Player Discussion Lucas Johansen expectations thread

[895]

I'm a known LuJo bear. What's your opinion?

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[CapitalsCupReality]

Keeping it low....he’ll make an NHL team someday.

 

[Langway]

HHoF obviously.

 

[Hivemind]

Somewhere between a #5 and a #9, depending on the respective depth of the franchise and how much a particular coach likes his play style.

 

[francaisvolantsparis]

 

[AtNightWeFly]

I forgot that he even exists...

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Looking more like Carrick-lite each training camp. Such a bummer. Monster year for his career. Hope he gave it his all this offseason.

 

[Silky mitts]

Looking more like Carrick-lite each training camp. Such a bummer. Monster year for his career. Hope he gave it his all this offseason.

I know point totals aren't everything but Carrick was a considerably better player age 20 and 21 years at Hershey, 68 points +15 in 120 games vs 41 points -27 in 119 games

 

[Capathetic]

I want him to breakout. Looking now like a bust only drafted high because his brother was and was then traded to one of the leagues darlings making the hype enough to waste a first round pick. Sadly this team sorely needed him to take that spot as the left side needed a player with his exact billing. Caps did NOT hit on either Kelowna defender they’ve recently drafted with high pedigree.

At this point he needs to be eating top minutes in Hershey. I’m hoping one day I wake up and he’s playing next to 74 but those dreams are gone.

 

[Bananas]

He stinks.

 

[Hinterland]

I actually agree with Reirden that this has been one of his better camps. The young defenders haven't looked good, not even Siegenthaler or Djoos. The only one I liked was Geisser but he didn't play much. I never really liked Johansen but he was one of the better among the defense prospects...even if that wasn't too difficult to achieve this time. He's gonna need at least one more AHL-season but for the first time in a while I do have some hope for the guy. He improved physically. He wins battles and improved his positioning against the puck. Still has to get even stronger and improve his passing. Technique is there but he lacks patience and confidence with the puck.

 

[hb12xchamps]

Led the Caps in TOI last night and looked solid. Maybe the added competition in Hershey will bring out the best of him. He will be an NHL player at some point whether it's in Washington or not

 

[Blades of Steel]

Led the Caps in TOI last night and looked solid. Maybe the added competition in Hershey will bring out the best of him. He will be an NHL player at some point whether it's in Washington or not

I thought he made some really good plays last night. I know two scenarios he saved the Caps being scored on.

 

[Capathetic]

Defense at the NHL level is extremely difficult. How many first rounders have the Kings and Jackets spent on the position? Two of the better and more defensive minded teams around.

 

[hb12xchamps]

I thought he made some really good plays last night. I know two scenarios he saved the Caps being scored on.

Good call. He had a nice stick lift on the cross ice pass in the first or second period that definitely prevented a high quality scoring chance.

I think a lot of the hate stems from the Caps drafting other LD the past few years and he has fallen down the depth chart a bit. He lost a huge chunk of last year which I'm sure set him back quite a bit, especially with a wrist/arm injury. I think he'll bounce back fine and eat up some big minutes in Hershey. There's no other LD in Hershey that will have the games played that he does so he should have a larger role. I fully expect some growing pains from AA and Fever to start just due to the 3 games in 3 nights situation, which LuJo is used to at this point.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

Bust

 

[Blades of Steel]

Good call. He had a nice stick lift on the cross ice pass in the first or second period that definitely prevented a high quality scoring chance.

I think a lot of the hate stems from the Caps drafting other LD the past few years and he has fallen down the depth chart a bit. He lost a huge chunk of last year which I'm sure set him back quite a bit, especially with a wrist/arm injury. I think he'll bounce back fine and eat up some big minutes in Hershey. There's no other LD in Hershey that will have the games played that he does so he should have a larger role. I fully expect some growing pains from AA and Fever to start just due to the 3 games in 3 nights situation, which LuJo is used to at this point.

Yep. The stick lift from the Kane pass in front the net and when the puck was sitting in the crease, wide open net, he was the one to bat it away just in time.

 

[francaisvolantsparis]

With Djoos in AHL,

Bears D pairs are:

Alexeyev - Djoos
Nardella - Burgdoerfer
Geisser - Hobbs
Bindulis - Williams

It is time to try the ECHL for LuJo

 

[GoCaps2004]

With Djoos in AHL,

Bears D pairs are:

Alexeyev - Djoos
Nardella - Burgdoerfer
Geisser - Hobbs
Bindulis - Williams

It is time to try the ECHL for LuJo

Hobbs is much much much much much much much more likely to end up in the ECHL

 

[Hivemind]

LOL @ Johansen going to the ECHL while Bindulis and Hobbs are still on the AHL roster.

 

[hb12xchamps]

It’s an absolute pipe dream to think LuJo goes to the ECHL before Bindulis, Geisser and Hobbs.

 

[Hinterland]

It’s an absolute pipe dream to think LuJo goes to the ECHL before Bindulis, Geisser and Hobbs.

Geisser is never gonna play ECHL. He may even get sick of the AHL at some point. He was a regular in the NLA and could go back any time if he wanted to. Every team would take him without thinking twice. He played very well vs the Blues, too. I was quite surprised. He's easily good enough to play in the AHL. So is Johansen, of course. He won't play ECHL either. In fact, I'd be surprised they keep Djoos in Hershey. Doesn't seem like a solution to me.

 

[hb12xchamps]

Geisser is never gonna play ECHL. He may even get sick of the AHL at some point. He was a regular in the NLA and could go back any time if he wanted to. Every team would take him without thinking twice. He played very well vs the Blues, too. I was quite surprised. He's easily good enough to play in the AHL. So is Johansen, of course. He won't play ECHL either. In fact, I'd be surprised they keep Djoos in Hershey. Doesn't seem like a solution to me.

He was adamant about coming to NA though. Hershey wasn’t in the loop on him joining their roster and expected him back in NLA. He got a lot better as the year went on, but there were many times that he got into game action and was benched for long stretches. It probably would be a pipe dream to send him to the ECHL this year, but he definitely should have started there and probably would have if it wasn’t for Bindulis missing most of the year

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

I think Johansen surprises people in a good way this year. In my opinion he just needs to stay healthy and get consistent minutes and once he gets his confidence back he'll remind people why he was a 1st round pick.

 

[Hinterland]

He was adamant about coming to NA though. Hershey wasn’t in the loop on him joining their roster and expected him back in NLA. He got a lot better as the year went on, but there were many times that he got into game action and was benched for long stretches. It probably would be a pipe dream to send him to the ECHL this year, but he definitely should have started there and probably would have if it wasn’t for Bindulis missing most of the year

A player who was a regular in the NLA will never play in the ECHL. The minute you make the transaction, 99,9% of those players will pack their bags...but not to go to the ECHL.
Level in the NLA is higher than in the AHL. Now the NLA does allow teams to ice two additional players so some players might survive on the roster without playing much. But an NLA player with regular ice time is usually better than an AHLer. Of course it can be difficult to adjust to the different playing style and smaller surface...especially for a player as young as Geisser. There might also be some off ice adjustments necessary. But Geisser is easily good enough to play in the AHL. He has zero business in the ECHL.