

Sometimes he tries to stickhandle like Bobby Orr and he loses the puck. Once he loses that habit, he will be an excellent Dman.

 

[EXTRAS]

I have posted about him before. He looks like an AHL player. He passes well with 1G and 9A in 17 games played. That puts him 4th on the team in scoring.

Sometimes he tries to stickhandle like Bobby Orr and he loses the puck. Once he loses that habit, he will be an excellent Dman.

An excellent AHL dman, or an excellent NHL dman?