Prospect Info: Prospect Talk PART IX

[TeamKidd]

...make that 2 goals for Strome, a quarter through the 2nd period.

you know, for all the talk of strome, anders lee has put together a fine rookie campaign too and i have no doubt that if we brought him up along with strome, dumped regin and pmb and plunked nelson on that line, we'd have a great 3rd line.

 

[Levi Walking Bear]

DREX, why don't Reinahrt and/or Pulock play in all the series games?

I think Blinkman gave the correct answer. Edmonton has 3 games this weekend which is why both Reinhart and Lazar did not play.
Brent Sutter knows what Pulock and Reinhart can do, no big deal they were only in one game each.

 

[Levi Walking Bear]

Just returned to the hotel after watching Erie blow out Mississauga 6-0. Hershey Centre in Mississauga is a great building to see a game, if you ever in the area check it out.
Erie made a trade for center Brendan Gounce two days ago, gives Erie a big guy in the middle to center their second line.
I will be leaving Toronto from home tomorrow morning, will give a scouting report on Pelech and McDavid sometime tomorrow.
Edmonton at Lethbridge is on Sportsnet so I will be watching Reinhart.
I will be gathering tonight's scores and stats, will post shortly.

 

[Levi Walking Bear]

November 29
Cape Breton 4, Halifax 3-Leduc, + 1.
Oshawa 4, Plymouth 3 (SO)-VCR, - 1.
Sarnia 2, Saginaw 1 (OT)-Graham, + 1.
Erie 6, Mississauga 0-Pelech, 1 assist, + 1.
Prince Albert 7, Regina 6 (OT)-Burroughs, 1 assist, + 1. Regina lost 6-2 third period lead.
Brandon 8, Moose Jaw 4-Pulock, 1 goal (10), 1 assist, - 1.
Edmonton 2, Lethbridge 1-Reinhart, even.

Notre Dame 5, Alabama-Huntsville 2-Russo, 1 goal (3), 2 assists, + 3.

 

[thrillhous]

Rarely, if ever, will you see a player perform better at the NHL level than at lower levels of competition. That concerns me. While Strome has looked good so far, he is not tearing it up. If he can only manage four goals against AHL-caliber goaltending, how can we expect him to surpass that at the NHL level? Maybe, he'll pick up the pace. I sure hope so, because we need someone like him (and every other thread has guys clamoring to bring him up). While I'd be happy to see him get a game or two soon, I truly am not sure he is ready. Again, see the first sentence above.

First of all, Strome is having a very good rookie AHL season so far. It is not an easy league to score in. Look at the league leaders for the past number of seasons, PPG numbers will put you at or near the top. He's putting up PPG + numbers in his first season, at the age of 20!

Second, there are numerous examples of players that put up equivalent or better numbers as a rookie in the NHL compared to their AHL stints. Some guys have already been mentioned. Examples from last year include Brandon Saad and Brendan Gallagher. Even a prospect as ripe as Jakob Silfverberg, a 2009 draft pick (and an old one at that, with an October 1990 birthday), the reigning SEL MVP and second in SEL scoring, had trouble at first putting up numbers in the AHL last season, putting up 4 points in his first 10 games. He finished off below a PPG.

Some players simply fit better in the more skilled environment that is the NHL and I firmly believe that Strome is one of those guys, and let us take nothing away from his excellent AHL start on a team that is lacking in depth in a big way.

 

[steveat]

As much as I want to bring up Strome....not this year...it'll screw him up mentally. He will go from competent coach to crappy. Also, I want Strome to win rookie of the year. This year has WAY too much competition.

 

[blinkman360]

As much as I want to bring up Strome....not this year...it'll screw him up mentally. He will go from competent coach to crappy. Also, I want Strome to win rookie of the year. This year has WAY too much competition.

Assuming the Isles aren't ready to give up yet, I expect Strome to get a good chunk of NHL games this season. Secondary scoring is virtually non-existent at this point, and our 2nd PP unit is a complete joke. Strome could help both areas.

Our defense/goaltending will still be ****, but one thing at a time I suppose.

 

[Beastrt]

As much as I want to bring up Strome....not this year...it'll screw him up mentally. He will go from competent coach to crappy. Also, I want Strome to win rookie of the year. This year has WAY too much competition.

Since when is Scott Pellerin a competent coach? They need to bring him up at some point this year especially if they are out of it, so he learns the speed of the nhl game. He needs to get some chemistry with guys like tavares and bailey. Next year he will be a better player to start the year and more experienced and likely to have a better season then coming up cold. Who cares if he wins the rookie of the year or not if he is a better player next year.

 

[blinkman360]

Since when is Scott Pellerin a competent coach? They need to bring him up at some point this year especially if they are out of it, so he learns the speed of the nhl game. He needs to get some chemistry with guys like tavares and bailey. Next year he will be a better player to start the year and more experienced and likely to have a better season then coming up cold. Who cares if he wins the rookie of the year or not if he is a better player next year.

This too. I know people are always against having X amount of rookies in the lineup. Getting Strome's potential growing pains out of the way in what is shaping up to be a wasted year might be a good idea.

 

[frankieboy]

First of all, Strome is having a very good rookie AHL season so far. It is not an easy league to score in. Look at the league leaders for the past number of seasons, PPG numbers will put you at or near the top. He's putting up PPG + numbers in his first season, at the age of 20!

Second, there are numerous examples of players that put up equivalent or better numbers as a rookie in the NHL compared to their AHL stints. Some guys have already been mentioned. Examples from last year include Brandon Saad and Brendan Gallagher. Even a prospect as ripe as Jakob Silfverberg, a 2009 draft pick (and an old one at that, with an October 1990 birthday), the reigning SEL MVP and second in SEL scoring, had trouble at first putting up numbers in the AHL last season, putting up 4 points in his first 10 games. He finished off below a PPG.

Some players simply fit better in the more skilled environment that is the NHL and I firmly believe that Strome is one of those guys, and let us take nothing away from his excellent AHL start on a team that is lacking in depth in a big way.

Please note that I said "rarely if ever" would you find this; you just pointed out the times it rarely happens. I'll stick with what I said...rarely, if ever, will a player perform better at a higher level of competition. The "rarely" part means that it happens and could happen here. As I post this, Strome just added two goals last night. Good for him...and I am glad to see it.

 

[Levi Walking Bear]

November 30
Oshawa 5, Saginaw 2-Graham, 1 assist, - 2.
Erie 7, Mississauga 1-Pelech, 1 goal (7), + 2.
Owen Sound 3, Plymouth 2 (SO)-VCR, 1 goal (6), 1, assist, even (did not score in shoot out).
Edmonton 5, Kootenay 1-Reinhart, 1 assist, even.
Prince Albert 5, Brandon 4 (OT)-Pulock, 1 assist, - 4.
Regina 6, Moose Jaw 1-Burroughs, 2 assists, +'4.

BU 3, Cornell 2-Somerby, even.
Northeastern 3, Notre Dame 2-Russo, - 1.
Minnesota State 7, Anchorage-Alaska 3-Williams, 23 saves, 26 shots.

 

[Levi Walking Bear]

Had a great time at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga last night. Really nice building, guess it holds around 6.000 fans, if you are in the area try to get to a game. Erie scored 4 first period goals and won 6-0, Pelech picked up the second assist on the powerplay goal by Dane Fox which made it 4-0. Erie has a good young team and made a deal the other day to get center Brendan Gounce, a big power two way center for their second line, should balance the Otters forward lines nicely.

All the Conner McDavid hype is true. He has become much stronger this year and simply is the best junior prospect since Crosby, whom I had the pleasure to see several times as a junior in person. He has that rare quality the greats have, he is plays ahead of everyone else. Luckily for Erie they will have him for one more year after this. Yes, he is that good and you don't need me to tell you that, it's obvious.

On to a Adam Pelech. Have to believe he may have a good future ahead of him. While he puts up some points for Erie and has some offensive abilities, it's his play in the defensive zone that is his ticket to the NHL.

While his skating could use some work, I do not believe it will hold him back, his hockey sense is outstanding and was in perfect position just about all the time. He keeps players away from the net, plays tough, smart and his first pass is right on the mark. Offensively he carefully picks his spots, for example he does not carry the puck like Pulock, even Reinhart will rush it more, yet he can skate it out of his own end but is not a end to end rusher, he will jump up into the play at the right time. I would not call his shot overly powerful but his accuracy is good.

Overall this was a one game look this does not tell the story of watching a player many times, so I just report what I saw from this game. Overall the is no question that he must be signed. He has made the progress you want to see in a prospect since being drafted. Pelech is a legit NHL prospect and for now I will leave it at that, no predictions.

 

[blinkman360]

Had a great time at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga last night. Really nice building, guess it holds around 6.000 fans, if you are in the area try to get to a game. Erie scored 4 first period goals and won 6-0, Pelech picked up the second assist on the powerplay goal by Dane Fox which made it 4-0. Erie has a good young team and made a deal the other day to get center Brendan Gounce, a big power two way center for their second line, should balance the Otters forward lines nicely.

All the Conner McDavid hype is true. He has become much stronger this year and simply is the best junior prospect since Crosby, whom I had the pleasure to see several times as a junior in person. He has that rare quality the greats have, he is plays ahead of everyone else. Luckily for Erie they will have him for one more year after this. Yes, he is that good and you don't need me to tell you that, it's obvious.

On to a Adam Pelech. Have to believe he may have a good future ahead of him. While he puts up some points for Erie and has some offensive abilities, it's his play in the defensive zone that is his ticket to the NHL.

While his skating could use some work, I do not believe it will hold him back, his hockey sense is outstanding and was in perfect position just about all the time. He keeps players away from the net, plays tough, smart and his first pass is right on the mark. Offensively he carefully picks his spots, for example he does not carry the puck like Pulock, even Reinhart will rush it more, yet he can skate it out of his own end but is not a end to end rusher, he will jump up into the play at the right time. I would not call his shot overly powerful but his accuracy is good.

Overall this was a one game look this does not tell the story of watching a player many times, so I just report what I saw from this game. Overall the is no question that he must be signed. He has made the progress you want to see in a prospect since being drafted. Pelech is a legit NHL prospect and for now I will leave it at that, no predictions.

Hopefully Pelech can work with that same skating coach that helped Tavares' game. Even if Pelech's skating only improves by a little, it could be the difference between him being a good NHLer and a great one. It's by far been his biggest drawback to this point, and could be the reason why he doesn't make the WJC.

Wish I could get to see McDavid live though. Only saw him a couple of times with Erie as well as some International under-ager tournament, where he dominated. Everything's been via computer though. Would love to see that skill in person.

Hopefully the Isles can go on a run so there is no choice on whether or not they give up their '14 1st. It would be wise to hold onto your 1st in the year that the best prospect since Crosby is to be drafted, regardless of how 'great' your team plans on being in '14-15.

 

[Levi Walking Bear]

Hopefully Pelech can work with that same skating coach that helped Tavares' game. Even if Pelech's skating only improves by a little, it could be the difference between him being a good NHLer and a great one. It's by far been his biggest drawback to this point, and could be the reason why he doesn't make the WJC.

Wish I could get to see McDavid live though. Only saw him a couple of times with Erie as well as some International under-ager tournament, where he dominated. Everything's been via computer though. Would love to see that skill in person.

Hopefully the Isles can go on a run so there is no choice on whether or not they give up their '14 1st. It would be wise to hold onto your 1st in the year that the best prospect since Crosby is to be drafted, regardless of how 'great' your team plans on being in '14-15.

Pelech will get invited to try out for the World Junior, there could be even more competition if their NHL teams release Rielly and Dumba. Pulock should make it, Canada has to decide if Reinhart makes the team even with him suspended for the first 3 games.

Don't know that t I would use the word great to describe Pelech but skating should determine if he is a third pair or better. He did make a real nice defensive play against a speedy wing (can't remember name) who was coming in on him. It appeared he wanted to beat Pelech trying to break into the middle but he took that away. He then cut to go wide but even though Pelech may have turned the wrong way technically ( which you have to throw out at times, his instincts may have told him that was right for that play since his hockey sense is high- the inside-outside move could have had something to do with it)he managed the angle him behind the goal line. There was a centering pass but the other Erie players had good coverage so no scoring chance. Watching the play is better than my description, trying to give an idea.

Agree on keeping the 2015 pick even if the odds are low to get Mc David. The top three picks are Sam Reinhart, Ekblad and Bennett so they likely keep at least these picks.

Almost forgot about Dylan Strome, he is already taller than Ryan and could fill out to a good size. He started slowly this year but has been getting better, like Ryan is high in hockey sense. Trade foe Gounce gives depth at center for Erie , right now he belongs on the third line.

 

[Levi Walking Bear]

December 1
Cape Breton 6, Charlottetown 3-Leduc, even.
Edmonton at Lethbridge, later.

 

[blinkman360]

Strome with another goal tonight. 3rd period right now. I'll post his, Lee's and some other stat lines once the game ends.

 

[blinkman360]

Bridgeport beat Manchester 3-2.

Strome: 1-1-2; +2; 4 shots
Lee: 0-1-1; +1; 3 shots
Halmo: 1-1-2; +3; 3 shots
Donovan: 0-0-0; even; 3 shots
Kabanov: 0-0-0; -1; 1 shot
Sundstrom: 0-0-0; even; 3 shots

Strome with the game tying goal. Halmo and Strome assist on Larson's GWG in 3rd.

Strome continues to roll. Hopefully we see him get the call soon. We could definitely use some more secondary scoring.

BTW, does Halmo have a future in our bottom-six? I've always liked his game but I'm surprised by the numbers he's been putting up. Definitely impressed.

 

[TeamKidd]

Bridgeport beat Manchester 3-2.

Strome: 1-1-2; +2; 4 shots
Lee: 0-1-1; +1; 3 shots
Halmo: 1-1-2; +3; 3 shots
Donovan: 0-0-0; even; 3 shots
Kabanov: 0-0-0; -1; 1 shot
Sundstrom: 0-0-0; even; 3 shots

Strome with the game tying goal. Halmo and Strome assist on Larson's GWG in 3rd.

Strome continues to roll. Hopefully we see him get the call soon. We could definitely use some more secondary scoring.

BTW, does Halmo have a future in our bottom-six? I've always liked his game but I'm surprised by the numbers he's been putting up. Definitely impressed.

given the lack of secondary scoring lately, it amazes me we're scratching/not calling up 2 top shelf scoring prospects in nelson and strome....well, it doesnt surprise me, but it is rather amazing.

strome steadily climbing in the scoring leaderboard in the AHL on a pitiful team. its about time he gets the call. 1 or 2 more weeks of this and hes here...

 

[blinkman360]

given the lack of secondary scoring lately, it amazes me we're scratching/not calling up 2 top shelf scoring prospects in nelson and strome....well, it doesnt surprise me, but it is rather amazing.

strome steadily climbing in the scoring leaderboard in the AHL on a pitiful team. its about time he gets the call. 1 or 2 more weeks of this and hes here...

I have tickets to see the Sound Tigers on January 12th. Strome better not be there.

 

[TeamKidd]

I have tickets to see the Sound Tigers on January 12th. Strome better not be there.

How many would prefer this immediately?

vanek-jt-strome
bailey-neilsen-okposo
grabner-nelson-lee
martin-cizikas-mcdonald

or

vanek-jt-okposo
grabner-neilsen-bailey
nelson-strome-lee
martin-cizikas-mcdonald

personally id take this tomorrow over the current mess

 

[Jester9881]

I'd personally keep Strome away from this circus as long as I can.... I'd even think about sending Nelson down just to get him away from the coaching staff that is likely killing his confidence.

 

[blinkman360]

How many would prefer this immediately?

vanek-jt-strome
bailey-neilsen-okposo
grabner-nelson-lee
martin-cizikas-mcdonald

or

vanek-jt-okposo
grabner-neilsen-bailey
nelson-strome-lee
martin-cizikas-mcdonald

personally id take this tomorrow over the current mess

At this point I'd try anything. As long as Strome is here, mix and match as needed. That said I expect Vanek to be dealt at some point, which gives me the feeling that Strome will be used at wing. At least at the start.

 

[Levi Walking Bear]

Bridgeport beat Manchester 3-2.

Strome: 1-1-2; +2; 4 shots
Lee: 0-1-1; +1; 3 shots
Halmo: 1-1-2; +3; 3 shots
Donovan: 0-0-0; even; 3 shots
Kabanov: 0-0-0; -1; 1 shot
Sundstrom: 0-0-0; even; 3 shots

Strome with the game tying goal. Halmo and Strome assist on Larson's GWG in 3rd.

Strome continues to roll. Hopefully we see him get the call soon. We could definitely use some more secondary scoring.

BTW, does Halmo have a future in our bottom-six? I've always liked his game but I'm surprised by the numbers he's been putting up. Definitely impressed.

Halmo was kind of a late bloomer with Owen Sound. A year before the Islanders signed him Chicago signed a late bloomer also from Owen Sound, that was Andrew Shaw, not saying he is Shaw. He may contribute at some point but he might be a tweener, would like him to get a late season look.

 

[scott99]

Halmo was kind of a late bloomer with Owen Sound. A year before the Islanders signed him Chicago signed a late bloomer also from Owen Sound, that was Andrew Shaw, not saying he is Shaw. He may contribute at some point but he might be a tweener, would like him to get a late season look.

He plays the game with talent AND snarl. Halmo was a good signing.

 

[Levi Walking Bear]

Strome is getting closer all the time. Agree with Jester about keeping Strome away from our wonderful coach, and even sending Brock back (if Nelson keeps getting scratched every other game he should be sent back).

The Islanders handled Bailey and Nino' s development poorly, it may be a fluke but they are doing the right thing with Strome. Based on body type and skating ability when he was drafted, though he was one they had to take extra time with. I felt a lot better about Strome when I saw him in St. Cathrines last year. He was stronger, playing more in traffic and most of all showed that he improved his skating, there was some acceleration which he lacked before last year (working out with JT in the dungeon and with his skating coach is going to pay off). Let's face it we all want to see Strome soon, could be best to give him a little more time.

New York Islander Hockey-It's Different Here.
(Borrowing the M$G slogan).