Prospect Info: Prospects & Minor League Teams Thread

[2020 Cup Champions]

So Drei stopped 29 out of 30.

8-3-3 with a .918 save% and a 2.34 GAA

He's TRANSLATING!

cyka

 

[The Macho King]

His slow start was not mentioned, which lessens the impact of the numbers.

 

[Mikeaveli]

Darcy with two assists in his first game with Sherbrooke.

 

[Vasilevskiy]

cyka

Oh da, dietka

 

[Kshahdoo]

So Drei stopped 29 out of 30.

8-3-3 with a .918 save% and a 2.34 GAA

He's TRANSLATING!

He's just 20 year old, but it looks like people think he should have shutout every other game.

 

[DFC]

Darcy with two assists in his first game with Sherbrooke.

I doubt motivation will be a problem anymore. Kid flirted with losing his career.

 

[AlphaCatalyst]

 

[TheDaysOf 04]

https://twitter.com/BoltProspects

Yzerman is at the Crunch game. D'Uva said they gave him a stuffed squid. Not sure if he threw it.

Yzerman to talk with @Dan_DUva at intermission. First visit to Syracuse this year for Yzerman.

Here's Yzerman's interview from last night

https://soundcloud.com/syracusecrunch/2014-12-12-steve-yzerman-second-intermission-interview

 

[The Macho King]

He's just 20 year old, but it looks like people think he should have shutout every other game.

I think we're pretty happy with his progress. He started very slowly, even he would admit, but I at least thought it was just a matter of time before it clicked together.

 

[Werewolf]

Just finished watching Sarnia play. It's too bad Chychrun and Zacha weren't in the lineup. I would have loved to see those guys. For DeAngelo it was a mixed showing, but here's what I saw.

All of his offensive talents he has were on display. He made good passes and he was calm handing the puck. He showed off his high hockey IQ and smarts by making some smart plays with the puck. He does a good job working the points and looks like a natural PP QB. His mobility and skating ability were terrific. On the rush he loves to skate up with the forwards to create odd man rushes and he gets back when it's going the other way with ease. In one shift he went coast to coast without anyone touching him.

He tries to engage physically along the boards, but there's not a lot of strength behind his hits. He needs to bulk up, but he's still young. Defending the rush, he just uses his reach and tries to poke check.

The last of the good stuff is he played a ton tonight. Sarnia was missing a few of their better regulars and were out shot 39-23. When Sarnia went on the pk, DeAngelo played the whole 2 minutes. When they went on the pp, he played the whole 2 minutes for that too. He definitely played more than 30 minutes. He didn't look the slightest bit tired either.

Now some of the bad. First his defense isn't that great. When he's in front of his net he literally stands there and watches the play. This kinda of lead to the only Kitchener goal. His D-zone play isn't awful, but it needs work. I think everyone knows this already though, and like a lot of other offensive minded Dmen, their defense isn't spectacular. In that sense he is like a Dan Boyle type. It's not really a problem for me though. Like a Boyle, the way I envision him in the NHL is also a guy who will make a good defense having to play good offense. With his skating and puck skills he looks like a great fit for a Cooper puck possession style. The only real stinker about his game was of course his emotions. DeAngelo has shown really no improvement here. In the 1st period, a Ranger player finishes his check on DeAngelo in the corner. It's not a big hit or a hard one. It's nothing at all, and DeAngelo some how gets upset and slashes him. Not a vicious slash, but enough for a penalty to be called. In the 2nd period, he makes a beautiful highlight like play deking into the offensive zone, moving through a group of 3-4 Ranger players, and even gets a shot on goal. He thinks there should be a trip on the play and when he doesn't get the call he loses his cool (in a very Subban like way) and starts mouthing off in anger. Players on the other team obviously know he's emotional and it's way too easy to get under his skin. Later on after on another nothing play where he gets a little shove after an offsides, he gets upset and has to be separated by a ref. He starts yapping about it a little later to a Ranger player too, because he can't let it go. And in the 3rd, while he's on the pk in a 2-1 game he takes a dumb boarding penalty to put his team on a 5-on-3 kill. So he still has a long way to go with all of that..

Unfortunately it was what you might have expected to see. The good, and also the bad. His abilities show and he is goooood, but he also is just plain stupid at times.

I came on here to write exactly this. Saw the exact same thing. I had not seen the "other extra stuff" before...only times I'd seen him in both the NHL Preseason game and all the workouts, etc. he looked pretty good on defense and never showed off this side where he takes immaturity penalties. He is going to be his own worst enemy. He'll spend a good amount of time in the AHL working that out ... I think it is just maturity.

The other coin, however, a kid with that much talent and that fire ... if he channels it correctly that is that "me against the world *****" that will just piggy back a team on his shoulders and won't give up, won't stop, will stand up...will fight. I absolutely love this kind of player ... when the skill is there and he can go end to end. I'll end up loving this dude. He just has to be smart in the way he retaliates.

That play you mention where the Rangers kid hits him after the whistle ... that kid easily had 4 inches and 30 pounds on DeAngelo. DeAngelo didn't care who it was he was going after him - nothing else mattered at this point he was gonna drop them. I like that in a skill player. Gudas used to fight everything and anything...this year he matured and he is much smarter about it without losing that physicality.

Excited to see what the future holds for this kid. Certainly elite offensive talent...fast, skilled, nice shot...and feisty. He is not small either...puts on a bit of weight and he is Stralman's size.

 

[Werewolf]

He's just 20 year old, but it looks like people think he should have shutout every other game.

He is the number one prospect in THE WORLD at goalie. Yeah, tell me again why expectations shouldn't be high? Nobody here was worried at all at beginning of season when he had some awful numbers. Now we celebrate that he is doing good...and our expectations are out of whack? Child please.

 

[BoltSTH]

He is the number one prospect in THE WORLD at goalie. Yeah, tell me again why expectations shouldn't be high? Nobody here was worried at all at beginning of season when he had some awful numbers. Now we celebrate that he is doing good...and our expectations are out of whack? Child please.

It took him only 10 starts to acclimatize to a new country, new style of play, new coaches, and new teammates. That is impressive for any 20 year old, never mind a goalie. IMO he is the next 'Wall' and will be Bishop's backup next year, and replacement a year or two after that.

 

[DFC]

It took him only 10 starts to acclimatize to a new country, new style of play, new coaches, and new teammates. That is impressive for any 20 year old, never mind a goalie. IMO he is the next 'Wall' and will be Bishop's backup next year, and replacement a year or two after that.

I don't want him as Bishop's backup just yet. Bishop's going to play 60 games a year for the foreseeable future. I'd much rather have Vasi playing 50-60 in Syracuse and then coming up for spot starts when we have goaltending injuries. The NHL backup spot is more coveted than the AHL starter spot, but you have to think the AHL starting spot is a lot better for the development of a kid that age.

It was on a broadcast recently that in the old days, the NHL backup was actually the #3 goaltender in the organization, because the #2 goaltender was starting for the minor league team. I kind of think we're going to have a system like that for a year or two here.

Also, with Erne, DeAngelo, Masin, and Peca all AHL eligible next year, and with Koekkoek and Nesterov and Vermin etc all a year older and more experienced, but not necessarily NHL-ready, we have a chance to ice a championship level AHL team. I think it would benefit Vasi to be a big part of that. If things pan out they way they look, next year could be a dominant year for the Crunch. (Someone with more insight on the Crunch could correct me here.)

 

[2020 Cup Champions]

I don't want him as Bishop's backup just yet. Bishop's going to play 60 games a year for the foreseeable future. I'd much rather have Vasi playing 50-60 in Syracuse and then coming up for spot starts when we have goaltending injuries. The NHL backup spot is more coveted than the AHL starter spot, but you have to think the AHL starting spot is a lot better for the development of a kid that age.

It was on a broadcast recently that in the old days, the NHL backup was actually the #3 goaltender in the organization, because the #2 goaltender was starting for the minor league team. I kind of think we're going to have a system like that for a year or two here.

Also, with Erne, DeAngelo, Masin, and Peca all AHL eligible next year, and with Koekkoek and Nesterov and Vermin etc all a year older and more experienced, but not necessarily NHL-ready, we have a chance to ice a championship level AHL team. I think it would benefit Vasi to be a big part of that. If things pan out they way they look, next year could be a dominant year for the Crunch. (Someone with more insight on the Crunch could correct me here.)

This. If Vasi clearly beats out Guds but Guds still has trade potential I could see him getting shipped to make space for Wilcox or replaced by a career AHL guy.

 

[The Macho King]

Or have Gudlevskis be the NHL backup next season. Can never have too many goaltenders (as long as you don't completely mismanage the situation a la Vancouver).

 

[DFC]

Gudlevskis is sort of a weird case because, for most of us, who aren't religiously watching Syracuse games, pretty much every time we've seen Guds he's been pretty spectacular. But Werewolf and others, who do watch most (if not all) Syracuse games, and BP, report that there's a whole other side to Kristers' coin.

If inconsistency is his main issue though, I would think (maybe I'm wrong) that the best way to get more consistent is to simply play more often. But it looks like that opportunity is drying up in Syracuse with every good game Vasi has. We just might not be able to develop Gudlevskis the way we'd like to.

 

[2020 Cup Champions]

Gudlevskis is sort of a weird case because, for most of us, who aren't religiously watching Syracuse games, pretty much every time we've seen Guds he's been pretty spectacular. But Werewolf and others, who do watch most (if not all) Syracuse games, and BP, report that there's a whole other side to Kristers' coin.

If inconsistency is his main issue though, I would think (maybe I'm wrong) that the best way to get more consistent is to simply play more often. But it looks like that opportunity is drying up in Syracuse with every good game Vasi has. We just might not be able to develop Gudlevskis the way we'd like to.

That's what I'm thinking. Being NHL backup and playing a minority of the games doesn't seem like a formula for ironing out consistency issues.

 

[Werewolf]

\If things pan out they way they look, next year could be a dominant year for the Crunch. (Someone with more insight on the Crunch could correct me here.)

Might turn out to be a big year THIS year. Peca/DeAngelo/Masin - will all be available for the playoff run this year. Erne is on a team that will probably go on a deep run themselves (Ramparts). Next year ABSOLUTELY might be a huge year for Syracuse. Even though the kids coming in are young...DeAngelo/Masin will have played in WJC. Peca & O'Donnell are not really young they are NCAA four year players on big programs.

There will be tons of talent in Syracuse and too many bodies. And with the way we are accumulating draft picks...wouldn't be surprised if Yzerman is accumulating bodies for an eventual ECHL exclusive partnership. I think we are currently sharing the Everglades with Carolina and have loaned out players to Brampton. Maybe an exclusive partnership is coming (just an inkling).

But yeah, absolutely - huge expectations next year for Syracuse. And the way they are playing right now ... with a hot goaltender - they may just surprise a few people.

 

[Callum]

I managed to catch the Crunch game yesterday, really impressed by the team as a whole.

A few notes on some of the prospects..

Slater, Whenever he was on the ice good things just seemed to happen. Made some really smart pinches and was often jumping up in the play creating odd man rushes and then effortlessly getting back on D.

Blujus, Really good at getting out of his own end by making good sensible passes to his forwards, also made really smart pinches to keep Hershey in there own zone. He was by far the biggest surprise for me.

Richard, Really good along the walls and just a really effective smart 2-way player. I see a Nate Thompson with some offensive upside here. I could see him in the NHL next year alongside Boyle and Paquette.

 

[AlphaCatalyst]

6 in a row and the last few teams they have beat are top teams.

 

[TheDaysOf 04]

Team Canada beat the Toronto CIS Selects in an exhibition game 10-3. Point had 1 goal and 1 assist.

Ray Ferraro talking about Point - http://www.tsn.ca/video/wjhc-players-who-made-positive-impacts-saturday-1.159403

highlights - http://www.tsn.ca/video/wjhc-canada-10-cis-3-1.159396

https://twitter.com/markhmasters

Groulx on TBL prospect Brayden Point: "He's got passion. He's good with the puck & he's relentless … he had a good game."

Brayden Point had a huge smile on his face when told Groulx described him as "relentless": "I didn't know he thought that about me."

Point admitted to dealing with nerves: "Just trying to enjoy the experience. It's not every day you're playing with guys like this."

 

[DFC]

Looks like Kristers is doing what he can to answer the call and keep the competition alive. One goal against on 29 shots. Anyone got some insight on how he looked?

Can it be a coincidence that this kid plays his best whenever there's big pressure?

 

[Werewolf]

Looks like Kristers is doing what he can to answer the call and keep the competition alive. One goal against on 29 shots. Anyone got some insight on how he looked?

Can it be a coincidence that this kid plays his best whenever there's big pressure?

Don't think you call it a coincidence at this point. I don't think that was a hard earned 29 saves but that's just me. But every time you can go out there and put this kind of solid game together its hard to find faults. Thought Guds was a little wild still. He tends to over commit on his slides ... comparison is that disallowed goal yesterday in the Lightning game. Holtby was waaay to the right on that one and out of the crease. Guds tends to do that too. But Guds gets really low on his pads...really athletic and quick not just for a guy who is 6'3 either.

I think the biggest thing has been our defense. It is night and day out there...not only are the two goalies getting in a groove. Blujus/Koekkoek/etc are really playing well too - like something clicked and are playing well within the system.

 

[ThirtyTwo]

So far watching the past two games for the Juniors, Point has been awesome.The Ritchie-Gauthier-Point line has been absolutely lights out today. Very very impressed with Point

 

[The Macho King]

Point survived first round of cuts.