GDT: 2024 Rookie Tournament

[bert]

Ward was given high praise by Lethbridge's coach, former NHL head coach Bill Peters. He is actually considered a decent prospect and has a good chance to either earn a contract if he performs well or get drafted next year if he has a strong season.

He will have to up his production if he wants a pro deal but he has size, how's his skating? His dad played NHL games and was actually a binghamton senator wore a letter haha. I dont remember him though.

 

[Alf Silfversson]

They’ll be playing on the same team in Buffalo.

Well that's part of the joke.

 

[RAFI BOMB]

He will have to up his production if he wants a pro deal but he has size, how's his skating? His dad played NHL games and was actually a binghamton senator wore a letter haha. I dont remember him though.

He had an interview for Lethbridge after the development camp and he said he learned that he needed to work on his first few steps. Peters praised him for his smarts and that he has some raw skill to him. This was Eliteprospects write up on him:

"Ward’s a violent, aggressive winger who creates space with his body. He throws hits, but excels at winning inside positioning and slowing down opponents by getting in the way. In transition, Ward understands how to delay to find an open teammate, reload to take the middle, and start passing plays. He connects with slip, hook, and even the occasional spinning pass."

It sounds like he has a good shot at a depth role in the NHL if he can continue to progress his game. Still very raw at this point.

 

[Alf Silfversson]

They are obsessed.

There are dozens of re-entries selected in the draft every year and a smart team utilizes camp invites to get extended looks at the undrafted prospects they think have the highest likelihood of potentially ending up as gems.

Or you can do what the Sens do and invite a bunch of useless plugs that have zero NHL potential.

I mean I just wish there was some diversity in the type of player they go after. No problem with a guy like this but then they go get a clone of his. Why not try a few different approaches to this process?

 

[Burrowsaurus]

Ward was given high praise by Lethbridge's coach, former NHL head coach Bill Peters. He is actually considered a decent prospect and has a good chance to either earn a contract if he performs well or get drafted next year if he has a strong season.

Wasn’t he at rookie camp?

I remember he was especially not that great. But small viewing

 

[BondraTime]

Ward is a guy that is just filling a spot for the tournament.

Another guy likely to be on U of A in 3 years, and nothing wrong with that whatsoever for the Rookie Tourney

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

Also some of the invites are a bit of quid pro quo with various organizations, agents, and leagues. Always want to keep the Sens in good standing with some of the power brokers out there.

 

[Ouroboros]

The Sens have actually done somewhat decent when it comes to invites for this in recent years.

Kyle McDonald - Got an ELC from Dallas. Scored 26 points in 58 games as an AHL rookie.
Milo Roelens - Got an ELC from Tampa.
Dalyn Wakely - Drafted by Edmonton in 2024
Connor Clattenburg - Drafted by Edmonton in 2024
James Stefan - Got an ELC from Edmonton
Tyler Thorpe - Drafted by Montreal in 2024

So they are at least bringing in players that other teams can see potential value in. However, it's mostly the same general archetype in that they tend to be 'power forward' types. You can see that continue with Landen Ward, Niall Crocker, Ryder Boulton and Ryan Humphrey.

It's hard to get skill through the invite process, especially when you're limited to CHL players. These leagues are so highly scouted that the skill players with an NHL chance have pretty much all been drafted.

 

[HSF]

Interested in seeing Boucher

 

[RAFI BOMB]

Ryder Boulton’s older brother, Sawyer, got an AHL deal with the Flyers and was given multiple AHL offers and he was in his 3rd year of draft eligibility this last draft. This was Ryder’s first year of draft eligibility.

Landen Ward is in a similar, and actually better spot, to Tyler Thorpe and Conner Clattenburg, who were prospect camp and rookie tournament invites last season and both ended up drafted in their second year of draft eligibility. For Clattenburg it might have been his 3rd year of eligibility. Ward was the rookie of the year for Lethbridge.

It will be interesting to see how they perform. Clattenburg got invited to the NHL camp last year so both could earn invites to main camp if they perform well.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Well that's part of the joke.

Wow, so funny , go on the comedy tour, should make $5.

 

[Alf Silfversson]

Wow, so funny , go on the comedy tour, should make $5.

Definitely not quitting my day job, but others seemed to find it funny. Or at least, you know, understand that it was a joke. I'll try to get a laugh track for the next joke so you know what is serious or not.

Have a good one.

 

[RAFI BOMB]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1833509240432144738

 

[RAFI BOMB]

Niall Crocker, who took part in the Sens development camp, has been invited to the rookie tournament.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1833204514545144140

 

[Senscore]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1833509240432144738

 

[Burrowsaurus]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1833509240432144738

You’re all about to be wowed. And if you don’t think you will be wowed it’s cuz you don’t watch hockey

 

[Good in Osgoode]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1833509240432144738

Why are the Senators just releasing names one by one for the Rookie Tournament?
Why would they not just release the entire list of names at this point?

 

[BondraTime]

Why are the Senators just releasing names one by one for the Rookie Tournament?
Why would they not just release the entire list of names at this point?

The Sens aren't releasing them, it's just people who hear who is going saying that xxx is attending

 

[Cosmix]

Looks like Ryder Boulton got a camp invite

https://x.com/i/web/status/1833185711635263752

5'10' and 190 lbs. Seems undersized to be an enforcer.

We also don't need to take more stupid penalties; however, if he has spunk and plays a solid defensive game without taking penalties and putting the team at a disadvantage on the PK, he might be useful. But I doubt it.

 

[Cosmix]

He will have to up his production if he wants a pro deal but he has size, how's his skating? His dad played NHL games and was actually a binghamton senator wore a letter haha. I dont remember him though.

In the video highlights, he looked big and seems to like to hit and knock opponents down but also looked slow. There were no fights in the highlights so he may not be an enforcer type.

 

[mianjo]

Interested in seeing Boucher

WHO

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

This is a thrill for a lot of these late adds and its as close as most will come.

 

[Micklebot]

This is a thrill for a lot of these late adds and its as close as most will come.

Kind of wonder if a guy like Boulton or Ward get an invite without their fathers' connections. They are legit high end players when compared to the average kid of course, but a little grease was probably needed for these undrafted overagers.

 

[BondraTime]

Kind of wonder if a guy like Boulton or Ward get an invite without their fathers' connections. They are legit high end players when compared to the average kid of course, but a little grease was probably needed for these undrafted overagers.

Not often you go from healthy scracth in the CHL playoffs and Memorial Cup to an invite to a rookie camp.

Lot of grease for that one, and the hard-on for archetype our amatuer side has

 

[Cosmix]

Kind of wonder if a guy like Boulton or Ward get an invite without their fathers' connections. They are legit high end players when compared to the average kid of course, but a little grease was probably needed for these undrafted overagers.

Yes, it appears to be pedigree that is opening the door for them rather than NHL level skillset.