Prospect Info: Daniil Karpovich (#186 - 6th Round - 2023 Draft)

[Bad Goalie]

They are not going to get a decent free agent. Why would they? Why would anyone decent sign in Utica with that defense corps? You have Hatakka or DeSimone who spent time in the NHL, Colton White has 50 games experience, and Vilen, Casey, and Misyul are solid prospects. You're competing with Diotte for time. I'm sure other teams have better openings.

They can easily get a UFA AHL veteran D-man who is no longer NHL material like Wotherspoon and Russo were. There are a bunch of those guys around every season. They need to fill out the roster with a decent D-man.

With your philosophy the free agent center's agents should be knocking down Fitz's door to get a contract. The center position here is begging for at least 2 guys and 1 should be the #1 center. There is room to make the Devils on a call-up for a good AHL/NHL center willing to take a chance with them and play in Utica and show their value. This entire franchise is begging for centers. The Devils need to have 1 center in Utica to fill in much better than Bowers or Dowling did last season if the injury bug hits a couple centers in NJ again. He can be a young guy who has Veteran Exempt status or an recently demoted vet who can still hold down an NHL #3/4 spot while the Devils rearrange the spots ahead of him with what they have in house. Moving wingers into the middle has not worked out so well in the past. Thus, the use of both Bowers and Dowling last season.

 

[Guadana]

This gives me the impresion of so many European players. They want to play in the NHL, but if the NHL slot is not ready to be handed to them, they stay home because the $$$ is better. Meanwhile the North American kids have no choice but to play in the AHL. Other NHL franchises want their European selections to play in the AHL when the parnet club feels they want them there. It is made clear to
the player very early on. Thus, the AHL is full of young European prospects drafted by NHL teams.

Utica currently has 2 more D-men playing here who could be making more $$$ in Russia or Finland. Their path toi the NHL doesn't look bright at the moment either looking at the Devils roster. Okhotyuk took his chances in the AHL and made it to the NHL, but has decided after his 2nd trade, this time to Calgary, to go back home and is signed with CSKA Moscow of the KHL for this coming season.

It look like the future for Devils prospect D-men in Utica will be as trade piecse to help the Devils. Where they go is more likely going to give them their path to the NHL. DeSimone and maybe Hatakka are first call-ups but not likely to ever end up in the Devils top 6. Wouldn't be surprised if Misyul passes them by. Silayev will be in that top 6 in a short span of 2-3 seasons.

So, do you see him in Utica next season? Or do you think he will stay in Russia if the NHL spot is still not there for him?

Does he wait until Siegenthatler and Dillon are gone before he comes over? Then he and Silayev make their appearnces together right into the NHL? Kinda like Gritsyuk has done. Now he's ready to come over because a spot is open for him to step into.

I don’t know. Will he has real opportunity to play in KHL? Because of the team or because of his fault? How our AHL defense will look after next season?
There are too many unknowns in this equation, and with Vilen, Misyul in Utica and Siegenthaler, Dillon and Hughes at the main club, it seems like there is no urgent need to sign a defender to a contract.
It seems to me that it will depend on a lot of things, a year ago we did not know that we would exchange Marino, and a year before the Smith trade, no one considered the Smith trade except me.
So if everything will stay as it is now, it’s little better for him to play in KHL and develop in his tempo, but let’s imagine we will trade Siegenthaler, Vilen and Misyul or Hattaka will share 6/7 D role as competent enough/cheap players, than there is an absolutely different situation from many reasons.

 

[StevenToddIves]

"Karpovich is the Devils' 18th best prospect" -- some dude who has never actually watched Karpovich play a hockey game.

New Jersey Devils Prospect Ranking: 20-16

The Devils have had one of the best prospect pools over the last half-decade. Since 2017, they’ve had two first-overall selections, a second-overall pick, seven more first-round picks, and 28 total top-100 draft choices.

www.yardbarker.com

 

[Guadana]

"Karpovich is the Devils' 18th best prospect" -- some dude who has never actually watched Karpovich play a hockey game.

New Jersey Devils Prospect Ranking: 20-16

The Devils have had one of the best prospect pools over the last half-decade. Since 2017, they’ve had two first-overall selections, a second-overall pick, seven more first-round picks, and 28 total top-100 draft choices.

www.yardbarker.com

Karpovich is top-10 Devils prospect.

 

[Bad Goalie]

"Karpovich is the Devils' 18th best prospect" -- some dude who has never actually watched Karpovich play a hockey game.

New Jersey Devils Prospect Ranking: 20-16

The Devils have had one of the best prospect pools over the last half-decade. Since 2017, they’ve had two first-overall selections, a second-overall pick, seven more first-round picks, and 28 total top-100 draft choices.

www.yardbarker.com

Diotte "immediately a top 4 D-man" in Utica. With Misyul, (LD) Vilen (LD), Casey (RD), Hatakka (LD)/DeSimone (RD), and veteran White RD. I have the impression he will get the same spot as most rookies behind already promising D-men ahead of him, #6/3rd RD.

The right side:
Casey
White
Diotte
If DeSimone is here Diotte will purely be fighting for ice time and White will be #3.

DiNeen will have a tough time deciding his arrangement of the left side:
Misyul
Vilen
Hatakka
Real hard to find a #3 in that trio.
Will MacKinnon is a distant #4 at the moment.

On this list Diotte is ranked 2 slots ahead of Karpovich. If that holds up both you and Guadana will become questionable as to what you know. Double LOL.

 

[Guadana]

Diotte "immediately a top 4 D-man" in Utica. With Misyul, (LD) Vilen (LD), Casey (RD), Hatakka (LD)/DeSimone (RD), and veteran White RD. I have the impression he will get the same spot as most rookies behind already promising D-men ahead of him, #6/3rd RD.

The right side:
Casey
White
Diotte
If DeSimone is here Diotte will purely be fighting for ice time and White will be #3.

DiNeen will have a tough time deciding his arrangement of the left side:
Misyul
Vilen
Hatakka
Real hard to find a #3 in that trio.
Will MacKinnon is a distant #4 at the moment.

On this list Diotte is ranked 2 slots ahead of Karpovich. If that holds up both you and Guadana will become questionable as to what you know. Double LOL.

Let's Go, Diotte. If he will take "his" top-4 spot ahed of those players it does mean he will be very good. I want more good players in the system. Even if 97% of them are left defensemen.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Let's Go, Diotte. If he will take "his" top-4 spot ahed of those players it does mean he will be very good. I want more good players in the system. Even if 97% of them are left defensemen.

I'd like to "Like" this, but it's too big of a stretch. LOL

 

[StevenToddIves]

Diotte "immediately a top 4 D-man" in Utica. With Misyul, (LD) Vilen (LD), Casey (RD), Hatakka (LD)/DeSimone (RD), and veteran White RD. I have the impression he will get the same spot as most rookies behind already promising D-men ahead of him, #6/3rd RD.

The right side:
Casey
White
Diotte
If DeSimone is here Diotte will purely be fighting for ice time and White will be #3.

DiNeen will have a tough time deciding his arrangement of the left side:
Misyul
Vilen
Hatakka
Real hard to find a #3 in that trio.
Will MacKinnon is a distant #4 at the moment.

On this list Diotte is ranked 2 slots ahead of Karpovich. If that holds up both you and Guadana will become questionable as to what you know. Double LOL.

I'm very high on Karpovich but, like many prospects not playing in North America or Scandinavia, the people who dismiss him mostly haven't seen him.

Karpovich is 6'3-210 and a very good skater, he defends well and is physical as hell, he's got a bomb of a shot and unlike many players of his ilk, he's solid with the puck. I'm not sure what's not to like.

If we were going to realistically compare Karpovich to players taken in the 2024 draft, we'd be throwing around names like Charlie Elick (#36, Columbus), Adam Kleber (#42, Buffalo) and Will Skahan (#65, Utah). Karpovich is quite obviously superior to names like Gabriel Eliasson (#39, Ottawa) and Colin Ralph (#48, St. Louis). But he was ranked low at the draft and continues to be ranked low because people are too lazy to look up his game film.

 

[Bad Goalie]

I'm very high on Karpovich but, like many prospects not playing in North America or Scandinavia, the people who dismiss him mostly haven't seen him.

Karpovich is 6'3-210 and a very good skater, he defends well and is physical as hell, he's got a bomb of a shot and unlike many players of his ilk, he's solid with the puck. I'm not sure what's not to like.

If we were going to realistically compare Karpovich to players taken in the 2024 draft, we'd be throwing around names like Charlie Elick (#36, Columbus), Adam Kleber (#42, Buffalo) and Will Skahan (#65, Utah). Karpovich is quite obviously superior to names like Gabriel Eliasson (#39, Ottawa) and Colin Ralph (#48, St. Louis). But he was ranked low at the draft and continues to be ranked low because people are too lazy to look up his game film.

I trust both your and Guadana's opinions. I am only talking about Diotte for this season. Next year based upon NJ's top 7 (if the same as now) Karpovich will move Diotte right out of the picture if Utica's D remains constant.

I don't think Utica's crew will be a repeat. Bodies will be used in trades for a center (duh) and a Toffoli replacement, if they don't get to that trade much sooner. There are no forwards down here that could be used for a quality NHL center or the Toffoli level forward. It's scary to think what they will have to give up for these 2 spots. Fitz's apparent blind spot regarding centers is going to cost him a big chunk of his D stockpile. The key here is that he must have it figured out as to who he has to keep. Trading away a budding NHL star before having the opportunity to see him under fire in the NHL would be very disappointing.

 

[forceten]

Karpovich is the exact kind of player you want to draft in the second half of the draft. It's why I think a lot of folks here were frustrated with Pikkarainen, Traff, and Graham instead of maybe just Traff and swinging on a number of Russian players that were lingering. Because these are assets for the system even if there's a log jam ahead - it allows us to package them for a player that's more of a known quantity than otherwise, and plug direct needs.

 

[My3Sons]

Karpovich is the exact kind of player you want to draft in the second half of the draft. It's why I think a lot of folks here were frustrated with Pikkarainen, Traff, and Graham instead of maybe just Traff and swinging on a number of Russian players that were lingering. Because these are assets for the system even if there's a log jam ahead - it allows us to package them for a player that's more of a known quantity than otherwise, and plug direct needs.

My guess is that @Bad Goalie called Fitz after the first round ended and got on him about how NJ is neglecting Utica and where on earth is a center and Fitz relented and grabbed the two players that can theoretically jump to Utica this fall.

 

[forceten]

My guess is that @Bad Goalie called Fitz after the first round ended and got on him about how NJ is neglecting Utica and where on earth is a center and Fitz relented and grabbed the two players that can theoretically jump to Utica this fall.

That makes sense. Fitz was more or less signaling that last year talking about bad goalies