Maximilian Merkl (b. 2006) is playing in the DEL right now. Can't watch, but if he gets at least 4-5 minutes ice time, I will rewatch the game tomorrow.
German Prospects for the NHL Draft
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GermanSpitfire
EU Video Scout for McKeen’s | Rest Easy #13
Unexpected.
Many of us have though of him as one of the best in the age group but to get in a DEL game at his age is simply shocking.
I love it though and wish that more teams would do this.
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Nürnberg has really improved a lot when it comes to their youth teams, similar to Straubing. They still usually lose their top talents to the bigger clubs, but things are definitely looking up for them.
And the DEL team also gives more playing time to U23 players this season than any other. I don't have the latest numbers, but before the Deutschland Cup they had used 7 different U23 players (only München 9 and Berlin 8 had used more) who played a combined 117 games (no other team came even close) and they got an average of 13:50 minutes of ice time per game (next highest was Ingolstadt with 12:50).
I really hope they have success and continue in that direction.
GermanSpitfire
EU Video Scout for McKeen’s | Rest Easy #13
Merkl played 5:10 over 8 shifts in the game - solid amount of ice time for the kid.
Didn‘t allow a goal and through most reports he was solid in his limited action.
Didn‘t allow a goal and through most reports he was solid in his limited action.
GermanSpitfire
EU Video Scout for McKeen’s | Rest Easy #13
GermanSpitfire
EU Video Scout for McKeen’s | Rest Easy #13
One thing I noticed today is that Tim Schütz has been playing in North America this season for a good program in Okanagan‘s U18 squad.
He's not doing too poorly either.
Gotta think he'd have been playing some Oberliga hockey this season had he stayed in Krefeld.
His younger brother Max is going to be worth watching too. He's looking like he may even be better over the long run.
Does anybody have any insight about the leagues Marcel Tabert is playing in? His numbers look solid, though not spectacular, but I have no idea how what to make of the competition he plays. Obviously it is a lesser league compared to the one Tim Schütz plays in, since Schütz plays in an U18 league while Tabert is playing U16, but as far as U16 leagues in the US go, where does it rank?
Not familiar with that circuit although I did play high school hockey in New England many, many moons ago.
What really pops out is that he's apparently already played at least 43 games, if not 55.
That's an insane amount of hockey at this point in the season.
GermanSpitfire
EU Video Scout for McKeen’s | Rest Easy #13
It‘s unfortunately not the strongest of league out there for players his age. If he were a year younger and putting up PPlG numbers then it would be something to take notice - just from looking at his stats, don’t expect much more than a solid NCAA career for a smaller school.
I believe that this is the first year that paticular program. Maybe a kid to keep on a watch list - but defenitly take his counting stats with a grain of salt.
GermanSpitfire
EU Video Scout for McKeen’s | Rest Easy #13
Also - Max’s stats are solid and maybe I’m being a bit too critical here but I expect more out of an ‘06 from that particular league - that league is where recent bantam first round picks go to play Before they start in the WHL - these kids are ‘07 born This year.
I’d expect Max to produce a little more offensively - he could just be getting used to the league and getting exposure for the import draft - but he plays for a very good program, so he has that going for him.
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I watched the DEL game between Munich and Cologne yesterday, and want to share some observations regarding some of our youngsters.
Since the members of the WJC roster were already gone, there were only a few interesting players to watch.
Overagers Glötzl, Szuber and Niedenz as well as 17-year-old Timo Ruckdäschel.
Maximilian Glötzl:
I am always a little baffled that he does not get more ice time. Maybe it would be good for him to leave Cologne for a team that is a little thinner at the blue line. In his limited time I thought he played pretty well. Very sound defensively and also had a couple of good plays offensively and his slapshot seems to get better.
Maksymilian Szuber:
His development over the last couple of years has been great. He is saw a decent amount of ice time and earned every second of it. And he is doing that on one of the best bluelines in the league featuring guys like Redmond, Blum, McKiernan, Abeltshauser, Boyle and Daubner (Daubner had to leave this game early though, after he was injured in a battle along the boards). He is so poised and calm out there. His skating keeps improving and so does his decision making. Of course there are still some issues, but if he doesn't make it to the NHL, he should, at the very least, become one of the premier defensemen in the league and a key player for the national team for years.
He still looks like he needs to grow more into his body and realise how strong he is.
Kevin Niedenz:
He was not nominated for the WJC, and if anybody only saw this one game of him, they would be very confused as to why he did not make the roster.
Niedenz played a very strong game (at least offensively) and was a constantly driving the play for Cologne when he was on the ice, generating multiple chances. Defensively his game was more of a mixed bag, but it's not like he was huge liability out there.
Timo Ruckdäschel:
He did get 10:05 minutes of ice time (13 shifts) and played alongside Filip Varejcka and Nic Appendino. His skating looked ok, which is a good start at this level, but while he already has a grown man's body (at least the height and weight) it was obvious that he is not yet able to use it right.
At one point he was on the receiving end of a decent hit by Sennhenn who gives up almost 30lbs to Ruckdäschel and in a couple of board/puck battles it was a little too easy to knock him off balance, even for players smaller than him.
The strongest part of his game seemed to be the forecheck and he appeared to have a good understanding of where he needed to go on the ice. At that his defensive awareness seemed a little stronger than his offensive awareness, but he does not seem to lack for hockey IQ on either side of the game.
Obviously this is just based on this single game, but some of it confirms what I have seen in the past, when I watched him play for the national team (U17 and U18).
With a bunch of U23-players from the Red Bull organization away in Canada for the next little while, Ruckdäschel might see some more DEL action. He certainly did nothing to hurt his chances going forward.
Since the members of the WJC roster were already gone, there were only a few interesting players to watch.
Overagers Glötzl, Szuber and Niedenz as well as 17-year-old Timo Ruckdäschel.
Maximilian Glötzl:
I am always a little baffled that he does not get more ice time. Maybe it would be good for him to leave Cologne for a team that is a little thinner at the blue line. In his limited time I thought he played pretty well. Very sound defensively and also had a couple of good plays offensively and his slapshot seems to get better.
Maksymilian Szuber:
His development over the last couple of years has been great. He is saw a decent amount of ice time and earned every second of it. And he is doing that on one of the best bluelines in the league featuring guys like Redmond, Blum, McKiernan, Abeltshauser, Boyle and Daubner (Daubner had to leave this game early though, after he was injured in a battle along the boards). He is so poised and calm out there. His skating keeps improving and so does his decision making. Of course there are still some issues, but if he doesn't make it to the NHL, he should, at the very least, become one of the premier defensemen in the league and a key player for the national team for years.
He still looks like he needs to grow more into his body and realise how strong he is.
Kevin Niedenz:
He was not nominated for the WJC, and if anybody only saw this one game of him, they would be very confused as to why he did not make the roster.
Niedenz played a very strong game (at least offensively) and was a constantly driving the play for Cologne when he was on the ice, generating multiple chances. Defensively his game was more of a mixed bag, but it's not like he was huge liability out there.
Timo Ruckdäschel:
He did get 10:05 minutes of ice time (13 shifts) and played alongside Filip Varejcka and Nic Appendino. His skating looked ok, which is a good start at this level, but while he already has a grown man's body (at least the height and weight) it was obvious that he is not yet able to use it right.
At one point he was on the receiving end of a decent hit by Sennhenn who gives up almost 30lbs to Ruckdäschel and in a couple of board/puck battles it was a little too easy to knock him off balance, even for players smaller than him.
The strongest part of his game seemed to be the forecheck and he appeared to have a good understanding of where he needed to go on the ice. At that his defensive awareness seemed a little stronger than his offensive awareness, but he does not seem to lack for hockey IQ on either side of the game.
Obviously this is just based on this single game, but some of it confirms what I have seen in the past, when I watched him play for the national team (U17 and U18).
With a bunch of U23-players from the Red Bull organization away in Canada for the next little while, Ruckdäschel might see some more DEL action. He certainly did nothing to hurt his chances going forward.
With a lot of U23 players, that have seen ice time in the DEL this season, now away at the WJC, I thought there may be some more kids making their DEL debut in the next couple of weeks, like Ruckdäschel did on Wednesday.
Checking the lineups for tonight we seem to have 2 youngsters potentially making their debuts (just because they are dressed, doesn't mean they actually get to play).
Lennard Nieleck (Iserlohn - b. 2004)
Norwin Panocha (Berlin - b. 2005)
And Ruckdäschel gets his second game.
Checking the lineups for tonight we seem to have 2 youngsters potentially making their debuts (just because they are dressed, doesn't mean they actually get to play).
Lennard Nieleck (Iserlohn - b. 2004)
Norwin Panocha (Berlin - b. 2005)
And Ruckdäschel gets his second game.
GermanSpitfire
EU Video Scout for McKeen’s | Rest Easy #13
One has to assume that Mannheim will give Brandl some DEL games at some point this season, no?
He has been absolutely crushing it as of late - I think there’s genuine NHL potential with him.
He has been absolutely crushing it as of late - I think there’s genuine NHL potential with him.
Dunno if I'd assume he's going to get a few games, even if Bicker got a look recently.
Not a lot of wow factor when you watch him play, but he does generate offense pretty much all the time. If they don't give him a look, gotta think he will play a bit this year in Heilbronn.
Any thoughts, comments by our experts here about the 17 year old goalie Keanu Salmik, who had yesterday his first shutout with 36 saves for Freibung in the DEL2?
3 games now with a rate of 94.2 % is not too bad for such a young goalie.
www.eliteprospects.com
3 games now with a rate of 94.2 % is not too bad for such a young goalie.
Keanu Salmik - Stats, Contract, Salary & More
Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Keanu Salmik, 2005-07-28 Freiburg, GER Germany. Most recently in the Germany3 with Stuttgarter EC. Complete player biography and stats.
www.eliteprospects.com
I'm hardly an expert, and certainly not one when it comes to goalies, but Salmik is intriguing.
He has definitely flown under my radar, although I do recall him being on the roster for one of the national teams a while back, though I don't think he ended up playing, or if he did I do not remember any of it.
Only playing for smaller clubs is definitely a disadvantage when it comes to getting noticed early on, because their play at the junior level hardly ever stands out, because their teams are so overmatched a lot of the time. Most of the time these guys can only grab attention when they get a chance to play pro hockey at a younger age than most and if they do well there.
That being said, 3 games is an awfully small sample size so I won't get too excited yet, but he could be someone to keep an eye on.
I kind of enjoy having these goalies coming out of nowhere giving us more options going forward. Last season it was Dietl, this year it could be Salmik.
Thanks for bringing this kid to my attention @Huusko
He has definitely flown under my radar, although I do recall him being on the roster for one of the national teams a while back, though I don't think he ended up playing, or if he did I do not remember any of it.
Only playing for smaller clubs is definitely a disadvantage when it comes to getting noticed early on, because their play at the junior level hardly ever stands out, because their teams are so overmatched a lot of the time. Most of the time these guys can only grab attention when they get a chance to play pro hockey at a younger age than most and if they do well there.
That being said, 3 games is an awfully small sample size so I won't get too excited yet, but he could be someone to keep an eye on.
I kind of enjoy having these goalies coming out of nowhere giving us more options going forward. Last season it was Dietl, this year it could be Salmik.
Thanks for bringing this kid to my attention @Huusko
As I was going over some stats in preparation of my January rankings I came across a shocking couple of games at the U17 level between Mannheim and Regensburg in late October.
A stacked Mannheim squad absolutely obliterated a seemingly decimated Regensburg team in 2 games.
1st game:
Score: 21-0 / SOG: 84-1
2nd game:
Score: 31-1 / SOG: 129-9
We have always had blowouts, but in recent years they had become more rare at the U17 and U20 levels, but that is just insane.
A stacked Mannheim squad absolutely obliterated a seemingly decimated Regensburg team in 2 games.
1st game:
Score: 21-0 / SOG: 84-1
2nd game:
Score: 31-1 / SOG: 129-9
We have always had blowouts, but in recent years they had become more rare at the U17 and U20 levels, but that is just insane.
You are welcome!
I have to agree, it might be very difficult to make an estimation about his future potential. In news articles they raved about some of his saves. So, hopefully he will get more ice time and take the chance. He could be a good option for the upcoming U18 worldcup.
Best, Huusko
Keanu Salmik must have had another very solid game tonight with 28 saves:
www.badische-zeitung.de
EHC Freiburg nutzt Momentum und schlägt Regensburg vor 3000 Fans
Der EHC Freiburg hat gegen die Eisbären Regensburg den nächsten Sieg eingefahren. Den 5:3-Erfolg des Eishockey-Zweitligisten leiten wache Momente zweier Youngster ein.
I am almost done with my rankings for January and will post them over the weekend.
I atarted updating the rankings on the first page (2023 draft, overagers and free agents done).
Just a little note on the stats in those posts, many of them are a few days or even a few weeks old and therefore not entirely correct.
I will try to update them all on Monday, so the latest games from the weekend will be included, but if I actually manage that depends on my workload on Monday.
Just a little note on the stats in those posts, many of them are a few days or even a few weeks old and therefore not entirely correct.
I will try to update them all on Monday, so the latest games from the weekend will be included, but if I actually manage that depends on my workload on Monday.
@Maverick41 Have you seen much of Rio Kaiser? I see he's ranked relatively low on your list and I really didn't like him when I watched a game, but he played for the U18 national team, so I'm not sure if he's better than the game I saw? My guess is he wouldn't be considered for the U18s if he was average height...
I have only seen him play once really (for the U16 national team), and was intrigued but not convinced. He seemed to struggle more with his frame than with his game.
A while back (before I had seen him) I had him ranked fairly high, mostly based on his stats and due to a lack of knowledge about the rest of this draft class.
And I have to admit that am always intrigued by prospects with a big frame, and this kid is huge. But while bigger kids often have an advantage against their peers in junior, in the game I saw his size seemed more like a hinderance for him.
If he can figure out how to use his size properly there could be something there, but I really would have to see a lot more from him.
Based on the little I have seen and some things I have heard, I would guess his best case scenario is a career like fellow "giant" Oliver Mebus.
Not everybody with Chara size will make it big (pardon the pun).
When I watched him in a U20 academy game, he looked awful all around. No control over his limbs, no physicality, no hockey sense, no puck skills. Just one game, though, and his stats look decent at that level, so I thought I’d ask you before being too harsh.
