Bridgeport Islanders Discussion 2023-24: Youngblood

[The Real JT]

For inquiring minds only:
Bridgeport is now last in the AHL in goal differential and #31 of 32 in points percentage for the season.

 

[MJF]

For inquiring minds only:
Bridgeport is now last in the AHL in goal differential and #31 of 32 in points percentage for the season.

Now last? They’ve been last for a few weeks.

Yeah, that team is a hot mess. Garbage in, garbage out.

 

[The Real JT]

For inquiring minds only:
Bridgeport is now last in the AHL in goal differential and #31 of 32 in points percentage for the season.

Now last? They’ve been last for a few weeks.

Yeah, that team is a hot mess. Garbage in, garbage out.

In all seriousness, wouldn’t it be great if there were a counter argument something along the lines of this: “Well that doesn’t take into account their better prospects being developed overseas, in Junior hockey and the NCAA.”

Stop…trading…draft…picks

 

[gordie43]

In all seriousness, wouldn’t it be great if there were a counter argument something along the lines of this: “Well that doesn’t take into account their better prospects being developed overseas, in Junior hockey and the NCAA.”

Stop…trading…draft…picks

The Bridgeport team is made up if many of those very same draft picks. Maybe instead of worrying about picks, team should improve scouting?

 

[The Real JT]

The Bridgeport team is made up if many of those very same draft picks. Maybe instead of worrying about picks, team should improve scouting?

Definitely yes on the second part. That’s on Lou and somewhat on Garth.

As for the first part, there’s not a single first round pick on the Bridgeport roster. Gotta be in it to win it.

 

[Glory Days]

Definitely yes on the second part. That’s on Lou and somewhat on Garth.

As for the first part, there’s not a single first round pick on the Bridgeport roster. Gotta be in it to win it.

I’m not defending Lou but how many first round picks spend much time in the AHL. I would think the average AHL team has 1 or 2.

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

I’m not defending Lou but how many first round picks spend much time in the AHL. I would think the average AHL team has 1 or 2.

This is an important point.

The number of first rounders who spend much time in the AHL is relatively minimal nowadays (for better or worse).

In fact, without looking, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if the leaguewide average was below 2 and if there were 10+ teams without a first rounder taken since the 2020 draft in their line-up.

Granted, a few teams had sent down guys like Connor Zary and Kent Johnson in recent weeks.

But in light of the cap concerns of recent years and the overall maturity of many of these young men, the number of players who go straight from juniors, college, and Europe to their NHL team, even if they marinate there for a while á la Dobson, has been quite noticeable the past half dozen years/decade.

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

The Bridgeport team is made up if many of those very same draft picks. Maybe instead of worrying about picks, team should improve scouting?

The prospects we have on the farm are ok, even if the experts who look down upon the NYI prospect system will look at this BPort team as evidence for the low marks they're giving the Islanders.

Bridgeport tends to bring in a lot of "hardworking" vet types to not only round out the line-up, but somewhat overload it. The kids seem to have a wee bit more line-up competition than perhaps seen in some other franchises.

But the guys they brought in this year (and it was similar a few years back) are not the big scorers. Terry and Andreoff simply haven't been replaced.

They're kind of lucky Asselin was on a bit of a hot streak a few games back, because he's not a traditional scorer either.

I do wonder what it would be like for our prospects to have a Tynan and Gaudette up front? In general, this particular season is not seeing all too many player clipping at a PPG pace.

 

[The Real JT]

Just an observation here FWIW. This holds true more for forwards than for Dmen but it’s true mostly across the board.

Any of our prospects that have become full time NHL starters as a top 6 forward or top 4 Dman have consistently upward trajectories from their draft years until they reach the NHL. By that I mean they don’t suddenly have a down year in juniors (or the equivalent) and then become a vital part of the team’s future core.

Does a consistent upward trajectory guarantee success at the NHL level? Certainly not but guys like Ishakov, Salo and Bolduc can’t be expected to contribute much to our future NHL squad when at some point in their post draft years they’ve had disappointing seasons.

I’ll add one minor additional point. This excludes players who have risen quickly to the NHL then were sent down for more seasoning and later returned to the NHL and had success.

 

[EXTRAS]

How good is iskhakov? What's his chances of becoming a top 6 forward with the isles one day?

 

[IslesNorway]

How good is iskhakov? What's his chances of becoming a top 6 forward with the isles one day?

None.

 

[Kevin27NYI]

How good is iskhakov? What's his chances of becoming a top 6 forward with the isles one day?

From what I’ve seen in Bridge and preseason he is good, offensive instincts and skill set are there and I do think he’ll be in the NHL

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

How good is iskhakov? What's his chances of becoming a top 6 forward with the isles one day?

I think this is the season where we see him get a call-up at some point, likely first in a situation where the team goes a few games without any offense of note.

He was somewhat enticing last season and has presented himself as the baby Isles' go-to guy up front this season, if you can say that about anyone on a bottom feeder.

 

[NC 1972]

In all seriousness, wouldn’t it be great if there were a counter argument something along the lines of this: “Well that doesn’t take into account their better prospects being developed overseas, in Junior hockey and the NCAA.”

Stop…trading…draft…picks

It's too late , Lou went all in and it doesn't look promising, those looking to the farm for help will be waiting for some time. I know many here scoff at the promise of draft picks, yet this is where you will acquire that game changer . Yes many wont make it but that's why a full complement of picks is needed drafting 17 & 18 year old kids is a crapshoot some make it others don't and Islander fans know that all to well.

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

In all seriousness, wouldn’t it be great if there were a counter argument something along the lines of this: “Well that doesn’t take into account their better prospects being developed overseas, in Junior hockey and the NCAA.”

Stop…trading…draft…picks

It's too late , Lou went all in and it doesn't look promising, those looking to the farm for help will be waiting for some time. I know many here scoff at the promise of draft picks, yet this is where you will acquire that game changer . Yes many wont make it but that's why a full complement of picks is needed drafting 17 & 18 year old kids is a crapshoot some make it others don't and Islander fans know that all to well.

I think my life has been much easier since I simply accepted the situation that it's clearly management's philosophy that 1st rounders are there as free bartering chips provided by league structures to upgrade the immediate team, for better or worse, while 2nd rounders are generally a form of sweetener to handle cap issues.

The belief with respect to the draft is also that you really don't need more than 4-5 general picks per summer plus organizational depth signings at the AHL level to sufficiently support your organization as long as you've got the group of guys you want to go to battle with at the NHL level. Again, for better or worse.

It's how Lou has been doing business as the GM of this team.

I expect no change.

He's how he's pretty much been rolling the whole time.

Does he know that the teams that have been contending the past ten years are generally doing so with cores built via the draft with several additions made by moving picks or prospects to do it?

Sure. He knows it. He's been going that route too, for the most part.

It's just that our core homegrown guys simply aren't (or haven't been) as good as the Tampas and Colorados or Chicagos, Kings or Penguins before them.

Barzal is not a MacKinnon or Kucherov or Kane or Kopitar or Crosby or Malkin.

Can Dobson and Sorokin be what the top Dmen and goalies of the big contenders over the past decade?

Well, those are the fumes of hope we're riding on moving forward....

 

[crashthenet]

It's too late , Lou went all in and it doesn't look promising, those looking to the farm for help will be waiting for some time. I know many here scoff at the promise of draft picks, yet this is where you will acquire that game changer . Yes many wont make it but that's why a full complement of picks is needed drafting 17 & 18 year old kids is a crapshoot some make it others don't and Islander fans know that all to well.

Looking at first place Hershey, I don't see an NHL prospect on defense unless you consider Aaron Ness one. 3 forwards born in the century and 2 old goalies. Not saying we shouldn't keep our picks when it makes sense but AHL success isn't necessarily an indication of keeping you picks or drafting well.

 

[leeroggy]

It's too late , Lou went all in and it doesn't look promising, those looking to the farm for help will be waiting for some time. I know many here scoff at the promise of draft picks, yet this is where you will acquire that game changer . Yes many wont make it but that's why a full complement of picks is needed drafting 17 & 18 year old kids is a crapshoot some make it others don't and Islander fans know that all to well.

Without looking, what do these 7 NHL contributors have in common?

Max Domi
Connor Clifton
Christian Dvorak
Dylan Strome
Conor Garland
Christian Fischer
Adin Hill

 

[PK Cronin]

Without looking, what do these 7 NHL contributors have in common?

Max Domi
Connor Clifton
Christian Dvorak
Dylan Strome
Conor Garland
Christian Fischer
Adin Hill

All of their first names start with a letter that comes in the first half of the alphabet.

 

[leeroggy]

All of their first names start with a letter that comes in the first half of the alphabet.

Coincidence is not correlation!

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

Without looking, what do these 7 NHL contributors have in common?

Max Domi
Connor Clifton
Christian Dvorak
Dylan Strome
Conor Garland
Christian Fischer
Adin Hill

They've all been part of the Arizona Coyotes.

Wait... Clifton wasn't, right?

 

[The Real JT]

Without looking, what do these 7 NHL contributors have in common?

Max Domi
Connor Clifton
Christian Dvorak
Dylan Strome
Conor Garland
Christian Fischer
Adin Hill

Each of them have a minimum of 3 vowels in their first and last names.

A few of them also sound like they could be porn star stage names. Just sayin’

 

[leeroggy]

Each of them have a minimum of 3 vowels in their first and last names.

A few of them also sound like they could be porn star stage names. Just sayin’

They've all been part of the Arizona Coyotes.

Wait... Clifton wasn't, right?

They were all drafted by Arizona within a 3 year period and none of them are still there. There is no rhyme or reason to roster construction with draft picks assuming to be long-term solutions.

You can have all the picks you want, but they can end up not contributing, being trade fodder or being full-time contributors. There's FAR TOO MUCH assuming going on that a) Lou's approach to picks hurts us, b) players will grow into full-time contributors and c) there's a better way.

First round picks are nice in theory, but only two of those 7 were 1st rounders

And I should have included Michael Bunting in this too, as he was also picked in that 3-year period.

Draft	Num.	Round	Player	Pos	Drafted From	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2013 Entry
Draft	Num.	Round	Player	Pos	Drafted From	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2014 Entry
Draft	Num.	Round	Player	Pos	Drafted From	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2015 Entry
2015 Entry	3	1	Dylan Strome	C	Erie Otters [OHL]	372	98	147	245	112
2015 Entry	30	1	Nick Merkley	R	Kelowna Rockets [WHL]	41	4	11	15	11
2015 Entry	32	2	Christian Fischer	R	U.S. National Development Team [USHL]	417	57	59	116	101
2015 Entry	63	3	Kyle Capobianco	D	Sudbury Wolves [OHL]	73	5	7	12	48
2015 Entry	76	3	Adin Hill	G	Portland Winterhawks [WHL]	114	0	4	4	4
2015 Entry	81	3	Brendan Warren	L	U.S. National Development Team [USHL]
2015 Entry	83	3	Jens Looke	R	Brynas IF Gavle [SweHL]
2015 Entry	123	5	Conor Garland	R	Moncton Wildcats [QMJHL]	344	85	116	201	133
2015 Entry	183	7	Erik Kallgren	G	Linkoping Jrs (Sweden)	24	0	0	0	2
2014 Entry	12	1	Brendan Perlini	L	Niagara IceDogs [OHL]	262	50	31	81	92
2014 Entry	43	2	Ryan MacInnis	C	Kitchener Rangers [OHL]	27	0	1	1	0
2014 Entry	58	2	Christian Dvorak	C	London Knights [OHL]	433	89	121	210	100
2014 Entry	87	3	Anton Karlsson	L	Frolunda (Sweden Jrs.)
2014 Entry	117	4	Michael Bunting	L	Soo Greyhounds [OHL]	206	61	77	138	228
2014 Entry	133	5	Dysin Mayo	D	Edmonton Oil Kings [WHL]	82	4	8	12	35
2014 Entry	163	6	David Westlund	D	Brynas (Sweden Jrs.)
2014 Entry	191	7	Jared Fiegl	F	U.S. National Under-18 Team [USHL]
2014 Entry	193	7	Edgars Kulda	L	Edmonton Oil Kings [WHL]
2013 Entry	12	1	Max Domi	C	London Knights [OHL]	600	121	260	381	549
2013 Entry	39	2	Laurent Dauphin	C	Chicoutimi Sagueneens [QMJHL]	94	8	9	17	53
2013 Entry	62	3	Yan-Pavel Laplante	C	Prince Edward Island Rocket [QMJHL]
2013 Entry	133	5	Connor Clifton	D	U.S. National Development Team [USHL]	252	10	35	45	189
2013 Entry	163	6	Brendan Burke	G	Portland Winterhawks [WHL]
2013 Entry	193	7	Jedd Soleway	C	Penticton Vees [BCHL]

 

[steveat]

Just an observation here FWIW. This holds true more for forwards than for Dmen but it’s true mostly across the board.

Any of our prospects that have become full time NHL starters as a top 6 forward or top 4 Dman have consistently upward trajectories from their draft years until they reach the NHL. By that I mean they don’t suddenly have a down year in juniors (or the equivalent) and then become a vital part of the team’s future core.

Does a consistent upward trajectory guarantee success at the NHL level? Certainly not but guys like Ishakov, Salo and Bolduc can’t be expected to contribute much to our future NHL squad when at some point in their post draft years they’ve had disappointing seasons.

I’ll add one minor additional point. This excludes players who have risen quickly to the NHL then were sent down for more seasoning and later returned to the NHL and had success.

I have realized that to play at the NHL level with the Isles, you have to shut up, listen, do what you're told...essentially toe the line and you will have your shot. How well you do is how much work you've put in. If you do this, YOU WILL BE GIVEN A SHOT! Most of the Tigers have had that small opportunity...even guys like Tanner Fritz, Bardreau and Helgesen got a chance! To be fair...when they did come up, they played like they fit. Even when Richard Panik came up, he was clearly better than some others, but Lou still kept his guys.

The staying power is something else.....It's like there is a line in the sand.. "earn your respect and get loyalty from the team". We won't tell you how, but when you are accepted, we'll stick with you, no matter how terrible you are ...."really?" - Yes, really! You saw how we kept playing Bailey and now Lee! YES YES YES!!!

Bolduc is the only one in recent memory that actually skipped the line. Salo, Aho, Pelech, Pulock, Mayfield..Literally ALL of them stewed in the A for YEARS before they were given a chance. Some guys like Burroughs never got a shot even though he was good enough and is playing on Vancouver. A Ness was playing as well, but the dude has no aim...cannon of a shot though.

 

[scottywiper]

I don't get Salo. He looked fine. Hsd one bad game and been barred for life. Shame such standards don't exist for other players.

 

[DerekKingSnipes]

Looking at first place Hershey, I don't see an NHL prospect on defense unless you consider Aaron Ness one. 3 forwards born in the century and 2 old goalies. Not saying we shouldn't keep our picks when it makes sense but AHL success isn't necessarily an indication of keeping you picks or drafting well.

Based on our drafts there will be some influx of prospects next year, Gill, Jeffries and even perhaps Ljunkrantz and Odelius and George on defense.