Prospect Info: Isles Prospect Talk 2018-19 | Part II

[SI90]

I doubt this.

Toews and Aho first. No need to rush Dobson

Not about rushing. He might force his way on. Ultimately talent wins out and he’s the most talented Defensman with the highest potential in the franchise.

 

[Thrasymachus]

Not about rushing. He might force his way on. Ultimately talent wins out and he’s the most talented Defensman with the highest potential in the franchise.

While I agree he has the most upside of our defensive prospects (except perhaps Wilde), I think that Lou and Trotz will groom the kid slowly. Toews and Aho ARE pretty talented, maybe not on Dobson’s level, but they have a lot of experience. I think for Trotz and Lou, talent doesn’t necessarily trump professionalism, work ethic, experience etc.

Whether or not that is the smart decision, hard to say. Why the hell is Sbisa on the team when Toews is already better than Hickey ?

 

[SI90]

While I agree he has the most upside of our defensive prospects (except perhaps Wilde), I think that Lou and Trotz will groom the kid slowly. Toews and Aho ARE pretty talented, maybe not on Dobson’s level, but they have a lot of experience. I think for Trotz and Lou, talent doesn’t necessarily trump professionalism, work ethic, experience etc.

Whether or not that is the smart decision, hard to say. Why the hell is Sbisa on the team when Toews is already better than Hickey ?

The Toews situation really bothers me. But I think they don’t want to scratch Pelech. It makes more sense for Toews to be playing too minutes in the AHL than to be traveling around with the isles as the 7th Defensman.

Personally, I think he’s ready and would actually be a better option than Pelech right now.

 

[BarzyClub]

The Toews situation really bothers me. But I think they don’t want to scratch Pelech. It makes more sense for Toews to be playing too minutes in the AHL than to be traveling around with the isles as the 7th Defensman.

Personally, I think he’s ready and would actually be a better option than Pelech right now.

I think we’ll soon see Sbisa sent down and Toews called up and added to the rotation. He Pelech and Hickey can rotate in.

 

[PK Cronin]

Do we know how long Hickey is out? If it's an extended period of time I'd imagine we'll see Toews get some games in place of Sbisa.

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

Who goes?

I don't think it'll be about who goes, nor will it be about how many righties and lefties you've got.

I think he'll about as solid and ready as Heiskanen is for Dallas. You don't keep that out of the line-up.

Without naming names, we have more than enough replaceable Dmen.

And I thoroughly see Toews in the line-up next season and Aho will need to be in the NHL somewhere, if not here.

 

[Skip To My Lou]

The only problem about the Toews situation is that he's gonna be 25 in February and he still hasn't played an NHL game yet.

It's a young man's game today. Just don't want him to be behind.

 

[Mr Misunderstood]

Don't come in here much so apologies if already discussed.

Saw an article floating around about Koivula playing relatively well for the Sound Tigers. Anyone watching him in BPT? What's his future propsects in the NHL looking like?

 

[xECK29x]

Don't come in here much so apologies if already discussed.

Saw an article floating around about Koivula playing relatively well for the Sound Tigers. Anyone watching him in BPT? What's his future propsects in the NHL looking like?

I'd have to say they are pretty high right now, he has to work on his skating but it should be fixable as he gets more comfortable. His edges are good it's just a speed and stride issue. As it stands he will likely be a bottom six forward, but if his skating improves and he develops into a power center with a great shot who knows. He is in some pretty elite company with his junior numbers in Finland.

 

[Mr Misunderstood]

I'd have to say they are pretty high right now, he has to work on his skating but it should be fixable as he gets more comfortable. His edges are good it's just a speed and stride issue. As it stands he will likely be a bottom six forward, but if his skating improves and he develops into a power center with a great shot who knows. He is in some pretty elite company with his junior numbers in Finland.

Thanks. Is the great shot something he already has or another aspect of his game to work on? Or is it just that when you're Finnish you can shoot the heck out of the puck straight out of the womb?

 

[doublechili]

I'm trying to think of the name of the big, slow C who Koivula makes me think of. He's retired - I think played for StL among others. Czech or Slovak maybe? A good 3C as I recollect.

 

[SI90]

I'm trying to think of the name of the big, slow C who Koivula makes me think of. He's retired - I think played for StL among others. Czech or Slovak maybe? A good 3C as I recollect.

Not Czech or Slovak but I thought of Nik Antropov?

 

[xECK29x]

Thanks. Is the great shot something he already has or another aspect of his game to work on? Or is it just that when you're Finnish you can shoot the heck out of the puck straight out of the womb?

Natural gift, those totals are rare in those leagues, they aren't high scoring.

 

[Jester9881]

The Toews situation really bothers me. But I think they don’t want to scratch Pelech. It makes more sense for Toews to be playing too minutes in the AHL than to be traveling around with the isles as the 7th Defensman.

Personally, I think he’s ready and would actually be a better option than Pelech right now.

Remember when our genius GM traded away a 1st and 2nd rounder and protected Adam Pelech?

 

[Jester9881]

The only problem about the Toews situation is that he's gonna be 25 in February and he still hasn't played an NHL game yet.

It's a young man's game today. Just don't want him to be behind.

He played 4 years of NCAA, then spent a couple developing in the AHL (partially due to injuries). I like that the Islanders have been slow cooking these defensemen, the old way of doing things got us AMac and the Chef.

 

[BarzyClub]

I'm trying to think of the name of the big, slow C who Koivula makes me think of. He's retired - I think played for StL among others. Czech or Slovak maybe? A good 3C as I recollect.

Handzus?

 

[SI90]

Remember when our genius GM traded away a 1st and 2nd rounder and protected Adam Pelech?

That was just poor asset management. Pelech isn’t the game changer that we would have suffered for losing. Grabovski was out the whole year and now out of the league so his contract space really didn’t or wouldn’t have done much.

I know people don’t like to think this way because at the end of the day even Snow was a professional but you have to wonder if he wasn’t t just helping out his buddy McPhee.

I would have rather have lost Pelech and either used that 1st and 2nd on a prospect(s) or in a trade. With Pajama Boy leaving those assets were even more valuable.

Part of a GMs job is also projecting the future and there was no guarantee #91 was going to be here. Those were valuable assets we could have used.

Losing a center we could have picked Chytil Frost or Kostin. There were a few others as well I think Josh Norris too.

 

[CodeE]

What kills me the most - okay so they take a LHD. deHaan, Pelech - whoever. Does anyone remember the post-expansion period where Vegas was selling LHD for essentially pennies on the dollar because they drafted like 8 guys on 1-way deals?

We overpaid steeply to protect LHD right before a LHD firesale anyone could see coming with 7F+3D being the norm. Keep your 1st, keep your 2nd and trade it for Methot instead of Dallas.

 

[PK Cronin]

What kills me the most - okay so they take a LHD. deHaan, Pelech - whoever. Does anyone remember the post-expansion period where Vegas was selling LHD for essentially pennies on the dollar because they drafted like 8 guys on 1-way deals?

We overpaid steeply to protect LHD right before a LHD firesale anyone could see coming with 7F+3D being the norm. Keep your 1st, keep your 2nd and trade it for Methot instead of Dallas.

I liked the move, because it kept our roster in-tact completely. I was hoping they'd be able to add to that roster. Instead, they messed it all up.

 

[BelovedIsles]

I'm trying to think of the name of the big, slow C who Koivula makes me think of. He's retired - I think played for StL among others. Czech or Slovak maybe? A good 3C as I recollect.

Martin Handzus?

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

I'm trying to think of the name of the big, slow C who Koivula makes me think of. He's retired - I think played for StL among others. Czech or Slovak maybe? A good 3C as I recollect.

Hanzal?

He's actually still playing for Dallas.

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

He played 4 years of NCAA, then spent a couple developing in the AHL (partially due to injuries). I like that the Islanders have been slow cooking these defensemen, the old way of doing things got us AMac and the Chef.

Pretty sure he joined the Isles' organization after his junior season.

 

[seabass45]

Who goes?

Boychuk? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

8 team trade list starts next season.

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

Remember when our genius GM traded away a 1st and 2nd rounder and protected Adam Pelech?

Or did he move Grabovski, Bischoff, and the first rounder to protect Nelson and Bailey?

Don't get me wrong. I'd have told McPhee to take whichever of de Haan and Pelech he wants. We didn't need to dump Grabovski, who was on the IR and didn't count against the cap anyway. Bischoff and the 1st are, for my taste, certainly worth losing de Haan or Pelech for. Heck, Toews was coming off a 5-45-50 rookie season in the AHL, if the issue was gonna get pushed.

But hey, Snow was earning a check to make such decisions. OBVIOUSLY, protecting the guys he did was all about convincing Tavares to stay.

A shame he didn't stick with the pick though, because it was pretty much in his "sweet spot" (i.e. 12-19) as far as successful 1st rounders are concerned. I sure as hell wouldn't mind having, let's see, Brannstrom in the prospect bin right now. The kid has 20 points in his first 24 AHL games - as a Dman.

I mean cripes, I'd have been fine seeing Snow pick any of the guys who ended up going 15-31 in that first round. But alas, we'll never know what could have been.

 

[Jester9881]

That was just poor asset management. Pelech isn’t the game changer that we would have suffered for losing. Grabovski was out the whole year and now out of the league so his contract space really didn’t or wouldn’t have done much.

I know people don’t like to think this way because at the end of the day even Snow was a professional but you have to wonder if he wasn’t t just helping out his buddy McPhee.

I would have rather have lost Pelech and either used that 1st and 2nd on a prospect(s) or in a trade. With Pajama Boy leaving those assets were even more valuable.

Part of a GMs job is also projecting the future and there was no guarantee #91 was going to be here. Those were valuable assets we could have used.

Losing a center we could have picked Chytil Frost or Kostin. There were a few others as well I think Josh Norris too.

If they kept those picks and used my draft board we would have taken Eeli Tolvanen in the first round and Maxime Comtois in the second.

Edit: The second rounder is for this coming draft, but I had Maxime Comtois rated much higher than Salo (who we used that pick on)