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

[JimmyG89]

Well, Nieves with a 1+1 night, setting up Lettieri for the GWG with under a min left.

Huska was very solid. Not many chances either way tonight.

 

[Edge]

Keane is a very smart player. Even when he doesn’t show up on the scoreboard, you watch him get to the right spots, do little things. He bailed Geertsen out late in the game by anticipating the play.

lettieri got a gift late. Complete breakdown by Hershey on that okay.

Pack dodged a bullet at the end as well.

 

[Ranger Ric]

And Littieri wins it on great pass from Nieves. Play started when Lovetde wins battle behind pack net and leads rush wit pack winning board battle withh pass to littieri in front and he goes five hole with a minute to go.

If only he had some "synergy" with someone.

 

[GAGLine]

Big win for the Pack.

 

[Ranger Ric]

Just watched replay. LoVerde brings puck out and passes to gettinger who wins board battle and passes puck to Nieves. All those four players made excellent plays.

 

[Edge]

And with that, my youngest (and last) child has been to a professional hockey game.

 

[Ranger Ric]

Hartford outshot 27-15. This is not a very talented offensive team. Huska solid in goal tonight although not a ton of great opportunities for Hershey. Kravtsov worked hard defensively and made a couple of nice plays but I agree he is not close to NHL yet. Nieves looked like a pro. I think he and Mckegg could be part of an effective fourth line for the Rangers. I wasn't impressed with the other AHL vet forwards. I thought the best line was Jones - Gropp - Belesky. They had the puck in the offensive end more than the other lines. Newell played limited minutes on the fourth line but did play second power play. I understand that you want to create a winning environment, which Hartford has done so far, but the goal is to develop young players. I would like to see Newell and Gropp play bigger roles. Disappointed that Rykov was scratched so didn't get a chance to see him. I thought Keane was fine but I think we all overreacted to his quick scoring start but now with a bigger sample size we are not seeing the same level of scoring. I am a Keane fan but he needs more AHL time and he has a lot of talented right handed defensemen in the system in front of him.

 

[Edge]

Kravtsov was committed to back checking tonight. Very impressed by his effort.

 

[cwede]

Rykov scratched because ...
Banged up? Or ... tomorrow
he might face that team that drafted him, if 55 unavailable...

 

[Edge]

Keane I thought played a smart game that didn’t show up on the score sheet, especially with a defensive partner who is it the most fleet of foot.

Nieves I felt was somewhat the opposite. He played an okay game, but ended up on the score sheet twice.

LoVerde was another one who looked awfully shaky for a good portion of the game, and ended up factoring into the GWG.

Huska was solid and I want to see what he can do if he has the opportunity to run with the ball for a little bit.

Gropp continues to be a tease who shows why he caught the Rangers attention and what he can do when he focuses his game.

Kravtsov has some impressive skills, but he is obviously learning. There’s a lot of similarity to his 2017-2018 KHL season right now. Much better defensively than one would expect.

Hartford was without some depth on defense tonight, and it showed. The offense, also doesn’t have nearly as much intrigue without Chytil, and to an extent, even Andersson.

 

[Leetch3]

I don't care how cute the kid is...I refuse to accept a reality where I don't picture @Edge looking like Pepe in real life

 

[Edge]

I don't care how cute the kid is...I refuse to accept a reality where I don't picture @Edge looking like Pepe in real life

Catch me on the rare occasion I have coffee, or after trying to wrangle a hockey line’s worth of kids and get them out the door and to our destination.

And I now realize that this might be the first some people on this board have ever seen me. Some people have met me over the years in various parts of the world, but most of the board wouldn’t be able to pick me out of a lineup.

So there I am, enjoying my domestic time before I leave next week for work. In need of a trim and a shave, and with three layers of clothing, including a double layered jacket because the wind chill has the temperate in single digits tonight.

 

[UnSandvich]

Catch me on the rare occasion I have coffee, or after trying to wrangle a hockey line’s worth of kids and get them out the door and to our destination.

And I now realize that this might be the first some people on this board have ever seen me. Some people have met me over the years in various parts of the world, but most of the board wouldn’t be able to pick me out of a lineup.

So there I am, enjoying my domestic time before I leave next week for work. In need of a trim and a shave, and with three layers of clothing, including a double layered jacket because the wind chill has the temperate in single digits tonight.

You're a lot less...orange...than i'd anticipated

 

[Edge]

You're a lot less...orange...than i'd anticipated

Between that and the podcast, the illusion is gone.

 

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

Between that and the podcast, the illusion is gone.

Might just be the light/angle but you got a little Mika goin’ on there, brother.

Do you DJ as well?

 

[Edge]

Might just be the light/angle but you got a little Mika goin’ on there, brother.

Do you DJ as well?

Not since college.

Breaks from work are always fun times to mess with facial hair and let down a little. First time I’ve ever had a goatee. Over the summer I messed with a musketeer, conquistador thing that my wife hated.

 

[gravey9]

Nieves with the goal, Gropp with the helper and the work on the play.

Gropp is always interesting to watch because you can see the ingredients that made him a second rounder - when he skates with purpose and gets himself to the right positions on the ice, he has good hands.

Kravtsov definitely has the puck skills and hands of a top NHL player. Needs to be more aggressive on the puck.

Huska looks sharp. Good angles, great at staying with the puck, aggressive.

Agreed on Kravtsov. Digging deeper, he's in an interesting developmental place. On the one hand, he's playing responsibly. He's hustling. He's flashing some skill here and there. Positionally, he's doing ok.

But it seems like, in the AHL to have offensive success you have to be selfish. When you see skilled forwards excel in the AHL, they're kinda just attacking, using speed, at times puck-hogging and ultimately bull-rushing, fighting through the other team.

Right now, Kravtsov isn't doing that. And I think it's for a few reasons:

1 - He's not physically ready for that.
2 - That's not really his game. He's a playmaker. He excels with his skating, hands and most of all, his vision.

But really, are there playmakers/passers at any age that succeed in the A? Is there an Adam Oates of the AHL?

At the end of the day, Kravtsov playing in the AHL as a 19 year old isn't a perfect fit. Are there ways he can learn and grow down there? For sure. And learning to translate his skillset to a more pluggish league can be good. In the long run, the AHL stylistically similar to NHL 3rd round playoff game but at 1/2 speed. Learning to fight through checks, maintain puck control through traffic, play D, etc -- all helpful. But what's more beneficial for VK at this stage in his development? Learning to grind? Or growing his offensive skills?

Which brings me to my final point. If I were the Rangers I would promote him for the last 15-20 games of the season. And NOT based on his play so far in the AHL. He doesn't deserve a promotion based on that.

BUT... I think it's worth an experiment. I can't help but wonder if the NHL is actually a better place for a skilled playmaker to develop.

At the end of the day, we have to be mindful about what kind of player we want VK to develop into. Are we developing a middle-sixer who scores 40-50 pts a year or are we trying to develop a legit first line wing? If it's a first line winger, then learning to succeed at the AHL style isn't the biggest priority to focus on. In fact, I would argue that Kravtsov's D and positioning are on par with Kakko's at least. What we need to prioritize is developing VK's offensive game so he can dominate with his skill at the next level.

So, keeping him down in the A until he proves he can succeed at that style of play may not be as crucial for him as it might be for a defenseman or a bottom 6 forward. That's why, despite his lack of production in the A, I would experiment with seeing if he can develop with the big club at season's end. It's at least worth a shot.

Ultimately, not every player should be developed the same way.

 

[Edge]

Agreed on Kravtsov. Digging deeper, he's in an interesting developmental place. On the one hand, he's playing responsibly. He's hustling. He's flashing some skill here and there. Positionally, he's doing ok.

But it seems like, in the AHL to have offensive success you have to be selfish. When you see skilled forwards excel in the AHL, they're kinda just attacking, using speed, at times puck-hogging and ultimately bull-rushing, fighting through the other team.

Right now, Kravtsov isn't doing that. And I think it's for a few reasons:

1 - He's not physically ready for that.
2 - That's not really his game. He's a playmaker. He excels with his skating, hands and most of all, his vision.

But really, are there playmakers/passers at any age that succeed in the A? Is there an Adam Oates of the AHL?

At the end of the day, Kravtsov playing in the AHL as a 19 year old isn't a perfect fit. Are there ways he can learn and grow down there? For sure. And learning to translate his skillset to a more pluggish league can be good. In the long run, the AHL stylistically similar to NHL 3rd round playoff game but at 1/2 speed. Learning to fight through checks, maintain puck control through traffic, play D, etc -- all helpful. But what's more beneficial for VK at this stage in his development? Learning to grind? Or growing his offensive skills?

Which brings me to my final point. If I were the Rangers I would promote him for the last 15-20 games of the season. And NOT based on his play so far in the AHL. He doesn't deserve a promotion based on that.

BUT... I think it's worth an experiment. I can't help but wonder if the NHL is actually a better place for a skilled playmaker to develop.

At the end of the day, we have to be mindful about what kind of player we want VK to develop into. Are we developing a middle-sixer who scores 40-50 pts a year or are we trying to develop a legit first line wing? If it's a first line winger, then learning to succeed at the AHL style isn't the biggest priority to focus on. In fact, I would argue that Kravtsov's D and positioning are on par with Kakko's at least. What we need to prioritize is developing VK's offensive game so he can dominate with his skill at the next level.

So, keeping him down in the A until he proves he can succeed at that style of play may not be as crucial for him as it might be for a defenseman or a bottom 6 forward. That's why, despite his lack of production in the A, I would experiment with seeing if he can develop with the big club at season's end. It's at least worth a shot.

Ultimately, not every player should be developed the same way.

I think you hit on something in the first half of your post that is really key. Right now, Kravtsov looks like a boy among men. Physically, stylistically, etc. And, in reality, in many ways he is a boy among men.

That’s where he reminds me of 2017-18 season in the KHL. You have flashes of the skill and you can see the potential, but you can also see that he’s learning to swim. There’s hesitation, and apprehension.

But, I also see the same traits that made me think he could be one of the top players in his draft class. And like his KHL transition, I think when he takes a step forward, it has the potential to be a big step forward.

I could then also see a similar transition when he reaches the NHL. And so on and so forth.

But that 2018 class is so much about time and patience and giving these kids multiple years to put the pieces together. None of our 2018 first rounders were guys who I pegged as fast track to the NHL types, and through their ups and downs I still more or less feel that way.

 

[gravey9]

I think you hit on something in the first half of your post that is really key. Right now, Kravtsov looks like a boy among men. Physically, stylistically, etc. And, in reality, in many ways he is a boy among men.

That’s where he reminds me of 2017-18 season in the KHL. You have flashes of the skill and you can see the potential, but you can also see that he’s learning to swim. There’s hesitation, and apprehension.

But, I also see the same traits that made me think he could be one of the top players in his draft class. And like his KHL transition, I think when he takes a step forward, it has the potential to be a big step forward.

I could then also see a similar transition when he reaches the NHL. And so on and so forth.

But that 2018 class is so much about time and patience and giving these kids multiple years to put the pieces together. None of our 2018 first rounders were guys who I pegged as fast track to the NHL types, and through their ups and downs I still more or less feel that way.

Really well said. It's all in the past now, but ideally Kravtsov would not have signed his ELC. Instead, it would have been better if he were traded to a more structured team in the KHL where he could have slowly worked his way into a prominent role before coming to NA.

 

[Edge]

Hartford outshot 27-15. This is not a very talented offensive team. Huska solid in goal tonight although not a ton of great opportunities for Hershey. Kravtsov worked hard defensively and made a couple of nice plays but I agree he is not close to NHL yet. Nieves looked like a pro. I think he and Mckegg could be part of an effective fourth line for the Rangers. I wasn't impressed with the other AHL vet forwards. I thought the best line was Jones - Gropp - Belesky. They had the puck in the offensive end more than the other lines. Newell played limited minutes on the fourth line but did play second power play. I understand that you want to create a winning environment, which Hartford has done so far, but the goal is to develop young players. I would like to see Newell and Gropp play bigger roles. Disappointed that Rykov was scratched so didn't get a chance to see him. I thought Keane was fine but I think we all overreacted to his quick scoring start but now with a bigger sample size we are not seeing the same level of scoring. I am a Keane fan but he needs more AHL time and he has a lot of talented right handed defensemen in the system in front of him.

It’s funny, people tend to notice and talk about Keane when the offense is coming. But I don’t think a lot of fans truly understand that the offense, while an enjoyable aspect, isn’t necessarily his bread and butter.

And when the numbers come back down to reality, like they did in the OHL, there’s a concern that he’s not doing as well. But in both leagues, I’ve often found that he contributes out there and has an impact. In some cases, his better games are the ones where there really isn’t a mark that shows up on the stat sheet.

I’ll give an example from tonight. Keane’s partner, who is not the most mobile guy on the planet, kept wandering all night and he finally got caught late in the game.

The only reason why it wasn’t a bigger issue is because Keane picked up on the play, compensated for his wandering friend, and was able to catch and break up what would’ve been a dangerous 2 on 1. Now I don’t know what the video feed showed, but seeing it live, it was a damn good play and not typical of a rookie, fourth round pick.

But you’re right, he has some stiff, higher-end competition in front of him. But I’ll say to this board what I’ve said for a while, and mentioned in the podcast this summer, don’t sleep on Keane.

 

[DutchNYR]

And with that, my youngest (and last) child has been to a professional hockey game.

View attachment 304909

Always thought Kevin Smith supported the Devils.

 

[Ola]

I don't care how cute the kid is...I refuse to accept a reality where I don't picture @Edge looking like Pepe in real life

Good idea to post pictures. This is me and my g/f.

 

[KOVALEV022473]

Because of his hit last night on Donskoi, but nothing came of it with player safety.

...and nothing should’ve come from it. That hit was perfect. This league is really becoming p***yfied. I really hope someone blasts Kadri’s eyes in the next time we see them.

 

[Osminator]

Big opportunity for Huska with Shesty in NY... play/ride him as much as he can take, reps reps reps, so he can assert himself and show what he is all about as a starting goalie. He should feel safe with vet McCollum behind him in case.

Also... Boo should be in NY, his skating, vision, IQ, energy, etc. is at least 1 step above everybody else, but probably better to play a regular top6 role in HFD than 2-3 minutes in NY :-/

 

[Joey Bones]

At the Pack game tonight. I’ll report back.

Damn, my girl & I almost went. Will have to catch you at the next one!!