Prospect Info: Rangers Prospects Thread (Stats in Post #1; Updated 5.29.18)

[Lindberg Cheese]

The Russian Factor is way, way overblown. The salary cap for the KHL is less than 1/4 of the NHL's salary cap.

And sure, Kovalchuk was making $5.5M tax-free, but he's that league's highest paid player, and the salaries quickly ramp down from there. Only 30 players in that league even make above $1M per year. For the vast majority of players, the NHL represents an opportunity to make far more, and live a far better lifestyle than in Russia. Better accommodations, better facilities, and better training staff and doctors.

Better airplanes and defibrillators

 

[Kaapo Cabana]

The Russian Factor is way, way overblown. The salary cap for the KHL is less than 1/4 of the NHL's salary cap.

And sure, Kovalchuk was making $5.5M tax-free, but he's that league's highest paid player, and the salaries quickly ramp down from there. Only 30 players in that league even make above $1M per year. For the vast majority of players, the NHL represents an opportunity to make far more, and live a far better lifestyle than in Russia. Better accommodations, better facilities, and better training staff and doctors.

Yes it is.

But when talking about draft values, its the perception that matters. If being Russian affects a player's draft stock, then it matters.

 

[nyr2k2]

I don't understand, regarding Lettieri. So he's a kid with holes in his game, who came up and looked real good, then cooled off. For a guy who many pegged as a career AHL player, that, to me, is encouraging stuff. He outperformed the expectations for him last season. Even if you limit your judgment of him to what he did in the AHL, he still exceeded expectations. So, maybe we keep working with him and hope he continues to defy projections? IDK, Lettieri just seems like an odd guy to fixate on.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

The Russian Factor is way, way overblown. The salary cap for the KHL is less than 1/4 of the NHL's salary cap.

And sure, Kovalchuk was making $5.5M tax-free, but he's that league's highest paid player, and the salaries quickly ramp down from there. Only 30 players in that league even make above $1M per year. For the vast majority of players, the NHL represents an opportunity to make far more, and live a far better lifestyle than in Russia. Better accommodations, better facilities, and better training staff and doctors.

Adding to this:

Togliatti and Yugra Khanty-Mansiisk are no longer in the KHL and they lowered the salary cap for the 2nd straight year.
These were the top-30 salaries 2 years ago. Number 30 on this list makes basically the same as a maxed out entry level contract in the NHL.

 

[Mac n Gs]

I don't understand, regarding Lettieri. So he's a kid with holes in his game, who came up and looked real good, then cooled off. For a guy who many pegged as a career AHL player, that, to me, is encouraging stuff. He outperformed the expectations for him last season. Even if you limit your judgment of him to what he did in the AHL, he still exceeded expectations. So, maybe we keep working with him and hope he continues to defy projections? IDK, Lettieri just seems like an odd guy to fixate on.

I don’t get it either. He was Hartford’s leading goal scorer in his first full professional season, which is a fantastic developmental step for a college UDFA. If he can fix his defensive issues (maybe as a by-product of more structure) and his passing reads, he should be a good 3rd line winger. He’s a very good skater and is a right-handed volume shooter. If anything, we need more players like him.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Better airplanes and defibrillators

Aeroflot uses Boeing

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

Adding to this:

Togliatti and Yugra Khanty-Mansiisk are no longer in the KHL and they lowered the salary cap for the 2nd straight year.
These were the top-30 salaries 2 years ago. Number 30 on this list makes basically the same as a maxed out entry level contract in the NHL.

Just about half of that list are SKA players, crazy

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Just about half of that list are SKA players, crazy

They are a rich team.

 

[Kovalev27]

exactly which means the league is a joke. they've got 4 teams then the rest are a tier below. it would be like if the nhl had 4 great super nhl teams with 26 ahl teams and calling it a real elite league.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

exactly which means the league is a joke. they've got 4 teams then the rest are a tier below. it would be like if the nhl had 4 great super nhl teams with 26 ahl teams and calling it a real elite league.

You mean what the NHL was like between 2009 and 2017? When 3 teams won 8 out of 9 Stanley Cups?

How many teams in the NHL actually spend up to the cap?

 

[Dijock94]

exactly which means the league is a joke. they've got 4 teams then the rest are a tier below. it would be like if the nhl had 4 great super nhl teams with 26 ahl teams and calling it a real elite league.

So the NBA

 

[Beer League Sniper]

For an undrafted rookie, I don’t think Lettieri could have realistically done much more last season. He brought speed and a willingness to shoot the puck. Kind of like a homeless man’s Phil Kessel. He’s very one dimensional right now, but it’s not uncommon for young players to lean heavily on one or two aspects of their game when moving on to play tougher competition.

He may end up like a Magnus Paajarvi or Freddy Sjostrom, but it’s still way too early to make that judgement.

 

[Beer League Sniper]

Aeroflot uses Boeing

I know you’re probably being facetious, but as someone who works in the industry, the overwhelming majority of commercial airline accidents can be directly traced to poor maintenance practices.

 

[Ola]

I don't understand, regarding Lettieri. So he's a kid with holes in his game, who came up and looked real good, then cooled off. For a guy who many pegged as a career AHL player, that, to me, is encouraging stuff. He outperformed the expectations for him last season. Even if you limit your judgment of him to what he did in the AHL, he still exceeded expectations. So, maybe we keep working with him and hope he continues to defy projections? IDK, Lettieri just seems like an odd guy to fixate on.

I remember very well when Callahan and then Dubinsky came up. Callahan was a — very — early cut his rookie year. I think we cleared like 4 players to get two even teams for scrimmages and Cally was one of those cuts. He wasn’t very good, but he shot at everything that moved in the AHL and everything went in for him. Scored on 14.5% of all shots and he had 245 shots in 60 games. He wasn’t good when he was called up either. Very one dimensional, hustled but he wasn’t that smart with the puck nor that physical. He kept improving for like 4-5 years before he became a good top 6 when he peaked.

Dubinsky mixed some highs with god awful plays. The game was so fast for him that he was flipping all over the place, everyone was like who is that Dubinsky kid who can’t stand on his feet. Looked like a drunk elk on a newly frozen lake. Improved so much the coming 2-3 years.

Lettieri reminds me of those two in the sense of how stubborn he is and the killer instinct he has. I don’t know if ‘failing is not an option’ is a good description, something like that.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

I know you’re probably being facetious, but as someone who works in the industry, the overwhelming majority of commercial airline accidents can be directly traced to poor maintenance practices.

Yes. The airplanes aren't better. You could argue that the level of maintenance is higher in the US. But the airplanes aren't necessarily better.

 

[Edge]

I don't understand, regarding Lettieri. So he's a kid with holes in his game, who came up and looked real good, then cooled off. For a guy who many pegged as a career AHL player, that, to me, is encouraging stuff. He outperformed the expectations for him last season. Even if you limit your judgment of him to what he did in the AHL, he still exceeded expectations. So, maybe we keep working with him and hope he continues to defy projections? IDK, Lettieri just seems like an odd guy to fixate on.

I think there’s a tendency to hedge bets so that one is never dramatically wrong.

 

[nyr2k2]

I think there’s a tendency to hedge bets so that one is never dramatically wrong.

This is true, but it's still weird with guys like Lettieri. Why not just say, "This kid had a good rookie campaign, but I don't know if he has everything needed to stick in the NHL." You've made a valid observation about his rookie season and expressed a valid concern about his future development, without "committing" anything to what he'll become. Instead we criticize him for bizarre things like low assist totals in the AHL.

 

[ColonialsHockey10]

I don't understand, regarding Lettieri. So he's a kid with holes in his game, who came up and looked real good, then cooled off. For a guy who many pegged as a career AHL player, that, to me, is encouraging stuff. He outperformed the expectations for him last season. Even if you limit your judgment of him to what he did in the AHL, he still exceeded expectations. So, maybe we keep working with him and hope he continues to defy projections? IDK, Lettieri just seems like an odd guy to fixate on.

Agreed, of all players it’s just odd.

 

[Edge]

This is true, but it's still weird with guys like Lettieri. Why not just say, "This kid had a good rookie campaign, but I don't know if he has everything needed to stick in the NHL." You've made a valid observation about his rookie season and expressed a valid concern about his future development, without "committing" anything to what he'll become. Instead we criticize him for bizarre things like low assist totals in the AHL.

I think to some extent, we tend to do it more with the undrafted kids.

Personally, I think Lettieri has a shot to be a good bottom six energy guy who pops in some points.

 

[Lindberg Cheese]

Aeroflot uses Boeing

1977 Boeing and pickled pilots

 

[Ola]

Adding to this:

Togliatti and Yugra Khanty-Mansiisk are no longer in the KHL and they lowered the salary cap for the 2nd straight year.
These were the top-30 salaries 2 years ago. Number 30 on this list makes basically the same as a maxed out entry level contract in the NHL.

Good point. A couple of things, in European sports you get pensions and what not. Facevalue of a contract is one thing, the sum of all benefits is something else. Second, these guys pay 10% tax on this. Kova got 5,050,000 USD in his hand. To make that in the NHL he have to make like 11m right?

But it doesn't change the point you make!

 

[Ola]

I think there’s a tendency to hedge bets so that one is never dramatically wrong.

OTOH, I think this board would be in much better shape if people were more inclined to hedge their bets than claiming to be dead certain about everything and anything...

 

[nyr2k2]

Good point. A couple of things, in European sports you get pensions and what not. Facevalue of a contract is one thing, the sum of all benefits is something else. Second, these guys pay 10% tax on this. Kova got 5,050,000 USD in his hand. To make that in the NHL he have to make like 11m right?

But it doesn't change the point you make!

The major North American leagues offer pensions as well, but you obviously need to meet service time minimums (like every other pension in the US).

 

[Phoicon]

Re: Lias Andersson. I had a bit of a bias confirmation experience.

A former SHL player I talked to - not specifically about Lias, just shooting the breeze - mentioned what a great talent he is. The impression I get from the Swedish hockey community is that he is regarded a tier below all-star prospects like Dahlin or Petterson but above recent "graduates" like Kempe.

I thought so beforehand but it is kind of interesting how the former players, present coaches/ prospects trainers view him in a very positive light.

It's kind of funny, these guys barely even mention elite level prospects but really focus on guys a tier below or guys who have an interesting trajectory.

 

[Edge]

OTOH, I think this board would be in much better shape if people were more inclined to hedge their bets than claiming to be dead certain about everything and anything...

I’m equally intrigued by that line of thought.

I think we can like a prospect, and project or make an educated guess about things. But speaking in certain terms about some subjects has always been a little out of my comfort zone.

Even in those instances where I am fairly certain about something, I prefer to say things like “highly unlikely” or “I have a hard time seeing that happen.”