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

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two 40+ point middle 6ers/2nd liners (McG/Koiv)
3C (Broz/Pono?)
Bottom 6 energy winger (Hayes)

complimentary top 4 D (Pickering)
4/5Dish PMD (Pieniniemi/Harding)
Solid 6D (St Ivany)

This doesnt seem too farfetched does it?
Not necessarily in quality but far fetched in quantity. Getting 7 regulars from our pool is pretty wishful, hence home run scenario.
 
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TJ Hughes from UM is only one I know. Really, really nice college player. Would be shocked if he doesn’t get NHL deal (if he wants). He’s not the biggest or best skater but not bad on either count. Probably a AAAA type talent wise but I’d be happy to roll dice on him.

Friedman talked about a kid named Luke Haymes out of Dartmouth who has attracted a lot of NHL interest.

TJ Hughes has the Rutger connection.

Luke Haymes has that DOC connection but not really.
 
Re McG
 

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The issue isn't Sid, Geno, Letang. The issue is loyalty to Sullivan and not making smart decisions.

Under Rutherford, Hextall, and Dubas we've been bad at one of drafting, evaluation, and asset management or all three.
The issue isn't Sid, Geno, Letang, the issue is that they (along with Karlsson) are the best players on the team.
Dubas hasn't been bad at asset management and it's too soon to say about his drafting and evaluation, but the other two GMs for sure were, particularly Rutherford.
Hindsight for JR would have been - DO NOT trade for Kapanen. Keep the pick and take a player. Hard to know who we would have picked but Mercer, Zary, Braden Schneider were all taken in that range.
True, though Rutherford was particularly bad at drafting, especially after Fitzgerald left. It's entirely possible that the two goalies he picked are the only long-term NHL players in the five drafts between 2016-2020.
 
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Here’s his assist. Orebro needs a better X account because it’s the only highlight they posted. If flashscore is to be trusted he played almost 20 minutes.

 
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Here’s his assist. Orebro needs a better X account because it’s the only highlight they posted. If flashscore is to be trusted he played almost 20 minutes.



Flashscore has something like player ratings per game. This year in the SHL Fernstrom averages a 6.5. Not entirely sure what a 6.5 means or how you get a 10, but as an 18/19 year old in the SHL I'm assuming this is pretty decent.

edit: Hallander is rated a 7.1
 
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Having Hallander doing well in the SHL, Fernstrom holding his own, and Ilyin doing well in the NHL is nice to see. Those three on top what we have in WBS is nice.
 
Hopefully Ilyin comes over next season. Believe his contract is up in May.

KHL to AHL kind of a tough sell though.
Yeah, I have no idea what his intentions or desires are. Plenty of Russians want to stay home so it's obviously not automatic. I think you have to have a slot for him pretty well set in the AHL. You can at least sell "you'll get the chance in camp. If not, you'll go to WBS when you'll be 1/2 RW and be eligible for call up."

That's better than "meh, you'll have to win a spot in WBS or Wheeling".

I'd stay home in the KHL before I willingly traveled to the US to stay in Wheeling.
 
Having Malkin, Ponomarev, Kolyachonok in camp and likely Murashov as an AHL teammate might make it easier to sell. Maybe keep Knyzhov around too.
 
Yeah I imagine he spends at least the rest of the year in the AHL. Needs to figure that league out before you even start thinking about bringing him up.
So we acquired a player because of his NHL-readiness (more than the guy we shipped out), and then suddenly he comes here and is now a "long-term project".

When we talk about development, this is exactly what we mean.
 
Not to harp on Fernstrom too much but flashscore has him playing on the 2nd line for Orebro now, who are a mediocre team in the SHL. Earlier he was playing 12 minutes or less but more recently it’s been like 16+ minutes, including PP time. He’s 7th amongst their forwards in scoring, which isn’t anything to write home about but he also missed time due to being sent down to play 12 games with their junior team. I think if he can finish out the year in their top 6 that’d be a nice jumping off point for a small breakout season next year, and a spot on the U20 team. His D+1 19 Y/O season compares favorably to Zetterlund, Kempe, even Raymond’s. Ironically though Hallander’s was much better.
 
I still think McG was fine in the three games he played at the start of the year. They should've just let him develop at this level and learn from guys like Sid and Geno in practice every day. /shrug

But that'd require having a coach who isn't violently allergic to coaching young guys or being patient with their development.
 
My take on McGroarty is he’s not that far off but we actually have a decent crop of forward prospects in the system and he’s behind them not because they’re better prospects but because they’re good and older. Broz, Koivunen, Pono in particular. I think he probably starts next season in the A, especially with Pono having to clear waivers, and finishes the year as a regular NHLer.
 
So we acquired a player because of his NHL-readiness (more than the guy we shipped out), and then suddenly he comes here and is now a "long-term project".

When we talk about development, this is exactly what we mean.
I’m not sure Dubas ever explicitly said that was why, sounded like just thought he was the better prospect.
 
Brunicke just matched his point total from last season...in almost half the # of games. He has missed half his teams games this season and is still sixth in scoring on the team lol
 
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Not to harp on Fernstrom too much but flashscore has him playing on the 2nd line for Orebro now, who are a mediocre team in the SHL. Earlier he was playing 12 minutes or less but more recently it’s been like 16+ minutes, including PP time. He’s 7th amongst their forwards in scoring, which isn’t anything to write home about but he also missed time due to being sent down to play 12 games with their junior team. I think if he can finish out the year in their top 6 that’d be a nice jumping off point for a small breakout season next year, and a spot on the U20 team. His D+1 19 Y/O season compares favorably to Zetterlund, Kempe, even Raymond’s. Ironically though Hallander’s was much better.

The moral of the story then is that Fernstrom isn't allowed to break his leg.
 
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Speaking of, any decent college UFAs out there?
Dylan Hryckowian & Jack Williams from Northeastern. Hryckowian was worth getting picked in 2023 and 2024 IMHO, but went undrafted. Would guess Hryckowian doesn't sign though in 2025.

Jake Livanavage of North Dakota similarly should have been drafted in 2023 or 2024 but wasn't. He will be a good UFA target once he leaves Grand Forks.

With the way Ferschweiler is developing guys at Western Michigan, they'll have some targets, Samuel Sjolund for example.
 
Avery Hayes looking pretty good in the A for Wilkes Barre. Everyone knew he had some scoring potential coming out of the O, he just had the misfortune of losing a year of development due to the O not playing during COVID & his size. Interested to see if he can keep progressing.
As soon as they clear some space, he's going to get an NHL deal. They're at 49 of 50 contracts right now and they'll want flexibility at the deadline to make deals. I bet after the deadline he gets an ELC.
 

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