begrudgingly updated the thread title, but seriously, I understand he's choosing the best path for him, and looking on the bright side this will give some other kid a spot on the NTDP that would benefit from it more than the alternative of not making it
F Antonio Stranges - Texas Stars, AHL (2020, 123rd, DAL)
- Thread starter JiggsNY
- Start date
Starry Knight
Tele-Wyatt
Pavel Buchnevich
"Pavel Buchnevich The Fake"
On the fourth line for London. He'd be on the first line for the NTDP.
Thats actually a huge factor that I, and many people forget about when comparing paths. TOI at this age can be huge for development. Joining a CHL team, especially the Knights, you're a 16 yr old kid joining a team with kids 1-2-3-4 years older than you that are trying to win games and a Memorial Cup. You're competing with older kids for that ice time, and those older kids will give the team a better chance to win, so they often get the TOI.
Joining the NTDP, youre entire team is the same age, and TOI is much more evenly split through all lines. The NTDP isnt focused on winning the USHL, it's purely for development. Sure in his Draft season or D+1 Stranges will be getting much more time, but the NTDP clearly offers better chance to develop and time to grow in your pre draft years, where it can make a tangible difference i would guess. Obviously there are CHL advantages, but this is just one example.
simplified CHL to an extant is winning > development, NTDP is about development > winning
Sens of Anarchy
Registered User
- Jul 9, 2013
- 67,209
- 52,947
He'll be fine London has produced turned out some good players. IMO USNDP -> NCAA -> NHL vs CHL -> NHL... which is better.. I think it depends on the player... In the CHL you grow up with your team and are asked to play different roles as you move up the lineup. By the time its your draft year , you could be a top 6, or middle 6 forward (in this case) .. In your D+1 year you better be a top 3-4 forward. But there is a progression in your role and expectations and in that progression comes development. Once a player graduates from the USNDP program or other USHL program to the NCAA they often hit a bit of a wall because at that point they are playing against older, bigger , faster, stronger players .. players that are older than the age limits of the CHL. so that year can be tremendously challenging depending where the player is on the development curve..Some kids do great .. Colin White did , there are many, some kids can struggle that year. If they are over their heads its not particularly great for development... In the CHL , in that D year and beyond players learn to dominate a little more vs being up against it more than they ever have.
Last edited:
William H Bonney
Registered User
I want him to succeed as he's by far the most talented '02 American forward, but it's kind of fitting that London is jerking him around this way after he did the same to the NTDP.
Starry Knight
Tele-Wyatt
He's not being jerked around. He's getting powerplay time and, up until the acquisition of Paul Cotter, he was playing on lines 1-3.
The Knights have a pretty good track record with players who spent time on the 4th line as an OHL rookie. Marner got time there, Robert Thomas got time there, Horvat got time there, etc. If he's elite, he'll rise above it.
USNTDP will also stack their first units ice-time, especially in their draft season. Last year, the Farabee-Hughes-Wahlstrom line got significantly more ice-time than any of the 3 lines below it.
Pavel Buchnevich
"Pavel Buchnevich The Fake"
I watched yesterday's game. He was very good, but its hard to produce much in his role. 4th line guy. Got some PP time, but not that much. He was making plays whenever he got on the ice, but he didn't get on the ice that often. Better speed than I initially thought. Could be a breakout player next season. The only London forward that'll definitely be gone next season is Formenton. I don't think Foudy is good enough to play in the NHL next season. There's a chance Tymkin and Cotter could be AHL guys next season, but I don't think its a guarantee. If Stranges can't secure a bigger role, he should join the NTDP for next season.
TheBeastCoast
Registered User
I feel like going from the OHL back to the NTDP is an incredibly unlikely thing to happen. He will stay in London and end up with a bigger role next year. It's not like he is in Flint, London has done pretty good getting kids into the NHL lol.
Makes zero sense for him to go back to NTDP. Has that ever happened before? Not CHL - USHL, but CHL - NTDP. I dont know if it has
Surprised there isn't more hype for this lad, unbelievable talent even if his stats aren't super amazing.
So slick, such agile skating, unbelievable stickhandler, and superb vision. The lad screams Mathew Barzal 2.0 for me, fantastic player and should find himself as a top 10 player in June, 2020.
So slick, such agile skating, unbelievable stickhandler, and superb vision. The lad screams Mathew Barzal 2.0 for me, fantastic player and should find himself as a top 10 player in June, 2020.
McDNicks17
Moderator
I think it's the stats getting in the way of the excitement. I think with more ice time he could see a huge bump in the future. Anyone who knows, does it seem like there will be more time available next year, are guys above him on the depth chart expected to be back?
Pavel Buchnevich
"Pavel Buchnevich The Fake"
He'll play more next season. At least 1-2 will be gone, and he'll be next to move up, but the reason he's getting so little discussion is because he barely plays. He's played on the 4th line for large stretches this season.
I like his game, but I question his skating. I'm not saying its bad, but I need to watch more to gauge his speed. At his size, is he a fast skater or is his speed only average? That should make a big difference on his draft position. He'll likely be picked in the first round. I think his speed will determine how high. It often does. The "smaller skilled forwards" with good are often picked in the top half of the first round, and those without good speed aren't.
I like his game, but I question his skating. I'm not saying its bad, but I need to watch more to gauge his speed. At his size, is he a fast skater or is his speed only average? That should make a big difference on his draft position. He'll likely be picked in the first round. I think his speed will determine how high. It often does. The "smaller skilled forwards" with good are often picked in the top half of the first round, and those without good speed aren't.
As London Knights season ticket holder since 2004 I’ve been able to watch many highly touted rookies play for the knights. Antonio Stranges is definitely one of the more skilled rookies in recent memory (reminds me of Mitch Marner). Being on a stacked Knights team, Stranges stuck on the 4th line and as a result he does not get the ice time he deserves. But when on the ice, Stranges uses his elite playmaking and skating abilities to generate offensive chances. His ability to protect the puck against bigger players is very impressive. But with saying that, he is still only a 16 year old kid and his body language is sometimes an issue. An example of this would be when he is calling for a pass but they don’t pass to him. In particular in the offensive zone. Personally I’ve seen him roll his eyes and look up to the sky and skate to the bench after a teammate elected to shoot instead of passing to him. All in all, Stranges is a passionate, highly skilled 2020 NHL draft prospect that will continue to develop into a future NHL’er.
OldScool
Registered User
- Nov 27, 2007
- 4,813
- 659
I dont think its even debatable that this player would have had a much better year of development if he stayed at the NTDP. Lesson learned.
Here’s the problem with making statements like that, there’s no way to prove it’s right. You can question whether going to London was a great choice for his development (I have no problem with it) but you can’t look at it and say that going to the NTDP would have been any better because there’s no possible way to show whether it would have been or not.
OldScool
Registered User
- Nov 27, 2007
- 4,813
- 659
Everything is opinion. Its my opinion that he would have been better served playing 1st line/power play time/being an impact player on NTDP in the USHL and experiencing international competition this season rather than getting 4th line minutes on a loaded London Knights team. Given the options I think thats a no brainer that the NTDP would have been the better choice this season.
Last edited:
covfefe
Zoltan Poszar's Burner
- Feb 5, 2014
- 5,236
- 6,315
I get what you are saying in terms of ice time, and maybe Christian Fischer's approach would have worked better for him (2 years dominating the NTDP - D+1 year in the OHL).
But you also have to admit that the bottom-lines-in-London approach worked out well for Horvat, Thomas, Tierney, Dvorak, Athanasiou, and Josh Anderson. Might be missing some as that is off the top of my head. Jury's still out on Formenton and Foudy who could both be solid NHLers. Anyway, I'd be pumped to have any of those 8 guys on Montreal - as I would with Stranges, who looks great.
Domi and Marner admittedly didn't spend much time riding pine, but they were also both better than Stranges in their D-1 years.
But you also have to admit that the bottom-lines-in-London approach worked out well for Horvat, Thomas, Tierney, Dvorak, Athanasiou, and Josh Anderson. Might be missing some as that is off the top of my head. Jury's still out on Formenton and Foudy who could both be solid NHLers. Anyway, I'd be pumped to have any of those 8 guys on Montreal - as I would with Stranges, who looks great.
Domi and Marner admittedly didn't spend much time riding pine, but they were also both better than Stranges in their D-1 years.
Stranges could have also possibly received some sort of “incentive” from Dale/Mark Hunter if he decided to come to London. Always heard rumours about the Hunters doing that sort of thing.
Snippit
Registered User
- Dec 5, 2012
- 16,666
- 10,000
McMichael too didn't get much last year and now he's looking like a mid 1st rounder
Anything is possible since this draft is so far away, but Bracco isn't even on the same spectrum of talent that Stranges is on.
