Prospect Info: CBJ Prospect Thread XI

[Antiillafire]

Knazko played on Slovakia’s first pairing today in 7-1 win over Switzerland. He showed very well against a Swiss team that had a few guys with NHL experience. Keep in mind this Slovak team is made up of players from Slovak league so Knazko is among the top guys in ice time.

 

[Cowumbus]

Kent Johnson was relatively quiet last night. He did pick up two (secondary) assists, but other than having some really good zone entries, he wasn’t too noticeable.

 

[Cowumbus]

Johnson with 4 assists tonight vs PSU.

Now has 4 G 16 A 20 P in 12 GP.

 

[tunnelvision]

Pats lost 6-1 to Lethbridge, Svozil 0+0 but recorded -1 with this giveaway.

 

[Doggy]

Question about KJ13: I know he has a ton of assists but I have never actually seen him play. I also know that Matty Beniers on his line is lighting it up with his goal tally.

My question is...is KJ13 simply benefitting and racking up the points from playing on such a talented team and line and Beniers' knack for scoring or does KJ13 really drive possession and is a major part of opening the ice up for Beniers to score as much as he does?

 

[Doggy]

This kid has been snakebitten with injuries since getting to the Monsters. Really hoping he is healthy now and we can see him get most of a season in and be productive. I don't know if he is an NHLer but it would be nice to see him play so he can be assessed on his ability and production rather than staring at his biggest stat to date which is "games lost".

 

[majormajor]

Question about KJ13: I know he has a ton of assists but I have never actually seen him play. I also know that Matty Beniers on his line is lighting it up with his goal tally.

My question is...is KJ13 simply benefitting and rackign up the points from playing on such a talented team and line and Beniers' knack for scoring or does KJ13 really drive possession and is a major part of opening the ice up for Beniers to score as much as he does?

He's definitely got a lot of points that come from playing for Michigan, as they all do. I don't think it's him depending on Beniers though, it's more of a mutual thing. When the season started Beniers was cold and Johnson was picking up his assists setting up other guys.

 

[Xoggz22]

Question about KJ13: I know he has a ton of assists but I have never actually seen him play. I also know that Matty Beniers on his line is lighting it up with his goal tally.

My question is...is KJ13 simply benefitting and rackign up the points from playing on such a talented team and line and Beniers' knack for scoring or does KJ13 really drive possession and is a major part of opening the ice up for Beniers to score as much as he does?

From all accounts, he's the driver this year, not the passenger. He and Owen Power have been the best players from everything I've heard and read. His skill has been on display and it certainly helps to have an amazing team around you.

 

[VT]

I didn`t watch Deutschland Cup but what our fans wrote Knazko played not ideal in defense, don`t try to play around the boards but one has good play in offense. He`ll play in Seattle (WHL) so we look if he is better in these things.

 

[VT]

Marchenko has assigned to SKA-Neva (VHL), becasue CRF has too much forwards (Gusev. Volkov, Zykov and Komarov have come).

His goal against Zauralie

 

[Doggy]

Marchenko has assigned to SKA-Neva (VHL), becasue CRF has too much forwards (Gusev. Volkov, Zykov and Komarov have come).

His goal against Zauralie

Perhaps they should loan him to the Blue Jackets

 

[VT]

Perhaps they should loan him to the Blue Jackets

I understand it`s irony but SKA holds its young players. They act like a frog on a rock. Ones know that with the arrival of new players who won't be under rotation, the youth time will decrease, but they don't mind it.

 

[6zag]

If Kent Johnson's game translates to the NHL without major hiccups, our team will be in a very good spot in a couple years. That kid is oozing talent. Excited to see how he'll grow as a player.

 

[Byrral]

In two drafts they improved the depth of offensive talent. They need work on the back end.

 

[KJ Dangler]

From all accounts, he's the driver this year, not the passenger. He and Owen Power have been the best players from everything I've heard and read. His skill has been on display and it certainly helps to have an amazing team around you.

Yup, Kent is driving the play, Beniers has 10g, 7 of them are powerplay goals . My only worry with Johnson is his shooting % .

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

In two drafts they improved the depth of offensive talent. They need work on the back end.

Indeed and then be prepared to allow newly-drafted d-men 2-3 years to develop.

 

[Doggy]

Indeed and then be prepared to allow newly-drafted d-men 2-3 years to develop.

I won't deny we need to improve the defensive pipeline (and the goaltending pipeline needs a boost as well) but we should have some confidence in how young our current top six d-pairings are and the hope that they could be a solid unit for quite a few years.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

I won't deny we need to improve the defensive pipeline (and the goaltending pipeline needs a boost as well) but we should have some confidence in how young our current top six d-pairings are and the hope that they could be a solid unit for quite a few years.

Agreed. The prospect pool needs a high-end type but the additions of Bean and especially Boqvist buffer that needs at the NHL level.

 

[koteka]

In two drafts they improved the depth of offensive talent. They need work on the back end.

I agree.

There are 7 right D I have seen in various mock drafts or lists of best prospects eligible for the 2022 draft.

Simon Nemec
David Jiricek
Elias Salomonsson
Ryan Chesley
Tristan Luneau
Seamus Casey
Ty Nelson

Nemec and Jiricek are rated very high. Nelson is 5’8”, so he is not the defenseman I hope this team drafts in the first round. (He is supposed to be a really good power play quarterback.)

It obviously all depends on where our two 1st round picks are, but drafting one of Jiricek or Nemec would really improve our defensive pipeline. As for the next group of guys, I kind of have my eye on Luneau and Chelsey.

If we draft a forward and a right D with our 1st round picks, a left D with our 2nd (likely an early 2nd), and a goalie with the Tampa 3rd or one of the two 4th round picks, I’d be pretty happy. (It goes without saying that I hope they are drafting the best guys on the board.)

 

[majormajor]

I agree.

There are 7 right D I have seen in various mock drafts or lists of best prospects eligible for the 2022 draft.

Simon Nemec
David Jiricek
Elias Salomonsson
Ryan Chesley
Tristan Luneau
Seamus Casey
Ty Nelson

Nemec and Jiricek are rated very high. Nelson is 5’8”, so he is not the defenseman I hope this team drafts in the first round. (He is supposed to be a really good power play quarterback.)

It obviously all depends on where our two 1st round picks are, but drafting one of Jiricek or Nemec would really improve our defensive pipeline. As for the next group of guys, I kind of have my eye on Luneau and Chelsey.

If we draft a forward and a right D with our 1st round picks, a left D with our 2nd (likely an early 2nd), and a goalie with the Tampa 3rd or one of the two 4th round picks, I’d be pretty happy. (It goes without saying that I hope they are drafting the best guys on the board.)

I tend to think we've got good middling talent coming at all positions, and I just want the team to swing for the fences with every pick, regardless of position. I don't know yet which players are the big swings but they'll surely be my guys when I get to them.

 

[koteka]

I tend to think we've got good middling talent coming at all positions, and I just want the team to swing for the fences with every pick, regardless of position. I don't know yet which players are the big swings but they'll surely be my guys when I get to them.

Right D worries me.

Boqvist
Peeke
the guys in Cleveland - Schemitsch, Sweezey, Clayton
Hjorth
Ceulemans
Johannesson
Stucker

I was high on Peeke, then I wasn’t, and now he is looking better again. I see him as a guy that could be a defensively responsible partner for Werenski or part of a shut down 2nd pair. (Or both depending on situation.)

Boqvist needs to improve his defense. We’ll see if he can. I know you think he needs to get stronger. That would certainly help, but he could also use a nasty streak. To me he looks like a guy that wants to be the 4th forward. He is still really young.

We’ll see how Ceulemans develops. Hopefully he does. Going into the draft some people really like him and others didn’t.

I don’t know that the Cleveland guys project as NHLers. Stucker is a senior. I don’t know that we sign him. Hjorth and Johannesson were later round picks.

 

[koteka]

Here is an interesting Czech overage right D playing in the QMJHL this season.

David Spacek at eliteprospects.com

Check out where he was born. His last name may look familiar.

 

[LJ7]

Werenski (24), Gavrikov (25), Peeke (23), Bean (23), Boqvist (21) all being guarantees to atleast be startable for years to come at their young age has me patient for the defensemen pool. It does need some attention but since they're all so young we can afford to wait for upcoming defensemen to really develop. Obviously will need improvement from them though.

I'm curious to see who gets traded out of the forward group. If a combination of the bubble guys can be flipped in to a defense prospect that would balance things out well. Sillinger and Chinakhov being NHL ready and the influx of old rookies have been great on ice and asset wise. One of the biggest differences from last seasons team to this one is the bottom 6 not being the tank commanders the front office was "evaluating" at the end of the season. I'm glad we landed Johnson but that post TDL team was miserable to watch. Anyway the newfound depth at forward helps since some of our extra forwards actually have some value. Not much but it provides a little bit of flexibility.

I still think the team needs center prospects. To me Johnson is a wing until proven otherwise and I don't think Voronkov is a guarantee by any stretch.

 

[koteka]

Werenski (24), Gavrikov (25), Peeke (23), Bean (23), Boqvist (21) all being guarantees to atleast be startable for years to come at their young age has me patient for the defensemen pool.

My assumption is Gavrikov is gone in free agency after next year (unless he is traded sooner). He watched his two best friends on the team test free agency. He’ll do the same. Even if he wants to stay, he knows Panarin got his best offer from Columbus when he was negotiating with other teams. I doubt he signs an extension before the trade deadline next year, which means the team will have to trade him because they won’t risk losing him for nothing.

 

[majormajor]

Right D worries me.

Boqvist
Peeke
the guys in Cleveland - Schemitsch, Sweezey, Clayton
Hjorth
Ceulemans
Johannesson
Stucker

I was high on Peeke, then I wasn’t, and now he is looking better again. I see him as a guy that could be a defensively responsible partner for Werenski or part of a shut down 2nd pair. (Or both depending on situation.)

Boqvist needs to improve his defense. We’ll see if he can. I know you think he needs to get stronger. That would certainly help, but he could also use a nasty streak. To me he looks like a guy that wants to be the 4th forward. He is still really young.

We’ll see how Ceulemans develops. Hopefully he does. Going into the draft some people really like him and others didn’t.

I don’t know that the Cleveland guys project as NHLers. Stucker is a senior. I don’t know that we sign him. Hjorth and Johannesson were later round picks.

Bean has been a viable right-sider too. I still have no idea what to make of Boqvist, but he's not bad. And Peeke is fine too.

Those guys are all young guys on RFA deals. Ceulemans might come along too. I don't expect to get players out of the other prospects you mentioned.

So 3-4 young NHL caliber right-siders would be plenty. My issue is more that none of them are high end, none are real top pair caliber. I hope we get Jiricek or Nemec, and if not them then swing hard on a high upside guy. Scott Morrow has been a star so far here at UMass, I don't know why so many clubs passed on him.

Here is an interesting Czech overage right D playing in the QMJHL this season.

David Spacek at eliteprospects.com

Check out where he was born. His last name may look familiar.

Wow. Impressive point production. If this kid can fill out like his dad (a notable brick sh*thouse) then he might be quite the player.

My assumption is Gavrikov is gone in free agency after next year (unless he is traded sooner). He watched his two best friends on the team test free agency. He’ll do the same. Even if he wants to stay, he knows Panarin got his best offer from Columbus when he was negotiating with other teams. I doubt he signs an extension before the trade deadline next year, which means the team will have to trade him because they won’t risk losing him for nothing.

I'm going to assume (!) that you don't mean "assumption" literally. We really don't know what Gavrikov wants to do, so far he's spent about as much time with Chinakhov as he did with Panarin and Bobrovsky, and he's actually spent a lot more time with Elvis (a fellow Russian speaker) who is here long term. I know that the Merzlikins and Gavrikovs are good friends. I would guess that Gavrikov enjoys being a sherpa for the young Russians and will decide to stay here long term.