Prospects thread 2022-2023

[MadDog2020]

https://www.nhl.com/devils/news/devils-sign-misyul-to-elc--release/c-344152174?fbclid=IwAR13vPI7k8VXlhHT3GnYn2nGqdE4HuKE23q-LzyeeRZ5V45bspdc3DcQCgg

[NJDevils1214]

 

[MadDog2020]

 

[njbuff]

This year is FAR from over, but.....

Could the Devils really have TWO rookies on the blue line next year??

[Lateralous]

26 minutes ago, njbuff said:

This year is FAR from over, but.....

Could the Devils really have TWO rookies on the blue line next year??

I don’t see why not. We already have Brendan Smith signed as a 7D and it would probably make sense to sign a second cheap veteran that can fill in as needed but you hope sits in the press box most nights.  
 

 

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

1 hour ago, njbuff said:

This year is FAR from over, but.....

Could the Devils really have TWO rookies on the blue line next year??

The two rookies in question aren’t just any rookies…and one of them has already sniffed the NHL.  Yeah I think they can have two rookies in next year’s lineup.

Hopefully Bahl can nail down his spot…then Smith is the 7D guy he was signed for pennies to be.  @Lateralous mentioned signing another depth low-cost vet but I don’t think that the Devils necessarily have to do that.  

[Chimaira_Devil_#9]

 

Welp that's not good. Hope it's nothing long term. 

 

[Lateralous]

Late notice but Chase Stillman’s Peterborough Petes are on NHLN right now 

[Jimmy Leeds]

15 hours ago, Lateralous said:

Late notice but Chase Stillman’s Peterborough Petes are on NHLN right now 

57 points in 78 games

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

1 hour ago, Jimmy Leeds said:

57 points in 78 games

2022-23 Regular season:  59 GP, 19 G, 29 A, 48 Pts

2022-23 Playoffs:  19 GP, 4 G, 9 A, 13 Pts

Def not great by OHL standards...McLeod had 154 points over 121 total GP over his final two OHL seasons (by comparison Stillman has 91 in 117 GP over his last two OHL seasons).  He was projected to go in the 2nd or 3rd round apparently, but the Devils were willing to reach for him.  His top end's probably as a third-liner.  Curious to see how long it takes for him to get a look with the big club...if he becomes an earlier-blooming Coleman-type, I could live with that. 

[Chimaira_Devil_#9]

Disappointing that it's two years. 

[Nicomo]

I guess dude is never coming over here. Kind of a problem with drafting Russians. 

[MadDog2020]

9 minutes ago, Nicomo said:

I guess dude is never coming over here. Kind of a problem with drafting Russians. 

I wouldn’t say that. It’s two years, not seven.

[Nicomo]

51 minutes ago, MadDog2020 said:

I wouldn’t say that. It’s two years, not seven.

He’s already 22. So now he’ll be 24 by the time he even hits the NHL. Not unheard of, but obviously not the norm either. 

[MadDog2020]

16 minutes ago, Nicomo said:

He’s already 22. So now he’ll be 24 by the time he even hits the NHL. Not unheard of, but obviously not the norm either. 

I think Kaprizov was about 24 when he came over.

[NJDevils1214]

1 hour ago, MadDog2020 said:

I think Kaprizov was about 24 when he came over.

Yea, and he was worth the wait. I think that it might become more common for top talent in the KHL to get retained there a bit longer.

[Nicomo]

3 hours ago, MadDog2020 said:

I think Kaprizov was about 24 when he came over.

His age 23 season was his first in the NHL. Like I said, not unheard of, but not exactly reassuring that he’s on a path to play in the NHL anytime soon either. But who knows, maybe it will work out perfectly and he’ll come over right when we need cheap depth because we just paid Luke and Mercer. 

To be clear though, my comment on drafting Russians doesn’t mean I think they shouldn’t do it. Especially goalies. A 5th round pick on a guy like Gritsyuk is definitely worth the risk. 

[NJDevils1214]

I don't see any reason to be worried about this or be negative. NJD said the plan was for him to spend another year or two in the KHL anyway and that is what is rumored with this contract.

[Nicomo]

11 minutes ago, NJDevils1214 said:

I don't see any reason to be worried about this or be negative. NJD said the plan was for him to spend another year or two in the KHL anyway and that is what is rumored with this contract.

I don’t remember “or two.” Just seems like a lot to me. He’s already played 3 seasons in the KHL. If people aren’t worried, cool. But it would hardly be the first time a prospect didn’t end up playing for the team that drafted him. I know it happens with the college guys sometimes *angrily thinks about Adam Fox*

[NJDevils1214]

7 minutes ago, Nicomo said:

I don’t remember “or two.” Just seems like a lot to me. He’s already played 3 seasons in the KHL. If people aren’t worried, cool. But it would hardly be the first time a prospect didn’t end up playing for the team that drafted him. I know it happens with the college guys sometimes *angrily thinks about Adam Fox*

https://www.nj.com/devils/2023/01/devils-assistant-gm-reveals-plan-for-prospects-luke-hughes-shakir-mukhamadullin-more.html

Quote

“Little bit different there,” MacKinnon said. “Was rookie of the year last year in the KHL, smaller, skilled player. The thinking right now is that it can really benefit him, as a scoring forward, to continue to mature over there. Maybe spend another year or two. And we’ve seen that with guys like Kirill Kaprizov and Andrei Kuzmenkov. For that type of player, sometimes it’s better for them to mature, then step right into your NHL roster. Probably not coming over right away.”

 

[Guadana]

On 5/21/2023 at 6:50 PM, Nicomo said:

I guess dude is never coming over here. Kind of a problem with drafting Russians. 

You don’t know what are you talking about. 

On 5/21/2023 at 9:46 PM, NJDevils1214 said:

Yea, and he was worth the wait. I think that it might become more common for top talent in the KHL to get retained there a bit longer.

On 5/21/2023 at 8:09 PM, MadDog2020 said:

I think Kaprizov was about 24 when he came over.

It’s a new norm for talented khlers. They earn more money, play and develop in better league and better conditions. They have shorter ELC - can burn a year and play only one year on ELC. They create authority- if things will not go well, they can return as successful khlers back and sign good deal. 
 

And having potential top-6/top-9 nhl ready player on ELC is what teams exactly need from 5th rounders.

In Gritsyuk case - he needs to work on his forechecking game and positional game without the puck, and SKA is a perfect place to learn it. He isn’t NHL ready as 200-foot player and AHL isn’t the place to make his game better in his development path.
 

On 5/18/2023 at 8:22 PM, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

2022-23 Regular season:  59 GP, 19 G, 29 A, 48 Pts

2022-23 Playoffs:  19 GP, 4 G, 9 A, 13 Pts

Def not great by OHL standards...McLeod had 154 points over 121 total GP over his final two OHL seasons (by comparison Stillman has 91 in 117 GP over his last two OHL seasons).  He was projected to go in the 2nd or 3rd round apparently, but the Devils were willing to reach for him.  His top end's probably as a third-liner.  Curious to see how long it takes for him to get a look with the big club...if he becomes an earlier-blooming Coleman-type, I could live with that. 

Morrow, Zellweger, Stankoven and Pinelli were obvious better picks in terms of skill, production and potential. There was Ratty available, even with his bad liiga production he was a player with much better tool set, history and intriguing potential. They could draft Knies with the same tool set, but with better potential.
My pick was Morrow because of his position(and his tools).

Our ex CHL scout picked Stillman, he picked Mcleod and Smith before. I understand that the pick is making by head scout, but chl scout promoted them. It’s not Fitz who drafted him, because he obviously didn’t know about his season in Danish league, what was opened in interview after the draft. CHL scout was fired after.

That would be muuuuuch better to have late second round pick(we could not sign Stillman, lose his rights and take compensational pick in the end of second round) , because with THE RIGHT strategy on the draft you can easily find good skating defensive defenseman with real nhl potential but low scoring upside. This is what Devils exactly need to have in the bag with Luke, Simon, Seamus in the prospect pool and Dougie in the roster. And there could be available a lot of forwards with better ceiling and some flaws - Hutson, Trikozov, Odelius, Perevalov, Nelson, Neuchev were drafted in the end of the second round/in the beginning of the third year ago. At least we could trade that pick for more late rounder picks and draft a couple of successful overagers.

But Stillman was signed, it was done, so I wish him only best. It’s hard to make, because from what I saw year ago and read later, he isn’t good positionally, Bastian was(and is) very good positional player. May be motor and years of coaching will help him to be competent fourth line player at least. Cheap physical players with speed is the thing contenders really needs in their bottom.

[Nicomo]

1 hour ago, Guadana said:

You don’t know what are you talking about. 

I literally said “I guess” in my post.  

[Guadana]

On 5/23/2023 at 4:35 PM, Nicomo said:

I literally said “I guess” in my post.  

nothing changed.

———-
 

 

Gritsyuk is ska player now.

 

SKA is a very team with great trainers and coaches, that play in fast&forechecking hockey. It should help to Arseniy to learn new system and develop his 200-foot game. For now he isn’t nhl ready as a player without the puck, and ahl is definitely the wrong place to play and develop for a player of his actual level. 

After two years he will repeat the path of Kuzmenko.

Edited May 28, 2023 by Guadana

[vincois]

On 5/8/2023 at 7:51 PM, Lateralous said:

I don’t see why not. We already have Brendan Smith signed as a 7D and it would probably make sense to sign a second cheap veteran that can fill in as needed but you hope sits in the press box most nights.  
 

 

I'm not trying to be a dickweed, but does everyone feel Luke is totally ready for prime time. He's a shoe in? I know Nemec had a good year in Utica, but will we be shocked if they send him back down for another year? 

[Lateralous]

On 5/29/2023 at 3:36 PM, vincois said:

I'm not trying to be a dickweed, but does everyone feel Luke is totally ready for prime time. He's a shoe in? I know Nemec had a good year in Utica, but will we be shocked if they send him back down for another year? 

In fairness, you’re quoting me saying I think it makes sense to run with two veterans as a 7 & 8 that can play as needed, so I’m not exactly throwing in all of my chips in on the rookies.  
 

That being said, I thought Luke acquitted  himself well enough in the most high pressure of games this post season that I’m not worried about him being able to hold his own next year with the benefit of a full training camp and the easing into early season hockey.  
 

I’m less certain about Bahl and Nemec being able to handle everyday assignments which is again why I’m suggesting 2 veteran extras.   
 

What I wouldn’t do is lock myself into a big contract for Severson or Graves because you’re worried the rookies might not be ready right away.  

Edited May 30, 2023 by Lateralous