Prospect Info: 2022 31st Overall Pick | LW Isaac Howard - Part 2

[Felonious Python]

NHL_Watcher tends to be good for specific quotes.



I feel like the other paraphrasing indicates more certainty.

29 minutes in (the video and audio issues are in the video itself)


Frank seemed to be having a bad day or something, and the YouTube comments repeatedly mention that. There is also the possibility that there's some underlying drama going on. I don't want to start rumors, but Seravalli is the PHWA President, and if you've been keeping up with all your reading, then you should be able to connect some dots.

 

[TheDaysOf 04]

QC is only getting a team when Atlanta moves again.

No matter who Howard signs with, they'll be able to assign him to the AHL (or the ECHL, for that matter). What are really his options once he's under contract? If Howard can play in the NHL his whole career, fine, but those careers are outliers. He can control, to an extent, what AHL team he'd prefer to go to.

I have a feeling that Howard is going to get asked about this in like five years and regret his attitude.

I doubt he's looking at AHL teams if he feels he's above playing in that league. If he fully believes he's currently a nhler, that's the only place he's looking. Blinders on. And in that case, he should be be looking for teams that aren't playoff caliber have have plenty of open positions. He's gonna find out eventually nothing's guaranteed in this league, but those weaker teams should give him the best opportunity to what he wants.

With his attitude, he's creating a perception that won't do him any favors if he struggles in this league

NHL_Watcher tends to be good for specific quotes.



I feel like the other paraphrasing indicates more certainty.

29 minutes in (the video and audio issues are in the video itself)


Frank seemed to be having a bad day or something, and the YouTube comments repeatedly mention that. There is also the possibility that there's some underlying drama going on. I don't want to start rumors, but Seravalli is the PHWA President, and if you've been keeping up with all your reading, then you should be able to connect some dots.

I wish he would've explained himself a little more on calling us arrogant. Is he talking about the Stamkos thing from last off season, or is there something personal?

This whole situation is about a kid who thinks he deserves something he hasn't earned yet. That doesn't fit the culture in Syracuse at all where you have to work for what you want. The halls of the building are lined with pictures of guys like Palat, Johnson, Marchessault, Gourde, and Verhaeghe. The guys starting their ELCs in that building this year are Kurth (6th rounder), Meneghin (7th rounder), Flinton (7th rounder), Stachowiak (undrafted), and Mercuri (6th rounder). Gill's (7th rounder) coming back too. The Director of Player Development JP Cote spent his whole career in the AHL. So nobody cares when you were picked, or what you did in junior. It creates the right kind of player. Goncalves goes back to Syracuse and he doesn't pout. Geekie goes down to Syraucuse and he doesn't pout. They put their heads down and work and get better. So this whole thing with Howard is about the organization getting rid of arrogence.

 

[Felonious Python]

I doubt he's looking at AHL teams if he feels he's above playing in that league. If he fully believes he's currently a nhler, that's the only place he's looking. Blinders on. And in that case, he should be be looking for teams that aren't playoff caliber have have plenty of open positions. He's gonna find out eventually nothing's guaranteed in this league, but those weaker teams should give him the best opportunity to what he wants.

With his attitude, he's creating a perception that won't do him any favors if he struggles in this league


I wish he would've explained himself a little more on calling us arrogant. Is he talking about the Stamkos thing from last off season, or is there something personal?

This whole situation is about a kid who thinks he deserves something he hasn't earned yet. That doesn't fit the culture in Syracuse at all where you have to work for what you want. The halls of the building are lined with pictures of guys like Palat, Johnson, Marchessault, Gourde, and Verhaeghe. The guys starting their ELCs in that building this year are Kurth (6th rounder), Meneghin (7th rounder), Flinton (7th rounder), Stachowiak (undrafted), and Mercuri (6th rounder). Gill's (7th rounder) coming back too. The Director of Player Development JP Cote spent his whole career in the AHL. So nobody cares when you were picked, or what you did in junior. It creates the right kind of player. Goncalves goes back to Syracuse and he doesn't pout. Geekie goes down to Syraucuse and he doesn't pout. They put their heads down and work and get better. So this whole thing with Howard is about the organization getting rid of arrogence.

Him being gung ho about not playing in the AHL actually feeds into my thinking. It's not about the team's ability to develop, or the quality of the facilities, it's about the weather and the lifestyle. It's how you look at it when you aren't looking at the details.

No matter how much he wants to avoid the AHL, his NHL team will be able to assign him there.

 

[Stelio Kontos]

just laughing at this point. Deangelo and Drouin weren’t enough huh

 

[LightningStrikes]

just laughing at this point. Deangelo and Drouin weren’t enough huh

It kinda reminds me of the Drouin situation and at the same time it really doesn’t because Drouin had already proven he is NHL material. Howard is nowhere near the level Drouin was at the time.

 

[Felonious Python]

It kinda reminds me of the Drouin situation and at the same time it really doesn’t because Drouin had already proven he is NHL material. Howard is nowhere near the level Drouin was at the time.

I've only looked at a very limited number of junior players who jumped straight to the NHL, but the junior guys put up massive point totals.

Drouin final playoff run: 16 games, 41 pts
Marner: 18 games, 44 pts

Drouin was somehow only +9 in that run.

Howard apparently needs specific circumstances. He can't be utilized correctly by Minn-Duluth or the US National Team, or his warmup year at Michigan State. I guess they didn't see eye-to-eye, either.

 

[RSchmitz PhD]

We knew the deal with Deangelo when we drafted him, not the same thing IMO. Howard slipped a little bit as well if I remember correctly, not sure if teams seen the college flight risk then but Deangelo we certainly knew could be trouble and accepted that risk.

 

[CupsOverCash]

Talking about deangelo, drouin, and Howard makes you think a few things. Maybe if we were good at the first round picks we'd have a larger window. Some of those trades worked and im sure nobody is complaining about back to back cups but it definitely could have been managed better. I think part of it also was for a while we were really good at picking up players that would perform for us but we're glossed over for whatever reason. We just haven't been able to get those kind of players anymore and now we're not keeping pace while others are getting better. I think we did a good enough job outside of all that to still contend but jbbs job was more difficult. This offseason they finally have some money to spend so we will see what we have up our sleeves to try to contend again.

 

[Felonious Python]

Talking about deangelo, drouin, and Howard makes you think a few things. Maybe if we were good at the first round picks we'd have a larger window. Some of those trades worked and im sure nobody is complaining about back to back cups but it definitely could have been managed better. I think part of it also was for a while we were really good at picking up players that would perform for us but we're glossed over for whatever reason. We just haven't been able to get those kind of players anymore and now we're not keeping pace while others are getting better. I think we did a good enough job outside of all that to still contend but jbbs job was more difficult. This offseason they finally have some money to spend so we will see what we have up our sleeves to try to contend again.

It's tough to get guys to join a stacked team.

I've been critical of the prospect depth, certainly at the Orlando level, and what Tampacuse seemed willing to tolerate.

You bet on your winners, but you need to be firing on all cylinders, all the time, at every level, to give your organization the best chance at yearly success.

It's why I think the Syracuse GM hire can be extremely consequential. I want an absolute freak. A fellow minor league degen that JBB will allow to tinker around the edges with waiver claims, deals involving minor leaguers, etc. Maybe that will be Syracuse GM, a new Director of Minor League Operations type role, or just someone in scouting. The Al Murray of the AHL. A truffle pig.

Being able to scout NCAA, especially with all the teams in NY, will be important as well.

 

[Major4Boarding]

Howard apparently needs specific circumstances. He can't be utilized correctly by Minn-Duluth or the US National Team, or his warmup year at Michigan State. I guess they didn't see eye-to-eye, either.

I want to weigh in on the bolded part. I believe that’s a slightly incorrect assessment on his first, and only, season at UMD.

That season, ultimately, ended up being the first losing season in quite some time for UMD. You’re right about the specific circumstances. Where I disagree is can’t be utilized correctly. That season Sandelin and crew had incorporated a more neutral zone control and defensive-first structure. Which he did pretty well for a freshman.

But you add in a losing roster (one that hasn’t gone above .500 since his first season there), a dash of “I wanna run-and-gun”, and an opportunity to transfer to a system “more suited” for him at MSU… it’s quite literally a “this scene sucks“ moment and off he went to play for Coach Nightingale.

That last part having a sprinkle of hindsight added to it because of the current events surrounding this kid.

I also want to add that being a PPG Sophomore for a second year Coach isn’t too shabby either.

Overall though, I think it’s best that we just move on from the kid anyway. This much stink isn’t totally insurmountable to overcome, but if there was one more stinkapoo moment with this kid under contract with us, it would just end up being another hair-pulling moment

 

[creg]

I wish he would've explained himself a little more on calling us arrogant. Is he talking about the Stamkos thing from last off season, or is there something personal?

This whole situation is about a kid who thinks he deserves something he hasn't earned yet. That doesn't fit the culture in Syracuse at all where you have to work for what you want. The halls of the building are lined with pictures of guys like Palat, Johnson, Marchessault, Gourde, and Verhaeghe. The guys starting their ELCs in that building this year are Kurth (6th rounder), Meneghin (7th rounder), Flinton (7th rounder), Stachowiak (undrafted), and Mercuri (6th rounder). Gill's (7th rounder) coming back too. The Director of Player Development JP Cote spent his whole career in the AHL. So nobody cares when you were picked, or what you did in junior. It creates the right kind of player. Goncalves goes back to Syracuse and he doesn't pout. Geekie goes down to Syraucuse and he doesn't pout. They put their heads down and work and get better. So this whole thing with Howard is about the organization getting rid of arrogence.

Seravalli just seems to have a personal grudge against Tampa as an organization, if you listen to his coverage of us he's pretty consistent on shitting on any moves we make/our direction. He is rarely early on any of the Tampa rumors/moves so I'm assuming that it's another case of a team that he doesn't like because he doesn't have a source (like Toronto) moreso than actually having a take rooted in reality.

The idea that Tampa not budging on giving Howard immediate playing time somehow makes us arrogant is really odd. If he's talking about broader scope of the organization the only move we've made that I think was not right was forcing McDonagh out and look at how that ended up.

 

[Felonious Python]

I want to weigh in on the bolded part. I believe that’s a slightly incorrect assessment on his first, and only, season at UMD.

That season, ultimately, ended up being the first losing season in quite some time for UMD. You’re right about the specific circumstances. Where I disagree is can’t be utilized correctly. That season Sandelin and crew had incorporated a more neutral zone control and defensive-first structure. Which he did pretty well for a freshman.

But you add in a losing roster (one that hasn’t gone above .500 since his first season there), a dash of “I wanna run-and-gun”, and an opportunity to transfer to a system “more suited” for him at MSU… it’s quite literally a “this scene sucks“ moment and off he went to play for Coach Nightingale.

That last part having a sprinkle of hindsight added to it because of the current events surrounding this kid.

I also want to add that being a PPG Sophomore for a second year Coach isn’t too shabby either.

Overall though, I think it’s best that we just move on from the kid anyway. This much stink isn’t totally insurmountable to overcome, but if there was one more stinkapoo moment with this kid under contract with us, it would just end up being another hair-pulling moment

I personally don't put much weight on their freshman year. I get a bit more concerned when their stats don't pop off for their sophomore season. But for the real high-end prospects who go right into the NHL, they can be huge contributors the second they step on the ice in the NCAA.

Isaac Howard led the nation in points per game with 1.41, but that number last season would put him 10th. Right behind Rutger McGroarty and Collin Graf. Those guys spent most of this season in the AHL. The next few forwards behind them were also AHLers.

Sidney Crosby was picked first overall in 2005. Erik Johnson was picked first overall in 2006. Johnson wasn't even a bust, but some years are weaker than others.

 

[Felonious Python]

Seravalli just seems to have a personal grudge against Tampa as an organization, if you listen to his coverage of us he's pretty consistent on shitting on any moves we make/our direction. He is rarely early on any of the Tampa rumors/moves so I'm assuming that it's another case of a team that he doesn't like because he doesn't have a source (like Toronto) moreso than actually having a take rooted in reality.

The idea that Tampa not budging on giving Howard immediate playing time somehow makes us arrogant is really odd. If he's talking about broader scope of the organization the only move we've made that I think was not right was forcing McDonagh out and look at how that ended up.

I am somewhat surprised by the grudges Seravalli seems to hold. You'd think that the PHWA President, the leader for NHL Awards voting and advocacy for hockey journalists, would at least be interested in hiding his biases more.

 

[Zwui21]

I am somewhat surprised by the grudges Seravalli seems to hold. You'd think that the PHWA President, the leader for NHL Awards voting and advocacy for hockey journalists, would at least be interested in hiding his biases more.

Now you can understand why Kuch has been robbed of the Hart trophy twice in a row now...

 

[Felonious Python]

Now you can understand why Kuch has been robbed of the Hart trophy twice in a row now...

I don't think that Seravalli is messing with the votes, but I think most people would prefer their local supervisor of elections to not have any strong political opinions, and just really love counting.

It's certainly not a good look that the voting body for most NHL Awards is led by someone who could be seen as partial.

Maybe I'm being unrealistic. Any journalist who mostly sticks to writing can conceal their opinions a bit more, but Seravalli is on podcasts several times a week.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

We knew the deal with Deangelo when we drafted him, not the same thing IMO. Howard slipped a little bit as well if I remember correctly, not sure if teams seen the college flight risk then but Deangelo we certainly knew could be trouble and accepted that risk.

Howard didn't interview well with certain teams IIRC

 

[Stammertime91]

Howard didn't interview well with certain teams IIRC

wow im so surprised

 

[Bozo Nicholson]

Now you can understand why Kuch has been robbed of the Hart trophy twice in a row now...

I've realized that the Ted Lindsay award is in reality more prestigious than the Hart. I'm proud that Kuch got voted MVP this year by fellow NHL players, rather than a bunch of fat greaseballs.