Prospects Thread - 2019-2020 Season

[SterioDesign]

4 minutes ago, Nicomo said:

kid is pretty much a bust at this point, no? 22 points in the AHL as a 22 year old...

shame, I liked that pick at the time because of his speed. 

Isn't really a bust cause he wasn't supposed to be much. We knew as soon as Jost got drafted that there was a big drop in talent. I remember not being excited about that pick at all then.

In hindsight picking chychrun or McAvoy would have been great but hey, thats not how it works.

That being said. Having Bratt who's 8th in points from that draft class is very good

 

[Nicomo]

5 minutes ago, SterioDesign said:

Isn't really a bust cause he wasn't supposed to be much. We knew as soon as Jost got drafted that there was a big drop in talent. I remember not being excited about that pick at all then.

In hindsight picking chychrun or McAvoy would have been great but hey, thats not how it works.

That being said. Having Bratt who's 8th in points from that draft class is very good

 

From Elite Prospects

Michael McLeod is a highly skilled power center who relies on nobody but himself to get the job done. His size and skating make him difficult to contain, and his competitiveness gives him an edge against other teams' best. His deft puckhandling skills and control over his speed are the defining aspects of his offensive abilities. All-in-all, a top talent who is both dynamic and hard to play against. (Curtis Joe, EP 2015) 

Not sure I agree expectations were all that low with him. He was over a PPG every year in the OHL except for his first, and looked like he had the size and speed to be something. 

[SterioDesign]

47 minutes ago, Nicomo said:

From Elite Prospects

Michael McLeod is a highly skilled power center who relies on nobody but himself to get the job done. His size and skating make him difficult to contain, and his competitiveness gives him an edge against other teams' best. His deft puckhandling skills and control over his speed are the defining aspects of his offensive abilities. All-in-all, a top talent who is both dynamic and hard to play against. (Curtis Joe, EP 2015) 

Not sure I agree expectations were all that low with him. He was over a PPG every year in the OHL except for his first, and looked like he had the size and speed to be something. 

well reading any scouting reports like this will give you something similar lol 

i just remember the draft and the comments. We traded down and we mostly didnt even care cause there was nothing on the boards that was that interesting at that point. We KNEW there was a huge drop in talent past Jost.

[Nicomo]

1 minute ago, SterioDesign said:

well reading any scouting reports like this will give you something similar lol 

i just remember the draft and the comments. We traded down and we mostly didnt even care cause there was nothing on the boards that was that interesting at that point. We KNEW there was a huge drop in talent past Jost.

I’m not just talking about his draft year though. He was playing pretty well in the OHL after that (73 points in 57 GP in 2017). It’s just not translating to the AHL though. Which is disappointing. 

[SterioDesign]

12 minutes ago, Nicomo said:

I’m not just talking about his draft year though. He was playing pretty well in the OHL after that (73 points in 57 GP in 2017). It’s just not translating to the AHL though. Which is disappointing. 

well i'm not really just talking about his draft year, just about his projected potential when we drafted him. I remember the announcer said he was picked a little earlier than most must have thought but that it would be up to  him to prove them wrong.

i just found a pre-draft article about him saying

Quote

"McLeod delivered 61 points in 57 games last season, suggesting he could thrive on an NHL skill line if he continues to develop. He would likely fill a complementary offensive role but has the skills to be the defensive conscience on the line. If his offense doesn't come with him to pro hockey, McLeod's skills would make him a fine candidate for a checking role."

I dunno.. i just remembered not been particularly pumped about the pick cause we knew he was not going to be an impact player. Announcers were also saying he was kind of a safe pick because of his work ethic and you knew he'd always give max effort

 

Edited February 22, 2020 by SterioDesign

[Nicomo]

In better new Gilles Senn has been on a terror lately and has Bing in a playoff spot.

Any chance he could get a shot at the backup job in camp next season? 

Edited February 22, 2020 by Nicomo

[Devil Dan 56]

1 hour ago, Nicomo said:

In better new Gilles Senn has been on a terror lately and has Bing in a playoff spot.

Any chance he could get a shot at the backup job in camp next season? 

I think he gets an honest shot but we absolutely can't go into next season without adding some kind of veteran to the goaltending depth. Coming into this season with a depth chart of Schneider, Blackwood, Senn, Cormier was one of Rays biggest mistakes. 

[Guadana]

Zacha is a bust, Bratt doesn’t change as a player, Hughes is a bustest bust over 20 years of first picks, McLeod is a bust with 22 in 22, Butcher is more buster, than we can expect. 
 

May be, I say may be our coaching stuff are busts. In any levels.

[Nicomo]

4 hours ago, Guadana said:

Zacha is a bust, Bratt doesn’t change as a player, Hughes is a bustest bust over 20 years of first picks, McLeod is a bust with 22 in 22, Butcher is more buster, than we can expect. 
 

May be, I say may be our coaching stuff are busts. In any levels.

Big difference between not lighting up the NHL, and underperforming in the AHL. 

[Aitchmack]

5 hours ago, Guadana said:

Zacha is a bust, Bratt doesn’t change as a player, Hughes is a bustest bust over 20 years of first picks, McLeod is a bust with 22 in 22, Butcher is more buster, than we can expect. 
 

May be, I say may be our coaching stuff are busts. In any levels.

Totally agree with the bolded. The coaching has been awful at helping players develop and I hope they take that into account when choosing the next coach.

[Nicomo]

1 minute ago, Aitchmack said:

Totally agree with the bolded. The coaching has been awful at helping players develop and I hope they take that into account when choosing the next coach.

Completely fair, but this all started because I called McLeod a bust, and I don’t think a 1st round pick should need a whole hell of a lot coaching to at least be somewhat productive in the AHL.

It looks like we have more in 6th round pick Brett Seney...

[Aitchmack]

1 hour ago, Nicomo said:

Completely fair, but this all started because I called McLeod a bust, and I don’t think a 1st round pick should need a whole hell of a lot coaching to at least be somewhat productive in the AHL.

It looks like we have more in 6th round pick Brett Seney...

Oh I don't disagree with you in the slightest. I just think coaches should help young players improve and there's been little evidence of that over the last few seasons.

[NJDfan1711]

I know I was this a little while back but I think it's been a few months - anyone know how Talvite is progressing? 

[CommonDreads]

On 2/24/2020 at 9:33 AM, NJDfan1711 said:

I know I was this a little while back but I think it's been a few months - anyone know how Talvite is progressing? 

I still like his compete level and shooting ability, but the hurdle for him has always been his skating ability and I think the knee injury last year has really inhibited his ability to improve in that area. Hopefully in the summer he can work with a good skating coach, but he's going to need to get better in that area to be an NHLer from what I've seen.

If he does become a better skater, though, I think there's enough there to make a very strong 3rd line forward.

[CommonDreads]

Graeme Clarke made his return this morning after being out for 46 games with a wrist injury, and he picked up right where he left off. Had a goal and two assists for the 67's in their 7-3 win over Kingston:

All of our prospects in that game found the scoresheet as well:

RW Graeme Clarke: 1G, 2A (1 on PP)
D Nikita Okhotyuk: 2A
D Kevin Bahl: 1A (PP)
C Mitchell Hoelscher: 1A

Also posted in the Draft thread a fantastic goal that Marco Rossi scored in that game. The 67's are a treat to watch this year, they're a wagon.

Edited February 25, 2020 by CommonDreads

[NJDfan1711]

56 minutes ago, CommonDreads said:

I still like his compete level and shooting ability, but the hurdle for him has always been his skating ability and I think the knee injury last year has really inhibited his ability to improve in that area. Hopefully in the summer he can work with a good skating coach, but he's going to need to get better in that area to be an NHLer from what I've seen.

If he does become a better skater, though, I think there's enough there to make a very strong 3rd line forward.

Awesome, thanks for the info.  Hate to ask for more, but do you know anything about Maltsev or Zetterlund?  That sick move Maltsev pulled I believe earlier this year in pre-season or development camp stuck in my mind and had me hopeful that his hands might allow him to crack the lineup someday, and I think there was buzz around Zetterlund's potential too.  Also, wasn't Popugaev talked highly of at one point as well?

[CommonDreads]

34 minutes ago, NJDfan1711 said:

Awesome, thanks for the info.  Hate to ask for more, but do you know anything about Maltsev or Zetterlund?  That sick move Maltsev pulled I believe earlier this year in pre-season or development camp stuck in my mind and had me hopeful that his hands might allow him to crack the lineup someday, and I think there was buzz around Zetterlund's potential too.  Also, wasn't Popugaev talked highly of at one point as well?

Maltsev is a really interesting one, he's never lit it up at any level but he's a good "pro-tools" kind of guy. He's really big at 6'3", 220 and is strong on the puck and good down low, has a pretty well developed two-way game and from what I've seen thinks the game pretty well. Has some hands and has been able to score some fantastic goals between the preseason and shootout in Bingo, but I'm not sure he's ever going to be a meaningful offensive producer. He might be one of those guys that needs to marinate in the AHL for awhile the way Coleman did, but I think there's something there for a versatile bottom 6 forward. Zetterlund has done decently well for the role Bingo has had him in. He’s been mostly on the 4th line (same with Maltsev, actually), but I think his ceiling is a little higher than Maltsev in terms of how much offensive punch he could bring. Zetterlund is a bit quicker, has a better shot, and is a really sturdy player despite being sub-6’0”; he’s almost as heavy as Maltsev, even though Maltsev is 4 inches taller. Zetterlund’s game has always reminded me a bit of Patric Hornqvist, and though I don’t think Zetterlund is going to be as productive as Hornqvist, I could see him being a good 3rd liner with PP upside as a net front/buffer guy.

Popugaev has the size and the shot, but he’s still got a long way to go to be an NHLer if it ever happens for him. He can move well when he gets going, but his stride is very, very clunky and in turn his acceleration leaves a lot to be desired, which makes it difficult for him to transition from offense to defense and vice versa. I also don’t find he wins enough puck battles for a player his size, which is a bit disappointing. I had really high hopes for him because he could have been a big time boom pick if everything fell into place properly, but I’m just skeptical at this point he’ll be able to be more than a depth minor league scorer.

I feel like I say a lot of our guys have 3rd line/depth potential, which could be seen as a negative since not a lot of our system has high-end/elite potential, but I think we have a lot more guys with NHL outlooks than a lot of teams, even if their upside isn’t sky high. With the likes of Nico, Jack, Ty, and the players we select with our 1st’s this year, that should be where all of our top talent is coming from, and having this pool of 3rd line/depth guys is going to come in handy to fill out this roster with quality players.

[NJDfan1711]

50 minutes ago, CommonDreads said:

Maltsev is a really interesting one, he's never lit it up at any level but he's a good "pro-tools" kind of guy. He's really big at 6'3", 220 and is strong on the puck and good down low, has a pretty well developed two-way game and from what I've seen thinks the game pretty well. Has some hands and has been able to score some fantastic goals between the preseason and shootout in Bingo, but I'm not sure he's ever going to be a meaningful offensive producer. He might be one of those guys that needs to marinate in the AHL for awhile the way Coleman did, but I think there's something there for a versatile bottom 6 forward. Zetterlund has done decently well for the role Bingo has had him in. He’s been mostly on the 4th line (same with Maltsev, actually), but I think his ceiling is a little higher than Maltsev in terms of how much offensive punch he could bring. Zetterlund is a bit quicker, has a better shot, and is a really sturdy player despite being sub-6’0”; he’s almost as heavy as Maltsev, even though Maltsev is 4 inches taller. Zetterlund’s game has always reminded me a bit of Patric Hornqvist, and though I don’t think Zetterlund is going to be as productive as Hornqvist, I could see him being a good 3rd liner with PP upside as a net front/buffer guy.

Popugaev has the size and the shot, but he’s still got a long way to go to be an NHLer if it ever happens for him. He can move well when he gets going, but his stride is very, very clunky and in turn his acceleration leaves a lot to be desired, which makes it difficult for him to transition from offense to defense and vice versa. I also don’t find he wins enough puck battles for a player his size, which is a bit disappointing. I had really high hopes for him because he could have been a big time boom pick if everything fell into place properly, but I’m just skeptical at this point he’ll be able to be more than a depth minor league scorer.

I feel like I say a lot of our guys have 3rd line/depth potential, which could be seen as a negative since not a lot of our system has high-end/elite potential, but I think we have a lot more guys with NHL outlooks than a lot of teams, even if their upside isn’t sky high. With the likes of Nico, Jack, Ty, and the players we select with our 1st’s this year, that should be where all of our top talent is coming from, and having this pool of 3rd line/depth guys is going to come in handy to fill out this roster with quality players.

Good stuff, really appreciate the in-depth analysis.  I agree it's good to have a lot of those guys in the system even if they're not showing that they might top line guys - if the other guys we have pan out and reach their potential, then these other guys will be good depth players that can serve other roles, especially during inevitable times of injuries. 

[nessus]

Three of the prospects (Bahl, Foote, Kuokkanen) that the Devils have added via trade this year are arguably among the top 5 prospects in the organization. The only prospect I would say is ahead of those three is Smith. An argument could be made for Walsh as well. The only other player is Boqvist, who would also be in the top 5 if he's still considered a prospect, despite playing over 30 NHL games this season. Anderson is looking like he may be in the NHL to stay for now.

[mfitz804]

1 hour ago, nessus said:

The only other player is Boqvist, who would also be in the top 5 if he's still considered a prospect, despite playing over 30 NHL games this season.

He’s young and in the AHL. He’s either a prospect, or he has no prospects. 

Edited February 26, 2020 by mfitz804

[NJDevils1214]

Yes to this. YES.

 

 

[Lateralous]

On 2/25/2020 at 1:16 PM, CommonDreads said:

Graeme Clarke made his return this morning after being out for 46 games with a wrist injury, and he picked up right where he left off. Had a goal and two assists for the 67's in their 7-3 win over Kingston:

All of our prospects in that game found the scoresheet as well:

RW Graeme Clarke: 1G, 2A (1 on PP)
D Nikita Okhotyuk: 2A
D Kevin Bahl: 1A (PP)
C Mitchell Hoelscher: 1A

Also posted in the Draft thread a fantastic goal that Marco Rossi scored in that game. The 67's are a treat to watch this year, they're a wagon.

Just saw an ad on NHLN that they will be showing today’s Ottawa 67s game at 3:30 for anyone that wants to watch these 4.  

Edited February 29, 2020 by Lateralous

[Aitchmack]

Are any of the prospects (Smith, Bahl, Foote, etc) eligible to play in the AHL or NHL when their seasons end?

 

[mfitz804]

If Nolan goes to Kevin’s house for dinner, is that “a Foote to the Bahl’s”?

[Nicomo]

I so hope not rushing him ends up paying off. I know he’s a year older than Byram, but with that game Ty now has more points. In less games, too.

Smith - 15 G 35 A 50 P 41 GP

Byram - 11 G 34 A 45 P 45 GP

Also, could Elite Prospects not find a better picture than this...lol