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

[CHRDANHUTCH]

5-2 Norfolk wins

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Was Igor in net?

 

[CommaSynapse]

Was Igor in net?

All Huska. 24/29

 

[SnowblindNYR]

All Huska. 24/29

Good. Thanks.

 

[Ola]

Here’s Andersson’s goal. He’s money within 10 feet of the net, he just needs to play with players that can get him the puck there

That replay should have been made like 10 seconds longer.

Lias seriously tries to skate eights around everyone on the ice a couple of times (and no, it wasn’t a smart move nor did it look like he was in control), before he was stripped at the attacking blueline and it looked like Syracuse would get a dangerous break, but HFD got the puck back and went on the rush that lead to the goal.

THAT is really what I want to see from Lias, he needs to expand that part of his game.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Damn looks like Shesty's stats took a hit recently.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Transactions:

Ryan Culkin to Laval on recall;

Scott Savage reassigned from Milwaukee

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

reminder: Autism Awareness Sensory game tonight vs. Worcester Railers HC @ Cross Arena @ 7pm, there will not be any goal horn tonight for any goal scored

 

[cwede]

Pack Recall Forward Shawn McBride from Norfolk | Hartford Wolf Pack

Shawn McBride at eliteprospects.com

just 4 A in 15 games for Norfolk -

bigger and older than Elmer, maybe he plays C (Boo is up, Fontaine is hurt..)

 

[GAGLine]

Wolf Pack players buying what coaches are selling

“I think as a team, we’ve established early that we want to have a strong commitment to our defensive zone, and our structure through the neutral zone,” said veteran defenseman Vincent LoVerde. “I think the players have bought in, and I think the coaches have done a good job preparing us for those games. The goals-against is kind of indicative of our goaltending and our structure in the ‘D’ zone and the neutral zone.”

 

[Crease]

If nothing else, the total 180 in Hartford makes this season a success for the organization.

 

[GAGLine]

Another article on theahl.com. I'm not used to them talking about the Pack lol.

Stephenson: Rangers building strong base through Hartford

 

[Ranger Ric]

Maine beats Worcester in overtime 5-4. Ryan Gropp had two goals, +2, 5 shots on goal and named 2nd star.

 

[nyr2k2]

Wolf Pack players buying what coaches are selling

Another article on theahl.com. I'm not used to them talking about the Pack lol.

Stephenson: Rangers building strong base through Hartford

Reading how upbeat everyone is, how everyone has bought into the system, how everyone supports each other, and how the coaches communicate well and in a way that's tailored to each individual player, just makes it that much harder to understand why Kravtsov soured on things so quickly.

Sorry to go down this rabbit hole again, but all the players have effusive praise for the staff and the team culture. It sounds like a great place to play, even for younger guys, as Boo mentions.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Maine beats Worcester in overtime 5-4. Ryan Gropp had two goals, +2, 5 shots on goal and named 2nd star.

2nd game OTG by Alex Kile

 

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

Reading how upbeat everyone is, how everyone has bought into the system, how everyone supports each other, and how the coaches communicate well and in a way that's tailored to each individual player, just makes it that much harder to understand why Kravtsov soured on things so quickly.

Sorry to go down this rabbit hole again, but all the players have effusive praise for the staff and the team culture. It sounds like a great place to play, even for younger guys, as Boo mentions.

I have no proof, but (as I've said multiple times), my strong suspicion is that it has more to do with Kravtsov as a 19-y-o from literally half a world away simply wasn't yet ready for the transition – especially when it didn't wind up with him playing a middle six role in NYC out of training camp. Which as I've also said before, isn't a big deal. He's had a taste; let him go home, get faster/stronger/bigger, process what it means, and come back in better shape to compete next year.

 

[cwede]

Reading how upbeat everyone is, how everyone has bought into the system, how everyone supports each other, and how the coaches communicate well and in a way that's tailored to each individual player, just makes it that much harder to understand why Kravtsov soured on things so quickly.

Sorry to go down this rabbit hole again, but all the players have effusive praise for the staff and the team culture. It sounds like a great place to play, even for younger guys, as Boo mentions.

I think he was disappointed, impatient and didnt give it a full chance to settle into a steady state.
Probably had voices from home, family, the khl team, maybe his agent feeding the doubts. And of course the $$. As unwise decisions by 19 year olds go, this one was NOT relatively damaging,
but it would be good for home to have stayed, he very likely would have gotten regular ice time given that beleskey and fonaine got hurt, and with so many guys (newell, gropp. Meskanen, elmer, LZG, dmowski, ...) not grabbing big regular roles

[edit made, in red above, leaving out a word totally changed my point
being in KHL another season, with expanded role will help him
i just wish he had stayed ]

 

[Ola]

Reading how upbeat everyone is, how everyone has bought into the system, how everyone supports each other, and how the coaches communicate well and in a way that's tailored to each individual player, just makes it that much harder to understand why Kravtsov soured on things so quickly.

Sorry to go down this rabbit hole again, but all the players have effusive praise for the staff and the team culture. It sounds like a great place to play, even for younger guys, as Boo mentions.

I just think its due to the very common notion (at least here in Europe) that the AHL is not a development league in that sense. Its a league you can learn to play North American hockey in, but not a league that you work extremely hard on your game in.

There are also so many examples of kids that went to the AHL early from Europe, and stalled in their development.

So I just don't think we at all should be surprised that Kravy returned. Like Heinola is back in Lukko right now after a few games in the AHL and the NHL. Its very common. But there was some kind of very odd reaction to Kravy returning, I don't know were that came from.

 

[nyr2k2]

I just think its due to the very common notion (at least here in Europe) that the AHL is not a development league in that sense. Its a league you can learn to play North American hockey in, but not a league that you work extremely hard on your game in.

There are also so many examples of kids that went to the AHL early from Europe, and stalled in their development.

So I just don't think we at all should be surprised that Kravy returned. Like Heinola is back in Lukko right now after a few games in the AHL and the NHL. Its very common. But there was some kind of very odd reaction to Kravy returning, I don't know were that came from.

There was more to it than that. The expectations were different. He was our top prospect. Craig Button said he was THE top prospect in the game. The team seemed to think he was ready, he clearly thought he was ready, and yet after facing a small bit of adversity he leaves as soon as he can. I don't know why all this needs to be restated. It was just disappointing, because from all outward appearances he was a guy ready to make the jump, or close to ready, but he instead took his ball and went home when he was challenged.

It is what it is. My post wasn't even really targeted at Kravtsov, but rather the individuals that seemed so quick to blame Hartford or the Rangers organization for not having a better infrastructure in place down there. Sounds like they have a great infrastructure, system, and group of guys down there and in this specific case the issue was with the player.

Hartford appears to be a better place to develop than at any point in the past decade or so.

 

[GAGLine]

There was more to it than that. The expectations were different. He was our top prospect. Craig Button said he was THE top prospect in the game. The team seemed to think he was ready, he clearly thought he was ready, and yet after facing a small bit of adversity he leaves as soon as he can. I don't know why all this needs to be restated. It was just disappointing, because from all outward appearances he was a guy ready to make the jump, or close to ready, but he instead took his ball and went home when he was challenged.

It is what it is. My post wasn't even really targeted at Kravtsov, but rather the individuals that seemed so quick to blame Hartford or the Rangers organization for not having a better infrastructure in place down there. Sounds like they have a great infrastructure, system, and group of guys down there and in this specific case the issue was with the player.

Hartford appears to be a better place to develop than at any point in the past decade or so.

My guess was that he expected to make the team and as soon as he found out he didn't, the escape clause was in the back of his mind. After that, it became self-defeating as he was waiting for a reason to invoke it rather than trying to make the best of the situation. But as you said, it is what it is. There's no point in placing blame now. He will be back next year and hopefully things work out better then. In a few years, this might be nothing more than a small bump in the road, mostly forgotten.

 

[nyr2k2]

My guess was that he expected to make the team and as soon as he found out he didn't, the escape clause was in the back of his mind. After that, it became self-defeating as he was waiting for a reason to invoke it rather than trying to make the best of the situation. But as you said, it is what it is. There's no point in placing blame now. He will be back next year and hopefully things work out better then. In a few years, this might be nothing more than a small bump in the road, mostly forgotten.

I completely agree; in some of my last posts on the topic I said essentially "what's done is done, hopefully it works out for the best". I'm not looking to affix blame.

It's just, again, about the immediate backlash against the Rangers. I'm really heartened to hear how well things seem to be going down there, so now I'm a little defensive about all the criticisms leveled at the team and Hartford in particular after he left. Sounds like they actively focus on working with each individual player.

 

[RGY]

Not a credible source, but also its the AHL so you probably won’t have as many credible people reporting on this.

 

[cwede]

Not a credible source, but also its the AHL so you probably won’t have as many credible people reporting on this.

big promotion and to a prior organization, makes sense

Worcester Railers shakeup: GM/coach Jamie Russell fired, David Cunniff hired
Worcester Railers shakeup: GM/coach Jamie Russell fired, David Cunniff hired
David Cunniff, who was Roy Sommer’s assistant for eight of the nine years the AHL Sharks played here, has replaced Jamie Russell as the Railers’ general manager and coach.

 

[Mac n Gs]

I have absolutely no clue what Cunniff was doing with the Pack, but it's still a bit unfortunate to see a coach leave this early into a season when the team is having so much success.

 

[JimmyG89]

So, Fontaine is done for the year. Hartford has now lost Kravtov, Chytil, Nieves, Fontaine and Lindgren from the beginning of the season. Really testing the depth of the team.

Andersson is going to get lots of time on the ice with the man power they've lost. So will Gettinger and Ronning. If they don't step up, it's probably going to start going south due to lack of scoring options.