The Official Prospects Thread

[theohall]

Bolduc had 2 goals on 3 shots (1 PPG) in Remparts 9-3 win over Drummondville.

As an aside, the silver lining in the Blues playing through their Covid situation instead of having games postponed, they have gotten to test their depth and have continued to win doing so. IMO, it shows the Blues have finally got setup what they want to have setup (like Tampa with Syracuse) and the fact they've gotten back to winning after initially struggling with it in November, they look to be ready for a run some of the experts (Dom at the Athletic) don't see coming.

[theohall]

Juniors are done until the 28th. Holiday break.

[theohall]

While the WJCs were cancelled, did get to see Tanner Dickinson play in one game with comparable players. He was, arguably, the smallest forward weight-wise on Team USA based on the eye test. He was clearly there to be a defensive forward and PKer. Played well most of the game, but his lack of weight hurt him on one of Slovakia's goals when he literally got shoved away behind the net in a one-on-one battle. He did register an assist. Looks to me like he will need a year or two in the A to add weight and learn to play with it.

Haven't watched the 2nd Team Canada yet, where future 1st rounder Connor Bedard scored 4 goals vs Austria, but Neighbours, in the first game continued to play the same way we saw him playing with the Blues. He seemed to be playing more physical than I remembered which is a good thing. I was kind of looking forward to seeing more of Team Canada with 1st Rd pick Owen Powers, likely 2022 1st overall pick Shane Wright, and potential 2023 1st overall pick Connor Bedard playing on the same team at the same time. They were on the ice quite a few times together in their opener vs Chechia. Bedard stood out more than Wright in what I've seen so far and that's before the 4-goal game.

[theohall]

Neighbours is back with the Oil Kings. They won 4-1 today over the Saskatoon Blades

No scoring for Neighbours. Just 3 SOG and +1. They play again tomorrow night.

Tanner Dickinson should be back with the Soo Greyhounds for their game tomorrow afternoon.

Quebec Remparts don't play again until Jan 20th. The entire QMJHL is on hiatus until Jan 19th.

[theohall]

Neighbours was 0s again today with 3 SOGs in the Oil Kings 5-2 loss to the Prince Albert Raiders. 3rd period got really chippy. Neigbours had a fighting major and game misconduct in the final minute.

Dickinson registered 2 assists, team leading 9 SOGs, and a +2 in the Soo Greyhounds 4-2 win over the Sudbury Wolves. Dickinson's 2nd assist looked too much like things the Blues do. Enter the zone with speed, slide the puck to the wing, drive the net taking the defender with him, creating a shooting lane with a moving screen, which winds up in the net. Heck, the 1st one is a straight up low shot that effectively turned into a pass off pad. Looking forward to seeing how ROR can improve Dickinson's faceoff game, because he is currently a just under .500 faceoff guy.

[theohall]

This is the nonsense happening in Quebec right now.... morons. Open the link to see the pic Perron posted.

[theohall]

Another 2 point night for Dickinson in Greyhounds 6-1 win over the Sudbury Wolves last night.

1G 1A (PP) +1, and team-leading 5 SOGs again.

[theohall]

Jan 8th - Tanner Dickinson had a short-handed assist in a 5-2 loss to the Windsor Spitfires

Jan 9th was arguably Dickinson's worst night of the season with 0s, a -4 and 8 for 15 on faceoffs in a 10-4 loss to the Windsor Spitfires

Neither Edmonton nor Quebec have played since the last post.

[theohall]

Jake Neighbours Summary:
Jan 15th 1 G and 2 A in the Oil Kings 5-3 win over the Brandon Wheat Kings
Jan 16th 1 G and 1 A, plus a shootout goal to seal it in the Oil Kings 5-4 OT win over the Lethbridge Hurricanes
Jan 18th 0 G and 1 A it the Oil Kings 5-1 win over the Prince Albert Raiders

Tanner Dickinson Summary
Jan 15th 1 SHG and 2 A (1 on the PP) in the Greyhounds 5-2 win over the Sudbury Wolves
Jan 16th 1 PPG and 1 PPA in the Greyhounds 6-1 win over the Owen Sound Attack
Jan 20th 0 G 0A 5 shots on goal and missed in the shootout as the last shooter in the Greyhounds 3-2 shootout loss to the Windsor Spitfires. The Windsor goalie stole this game.
Jan 21st All 0s - not even a shot on goal in the Greyhounds 4-2 win over the Guelph Storm

Zac Bolduc isn't playing until Feb 4th now, since that's the current time frame for the QMJHL to resume play - which makes no sense considering the WHL and OHL are playing games.

[theohall]

Ellis is back in the ECHL due to injuries in goal for the Worcester Railers. Ellis also needs lots more work. He's only played 16 games this season between the ECHL (10 which isn't enough to even be listed in official goalie stats) and the AHL (6). Interestingly, he had one of the "3 Saves of the Week" for the ECHL this week. The save was from a 7-3 win on Sunday. Kinda funny that the first goal of the game was an absolutely awful play by Ellis as was the 3rd he allowed.

[theohall]

Neighbours had 1 assist tonight while the Oil Kings did their best Blues impression and losing 8-1 to the Moose Jaw warriors. Shockingly, he wound up even in +/- even though Moose Jaw only scored 2 PPGs. Only having 1 shot on goal though was indicative of how poorly Edmonton played tonight.

Speaking of Moose Jaw - heard this funny story about the recently departed Clarke Gillies. While in the NHL, whenever his team acquired a new player, especially younger ones, Clarke would welcome them to the team and while getting to know them would ask where they were from. He'd ask where that was. After they answered, they would almost always ask back where he was from. He'd reply "Moose Jaw" When they asked where that was he'd reply "About 6 feet from a moose's ass"

[theohall]

Tanner Dickinson named 1st start tonight with 1G, 1A, +2, 5 SOG (tied for team lead again), and 11/17 on faceoffs in Soo Greyhounds 5-1 win over Saginaw Spirit tonight.

Check the link to see the highlights. 1st goal is Dickinson stealing the puck in the neutral zone to initiate a 2-on-0 and finishing it. The assist wasn't anything special.

[theohall]

Tanner Dickinson named 1st Star again - 2 consecutive games. 2G, 0A, 7 SOGs (2nd to a teammate), 8/14 on faceoffs - in 5-4 OT loss to the Flint Firebirds. (highlights aren't in the link yet, but they probably will be in about an hour). Kinda crazy they lost with Flint scoring a short-handed goal in OT. Somebody on the power play screwed up.

[theohall]

Full day of stuff yesterday, minus Zachary Bolduc (that's Feb 4th - for now)

Tanner Dickinson: -1, 0G, 0A 5 SOG (2nd on team), 7/13 on faceoffs. Greyhounds won 4-3 in OT over the Barrie Colts

Jake Neighbours: 2nd Star 1G, 2A, +4, 5 SOG. Oil Kings won 7-0 over Swift Current Broncos

Colten Ellis stopped 50, yes 50, of 55 shots in the Worcester Railers 8-5 win over the Fort Wayne Komets

[theohall]

Jake Neighbours: 0G, 1A, +1, 0 SOG. Oil Kings won 6-0 over Lethbridge Hurricanes

[theohall]

Jake Neighbours: 2nd Star again 2G, 1A, +1 3 SOG. Oil Kings won 6-2 over Medicine Hat Tigers. Of note in this game is Neighbours was playing RW.

Teammate Dylan Guenther was the 1st Star again. He had 2G 2A.

[theohall]

Jake Neighours last 3 games: 1G 0A -1 (6-1 loss); 1G 1A +1 (5-2 win); 0G 2A +1 (6-3 win)

Zachary Bolduc last 3 games: 0G 2A +2 6-1 win; 0G 0A Even 2-1 loss; Looks like Bolduc didn't play on the 8th in a 4-0 loss. No idea why he did not play and Google Fu is failing me on this one.

[theohall]

Bolduc's last 5 games: 2G 1A +2 4-3 win; 2G 1A +3 4-1 win; 1G 1A +2 5-0 win; 1G 2A +4 7-2 win; 1 dangerous shot, 3 shots total 4-0 loss. There are highlights in all of the links for the respective games.

So Bolduc misses 2 games, comes back and scores 6 G and adds 5 assists in his next 4... Season totals (team rank): 36GP 21G (1st) 27A (2nd) 48P (2nd) +29 (3rd) 121 SOG(2nd). Bolduc is 1 point from the team lead in points with one fewer game played. He's gotten better as this season has progressed. He won't be 19 until this Thursday (2/24).

Jake Neighbours last 4 games: 0G 1A +1 2SOG 4-0 win; 1G 0A 3SOG Even 3/5 FOWs 5-3 win; 1G 0A +1 2SOG 1/1 FOWs9-1 win; 1G 0A Even 3SOGs 2/2 FOWs6-3 win. So 3G 1A in 4 games. Season Totals: 26GP 15G 26A 41Pts +21. Neighbours ranks 1st in goals/game, 1st in pts/game and 5th in shots/game for the team, which is the only fair way to look at his team stats since he missed 16+ games.

[WaukeeBlues]

Not our prospect anymore, but Dominik Bokk has been shipped out of the AHL back to Germany:

It hasn’t worked for Dominik Bokk in the Carolina Hurricanes organization, and his time there may be coming to an end. The young forward has been loaned from the Chicago Wolves of the AHL to Eisbaren Berlin of the DEL for the rest of the season. He is expected to join the team tomorrow.

Bokk, 22, was the 25th overall pick in 2018 by the St. Louis Blues and ended up in Carolina as part of the package for Justin Faulk. In two seasons with the Wolves, he has recorded just 12 goals and 28 points in 61 games, finding himself further and further down the lineup. As Scott Wheeler of The Athletic points out on Twitter, this move “feels like it may be the end of the NHL road for him” though he’s obviously still young enough to prove otherwise, should his career turn around in Germany.

Clicky!

For the record, I will never like the Justin Faulk deal as long as I live. (Unless we win the cup with him playing an integral role) I will believe to my dying day that it was a huge overreaction by Army to how the Petro negotiations (weren't) going, further alienated Petro and his representation, and pushed him farther away, leading, in part, to his ultimate decision to leave. You don't stay with an employer that hires your replacement while you're still working there.

Anyway... that aside... somewhat softens the opportunity cost of the trade by the fact that the true centerpiece of the deal appears to be becoming an NHL bust. In a vacuum that trade is looking like a slam dunk.

[theohall]

Quebec won 4-1 last night over Val D'ors. Bolduc had 1G, 0A, +1, 5 SOGS (2 dangerous shots). He's still 1 point behind Rochette for the team lead in scoring.