Well that’s the thing you’re projecting on Vilen whereas Hatakka you saw look quite good in his (granted not large) time. I don’t think Vilen’s a big stud to where I still bet on him over what Hatakka has shown.
Prospect Info: 129th Overall, Dman Topias Vilen
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Well that’s the thing you’re projecting on Vilen whereas Hatakka you saw look quite good in his (granted not large) time. I don’t think Vilen’s a big stud to where I still bet on him over what Hatakka has shown.
- May 8, 2010
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Fair enough, we’ll see down the line anyway! It’s a good problem to have I guess lol!
You have hit the nail on the head. His work below the hash marks is where he is weak. He has trouble boxing out; tying up the man in front; loses the guy on the backdoor; spends too much time watching the puck and then having to try to follow it to the guy he should have picked up and arriving too late; losing puck battles on the end boards; tries to skate the puck out of trouble rather than finding his open man or dumping it out if no pass exists. These are common developing D-man problems. I think his ability to pick passes and skate the puck out of trouble and turn the play to offense at lower levels have allowed him to bypass these skills he now finds missing. He has plenty enough talent to add them to his toolbox. That's what the AHL is for, development. I have confidence in him because he is too good to let these issues cost him a much bigger career.
I agree with your last sentence, but until then Hatakka gets the nod if NJ makes the call.
Spoiler to look out for is Misyul. If he stays healthy and keeps improving upon his game don't be surprised if he pass them both up.
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Ideally Misyul is the best of them since he’s the best defensively and would be the best PK guy. With all the big offensive pieces all in place on the backend I’ll take the better pure defense guy over the more two way guys
If they end up moving Casey maybe I’ll prefer the more two way but if he stays then definitely gimme Misyul being the best
Pray they don't move Casey before we get a good chance to see how his game transfers to the pros. I have a feeling he is going to be a really GOOD one and NJ will always regret giving him up.
Also remember Casey is RD and Misyul is LD. I think Vasilyev Is going to push most of the NJ LDs to other pastures in a couple years. Karpovich, another LD, is lurking heavily as well and his clippings are really impressive as well.
The Devils D-closet is really full. We have to keep our fingers crossed that when they move some for key forward or keeper pieces that they choose the right ones and keep the diamonds.
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Guadana
Registered User
Can you break down Misyuls AHL season more? I watched him a lot, but it was more than year ago and he played more minor role. Would be great to know how he is doing on the both ends of the ice without and especially with the puck where he had most issues in KHL.
I’m in LOVE with Casey. I was high on him in his DY and he’s smashed my expectations. Obviously there’s the small defenseman thing but I really feel like he’s a super strong bet to be at least a top 4. I know it probably sounds a little crazy to say a guy like Sam Girard is his floor but I really feel like a guy like Sam Girard is his floor.
I don’t think the LD/RD thing really matters because I don’t really see the 2 as being in competition. I think Casey’s just on another level. Ideally to me your top 4 of the future is Luke/Nemec/Casey/Silayev and you don’t have to worry for a decade as they run over the league. Then your bottom pair is 2 solid shutdown PK guys. For the LD really any of the Daniil’s would be great between Misyul/Orlov/Karpovich
You should really come clean to your plus one.
He is much better at the net front. He is using his body in the 1 on 1s and not trying to defend with sweep checking. He is making the first pass in areas out of danger unlike his earlier attempts to pass through traffic and into the danger areas. Dumping the puck when under serious pressure has also become a safer choice. He can skate the puck and makes a clean pass instead of trying to beat opponents when the pass is the better play. He likes to shoot, but doesn't force as many shots. He is also less apt to get too deep and caught up ice. He chooses to go deep when the lane is open, but passes off or dumps it when the lane is closed and there is no direct pass available.
I like this guy and think he will be Utica's top LD even if Hatakka is here.
As stated, I love Casey as well, but I don't see him playing on the left side. I don't see Misyul playing on the right side either. The RD/LD does mean a thing. Note, every Devils D-man is slotted to his shot side. The NHL almost, not all, is shot side slotted. If they have a prospect they deem worthy of playing for the Devils, I'd bet dollars to donuts he will be RD/LD shot oriented. They currently have the cupboard shelves stocked LD/RD.
This stocked cupboard is going to help buy them a couple really good forwards they need
going forward. As I have already mentioned I surely hope they make the best selection from the cupboard and Casey is a keeper..
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Guadana
Registered User
Sounds like good safe decisions.How strong he is with the puck under pressure on the board? did he protect the puck well against AHLers? How he is working on the blue line when he is with the puck under pressure? Is he actively hard in gap controls in d zone and push players away from the lanes?
Thanks for your breakdown!
His gap is good so he matches up on his own blue line well. At the other end he is calm with the puck, skates the line to change angles and open up teammates, dumps the puck to the corner rather than forcing it across the blueline or into the pressuring opponent when under heavy blueline pressure, and shoots the puck only when there is an opening.
His main intent appears to be to get the puck to people up front or on the wing to create offense. Safety first since blueline errors result in breaks the other way and those breaks are usually 2 on 1 or 3 on 2. The other option is to trip the guy going by him. That's not his normal m.o. anymore.
On the boards he has been working to to keep control of the puck and waits for help or breaks away from singular pressure and moves the puck. Puck protection seems to be something he is being coached to create.
I hope that helps. It's been months since I have seen him in action so this is coming out of my fleeting old man memory, LOL
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I’m not saying what side they play is irrelevant. I’m saying them being different sides is irrelevant because they’re not really in competition with each other anyway.
Guadana
Registered User
Thanks a lot! I saw him ~two years ago. So your memories are very fresh)
With two or even three years until Silayev will come(I will not be surprised if they will sign and loan him for one more year like they did with Shakir - to maximize of the period of the end of Markstrom, Hischier and Hamilton deals Devils should compete for Stanley Cup and not wasting important positions for development of younger players), Devils should use Luke-Siegs-Dillon left side and try to watch on Misyul-Hattaka-Vilen to understand what they are having. I don’t think Siegs will have next deal with Devils and I’m not so sure he will play all of his years as a Devil.
I like Vilen most out of all the LD we have in the system in terms of maybe being the 3LD/7D longer term (depends on if we move off siegs at some point or not)
If Siegs bounces back I don’t really see how we move on from him for like at least 2.5 years and would only really happen if Silayev comes over and proves he’s a top 4 guy. Even then you’re better off moving Dillon’s last year instead. 3.4 is not much if he bounces back and it’s only 4 years so if Silayev comes over after the 2 years you’ve got 2 years you can break him in as the 3LD if needed
Kind of forgot/overlooked how good an offensive season he had this past year, as a 20 year old, in his first season in the US.
Highlighted by 10 pts in 6 ECHL games, but 29 pts in 54 AHL games is pretty impressive as well. Not sure how much PP time he got.
Highlighted by 10 pts in 6 ECHL games, but 29 pts in 54 AHL games is pretty impressive as well. Not sure how much PP time he got.
Guadana
Registered User
Yeah, I think 3rd year of Dillion is a thing to make a trade or hide.
If Siegs will not bounce back, I believe Fitz will move him before Vilen or any other D prospect will be ready. And will replace him by more proven candidate.
Yup. I don’t think you want a mid 30s Dillon as a top 4 LD and I don’t think they’re throwing one of the prospects in there. It’s Siegs or a new top 4 guy. I’d hope they move on from Dillon in that last year and I imagine they will. I just can’t see a 36 year old Dillon making 4 mil being a better option than Silayev if he comes over or one of the other LD prospects
That’s pretty much exactly how
I think of his potential: a better Sam Girard. And yeah, prime Sam Girard was probably a top 30 D in the league
Dillon can still play a tough minute D heavy bottom pair as Silayev breaks in playing middle pair minutes.
Luke is likely playing a boat load of minutes at that point too.
This will be a big year for Vilen to start developing his game. He should have a good feel for the AHL at this point and hopefully spends the summer working on the elements to be more successful. He has potential but it is something of a crowded field at LD for NJ.
I don't think Casey will be shopped because his versatility will make him so valuable, especially to the Devils. It's important for those NJ fans who haven't seen Casey a lot to realize he not only also plays center, but he's actually a very capable two-way center when deployed in that role. I'm not sure this would make Seamus Casey a "unicorn", so maybe we can call him more of a "moth man". Because it's rare to see a player with such positional versatility.
Though I haven't yet seen Casey play forward at Michigan, he actually played there for a good deal of minutes at the US-NTDP program.
