C Quinn Finley - Wisconsin Badgers (2022, 78th, NYI)

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Would you say he's probably the best prospect Islander have right now other than maybe Eiserman who they just drafted? Their prospect pool is pretty weak.

Probably not, although he's not terribly far either. Nelson, Pulkinnen, Bednarik, Gidlof, George, Dufour, Bolduc. They don't have the best prospect pool because they trade first rounders too often, but I think they've done a good job outside of the first round recently and have had some good 2nd-5th rounders.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Is this a new style for the prospect threads now?

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Is this a new style for the prospect threads now?

What’s with the thread title?

 

[DigitalBoldy]

I think he was the best of the younger players at Wisconsin last year. He’s the lone survivor because he’s the lone player that Hastings liked and trusted. Would not have expected that from him a few years ago, but he’s starting to round things out. And with Hastings hockey it’s going to be lower scoring, so his numbers aren’t that bad.

17th out of 64 teams in goals for per game last year.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

17th out of 64 teams in goals for per game last year.

Yeah, but they were ranked 11th at the end of the season and 2nd in scoring defense. Not saying they're like some awful offensive team, but he plays a more defensive style, so even though the team is good they have more of a modest offense.

 

[DigitalBoldy]

Yeah, but they were ranked 11th at the end of the season and 2nd in scoring defense. Not saying they're like some awful offensive team, but he plays a more defensive style, so even though the team is good they have more of a modest offense.

I’m not following at all. Here’s where his team(s) placed in the NCAA the last 10 years in goals for per game:

23-24: 17th
22-23: 17th
21-22: 2nd
20-21: 6th
19-20: 2nd
18-19: 5th
17-18: 2nd
16-17: 23rd
15-16: 36th
14-15: 4th

6 of the last 10 years his team was top 10 in goals for per game, including 5 seasons in the top 5.

His teams don’t cheat offense. They score just fine though

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I’m not following at all. Here’s where his team(s) placed in the NCAA the last 10 years in goals for per game:

23-24: 17th
22-23: 17th
21-22: 2nd
20-21: 6th
19-20: 2nd
18-19: 5th
17-18: 2nd
16-17: 23rd
15-16: 36th
14-15: 4th

6 of the last 10 years his team was top 10 in goals for per game, including 5 seasons in the top 5.

His teams don’t cheat offense. They score just fine though

Your stats are skewed. He coaches good teams. Of course they are going to rank "high" compared to the whole NCAA where there are plenty of bad teams that are bad at both categories and don't have anywhere near the caliber of hockey players to work with.

He coaches a more defensive style, which is the point I'm making. Never claimed his teams can't score. I said lower scoring. Lower scoring doesn't mean a team that doesn't win or doesn't score. Some teams play run and gun and some teams play a more buttoned up system. Wisconsin plays the latter, which makes it harder for players to pad stats.

 

[DigitalBoldy]

Your stats are skewed. He coaches good teams. Of course they are going to rank "high" compared to the whole NCAA where there are plenty of bad teams that are bad at both categories and don't have anywhere near the caliber of hockey players to work with.

He coaches a more defensive style, which is the point I'm making. Never claimed his teams can't score. I said lower scoring. Lower scoring doesn't mean a team that doesn't win or doesn't score. Some teams play run and gun and some teams play a more buttoned up system. Wisconsin plays the latter, which makes it harder for players to pad stats.

They’re not skewed, you just don’t like them cause they don’t fit your narrative.

You said his teams are lower scoring as a means to explain Finley’s point totals. His teams are not low scoring. Finley’s point totals are lower because he played a bottom 6 role with an occasional game in the top 6 here or there.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

They’re not skewed, you just don’t like them cause they don’t fit your narrative.

You said his teams are lower scoring as a means to explain Finley’s point totals. His teams are not low scoring. Finley’s point totals are lower because he played a bottom 6 role with an occasional game in the top 6 here or there.

They are skewed, and you don't want to admit it because people don't like to admit that their team plays a boring, low scoring defensive brand of hockey. If an NHL team was 2nd in defense and 17th in offense (11th overall), they'd be considered a defensive style of team.

 

[DigitalBoldy]

They are skewed, and you don't want to admit it because people don't like to admit that their team plays a boring, low scoring defensive brand of hockey. If an NHL team was 2nd in defense and 17th in offense (11th overall), they'd be considered a defensive style of team.

I don’t care if you think the team is boring or not. You’re misrepresenting a player by saying things that are not true.

Btw, 17th out of 64 teams is the equivalent to #8/9 out of 32 teams, but go off.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

What’s with the thread title?

Asked the mods to update it since it was two years outdated. Got a snarky reply along with the headline.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

I don’t care if you think the team is boring or not. You’re misrepresenting a player by saying things that are not true.

Btw, 17th out of 64 teams is the equivalent to #8/9 out of 32 teams, but go off.

From the numbers and the discussion (haven't watched enough of the Badgers to know) but it seems has been successful in much the same way that Mike Schaeffer has been at Cornell; playing a strong structural game with bigger and stronger upper classmen; not necessarily NHL prospects.

 

[DigitalBoldy]

From the numbers and the discussion (haven't watched enough of the Badgers to know) but it seems has been successful in much the same way that Mike Schaeffer has been at Cornell; playing a strong structural game with bigger and stronger upper classmen; not necessarily NHL prospects.

90% of NCAA teams play this way, including Minnesota and Michigan State. They’re not BC or BU being carried by top level draft picks.

Granato played “firewagon” hockey and his teams sucked. I’ll take Hastings any day. He’s almost one and the same with Motzko, but you won’t see any gopher fans say anything about that.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

90% of NCAA teams play this way, including Minnesota and Michigan State. They’re not BC or BU being carried by top level draft picks.

Granato played “firewagon” hockey and his teams sucked. I’ll take Hastings any day. He’s almost one and the same with Motzko, but you won’t see any gopher fans say anything about that.

Interesting. To this point, at least based on the NHL draft, the Gophers have had higher end prospects.

But the playing styles are similar? Imagine Michigan leans more to the BU/BC model?

Would love your take.

 

[DigitalBoldy]

Interesting. To this point, at least based on the NHL draft, the Gophers have had higher end prospects.

But the playing styles are similar? Imagine Michigan leans more to the BU/BC model?

Would love your take.

Hastings has been at Wisconsin for one season. Motzko is going into year 7 as the Minnesota head coach and his first two seasons he hovered around .500. If you look at Motzko’s winning seasons, the majority of his top scoring players are upperclassmen outside of the outlier 22-23 season with the Knies/Cooley/Snuggerud top line.

It takes time to get those high end recruits and they usually don’t stick around long. It’s not a sustainable model to only go after those guys. Granato had Caufield/Holloway turn in an outstanding season in 20-21, won 20 games, and they made the tournament for the first time since 2014. Then both left and Wisconsin mustered 23 total wins the next two seasons combined, leading to the coaching change.

I think it’s more sustainable to get 3-4 year guys with a couple blue chippers. Logan Hensler playing for Wisconsin next year is a prime example of a blue chipper. Should go top 15 in the draft.

Tying this back to Finley, he should be a 2nd line guy this year with power play time.

I would say Michigan is sort of a comparable to BU/BC. They care 0 about defense. It is all about winning games by scoring 5+ for them.

 

[seafoam]

Would you say he's probably the best prospect Islander have right now other than maybe Eiserman who they just drafted? Their prospect pool is pretty weak.

Consensus would likely say he's behind Eiserman, Nelson, and Pulkkinen in their second tier with the likes of Bednarik, Jefferies (Merrimack product), Maggio, and Odelius.

They also have wildcards like Gamzin, George, Nurmi and a bunch of projects that very likely won't pan out.

Hastings has been at Wisconsin for one season. Motzko is going into year 7 as the Minnesota head coach and his first two seasons he hovered around .500. If you look at Motzko’s winning seasons, the majority of his top scoring players are upperclassmen outside of the outlier 22-23 season with the Knies/Cooley/Snuggerud top line.

It takes time to get those high end recruits and they usually don’t stick around long. It’s not a sustainable model to only go after those guys. Granato had Caufield/Holloway turn in an outstanding season in 20-21, won 20 games, and they made the tournament for the first time since 2014. Then both left and Wisconsin mustered 23 total wins the next two seasons combined, leading to the coaching change.

I think it’s more sustainable to get 3-4 year guys with a couple blue chippers. Logan Hensler playing for Wisconsin next year is a prime example of a blue chipper. Should go top 15 in the draft.

Tying this back to Finley, he should be a 2nd line guy this year with power play time.

I would say Michigan is sort of a comparable to BU/BC. They care 0 about defense. It is all about winning games by scoring 5+ for them.

I've been paying more attention to Wisconsin hockey since both Finley and Schulz ending up joining the program. I like Hastings, but I think high end recruits want to go to programs like BC/BU/MI because it will pump their numbers and get them to the NHL sooner rather than later. Just my two cents...

 

[impaaaaaact]

Anybody watching this kid? seems like he's had a solid start to the season

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Anybody watching this kid? seems like he's had a solid start to the season

He's been damn good. One of the most underrated players in the NCAA this year.

 

[Arsenalogist24]

15 goals and 12 assists through 21 games. A hell of a sophomore season so far

 

[DigitalBoldy]

Drove me nuts with his turnovers and lack of effort defending said turnovers early on in the year. Been much better lately.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Always liked Finley. He reminds me of Brendan Brisson (who is struggling big time right now and may struggle to stick in the NHL but at least got a few stints in the league already) in that he’s a double threat offensive threat that can shoot or pass. His defense isn’t always there, but has gotten better. Not as soft as he once was. Has gotten a little stronger. Slows the game down too much, so it makes his skating look worse than it actually is at times.

Not a guarantee he sticks in the NHL, but for a third round pick he’s definitely trending well and I think he get games, at the very least.

My general rule of thumb with NCAA players of how to assess their stats (and this isn’t all there is to it, I know) is that you treat them as if that are the age of a regular college kid. None of this nonsense where you’re called a freshman at age 20 or 21. The best barometer is how you compare for your age. Finley is the age of the average college junior (born in 2004). Being above 1PPG at that point is pretty good and a player that theoretically is on track for NHL games.

Isles have been good with American picks lately. Finley, Nelson, Bednarik, even Eiserman at that spot? I have some issues with the player, but the value where they got him is where you’re going to get value on the player. I’ll be nice and pretend the Zach Schulz pick never happened (even so, 6th round, which makes it whatever).

 

[barriers]

I'm quite curious if he'll be offered an ELC or if he'll accept it once this Badgers' season is complete

 

[saintunspecified]

Always liked Finley. He reminds me of Brendan Brisson (who is struggling big time right now and may struggle to stick in the NHL but at least got a few stints in the league already) in that he’s a double threat offensive threat that can shoot or pass. His defense isn’t always there, but has gotten better. Not as soft as he once was. Has gotten a little stronger. Slows the game down too much, so it makes his skating look worse than it actually is at times.

The difference between Finley & Brisson is that Brisson's production at Michigan came along with pretty extraordinary talent (Beniers, Johnson, Hughes, Power, etc. etc.). Finley is the top offensive weapon at WI.

When I watch Finley, I see someone whose primary value will be on the PP, where he moves around everywhere effectively to avoid defensive focus. That's where him being a dual threat comes into play. The trick for him will be holding his own at even strength.