The Official Prospects Thread

[theohall]

Pouliot has supplanted Reinke on the PP. He's that much better offensively, apparently.

Husso put up a 26-save shutout last night - of course the Texas Stars are absolutely awful this season.

Toropchenko finally scored a non-empty net goal. Demoting him to the 4th line helped.

Vecchione scored his 10th in 12 games with assists to Kyrou and Walker. Kyrou fired a low shot, goalie didn't handle the rebound well, Vecchione buried it. Part of the reason Vecchione is getting so many goals and so few assists - he's the net front presence guy, Kyrou is the primary shooter, while Walker is the setup man.

[theohall]

Another LHD doing well...

[glen a richter]

To my point about too many LHD and not enough RHD. Tucker could be NHL ready in 2-3 seasons, so could Perunovich and so is (already) Mikkola. You will replace Gunnarsson, you may replace Dunn though letting him go isn’t my first choice, and then you have Scandella. Maybe if Scandella sticks around on a 2 year deal, I mean that would work. But when it comes time to replace guys like Faulk or Pie who’s next up?

You let Scandella move on and you have a spot right now for Mikkola, Perunovich replaces Gunnarsson in a couple of seasons and I guess Tucker replaces Dunn a season or two later. You retain Scandella you might as well trade Mikkola and recoup a draft pick to use on a RHD.

Non defense related: Mattias Laferriere has rebounded nicely this season after starting the year with an injury. I like that he picked right up where he left off. Look for him in a couple of seasons maybe sliding into a middle six role.

[WaukeeBlues]

To my point about too many LHD and not enough RHD. Tucker could be NHL ready in 2-3 seasons, so could Perunovich and so is (already) Mikkola. You will replace Gunnarsson, you may replace Dunn though letting him go isn’t my first choice, and then you have Scandella. Maybe if Scandella sticks around on a 2 year deal, I mean that would work. But when it comes time to replace guys like Faulk or Pie who’s next up?

You let Scandella move on and you have a spot right now for Mikkola, Perunovich replaces Gunnarsson in a couple of seasons and I guess Tucker replaces Dunn a season or two later. You retain Scandella you might as well trade Mikkola and recoup a draft pick to use on a RHD.

Non defense related: Mattias Laferriere has rebounded nicely this season after starting the year with an injury. I like that he picked right up where he left off. Look for him in a couple of seasons maybe sliding into a middle six role.

Just eye-balling NHL central scouting rankings, between positions 20-35 in the draft there's 4 defensemen listed. It's such a premium position I feel like it's almost assumed that if we picked a D-man with our selection it'd be someone who shouldn't be in the first round. Teams are snatching D-men left and right at the draft anymore.

If Pietro stays there's zero chance Scandella is re-signed. If Pietro leaves there's a 5% chance. Not because I don't think the Blues would want him back but because he would command way too much money and term. There is no possible way he would agree to a 2 year deal. This is his "last" contract, he's going to get the most money and most term he possibly can and that's not going to be St. Louis with the best offer, there's no way.

[glen a richter]

https://www.nhl.com/blues/news/blues-si ... -315775412

Tucker got his entry level deal. He's made some strides since going 200th overall. I'm looking forward to his development next season in the AHL and see what happens.

[theohall]

The only concern about how well Tucker is doing - he's a CHL over-ager. It's easier to dominate 16-19 year old kids when you're 20.

[glen a richter]

Hugh McGing signed a two year ELC. Bold prediction: that’s the last time we hear the name Hugh McGing.

[gaijin]

Hugh McGing signed a two year ELC. Bold prediction: that’s the last time we hear the name Hugh McGing.

That would be a shame. There's a million jokes just waiting in there.

[theohall]

6'2 205 Sophomore Shoots R.... looking good.

and, yes, he meant 2020.

[WaukeeBlues]

6'2 205 Sophomore Shoots R.... looking good.

and, yes, he meant 2020.

Nice. 5th round pick? Man, if he pans out that's just gravy.

Austin Poganski getting in the lineup with all the injuries and what not. Had a good chance the other night before being hauled down

[WaukeeBlues]

Seeing a lot of young players on the ice with all the injuries. Thoughts?

Poganski, Joshua, Mikkola, Walker, et al?

I guess Walker isn't really a prospect...

[theohall]

Walker is a career AHLer. Were it not for injuries, he wouldn't be here.

Poganski needs to be more selfish. He gives up shots for passes too often.

Mikkola looks good.

Joshua looked good in his first game doing what's expected of him in a 4th line role - grinding corners or going to the net and being net front presence.

As mentioned in last night's broadcast - Colten Ellis is tearing up the QMJHL. 16-1, .922, 1.89. Of course, being on the highest scoring team in the Q helps. Even with that, Ellis has the 2nd highest SV%, 2nd highest GAA, and the most Wins. So it's partly him. They are outscoring opponents 120-58 through 21 games. Yes, they are scoring 4.8/game while only allowing 2.32/game... and Ellis GAA is lower than that 2.32. It's the other guy who isn't as good in his few starts. The other guy is .880 and 3.13 - so Ellis isn't just excelling based on the players in front of him.

[glen a richter]

One of the prospects I'm looking forward to seeing is Mattias Laferriere. 6th round center, he's making steady progress and putting up some solid numbers again so far this season. Could be a definite late round steal if he can translate that success to the pro level.

[glen a richter]

As mentioned in last night's broadcast - Colten Ellis is tearing up the QMJHL. 16-1, .922, 1.89. Of course, being on the highest scoring team in the Q helps. Even with that, Ellis has the 2nd highest SV%, 2nd highest GAA, and the most Wins. So it's partly him. They are outscoring opponents 120-58 through 21 games. Yes, they are scoring 4.8/game while only allowing 2.32/game... and Ellis GAA is lower than that 2.32. It's the other guy who isn't as good in his few starts. The other guy is .880 and 3.13 - so Ellis isn't just excelling based on the players in front of him.

Between Ellis and Hofer, the future in net is looking promising.

[theohall]

[theohall]

UMass made the Frozen Four.

This means Blues RD Prospect Matthew Kessel is still playing. Semi-Finals are on ESPN2 Apr 8th at 8 CT. UMass is playing Minnesota Duluth.

An interesting tidbit - had Umass not beaten Bemidji in the Quarters, it would have been an all Minnesota Frozen Four. in Kessel's five tournament games, he has 3 assists.

When it comes to NCAA stats tracking, I'm seriously confused.

Kessel has 21 points

https://www.ncaa.com/stats/icehockey-me ... ividual/99 Doesn't even list him.

Hockeydb shows the 21 points as a Sophomore. Click on that link and there two 2 sophomores and 1 freshman ahead of him - all forwards - and one of those is the likely Hobey Baker winner in Cole Caufield.

I've spent the past hour looking at various sites to figure out why Kessell is not showing on the NCAA site for statistics and haven't been able to find an answer. Let's keep him as a Colton Parayko like secret.

(hockeydb and eliteprospects have the correct stats - no idea why the NCAA stats are wrong. Maybe ESPN is running it.)

[glen a richter]

Another guy to keep an eye on, and we're talking someone who's way down the road, is 7th rounder Vadim Zherenko. He's put up some solid numbers over in Russia so he should also be added into the discussion for who could be an heir to Binnington. Ellis and Hofer get a lot of attention but Zherenko doesn't look like a slouch.

[theohall]

The reason Ellis is getting so much attention - he's been top 25 in GAA, Win%, SV% and Shutouts for 3 separate teams in 3 separate seasons. And the Q has produced some really good goaltenders whose stats weren't as good while in the Q - Brodeur, Luongo, Crawford, plus several more.

The fact he has 7 shutouts in a shortened season is insane. The record for shutouts in a full season is 7.

[theohall]

UMass with Matt Kessel is playing for the NCAA Championship Saturday night. They are going up against St Cloud. Neither team has won a National Championship. Should be a good one, although it'd be better if UMass weren't missing 4 players to Covid protocols, one of them being their leading scorer among the forwards and one of the others being their starting goaltender.

I didn't know this, but UMass has developed several very good NHL defenseman: Cal Makar, Brandon Montour, and Justin Braun are the three who stand out.

[theohall]

UMass dominated the Championship so much, they basically rolled all their lines evenly so no one stood out - not even Kessel, although he had a nice PPG which everyone else setup collapsing the box giving him an easy shot from the top of the slot.

What stood out to me was the UMass goalie, the Wild prospect, whose had a fantastic NCAA career.
18-19 17 Games Played 1.60, .934, 4 Shutouts 11-4-1
19-20 19 Games Played, 1.91, .927 2 Shutouts, 8-5-2
20-21 15 Games Played 1.24, .949, 5 Shutouts (including the NCAA Championship), 10-1-4
Sustaining that kind of performance should carry over to the NHL. Put that guy and Kahkonen (even if he did give up 9 in one game) on the same team - jeez!!