Isles Prospect Talk 2020-21

[GrandmaSlices51631]

Holmstrom with 2 points in 9 games in a second tier league doesn't instill much confidence. Still shaking my head at that pick

 

[buud]

Holmstrom with 2 points in 9 games in a second tier league doesn't instill much confidence. Still shaking my head at that pick

he had great success everywhere he played, so the pick didn't surprise me. seems like he took about 3 steps back since being drafted, though, which obviously sucks.

i've seen clips of him and damn... he seems emotionless. i wonder if he is unhappy with the Isles? idk. still lots of time.

 

[scott99]

he had great success everywhere he played, so the pick didn't surprise me. seems like he took about 3 steps back since being drafted, though, which obviously sucks.

i've seen clips of him and damn... he seems emotionless. i wonder if he is unhappy with the Isles? idk. still lots of time.

Great success everywhere he’s played ? When ? What in the world are you talking about ?

I knew THE SECOND the pick was made, it was a HORRIBLE pick. He will never play in the NHL. It was a throw away pick. We’ve seen this with the Islanders in the past, and it continued with the Holmstrom pick in 2019 and the Ljungkrantz pick this year. It’s like arrogance, let’s show we’re the smartest guys in the room by taking guys WAY ahead of where most people have them ranked.

I actually think Ljungkrantz will be a better player than Holmstrom.

 

[NC 1972]

Great success everywhere he’s played ? When ? What in the world are you talking about ?

I knew THE SECOND the pick was made, it was a HORRIBLE pick. He will never play in the NHL. It was a throw away pick. We’ve seen this with the Islanders in the past, and it continued with the Holmstrom pick in 2019 and the Ljungkrantz pick this year. It’s like arrogance, let’s show we’re the smartest guys in the room by taking guys WAY ahead of where most people have them ranked.

I actually think Ljungkrantz will be a better player than Holmstrom.

Unlike the Dal Colle pick where we were in need of a goal scoring winger for Pajama boy, and being picked where he was ranked, the Holmstrom pick was a massive reach and it ignored an organizational need/weakness at the time and flew in the face of selecting the best player available. Bad pick all around when you consider what we left on the table not to mention his injury history.

 

[IslesCLT]

I have t-shirts older than Holmstrom. Maybe we should reserve judgement until he can legally drink in the US? He's the equivalent of a college freshman/sophomore

 

[buud]

I have t-shirts older than Holmstrom. Maybe we should reserve judgement until he can legally drink in the US? He's the equivalent of a college freshman/sophomore

agreed. he may not have been the best pick, and he may not have been the worst. although he is a lefty, he plays RW, which is always a need, just as is RD. and he is skilled. we needed that. i don't know what all the griping is about.

so many factors go into a players success. i do know that i would love to be privy to what goes on behind closed doors.

 

[Kevin27NYI]

I didn't like the Holmstrom pick at the time but I did no research, still do so little. I just wait to judge at the NHL level if they make it. The Strome's, Reinharts, Dal Colles really scarred me looking forward to the draft or caring about the +1, +2 seasons.

 

[PWJunior]

agreed. he may not have been the best pick, and he may not have been the worst. although he is a lefty, he plays RW, which is always a need, just as is RD. and he is skilled. we needed that. i don't know what all the griping is about.

so many factors go into a players success. i do know that i would love to be privy to what goes on behind closed doors.

Amen.

Holmstrom was a late 1st rounder, the amount of bitching and moaning about it is amusing. I can understand if he was a top-5/10 pick, but not for a #23 overall pick. His skillset is different from any of our other forward prospects. If he pans out, he can be a speedy LH shot RW/LW that brings some playmaking ability. Wahlstrom and Bellows (if he is still in the organization's plans) are shoot first and ask questions later types, Holmstrom is more well rounded and can inject some more speed and skill into the lineup. He's in his D+2 season in the midst of COVID and is still a teenager... people need to freaking chill.

 

[IslandersFan17]

Amen.

Holmstrom was a late 1st rounder, the amount of bitching and moaning about it is amusing. I can understand if he was a top-5/10 pick, but not for a #23 overall pick. His skillset is different from any of our other forward prospects. If he pans out, he can be a speedy LH shot RW/LW that brings some playmaking ability. Wahlstrom and Bellows (if he is still in the organization's plans) are shoot first and ask questions later types, Holmstrom is more well rounded and can inject some more speed and skill into the lineup. He's in his D+2 season in the midst of COVID and is still a teenager... people need to freaking chill.

I think part of the issue is seeing the cross town rivals accumulating highly regarded prospects. As if we didn’t just make the ECF... the shoe seems to be on the other foot, yet still there is room for displeasure.

Not to long ago, we were the ones amassing the highly picked and coveted specs, while they were chasing the cup. All we wanted was to be the ones chasing that cup, now that the roles are reversed, people are upset about the prospect pool....

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

His preference was to stay in school, he said he went to the KHL to help out his family financially in the midst of the developing (at the time) pandemic. It's not puzzling at all when you consider the circumstances behind his decision.

As a sidenote, he is playing in the Finnish league, Liiga, not in the KHL.

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

A bit puzzling going from NCAA to Liiga (particularly given the fact that he has yet to sign an entry-level contract with the Islanders).

Seeing as he was drafted by the previous regime it's hard to figure how much he still fits in the Islanders' plans (even though he was the 43rd player picked that year).

Oh, he was drafted by this "regime".

Lou had taken over as GM a good month+ before the draft took place. Admittedly, I don't think he had made many, if any, changes
to the scouting staff by that time, but Lamoriello was already the GM by the time the 2018 draft took place and when magazines and experts look at what a GM accomplished, they'll be attributing that draft to Lamoriello.

As far as Iskhakov's curious move to Liiga, I think the info at the time was that it was a purely personal choice for him and wasn't steered/guided by the NYI organization.

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

Holmstrom:
I think that what was more troubling that taking him where they did with guys like Tomasino, McMichael, and Suzuki on the board was the decision to bring over an 18-year old kid who had missed the bulk of the prior season to place him in the bone mill that is the AHL.

Particularly Sweden has shown to be a country that offers its top young players incredible developmental opportunities at the professional level.

It was just a very unorthodox move.

I know that some people like the whole I idea about bringing guys in ASAP so as to have full control of their development, but so few 18-year olds are physically (and mentally) ready for the AHL and it is, thus, practiced by nary an NHL team nowadays. And the few exceptions out there are kids who are basically part of the NHL plan right from the get-go anyway, not ones who will be hanging around in the AHL where they'll not be getting PP, PK, late minute, scoring situation ice time, etc. In essence, you want your top picks to be playing somewhere where they are in all situations and getting gobs of go-to ice time.

Furthermore, in Holmstrom's case, he was primed to be a part-time SHL player last winter in his home organization (HV71) and this likely would have meant he'd be a full-time SHLer this season.

 

[MJF]

agreed. he may not have been the best pick, and he may not have been the worst. although he is a lefty, he plays RW, which is always a need, just as is RD. and he is skilled. we needed that. i don't know what all the griping is about.

so many factors go into a players success. i do know that i would love to be privy to what goes on behind closed doors.

Remember at the time we drafted Holmstrom the organization had a lack of skilled forwards. Holmstrom projected to a higher ceiling than the other players drafted after him assuming he can stay healthy. The Holmstrom pick was to fill a need in the organization at that time. He was a higher risk-higher reward player than Tomasino, who was the safer pick.

 

[MJF]

Amen.

Holmstrom was a late 1st rounder, the amount of bitching and moaning about it is amusing. I can understand if he was a top-5/10 pick, but not for a #23 overall pick. His skillset is different from any of our other forward prospects. If he pans out, he can be a speedy LH shot RW/LW that brings some playmaking ability. Wahlstrom and Bellows (if he is still in the organization's plans) are shoot first and ask questions later types, Holmstrom is more well rounded and can inject some more speed and skill into the lineup. He's in his D+2 season in the midst of COVID and is still a teenager... people need to freaking chill.

Simon Holmstrom’s body still hasn’t matured. He looks like a high school boy. Everybody relax and give him a chance to develop both physically and adjust to the NA game. If he stays healthy and he starts to make an impact at 22 years old is it so terrible?

 

[NJ Fan 12]

Oh, he was drafted by this "regime".

Lou had taken over as GM a good month+ before the draft took place. Admittedly, I don't think he had made many, if any, changes
to the scouting staff by that time, but Lamoriello was already the GM by the time the 2018 draft took place and when magazines and experts look at what a GM accomplished, they'll be attributing that draft to Lamoriello.

As far as Iskhakov's curious move to Liiga, I think the info at the time was that it was a purely personal choice for him and wasn't steered/guided by the NYI organization.

Realize it was Lou's draft but was under the impression that with a month's time there wasn't that much that could have changed in terms of the scouting staff.

What's your personal take on Iskhakov?

 

[GrandmaSlices51631]

Well it looks like the board still has a pulse.

Maybe Holmstrom does something that makes you feel like we could have an NHL player on our hands. So far he hasn't... no need to get up in arms.

I'm rooting for his success like all of you.

 

[DarkHorse2]

I just watched a bunch of Holmstrom highlights and his passing is pretty slick. He's got good vision.

Can't get tired of seeing Wahlstrom in the Ovi spot firing one-timers.

 

[mm11]

I have t-shirts older than Holmstrom. Maybe we should reserve judgement until he can legally drink in the US? He's the equivalent of a college freshman/sophomore

I may have some underwear older than this Holstrom kid too

 

[PROMputt]

I may have some underwear older than this Holstrom kid too

At 56 years of age I am sure I do!
I think Holmstrom will be an effective 3rd line wing in the NHL one day. Late first I guess you could hope for a really good 2nd liner(finding a 1st line wing is a tremendous bonus) but getting a very good 3rd liner is not horrible.
The Iskhakov pick always bothered me as I really like the Akil Thomas kid and still do. But seeing as neither has played a game in the NHL and may not for the near further I guess the point is moot right now.

 

[Top Corner]

I judge the state of our Farm/Drafting on how teams are represented at the WJC and for the most part we always seem to be amongst the least represented. Sure it doesnt mean that everyone there is going to be an NHL player but it helps when you have high #'s to increase the probability

 

[thedonger]

I may have some underwear older than this Holstrom kid too

Why does it scare me that I don’t think you’re joking about that?

 

[The Real JT]

I think part of the issue is seeing the cross town rivals accumulating highly regarded prospects.

As if we didn’t just make the ECF... the shoe seems to be on the other foot, yet still there is room for displeasure.

Not to long ago, we were the ones amassing the highly picked and coveted specs, while they were chasing the cup. All we wanted was to be the ones chasing that cup, now that the roles are reversed, people are upset about the prospect pool....

If it weren’t for ping pong ball luck and Fox and Panarin choosing their landing spots, the Rags would be no different than what they’ve been for the last 20 years.

On another note, exactly who were those “highly picked and coveted specs”? I don’t mean to be a downer but it’s been a long time since we’ve had consistent success in the draft.

 

[Richie Daggers Crime]

It’s like arrogance.

Totally like arrogance. Exactly. Right?

 

[Seph]

Great success everywhere he’s played ? When ? What in the world are you talking about ?

I knew THE SECOND the pick was made, it was a HORRIBLE pick. He will never play in the NHL. It was a throw away pick. We’ve seen this with the Islanders in the past, and it continued with the Holmstrom pick in 2019 and the Ljungkrantz pick this year. It’s like arrogance, let’s show we’re the smartest guys in the room by taking guys WAY ahead of where most people have them ranked.

I actually think Ljungkrantz will be a better player than Holmstrom.

I never really understood this logic. Why does every team have scouts if the best draft strategy is to just go with what the services say is the best choice? Ifnthat really was the bestbstrategy, you'd think at least one or two teams would use it.

And I get not everyone has everyone here has full confidence in our scouting staff, but it does also typically take a fair amount of time to overhaul or tune up a scouting staff. Until you've had a chance to truly evaluate the staff and tune it up though, it still makes sense to go with their reports rather than ignoring them. Frankly, it seems notably more arrogant for a GM to think he knows more than the scouts despite the scouts seeing the prospects play more than he has.

 

[JRD76]

Remember at the time we drafted Holmstrom the organization had a lack of skilled forwards. Holmstrom projected to a higher ceiling than the other players drafted after him assuming he can stay healthy. The Holmstrom pick was to fill a need in the organization at that time. He was a higher risk-higher reward player than Tomasino, who was the safer pick.

Came across this interview with Tomasino last week. Would of been cool for the kid to get drafted by the Islanders.


Who do you model your game after and why?

"Mathew Barzal. He's so smooth with the puck and makes plays. He's great defensively and an all-around player as well so he's kind of the guy I try to be like ... I watched almost every Islanders game this year and seeing the way he skates, the way he moves the puck, I see a little bit of myself in him. Hopefully, I get the chance to be as good as him one day."

Did you have a favourite Barzal play from last season?

"He makes so many so I can't even think of one. It's just the way he's so smooth even with the puck and the way he turns. The way he's able to skate by guys up the ice, he's probably the best in the League at it other than probably [Connor] McDavid. He's incredible and such a smooth skater ... He's an incredible all-around player. You watch him on the back check and he's always stripping guys and stuff like that so just a great player and I love watching him."