NYR Viper
Registered User
Sangs almost hit 30 one year in the OHL. You might be confusing him with someone else.
I'd say Duclair is the most hyped Junior player we've had since Grachev.
Damnit! My mind is slipping in my old age...
Prospect Info: 2013-2014 Rangers Prospects Thread *Part II* (Player Stats in Post #1; Updated 1/31)
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Damnit! My mind is slipping in my old age...
NYR Viper
Registered User
Eh, when you think bigger players like Grachev often develop slower than others and the fact that it was his first season in NA and the fact that he looked like a legit top-6 power forward prospect who could score goals I get the hype. It's hard to grab those players, especially in the 3rd round.
Eh, but even Duchene had "just" 79 points in 57 games. He was a year younger than Grachev, but also had a year of junior hockey under his belt and grew up playing North American hockey.
The appeal in Grachev was the tool set: he was big, strong, could really skate and had a good shot. You'd see the highlight videos of him just blowing by kids, completely without effort. Or just muscling through some traffic in the slot and unleashing a nasty shot. It was a very attractive package. A lot like Chris Kreider--we could all see the tools, but did he have the tool box? Kreider did, Grachev did not. In the pros, he just looked lost on half of his shifts.
HatTrick Swayze
Just Be Nice
With Grachev too, at least to me, it was the way he was scoring. He was a highlight machine. It wasn't like he was just parking in the crease for garbage goals they way a lot of big guys seem to do in the OHL. At times he looked like the Ovechkin* of the OHL with the shot and hands he had.
In hindsight playing with Duchene and Hodgson definitely opened up a lot of space for him. Space he had difficulty creating on his own at higher levels due to foot speed issues and not being able to read the play well enough.
*To clarify: Not how Ovie would have looked if he played in the OHL. Obviously. Talking in terms of style at that level.
In hindsight playing with Duchene and Hodgson definitely opened up a lot of space for him. Space he had difficulty creating on his own at higher levels due to foot speed issues and not being able to read the play well enough.
*To clarify: Not how Ovie would have looked if he played in the OHL. Obviously. Talking in terms of style at that level.
Raspewtin
Stay at home defenseman hater
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Oh I definitely agree that he had a very drool worthy tool set.
I forget a lot that that was Grachev's 1st year in North American Juniors. And it definitely turned out that he did not have the toolbox for the pros.
There were a lot of things he wouldn't get away with at the NHL level, however. That showed while he played. Like Hattrick said, his footspeed was just not good.
Reminds me a bit of MSC. He did a lot of things in the Dub that he'd never get away with in the NHL. Definitely have to pay close attention to those point totals.
Grachev actually had one of the most exciting highlight packages I've seen from a Rangers prospect. I remember one clip where I actually felt my mouth drop open. He picked the puck up along the boards at the circle, spun around and literally bowled the defender over before picking the corner from just beyond the hashes. Amazing.
He had a fantastic set of tools. He just wasn't able to think the game fast enough.
He had a fantastic set of tools. He just wasn't able to think the game fast enough.
NYR Viper
Registered User
So for those of us who watch Juniors and College Hockey quite a bit, who are we hoping the Rangers target as Undrafted Free agents? Last year, they picked up quite a few, Donnay, Nicholls, Hughes, Allen.
One would hope they are able to grab another goalie.
One would hope they are able to grab another goalie.
Raspewtin
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Greg Carey and Colin Sullentrop are UDFA's that I like, that have been discussed. I also like Guillaume Gelinas, and Darcy Ashley. Gelinas is Ryan Graves' partner in Val-d'Or and is a dynamic offensive D at the Q level. He'd at least give us some potential skill on the backend, if anything. Ashley is an ultra hard worker, plays for Halifax, very few people in the Q hustle more than him. Very undersized though, only 5' 8". He's also got some leadership in him.
Yup. And watching him, you could see him doing things that you knew he couldn't as a pro. All prospects do it to some degree, but with Grachev I got the sense that he was succeeding because he was bigger, stronger and faster than most of the kids. That's why I was an advocate for him moving to the AHL in his second season. I don't think another year of dominating younger, smaller, weaker competition would have helped his game develop. I know some people say he was rushed, but I don't buy it.
I was excited about Grachev, but it was a tempered enthusiasm.
Cody Corbett. Blueliner for the Oil Kings who skates well and has added a lot of offense to his game this year, despite the Oil losing a few of it's key offensive forwards. He's certainly now a "wow factor" guy, but he's solid. Solid frame. Solid skating. Solid positioning. Solid offensive ability.
He was invited to Minnesota's camp this fall, but I don't believe he was signed to a deal.
Raspewtin
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Another player who's already been discussed is Randy Gazzola. Val-d'Or's other offensive defenseman. He's much bigger than Gelinas at 6'2", 228 pounds, and has a great shot from the point. He's playing an overage year this year, yet this is only his second full year in the Q. He was never drafted in the Q.
Bluenote13
Believe In Henke
NYR Viper
Registered User
I like the sound of these guys and I have seen their names before.
Any hard-working, hard-nosed types available like Kantor from last year? I am a bit more of a fan of going after those types of players as undrafted free agents as I think they have the mindset to be lower line forwards over someone like Nicholls.
NYR Viper
Registered User
Sign that man up!
In all honesty, as a RD, I'm not sure the Rangers need another one if they are high on both McIlrath AND Allen. Both seem destined for NHL duty.
Raspewtin
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Dane Fox fits that bill, but he was already signed by Vancouver.
Not sure if he gets signed this year, but I like Liam O'Brien from Rouyn-Noranda. Total pain in the ass, and a real team player. He's fought a lot of tough guys in the Q, and can definitely hold his own.
Same story here, but Oliver Cooper has looked good for the Saint John Sea Dogs. Tough kid. But he's still draft eligible. Should watch out for him in the later rounds.
I watch mostly the QMJHL, which has a lot of really tough guys like Kantor, but the league is also littered with talentless goons that have no NHL future. Players like O'Brien are harder to find than them. And a lot of players like them are still draft eligible.
Raspewtin
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eco's bones
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On the prospects page they have a thread for best chl overage free agents.
Some of the more intriguing names:
Barclay Goodrow-North Bay (OHL) forward
Zach Bell-London (OHL) d-man
Ryan Van Stralen-Ottawa (OHL) forward--compared to last year's free agent Scott Sabourin.
Mike Aviani-Spokene (WHL) forward--compared style wise to Brad Marchand
Some of the more intriguing names:
Barclay Goodrow-North Bay (OHL) forward
Zach Bell-London (OHL) d-man
Ryan Van Stralen-Ottawa (OHL) forward--compared to last year's free agent Scott Sabourin.
Mike Aviani-Spokene (WHL) forward--compared style wise to Brad Marchand
NYR Viper
Registered User
http://ohlprospects.blogspot.ca/2014/01/sunday-top-10-overagers-worth-signing.html
Interesting read if anyone if interested.
Interesting read if anyone if interested.
Rangers had a chance to sign Goodrow last year when he was at the prospect camp... and for some reason they did not. i doubt he would sign here after being not signed..
Buchnevich and Severstal are scoreless after one period. Of note is that Buchnevich started today on the top line and finished second in TOI among forwards after the first. His team sucks and doesn't have anyone else you've ever heard of, but that's still quite an accomplishment. It also shows how far he has come since early in the season, when he received 3rd/4th line minutes and often sat on the bench for the third period.
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Raspewtin
Stay at home defenseman hater
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Beacon
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I said this at the time and I will say this again: 80 points, particularly with good linemates, isn't very much in juniors. This is especially so for players who are big and can just dominate skinny little boys to run up points, something they won't be able to do at any pro level, even the ECHL.
The difference between Kreider and Grachev is that Kreider is just better at everything. He's stronger, he's much faster, he has a significantly better shot. Reduce Kreider's speed and shot power by a little and what do you have? A minor leaguer.
Kreider also spent 3 years in college, while Grachev moved straight to the pros as a teenager. Not only that, but he expected and was expected by others to make the team right away. When he was sent down to the AHL, Grachev thought he was too good for it. Had he stayed in juniors and improved by playing against kids, he'd have been better off today. For a bigger kid like him, college might have been the best option, which is the route Kreider took.
But either way, Kreider was always a superior prospect to Grachev due to his size, speed and shot.
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