Prospect Info: The Prospect Thread (Part XXXI)

[WTG]

Juolevi has an assist so far.

Pretty uneventful play, but all points count in the end. He's really been warming up lately. Let's hope he enters the WJC red hot, would be insane if he could replicate what he did last year at the WJC.

 

[Hansen]

What a group of young defensive prospects.

Olli Juolevi looks like a young Nicklas Lidstrom
Nikita Tryamkin looks like a young Zdeno Chara
Troy Stecher looks like a young Bryan Rafalski
Erik Gudbranson looks like a young Jeff Beukeboom
Chris Tanev looks like a young Dan Hamhuis
Ben Hutton looks like a young Dennis Wideman

Cody Hodgson looks like Steve Yzerman
Jordan Schroeder looks like Patrick Kane
Sergei Shirokov looks like Igor Larionov
Kevin Connauton looks like Jovocop
Yann Sauve looks like Mattias Ohlund
Anton Rodin looks like Peter Forsberg
Nicklas Jensen looks like Naslund

Jason Herter is our Big Time U of North Dakota beauty

 

[Billy Kvcmu]

Forsling is nothing special, I think he tops out at a replacement level defenceman. It was a bad trade but I never saw him as a staple in Canucks defence.

Disagree, Forsling already looks like an legit NHL player

 

[GetFocht]

Disagree, Forsling already looks like an legit NHL player

He looks average, let's not get carried away and make this another Frank Corrado situation. Our left side is stacked, any of these defenceman would be ahead of Forsling

Edler-Tanev
Hutton-Gudbranson
Tryamkin-Stecher
Larsen
Juolevi


Forsling would be buried and be used as a 8/9 defenceman for a long time considering the D core is young too.

 

[GetFocht]

On a side note,

I expected Virtanen to go on a tear in the AHL and it still seems like he plays a floating type of game. You would think there would be fire under his belly considering his salary just reduced by $800K

 

[The Iron Goalie]

On Forsling, my projection is that of a less aggressive Ehrhoff. Should have a longer prime though, as Ehrhoff was a late bloomer.

 

[Raistlin]

Juolevi has an assist so far.

Pretty uneventful play, but all points count in the end. He's really been warming up lately. Let's hope he enters the WJC red hot, would be insane if he could replicate what he did last year at the WJC.

That's a bit wishful thinking minus the two franchise forwards shooting the lights out no? I would love to see OJ qbing the Finnish PP though. See what he can do with more realistic talents.

 

[Ernie]

He looks average, let's not get carried away and make this another Frank Corrado situation. Our left side is stacked, any of these defenceman would be ahead of Forsling

Edler-Tanev
Hutton-Gudbranson
Tryamkin-Stecher
Larsen
Juolevi


Forsling would be buried and be used as a 8/9 defenceman for a long time considering the D core is young too.

Based on his play for the Blackhawks, Forsling would easily slot in front of Tryamkin in the lineup, and maybe in front of Hutton too. He's just 20 and playing a regular NHL shift with one of the NHL's top teams.

Using Corrado as a comparable is not reasonable. He is a case of a player underperforming expectations, and even then, was only in the lineup because of injuries to other players.

Forsling was expected to be in the minors, but forced his way onto a contending team. The Canucks dumped a player who is tracking to be a solid top four asset for essentially nothing. There's really no way to soften that blow.

 

[iloveloov*]

The Blackhawks may be a contender but their defensive depth is really weak. It's not like Forsling stole his spot from anyone noteworthy.

 

[Ernie]

The Blackhawks may be a contender but their defensive depth is really weak. It's not like Forsling stole his spot from anyone noteworthy.

Roszival and Van Riemsdyk are both decent bottom pairing defensemen.

 

[Josepho]

nvm i wont derail the thread any more

 

[iloveloov*]

Roszival and Van Riemsdyk are both decent bottom pairing defensemen.

TvR is a RHD.

Rozi is 38 years old...

 

[Red]

Carl Neill with another 2G tonight. Sure he's an overager in the Q, but he's still racking up points as a D-man (28 in 22 games). Would much rather have him signed than a guy like Mackenzie Stewart.

 

[PhilMick]

Carl Neill with another 2G tonight. Sure he's an overager in the Q, but he's still racking up points as a D-man (28 in 22 games). Would much rather have him signed than a guy like Mackenzie Stewart.

He's still our property though isn't he?

Man alive the guy's on pace for over 300 career games played in the Q.

 

[Snatcher Demko]

Carl Neill with another 2G tonight. Sure he's an overager in the Q, but he's still racking up points as a D-man (28 in 22 games). Would much rather have him signed than a guy like Mackenzie Stewart.

As long as he keeps trending well (and he is) he should get his 3 years in the AHL to keep developing, at least see where it leads.

He didn't look terrible in camp, but seemed to play much smaller than his listed size would indicate.

 

[Southern_Canuck]

Wed Nov 23

AHL

Syracuse 1 Utica 2
Demko 31 saves on 32 shots (selected 1st star)

Alexandre Grenier (6) ASST: Carter Bancks (2), Curtis Valk (5) (PP)
Derek Hulak (4) ASST: Michael Carcone (1)

OHL

London 1 Owen Sound 2 (SO)
Juolevi 1 assist, +1

QMJHL

Sherbrooke 3 Rouyn-Noranda 4
Neill 2 goals (6th, 7th), even (selected 3rd star)

S_C

 

[David Bruce Banner]

On a side note,

I expected Virtanen to go on a tear in the AHL and it still seems like he plays a floating type of game. You would think there would be fire under his belly considering his salary just reduced by $800K

Give him a bit of time to adjust and we may see he turn it on.

At the same time reports seem to indicate that his conditioning is pretty sub par... either that, or it's he's showing a lack of motivation. One can be fixed over time, the other is a more serious issue.

Regardless, a lengthy stay in the A is probably necessary.

 

[Robongo01]

Give him a bit of time to adjust and we may see he turn it on.

At the same time reports seem to indicate that his conditioning is pretty sub par... either that, or it's he's showing a lack of motivation. One can be fixed over time, the other is a more serious issue.

Regardless, a lengthy stay in the A is probably necessary.

Tired of the excuses. Benning should step down for messing up this pick alone. Absolutely inexcusable

 

[GetFocht]

I don't think its Benning's fault, I have heard Aquilini put a ton of pressure to draft Virtanen. It has been reported that Gillis was extremely high on Larkin and that would have been his choice.

 

[PhilMick]

I don't think its Benning's fault, I have heard Aquilini put a ton of pressure to draft Virtanen. It has been reported that Gillis was extremely high on Larkin and that would have been his choice.

Man this place would have burnt to the ground at the time if Gillis took Larkin at 6 eh?

 

[rune74]

Tired of the excuses. Benning should step down for messing up this pick alone. Absolutely inexcusable

We should just release the player, obviously at 20 he is not worth the time anymore. What useless player.

 

[PM]

Tired of the excuses. Benning should step down for messing up this pick alone. Absolutely inexcusable

Yeah the conditioning thing is ridiculous. It's almost December now. If Jake can't get in shape in over two months of pro hockey, practicing and training (on top of the training he was supposed to do in summer) then he is doing something wrong. My guess is too much beer and junk food.

He really is the next coming of Big Country it seems.

 

[MS]

We should just release the player, obviously at 20 he is not worth the time anymore. What useless player.

Where did anyone say that, or anything close to that? What is the point of this post?

Are you denying that this pick looks very poor right now or that the player is developing poorly, or that his current situation is very disappointing?

Yeah the conditioning thing is ridiculous. It's almost December now. If Jake can't get in shape in over two months of pro hockey, practicing and training (on top of the training he was supposed to do in summer) then he is doing something wrong. My guess is too much beer and junk food.

He really is the next coming of Big Country it seems.

Yeah, he doesn't seem like a terribly dedicated guy.

That said, you wonder how management had such poor tabs on Virtanen and Tryamkin this summer that their conditioning went so far awry. Especially when Virtanen is actually living in the city. How do you not have Takahashi checking in with him once or twice a week?

 

[PM]

Yeah, he doesn't seem like a terribly dedicated guy.

That said, you wonder how management had such poor tabs on Virtanen and Tryamkin this summer that their conditioning went so far awry. Especially when Virtanen is actually living in the city. How do you not have Takahashi checking in with him once or twice a week?

I have nothing to base this off other than that one tweet by Takahashi and a gut feel but I think he absolutely can't stand Jake. Is it coincidence that the team looks a lot better since Jake was sent down? I wouldn't be surprised if everyone was sick of his attitude, he comes off like a spoiled brat in every interview.

 

[Trelane]

I don't think its Benning's fault, I have heard Aquilini put a ton of pressure to draft Virtanen. It has been reported that Gillis was extremely high on Larkin and that would have been his choice.

Extremely vexing if true. But it happens more than we know, e.g., Oiler scouts not wanting Yak. Explains the attempt to rush development and tug of war about what league is best for him.

When Benning gets booted the next GM will likely be a compromise choice because of the above. At least JB has Linden trying to hold the line on the worst of it. Meditate on this the "change regime" crowd must.