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

[Raspewtin]

Lots of credit to McIlrath though. His game has never really changed. He’s had a few cups of coffee in the NHL. He was not the best pick at 10, but his character and leadership are evident.

In saying that, he’s a legit very tough SOB. Rempe held his own. You can tell he has little fear in general which is a huge plus. Like most guys his size at his age, he needs to keep developing his core and lower body strength to help improve his balance but he stood in there the threw with one of the toughest guys in the AHL (and he would probably be one of the toughest in the NHL if he was called up).

It was never the right pick, but he seemed like a good guy. I would’ve liked to see him make it as a regular here in some capacity. I think that knee injury really set him back.

Yeah that's the thing with McIlrath, he was a bad pick, he was the wrong pick, but if Jean didn't destroy his knee he absolutely would've been an NHLer and we would have adored him imo

Will say though he's really not a great fighter and when he left juniors i'm not sure he ever really got good at it. it's not really relevant though.

Even though i maintain McI is not a great fighter and really never was, Rempe was really brave standing in there and dude can really throw

A big part of being good at fighting is experience, you see lots of players becoming much better at fighting as they get older. Rempe is barely 20 and I find it hard to not be impressed.

 

[Leetch3]

 

[Beretta 390]

Sure, congrats on 200 games. I mean I'm happy for you, but I feel sorry for you, bud. This year's HWP squad is, well, horrible. Coaching, systems, execution...all fall flat. So disorganized it's painful. Hang in their guys.

 

[eco's bones]

Lots of credit to McIlrath though. His game has never really changed. He’s had a few cups of coffee in the NHL. He was not the best pick at 10, but his character and leadership are evident.

In saying that, he’s a legit very tough SOB. Rempe held his own. You can tell he has little fear in general which is a huge plus. Like most guys his size at his age, he needs to keep developing his core and lower body strength to help improve his balance but he stood in there the threw with one of the toughest guys in the AHL (and he would probably be one of the toughest in the NHL if he was called up).

Rempe between juniors and his short stint in the AHL Rempe has about 15 fights. McIlrath is over 140 and has fought many of the toughest guys out there. McIlrath wins the fight but Rempe didn't embarrass himself. Rempe could use a little better footwork but the way you become a good fighter is you fight the best and more often than not that means you lose or draw a good many of them. The trick is not to get hurt or hurt badly too often and to keep at it....if that is how you see your path ahead. It's a hell of a hard way to go though. People don't want to see skills there but there are skills. Footwork is a big deal. A tall guy like Rempe needs to use that to string opponents out. People talk about Chara all the time but Chara as a young NHL'er found himself on the wrong end of a lot of fights. Darren Langdon for instance who was a lot shorter knocked him around. A lot of NHL'ers who were around in the late 90's and early 2000's had been through a lot of wars and Chara wasn't a big problem for them. It's when most guys like that disappeared that Chara became the monster people think he is.

 

[MrAlmost]

McIlrath is a tough f***. He won that fight. I still think that knee injury stopped him from becoming an nhler. Shame. Good to hold his own there for Rempe. Rath is probably one of the best in the A right now, but Rempe is young. He has time.

 

[eco's bones]

Gettinger is a 5th round pick. From his draft year of 2016 there are only two players picked after him that have turned into for real NHL players Brandon Hagel and Jesper Brett. For the other players picked around him from the very late 4th round to the end of that draft he fits into the top 10 to 15%. Not a bad pick at all. Not everyone is going to make the NHL....that doesn't mean their careers are failures. Some players still are valuable helping their AHL teams and younger guys towards the success that maybe they themselves don't have. In other words as good examples of what it means to be a pro both on and off the ice. No team goes anywhere in the AHL without veterans leading the way. A team loaded with prospects but short on veterans gets creamed most nights. This is why the Brodzinski's and Elson's, Domingue's and Welinski's. Even with the disappointing start these are the guys holding the team and its morale together. Gettinger's career is kind of leaning that way too. It's not a disgrace.....it is what it is.

 

[E-Train]

So Reaves gets dealt and hours later Harpur gets a Gordie Howe hat trick. Coincidence?

 

[Ranger Ric]

I've been out of the country for the last two weeks so this is my first game in a while. I should have stayed overseas.

Pack lose 6-3. The team slept through most of the first two periods being outshot close to 2-1. In the first period a Welinski turnover leads to a goal. In the second period Scanlin steps up at the blue line leaving the Islanders to come in 2 on 1 leading to a second goal. Later in the period Garand goes behind the net to stop the puck but he doesn't move it quickly and the Islanders steal the puck and get a layup.

In the third Henriksson makes a nice pass to Trivigno allowing him to break in alone and he lies the puck between the goalie's pads. Then Henriksson makes a nice break out pass to Harper who makes a nice pass to Cuylle who has a semi break away. Cuylle tries to pass but the puck comes back to him an he wrists it home. The Pack is pressing but the Islanders dump the puck in and Garand stops it and passes it to an Islander for another layup. Ben Harper dumps the puck in after crossing the red line and somehow Corey Schneider misses it bringing the Pack within 1. But Robertson makes a bad pass in the defensive zone leading to Islander pressure and a backbreaking goal. The Islanders score an empty netter to finish the scoring.

Garand wasn't bad in stopping pucks but those are two horrible plays with the puck behind the net. The defense still lacks someone who can consistently move the puck out of the zone and there two many mistakes leading to goals.

Rydahl and Fritz were both out so Elson and Reuschhoff moved to center. The Pack top two lines, Brodzinski-Gettinger-Smith and Elson centering Cuylle and Pajuniemi did nothing and generated little offensive pressure. The first PP with the first line plus Cuylle and Welinski were awful. The bottom two lines were better. Reuschhoff centering DiGiacinto an Rempe created some down low pressure. Henriksson centering Trivigno and Whelan had some moments. Henriksson now has 3 assists in the last two games. I thought Trivigno and Henriksson were the best two forwards tonight.

But overall the team was not impressive.

 

[17futurecap]

It's not just that Hartford is bad, but there really isn't anything exciting to watch. Like, what is the best case for the prospects down there?

Cuylle-Bottom 6 grinder
Henriksson-3rd? line center
Rempe-Goon 13th forward
Trivigno-bottom 6 energy guy?
Robertson-Bottom pair dman?
Garand-Hopefully an NHL starter down the road

Brod and Gettinger are 14th-15th forward depth.

Pajuniemi will be headed to Europe by the summer.

28th best winning % in the AHL.

 

[RangersFan1994]

It's not just that Hartford is bad, but there really isn't anything exciting to watch. Like, what is the best case for the prospects down there?

Cuylle-Bottom 6 grinder
Henriksson-3rd? line center
Rempe-Goon 13th forward
Trivigno-bottom 6 energy guy?
Robertson-Bottom pair dman?
Garand-Hopefully an NHL starter down the road

Brod and Gettinger are 14th-15th forward depth.

Pajuniemi will be headed to Europe by the summer.

28th best winning % in the AHL.

I doubt Pajuniemi will be go back to Europe. I bet he is dealt to a team that gives him a chance if he has not already requested a traded.

 

[Clark Kellogg]

It's not just that Hartford is bad, but there really isn't anything exciting to watch. Like, what is the best case for the prospects down there?

Cuylle-Bottom 6 grinder
Henriksson-3rd? line center
Rempe-Goon 13th forward
Trivigno-bottom 6 energy guy?
Robertson-Bottom pair dman?
Garand-Hopefully an NHL starter down the road

Brod and Gettinger are 14th-15th forward depth.

Pajuniemi will be headed to Europe by the summer.

28th best winning % in the AHL.

I know I’m being overly optimistic, but I feel that they’re going to turn a corner very soon. I believe their glaring flaw is the forwards positioning/system in the defensive zone. If this is fixed it should result in wining unless of course they just aren’t talented enough.

 

[Clark Kellogg]

Game Clips:

 

[nyr2k2]

It's not just that Hartford is bad, but there really isn't anything exciting to watch. Like, what is the best case for the prospects down there?

Cuylle-Bottom 6 grinder
Henriksson-3rd? line center
Rempe-Goon 13th forward
Trivigno-bottom 6 energy guy?
Robertson-Bottom pair dman?
Garand-Hopefully an NHL starter down the road

Brod and Gettinger are 14th-15th forward depth.

Pajuniemi will be headed to Europe by the summer.

28th best winning % in the AHL.

Cuylle should hopefully be able to contribute more than just as a pure grinder. He's still learning how to play the pro game, but he does have some legitimate skill. I agree on the rest (including Pajuniemi) with the exception of Robertson, who I still think in time will settle in as a nice #4 somewhere.

Rydahl is another one, though he has been banged up. He's not sexy, bottom six center type and he's older, but he's one of the more legitimate NHL prospects down there. You could also add Scanlin and Emberson who both at times have looked promising.

It's tough, since Othmann can't play there, that hurts. Kravtsov won't play there. IMO Berard should be there, but he wanted to play a year with his brother and I can't fault him for that.

I know I’m being overly optimistic, but I feel that they’re going to turn a corner very soon. I believe their glaring flaw is the forwards positioning/system in the defensive zone. If this is fixed it should result in wining unless of course they just aren’t talented enough.

I agree actually. I don't think things are really as bad as they appear. At least, they're not so far off from getting to a point of respectability. They've definitely had some clunkers but have also had some results where they deserved better. This could very well end up the opposite of last season, where this year they start really slow but then finish strong. We'll see.

 

[17futurecap]

16 Shots in 3 periods and OT.

Shout out Garand though, 38 saves, no goals, shootout loss (Very Rangers of Hartford).

 

[Clark Kellogg]

Last night game clips:

 

[cwede]

Saturday F scratches were Khodo, Rydahl, Gettinger
Lohin (AHL Pack contract) recalled

 

[cwede]

Pack are last in AHL in GF, RW and ROW.
But middle of the "Pack" for GA.

TheAHL.com | The American Hockey League

theahl.com

Need more O from the throughout the lineup.

 

[JHS]

Im going to Saturday’s game. Taking my
Nephew to his first love hockey game. Seems like it might be painful to watch…

 

[Ranger Ric]

Pack are last in AHL in GF, RW and ROW.
But middle of the "Pack" for GA.

TheAHL.com | The American Hockey League

theahl.com

Need more O from the throughout the lineup.

A couple of games ago I called the Pack offensively challenged. It's not surprising the team is last in GF. This last weekend the team scored one goal in two games against Hershey and that goal was a gift from a Hershey defenseman.

We've talked about the importance of veterans on a young team. Here's how the veterans are doing:

Name Games Points +/-
Gettinger 16 10 -6
Welinski 16 10 -11
Brodzinski 17 9 -6
Elson 17 8 -2
Smith 17 6 -11
Fritz 13 5 -1

Tim Gettinger is 153rd in the AHL in scoring. C.J. Smith and Andy Welinski rank 924 and 925 in +/-, with only four players having worse +/- in the AHL.

The Pack has the sixth worst % of goals on the PP. The first PP unit are all vets except for Cuylle.

The Pack has no chance if the veterans continue to perform at this level.

Will Cuylle ranks 39th in scoring for AHL rookies with Bobby Trevigno at 49. Among the kids, I've seen some offense from Cuylle, Trevigno, Pajuniemi, Henriksson, and Reuschhoff but none have shown to be a dominant offensive player and the veterans are not helping.

Matthew Robertson, who had four points in the first couple of games, is still stuck on four after 14 games and is a -8. Robertson and Welinski have been paired for several games and the results are not good. The other defensemen, Emberson, Harper, Scanlin and Hillman are either even or in positive +/- territory. I understand that +/- has its weaknesses but Robertson and Welinski really stand out in a negative way.

The goaltending for most games has been good. But the defense generates little offense and there is no one on the back end who passes or moves the puck like Reunanen or Jones.

I'm hoping to see continued development from the kids but it's hard to be optimistic about the team if the vets play does not improve.

 

[gravey9]

A couple of games ago I called the Pack offensively challenged. It's not surprising the team is last in GF. This last weekend the team scored one goal in two games against Hershey and that goal was a gift from a Hershey defenseman.

We've talked about the importance of veterans on a young team. Here's how the veterans are doing:

Name Games Points +/-
Gettinger 16 10 -6
Welinski 16 10 -11
Brodzinski 17 9 -6
Elson 17 8 -2
Smith 17 6 -11
Fritz 13 5 -1

Tim Gettinger is 153rd in the AHL in scoring. C.J. Smith and Andy Welinski rank 924 and 925 in +/-, with only four players having worse +/- in the AHL.

The Pack has the sixth worst % of goals on the PP. The first PP unit are all vets except for Cuylle.

The Pack has no chance if the veterans continue to perform at this level.

Will Cuylle ranks 39th in scoring for AHL rookies with Bobby Trevigno at 49. Among the kids, I've seen some offense from Cuylle, Trevigno, Pajuniemi, Henriksson, and Reuschhoff but none have shown to be a dominant offensive player and the veterans are not helping.

Matthew Robertson, who had four points in the first couple of games, is still stuck on four after 14 games and is a -8. Robertson and Welinski have been paired for several games and the results are not good. The other defensemen, Emberson, Harper, Scanlin and Hillman are either even or in positive +/- territory. I understand that +/- has its weaknesses but Robertson and Welinski really stand out in a negative way.

The goaltending for most games has been good. But the defense generates little offense and there is no one on the back end who passes or moves the puck like Reunanen or Jones.

I'm hoping to see continued development from the kids but it's hard to be optimistic about the team if the vets play does not improve.

The whole team, similar to the Rangers, is underachieving. I would say though, this was the case last season as well. Team def had more offense, but overall just blah. Kinkaid and the other goalies were hung out to dry far too much last season too.

This is just a random connection I had the other day, and curious to hear reactions, but it is interesting that ever since Gord Murphy was brought up to the Rangers, the Wolf Pack have not been terribly competitive. I’m not saying he is the secret sauce or anything but in watching the Pack, I haven’t loved the development of the D prospects at the A level. Just continuously feels like a lack of attention to detail similar to the big club but worse. Don’t hate Knoblauch or anything but it just feels like you want something more from the staff. It’s like, okay, you’re not going to win much or score much but can you at least make the players Uber responsible and detail oriented and structured so they’re ready to be trusted at next level? Robertson is an example of what I mean. Here’s a kid who literally could just become a shut down guy in his own zone and get called up just for being a guy who always makes the right simple play and owns the crease but instead he’s running around like K’andre or Jones do with the big club. I think the systems we deploy are not focused enough on D zone coverage and puck support and seriously hamper the development of our D and to a lesser extent our Goalies. You don’t need your farm system to create the next Gretzky but you do need it to develop the next Girardi or Lindgren. That’s not been happening. Maybe Gord Murphy was a bit better at that. I’m any case, I just wonder if there’s not enough structure in their game plan to build these kids up and help them become responsible, reliable players.

 

[cwede]

@gravey9
I had high hopes, when they replaced Murph w Steve Smith.
But yeah, we haven't seen benefits.
With Robertson, Emberson, Skinner, Scanlin early career, they should have best available coaching

 

[Clark Kellogg]

My take from all the games I’ve watched (which is all of them) is the defensemen are fine in their d-zone coverage but the forwards are not. Forwards chasing the puck and not keeping lanes closed or covering open skaters in the d-zone.
Not sure which coaches are responsible for correcting that?

 

[gravey9]

My take from all the games I’ve watched (which is all of them) is the defensemen are fine in their d-zone coverage but the forwards are not. Forwards chasing the puck and not keeping lanes closed or covering open skaters in the d-zone.
Not sure which coaches are responsible for correcting that?

That's roughly the same issue with the big club. I think that's a failure of the system or the way it's being implemented/taught. But who knows which coach that is delegated to. That kind of puck support, structure is partially what i'm talking about. How can you develop into the next Lindgren if you're not confident in your own positioning and teammates positioning? If you're covering up for someone else's deficiencies, then you are inherently not playing your position. That's why systems are so important to development.

 

[Clark Kellogg]

That's roughly the same issue with the big club. I think that's a failure of the system or the way it's being implemented/taught. But who knows which coach that is delegated to. That kind of puck support, structure is partially what i'm talking about. How can you develop into the next Lindgren if you're not confident in your own positioning and teammates positioning? If you're covering up for someone else's deficiencies, then you are inherently not playing your position. That's why systems are so important to development.

Seems right what you posted because I recall not only Drury but Gorton before him that whichever system the head coach in New York used would be also used in Hartford.
But now that I’m typing this I’m wondering if that such a good idea. The big club has refined players and Hartford has players that have issues that need developing.

 

[JHS]

Just went to the Wolfpack game tonight. Boy it’s rough down there. The defense was atrocious tonight. So slow to transition the puck and offered no tempo. The only guy who consistently contributed was Cuylle and he did not stick out much. Zac Jones looked average at best.