WreckingCrew
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Prospect Info: 2023-24 prospect information - BUT WHERE ARE THEY GOING TO PLAY?!
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bleedgreen
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Yup. Ufko runs the pp from the top of the umbrella, Morrow sits in the Ovy spot waiting to get fed. Ufko is top penalty killer when Morrow doesn’t kill at all. They break up the Morrow/Ufko pairing when they’re holding onto the lead late in games and sit Morrow. The coach absolutely plays Ufko in all key situations and plays Morrow absolutely in all key offensive situations. He borderline shelters him.
Cardiac Jerks
Asinine & immoral
May have missed this being posted earlier but sounds like Webber is going to go to free agency.
Nikishin Go Boom
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He isnt, his all around game is fine but he isn’t the better of the 2. He is a smaller guy and his projections are still very low. He may get to be AHL AAAA guy according to Wheeler.
Nikishin Go Boom
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I don’t know what Mark is worried about. He is a huge guy with low skating and no offense projections. He may get a contract in the AHL but very low chances passed that. I don’t think he would have gotten more than a ECHL shot with us and why he is pursuing FA
WreckingCrew
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Which makes all that drafting we did the past few years worthless if you can't properly develop them (and just hope their euro clubs do)
That said, I don't think we would have signed Webber anyway
I think the argument has been to let Europe and the NCAA develop them and sign the ones who develop.
The issue is you don’t get to develop the aspects of a prospect’s game you want to prioritize that way. For instance, see bleedgreen’s description of Morrow’s use at UMass. That’s not what Carolina wants for him.
Nikishin Go Boom
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I don’t think a coach trying to win games in a tough league by playing his better defensive guys in crunch time is overly alarming, if it is true. There are many guys in the nhl who are in the same bucket.
Even then most kids are going to choose the Europe level or college levels over the AHL anyways. Home comfort or the college life are better than the AHL life. Honestly they are likely to play more in those leagues than on a team full of prospects.
Development guys have plenty of interaction with them.
bleedgreen
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It isn’t about who’s the better pro. It’s about who’s the better ncaa player. It’s clearly Ufko. The question asked is who’s the best dman on Umass….and it’s Ufko. Morrow is the better NHL prospect, that’s not the question.
Boom Boom Apathy
I am the Professor. Deal with it!
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I can see the confusion.
The discussion is about NHL prospect rankings from Button, and you said "Morrow isn’t even the best defenseman on his own team." and when asked, you said it's Ufko. I have no reason to disagree with that since I don't watch them.
The confusion I see is that if Morrow is indeed the better NHL prospect and it's not a question, why does how good Ufko is as an NCAA player matter in the discussion if he's not as good of a NHL prospect?
Like I said, I don't watch these guys so don't have an opinion one way or another, nor am I disagreeing with you, I'm just trying to understand the reasoning.
bleedgreen
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This has been a confusing part of watching Morrow’s game. He went there because he felt it would help him develop, he thinks a lot of the staff…or at least did. I think Makar mattered. That’s interesting to me because they didn’t develop Makar. They unleashed him. They didn’t really coach him, you don’t coach a guy that good. He didn’t have any weaknesses. The rep is what it is.
I deep dove a bit into articles about Morrow, he’s interesting. The family has a big influence, but he’s a really independent kid. He really wants to do things his way and his parents are all in on it. They all made the choice together that he’d stay close during covid instead of furthering his career. He also said that he went back this year to work on…of all things…his offense. He feels the pp and offense will be his calling card to the best level, and that he worked on his defense last year (!?!). I could see how coaches might have their hands full with him and I can’t help but wonder if that’s why his use is what it is. It’s unusual to see such a good prospect not be used in all situations even is he’s weak at it. They don’t treat it like the NHL, the best players usually play in all situations. That how they get developed but they don’t in this case. I was really surprised to see Ufko run the pp. they treat Morrow like he’s the secret weapon, and offensively he is. From Ovy’s spot he tears it up but he’s a rover in general. That’s part of why I say Ufko is the real number one. He does everything but does it from playing inside his position. Morrow doesn’t really play within those boundaries. I have no idea what to think of him under Rod. I have no idea how he’ll do when he’s thrown into a role and told to play D and stay home. I think Morrow is counting on not being asked that.
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bleedgreen
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Well I made the comment when taking in the future of Morrow, who we place a lot of weight on. We see him as this stud because of his stats - which he’s earned but it’s important to note when considering prospects that this guy isn’t even the man on his team. Yes he’s the better prospect because of his size and raw skill but he’s being outplayed as a defenseman….at this level….by a guy who’s probably not going to make it. NCAA is a small guys game, and they can thrive there. Morrow’s skills and size say he’s a higher end prospect, but his game says he gets stapled to the bench when it’s time to play d because a guy who’s already peaking and grown into his body is more dominant now. Can Morrow make that transition as a pro if he can’t be trusted in the NCAA? He was supposed to make that transition now. I think this is relevant for the NHL prospect discussion.
The offense is there. He reminds me a lot of a younger Dougie with quicker feet. Not explosive though.
I said what I said in reference to Button’s list because Morrow likely isn’t on the list because of reasons like this, which was relevant to the post I responded to.
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And an assist. 14 PTS in last 7 GP (3+11) for Ville
I get a Joni Pitkanen vibe from Scott Morrow. I've not seen him as much as @bleedgreen but based on a small sample as well as what his coach has said, my guess is he'll be fine defensively, just not great. I recall Joni was better at defense than most originally gave him credit for, but he was often bailed out by his partners.
- Jul 7, 2017
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Well we've got the perfect LHD to pair with him.
....drink?
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Not the LHD I had in mind ha
nice call out for Koivunen (they still worried about his skating not being nhl ready):
eprinkside.com
Finland Stock Watch: Viljami Marjala taking off in his first full season of Liiga action
March's Finland Stock Watch highlights the play of Viljami Marjala, Ville Koivunen, Oliver Kapanen, Konsta Helenius, Joni Jurmo, and Roope Vesterinen.
eprinkside.com
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bleedgreen
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Just tuned into UMass’s game and they had a flurry of pp’s. They had Ufko and Morrow on different units both as qb’s in their respective units so that’s different hopefully I’ll see another pp here so I can see if it was just a one time in game adjustment or if that’s the new norm.
Well the game was almost over so I caught overtime. To continue with my point they played 3v3 and Ufko started the first shift. Morrow played in the second grouping then Ufko came out for the third shift and won the game on a breakaway.
Well the game was almost over so I caught overtime. To continue with my point they played 3v3 and Ufko started the first shift. Morrow played in the second grouping then Ufko came out for the third shift and won the game on a breakaway.
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Watching the replay of the game right now….
Morrow playing the left side every shift I have watched so far…. Had an nhl ready beautiful spring pass from his own d zone to a breakaway for his forward…. Who proceeded to shoot like he plays for the canes and goalie made the easy save…. Looks good when skating on his own with the puck, looks out of his depth trying to keep track of his assignment in front of the net…. There… I’m a prospect evaluator now
bleedgreen
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You’re hired!Watching the replay of the game right now….
Morrow playing the left side every shift I have watched so far…. Had an nhl ready beautiful spring pass from his own d zone to a breakaway for his forward…. Who proceeded to shoot like he plays for the canes and goalie made the easy save…. Looks good when skating on his own with the puck, looks out of his depth trying to keep track of his assignment in front of the net…. There… I’m a prospect evaluator now
So, as our resident prospect evaluator: he will be a Cane by ??? or RBA looks at this lack of defense and says ship him out in a tradeWatching the replay of the game right now….
Morrow playing the left side every shift I have watched so far…. Had an nhl ready beautiful spring pass from his own d zone to a breakaway for his forward…. Who proceeded to shoot like he plays for the canes and goalie made the easy save…. Looks good when skating on his own with the puck, looks out of his depth trying to keep track of his assignment in front of the net…. There… I’m a prospect evaluator now
Cardiac Jerks
Asinine & immoral
Or Morrow declines to sign for the 3rd time and goes back for his senior year to await hitting free agency.
bleedgreen
Registered User
Mercuri has really turned into a pretty solid grinder, if we had a team I’d hope we’d sign him as a true bottom six guy.
Ryan Suzuki with a 3 pt night against Laval, gives him 3 multipoint games in last 5 AHL rnds (3+4)
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