Today’s Daily Cup of Joe offers a set of quick hitters on many of the Hurricanes prospects who are expected to compete for NHL roster spots in 2018-19.
Martin Necas
He is a center probably more so than any other young, high ceiling player including Sebastian Aho. I think Aho also belongs at center, but he is more of an ‘either’ as a finishing-capable wing whereas I think Necas’ strengths and skill set lean more strongly toward the center position. Necas either makes the big club at that position or is better off developing in the AHL to start the season.
Warren Foegele
Though his game does project to play on a checking line like Jordan Staal’s, he is unlikely to be ready for that role in October. As a forechecker he is ready, but in terms of read/react, I think he will some run time in a slightly lesser role at NHL speed.
Jake Bean
I think many overestimate how close he is to being NHL-ready. He is good enough to quarterback a second power play unit at the NHL level today, and with the puck on his stick and a little room to get started, he looks ready. But playing against competition that was two notches below the NHL last summer in prospect camp and in the Traverse City tourney, he still had work to do defensively. He will make some number of offensive plays that capture attention in training camp, but the real tell on his readiness is how he looks defending.
Andrei Svechnikov (if drafted)
All indications are that he should be ready to both learn and contribute at the NHL level in 2018-19. I do not understand those who want to play him with Jordan Staal. That puts a ton of emphasis on the defensive part of Svechnikov’s game which is likely less developed than his scoring. And Jordan Staal’s strengths are not that of a puck distributor who can drive scoring chances for Svechnikov. Better for him would be more ice time with in offensive positions and a little less in defensive positions as he gets his feet under him at the NHL level.
Lucas Wallmark
With the initial impression that Martin Necas made last summer and now the Andrei Svechnikov noise, Lucas Wallmark is almost like a forgotten man. Do not forget that he is probably the player who has most looked like a player ready to graduate to the NHL at the level just below the NHL. The challenge for him will be earning a spot at a crowded center position.
Valentin Zykov
He obviously made a favorable impression in his short audition playing with Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen. That will garner him significant consideration in training camp. Unlike some, I do not consider him a sure thing to start the 2018-19 season at the NHL level. But based on his play with the Aho/Teravainen duo, he has the potential to be a difference-maker in 2018-19 if he can complement Aho/Teravainen and help them take one more step up from mid-60s in terms of scoring.
What say you Canes fans?
1) Which of my quick hitters do you agree with?
2) Which do you disagree with?
3) Do you have any others for these or other Canes rookies?
Go Canes!
1. i agree with most of these.
2. Zykov- I would say the NHL job is his, as long as he continues to perform. And I’d play the TAZ line a couple of times in preseason ,just to see if they pick up where they left off.
Martin Necas is the player I am most torn about in the upcoming season. Should he play for the Checkers or Canes? He has the talent and swagger to play in the NHL but long term he may be better served by spending time in Charlotte. Some think the Canes should make a deal for Nugent-Hopkins. In my opinion, Necas is a younger right handed version with more room for growth physically and talent wise. I won’t be disappointed whether he starts in Raleigh or Charlotte, glad he is a part of the organization.
Jake Bean will need some time in Charlotte. He is the player that allows the canes to even consider trading Hanifin. I have read some quotes from Bean in the last few years that impressed me. I think he wants to be a very good player who is willing to work hard to be a winner.
The Russian is coming. Perhaps if I buy a new third jersey with his name I can remember how to spell it. It is exciting to have a talented player like this join the team. The biggest challenge is tempering expectations and allowing him to find his game in the NHL.
Wallmark is a solid player. He has earned a chance to play in the NHL. It would not surprise me to see him traded as part of a larger deal. Many teams are looking for a third center. I see that as his future role on an nhl roster.
Zykov is a beast. It was hilarious to watch nhl players bounce off him in his short call up. I don’t know if he automatically plays with Aho/TT or if he if plays lower in the lineup. Either way another solid young player who should be on the Canes roster in October. Plus he may be the only guy in the organization who can beat the Russian in an arm wrestling contest.
I disagree with Matt on Foegele. I think he can play with Staal this year. Foegele has been a winner everywhere he plays. He has that effort/toughness factor that RBA will love. Staal has centered players that have been limited in NHL ability and made them better. He and Foegele will be great.
I agree with your assessment Matt except I am more bullish on Foegele. The guy is a winner, he works hard, I think he may surprise.
I also wonder if the Goat can flourish under Rod’s regime, we can use more guys like him if he plays to his power forward strengths.
Necas: I wouldn’t hurry him to the NHL. He only played 38 games last year. That’s quite a bit fewer than was hoped. I do think it is time he was in the North America playing hockey. Start him in Charlotte and if he is ready his game will say so.
Foegele: If the Canes do trade Skinner there is a need for a LW on the team and Foegele very well could be the man. He seems NHL ready. You have to expect he will need to adjust to the NHL game just like any rookie. I am not for putting any rookie in a position to fail, so I wouldn’t put him on either Staal’s line or the Aho line. Let him get some success and then consider adding more responsibility.
Bean: I’ve not been impressed with Bean in his own end, and it’s a big jump from juniors to the NHL. He should be locked in for Charlotte unless something crazy happens. If his commitment and work ethic are what people say he may be ready to go in 19-20.
Svechnikov: He appears to be NHL ready. That said, you don’t want to make it any harder on the kid than you have to. Start him on whatever the third line will be. Keep him away from the defensive responsibility of the Staal line and away from the first defensive pairings the Aho line will be seeing. You can make changes if his performance warrants it.
Wallmark: I see Wallmark there just waiting for Rask to go back to his bad habits. I agree he’s ready for his NHL shot, but not sure there will be room for him.
Zykov: The big question mark for me. He definitely brings the power down low in the offensive zone, which is sorely needed. His skating and defensive abilities are still a question mark. Looks like he will get his shot, so we will see how he does.
Well, there are four players that have not yet been re-signed for next season, and many suspect (me among them) that at least three and possibly all of them won’t be. So barring other UFA signings or trades, we have up to four offensive spots to fill and you’ve listed 5 players above. Since Svetch is a lock, it’s really down to which 3 of 4.
I’d rank them in this order of likelihood of making the team, mostly based on team need and play last season: Svetch, Zykov, Foegele, Wallmark, Necas.
Until displaced by someone else, I think Zykov is the front-runner to be on the wing with Aho and TT. He’s earned it though he must continue to deserve it.
Foegele has the work ethic and strength now. He’ll make some mistakes defensively but is very hard to play against.
I like and trust Wallmark but it’s a tough call. We are getting deeper at Center, especially if Aho and Lindholm move their full-time this season, so I see him having the most trouble cracking the lineup barring a trade. There’s an open question to me on how much of an upgrade he is vs DRyan.
I’m assuming that Necas needs to get a little stronger and better defensively but I haven’t really seen him play since last pre-season. I’m looking forward to seeing whether his shot (and willingness to shoot) has improved and whether he can back-check effectively.
Bean needs to bulk up a bit, too, for that matter. The Ghost is the player who I’d like to see him become but we all know how much he struggled defensively his first two seasons even if the offense was dynamic. I agree that he’s probably at least a season in CLT away.
The only thing I would add about our offensive depth is that some of these players are in danger of having their development stinted if they don’t get ice time against better competition (presumably in the NHL). I would hope that if they are ready and we aren’t going to be able to ice them in Raleigh this year or anytime soon, we trade them for futures or include them in a deal for a top-tier player or trade them for blue-line prospects of equal caliber or maybe even a goalie.
Necas: everything team and coaches say, sure sounds like they see him in Raleigh. I worry that he’s a little underweight for NHL center. I wouldn’t want him on 4th line. If you consider Staal our 3rd line center, that only leave Necas centering Aho-TT as our top line or Svech on second scoring line. I think he starts in Charlotte, but training camp huge for him.
Foegele: I absolutely loved the way he played in his call up. Energy, grit, and determination – and has finishing ability to score. I actually really like the idea of pairing with Staal, who makes his line-mates better because of his puck control and winning board battles.
Bean: I really don’t know enough about Bean, but with our D depth, seems like he needs a year in Charlotte at a minimum. I think the bigger question is whether Carrick or McKeown make the case to start in Raleigh, possibly over Fluery. It feels like the team fell in love with Fluery but I’m not sure he was really ready, whereas I thought Carrick and McKeown were better fits for the team.
Svechnikov: It’s hard not to get excited about him, but absolutely have to remember that there could be growing pains. Biggest question would be who centers him? Canes desperately need to bring in a top-6 center to pair with Svech.
Wallmark: this is tough, because we need to be better down the middle, but I’m not sure there’s a place for Wallmark because I don’t see him as driving the play or scoring threat. He feels more like 3rd or 4th line center. I’ve got Rask centering the 4th line, and unless Rask is traded, I think Wallmark is back in Charlotte.
Zykov: He’s big, goes to front of net, hard to move, and he can finish and score. We need this guy in Raleigh. I really liked the ZAT line, although I’m not 100% sure Aho belongs at center. Could also be interesting to put him on LW with Svechnikov on RW. He becomes the net front presence for Svech – and 2 Russians together might have chemistry.
Matt,
I agree with your evaluations of the rookies you wrote about. I would qualify that agreement with the caveat that we give players like Necas and Bean a time in the AHL before they are tossed into the wolves’ lair of the NHL.
For Necas especially, the speed and violence of the NHL is exacerbated by the smaller rinks (can’t run, can’t hide). North American pro hockey can be a shock to young players from Europe. While there are those of us who might not want to consider the human side of hockey players, we are investing a lot of money in these kids. Why wouldn’t we want to do whatever we can to assure their success?
Bean will be coming from an experience level which does not prepare him for the NHL. Unless we are prepared to pair him with an experienced defenseman at the NHL level we need to keep him in the AHL. Our experience with Fleury and Hanifin should have taught us a lesson. Fleury was completely lost in the NHL. We will be lucky if the year of being tossed to the wolves didn’t permanently destroy his confidence. Hanifin’s development was stunted. Faulk took a quantum leap backward. All for the lack of complimentary veteran pairing. Add to that the pall of losing and negativity that overwhelmed the team and you have a perfect recipe for disaster. Our AHL affiliate has a positive and winning culture.
I would like to hear more about others; Roy, Carrick, Geekie, Gauthier, Ned, and others.
Totally agree about doing what can be done to assure a young player’s success in the NHL. Too often the Canes have forced players (Lindholm, Hanifin) into the lineup that weren’t ready due to “needs.”
I think we are selling Fleury short. He was the best defenseman in Charlotte in 17-18 by far. He started well in Raleigh, but then had some troubles and bounced in and out of the lineup. Frankly, his defensive troubles were no worse than Faulk or Hanifin’s. The departure of Bill Peters, along with a successful AHL playoff, could be a big boost to Fleury’s confidence. I expect/hope for a big improvement from Fleury this season. He could become the big, strong, physical defenseman the Canes have needed since the days of Wallin.
I pray that you are right about Fleury.
It’s a delicate balance.
The Canes used to rush guys in too soon, but last year I think the Canes went too far the other direction, signing and keeping under performing NHL ers with the parent club and not handing out tryouts and chances to deserving kids who were playing well in the queen city.
The trick is to make the tryout positive and as stress free as possible. Bring the kids in with every chance to succeed but knowing that the fade of the season does not depend on their performance, and that a gaffe or two is expected and can be tossed up to learning on the job.
I still predict, maybe more from hope than expertise, that one of the college or junior league kids will impress in training camp and at least earn a 9-game tryout with the Canes.
I tend to agree with you across the board on these hits, Matt (with one notable disagreement!).
Necas is a center – I remember BP saying he would think about playing him on the wing, but his game is a center.
I will be interested to see Bean at prospect camp and Traverse City – what steps has he made over the past season.
As good as Wallmark is, and as recognized as he is across the league, I think he might make a nice piece to add in a trade. He is NHL-ready and it would be a shame for him to be stuck in the AHL another season.
Zykov is special on the TAZ line because of what he brings to the combination of Turbo and Aho. He may not be as special on another line. But solid on power play – a younger Bickell, if you will, with net front presence.
Now for Svech and Staal – I am guilty as charged as suggesting those two together. But let me quality that by saying if Staal is going to continue to be used in his same-old/same-old role as a “checking”/possession-drive center I completely agree with you. But if RBA is going to adjust Staal’s role, as he has suggested, and look to drive more offense from the Staal line – which I think is an overdue concept – I think having Svech on his wing could be special.
Interesting to me that people mention… Maybe Aho shouldn’t be a center. He is a natural center, you want the puck to go through your center… Aho at Center is one of the few things I feel confident about with this team.
I’m worried about Goaltending and our D… Not so much about our Forwards. We have depth and steps will be taken in their development.
We are short 2 top 6 F – one will be filled by Svech or Necas. The other could be a surprise step forward by a young guy… or even a FA signing. Who knows what the TD regime will do, but we have some cap space lol.
What are we doing about our Goaltending?
We need a top 4 D… and that’s before we even trade Faulk.
It’s probably nothing. But I hope it’s something. If you go to the official Canes website and push the news button, up pops a prospect profile of Brady Tkachuk. Mike Smith posted it at 12:07 today. Wow!
I am excited.
Svechnikov was up yesterday. I wouldn’t read too much into that.
Agree on all points except Foegele, although admittedly I haven’t seen him in person to monitor movement away from the puck. However, he is little RBA in terms of his commitment to the game, and going all out every shift.
“Accountability” has been a topic around the canes for awhile. But accountability for what? With BP it seemed to be accountability for errors and opposes, I.e. Decision making. With RBA I expect accountability to shift to preparation and effort, with acceptance of mistakes that are. Kind to happen when playing a out. And that is why I am high on Foegele, particularly with RBA behind the bench.
In order, my likelihood is similar to dmiller: Svetch, Zykov/Foegele, Necas, Wallmark. Zykov and Foegele in a virtual tie, but Necas ahead of Wallmark. Not because Necas is more ready, but rather because he plays all out and has a high ceiling. I agree that Wallmark deserves a chance and maybe packaging as part of a trade will be good for everyone.
PS sorry for the very bad typing from my phone.
My order is the same. My sleeper is one that has not been mentioned…..Saarela. I think he needs to be in the conversations. Is he ready? I don’t know but he is a sniper like Skinner and could be considered to replace Skinner if he was to be moved.
I also think a culture change is imperative and a big part of that is to get some grit and snarkyness to the team. If we do bring in a defenseman my hope is he is of the Gleason mold.
Who knows how things will play out but it sure got exciting when we got that 2nd pick.
I agree with you on Saarela. A Skinner move may open a door for him. He is a pure sniper and plays his game that way. He had an interview with the Finnish press in which he discussed his disappointment with only 25 goals in his first season and his intention to make the Canes roster this season.
1) Agree with the Zykov assessment. Especially the observation: “he has the potential to be a difference-maker in 2018-19 if he can complement Aho/Teravainen and help them take one more step up from mid-60s in terms of scoring.” I totally agree with d-rob, Aho at center is one thing I have no doubt about. In fact, I think on the TAZ line Aho scores 70-75 points next season.
2)Matt, you obviously spend tons of time and take your analysis seriously. So if you see shortcomings in Foegele’s game, I am convinced. That said, I agree with the others that Foegele seems like such a committed player that he might make mistakes in October and mostly have those errors eliminated by early November. Thus, I still think Foegele/Staal/McGinn is the optimal disruption line at some point fairly early in the season.
Not any disagreements as much as another point about Svechnikov. Though it seems contradictory, I agree with both dmiller’s sentiment from last week and ti’s today. Lindholm sees a Couturier-like uptick if he centers Svech. But I agree with tj in that Staal would work with Svech as well because of how he improves the puck possession for his line–and what isn’t to like about Svech being on a line with the most possession. In a close call, I prefer Lindholm only because over the past two seasons he has shown more ability than Staal to make outstanding passes. Staal controls the puck and gets it to his teammates, but when Lindholm is playing well he gets it to his teammates in optimal scoring position.
3) Roy will play a key role at some point in 18-19. He is the one player who could conceivably sub for Staal if Jordan is injured. Beyond that, he was making great strides toward the end of the season in Charlotte. Because of his size, ability in the face-off circle, and being a right shot, I expect he makes an impact in Raleigh, even if he doesn’t stick for more than 10 or so games. In fact, as much as I like Wallmark’s cerebral game, I for one would trade Wallmark much sooner than Roy.
To be clear on Foegele, I think he projects very well as the type of wing for Staal’s line…just not in October.
There’s a longer version, but when I ‘scout’ young players, one of my watch points is their awareness/decision-making without the puck. Foegele is fine as a first in forechecker. That is more about wheels and get up and go. The harder part is the read/react stuff that happens at lightning speed. I started using the term ‘squishy’ for young players defending in the neutral zone with a teammate in first who were sort of mostly in the right place but not really defending anything specific. This will be one of Necas’ biggest challenges and is also a part of Aho’s game that is not nearly as mature as his game with the puck on his stick. For 25-27 year olds with many years of NHL experience, I think it is fair to just declare this a weakness. For players only ankle deep in NHL experience, it is more an area for development.
Shorter version: Foegele projects well as a good checking line forward who can score some too, but my read so far is that his path to get there likely includes some NHL ice time in a role that does not have so much pressure every shift.
Matt. As always thanks for the added insight. My optimism regarding Foegele really is your fault because you have been high on him since training camp in 16-17. So I think your concerns are valid.
I do wonder about similar concerns with Aho’s play at center. His play in the World Championships the past two seasons has been close to dominant. Obviously you don’t get his success without being correctly positioned including in transition (in fact, I think Aho was not on the ice for a goal against until the final game of this past WC). Could his “squishiness” in the NHL be due to the smaller ice or was it perhaps particular to BP’s system?
In any event, it is great to see all the others on this site becoming optimistic about the 3-4 rookie forwards who should make the Canes’ roster.
Didn’t watch the WC, but the WC aren’t the NHL. I really don’t get all this “Aho is a center” stuff. Maybe he is, but a few games at the end of a season and the World Championships aren’t enough to make that decision, IMO.
Moving the team’s most talented scorer to center is a risk. Playing center requires a lot more responsibility defensively. It can wear a player down. That may not be the best role for Aho. Then again, it may suit him well. I want to see a lot more before I say Aho is definitely a centreman. If anyone knows what it takes to play center it’s the Canes head coach.
Agree on Roy. He showed some flash. He just needs some AHL games under his belt. I really like Wallmark’s upside too. He had the highest point per game last year in limited games. When pair with Z and Miller the power play at times was unstoppable. We could definitely use that up here. We have so much talent but no space but at least have high value bargaining chips. We can thank our past GM for that.
It seems like Jan Kuokkanen has totally dropped of our collective radars. After a tryout last year it looks like his game took a step backwards and he was not a top 3 player in Charlotte, though I don’t follow the team closely enough to make definitive statements about his season with the Checkers.
I hope he’ll find away to put it back together, not that I expect him to be a difference maker this year or make the Canes lineup but I wonder why the drop off and hope he can find a way to get his name back on the potential list.
It looks like there are guys that are not part of the Brady bunch. At least one Hockeybuzz blogger is predicting Brady to go as low as 7 or 8 due to his low ceiling.
I have no idea whether that is accurate or way off, I just want the Canes to get the best player possible, and the overwhelming consensus is that his name starts with an Andr.
Kuokkanen played in the WJCU20s in December so didn’t really break-in with the Checkers until January. He ended up on a line with Roy and Gauthier most of the time. He ended up with 40 points (11 goals and 29 assists) in 60 games. He was also named AHL Rookie of the Month in March (I think). Velluchi had high praise for him, as well as Roy and Gauthier, and thinks the three might form his top scoring line next season. Janne is my “dark horse” candidate for the Canes in the fall.
Kuokkanen just turned 20 and has played one season of pro hockey. Not too worried about him being a bit overshadowed at this point. Another year in Charlotte could be a good thing. Like to see him dominate a bit there.
Some blogger has Tkachuck at 7 or 8? I would love to take some of that guy/gal’s money.
All good reasoning. Between now and draft day we should have a forum on creatively predicting the 2018-19 roster (draft, trade, free agency)?! We just might have a junior GM in the wings on this site 🙂