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

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On a better note, Jacksonville just won the first two games of their series against Atlanta 3-2 and 4-3. The surprise stat line comes from late season waiver pickup Ian MicKinnon, who has a goal and assist and a fight (extra penalty for removing the helmet)over the two games. This after scoring a career 4 goals in 3 ECHL seasons and 0 goals in three seasons in the OHL....
 
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Maybe the NYR should consider making JAX their AHL affiliate, 6405 avg attendance per home game (3rd in ECHL) with a passionate fanbase. Probably beats playing in front of 800 people in a 15,000 arena in Hartford, a city always at the butt end of jokes. And yes, Ive been to HFD (mind you, in the golden days of Terry Virtue, Brad Smyth, Kenny G and co.)

I was a big fan and proponent of HFD and the Wolf Pack, but the mismangement - especially of the on-ice product - the past 10 or so years... terrible. News of how much benefit a well functioning AHL affiliate can help and serve the parent NHL team probably hasn't reached the NYR yet.
 
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Haven't followed Hartford that much this season. Who does everyone think the emergency call ups are for this week? Nils and Jones are the defense coming up, but who are the forwards?

Pajuniemi getting a call or should we expect Gettinger and Greco? Wouldn't mind Greco being up for these games. Queens kid. Let him get the home game at MSG with his family.
 
JimmyG89 said:
Haven't followed Hartford that much this season. Who does everyone think the emergency call ups are for this week? Nils and Jones are the defense coming up, but who are the forwards?

Pajuniemi getting a call or should we expect Gettinger and Greco? Wouldn't mind Greco being up for these games. Queens kid. Let him get the home game at MSG with his family.
Click to expand...

Paju is most likely going to be told to work on his strength this summer. Doubt he sees a game.
 
Osminator said:
Maybe the NYR should consider making JAX their AHL affiliate, 6405 avg attendance per home game (3rd in ECHL) with a passionate fanbase. Probably beats playing in front of 800 people in a 15,000 arena in Hartford, a city always at the butt end of jokes. And yes, Ive been to HFD (mind you, in the golden days of Terry Virtue, Brad Smyth, Kenny G and co.)

I was a big fan and proponent of HFD and the Wolf Pack, but the mismangement - especially of the on-ice product - the past 10 or so years... terrible. News of how much benefit a well functioning AHL affiliate can help and serve the parent NHL team probably hasn't reached the NYR yet.
Click to expand...

They should move the team closer to NY. I never understood why White Plains or even somewhere in Rockland County wasn't brainstormed.
 
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JimmyG89 said:
Haven't followed Hartford that much this season. Who does everyone think the emergency call ups are for this week? Nils and Jones are the defense coming up, but who are the forwards?

Pajuniemi getting a call or should we expect Gettinger and Greco? Wouldn't mind Greco being up for these games. Queens kid. Let him get the home game at MSG with his family.
Click to expand...
My guess at F recalls remains Greco, Getts, Merkley, Richards as first 4.
Jones, Tinordi, Nils, maybe Robertson on D
 
Osminator said:
Is there an AHL-fit arena there? If so, how many people are going to show up at games? (= what would the team reception be??
Click to expand...
I know nothing about the business aspect of any of this, so this might seem like an idiotic suggestion, but what about Barclay Center now that the Isles have vacated it? Having the AHL team in Brooklyn would be nice.
 
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OhYeahAndVesey said:
I know nothing about the business aspect of any of this, so this might seem like an idiotic suggestion, but what about Barclay Center now that the Isles have vacated it? Having the AHL team in Brooklyn would be nice.
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Why not. Also the UBS, Prudential Center or the old Nassau Colosseum. A lot of Ranger fans in both NJ and Ling Island.
 
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cwede said:
Suddenly up by 2 and getting pts from NYR guys.
And miss playoffs by just a point and a tiebreak
Click to expand...

1650837311720.png


that 3-6-1 in last 10 was 1-6-1 in 8, prior to
yesterday and today's Reg W's

really shouldn't have let themselves miss
 
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per their sweater ##s, in order these are Whelan, Jones, Richards, Skinner

Skinner thanks for his first pro year,
altho in '20-21 he did play 26 games in E and 10 w pack
 
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Wolfpack Review

I wanted to provide my thoughts on the Wolfpack 21-22 season. I will break this thread up into four individual posts: Management, Goalies, Defensemen, and Forwards.

This first post is on management.

Feel free to criticize or comment.

Management

The role of management should be twofold:

  1. Create a winning environment;
  2. Develop prospects.
It would be hard to say that the team didn’t create a winning environment — at least for the first five months. Even during the last eight games before the final two wins, the team righted the ship with every game being a one goal game. But there were several ugly games between mid March to early April.

I’ve argued that things went south when the Rangers recalled Johnny Brodzinski. Without the team’s first line center, the other centers had to play over their abilities with the not surprising expected result. Management did try to address the situation by trading for Merkely and Letunov but these trades were too little and too late. The team continued to play well even with Schneider and Barron recalled earlier in the season and Lundqvist replaced Schneider. I’m sure there were other factors besides Brodzinski’s recall. But it’s hard to give management a favorable rating when the team blew a big lead to miss the playoffs.

Since there is so little information on the Pack during the year we don’t know which players have injuries and what the coaches are thinking in making their lineup decisions. I had many criticisms of Coach Knoblouch last year in terms of his use of players and I had similar concerns this year. For several months the team put out a first line of Brodzinski-Greco and Gettinger. I would have preferred to see some of the better prospects have a chance to play with Brodzinski to enhance their development. I thought the team had Reuschhoff and Pajuniemi too often on the third and fourth lines with players who were not going to help them improve.

I can’t think of a prospect who I felt played much better at the end of the year than at the beginning. Maybe the six week losing streak colored my view. And I wouldn’t say anyone regressed over that time. But I would feel better if we could point to some prospects as showing growth by the end of the year.

All in all it’s hard to say that management succeeded in its job this season.
 
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Part 2

My thoughts on the positions will be limited to prospects.

Goalies

Adam Huska — Last year the team started off 2-5 and playing poorly. Then Adam Huska was put in goal and Ty Ronning started playing instead of sitting on the bench. In my opinion those two players really helped turn the season around. Huska doesn’t let in many soft goals. But it also doesn’t look like he is making spectacular saves. He uses his size to play the angles and has shown he is a competent AHL goalie. This year he showed the same. But the team clearly placed Kinkaid over Huska with Kinkaid playing 37 games to Huska’s 29. Kinkaid had a better record than Huska winning twice as many games as Huska even though their save percentage was almost identical and Huska having a better goal against average.

I would have no problem with Huska being the veteran goalie on the team next year with Garand. But Huska can become a free agent because of his age and lack of NHL games. Would he even want to come back? Does he think he has any future in making the Rangers?

Tyler Wall — Wall was just terrible last season. Yes it was his first pro year and yes it was a crazy season because of covid. But he just had trouble even with simple shots. Hopefully things could be better this year. But they weren’t. Or at least much better. Almost the exact same .865 save percentage. Goals Against Average even higher than the year before. He did play better in Jacksonville but his stats were not as good as Francois Brassard. It doesn’t seem likely that the Rangers would qualify him for an NHL contract.

The Rangers were publicly linked to 3 free agent goalies who wound up signing with other teams. So the team clearly was looking for another prospect goalie. I don’t think there is anyone left with Dryden McKay and Strauss Mann signing elsewhere. So maybe the Rangers give Wall one more year to see if he can show he is even an AHL goalie since they have an open prospect goalie spot.

But it would not be surprising if neither Huska or Wall are back next year on NHL contracts.
 
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Part 3

Defense (Prospects Listed by Alphabetical Order)

Zack Jones — Jones had an excellent year. To me he is Fox light. Excellent with the puck and finding open space and open players. Good stick work on the defensive end. If he were bigger he could be a high end defenseman. I think his size is going to limit his ceiling. But he already has shown he is an NHL player. I thought his game tailed off at the end of the year. I didn’t think he looked as dynamic in games I saw. He played around 30 games/year in his two seasons at U. Mass. He’s at 63 this season between New York and Hartford. So maybe the long season got to him. Or maybe I’m wrong. He needs to get stronger. But I would be surprised to see him in Hartford next year.

Nils Lundkvist — I was rereading a Rangers prospect analysis from September. The analysis, which rated Lundqvist as the #1 prospect, kept using the word “activation.” The analysis also used phrases like “involved in every play,” “sprints up the ice,” “stays low once engaged,” “looks for teammates in scoring positions,” and I wondered “what happened to that guy.” I thought his play with the Rangers was OK but certainly nothing special and the Rangers must have agreed because they sent him to Hartford after 25 games. And at Hartford what you saw was pretty much what you saw with the Rangers. He didn’t look especially activated and engaged. He was fine. But not the player I was expecting from the Swedish defenseman of the year. Perhaps the change in coming overseas affected him. Or the smaller ice. Or maybe he was told he needed to concentrate on his defense and he became tentative. I think there is a lot more to him than we saw this year. But with the Rangers overload at defense it seems likely he could be traded before next year. And that could be a mistake if he does turn on the activation switch and becomes the player many thought he could be.

Matthew Robertson —Robertson had a solid rookie season. He looks like he can have an NHL career. He is big and skates well but not physical like Lindgren and without the offensive skills of a Jones. Just a consistent defenseman. He very likely will be back in Hartford next year and I would like to see if he can expand his offensive game after generating only 11 points in 65 games this year.

Brandon Scanlin —I was surprised when the Rangers were able to sign Scanlin. He was rated as the fourth best NCAA free agent by Chris Peters. Given the Rangers overloaded situation with defensemen, you would have thought he might have had better options. Maybe if Amazing Kreiderman does his prospect interviews we’ll learn what was Scanlin’s thinking. I can’t help but guess that the Omaha native Jed Ortmeyer might have influenced Scanlin.

Peters mentioned his skating as being a potential issue and he also mentioned a clunky style. When you see him you do see the clunky style and he is not a great skater but in the few games I saw skating did not appear to be a problem. Although a left handed shot he played right defense every time I saw him. He is a big kid with physicality to his game and he scored 31 points in 36 games at Nebraska this season. He also showed offense in junior leagues before he went to Nebraska. What I saw about him was his calmness when he had the puck. He only had one point in fifteen games but he played through the Pack’s collapse and wound up only -1. I am looking forward to seeing a full year of him at Hartford. He could be a player.

Hunter Skinner —Skinner had a fine first year in the AHL. He plays a physical game and has a big shot. He does make mistakes on defensive coverage but he should learn with experience. He is another player I am looking forward to seeing next year.

Defense clearly is the strength of the Rangers’ prospects and it will be interesting to see if next year Robertson, Scanlin and Skinner can build on the success this year of Schneider and Jones.
 
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Forwards (Prospects Listed by Alphabetical Order)


Jake Elmer — Played ten games with the Pack. One assist. Had no impact. I heard a podcast in which he was interviewed and he seemed like a nice kid. Is RFA.Not going to be qualified.

Tim Gettinger — Others on this board have been higher on Gettinger than I am. He has improved. He is big and trying to be more physical. Has a decent shot. Has been a good penalty killer in part because of his size. This year he had 25 points in 45 games and most of those points were playing with Brodzinski and Greco. Largely ineffective after Brodzinski brought up to the Rangers. Gettinger played eight games with the Rangers with no points, and three shots. This is was his fourth year with Hartford and he’s never really excelled for any length of time. He’s not creative, not a good stickhandler, not that quick, and not nearly as effective physically as Dryden Hunt. He seems to be an adequate AHL player. He is an RFA and I think the Rangers qualify him to send him to Hartford.

Patrick Khodorenko — Khodorenko was the most heralded of the three NCAA free agent signings after the 2020 season. He played in 22 of the 24 games last year. He was pretty bad at the beginning of the season (no offense, lots of turnovers, missed defensive assignments) and eventually was benched for two games. He was better when he returned but only in the sense that he wasn’t as bad as he had been to start the season. He did not start this season very well but in the latter part of the season he started to play better. He wound up with 23 points in 67 games and I would guess most of those points were in the latter part of the season. He began to control the puck better and look for open ice rather than just getting rid of the puck. I wouldn’t even call him a good AHL player at this point but his improvement is encouraging. We’ll see if he can build on that for next year. I don’t see him as an NHL player. Perhaps he’ll prove me wrong. He is under contract for one more year.

Lauri Pajumiemi — I thought Pajuniemi had a good year for a first year player coming from overseas. The shot is everything you saw from the Finish League. But I saw several plays where he was effective in keeping control of the puck and at times he got pretty physical. He wound up with 26 points in 51 games split equally between points and assists. He was hurt missing several games but I also believe he was a healthy scratch for several games. And when he played he often was on the third line with less talented players. I don’t think the coaching staff used him appropriately. I hope the coaches give him an opportunity to play up in the lineup with more talented players with whom he can better use his skill. He might be a third line RW if his play develops.

Justin Richards — Richards is a hard working player. You would want your players to have his motor. But he gives you next to nothing on offense scoring only 14 points in 67 games with only 8 of those points being assists. I would like my centers to have more than eight assists in a year. And while he is supposed to be a defensive specialist, he wound up -28 for the year. The next worst was Anthony Bitetto at -11. Yes I know +/- has its shortcomings but -28? That tied for seventh worst in the entire AHL. Several other posters have noted that after watching a game you realize that you don’t notice him. I thought after last year maybe he could be a fourth line center in the NHL. But after this year I have my doubts. He’s is RFA and I expect the Rangers to qualify him.

Ty Ronning — I confess to having a man-crush on Ronning. I previously have related the story about meeting the Vancouver Giants bus driver in Jasper Canada on a family trip . The bus driver took a picture of me in my Rangers shirt and cap that he texted to Ty but he did not respond before we had to leave. The bus driver raved about what a great kid Ty is; team leader, everyone loved him, nicest kid in the world, let alone being an excellent player. You want to root for someone with that character. Last year he was scratched for five of the first seven games with the Pack going 2-5. I don’t know why he was scratched because he clearly was the best Pack player in one game and one of the best in the other game. When he finally got a chance he (and Adam Huska) turned the team around coming very close to winning the division. He scored 18 points in 19 games. I could make a good case that he was the team’s MVP. This year he didn’t keep up with that scoring pace but still had a good season scoring 39 points in 69 games. He probably is the most creative player on the team generating offense. He is a very good stickhandler and knows how to find open ice and open teammates. He has a high hockey IQ. But his skating speed is just average (wasn’t his father Cliff a speed burner) and he is small and despite trying is not going to win many boards battles. He is a good AHL player and might find a system where he could be a fourth line energy player in the NHL but I doubt it’s going to be with the Rangers. He is an RFA and I would qualify him because he makes his line mates better but might want out of the system.

Austin Reuschhoff — I wrote last year that I really liked Reuschhoff’s game. He is big but he has some skill. When he was signed the word was his skating was an issue. His skating is not great but I didn’t see it as a huge problem. With that long stride he can make up a lot of ground. He has a very good wrist shot — maybe second best on the team last year to Morgan Barron. I also saw him make several good passes to teammates. He was particularly effective on the second power play where he stood in front of the net. The 2nd PP outplayed the first PP because of the creativity of Ty Ronning and Reuschhoff’s effective screens. He is physical. And did I mention that he is big? This year he started the season slowly but then went on a rampage when Hartford players were moved up to the Rangers' taxi squad and he finally got a chance to play on a higher line. But then when the taxi squad ended and players returned he was moved back down and while playing with less effective players the points dried up. He finished with 24 points including 14 goals (fourth on the team) in 59 games. He is not going to dazzle you with his stick handling and he’s not going to win speed skating races but he has that good wrist shot, showed a pretty good hockey IQ, was a more effective passer that you might expect and was able to use his body effectively to control the puck down low. I think he might be a fourth line right wing in the NH with his size—did I mention he is really big?— and his skill. But like with Pajuniemi, I don’t think the coaching staff used him effectively. I would like to see him given a chance to work with more skilled players. He is RFA and I would expect the Rangers to qualify him.

Bobby Trivigno — Fortunately for the Rangers Bobby’s heart won over his head and he chose to play for the team he loved growing up rather than another team with a better path to the NHL. Chris Peters rated him as his second best NCAA free agent prospect and Corey Pronman rated him his fourth best free agent including overseas and Canadian junior players. Although small, he has a high motor and competes effectively for pucks, good skill, and very good hockey sense. He displayed those abilities in his short stint with the Wolfpack. He scored two assists in his first game and got his first professional goal in the last game. His Rangers contract starts next year. I think it’s most likely he starts the year with the Pack but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in a Ranger jersey at some point next season.

The Rangers have a couple of interesting wing prospects but really are lacking in center prospects.
 
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