Prospect Info: Zachary Fucale

[jfm133]

Again. Lindgren signing is out of the whole amateur scouting system. The Habs liked him, last season they saw they were thin behind Price. The plan was to hire a NHL backup with experience, send Condon down in the AHL with Lindgren and send Fucale to the ECHL. Fucale showed a clear problem of consistency, but his best games were those of a very good prospect. Management knew that and saw no harm in sending him down. In fact it was a wake up call to the kid and it seems he heard the message clearly. All that being said, the fact remains that Fucale is well ahead of McNiven. He just won the Spengler Cup against teams that were at least of AHL caliber. Who knows if he will not end the year with Lindgren in the AHL?

 

[Adam Michaels]

And still got a decent goaltender out of it all

2013 was a fine draft

I think 2013 is MB's best so far.

I also believe that we'll look back at 2016 as one of his best draft classes, as well. Sergachev, Bitten, Mete, Staum, and Henrikson.

 

[BJCOLLINS]

Interesting how Zach performed exemplary before "Habs player development team" and won the Spengler Cup since he's been away from said system??

Just a thought.

 

[Adam Michaels]

Interesting how Zach performed exemplary before "Habs player development team" and won the Spengler Cup since he's been away from said system??

Just a thought.

Fucale might have won the World Juniors. but he was far from exemplary in that tournament.

And it's not exactly Habs player development that teach him how to make amazing saves and let in soft goals on a game-by-game basis.

Nevertheless, I hope the Spengler Cup raised his value a bit in the hockey world so he can be used in a trade.

 

[Redux91]

Interesting how Zach performed exemplary before "Habs player development team" and won the Spengler Cup since he's been away from said system??

Just a thought.

Zach's mediocre save percentages in junior and in the pro's has absolutely NOTHING to do with "habs player development"

not really sure why you would try to correlate this unless you had an agenda against our management, as many posters too

 

[BJCOLLINS]

Fucale might have won the World Juniors. but he was far from exemplary in that tournament.

And it's not exactly Habs player development that teach him how to make amazing saves and let in soft goals on a game-by-game basis.

Nevertheless, I hope the Spengler Cup raised his value a bit in the hockey world so he can be used in a trade.

I'm not saying Zach is the next Dom Hasek, but I have watched him "rink side" since he was a 16 yo stealing the #1 spot from the vet in Halifax. With good coaching he set g records in the Q. He has more of a Grant Fuhr mentality........you know, let in the odd softy but can stand on his head when the game needs him. He is the worst goalie to have if your a systems or trap kind of coach.

Cheers

Zach's mediocre save percentages in junior and in the pro's has absolutely NOTHING to do with "habs player development"

not really sure why you would try to correlate this unless you had an agenda against our management, as many posters too

?????? It doesn't require correlation skill to identify weakness in the current Habs front office, coach, GM.

Not from us that have been witness to Scotty and Sam.

If you're excited to watch the by the product on the ice, good for you. IMHO, we could be much better throughout the org.......especially player/coach development.

 

[jfm133]

Sorry. Every team in the NHL plays a variation of the same system. The all out Oilers of the 80s it's over. The important thing with Fucale is how good he is when he is good. Consistency needed to be a good pro will come with time. Being sent down to the ECHL was a clear message to him.

 

[Mr. Hab]

Great confidence booster for Fucale.... But I still don't like his style. Always on his knees or belly.

Sounds like Hasek! (not too shabby!).

Roy, Brodeur, Hasek...the best of the best since 1986 (or since the 1990s).

But, before anyone throws their panties at me for New Year's!, I'm not comparing Fucale to Hasek!! (just joking around about the knees and belly comment!! all for fun!).

Happy New Year, everyone!!


P.S.: Fucale still has some muscle to put on (maybe 10lbs, maybe at least 15lbs?, but I didn't tell him that in person! I'm no scout!), but...he's not short at all. Saw him this past summer in person (face-to-face) and he's 6'2 (or at worst 6'1 or 6'1 1/2, imo). Yes he looks more like 6'0 with equipment on (skates on), but I'm quite sure he's 6'2 or close to it (6'1) in person (and without skates!). That's tall or tall enough (and Fucale is not far from Price's height (6'2 - 6'3?), but it seems like Price has 20lbs (or more) of solid muscle on Fucale. Fucale is not 6'3, 6'4, 6'5, but he's still in the tall (or tall enough for a goalie category! 6'1 - 6'2 or close).

5'10 Theodore...not many good goalies now below 6'0-6'1. And, 6'2 and above seems like the trend now! (ex: Dubnyk at 6'4 - 6'5+).

 

[FerrisRox]

Sounds like Hasek! (not too shabby!).

Roy, Brodeur, Hasek...the best of the best since 1986 (or since the 1990s).

But, before anyone throws their panties at me for New Year's!, I'm not comparing Fucale to Hasek!! (just joking around about the knees and belly comment!! all for fun!).

Happy New Year, everyone!!


P.S.: Fucale still has some muscle to put on (maybe 10lbs, maybe at least 15lbs?, but I didn't tell him that in person! I'm no scout!), but...he's not short at all. Saw him this past summer in person (face-to-face) and he's 6'2 (or at worst 6'1 or 6'1 1/2, imo). Yes he looks more like 6'0 with equipment on (skates on), but I'm quite sure he's 6'2 or close to it (6'1) in person (and without skates!). That's tall or tall enough (and Fucale is not far from Price's height (6'2 - 6'3?), but it seems like Price has 20lbs (or more) of solid muscle on Fucale. Fucale is not 6'3, 6'4, 6'5, but he's still in the tall (or tall enough for a goalie category! 6'1 - 6'2 or close).

5'10 Theodore...not many good goalies now below 6'0-6'1. And, 6'2 and above seems like the trend now! (ex: Dubnyk at 6'4 - 6'5+).

Yeah, but is Fucale a playoff warrior?

 

[beowulf]

Still him and the De La Rose picks were such wastes of good second round picks. It was so obvious at the time. They drafted these guys because at the time we needed a goalie in the system and MB wanted to drafted for size.

ALWAYS LET TIMMINS TAKE THE BEST PLAYER AVAILABLE. PERIOD.

What? Who that was drafted after each of them is so much better at this point in time? I mean come on, these guy were only drafter a few years ago and there is nod many clearly ahead of them lower in the draft. Auclair? Nah who else?

 

[montreal]

With the signing of Montoya, perhaps that will change things as they could go with,

1. Price
2. Montoya
3. Lindgren
4. Fucale
5. McNiven

better to have McNiven play then sit most nights whereas Fucale won't have the pressure of being the starter in the AHL like last year. Maybe Laval will have a new coach as well so Fucale doesn't get left in for 8 goals either.

 

[Stawks]

Another 5 goals against for Fucale today. What's that, 21 goals against in the last four games? When he's off he just gives up goals like crazy. Anyone think there's any value in him as a prospect left?

 

[pled]

Another 5 goals against for Fucale today. What's that, 21 goals against in the last four games? When he's off he just gives up goals like crazy. Anyone think there's any value in him as a prospect left?

its the style of the team play they don't play defence at all he still have hope

 

[Treb]

Another 5 goals against for Fucale today. What's that, 21 goals against in the last four games? When he's off he just gives up goals like crazy. Anyone think there's any value in him as a prospect left?

Brampton Beast (out of 27)
6th for Goals for
19th for Goals against

Their D is suspect at best. They would need a guy like Lindgren to be a top team.

 

[pled]

Brampton Beast (out of 27)
6th for Goals for
19th for Goals against

Their D is suspect at best. They would need a guy like Lindgren to be a top team.

they are a top echl team and its in part because of fucale he's been good enough to allow less goal than they score

 

[Treb]

they are a top echl team and its in part because of fucale he's been good enough to allow less goal than they score

I meant to be a top team for goal against. They are abysmal at defence, but have a very potent scoring.

 

[Stawks]

That was his excuse in the Q, though. At some point if he's supposed to be a great goalie and future NHLer shouldn't he have like, even one great season?

 

[pled]

That was his excuse in the Q, though. At some point if he's supposed to be a great goalie and future NHLer shouldn't he have like, even one great season?

he had a alright season in the ahl last year and next year he gonna have another chance if he cant do it then I would give up but its not time yet

 

[montreal]

That was his excuse in the Q, though. At some point if he's supposed to be a great goalie and future NHLer shouldn't he have like, even one great season?

i've only seen a little of him this year, but talk about the tale of 2 goalies. In the last 7 games he's had 2 SO's and the other 5 games he let in 5 or 6 goals every time (26 ga) In his last 23 games since coming back from the Spengler Cup, he's had 12 games where he has given up 4 or more goals (57 ga in 12 games) and in the 11 other games he's had 20 ga.

 

[dkd]

So, for those of you following the kid, will he ever make it to the NHL?
Turning 22 in a couple months and I haven't heard about him in some time now.
His stats aren't too impressive either

 

[danyhabsfan]

3.22 0.895 in the ECHL seems kinda bad...

 

[Habsrule]

I am rarely ever one to jump and call a prospect a bust before they get the appropriate time to develop. But Fucale is right there at bust territory. He can barely hack it in the ECHL and Lindgren has surpassed him in the AHL. McNiven is pretty much past him as well.

 

[Pierre Dagenais]

Probably not

 

[Sterling Archer]

Like the kid, hated the pick. He seemed small in his net and lacked technique when he was drafted and now.

Never like to see a kid not make it but he's not making it.

 

[Frozenice]

It wouldn't surprise me to see him as a backup in the NHL when he's 26 or 27 but he won't be a Hab then. With goalies sometimes they have to be crushed completely first to realize that they have to change, to become a student of the game. Goalies can change a lot in 5 years.

If they continue with the less padding rules, it becomes advantageous to goalies like him.