Prospect Info: Hartford Wolf Pack/Bloomington Bison Thread: Part XV

[Ranger Ric]

Bryce Brodzinski not coming to Hartford.

Bryce Brodzinski signs an AHL contract with the AHL's Ontario Reign, LA Kings affiliate.

Confirmed: Bryce Brodzinski (F) From: Univ. of Minnesota To: Ontario Reign Elite Prospects - transaction for Bryce Brodzinski via @ep_transfers

 

[RangersFan1994]

Any young AHL fighters with leadership and some average skills that the Wolfpack can maybe sign to an NHL deal at league minimum to help protect the young prospects?? Need a young Rempe replacement for the Wolfpack

 

[cwede]

Any young AHL fighters with leadership and some average skills that the Wolfpack can maybe sign to an NHL deal at league minimum to help protect the young prospects?? Need a young Rempe replacement for the Wolfpack

i may be wrong but i expect Rempe starts season with Pack.
Despite the memes, IMHO he hasn't earned an out-of-camp job yet

 

[noncents]

i feel like they won't put a guy in hartford who literally shared a dais with hank and richter last month

 

[RangersFan1994]

DYLAN GARAND LOOKING TO TAKE GAME TO “ANOTHER LEVEL” AFTER STRONG PLAYOFF PERFORMANCE | Hartford Wolf Pack

www.hartfordwolfpack.com

i feel like they won't put a guy in hartford who literally shared a dais with hank and richter last month

Only way Rempe doesn't make this team is if he gets suspended early or get hurt.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

i may be wrong but i expect Rempe starts season with Pack.
Despite the memes, IMHO he hasn't earned an out-of-camp job yet

What, out of context "stats" about how his impact is greater than Wayne Gretzky's on this team don't do it for you?

 

[jay from jersey]

Confirmation that Vaisanen will not be in Hartford this upcoming season.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1808773073962758548

Google Translate:

Ilves and the NHL club 𝐍𝐰𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐑𝐫𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬 have agreed on the loan agreement of the 21-year-old forward 𝐊𝐂𝐥𝐥𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐭! Väisänen will play in Ilves in the 2024–2025 season, but will possibly participate in the Rangers' training camp in the fall.

I’m a bit disappointed in this as well Ric….
He has size and wheels. If he rounds out his game, it’s possible he can have a future in the NHL as a bottom sixer..
That said, he needs to fill out/mature still too…
I’m in the camp that thinks the faster you get them over here playing NA hockey, the better and more prepared they’ll be. Just better for the players overall development…
That said, maybe there was an agreement between parties that Hartford will have a bunch of depth and let the kid take a slower approach via his development…..

My sleeper pick is going to be Chmelar…. That was a nasty injury he suffered thru.
He came back and proved he hasn’t lost a step. I wouldn’t be surprised if he has an excellent camp and forces himself into the conversation to at least be the 1st call up for Bottom 6 wing, if not maybe make the team.
His big heavy frame, shot, and good wheels make him exactly the type of player this team wants to add to the line up… they are always talking about getting bigger…
This is a guy that checks a lot of boxes and plays the game the right way…. If he gets a chance, I’d wager he doesn’t look out of place and winds up sticking with the big club..
As Far as the big club goes, Laf and Cuylle are the guys I’m most interested in seeing take the next step.
Laf should keep the pedal on the floor and hopefully get a PP1 spot…
Cuylle def hit the rookie wall, but had a solid playoffs all things considered.. he’s deceptively good and does all the little things well..
Wouldn’t surprise me 1 bit to see him turn into a 60pt top 6 wing over the next 2 seasons.
Another guy that fits all the criteria for what we are looking for

 

[Clark Kellogg]

AHL.TV is discontinued.
Games can be subscribed at FloSports.
$150 for the year, which includes alll AHL, ECHL regular season and playoffs.
They also offer a month only plan. Believe it is $29.95?
FloSports also carries other leagues.

 

[GAGLine]

AHL.TV is discontinued.
Games can be subscribed at FloSports.
$150 for the year, which includes alll AHL, ECHL regular season and playoffs.
They also offer a month only plan. Believe it is $29.95?
FloSports also carries other leagues.

Wow. That's surprising. I guess not enough people were watching, but I can't imagine they had much overhead.

 

[nyr2k2]

AHL.TV is discontinued.
Games can be subscribed at FloSports.
$150 for the year, which includes alll AHL, ECHL regular season and playoffs.
They also offer a month only plan. Believe it is $29.95?
FloSports also carries other leagues.

That sucks. Considering so many of the games were literally just using the feed from the jumbotron, it seems like the cost to produce the games wouldn't be much.

I used to have a HockeyTV subscription to watch USHL games. I see that HockeyTV is now part of FloSports. I guess they're trying to expand.

 

[Lindberg Cheese]

Rempe could use more time at Hartford playing in different situations, he’ll be up soon enough. Edstrom and Cuylle are superior players right now. Love the big lout though.

 

[Leetch3]

that was true last year too and the rangers didn't agree....and the fact that rempe wasn't even at rookie camp tells you that they still don't

 

[cwede]

the 3 brand new try-out names -

brett budgell F age 23 6'0" 187#
played 5 seasons in QMJHL thru '22
Last 2 seasons in ECHL

Brett Budgell - Stats, Contract, Salary & More

Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Brett Budgell, 2001-06-01 St. John's, NL, CAN Canada. Most recently in the ECHL with Bloomington Bison. Complete player biography and stats.

www.eliteprospects.com

jonny Evans F age 27 5'9" 170#
played 4 seasons at UConn thru '22
Last 2 seasons in ECHL

Jonny Evans - Stats, Contract, Salary & More

Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Jonny Evans, 1997-05-01 Delta, BC, CAN Canada. Most recently in the ECHL with Bloomington Bison. Complete player biography and stats.

www.eliteprospects.com

chase pauls D age 20 6'5" 212#
Plays in the W

Chase Pauls - Stats, Contract, Salary & More

Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Chase Pauls, 2003-10-07 Osler, SK, CAN Canada. Most recently in the ECHL with Bloomington Bison. Complete player biography and stats.

www.eliteprospects.com

ALL THREE may report to Pack camp, altho Pack already have quite a few AHL contracts
Budgel and Evans COULD be candidates for Bloomington, as well,
as an ECHL expansion team, Bloomington have been gradual in filling their roster

the 20-year-old D probably returns to the W
altho NYR could ELC him, or Van Vliet, even if they return to Junior for coming season

 

[RangersFan1994]

the 3 brand new try-out names -

brett budgell F age 23 6'0" 187#
played 5 seasons in QMJHL thru '22
Last 2 seasons in ECHL

Brett Budgell - Stats, Contract, Salary & More

Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Brett Budgell, 2001-06-01 St. John's, NL, CAN Canada. Most recently in the ECHL with Bloomington Bison. Complete player biography and stats.

www.eliteprospects.com

jonny Evans F age 27 5'9" 170#
played 4 seasons at UConn thru '22
Last 2 seasons in ECHL

Jonny Evans - Stats, Contract, Salary & More

Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Jonny Evans, 1997-05-01 Delta, BC, CAN Canada. Most recently in the ECHL with Bloomington Bison. Complete player biography and stats.

www.eliteprospects.com

chase pauls D age 20 6'5" 212#
Plays in the W

Chase Pauls - Stats, Contract, Salary & More

Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Chase Pauls, 2003-10-07 Osler, SK, CAN Canada. Most recently in the ECHL with Bloomington Bison. Complete player biography and stats.

www.eliteprospects.com

ALL THREE may report to Pack camp, altho Pack already have quite a few AHL contracts
Budgel and Evans COULD be candidates for Bloomington, as well,
as an ECHL expansion team, Bloomington have been gradual in filling their roster

the 20-year-old D probably returns to the W
altho NYR could ELC him, or Van Vliet, even if they return to Junior for coming season

Rangers should give both ELC if they can. Rangers have a bad lack of depth on young future dman. Rangers could make a trade with someone like the Habs or Wild and use Kakko as bait to get a young dman back.

 

[nyr2k2]

Rangers should give both ELC if they can. Rangers have a bad lack of depth on young future dman. Rangers could make a trade with someone like the Habs or Wild and use Kakko as bait to get a young dman back.

What do you know about those guys? What makes you think they're even remotely deserving of an ELC? For every 50 random guys we bring to dev camp or the main camp, there are like 1 or 2 that end up becoming NHL players. I mean is there something specific about these guys that you like or is it just because they're undrafted and available?

 

[noncents]

What do you know about those guys? What makes you think they're even remotely deserving of an ELC? For every 50 random guys we bring to dev camp or the main camp, there are like 1 or 2 that end up becoming NHL players. I mean is there something specific about these guys that you like or is it just because they're undrafted and available?

lmao it's the latter. it's just a foolish hope, that intrinsic Rongite* cycle of placing undue expectation on an unrealized potential, without any preparation or research, and then being bitterly disappointed when that expectation is unmet.

* Rongites are Rongo loyalists.

 

[RangersFan1994]

What do you know about those guys? What makes you think they're even remotely deserving of an ELC? For every 50 random guys we bring to dev camp or the main camp, there are like 1 or 2 that end up becoming NHL players. I mean is there something specific about these guys that you like or is it just because they're undrafted and available?

Lack of young pro depth. Relying on minor leaguers doesn't help. Would not mind another Schneider type young defenseman that is pro already. Outside of Mancini not much young depth. Rangers should use Kakko as bait to get another young dman. They can use some young depth. Not more Connor Mackey types

 

[nyr2k2]

Lack of young pro depth. Relying on minor leaguers doesn't help. Would not mind another Schneider type young defenseman that is pro already. Outside of Mancini not much young depth. Rangers should use Kakko as bait to get another young dman. They can use some young depth. Not more Connor Mackey types

I'm all for "young depth" but again, what makes you think those guys are any good? I looked at young, unsigned defenseman that we invited to camp since 2017:

Joe Arntsen
Ryan McCleary
James Petrovski
Louka Henault
Luke Martin
Zach Berzolla
Brenden Kotyk

The trend here is that these guys are all minor leaguers. Maybe you get a decent AHL guy out of an invite but that's really about the extent of what you should be looking to offer--an AHL deal. There are always priority UDFA players each year but Van Vliet and Pauls are not those guys.

Looking him up now I see that Pauls has apparently signed with Bloomington. So, that's what this guy is right now: maybe ECHL-caliber. Not a dude you hand an ELC to just because he's there.

Bloomington Bison | BISON SIGN DEFENSEMAN CHASE PAULS

The Bison have added WHL defenseman

bloomingtonbisonhockey.com

 

[RangersFan1994]

I'm all for "young depth" but again, what makes you think those guys are any good? I looked at young, unsigned defenseman that we invited to camp since 2017:

Joe Arntsen
Ryan McCleary
James Petrovski
Louka Henault
Luke Martin
Zach Berzolla
Brenden Kotyk

The trend here is that these guys are all minor leaguers. Maybe you get a decent AHL guy out of an invite but that's really about the extent of what you should be looking to offer--an AHL deal. There are always priority UDFA players each year but Van Vliet and Pauls are not those guys.

Looking him up now I see that Pauls has apparently signed with Bloomington. So, that's what this guy is right now: maybe ECHL-caliber. Not a dude you hand an ELC to just because he's there.

Bloomington Bison | BISON SIGN DEFENSEMAN CHASE PAULS

The Bison have added WHL defenseman

bloomingtonbisonhockey.com

Dan Girardi was just that. Not bad to roll the dice when the young defense depth is atrocious. I think its worse out of all 32 organizations. That has to change.

 

[noncents]

Dan Girardi was just that. Not bad to roll the dice when the young defense depth is atrocious. I think its worse out of all 32 organizations. That has to change.

we had ty emberson and he played 30 games for SJ last year. you can find cheap depth. I'm more interested in developing guys with actual talent.

 

[nyr2k2]

Dan Girardi was just that. Not bad to roll the dice when the young defense depth is atrocious. I think its worse out of all 32 organizations. That has to change.

Girardi was like 20 years ago, LOL.

I'm not arguing against signing UDFAs, in fact I'm all for it. I was asking you why specifically you thought these two players deserved an NHL entry level contract, when we've subsequently found that one of them was actually worth an ECHL contract with an expansion franchise.

There are literally countless players in college or junior hockey or who have finished their careers there who are eligible to sign NHL contracts. 95% aren't even minor pro caliber and 99% aren't legitimate NHL prospects. Just because they're available doesn't mean we should sign them.

Anyway, we're going in circles at this point.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Girardi was like 20 years ago, LOL.

I'm not arguing against singing UDFAs, in fact I'm all for it. I was asking you why specifically you thought these two players deserved an NHL entry level contract, when we've subsequently found that one of them was actually worth an ECHL contract with an expansion franchise.

There are literally countless players in college or junior hockey or who have finished their careers there who are eligible to sign NHL contracts. 95% aren't even minor pro caliber and 99% aren't legitimate NHL prospects. Just because they're available doesn't mean we should sign them.

Anyway, we're going in circles at this point.

Probably because they fight or something.

 

[eco's bones]

The worst thing a GM can do is sign a player just because. It's just a bad idea.

Some people see a guy once or twice in a junior or college game or as invite to a prospect camp in games against other prospects and think they're really something. What we watched last weekend was non-NHL hockey played by prospects most of whom will never play in the NHL and just having shown up at camp a couple days before.

As for the main camp invites---Budgell is already 23 years old and has been banging around for two years mostly in the ECHL. Wouldn't need an ELC for a 27 year old 5-9 Evans who's also been banging around for a couple years in the ECHL. Giving either NHL contracts would be laughably bad. Nobody else would so why would we? They're good enough players to get an invite to an NHL camp which is something but they aren't serious prospects.

There's no necessity to max out on our 50 contracts either. Generally it's a good idea to have a slot or two open when it comes to the trade deadline.

 

[cwede]

... the young defense depth is atrocious. I think its worse out of all 32 organizations....

but maybe, on the other hand, their young defense depth at NHL level,
is just possibly the best of all 32 organizations
with 5 of their top 6 born Feb'98 or later
[i didn't survey all the contenders, but I presume very very few
have a top 6 with only one guy older than 26]

not that i fully agree with your point tho,
a pipeline of Mancini, Robertson, Scanlin, Emery, Fortescue, Kempf and Larsson ain't nothin'

and with the youth of the big club's D, the demands on their pipeline may be less urgent

 

[Ranger Ric]

Interesting note from Hope @mikazibanejads who follows the Wolfpack speculating that the Adam Erne signing could have been in anticipation that Riley Nash was still injured and might not be available. Chris Drury said that Nash was injured and wouldn't start at training camp. Nash was a very good player for the Pack and his injury last year hurt the Pack's center depth. I'm hopeful that BMB and Roobroeck will help at center but I'm not a fan of Korczak (who already is in the 3rd year of his entry level contract having been sent back to the WHL for his first year and not producing or showing much in year 2) and Lesch whose a mediocre AHL player at best. I also am wondering who will run the Pack power play. I don't see an obvious candidate and Robertson has not been very good when he's had the chance. I thought Kale McCallum, who attended the development and rooking camps and showed some offensive skill in junior might be given a chance but he wasn't brought to the Rangers training camp.