With a couple Traverse City games completed and two more yet go and also the start of training camp, we finally have hockey topics to discuss both what happened and also what’s next.
Today’s Coffee Shop features a mix of looking back at two games for the prospects and also the start preseason.
Carolina Hurricanes polls
Please remember to click ‘vote’ after each individual poll response.
Loading ...
Loading ...
Loading ...
Discussion questions
1) Has anything surprised you or not matched your expectations going in through two games of the Traverse City Prospects Tournament?
2) Who would be your three stars through two games? Has anyone disappointed or at least not lived up pre-tourney hype?
3) What do you hope we learn/see in the first week of the NHL training camp?
Go Canes!
1) Despite all the good stuff, I would say I am slightly disappointed in Gauthier. He has not looked like the near-elite scorer everyone expected/hoped the organization drafted. His goal was nice and the break-away in the second game showed some flash, but he is not a threat as much as I expected.
2) Three stars: Roy, Kuokkanen, Necas, with a honorable mention to Schilkey and Elynuik for their one game exploits.
3) Is the team on the ice reflective of the organization’s commitment to analytics?
If so, the 1st line is pretty clearly TT/Staal/Williams. All three are among the best in the league at driving possession and their styles complement each other–especially since Williams creates what Ryan Stimson calls “Dangerous Shot Contributions. Staal does everything well, and TT elevates those around him based on all the possession/shot generation numbers. I think this combination in addition to a lessened D responsibility due to Kruger’s presence might mean Staal returns to being a 20+ goal scorer.
The 2nd would then be Skinner/Rask/Lindholm. Again the data show that the three together generate/suppress shots much more than with any other on-ice partners except Staal, who makes every players’ numbers go up.
In addition, I hope to see a commitment to four forwards on both the first and second PP units. Again, the data are clear that this is the best alignment.
For me, sorting out who is who, on the video I’ve been able to watch is difficult to impossible. As a result, I don’t consider my impressions of individuals very valuable. As a team, they’ve won when they’ve played well (Rangers) and won when they haven’t (Detroit). That seems to say our goaltending has been solid. They’ve scored 10 goals (2nd most in the tournament) with balanced scoring which suggests a high offensive IQ in the group as a whole.
This tournament gives the information on our youngest prospects relative to only 2 other teams thus far, hardly a strong baseline for predicting the future for any one player. While upcoming camp will provide additional insight, one should remember that the existing roster leaves little room for any player to play his way onto the opening night roster in Raleigh. This tournament is most valuable for determining the opening night roster and depth chart for Charlotte. The team play seen thus far in Traverse City is clearly encouraging high expectations for the Checkers in the upcoming season.
I’ve been a big fan-boy (an optimist) for the depth in our prospect pool but your synopsis is way more reasonable: Charlotte is where the real action is likely to be this year. Well said, surgalt.
1. I stated going in that I would be disappointed if we didn’t dominate in this series. We have an inordinate number of AHL qualified players on our team and overall our team is much more experienced than our opponents. So no surprises so far with me.
2. No one has really stood out for me. Watching the game on the computer with essentially only one camera angle provided doesn’t give much opportunity to get an overall impression good or bad. I will say Fleury has had a couple of bad moments on defense letting skaters skate right in on our goalies.
3. First week of training camp will end up showing that our roster is set. No youngsters other than Fleury are going to make this team and management will see to that. They want them all to get more seasoning before moving them up to the NHL. This is all barring injury to a top three line forward. If a defenseman goes down, we will go after a proven NHL veteran and not one of the youngsters.
One caveat to the statement that our roster is just about set for October 5th.
I have a nagging suspicion that RF has one more move up his sleeve before then. He may still pull off a move for a big impact player on offense for current roster players and prospects. Such a deal could open additional roster slots that appear filled today.
1. Not surprised at our success in the prospects tournament. GMRF and company has done a fine job stockpiling the system and it’s proving itself again this year.
2. Booth and Fleury. I’ve been saying Callum Booth is a natural and wouldn’t bet against him succeeding in Charlotte and the Canes (potentially even next year). His strong play in juniors and backstopping game one while we were outplayed proves his stock is on the rise. Fleury is also showing responsible play without over doing it…all keys to our 3rd pair this year. Honorable mentions to Necas (the guy has super skill) and Wesley for bringing some bite to the top pair at the tourney.
3. As for training camp, I want to see a team practice with intensity, while being smart and sharp! The lineups and positional competition will sort itself out based on the above.
To Surgalt’s point, the latest I’ve heard on Duchene is that we are actually still heavily in the mix. That would be quite interesting but I always get nervous about giving up a king’s ransom to get a proven guy. For example, I don’t wanna trade three guys, two of which turn out to be comparable to say, Aho, for one Duchene. Impatience can be painful down the road. I know player development is an inexact science so you never know what will happen, but we have rebuilt the right way and stockpiled talent in our system, and I don’t want to flush a large portion of it down the drain when we’re this close to seeing what all those draft picks are going to become and putting a young, exciting team on the ice that will grow together for many years. And the other thing that’s being talked about here… if Nicolas Roy or Kuokkanen come into camp and are a better option than Derek Ryan or one of the other veterans to help make this team a postseason participant, they will absolutely make it. This is the no more BS season. It’s time for results. Forget seasoning – if they’re ready, they will play. As for the TC team, they’ve looked good, as they should. I like how much physicality I’ve seen from quite a few guys, and that will be welcome in Raleigh. Too many little guys that shy away from contact in the corners. Staal, Di G, McGinn, and Lindholm were basically the only forwards that would actually go into the corners and body up a guy last year. Elynuik, Foegele, Smallman, Roy, and Gauthier have all shown the willingness to do so, and Josh Wesley has dropped a few guys on the back end too. Team is very exciting to watch, promising.
BW. I am with you. Especially if the trade is Duchene. I would argue that TT and a top prospect is too much. There is obviously some endowment bias at play, but I don’t think Duchene improves the team for more than one or two years. After that any trade is likely to look unfavorable.
Still giving Roy 1 in 4 chance to make big team opening night.
You did forget one name when it comes to physical play. Aho. I rewatched a game against San Jose the other day. Aho knocked a player who had fifty pounds on him to the ice as they were skating to the puck. Not only that but the player retaliated and Canes got a power play. There were other such moments last season. Aho is really strong for his size. Another reason I think he will be 1C soon.
1. One of my expectations (hopes?) is definitely getting met – and that is the solid (almost dominant) play of the team. One thing I really liked was in the first game – the team kept playing hard event if they couldn’t get out of the D zone. They didn’t give up or appear to get frustrated. They kept playing and got the opportunities – then righted the ship and have played lights out starting the third.
2. I don’t think any of the forwards or the D really stand out above the others. Many are playing very good and that is just it – the team is good across the board.
So that makes my two MVPs the two goalies. Both were excellent in entirely different contexts.
3. I am not really, but I think how BP handles the fact that we have so many talented young players – how does he use them in drills; what does that say about where he thinks they may fit relative to playing on NHL ice sometime this season.
I tend to agree with Surgalt, and think we will see a trade. Barring a surprisingly excellent showing (from a dark-horse forward), in camp…RF has the opportunity to get a difference-maker for the top6…!! As many have declared “our forward prospect group is deep, and talented”, moving prospects for a proven talent…is a good use of our resources IMO!
The key stipulation being can you find a difference-maker available for prospects. I think that has been the sticking point in all cases (which makes sense to me).
I’d tend to agree unfortunately. That type of deal is usually seen closer to the trade deadline and you’re usually getting a rental player for your prospects in those cases. We should all try to convince Gm Sakic that Mckeown is an NHL ready defensemen.
What a difference a game makes. League wide people have been making fun of the Blackhawk´s abismal prospect pool while being generally pretty high on ours.
I´m not saying this has changed, only that it isn´t so simple.
Yesterday´s smackdown is a reminder either that we can´t base the quality of a team on a single game and that everybody makes mistakes, or that we may be unreasonably high on our as-yet unproven prospects, and when we think of not trading for a proven NHL talent we always assume all our prospects will turn out to be stars.
I still believe we will (and I think we should) trade for one more NHL center if given the opportunity, sacrificing one of our defense prospect and a forward.
I’m glad I missed yesterday’s game, it must have been beyond shockingly bad. The players need to take a critical look at themselves and make sure this doesn’t happen again.
Fully organic chicken breast will stink just as much when it goes bad, no matter how much tica masala sauce is applied.
Nevertheless, I’m looking forward to start of hockey. I’m traveling until next week so I will have to order and pick up my mug some other time, but I’m looking forward to having hot coffee (possibly with additives suitable for a Friday night on Friday nights)out of a cool mug while watching an awesome team.