Prospect Info: Penguins #7 Prospect

[UnrealMachine]

People are really sleeping on Almari.

What are we sleeping on, exactly? What skills does he possess that project him to be a slam dunk NHL regular? How has his development tracked? What has he improved upon the most since being drafted? NHL comparable? NHL ETA?

 

[jmelm]

People are really sleeping on Almari.

Yup, voted for him again. Pens believe he's a definite NHLer, which they or other scouts haven't said about any of the others on this list.

 

[jmelm]

I shared this opinion last year, but you cannot deny that after a strong start he had an overall disappointing season and now is transferring to a different team (at best) or lower level of competition. The reason for such a change (different coach) is not that convincing (are other players leaving?!?). Luckily he is a skilled player so hopefully things turn around.

I actually think the WHL would be excellent for his development. I'm not sure specifically how good the Portland Winterhawks will be this coming season (they have a great track record of developing players in the past).

The year he was drafted, he was one of the VERY top performing players in physical testing at the combine, and that was 2 years ago -- so I don't think he's in the category of "he needs to go to college where he'll spend more time in the weight room than on the ice" because he's already a physical specimen. College players often have a difficult time transitioning in their first year of pro when they have to play 70+ games, so I think spending a year in the WHL would be fantastic for him and it's the best junior league in the world. It would be high level of competition, but because he'll be playing against guys his own age or younger, I think he'll perform very well and gain back any lost confidence. I feel strongly that he could have a great season there, as well as be able to step right in to WBS the following year and transition well as a result.

 

[Zero Pucks]

Has Almeida's linemate signed anywhere? Tristin Langan is supposedly a hardworking, solid 2-way centre. Not super skilled and probably benefitted from Almeida and being older, but still, free and scored 50 goals and matched Almeida's output?

Doesn't look like he's signed. But I don't think having your breakout season at 20 and only scoring 40 points the season before bodes too well for much NHL potential.

 

[Peat]

Yup, voted for him again. Pens believe he's a definite NHLer, which they or other scouts haven't said about any of the others on this list.

Who's said that about Almari since Randy Sexton after his first year? Feels like that's a long time ago now.

 

[ziggyjoe212]

There needs to be a hockey futures-esque rating system for these prospects.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

There needs to be a hockey futures-esque rating system for these prospects.

They're all 8As in my book damnit!

 

[ImporterExporter]

What are we sleeping on, exactly? What skills does he possess that project him to be a slam dunk NHL regular? How has his development tracked? What has he improved upon the most since being drafted? NHL comparable? NHL ETA?

Well, I've not seen him play live being he's in Finland but will be going to plenty of Wilkes Barre games this year. But everything I've read by our folks from overseas and the reports on him after he signed his ELC, indicate the Pens absolutely think he's an NHL'er in the near future. Not this year, but depending on how he looks in Wilkes, and what Rikola does moving forward, there may be an opening on the left side of the bottom pairing in 2020-21.

He's already played against men. From the reports I've seen, he seems to be a steady two way player, solid in his own end, good skater, solid puck movement skills. He's not going to blow anybody away but I think he's much further along than Bellerive and Almeida who are hyped because they scored a lot of points (relative to how cheaply we got them) which in the day and age of sports betting and fantasy sports seems to be the only thing many fans care about. Or "looked good in shorts" as Tomlin would say. I always laugh when people get excited about players based on a prospect tournament or development camp. Those things mean very little in the grand scheme.

Euro's are, in today's hockey world, much further along in a lot of ways as 18 year olds because they are generally playing in adult pro leagues against players much older and more experienced than guys in Jr. I think the gap between development in that regard has shrunk by a very large amount.

Honestly, he strikes me as a Petterson type player. Won't put up many points, but he's steady.

Like I said though, I live about an hour and change from Wilkes Barre and less than that from Hershey so I get to see a good amount of our boys each year live. I'll be going to as many games as I can this year given the roster the baby Pens should be icing.

 

[Peat]

Hand to heart - I've heard nothing encouraging from a Finnish person re Almari this year. Nothing. The org still seems high on him and he made an impression in WBS last year so I'm not writing him off but I struggle to be high on him either right now.

 

[Zero Pucks]

Well, I've not seen him play live being he's in Finland but will be going to plenty of Wilkes Barre games this year. But everything I've read by our folks from overseas and the reports on him after he signed his ELC, indicate the Pens absolutely think he's an NHL'er in the near future. Not this year, but depending on how he looks in Wilkes, and what Rikola does moving forward, there may be an opening on the left side of the bottom pairing in 2020-21.

He's already played against men. From the reports I've seen, he seems to be a steady two way player, solid in his own end, good skater, solid puck movement skills. He's not going to blow anybody away but I think he's much further along than Bellerive and Almeida who are hyped because they scored a lot of points (relative to how cheaply we got them) which in the day and age of sports betting and fantasy sports seems to be the only thing many fans care about. Or "looked good in shorts" as Tomlin would say. I always laugh when people get excited about players based on a prospect tournament or development camp. Those things mean very little in the grand scheme.

Euro's are, in today's hockey world, much further along in a lot of ways as 18 year olds because they are generally playing in adult pro leagues against players much older and more experienced than guys in Jr. I think the gap between development in that regard has shrunk by a very large amount.

Honestly, he strikes me as a Petterson type player. Won't put up many points, but he's steady.

Like I said though, I live about an hour and change from Wilkes Barre and less than that from Hershey so I get to see a good amount of our boys each year live. I'll be going to as many games as I can this year given the roster the baby Pens should be icing.

None of that indicates people are really sleeping on him. Sounds like he could be a serviceable vanilla depth defenseman, which isn't bad, but it doesn't sound like he's a future Nicklas Lidstrom either. We had a poster that watched Almari the last few years and said he would cringe anytime he had the puck... So I'm finding it a little hard to see top end value in him at the moment. But seeing him play in WBS and how he does in North America next season could easily change that.

 

[SHOOTANDSCORE]

Hand to heart - I've heard nothing encouraging from a Finnish person re Almari this year. Nothing. The org still seems high on him and he made an impression in WBS last year so I'm not writing him off but I struggle to be high on him either right now.

Yeah, I'm under the impression that his development kind of stagnated. I'm hopeful that he will get back on track in WBS with the development staff but I'm in wait and see mode with him.

 

[jmelm]

Hand to heart - I've heard nothing encouraging from a Finnish person re Almari this year. Nothing. The org still seems high on him and he made an impression in WBS last year so I'm not writing him off but I struggle to be high on him either right now.

I don't think anyone is suggesting he's a can't-miss, blue chip prospect, but that cannot be said about Bellerive or Almeida either. All of them are unproven and unknown commodities, but the combination of the Pens' staff being high on Almari and him playing against men already, that should put him a notch ahead of Almeida and Bellerive. Heck, I could make a similar argument that guys like Angello, Lafferty, Johnson and possibly Miletic should be slotted higher than those two WHL forwards because they've performed well to varying degrees in the AHL already.

 

[Zero Pucks]

I don't think anyone is suggesting he's a can't-miss, blue chip prospect, but that cannot be said about Bellerive or Almeida either. All of them are unproven and unknown commodities, but the combination of the Pens' staff being high on Almari and him playing against men already, that should put him a notch ahead of Almeida and Bellerive. Heck, I could make a similar argument that guys like Angello, Lafferty, Johnson and possibly Miletic should be slotted higher than those two WHL forwards because they've performed well to varying degrees in the AHL already.

Just because someone like Angello has already played in the AHL doesn't mean someone like Bellerive and Almeida doesn't have a lot more potential than him. I've never fully understood this argument.

 

[Zero Pucks]

So are we gonna have a run off between Bellerive and Almeida?

 

[JimmyTwoTimes]

Just because someone like Angello has already played in the AHL doesn't mean someone like Bellerive and Almeida doesn't have a lot more potential than him. I've never fully understood this argument.

Same.

I assumed this voting was due to potential of these prospects. Along with the ability to reach that potential

 

[Peat]

I don't think anyone is suggesting he's a can't-miss, blue chip prospect, but that cannot be said about Bellerive or Almeida either. All of them are unproven and unknown commodities, but the combination of the Pens' staff being high on Almari and him playing against men already, that should put him a notch ahead of Almeida and Bellerive. Heck, I could make a similar argument that guys like Angello, Lafferty, Johnson and possibly Miletic should be slotted higher than those two WHL forwards because they've performed well to varying degrees in the AHL already.

I know people aren't saying he's a blue chipper, but they are saying things I don't recognise as being commonly said. IE's saying the reports from overseas have been good, solid in his own end... pretty much nothing I've read from Finnish hockey fans this year supports that. Maybe he's reading stuff I haven't seen. And the stuff about the org being high on Almari... haven't read much about that since since Sexton. Although, tbf, when searching back I found that Guerin had Almari on his top 10 Pens prospects this January - 1 lower than Bellerive if we want to compare tho (Almeida's not in the top 10). But still haven't heard much about him in general. And a lot of what I've heard's been negative.

If people hear different stuff, or put different weighting on it, that's cool but I'm gonna ask where or say that's not what I've heard. Whole point of the exercise.

Same.

I assumed this voting was due to potential of these prospects. Along with the ability to reach that potential

Tbh, I always assumed everyone had their own criteria. Me, I'm a lot more bothered by ceiling than floor this year. If I wasn't, I'd probably be shouting loudly about Adam Johnson and Sam Lafferty, both of whom look like they have possibly interesting ceilings and are very close if not there on being NHLers.

 

[Dennis Reynolds]

Went Almari.

I will never look at someone named Jordy in a positive light, no matter what.

 

[Dennis Reynolds]

Well, I've not seen him play live being he's in Finland but will be going to plenty of Wilkes Barre games this year. But everything I've read by our folks from overseas and the reports on him after he signed his ELC, indicate the Pens absolutely think he's an NHL'er in the near future. Not this year, but depending on how he looks in Wilkes, and what Rikola does moving forward, there may be an opening on the left side of the bottom pairing in 2020-21.

He's already played against men. From the reports I've seen, he seems to be a steady two way player, solid in his own end, good skater, solid puck movement skills. He's not going to blow anybody away but I think he's much further along than Bellerive and Almeida who are hyped because they scored a lot of points (relative to how cheaply we got them) which in the day and age of sports betting and fantasy sports seems to be the only thing many fans care about. Or "looked good in shorts" as Tomlin would say. I always laugh when people get excited about players based on a prospect tournament or development camp. Those things mean very little in the grand scheme.

Euro's are, in today's hockey world, much further along in a lot of ways as 18 year olds because they are generally playing in adult pro leagues against players much older and more experienced than guys in Jr. I think the gap between development in that regard has shrunk by a very large amount.

Honestly, he strikes me as a Petterson type player. Won't put up many points, but he's steady.

Like I said though, I live about an hour and change from Wilkes Barre and less than that from Hershey so I get to see a good amount of our boys each year live. I'll be going to as many games as I can this year given the roster the baby Pens should be icing.

Remember the absurd expectations of Jonathan Filewich after a single scrimmage?

 

[Zero Pucks]

Same.

I assumed this voting was due to potential of these prospects. Along with the ability to reach that potential

I think that's what most people assume. But then some people think that voting for someone that's most likely to play an NHL game is the most important thing, even if it's just two games. It'd be one thing if Angello was tearing up the AHL, but he looks like a mediocre NHL call up at best.

 

[SHOOTANDSCORE]

I think that's what most people assume. But then some people think that voting for someone that's most likely to play an NHL game is the most important thing, even if it's just two games. It'd be one thing if Angello was tearing up the AHL, but he looks like a mediocre NHL call up at best.

I thought Angello had a nice rookie season?

 

[Zero Pucks]

I thought Angello had a nice rookie season?

I guess you could say it was ok. But not enough for me to change my view on him. Don't think I've ever seen much potential in him.

 

[BrookswasHere44]

A.) Larmi, or C.) Almari?

The one that makes a lot less sense to choose at this point

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I don't think anyone is suggesting he's a can't-miss, blue chip prospect, but that cannot be said about Bellerive or Almeida either. All of them are unproven and unknown commodities, but the combination of the Pens' staff being high on Almari and him playing against men already, that should put him a notch ahead of Almeida and Bellerive. Heck, I could make a similar argument that guys like Angello, Lafferty, Johnson and possibly Miletic should be slotted higher than those two WHL forwards because they've performed well to varying degrees in the AHL already.

The argument then becomes, are you ranking based on "closer to NHL ready" or "upside, if things work out"? Bellerive and Almeida aren't sure things, but I'd argue that *if* they pan out (ie. reach near their ceiling), their upside is greater than those guys you listed.

 

[ImporterExporter]

The amount of guys who go undrafted and then hit a ceiling of a worthy scoring line F is very, very small in a relative sense.

The problem with Bellerive is he generated a lot of his hype from a prospect tournament which is next to worthless.

Yes he had a really good year 2 years back, but you couple the fact that many players put up those types of numbers in Jr and never become anything in the NHL and the fact he suffered serious, serious burns to a critical part of his body last year, and I'm not sold. Yet.

I'll be going to at least 10-12 Wilkes Barre games this year, probably more so I'll be seeing plenty of him and Almeida which I'm excited for but I really need to see them product against men before I put them into any serious contention for a list like this.

Folks like Dumo and Petterson aren't flashy defenders but they are vital pieces to a winning team. I think Almari absolutely has #4D potential. Somebody that can hang back and cover up for a more offensively gifted player, say a Calen Addison. To be honest, I wouldn't be shocked if we one day saw the two of them skating on the same pair.

 

[cygnus47]

Doesn't look like he's signed. But I don't think having your breakout season at 20 and only scoring 40 points the season before bodes too well for much NHL potential.

Apparently he was used as a PKer / 3rd liner the year before. He might have Max Talbot potential if nothing else.