Prospect Info: Grand Rapids Griffins 2013/14 Part III

[Henkka]

There was injuries for Jurco, Almquist and Marchenko. And Callahan hasn't looked himself after his jaw injury. Järnkrok-trade... also too much 1st year pros at defence... just too many things at same time that weakened this team.

 

[waltdetroit]

no luck with the puck either..how come the puck bounces over our sticks so much?

 

[Michael Brand Eggs]

no luck with the puck either..how come the puck bounces over our sticks so much?

Forecheckers not skating, not going to the net. They're letting defenders dictate where they are on the ice and contain them. Guys like Callahan and Hoggan need to start going to the net HARD. Without that, there's zero space and the D is always in good position and it's an easy clear.

 

[Crymson]

I thought he was fine earlier in the series. These last two games though... eh.

I think he's played himself into another year with the Griffins.

 

[Chex LeMeneux]

I think he's played himself into another year with the Griffins.

Indeed. I also think this series has been the biggest hiccup in his career so far.

 

[Michael Brand Eggs]

I think he's played himself into another year with the Griffins.

If we really held goalies to that standard, we would have traded Howard for a 2nd years ago. If he plays well in camp, this series won't have much bearing IMO.

Plus, it's not like his team is playing well and he's letting them down. If anything, they're letting him down. If this playoff run was predicated on Mrazek carrying them every single game, it was over before it started.

 

[Ennui]

Honestly? Which of the Griffins hasn't "earned another year" in this series? Sometimes the other team is simply the better team, or your team is gassed and the other team is firing on all cylinders.

Where is the appreciation for what Mrazek has done outside of this series? Very rarely can a goaltender bail out his team when he is receiving no support to speak of.

 

[Ennui]

Jesus... looking at the game stats: was Jensen really taken to the woodshed as much as his numbers suggest?

 

[Michael Brand Eggs]

If there's one guy I'm particularly disappointed with, it's Nestrasil. He's fanned on shots and missed wide open nets left and right. He just looks incompetent out there a lot of the time. He's got skill, but not enough skill to ever finish the play.

 

[Chex LeMeneux]

Honestly? Which of the Griffins hasn't "earned another year" in this series? Sometimes the other team is simply the better team, or your team is gassed and the other team is firing on all cylinders.

Where is the appreciation for what Mrazek has done outside of this series? Very rarely can a goaltender bail out his team when he is receiving no support to speak of.

You're right, as a whole I think the overall team effort hasn't been there. I mentioned that I thought they seemed to be in (for lack of a better term) "cup hangover" mode. Add to that the fact that they've had quite a few things go against them (key injuries, lots of new faces, etc.) and they're playing a very good team. Not many teams in the AHL can manhandle us the way these guys did this series. Mrazek is a great goaltender, he's just looked a little underwhelming this series. A team that's on the fence about whether they should go with him as the backup, is only going to view it as a disappointment.

If there's one guy I'm particularly disappointed with, it's Nestrasil. He's fanned on shots and missed wide open nets left and right. He just looks incompetent out there a lot of the time. He's got skill, but not enough skill to ever finish the play.

I think that's been an issue throughout the lineup for awhile, as a lot of our guys are quite notorious for missing shots (Pulkinnen, I'm looking at you.) You're right though, Nestrasil has been a bit of a disappointment after the impressive season he had. I was hoping he'd be the equivalent of Mursak from last year. I figured moving down to 2C when Sheahan got back was only going to be beneficial.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

I think there are several guys that can use this longer off-season in terms of their future with the organization turning towards training. However, still stings to see them get beat like that, I thought they bounced back nicely in Grand Rapids, but they were not competitive in a single game in Texas and that is completely unacceptable.

 

[Pavels Dog]

This experience is good too. Gotta learn from both the good and bad. That goes for the kids as well as for Blashill. Wonder if the poor defensive performance in some games of this series impacts Holland's decisions in the offseason though.

 

[Hendricks433]

This experience is good too. Gotta learn from both the good and bad. That goes for the kids as well as for Blashill. Wonder if the poor defensive performance in some games of this series impacts Holland's decisions in the offseason though.

This. Kind of worrisome when we all wanted these kids promoted and they go out and do that.

 

[Crymson]

Though I'm loath to admit it, this guy makes a point. We've struggled with the transition game, and they haven't. It's precisely why I think it's a very bad idea to go into the season with 3 of these guys on the Wings blueline. They all still need some time. That said, losing Marchenko was a big loss.

Almquist, the team's prime puck-mover, was arguably a greater loss.

 

[Crymson]

Yup. They went the Chicago Wolves route where you sign AHL-only veterans in order to win the Calder Cup. Morin, Fortunus, Meech, Jeffrey, Hedden, etc. It's not a bad idea, but it puts prospects in the back seat. Chicago was actually pretty unpopular for doing it, because other teams thought it was kind of unfair (prospects vs veterans), and Atlanta, their NHL affiliate, wasn't getting their prospects developed.

Random thought: Jordin Tootoo is useless even at the AHL level. It's kind of sad to see, honestly.

Holland could have had Prust for four years at $2.5m, but preferred Tootoo at $1.9m for three. Totally nonsensical.

 

[Chex LeMeneux]

Almquist, the team's prime puck-mover, was arguably a greater loss.

Actually, you make a very good point, considering the team's offensive struggles. I don't know what his future is with the organization, and unfortunately that leads to a tendency to overlook him, but he was indeed a big loss.

 

[Pavels Dog]

Holland could have had Prust for four years at $2.5m, but preferred Tootoo at $1.9m for three. Totally nonsensical.

This isn't the thread for that talk, but do you honestly think Holland can pick and choose anyone he wants? That players don't have a say themselves where they go?

 

[Michael Brand Eggs]

This experience is good too. Gotta learn from both the good and bad. That goes for the kids as well as for Blashill. Wonder if the poor defensive performance in some games of this series impacts Holland's decisions in the offseason though.

I'm not sure this series should decide that. This team has been all over the place all year, and IMO never had the time to gel. They had too many late-comers (Backman, Janmark while he was around, Nastasiuk, Jensen, Athanasiou while he was around) to really have a team identity. and then you add Sheahan and Jurco to the mix, and you're left wondering how the rest of the lines work.

People want to blame the D, but the forwards were handling hand grenades out there a lot of the time. They couldn't even keep a simple cycle going on most shifts. They struck me as a team that didn't know how to play together yet.

Anyway. impressions from what I saw:

• Backman has more O-upside than I thought. He was pretty productive in these playoffs.
• Jensen showed he can play a bit. I think he needs another year, though. He needs to show a bit more offense.
• Ouellet is absolutely ready defensively. I think he might be the best defensive d on the Griffins right now.
• Pulkkinen was productive in the playoffs and deserves a shot at the Wings' roster.
• Sheahan was good, but was guilty of trying to do too much at times. Not sure I blame him.
• Jurco had that great game, but he looked like a good AHLer and not necessarily a guy who's just done with the AHL
• Mrazek was fine. He kept them in games they shouldn't have been in. Yeah, he let in some goals at times, but the team in front of him was playing like trash.
• Callahan was underwhelming for a guy running shotgun with Sheahan and Jurco. I'm not sure he's penciled in for a spot in Detroit.
• Nastasiuk was really solid for a guy going back to the OHL. He had a few shifts where he seemed shockingly strong on the puck. Liked what I saw.
• Sproul contributed, but I would have liked to see more from him in key moments. He's not a leader yet for this group.
• Frk, Ferraro, Nestrasil... I wanted more, got less.

 

[Crymson]

If we really held goalies to that standard, we would have traded Howard for a 2nd years ago. If he plays well in camp, this series won't have much bearing IMO.

I don't get it.

Plus, it's not like his team is playing well and he's letting them down. If anything, they're letting him down. If this playoff run was predicated on Mrazek carrying them every single game, it was over before it started.

He hasn't been good.

Actually, you make a very good point, considering the team's offensive struggles. I don't know what his future is with the organization, and unfortunately that leads to a tendency to overlook him, but he was indeed a big loss.

I'm hoping he gets a shot as #7 next season. There's no reason not to give him that.

This isn't the thread for that talk, but do you honestly think Holland can pick and choose anyone he wants? That players don't have a say themselves where they go?

My educated guess is that Holland didn't even give him a look. Kenny is much, much more inclined to stick to what he's familiar with, even when it's plainly worse than the alternative, than he is to tap a player he doesn't know quite as well. Tootoo played quite a bit against the Wings; that's probably why Holland, wanting a guy who could fight and play on the edge, chose him instead of someone else like Prust.

 

[Frk It]

I'm hoping he gets a shot as #7 next season. There's no reason not to give him that.

Lashoff is already under contract, to specifically fill that role. And Babcock likes big safe players, over small skilled ones.

Id prefer Almquist to be the #7 defenseman over Lashoff too, I just doubt it happens.

I think they have determined he doesn't have a future with the club, with the abundance of defensive prospects we have coming up.

 

[DatsyukianDeke*]

Lashoff is already under contract, to specifically fill that role. And Babcock likes big safe players, over small skilled ones.

Id prefer Almquist to be the #7 defenseman over Lashoff too, I just doubt it happens.

I think they have determined he doesn't have a future with the club, with the abundance of defensive prospects we have coming up.

Did he watch the playoffs? Lashoff was one of the big reasons why we lost in 5.

 

[NyquistIsMyGod*]

Did he watch the playoffs? Lashoff was one of the big reasons why we lost in 5.

Smith and Kindl were both scratched for him multiple times this season. Safe to say Lashoff's here next season.

 

[Anchor Town*]

Smith and Kindl were both scratched for him multiple times this season. Safe to say Lashoff's here next season.

Lashoff was also scratched in favor of Smith and Kindl multiple times last year so I'm not sure what your point is

 

[NyquistIsMyGod*]

Lashoff was also scratched in favor of Smith and Kindl multiple times last year so I'm not sure what your point is

He really wasn't though. He started off as the 7th man. He took Smith's job 5 games in. He stayed in the line-up. He was taken out for 2 games when Kindl returned late in the season. Lashoff was an everyday'er. Kindl and Smith sat for Lashoff more than the other way around. Smith/Lashoff pretty even actually.

 

[WesNichols14]

He really wasn't though. He started off as the 7th man. He took Smith's job 5 games in. He stayed in the line-up. He was taken out for 2 games when Kindl returned late in the season. Lashoff was an everyday'er. Kindl and Smith sat for Lashoff more than the other way around. Smith/Lashoff pretty even actually.

And at the end of the year was playing super sheltered minutes with Kindl looking like crap, while Smith was on the top pairing with Kronwall looking great most of the time and below average occasionally.

Lashoff is still the #7 and will be replaced as soon as the Wings feel good with either Almquist or another rookie being a full time Wing.