Prospect Info: '24-'25 Prospects Thread: Generation Z

[Randy Butternubs]

What a terrible performance from that team. Moreso the coach and admin but you still need to score.

 

[eXile3]

Team Canada is a mess. Poor roster selection and coaching and it’s “these kids are under too much pressure with social media”

Way to try and shift the blame to the players.

 

[SomeDude]

Team Canada hasn’t been the same since they’ve attempted to remove sex crimes from international hockey.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Maybe team Canada shouldn’t hire dogshit washed coaches?

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

No part of Team Canada--forwards, defense, or goalies--looked anything close to what you'd expect. Just a mess top to bottom tbh. Couldn't outskill anyone, couldn't outwork anyone.

 

[HandshakeLine]

No part of Team Canada--forwards, defense, or goalies--looked anything close to what you'd expect. Just a mess top to bottom tbh. Couldn't outskill anyone, couldn't outwork anyone.

The Baby Baby Pens!

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

The Baby Baby Pens!

Team USA's Olympic squad's about to say hold my beer.

 

[lokomotiv15]

No part of Team Canada--forwards, defense, or goalies--looked anything close to what you'd expect. Just a mess top to bottom tbh. Couldn't outskill anyone, couldn't outwork anyone.

Pundits and Canadian media will fall back on the same old "It's a different team with Bedard, Celebrini, and Benson out there!" schtick. It's valid, but Canada has always had their truly best U20 players unavailable and been able to consistently compete for gold with the "rest".

Always was so curious about what Sid would have done in the 07 WJC when he was putting up 120 pts as a sophomore (and still eligible for the WJC) in the NHL.

Either way, Hockey Canada clearly has a goaltending pipeline issue, a lack of decent coaches and questionable management to put it mildly. The volume of high end forwards and defensemen coming up through Hockey Canada's ranks is some of the worst I can remember since maybe the early 2010s and looking back historically, the late 90s.

Also didn't like the whiney attitude of the Canadian players. Visibly complaining and showing up the referees, awful body language, taking awful penalties. Then we all act surprised that the refs seemed to have it out for us after 4-5 games of bonehead plays and non-stop yapping. That's on Dave Cameron; Good look at what happens when you stick 25 cocky, skilled teenagers together and shove a spineless twit like Dave Cameron in front of them to lead and teach them how to be a team.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Just for a point of comparison, McGroarty was also the captain of Team USA's U-20 WJC last year where he put up 5 goals and 9 points in 7 games.

I still don't think their upsides are all that dissimilar, but his dud WJC definitely makes me happier about the Yager for McGroarty trade. Yager's dud WJC definitely added a new level of red flags with him IMO.

From reading more on the main board, a lot of comments there fit with a comment I made right at the time of the trade: Yager gives me hardcore Brandon Sutter vibes. He'll be a solid middle-6 center IMO, but I don't think he has the hockey IQ or playmaking to be much better than that.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Speaking more in terms of Penguins prospects at the WJC, I think Pieniniemi has jumped Howe on my prospect rankings based on the WJC play. I’ve really liked what I’ve seen from him, even with that bullshit kneeing penalty he got yesterday. He looks good defensively and has a bit of physicality as well, while you can see the puck moving talents and offensive instincts.

Granted Howe wasn’t super high on my list before the tournament, but I think he’s closer to 10 than 5 at this point. Including Pickering I’d probably rank their top-10 as:

1. McGroarty
2. Pickering
3. Brunicke
4. Blomqvist
5. Broz
6. Koivunen
7. Pieniniemi
8. Ponomarev
9. Howe
10. Murashov

Koivunen is producing more than Broz this year, but Koivunen's skating is a pretty big red flag to me that makes me want to put Broz ahead of him in the prospect ranking. As an aside, their system is far better than it has been in a good while. This top-10 actually has 10 good looking prospects rather than having to reach for guys like Zlobin in the top-10

I also debated including Hallander on this list, who seems to be coming back this summer but is turning 25. He's not a prospect in my eyes anymore but he'd rank right on that Broz/Koivunen level if you still considered him a prospect.

 

[Ryder71]

Speaking more in terms of Penguins prospects at the WJC, I think Pieniniemi has jumped Howe on my prospect rankings based on the WJC play. I’ve really liked what I’ve seen from him, even with that bullshit kneeing penalty he got yesterday. He looks good defensively and has a bit of physicality as well, while you can see the puck moving talents and offensive instincts.

Granted Howe wasn’t super high on my list before the tournament, but I think he’s closer to 10 than 5 at this point. Including Pickering I’d probably rank their top-10 as:

1. McGroarty
2. Pickering
3. Brunicke
4. Blomqvist
5. Broz
6. Koivunen
7. Pieniniemi
8. Ponomarev
9. Howe
10. Murashov

Koivunen is producing more than Broz this year, but Koivunen's skating is a pretty big red flag to me that makes me want to put Broz ahead of him in the prospect ranking. As an aside, their system is far better than it has been in a good while. This top-10 actually has 10 good looking prospects rather than having to reach for guys like Zlobin in the top-10

I think you're really underselling Murashov. Clearly our prospect pool has improved quite a bit. But both Blom and Murashov IMO anyhow are easily in the top five. I consider Pickering an NHLer at this point. McGroarty is in there, probably Brunicke. Broz and Koivunen would be next. Murashov would be in the AHL now if not for the log jam. Also, he's 20 has a great attitude and has played well in WB in the brief times he was there.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I think you're really underselling Murashov. Clearly our prospect pool has improved quite a bit. But both Blom and Murashov IMO anyhow are easily in the top five. I consider Pickering an NHLer at this point. McGroarty is in there, probably Brunicke. Broz and Koivunen would be next. Murashov would be in the AJHL now if not for the log jam. Also, he's 20 has a great attitude and has played well in WB in the brief times he was there.

Murashov in the top-5 at this point would be premature. He has had a great year so far, but Wheeling is stacked and Gauthier is having an equal season to him with Wheeling.

He needs to have a full run in the AHL performing at good levels before he jumps into my top-5.

 

[Ryder71]

Murashov in the top-5 at this point would be premature. He has had a great year so far, but Wheeling is stacked and Gauthier is having an equal season to him with Wheeling.

He needs to have a full run in the AHL performing at good levels before he jumps into my top-5.

Well, he's in my top five. I think our goalie prospects are exceptional and easily the strongest group of prospects in the organization. The future looks really good there. Gauthier aint no slouch either but he is 23. That's why I think Murashov at 20 is the better bet. Regardless we're stacked.

 

[Duffy13]

Has anyone heard about the extent of Cuz Lucious' injury? He was supposed to return in November vs Minnesota but did not. I haven't been able to find any update if he's expected to play this year. With the NCAA schedule being short as it is, missing a whole year would be concerning wouldnt it?

 

[Duffy13]

After finally spelling his name correctly I did find this

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Cruz Lucius is such a cartoon character name, man.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Just for a point of comparison, McGroarty was also the captain of Team USA's U-20 WJC last year where he put up 5 goals and 9 points in 7 games.

I still don't think their upsides are all that dissimilar, but his dud WJC definitely makes me happier about the Yager for McGroarty trade. Yager's dud WJC definitely added a new level of red flags with him IMO.

From reading more on the main board, a lot of comments there fit with a comment I made right at the time of the trade: Yager gives me hardcore Brandon Sutter vibes. He'll be a solid middle-6 center IMO, but I don't think he has the hockey IQ or playmaking to be much better than that.

Funny enough, his playmaking was the only thing that was halfway decent. Made a couple of nice plays to set up goals. What astounded me more was his complete inability to find openings and to unleash his shot. He was non-existent as a goal scoring threat.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Cruz Lucius is such a cartoon character name, man.

FFVII: Rebirth-ass name.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Speaking of Dave Cameron, he reminds me so much of Mike Sullivan. Plays a boring style where he favors veterans muckers over more talented players, has an inability to adjust when whatever he is trying isn't working, then greets the media with quotes about nothing wrong with their approach and not needing to change anything after embarrassing losses.

 

[McGroarty2]

Has anyone heard about the extent of Cuz Lucious' injury? He was supposed to return in November vs Minnesota but did not. I haven't been able to find any update if he's expected to play this year. With the NCAA schedule being short as it is, missing a whole year would be concerning wouldnt it?

With a name like that I'm willing to bet it's a torn labia. The question is minora or majora?

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

 

[Ulf5]

McROAR

 

[Darren McCord]

McROAR

He’s got 2 now

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

McG, Broz, Koivunen and Pono all seem to have pretty strong chemistry with each other.

Now Pono's got a goal. No replay yet though.

 

[Jacob]

Harding with an OT winner