Sombastate
Registered User
Think he’ll make it to the 6th where I have like 5 picks? Haha cause that would be perfect
German Prospects for the NHL Draft
- Thread starter Maverick41
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CHL Import draft:
Max Bleicher selected 21st overall by Owen Sound and Norwin Panocha selected 26th overall by Prince Albert.
Looks like Panocha might go for a change of scenery, as things did not really work out well in Chicoutimi last season.
35th overall Noah Samanski to Wenatchee, Carlos Händel selected 43rd overall by Halifax.
And with the last pick Saskatoon selects David Lewandowski.
Will be interesting to see who will go the CHL route. Anybody with inside info, please feel free to share or give us a hint.
Max Bleicher selected 21st overall by Owen Sound and Norwin Panocha selected 26th overall by Prince Albert.
Looks like Panocha might go for a change of scenery, as things did not really work out well in Chicoutimi last season.
35th overall Noah Samanski to Wenatchee, Carlos Händel selected 43rd overall by Halifax.
And with the last pick Saskatoon selects David Lewandowski.
Will be interesting to see who will go the CHL route. Anybody with inside info, please feel free to share or give us a hint.
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I don’t know for sure but from what I’ve heard and already seen:
Bleicher, Panocha, Händel, Samanski will go. Lewandowski will start the year in Düsseldorf and leave if he isn’t getting ice time (which I feel will be within the first month or two of the season).
I was/am hoping Bleicher will go, because staying in Füssen (and I really like that club) is just not gonna help him at this point. He should have enough skill to make it, but as we all know it's not just about the skill, there are other factors that will determine whether these kids will succeed. The same is true for Händel and eventually Lewandowski.
Panocha, I was expecting to return home, but I am glad he gets another chance with a new team. Hopefully he can get back on track, because from watching him later in the season compared to the start of it, he almost looked like he regressed in some areas of the game. He certainly did not improve much.
Samanski is the one I have watched the least, so it is difficult for me to know what to expect. Of the group he is the one I have the lowest expectations for, but then again, he wouldn't be the first one to prove me wrong. Usually I have been wrong about kids going the USHL/College route (Sturm, Michaelis, Napravnik), but I also underestimated some guys going to the CHL, although not lately. But some years back I never thought Uvira or Abeltshauser would find any success in those leagues.
Yeah, like skating. Kid can’t skate.
Don’t underestimate the age factor. He’ll come in as a 19-year-old, which is honestly the perfect time for most Germans.
Seems Owen Sound is certainly trying to get him over.
I had the same impression. And it surprised me considerably after the way he had ended his draft season, was a bright spot at Buffalo's camp, and even started the QMJHL season.
He wasn't convincing at the WJC and he was looking like a different player in the second half in Chicoutimi.
So, what happened? Were there problems off the ice?
In any case, gotta hope a move (likely also being suggested by Buffalo) gives him a bit of a new lease on life. If for nothing else, he needs to be a key performer for Germany at the WJC.
One thing is for sure - with a Canadian dad and several brothers who had all played somewhere in Canada as a late teen (with Josh having even jumped to Oshawa), Samanski sure looked like the most likely to be ready to go over.
Gotta think the old connections and an expressed desire were made use of behind the scenes.
This said, Samanski lost just about all of last season. No telling where he's at now.
Well, none of the most recent Germans to make a name for themselves in the NHL, namely Seider, Stützle, and Peterka, with Reichel still scratching at the surface, took the CHL path.
That's a bit telling, especially in light of the handful of failed attempts in recent years. The most recent halfway successful German in the CHL was Luca Hauf - and I feel wrong writing "successful" whatsoever in light of his two 21-point seasons in the WHL, with the second being statistically worse than the first. Just, some other guys didn't even make it through one season, so there's that...
In so many ways, Draisaitl remains the unicorn, even if Kahun was also a pretty interesting and productive CHLer.
This past season for Julian Lutz was VERY refreshing but he was a bit older and doing what he did in the USHL, although very important after several down years, wasn't earthshattering in light of his prior pro experience.
But even a college player like Münzenberger didn't go the USHL route.
Very fascinating!
If any or all make it over, here's hoping they can all establish themselves and in the case of the first year draft-eligibles, show themselves draft-worthy.
Most of the "successful" USHL players were already older and undrafted like Michaelis, Tuomie, Kälble or Napravnik and of course Nico Sturm who even spend significant time in the NAHL before earning a USHL spot. Not sure about Tiffels and too lazy to look it up right now.
On the CHL side the ones excelling in their draft year were Draisaitl (obviously), Rieder, Kühnhackl, Abeltshauser, Gawanke and Grubauer (even if his stats weren't crazy good, he did win the Memorial cup if I recall correctly).
Noebels went over in his draft +1 year and was good enough to be drafted as an overager that year. Mathias Niederberger also went as a 19 year old I believe and did pretty well. Well enough to earn an AHL contract at the time.
Most of those that did reasonably well, without getting drafted were older when they made the move. And among the ones that managed to do well in their draft year Draisaitl, Rieder and Kühnhackl, were all exceptional prospects compared to pretty much anyone else (only Kahun was at that level and kind of failed, in part because he landed in a bad situation). Both Gawanke and Abeltshauser exceeded expectations and also landed on pretty good teams. Can't say much about Grubi as a prospect since I did not follow his progress much, until the very end of his draft season.
The list of prospects that failed is too long to go through, but I really hope we can add a couple more success stories to the list, soon.
This has nothing to do with anything, but I just felt like sharing this.
I have recently watched an old stream (from last year), of a game from our U18 national team, after watching mostly U15 and U13 games for a couple of months. The contrast was dramatic. And it really helped me to temper my expectations for some of the U15 players I was getting excited about, because they have a loooong way to go.
Whereas this is all true, I was basically just referring to post-Draisaitl recency bias with respect to the latest attempts at CHL hockey.
But I certainly overlooked Gawanke's success at Cape Breton. For sure!
Exactly! I just wonder how many of the current draftees (i.e. their agents) might look at the results of players in recent years and deter them from going over?
Maybe none?
Maybe all of them?
Soooo, Max Penkin really isn't all that good?
Soooo, Max Penkin really isn't all that good?
Hehe, I am still very high on him, he really stands out in a way that is unusual. But there are several others I am still very intrigued by, but a bit more hesitant than I would have been only a few months ago.
But to be honest I still get very excited about a lot of these prospects, because it's fun, I'll just keep it more to myself and try not to get anybody elses hopes up.
Minha pergunta de algumas semanas atrás foi respondida
Glad to see this. I was worried that he would not be allowed to play U20 next season, even if last season showed that he has little left to prove at the U17 level. Really looking forward to see what he can do against older competition.
Here's the roster for the upcoming Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Edmonton.
The arrows I've added are to indicate the following:
RED - Hot topics for the 2025 NHL draft
BLUE - Bear watching this season for the 2025 NHL draft
YELLOW - First eligible for the 2026 NHL draft
Surely a slight disappointment for a few out there, they've decided not to have Max Penkin join the party yet.
The arrows I've added are to indicate the following:
RED - Hot topics for the 2025 NHL draft
BLUE - Bear watching this season for the 2025 NHL draft
YELLOW - First eligible for the 2026 NHL draft
Surely a slight disappointment for a few out there, they've decided not to have Max Penkin join the party yet.
It's just speculation on my part of course, but I think if the 07s were at a similar level as the 05s or 06s Penkin would have made the team, and maybe a couple of 08s too, but even if the 07s are missing absolutely elite prospects, they not only have several very good ones, but also a really strong depths especially among forwards, so it is a difficult year for an underager, let alone a double underager to make the team.
And sure it would have been intriguing to have him there, but I am sure he will make the team next year because the 08s look to me to be a bit weak when it comes to forwards, while I quite like the depths on D, although there they seem to lack the high end talent.
EDIT: With regard to your arrows, I actually like Timo Kose quite a bit. At least as much as Schäfer, Zwickl and Kessler, possibly even slightly more.
Sombastate
Registered User
It looks to be a pretty strong draft overall. So, even though this is a really good class for Germany, I won't expect anyone to go in the first round.
There are however, a few candidates for maybe the 2nd or 3rd round.
As far as I am concerned Carlos Händel is still our best prospect for this draft, but I would not be surprised if teams would be more likely to select David Lewandowski before him. They seem to be the main candidates to go fairly early in the draft.
Others who might play themselves into a position to be drafted early-ish are Dustin Willhöft, Max Bleicher and maybe Mateu Späth.
Then there are about 5-8 guys that have a chance at being selected in the later rounds. No way all them will, but I could see anywhere from 4 to 10 Germans be selected in this draft, though at this point my guess would be 5 or 6.
The Hlinka can have a big impact (see Kevin Bicker in 2023). We will see if anybody will draw that kind of attention this year. I would rank at least 7 or 8 of our class this year ahead of Bicker, but half of them may go undrafted.
We are also likely to see more players of this class at the World Juniors, which will provide another big stage to get noticed.
To summarize, as of right now I think Lewandowski and Händel could and should go in the first three rounds.
By the end of the season things might look very different. There is a lot of depth in this class, but not the elite talent of the 2020 class for example.
So, I am very excited what this group might mean for the national team in the medium and long term, but the NHL potential is still limited.
GermanSpitfire
EU Video Scout for McKeen’s | Rest Easy #13
Does anyone have any information on this player and if he could represent us in the future? I know it's the same story as Kosick and Wysick but you never know, right?
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www.eliteprospects.com
Jaden Switzer - Stats, Contract, Salary & More
Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Jaden Switzer, 2009-08-02 Landsberg am Lech, GER Germany. Most recently in the undefined with Ottawa Valley Titans U15 AAA. Complete player biography and stats.
www.eliteprospects.com
I have only recently been able to catch up on some U13 games from this past season. Specifically some games from the "Nordverbund" one of the weaker regional federations. The stream quality was amazing, the hockey quality varied greatly. I have never seen such dramatic differences in skill of players sharing the same ice. While some players looked decent (one really stood out in a good way), others looked like they were mostly trying not to fall down.
In the end I came away mainly with two thoughts.
1) How would that one kid do against teams from the stronger regions, like Bavaria or NRW?
2) Why, in this day and age, can't all streams have this level of quality?
In the end I came away mainly with two thoughts.
1) How would that one kid do against teams from the stronger regions, like Bavaria or NRW?
2) Why, in this day and age, can't all streams have this level of quality?
Yesterday I went to Regensburg, which is only about 45min away from my hometown, to watch the game against the Jungadler. The game ended 4:3 for Mannheim. I mainly got there to watch the Grivas, Willhöft and especially Penkin. So here are my takes:
Game overall: The result indicates a tight game, which wasn't the case at all. Unsurprisingly, most of the game was played in Regensburg's zone. They had no chance to keep up with the Jungadler in any aspect of the game. There were like 3-4 sequences I still have in mind, where they executed good offensive rushes most of which the Kose twins and number 4, Fabian Broll, were involved. Other than that, Regensburg was outskilled by a huge margin.
Single players: I'm not gonna write about any other players than the ones I was willing to see, cause it would be too long of a post.
Dustin Willhöft: By far the best player on the ice. He took the whole game under his control. Whether it was creating chances for himself, setting up the Griva twins (they played on a line together) or the other teammates in certain situations. What caught my eye, which I realized yesterday was a lot easier to recognize compared to watching games via stream, is his edge work. There was no one even close on his team or Regensburg, that was so good in using that to get around defending players. I'm sure you guys know what I mean. Even some spectators behind me, who clearly were fans from Regensburg and didn't know him, said "wow, that number 19 is really good". And what I also love about Willhöft is his dedication to work defensively. There were numerous situations, where he backchecked and helped his defense out. He just knows that he's so good on his skates and so much faster than any other player, that it's rather easy for him to get the puck back. And despite his small size, he doesn't shy away from the battles on the boards, whether it's is a small or big guy competing with him. His attitude is just amazing, I love it!
Griva twins: 2nd and 3rd best player on the ice. Nothing too special, they had a solid game. I like their wrist shots. What I liked most is their anticipation on the forecheck. They really know how to battle on the boards, where to position themselves etc.
Max Penkin: Penkin wasn't that noticeable, but had a solid game too. On 5 on 5, he had a couple of good shifts, but nothing worth mentioning. He tried to run the 2nd powerplay unit, which he did, at least most of the time, in a good way by setting up his teammates with great passes. His vision is a big part of why he's so talented imo. I mean he's just 15 years old (even about half a year younger than Stützle was when he played his first season in the DNL) and you could clearly see that on the ice. Not in a bad way, he tried what he could, but there were some situations a more experienced player in that league would have handled differently. That's just something that comes over time. Throughout the first period he probably looked at me in the stands and was like "if you come all the way here to watch me play, I'm gonna show you what I will do in the NHL a few years from now". He was on the right side, dangling around two defending players, cut inside while shielding off the defender and scored shortside. An absolute beauty of a goal. By far the most beautiful goal yesterday. That was the moment everyone in the stands could recognize his potential...at just 15 years of age playing against 16-19 year olds.
Kose twins: It's no surprise when I say that these two were the best players from the home side. Timo Kose did what he could, while being more or less the only offensive player on his line that could compete against the players from Mannheim. Good forechecking, good PK, some good shots. On to Fabio Kose, who was, in my opinion, the best player overall from Regensburg. Good defensive plays (even though a couple of bad mistakes happened too) and especially his shot from the blue line is amazing. Great release and good accuracy - caught my eye right away. Unfortunately I wasn't able to see the first goal, because I got into the stadium after the first 5mins were played. Just from a development perspective, if they don't get to play DEL2, I honestly don't understand why they still play in Regensburg.
Additional notes: Keep in mind that this game was like David vs. Goliath. What I mean is of course players like Willhöft shined like crazy. There wasn't really a "resistance" from the home team, because they simply just couldn't keep up with the skill level of Mannheim.
Game overall: The result indicates a tight game, which wasn't the case at all. Unsurprisingly, most of the game was played in Regensburg's zone. They had no chance to keep up with the Jungadler in any aspect of the game. There were like 3-4 sequences I still have in mind, where they executed good offensive rushes most of which the Kose twins and number 4, Fabian Broll, were involved. Other than that, Regensburg was outskilled by a huge margin.
Single players: I'm not gonna write about any other players than the ones I was willing to see, cause it would be too long of a post.
Dustin Willhöft: By far the best player on the ice. He took the whole game under his control. Whether it was creating chances for himself, setting up the Griva twins (they played on a line together) or the other teammates in certain situations. What caught my eye, which I realized yesterday was a lot easier to recognize compared to watching games via stream, is his edge work. There was no one even close on his team or Regensburg, that was so good in using that to get around defending players. I'm sure you guys know what I mean. Even some spectators behind me, who clearly were fans from Regensburg and didn't know him, said "wow, that number 19 is really good". And what I also love about Willhöft is his dedication to work defensively. There were numerous situations, where he backchecked and helped his defense out. He just knows that he's so good on his skates and so much faster than any other player, that it's rather easy for him to get the puck back. And despite his small size, he doesn't shy away from the battles on the boards, whether it's is a small or big guy competing with him. His attitude is just amazing, I love it!
Griva twins: 2nd and 3rd best player on the ice. Nothing too special, they had a solid game. I like their wrist shots. What I liked most is their anticipation on the forecheck. They really know how to battle on the boards, where to position themselves etc.
Max Penkin: Penkin wasn't that noticeable, but had a solid game too. On 5 on 5, he had a couple of good shifts, but nothing worth mentioning. He tried to run the 2nd powerplay unit, which he did, at least most of the time, in a good way by setting up his teammates with great passes. His vision is a big part of why he's so talented imo. I mean he's just 15 years old (even about half a year younger than Stützle was when he played his first season in the DNL) and you could clearly see that on the ice. Not in a bad way, he tried what he could, but there were some situations a more experienced player in that league would have handled differently. That's just something that comes over time. Throughout the first period he probably looked at me in the stands and was like "if you come all the way here to watch me play, I'm gonna show you what I will do in the NHL a few years from now". He was on the right side, dangling around two defending players, cut inside while shielding off the defender and scored shortside. An absolute beauty of a goal. By far the most beautiful goal yesterday. That was the moment everyone in the stands could recognize his potential...at just 15 years of age playing against 16-19 year olds.
Kose twins: It's no surprise when I say that these two were the best players from the home side. Timo Kose did what he could, while being more or less the only offensive player on his line that could compete against the players from Mannheim. Good forechecking, good PK, some good shots. On to Fabio Kose, who was, in my opinion, the best player overall from Regensburg. Good defensive plays (even though a couple of bad mistakes happened too) and especially his shot from the blue line is amazing. Great release and good accuracy - caught my eye right away. Unfortunately I wasn't able to see the first goal, because I got into the stadium after the first 5mins were played. Just from a development perspective, if they don't get to play DEL2, I honestly don't understand why they still play in Regensburg.
Additional notes: Keep in mind that this game was like David vs. Goliath. What I mean is of course players like Willhöft shined like crazy. There wasn't really a "resistance" from the home team, because they simply just couldn't keep up with the skill level of Mannheim.
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