Isles Prospect Talk 2020-21

[danteipp]

With respect to Bolduc, I remember when he was drafted, one of the criticisms was that he wasn't physical enough.

To me, it seemed like he was just hesitant in throwing his 6-4, 210-220 lbs frame around against kids.

Instead, he opted to refine his skating for his size and make smart, safe plays that were advanced for his age.

Now he is finally playing against men, has no such concerns and is free to play the physical game unencumbered.

 

[SI90]

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Was able to get a viewing of Sammy 'the Bull' Bolduc today.

Just a few observations. More to come with more viewings.

Very mobile, A good skater - No doubt he will be able to keep up with the speed of the NHL game. What he will need to work on is angling players to the outside. Did get beaten on his strong side, more positioning and taking the correct angle.

Shot- Only saw a wrister from his off wing from where he scored his 2nd goal the other day. Very good release and heavy, Goalie had to make a difficult save.

Size - Reach is obvious, made a good stick check using that reach. Something he can learn perhaps from Pelech who is one of the best at positioning his stick.

 

[The Real JT]

Another goal for William Dufour in a game Wednesday this week.

A wicked one timer. Found it in a game summary video linked below. It was the first goal for Drummondville.

If highlights mean anything, this kid looks very promising.

LHJMQ – Incluant la couverture en direct des matchs, des clips audio et vidéo nouvelles exclusives, billets, statistiques, classements, horaires et autres.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

I think this is the thread we are using until the draft thread is open.
Cole Sillinger, keep an eye on him.
Laser pass.

Showing his skills.

 

[Seph]

Another goal for William Dufour in a game Wednesday this week.

A wicked one timer. Found it in a game summary video linked below. It was the first goal for Drummondville.

If highlights mean anything, this kid looks very promising.

LHJMQ – Incluant la couverture en direct des matchs, des clips audio et vidéo nouvelles exclusives, billets, statistiques, classements, horaires et autres.

He is looking good this year. 15 goals in 20 games is impressive for pretty much any league.

 

[The Real JT]

We may not have depth in our prospect pool but I can't remember the last year when the play of 3 of our prospects (Bolduc, Salo and Dufour) took such a big jump in a single year.

 

[Seph]

We may not have depth in our prospect pool but I can't remember the last year when the play of 3 of our prospects (Bolduc, Salo and Dufour) took such a big jump in a single year.

Don't forget Jefferies, for that matter. 10 points in 11 games and leading his team in scoring as a true freshman in the competitive Hockey East division is also very impressive, especially for a 4th round pick who has only really played high school level hockey before this season.

 

[Rengi]

There is a statement from Lou on, why they have qualified him... and the story all along...

Quote on article of Arthur Staple/The Athletic:

"On Josh Ho-Sang, who was loaned to Linkoping of the Swedish League after Orebro, his original loan, terminated that agreement after only five games: “First of all, we did qualify Josh, we still thought that he had potential. It didn’t cost us anything to qualify him because we knew he could play somewhere. And yet, when we made a decision when the league came back, with the number of players we’d have at camp, I did not want to bring him to camp as I didn’t with a couple of other players to disappoint them because we didn’t have him in the pecking order as far as the depth chart goes.
“So we spoke to him and recommended Europe, that we’d help him as kind of a fresh start, convince some people that he can still play this game, including us, and get back on track. God gave him talent, he just needs to actuate it. He went there at the beginning of the year when he wasn’t in the perfect playing shape, like a lot of other people. It just didn’t work out. Another team called, asked if he would go there. We talked to Josh, he said absolutely, and that’s where it’s at right now.”

Full article: Lou Lamoriello on 1,300 wins, Josh Ho-Sang, Ilya Sorokin and fans at Coliseum

 

[DerekKingSnipes]

There is a statement from Lou on, why they have qualified him... and the story all along...

Quote on article of Arthur Staple/The Athletic:

"On Josh Ho-Sang, who was loaned to Linkoping of the Swedish League after Orebro, his original loan, terminated that agreement after only five games: “First of all, we did qualify Josh, we still thought that he had potential. It didn’t cost us anything to qualify him because we knew he could play somewhere. And yet, when we made a decision when the league came back, with the number of players we’d have at camp, I did not want to bring him to camp as I didn’t with a couple of other players to disappoint them because we didn’t have him in the pecking order as far as the depth chart goes.
“So we spoke to him and recommended Europe, that we’d help him as kind of a fresh start, convince some people that he can still play this game, including us, and get back on track. God gave him talent, he just needs to actuate it. He went there at the beginning of the year when he wasn’t in the perfect playing shape, like a lot of other people. It just didn’t work out. Another team called, asked if he would go there. We talked to Josh, he said absolutely, and that’s where it’s at right now.”

Full article: Lou Lamoriello on 1,300 wins, Josh Ho-Sang, Ilya Sorokin and fans at Coliseum

This is what I figured all along, it’s not like Isles don’t want JHS to succeed and in fact it would be tremendous if he did figure it out and contributed at NHL level. His speed and puck ability would help this team for sure if he bought into the other team aspects of the game.

 

[leeroggy]

This is what I figured all along, it’s not like Isles don’t want JHS to succeed and in fact it would be tremendous if he did figure it out and contributed at NHL level. His speed and puck ability would help this team for sure if he bought into the other team aspects of the game.

It's not that he doesn't WANT to buy into the other aspects of the game, it's whether his hockey IQ fits it. Some players have great IQ on offense and some have great IQ on defense, but not the higher-end skills of those two. Those that combine the 2, like a Jonathan Toews, a Bryan Trottier, Denis Potvin, Ray Bourque, etc., are really rare.

Those with great defensive IQ can always find a 4th-line role in a professional league because they always have a role. Offensive IQ seems more available when building a roster and if they aren't defensively sound they end up bouncing around the league, putting up numbers but usually playing on a non-playoff team where the team overlooks the deficiencies because they need the goal scoring.

Josh can study all the game film he wants; if he can't translate it into on-ice defensive performance he's never going to be trusted here no matter how much offense he can contribute. Compare it to Barzal, who has made leaps and bounds in his defensive game (albeit whiffed on the tying goal last night by letting his player beat him to the net) and you see the difference. Wahlstrom is rapidly learning and that's why he is playing over Bellows, who is still thinking out there instead of reacting.

And that's the point of IQ, when you can react instead of think. Because you don't have time to think at the speed this level of play produces.

 

[Islanders4Cups]

There is a statement from Lou on, why they have qualified him... and the story all along...

Quote on article of Arthur Staple/The Athletic:

"On Josh Ho-Sang, who was loaned to Linkoping of the Swedish League after Orebro, his original loan, terminated that agreement after only five games: “First of all, we did qualify Josh, we still thought that he had potential. It didn’t cost us anything to qualify him because we knew he could play somewhere. And yet, when we made a decision when the league came back, with the number of players we’d have at camp, I did not want to bring him to camp as I didn’t with a couple of other players to disappoint them because we didn’t have him in the pecking order as far as the depth chart goes.
“So we spoke to him and recommended Europe, that we’d help him as kind of a fresh start, convince some people that he can still play this game, including us, and get back on track. God gave him talent, he just needs to actuate it. He went there at the beginning of the year when he wasn’t in the perfect playing shape, like a lot of other people. It just didn’t work out. Another team called, asked if he would go there. We talked to Josh, he said absolutely, and that’s where it’s at right now.”

Full article: Lou Lamoriello on 1,300 wins, Josh Ho-Sang, Ilya Sorokin and fans at Coliseum

And there you have It. An official quote from Lou on his thinking around qualifying JHS And the decisions he made afterwards. All the conspiracy theories about this kid can be put to rest. The kid has an upside to his game and apparently areas that are still not at the NHL level. He was given every chance to succeed here and elsewhere and there is no reason to root against him.

 

[PK Cronin]

He's not even a "distraction" for the team because he's never around them and he's not in the pecking order. It was an easy move to retain a talented player with potential, with pretty much zero downside. Fans are just tired of it and view it as a distraction because prospects are something they focus on. I'm sure Lee, Barzal, and Trotz don't ever think about what's happening with Ho-Sang.

 

[xECK29x]

Some notes:
- WHL restarting Friday 2/26
Islanders Alex Jefferies nominated for 2021 Hobey Baker
Islanders: Linkoping GM no worries on Josh Ho-Sang’s fitness
Islanders Alexander Ljungkrantz: Could be in mix for 2022 WJC

+ = on IR or just hurt

PLAYER	POS	ACQUIRED	HFB RANK	TEAM	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM	+/-
Noah Dobson	D	2018 round 1 #12	1	New York Islanders / NHL	17	1	6	7	4	-1
Oliver Wahlstrom	RW/LW	2018 round 1 #11	3	AIK / HockeyAllsvenskan	10	4	4	8	8	-2
				* New York Islanders / NHL	10	1	1	2	2	3
Simon Holmstrom	RW	2019 round 1 #23	8	HC Vita Hasten / HockeyAllsvenskan	11	1	1	2	2	0
				* Bridgeport / AHL	5	1	1	2	0	-4
				Sweden U20 Team	5	0	5	5	2	2
Josh Ho-Sang	RW	2014 round 1 #28	GRAD	Orebro HK / SHL	5	0	1	1	2	-1
				* Linkoping HC / SHL	0	0	0	0	0	0
Kieffer Bellows	LW	2016 round 1 #19	4	New York Islanders / NHL	8	0	0	0	0	-1
Bode Wilde	D	2018 round 2 #41	5	Bridgeport Sound Tigers / AHL	4	0	0	0	4	-2
Arnaud Durandeau	LW	2017 round 6 #165		Bridgeport Sound Tigers / AHL	2	0	0	0	0	-2
A.J. Greer	LW	Trade		Bridgeport Sound Tigers / AHL	5	0	1	1	6	-5
Cole Coskey	RW	2019 round 7 #209		Bridgeport Sound Tigers / AHL	2	1	0	1	2	2
Robert Carpenter	LW/C	FA		Bridgeport Sound Tigers / AHL	5	2	0	2	0	-2
Parker Wotherspoon	D	2015 round 4 #112		Bridgeport Sound Tigers / AHL	5	0	1	1	6	0
Felix Bibeau	C	2019 round 6 #178		Bridgeport Sound Tigers / AHL	2	0	1	1	0	2
Mitchell Vande Sompel	D	2015 round 3 #82		Bridgeport Sound Tigers / AHL	4	0	1	1	2	-3
Samuel Bolduc	D	2019 round 2 #57	7	Bridgeport Sound Tigers / AHL	5	2	3	5	2	1
Sebastian Aho	D	2017 round 5 #139	9	New York Islanders / NHL	0	0	0	0	0	0
Grant Hutton	D	FA	11	Bridgeport Sound Tigers / AHL	5	0	1	1	6	2
Blade Jenkins	LW/C	2018 round 5 #134		Bridgeport Sound Tigers / AHL	2	0	0	0	0	-1
Anatoli Golyshev	LW/RW	2016 round 4 #95		Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg / KHL	50	12	15	27	28	1
Ruslan Iskhakov	C/RW	2018 round 2 #43		TPS / Liiga	34	4	18	22	10	3
Robin Salo	D	2017 round 2 #46	10	Orebro HK / SHL	41	5	23	28	14	16
William Dufour	RW	2020 round 5 #152		Drummondville Voltigeurs / QMJHL	20	15	10	25	30	-1
Alexander Ljungkrantz	LW	2020 round 3 #90		Brynas IF J20 / J20 Nationell	16	8	7	15	12	7
				* Brynas IF / SHL	15	0	0	0	2	0
				Stromsbro IF / Ettan	9	6	3	9	0	2
Matias Rajaniemi	D	2020 round 6 #183		* Pelicans / Liiga	33	2	5	7	16	-1
				Finland U20 Team	6	0	0	0	0	2
Otto Koivula	C/LW	2016 round 4 #120	6	HIFK / Liiga	14	3	8	11	10	1
				* Bridgeport Sound Tigers / AHL	3	0	0	0	0	-3
Reece Newkirk	C	2019 round 5 #147	13	* Portland / WHL	0	0	0	0	0	0
				Melville Millionaires / SJHL	6	4	8	12	2	-
Jacob Pivonka	C	2018 round 4 #103		Univ. of Notre Dame / NCAA	24	1	4	5	8	-8
Collin Adams	LW	2016 round 6 #170		Univ. of North Dakota / NCAA	22	9	14	23	8	10
Logan Cockerill	LW/RW	2016 round 7 #201		Boston Univ. ("C") / NCAA	7	4	4	8	4	8
Christian Krygier	D	2018 round 7 #196		Michigan State Univ. / NCAA	21	1	2	3	46	0
Benjamin Mirageas	D	2017 round 3 #77		Providence College / NCAA	19	1	8	9	16	6
Alex Jefferies	LW	2019 round 4 #121	12	Merrimack College / NCAA	11	4	6	10	2	-3
GOALIES					GP	GAA	SV%	SO	W-L-T
Ilya Sorokin	G	2014 round 3 #78	1	New York Islanders / NHL	4	2.74	.895	1	1-2-1
Henrik Tikkanen	G	2020 round 7 #214		* IPK / Mestis	11	3.26	.878	0	6-4-1
				Kalpa / Liiga	2	2.04	.917	0	1-1-0
Jakub Skarek	G	2018 round 3 #72		Pelitat / Mestis	4	4.44	.833	0	0-3-1
				* Bridgeport / AHL	5	3.25	.895	0	1-4-0

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

Gonna be very interesting to see what the team thinks about Cockerill and Adams when this season is over. Very interesting.

I'm still tipping on them each being offered an AHL contract.

But if guys like Jobst and Carpenter got ELCs (granted, they were free agents), gotta think Cockerill and Adams' agents will be seeking the same thing, especially with the power to become a UFA as of August 15th.

 

[Kevin27NYI]

I think Cockerill will be an NHLer

 

[xECK29x]

Yea it's really interesting, if those guys were never drafted would they be in the conversation for NHL contracts?

Adams seemed to always have the talent, even though he was small, he just wasn't given top-6 minutes at North Dakota until these last two years. Do I think it's NHL talent...ehhhh. Both Cockerill and Adams are pro-hockey players for sure, but maybe not NHLers.

 

[DerekKingSnipes]

I think Cockerill will be an NHLer

Yes his speed and his penalty killing ability should give him shot to be a bottom six NHLer, Adams is very talented I’d imagine Isles sign both of them.

 

[xECK29x]

Some notes:
- WHL restarting Friday 2/26
Islanders Alex Jefferies on Hobey Baker nod and how to improve

+ = on IR or just hurt

PLAYER	POS	ACQUIRED	HFB RANK	TEAM	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM	+/-
Noah Dobson	D	2018 round 1 #12	1	New York Islanders / NHL	21	1	7	8	4	2
Oliver Wahlstrom	RW/LW	2018 round 1 #11	3	AIK / HockeyAllsvenskan	10	4	4	8	8	-2
				* New York Islanders / NHL	14	3	4	7	4	4
Simon Holmstrom	RW	2019 round 1 #23	8	HC Vita Hasten / HockeyAllsvenskan	11	1	1	2	2	0
				* Bridgeport / AHL	6	2	2	4	0	-4
				Sweden U20 Team	5	0	5	5	2	2
Josh Ho-Sang	RW	2014 round 1 #28	GRAD	Orebro HK / SHL	5	0	1	1	2	-1
				* Linkoping HC / SHL	3	1	0	1	2	-3
Kieffer Bellows	LW	2016 round 1 #19	4	New York Islanders / NHL	8	0	0	0	0	-1
Bode Wilde	D	2018 round 2 #41	5	Bridgeport Sound Tigers / AHL	5	0	1	1	4	-4
Arnaud Durandeau	LW	2017 round 6 #165		Bridgeport Sound Tigers / AHL	3	1	0	1	2	-2
A.J. Greer	LW	Trade		Bridgeport Sound Tigers / AHL	5	0	1	1	6	-5
Cole Coskey	RW	2019 round 7 #209		Bridgeport Sound Tigers / AHL	2	1	0	1	2	2
Robert Carpenter	LW/C	FA		Bridgeport Sound Tigers / AHL	6	2	0	2	0	-2
Parker Wotherspoon	D	2015 round 4 #112		Bridgeport Sound Tigers / AHL	6	0	1	1	8	0
Felix Bibeau	C	2019 round 6 #178		Bridgeport Sound Tigers / AHL	3	0	1	1	7	2
Mitchell Vande Sompel	D	2015 round 3 #82		Bridgeport Sound Tigers / AHL	5	0	1	1	2	-4
Samuel Bolduc	D	2019 round 2 #57	7	Bridgeport Sound Tigers / AHL	6	2	3	5	2	1
Sebastian Aho	D	2017 round 5 #139	9	New York Islanders / NHL	0	0	0	0	0	0
Grant Hutton	D	FA	11	Bridgeport Sound Tigers / AHL	6	0	2	2	6	3
Blade Jenkins	LW/C	2018 round 5 #134		Bridgeport Sound Tigers / AHL	2	0	0	0	0	-1
Anatoli Golyshev	LW/RW	2016 round 4 #95		Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg / KHL	53	12	15	27	28	1
Ruslan Iskhakov	C/RW	2018 round 2 #43		TPS / Liiga	36	5	19	24	12	3
Robin Salo	D	2017 round 2 #46	10	Orebro HK / SHL	44	6	23	29	14	17
William Dufour	RW	2020 round 5 #152		Drummondville Voltigeurs / QMJHL	21	15	11	26	30	-2
Alexander Ljungkrantz	LW	2020 round 3 #90		Brynas IF J20 / J20 Nationell	16	8	7	15	12	7
				Brynas IF / SHL	15	0	0	0	2	0
				* Stromsbro IF / Ettan	11	7	3	10	0	0
Matias Rajaniemi	D	2020 round 6 #183		* Pelicans / Liiga	36	2	5	7	16	-2
				Finland U20 Team	6	0	0	0	0	2
Otto Koivula	C/LW	2016 round 4 #120	6	HIFK / Liiga	14	3	8	11	10	1
				* Bridgeport Sound Tigers / AHL	4	0	0	0	0	-3
Reece Newkirk	C	2019 round 5 #147	13	* Portland / WHL	0	0	0	0	0	0
				Melville Millionaires / SJHL	6	4	8	12	2	-
Jacob Pivonka	C	2018 round 4 #103		Univ. of Notre Dame / NCAA	26	1	4	5	8	-8
Collin Adams	LW	2016 round 6 #170		Univ. of North Dakota / NCAA	23	9	14	23	8	10
Logan Cockerill	LW/RW	2016 round 7 #201		Boston Univ. ("C") / NCAA	9	5	4	9	4	9
Christian Krygier	D	2018 round 7 #196		Michigan State Univ. / NCAA	23	1	2	3	48	0
Benjamin Mirageas	D	2017 round 3 #77		Providence College / NCAA	22	1	8	9	16	6
Alex Jefferies	LW	2019 round 4 #121	12	Merrimack College / NCAA	12	4	6	10	2	-4
GOALIES					GP	GAA	SV%	SO	W-L-T
Ilya Sorokin	G	2014 round 3 #78	1	New York Islanders / NHL	5	2.19	.912	2	2-2-1
Henrik Tikkanen	G	2020 round 7 #214		IPK / Mestis	11	3.26	.878	0	6-4-1
				* Kalpa / Liiga	4	2.21	.911	0	2-1-0
Jakub Skarek	G	2018 round 3 #72		Pelitat / Mestis	4	4.44	.833	0	0-3-1
				* Bridgeport / AHL	5	3.25	.895	0	1-4-0

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Promising seeing the Isles 2 top picks in 2019 1-2 is scoring in Bridgeport. Though Holmstrom may need to work on that -4.

3	Samuel Bolduc	D	6	2	3	5	2	1	2000-12-09	19	Laval, PQ	6.04	213
15	Simon Holmstrom	R	6	2	2	4	0	-4	2001-05-24	19	Tranas, Sweden	6.01	200

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[MJF]

Promising seeing the Isles 2 top picks in 2019 1-2 is scoring in Bridgeport. Though Holmstrom may need to work on that -4.

3	Samuel Bolduc	D	6	2	3	5	2	1	2000-12-09	19	Laval, PQ	6.04	213
15	Simon Holmstrom	R	6	2	2	4	0	-4	2001-05-24	19	Tranas, Sweden	6.01	200

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Kinda goes with Otto Koivula's -3. They're linemates and have been on the ice for some of the 3rd period meltdowns. Hopefully that's in the past for the Tigers.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Kinda goes with Otto Koivula's -3. They're linemates and have been on the ice for some of the 3rd period meltdowns. Hopefully that's in the past for the Tigers.

Yeah, sometimes + - can be misleading. It is a positive. The one game I watched, I didn't notice Holmstrom at all. Maybe he is settling in? If so, it's a positive.

 

[MJF]

Yeah, sometimes + - can be misleading. It is a positive. The one game I watched, I didn't notice Holmstrom at all. Maybe he is settling in? If so, it's a positive.

Yeah it is, unfortunately AHL stats are limited in what they release.

 

[xECK29x]

From Staple's latest: Scoring or depth? What we're hearing about the Islanders' trade deadline plans

Possible overseas reinforcements

The KHL and SHL playoffs begin soon. In Russia, Avtomobilist is the No. 7 seed in the East playoffs, which begin Tuesday. There’s been chatter that Anatoly Golyshev, the Isles’ fourth-round pick in 2016, wants to break his KHL contract that runs two more seasons and try his hand in the NHL. If Avto goes out quickly, we’ll see where that leads, but he could be a forward addition prior to the trade deadline whose only cost would be a one-year, entry-level deal. That’s a much cheaper alternative than an NHL trade. Golyshev had 12-15-27 in 53 games this season.

In the Swedish League, Orebro’s regular season ends March 25 and Robin Salo’s club looks headed for one of the top six seeds. Even if Salo’s team bows out quickly it could be tough to get the 2017 second-rounder over here and prepared to play NHL defense before the end of the season. But Salo will be here next season at the very least and there’s interest in seeing what he can do here after a top-10 season in scoring among SHL defensemen.

 

[Thrasymachus]

Wouldn't mind seeing what Goly can do this side of the pond