Prospect Info: Rangers Prospects Thread (Stats in Post #1; Updated 12.14.18) *Part III*

[NYR Viper]

 

[nyr2k2]

McDonagh clearly needed more time, ask did Skjei (though he was also breaking into the league at a time where they were very competitive) and Hajek should have made it over Staal but Staal is Elliot Ness in these parts for what ever reason.

Its hard to say until you see the player in a full camp and what they'll look like 10 months from now. The coaching staff loves him though so it's possible.

Well...this is also why what happens in the preseason should be taken with something of a grain of salt. Hajek looked better in the preseason slate than he has in the AHL. If you evaluate Hajek based on his AHL play, he definitely needs to spend some more time there refining his game. And that's not really different than the stuff with Keane--Hajek was a stud last year in the WHL, at both ends. I haven't watched Keane, but assuming he's close to or on par with Hajek, that just reinforces that his CHL performance isn't necessarily indicative of a guy ready to take the leap to the NHL.

The preseason is not the best way to evaluate guys. Which is tough, because it's really all you have. Lettieri looked like a stud this preseason. Boo Nieves had a nice camp a couple years back. Matt Gilroy looked like a stud. And dozens more. Until guys get into real NHL games, we don't really know where they're at.

 

[EpicDing]

Just picturing Zibby at one circle and Kratsov at the other on the PP

 

[NYR Viper]

Well...this is also why what happens in the preseason should be taken with something of a grain of salt. Hajek looked better in the preseason slate than he has in the AHL. If you evaluate Hajek based on his AHL play, he definitely needs to spend some more time there refining his game. And that's not really different than the stuff with Keane--Hajek was a stud last year in the WHL, at both ends. I haven't watched Keane, but assuming he's close to or on par with Hajek, that just reinforces that his CHL performance isn't necessarily indicative of a guy ready to take the leap to the NHL.

The preseason is not the best way to evaluate guys. Which is tough, because it's really all you have. Lettieri looked like a stud this preseason. Boo Nieves had a nice camp a couple years back. Matt Gilroy looked like a stud. And dozens more. Until guys get into real NHL games, we don't really know where they're at.

The other thing to note, which has been discussed before though is that the AHL can be a bit more difficult to play in than the NHL for some players. McDonagh looked worse in the AHL than he did in the NHL.

 

[nyr2k2]

The other thing to note, which has been discussed before though is that the AHL can be a bit more difficult to play in than the NHL for some players. McDonagh looked worse in the AHL than he did in the NHL.

That's absolutely true.

I guess my point is that the NHL preseason is pretty close to the NHL regular season, but not that close. So looking good in the former doesn't mean you'll 100% be good in the latter, and we see examples of that all the time.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Well...this is also why what happens in the preseason should be taken with something of a grain of salt. Hajek looked better in the preseason slate than he has in the AHL. If you evaluate Hajek based on his AHL play, he definitely needs to spend some more time there refining his game. And that's not really different than the stuff with Keane--Hajek was a stud last year in the WHL, at both ends. I haven't watched Keane, but assuming he's close to or on par with Hajek, that just reinforces that his CHL performance isn't necessarily indicative of a guy ready to take the leap to the NHL.

The preseason is not the best way to evaluate guys. Which is tough, because it's really all you have. Lettieri looked like a stud this preseason. Boo Nieves had a nice camp a couple years back. Matt Gilroy looked like a stud. And dozens more. Until guys get into real NHL games, we don't really know where they're at.

The AHL Style of game is different.

So many of our guys have looked meh in the A and then come up and beasted out.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Lakatos, who generally sucks but is also better than the 4C he's played as all year, is rumored to be heading to Zlin. He's not in the lineup for Liberec today.

That might make it worth a trip. Zlin is basically next door unlike Liberec

 

[nyr2k2]

The AHL Style of game is different.

So many of our guys have looked meh in the A and then come up and beasted out.

I don't know that "so many" have done that. I mean McDonagh is the example we always cite, but who else? And to my point, see my other post. I don't know that the preseason provides any better of an indicator of a player's readiness than the AHL.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

I don't know that "so many" have done that. I mean McDonagh is the example we always cite, but who else? And to my point, see my other post. I don't know that the preseason provides any better of an indicator of a player's readiness than the AHL.

Pionk and Skjei have both blown away what they were doing in the A

 

[Algernop Kreider]

That might make it worth a trip. Zlin is basically next door unlike Liberec

I thought Zlin was supposed to be in the middle of nowhere. Weren't people implying that Chytil was underscouted because scouts didn't want to make the trip out there?

 

[FireGerardGallant]

 

[ManUtdTobbe]

My boy Reunanen having a great season, so happy for him.

 

[nyr2k2]

Pionk and Skjei have both blown away what they were doing in the A

Huh? Pionk was great last year with the Wolf Pack. His production wasn't where it is right now, but that's due to usage, the fact that Hartford was shit, and probably a lot of luck. But if you watched a decent bit of the Pack last year, you knew he was their best all-around defenseman last year. And honestly, it's really just the points that picked up in the NHL--he's definitely a worse defender, and depending on who you believe he's a train wreck.

Skjei's rookie season in the AHL was pretty damn good. IMO he was as good in the NHL his rookie year as he was in the AHL his rookie year there (talking relative to the league). It seemed like a natural progression to me. He had a lot of points his rookie year in the NHL, but as many people pointed out to me the offense was inflated unsustainably by secondary assists, which proved to be the case. He seems to have settled in as a 25-30 point guy, which again is what he was in the A.

I don't know. I've watched a lot of AHL games over the years and I just don't see it.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

I thought Zlin was supposed to be in the middle of nowhere. Weren't people implying that Chytil was underscouted because scouts didn't want to make the trip out there?

Zlin is 2 hours by car, Liberec 6 hours. As much as I enjoyed my drive up to Liberec, it required me to book a hotel and drive back the next morning, whereas a game in Zlin can be a 1-day event for me

 

[cwede]

Lakatos, who generally sucks but is also better than the 4C he's played as all year, is rumored to be heading to Zlin. He's not in the lineup for Liberec today.

Lakatos to Zlin article here,
Filippi hlásí návrat, Liberci se upsal až do roku 2021. Lakatoš posílí Zlín | Hokej.cz - web českého hokeje

Google translate does mediocre job, but as NYR2K2 mentions, ZLIN apparently intends to play him top 6

 

[darko]

Zlin is 2 hours by car, Liberec 6 hours. As much as I enjoyed my drive up to Liberec, it required me to book a hotel and drive back the next morning, whereas a game in Zlin can be a 1-day event for me

That's what I love about Europe. You jump in the car and you can drive for as little as an hour and you are in another country.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

That's what I love about Europe. You jump in the car and you can drive for as little as an hour and you are in another country.

Budapest: 2 hours
Bratislava: 40 minutes
Hodonin: 90 minutes (Top-3 hockey trip ever for sure haha)
Prague: 3 hours
Brno: 1 hour
Pardubice: 2 hours
Zlin: 2 hours

Hockey heaven!

In Australia you can drive for 2 days and still be in the same province

 

[darko]

Budapest: 2 hours
Bratislava: 40 minutes
Hodonin: 90 minutes (Top-3 hockey trip ever for sure haha)
Prague: 3 hours
Brno: 1 hour
Pardubice: 2 hours
Zlin: 2 hours

Hockey heaven!

In Australia you can drive for 2 days and still be in the same province

Not exactly the same province (btw we call them states, province just sounds weird) but you are still in the country. Melbourne to Perth - 36 hours. Melbourne to Darwin - 40 hours. Now if you in Tasmania you can add 2-3 hours of driving on top of the 40 to get to Darwin. Oh there's also an overnight ferry ride lol.

 

[Ola]

The other thing to note, which has been discussed before though is that the AHL can be a bit more difficult to play in than the NHL for some players. McDonagh looked worse in the AHL than he did in the NHL.

Definitely, good point.

Especially for a Euro in many areas the European Leagues are on one side of a scale and the AHL is on the other far end, with the NHL being in between the two extremes. Especially in terms of offensive structures. The European leagues are slower and have bigger ice, so the attacking systems, breakouts, and so forth are very detailed and teams play to them to the dot. In the AHL it’s often the exact opposite, the talent is in the NHL, the ice is smaller, teams have less time to practice, so many teams deploy a very simplistic style of play. If your strength is to function in a high dynamic team environment going to the AHL will force you to overcompensate a lot to the NA game compared to the NHL.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Budapest: 2 hours
Bratislava: 40 minutes
Hodonin: 90 minutes (Top-3 hockey trip ever for sure haha)
Prague: 3 hours
Brno: 1 hour
Pardubice: 2 hours
Zlin: 2 hours

Hockey heaven!

In Australia you can drive for 2 days and still be in the same province

Honestly as amazing as it sounds to travel and watch these guys play and then meet these guys and have videos made for you, I don't know if I could make it through so many games in lower leagues. I was bored 5 minutes into a Wisconsin game.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Honestly as amazing as it sounds to travel and watch these guys play and then meet these guys and have videos made for you, I don't know if I could make it through so many games in lower leagues. I was bored 5 minutes into a Wisconsin game.

It depends on why you go to the game. I drove to Hodonin to see 2 Ranger prospects and even though the game wasn't as great as I had hoped, I still had a great time.

The Euro Hockey Tour in Pardubice in April, was a great opportunity to see Buchnevich, Shestyorkin, Andersson and Chytil all in 1 day.

I think today was the first game in a long time where I had no player to focus on but I had friends over from Florida, we decided to go to Prague for a few days and they had a game tonight so we decided to go. For them it was a great experience because fans at hockey in Europe are much more "alive". They loved the vibe.

 

[Edge]

Honestly as amazing as it sounds to travel and watch these guys play and then meet these guys and have videos made for you, I don't know if I could make it through so many games in lower leagues. I was bored 5 minutes into a Wisconsin game.

It's easy to love the top talents and be excited by what you see, but lower leagues are not everyone's cup of tea.

I couldn't even begin to guess how many players outside the NHL I've seen in my life. But for every "probably" and "maybe" there are 6 guys who you couldn't remember if your life depended on it.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

It's easy to love the top talents and be excited by what you see, but lower leagues are not everyone's cup of tea.

I couldn't even begin to guess how many players outside the NHL I've seen in my life. But for every "probably" and "maybe" there are 6 guys who you couldn't remember if your life depended on it.

Agreed. It's a personal thing. A lot of people are calling me crazy for flying all the way to Dallas to attend the draft. But as someone who follows prospects very closely, I had a blast going to Dallas and being there to experience the whole thing. I loved it so much that I am already planning on going again in 2019 when the draft is held in Vancouver.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Agreed. It's a personal thing. A lot of people are calling me crazy for flying all the way to Dallas to attend the draft. But as someone who follows prospects very closely, I had a blast going to Dallas and being there to experience the whole thing. I loved it so much that I am already planning on going again in 2019 when the draft is held in Vancouver.

So did you do site seeing in Dallas or just go for the draft?

 

[Edge]

Agreed. It's a personal thing. A lot of people are calling me crazy for flying all the way to Dallas to attend the draft. But as someone who follows prospects very closely, I had a blast going to Dallas and being there to experience the whole thing. I loved it so much that I am already planning on going again in 2019 when the draft is held in Vancouver.

My response to them would be --- DO WHAT YOU LOVE.

You're talking to a man whose home office has an autographed Mike Richter replica mask, nestled next to an extensive collection of Carl Barks stories, overlooking a Bob Ross figure that sits on a desk where I work.

Why?

Because those things provide a fun incentive for the work I do at said desk, which often isn't very fun, and because I enjoy those things.

We should all be so lucky as to find things that bring us enjoyment in this life.

I say rock on!