Prospect Info: Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL)/Maine Mariners (ECHL) Thread: Part XI

[Levitate]

Chytil was there for most of the season, he played 2 games for the Rangers, got sent down and he was injured in December, then went to the WJC, then was called up for 7 games at the end of the season

Wasn't Andersson some weird thing where he came over in the middle of the season as well? Like he started in Sweden then went to the AHL after the WJC?

I even hesitate on Shesty b/c goalies are voodoo. No one else on the reserve list is signing this year, more than likely. So this list is pretty much it for prospects in the AHL.

Where is this "a lot" of key prospects? Majority of these guys aren't "key" to anything in the NHL.

I wouldn't say "majority" or anything but you're leaving out the possibility of guys like Hajek and Fox spending time in the AHL as well. Very good chance they're down there at some point

 

[Levitate]

I don't think it would have hurt for all of Chytil, Lias and Howden to spend most of last year in the AHL. More similar to Hajek and Lindgren.

They could have used some combo of Holland, Fogarty, Beleskey, Lettieri in the NHL often enough to let all three rookies start the year in the AHL and stay there until near/past the trade deadline.

I'm not sure if they feared having them in the AHL, or if they wanted to show they were rebuilding at the NHL level, or if they thought Quinn was better for them than the AHL, yet regardless of the reasoning now both Lias and Chytil have burned a season which will count towards their UFA status starting at age 26 instead of age 27. There must have been some reasoning for them to decide on allowing for that.

I don't think teams care about that UFA stuff as much as internet posters do. If those guys pan out the Rangers will be signing them to long term contracts that take them past their UFA ages. If they don't pan out, then who cares.

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

Wasn't Andersson some weird thing where he came over in the middle of the season as well? Like he started in Sweden then went to the AHL after the WJC?

Right, he came to camp, went to Frolunda, then to the WJC and hurt his shoulder, Rangers kept him around to see their doctors then decided to have him play in the AHL once he was healthy rather than sending him back to Frolunda

 

[Leetch3]

A lot of key prospects this year? Maybe you have a different definition of "key prospect" than I or most do.

Let's look at the current non-NHL roster players signed by the Rangers that are probably going to be in the AHL for parts/most of next year, as anyone who signs just an AHL contract is not going to be a key prospect for the Rangers:
Meskanen - not key
Kravstov - key
Elmer - unknown
Gropp - not key
Newell - unknown
Ronning - not key
Leedahl - not key
Fontaine - not key
Gettinger - not key
Fogarty - not key
Lettieri - not key
Rykov - more key than not as of right now
Lindgren - not key
Reunanen - Liiga
Keane - not key
Crawley - not key
Day - not key
Raddysh - not key
Bergman - Sweden
O'Gara - UFA gone not key
Bigras - RFA but not key
Gilmour - UFA gone not key
Huska - not key
Shestyorkin - key
Nell - lol
Halverson - lol
Tokarski - UFA not key

I even hesitate on Shesty b/c goalies are voodoo. No one else on the reserve list is signing this year, more than likely. So this list is pretty much it for prospects in the AHL.

Where is this "a lot" of key prospects? Majority of these guys aren't "key" to anything in the NHL.

key was the wrong term...should have said REAL prospects. depending on where fox ends up, the hartford blueline could have 4+ legit prospects with potential futures in NY

 

[Leetch3]

I don't think it would have hurt for all of Chytil, Lias and Howden to spend most of last year in the AHL. More similar to Hajek and Lindgren.

They could have used some combo of Holland, Fogarty, Beleskey, Lettieri in the NHL often enough to let all three rookies start the year in the AHL and stay there until near/past the trade deadline.

I'm not sure if they feared having them in the AHL, or if they wanted to show they were rebuilding at the NHL level, or if they thought Quinn was better for them than the AHL, yet regardless of the reasoning now both Lias and Chytil have burned a season which will count towards their UFA status starting at age 26 instead of age 27. There must have been some reasoning for them to decide on allowing for that.

if hartford had been a better team last year, I think they would have spent more time down there.

 

[Off Sides]

I don't think teams care about that UFA stuff as much as internet posters do. If those guys pan out the Rangers will be signing them to long term contracts that take them past their UFA ages. If they don't pan out, then who cares.

They should care at least somewhat.

Any long term contracts off their entry levels which buys up UFA years will have one less RFA within it, and it will be more expensive.

If they do end up bridging them and still leaving them an RFA, it's one less RFA year worth of leverage.

Given arbitration, and the rules within it where the team elects the one or two year possible award if the player elects arbitration, and vise versa, any player with either only one or two years left as a RFA is worth less on the trade market than a player who has three years left.

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

if hartford had been a better team last year, I think they would have spent more time down there.

To be fair, they weren’t a disaster at the start. I think Andersson might’ve spent more time in his second stint down there if the wheels didn’t fall off, but I think they were perfectly fine with letting Chytil get used to and work out issues at the NHL level

 

[Leetch3]

To be fair, they weren’t a disaster at the start. I think Andersson might’ve spent more time in his second stint down there if the wheels didn’t fall off, but I think they were perfectly fine with letting Chytil get used to and work out issues at the NHL level

thats very true. there was also lack of depth in ny to force guys out of the lineup if you were ok with them developing getting less minutes

 

[nyr2k2]

They should care at least somewhat.

Any long term contracts off their entry levels which buys up UFA years will have one less RFA within it, and it will be more expensive.

If they do end up bridging them and still leaving them an RFA, it's one less RFA year worth of leverage.

Given arbitration, and the rules within it where the team elects the one or two year possible award if the player elects arbitration, and vise versa, any player with either only one or two years left as a RFA is worth less on the trade market than a player who has three years left.

I've read a lot of people talking lately about this flip side of this, which is that if you bring a guy to free agency and a big contract sooner, you may end up paying less depending on how he develops along the way. Like if Player X hits free agency at 26 but has only two years of high-level play under his belt, his contract could be less than Player Y who hits free agency at 27 with three years of high-level play to his name. Of course it all depends on how a guy develops, the deals he gets preceding his impending UFA status, etc. But from a financial standpoint you can actually come out ahead, or so I've been told.

The only thing I really ever worry about is expansion protection status.

 

[Off Sides]

I've read a lot of people talking lately about this flip side of this, which is that if you bring a guy to free agency and a big contract sooner, you may end up paying less depending on how he develops along the way. Like if Player X hits free agency at 26 but has only two years of high-level play under his belt, his contract could be less than Player Y who hits free agency at 27 with three years of high-level play to his name (and who is a year older). Of course it all depends on how a guy develops, the deals he gets preceding his impending UFA status, etc. But from a financial standpoint you can actually come out ahead, or so I've been told.

The only thing I really ever worry about is expansion protection status.

I agree somewhat, there are some possible advantages, like you said, I just have never seen it play out like that. It seems way more common that a player will really "break out" either right at the end of their entry level where the team is going to go long term regardless, yet that players agent is certainly going to bring up the one less RFA year in those discussions, or they end up bridged and break out or not on it. If they break out on the bridge of course the team would have liked to go long term prior, yet even if the team will still hold RFA years as leverage. If they don't break out the team is in position to again pick if they want to offer long term cheaper, short term even cheaper, or just sign the player to another bridge or right to UFA even.

I guess I think unless the player is projected to be one where he is going to be signing long term right off his entry level teams are better off using the RFA system for what it provides. I'm not thinking Chytil or Lias quite fit into the former where it is going to make much sense for them to get to UFA status quicker where maybe the Rangers could save, kind of the opposite where the Rangers are going to probably want to bridge them.

 

[Leetch3]

replaced John Madden as coach of Columbus' ahl team.

 

[Mac n Gs]

replaced John Madden as coach of Columbus' ahl team.

They also interviewed Knoblauch.


I'm really excited to see who Hartford brings in with the new coaching staff. There are a lot of interesting candidates that could be available.

 

[Ranger Ric]

The Rangers development camp roster confirms that Hartford signed end of season invitees Ryan Dmowski and Lewis Zerter-Gossage to 2019-2020 contracts joining Nick Jones as the first 3 Hartford signees.

 

[nyr2k2]

Gildon is interesting. McKeen's and The Athletic both had him ranked around 80 in this past draft. He's an NCAA commit, though, so you'd have to get him to sign and then go play junior hockey.

Whelan I've seen and is a good candidate for an AHL contract after the season.

 

[cwede]

No Sjalin

 

[Leetch3]

Gildon is interesting. McKeen's and The Athletic both had him ranked around 80 in this past draft. He's an NCAA commit, though, so you'd have to get him to sign and then go play junior hockey.

Whelan I've seen and is a good candidate for an AHL contract after the season.

even ignoring his NCAA status, gildon is too young to sign as a free agent he will go back into the draft next year as an overager

 

[cwede]

even ignoring his NCAA status, Gildon is too young to sign as a free agent he will go back into the draft next year as an overager

i don't believe that is fully accurate
recall Tolchinsky (see more details below)

undrafted, he attended Prospect Camp w both NYR and 'Canes
was expected to be in Traverse City w NYR,
but in August 'Canes signed him to ELC

i don't know the section of CBA, but this is my hazy understanding

to attend Prospect Camp, player signs an ATO
That ATO also entitles the team to a limited window to sign player to ELC
(til early fall i believe, around when the player's non-pro team season begins, maybe)

Sergei Tolchinsky at eliteprospects.com
Date of Birth Feb 03, 1995
08/22/2013 Confirmed Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds Carolina Hurricanes
In August 2013 Tolchinsky was 18

Canes Agree to Terms with Sergey Tolchinsky
Canes Agree to Terms with Sergey Tolchinsky August 22nd, 2013
RALEIGH, NC – Ron Francis, Vice President of Hockey Operations for the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has agreed to terms with free-agent forward Sergey Tolchinsky (SIHR-gay TOLL-chin-skee) on a three-year, entry-level contract.

 

[ManUtdTobbe]

No Sjalin

Was injured at the end of the season, might not be fit.

 

[nyr2k2]

i don't believe that is fully accurate
recall Tolchinsky (see more details below)

undrafted, he attended Prospect Camp w both NYR and 'Canes
was expected to be in Traverse City w NYR,
but in August 'Canes signed him to ELC

i don't know the section of CBA, but this is my hazy understanding

to attend Prospect Camp, player signs an ATO
That ATO also entitles the team to a limited window to sign player to ELC
(til early fall i believe, around when the player's non-pro team season begins, maybe)

Sergei Tolchinsky at eliteprospects.com
Date of Birth Feb 03, 1995
08/22/2013 Confirmed Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds Carolina Hurricanes
In August 2013 Tolchinsky was 18

Canes Agree to Terms with Sergey Tolchinsky
Canes Agree to Terms with Sergey Tolchinsky August 22nd, 2013
RALEIGH, NC – Ron Francis, Vice President of Hockey Operations for the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has agreed to terms with free-agent forward Sergey Tolchinsky (SIHR-gay TOLL-chin-skee) on a three-year, entry-level contract.

Thanks for posting this. I recalled this situation but not the specifics and wasn't sure if it was truly relevant.

 

[Joey Bones]

 

[Mac n Gs]

I hope this kid can make it in the AHL based on that twitter handle alone.

 

[wildcat48]

Does anyone know if Chris Nell was qualified?

 

[nyr2k2]

Does anyone know if Chris Nell was qualified?

There was a Tweet that said all but Halverson, Bigras, and Claesson received a QO. So the assumption is that everyone else was qualified, which in Nell's case is quite surprising.

 

[cwede]

Does anyone know if Chris Nell was qualified?

There was a Tweet that said all but Halverson, Bigras, and Claesson received a QO. So the assumption is that everyone else was qualified, which in Nell's case is quite surprising.

ditto re Bergman,

and in fact, i have only seen a single, informal reference that Vinnie L did get a QO ...

 

[Leetch3]

ditto re Bergman,

and in fact, i have only seen a single, informal reference that Vinnie L did get a QO ...

it looks like cap friendly is updated and appears that bergman, letteri and nell were qualified and are still RFAs