Prospect Info: Zach Fucale won the Jacques Plante trophy

[beowulf]

he'll be quite the trading chip

How do you figure? If all goes well he likely would not be in the NHL for 2-3 seasons at least and some time as backup would not hurt. By then Price will be close to 30 so who knows what happens then. You don't trade a goalie with his potential young unless you get a great offer.

 

[Figaro95*]

Can't wait until Waite gets to work with him. Given all the records and awards he has won in junior. Combined with Timmins saying about his great passion for game and Roy like will to win. If we bow out early in first round again could be ingredient we are missing

...?

 

[beowulf]

...?

His way of saying the kid will replace Price already....

 

[Tyson]

When Price was drafted in 05 many people lost their minds because the Habs were "set" in net with Jose Theodore. We don't know how things will work out but either way, Habs are very deep in net!

There is a solid kid playing in the ECHL right now who may surprise us down the road.

 

[DekeLikeYouMeanIt]

I think Cupper should've gotten it. Kept Shawi in many games when they really shouldn't be.

 

[beowulf]

I think Cupper should've gotten it. Kept Shawi in many games when they really shouldn't be.

How do you figure? It is for the lowest GAA and Fucale had the lowest in the league while Cupper was at 3.19 good for 12th. So you see how he could not win the award?

 

[Smokey Thompson]

Can't wait until Waite gets to work with him. Given all the records and awards he has won in junior. Combined with Timmins saying about his great passion for game and Roy like will to win. If we bow out early in first round again could be ingredient we are missing

Can't tell if serious?

 

[Burke the Legend]

What's the plan here? Fucale looks like he's gonna be ready for the show way earlier than when Price starts slowing down.

There is a HUGE jump from facing 17 year olds in the Q to 24-30 year old men in the AHL, don't count anything yet. Plenty of goalies have failed to make that jump to the AHL successfully, let alone to the NHL. It could easily take him 7-10 years to be NHL capable, if he makes it.

 

[Ohashi_Jouzu*]

Is Halifax projected to enter a rebuild phase next season, or do they have enough strength in Ehlers and returning players that they may still be competitive? I wonder if Fucale will be able to finish his career there next season or may become a trade candidate?

I wouldn't expect anything leading up to the start of next season to suggest such a thing. As crazy as it is to think that most of the leadership core and top end scoring depth are probably singing their swan song right now, there's a surprising amount of talent left over - especially with Fucale's still around. Ehlers-Gadoury-Falkingham might be a step down from what we've enjoyed in recent years, but they've already installed Vokey, Fortier, and Meier as youngsters they've started to groom, who will probably fight to fill in the middle 6 with the Moynihans. I'm sure locally guy Andrew Shewfelt will find a way to contribute in there somewhere as well. The defense might have a few question marks (I mean, I don't think we're talking about a Mem. Cup favourite on paper next year, lol), but everyone is less concerned about that with Fucale back there.

Bottom line, I'd expect to see him shattering compiling records in a Mooseheads jersey and providing stability to a transition period (as opposed to a rebuild) unless some really, really good offer comes along. I don't expect to see anything even vaguely resembling a "tearing down" or "rebuild" given how far above the initial stages of a rebuild they already are, due to the immediate impact of Ehlers, the experience the returning crew will have next year, and the veteran presence of a goalie like Fucale at the back.

 

[Blind Gardien]

I wouldn't expect anything leading up to the start of next season to suggest such a thing. As crazy as it is to think that most of the leadership core and top end scoring depth are probably singing their swan song right now, there's a surprising amount of talent left over - especially with Fucale's still around. Ehlers-Gadoury-Falkingham might be a step down from what we've enjoyed in recent years, but they've already installed Vokey, Fortier, and Meier as youngsters they've started to groom, who will probably fight to fill in the middle 6 with the Moynihans. I'm sure locally guy Andrew Shewfelt will find a way to contribute in there somewhere as well. The defense might have a few question marks (I mean, I don't think we're talking about a Mem. Cup favourite on paper next year, lol), but everyone is less concerned about that with Fucale back there.

Bottom line, I'd expect to see him shattering compiling records in a Mooseheads jersey and providing stability to a transition period (as opposed to a rebuild) unless some really, really good offer comes along. I don't expect to see anything even vaguely resembling a "tearing down" or "rebuild" given how far above the initial stages of a rebuild they already are, due to the immediate impact of Ehlers, the experience the returning crew will have next year, and the veteran presence of a goalie like Fucale at the back.

This is sort of what I was inclined to thinking, but had to ask... I may casually watch parts of the occasional Sportsnet broadcast, but long gone are the days when I would venture to the Guertin to actually watch the Q. I get the sense Halifax will be one of those "re-tune" teams, and Fucale will be able to polish off his junior career with one team, and they'll be solid at least next season. But it's worth pondering.

Quebec is hosting in 2015, right? Is Booth considered a hot prospect? Just thinking...

 

[Maffew]

Lowest GAA in the Q, so...second team all-star?

 

[EveryDay]

Lowest GAA in the Q, so...second team all-star?

Cadorette was just better this year with a higher save percentage.

 

[Scotianhab]

This is sort of what I was inclined to thinking, but had to ask... I may casually watch parts of the occasional Sportsnet broadcast, but long gone are the days when I would venture to the Guertin to actually watch the Q. I get the sense Halifax will be one of those "re-tune" teams, and Fucale will be able to polish off his junior career with one team, and they'll be solid at least next season. But it's worth pondering.

Quebec is hosting in 2015, right? Is Booth considered a hot prospect? Just thinking...

Funny when I first read that Quebec will be hosting the Mem cup next year, my first thought was how much Quebec might pay to have the top goalie for them with mem cup experience.

 

[Habs]

When Price was drafted in 05 many people lost their minds because the Habs were "set" in net with Jose Theodore. We don't know how things will work out but either way, Habs are very deep in net!

There is a solid kid playing in the ECHL right now who may surprise us down the road.

Funny, I don't recall one person 'losing their mind' , most people loved the pick.

 

[NobleSix]

Fucale will be brought along very slowly. Why? Because we can afford to do that. This is the way I see things going down. Most likely wont, many variables.

Fucale will play his last year in Junior next year. After that, he probably plays 3 seasons with the bulldogs. After that, he will back up Price for about 2 seasons (if Price is still here). Then after that stint as a back up, he will tandem with Price for a season. After that point, Habs management will decide which goalie they want to keep, and hopefully handle it much better than how Gillis handled their goaltending situation.

By the end of the tandem year, Price will be 33, while Fucale will be 25. In a broader sense, Price will be starting to exit his "prime" while Fucale begins to enter his own prime.

I don't expect to see Fucale with the habs full time until he is around 23. Of course he'll get some call ups before that though. I also don't see him being a starter until 25. I'm just a big advocate of bringing goalies along slowly and surely, and maybe that's effecting my judgement, idk.

We got lucky that Price ended up developing into what he is today. We rushed him along really quickly. Playing half an NHL season's worth of games as a 20 year old, then being a starting goaltender in the NHL at age 21? Wow, that's crazy now that I think about it.

 

[Ohashi_Jouzu*]

Funny, I don't recall one person 'losing their mind' , most people loved the pick.

There were certainly people "losing their minds", going on about 2 bad games at the U-18s, etc. You don't remember classic threads in the months that followed like "I sure hope Price is good" and "Is Carey Price a bad prospect"? Then there were historical breakdowns of what position of player tended to be selected at such and such position, etc, etc.

 

[Halifaxhab*]

This is sort of what I was inclined to thinking, but had to ask... I may casually watch parts of the occasional Sportsnet broadcast, but long gone are the days when I would venture to the Guertin to actually watch the Q. I get the sense Halifax will be one of those "re-tune" teams, and Fucale will be able to polish off his junior career with one team, and they'll be solid at least next season. But it's worth pondering.

Quebec is hosting in 2015, right? Is Booth considered a hot prospect? Just thinking...

Funny when I first read that Quebec will be hosting the Mem cup next year, my first thought was how much Quebec might pay to have the top goalie for them with mem cup experience.

I absolutely see Cam Russell making minimal moves in the offseason. And at the deadline, if we're a middling team, having Quebec massively overpay for Fucs

 

[Blind Gardien]

There were certainly people "losing their minds", going on about 2 bad games at the U-18s, etc. You don't remember classic threads in the months that followed like "I sure hope Price is good" and "Is Carey Price a bad prospect"? Then there were historical breakdowns of what position of player tended to be selected at such and such position, etc, etc.

I definitely lost my mind. I didn't like Price as a prospect, for one thing, and I thought he did look awful in the U18s. Of course, a lot of us also had pet prospects in that draft who we were just tickled to think we might be able to get with the #5 overall, given our great good fortune in the lottery. (For me, Brule... others had better ones like Kopitar in mind as it turned out! ).

There are probably dozens of ancient posts of me lamenting the use of a #5 on a goalie when I thought Rask and Pavelec (and maybe others, I forget - not Quick, though, I never knew of him) were just about as good and taken much later in the draft. I thought we blew our chance at a franchise player, looked the gift horse straight in the mouth.

I don't feel like I was alone in losing my mind either. We were legion.

But I like the Fucale pick. And I subscribe to Pricenyuk's timeline. But it's still contingent on everything working out. Ample room all along the way for goalie prospects to drop out of the running, and as much as I like Fucale, I don't think he's so special that he couldn't go the way of the many NHL 1st round goalie picks who just haven't panned out as anything it all. There's no point in making any special plans until we see how things progress against that timeline.

 

[Ivan13]

I wasn't too thrilled when they picked Carey, I remember a phone call with my cousin from Canada and he was pissed beyond belief that they didn't take Brule. It's safe to say we were both wrong.

 

[Colezuki]

Well, he'll be a good trade chip if nothing else, in reality he's only 19, I'd say starter duties at earliest at are at 25, Price will be in his mid thirties by then, so unless price decides to win a few cups he could be traded, I just hope we don't make the same mistake as vancouver when the time comes.

 

[Tyson]

I still can't believe he was available to us at#36

 

[Burke the Legend]

We got lucky that Price ended up developing into what he is today. We rushed him along really quickly. Playing half an NHL season's worth of games as a 20 year old, then being a starting goaltender in the NHL at age 21? Wow, that's crazy now that I think about it.

This is so ridiculous, and a common idea around here.

Price (like any player) rising to the top is not due to "development", like he is a RPG video game character or something, but because of his own skills and work ethic. Players are not pieces of clay, by age 20 they are already grown men and super elite athletes and it's largely up to them to seize their career.

 

[Habs]

There were certainly people "losing their minds", going on about 2 bad games at the U-18s, etc. You don't remember classic threads in the months that followed like "I sure hope Price is good" and "Is Carey Price a bad prospect"? Then there were historical breakdowns of what position of player tended to be selected at such and such position, etc, etc.

But we do those threads about every prospect...lol

I clearly remember the Kostitsyn riot after we drafted him instead of... cough...you know who.. but the Price pick seemed fairly safe at the time.

 

[dreamingofdrouin*]

How do you figure? If all goes well he likely would not be in the NHL for 2-3 seasons at least and some time as backup would not hurt. By then Price will be close to 30 so who knows what happens then. You don't trade a goalie with his potential young unless you get a great offer.

Well it would certainly depend on how well he performs when he's given his nhl opportunity as well as how well carey price is performing....but all indications are that carey price has taken the reigns from brodeur as the next great one in that department and even if he is close to 30 thats no where near old enough to think about dealing him in favour of a relatively unproven especially when, if all goes well, we will be seeing MB's core succesfuly built and contending on a regular basis....its just my opinion but i think fucale will be the one to go for a real solid piece up front or perhaps on d.

And he may be a great goalie but price is gonna be a superstar for a loonngg time.

 

[LyricalLyricist]

Saw posts about what to do with him.

If carey price spent his full years in juniors why can't fucale? Carey was the better prospect too so I'll be patient with him.