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

[Raspewtin]

Pack's defense really sucks. No positive standouts from anyone on the ice tn

 

[nyr2k2]

Groulx has been a good signing. He deserved a call up over Leschyshyn

When they need an extra body who won't likely be playing they call up Leschyshyn because he makes the least money, which allows them to bank more cap space for later in the season.

 

[Raspewtin]

I have a few thoughts on Rempe at this level but his forechecking and pace is much better in the offensive zone than before.

 

[Raspewtin]

just had what had to be 7 minutes with no whistles. Isles defense is really good. Hartford's D are atrocious puck movers and it's really handicapping their ability to forecheck.

Groulx with a terrible giveaway at the Bridgeport blueline and this is over. really boring game.

Bridgeport scored again right off the center ice face off afterwards lol

 

[Clark Kellogg]

6 Defensemen with the big club are age 26 or under.
In Hartford there are two d prospects:
Robertson age 23, sadly not performing up to expectations.
Scanlin age 25, doesn’t seem to be in the organization’s developmental picture much to my annoyance.
In the NCAA are:
EJ Emery 1st round pick 2024
Drew Fortescue 3rd pick 2023
Rasmus Larsson 5th round 2023
Hank Kemf 7th round 2021

That’s everyone I believe. Going all in for the last three seasons came with a price.

 

[nyr2k2]

When they move Trouba and whoever else this off-season they can hopefully get back some picks. I mean I think we all know Trouba was right when he said this was likely the last go with this group, just depends on exactly what that means.

 

[Clark Kellogg]

Mrs. Ranger Ric and I have returned from a 3+ week holiday to Australia and New Zealand. I learned that men’s field hockey is a big sport in Australia but not ice hockey.

Thanks to Clark for posting the Hartford highlights and to the posters who watched some games and provided their thoughts. I was able to follow the team from afar but haven’t watched a game in over a month.

To recalibrate my thoughts I decided to do some stat surfing to try to evaluate where the team is heading into Thanksgiving.

The Team

Hartford is 8-5-1-1 going into this weekend’s games. The team is second in the division in points but only fourth in percentage. But hiding behind that record is that the team only has three regulation wins. If there were no overtime, the team record would be 3-5-7.

Hartford has scored five less goals than it has given up (46-51). It’s power play is 14th in the conference and 27th in the league at 11.9% and it’s penalty kill is 14th in the conference and 29th in the league at 73.8%. Hartford has given up nine more goals that it has scored on penalties (9-16). When you subtract the overtime and penalty goals the team’s 5X5 scoring is 34-33. All in all a mediocre record.

Goalies

I read with approval the postings about the need to play Garand more than Domingue. Garand is in his third year meaning that next year he will not be waiver exempt if he doesn’t make the Rangers. You would think the Rangers would want to be comfortable that Garand could be back up next year if Quick retires.

Garand’s record is far superior this year to Domingue’s. Garand is 5-1-1 with a 2.52 GAA and 0.918 save percentage. Domingue is 3-4-1 with a 3.82 GAA and an 0.884 save per percentage. Just based on stats it appears that this year Garand gives the team a better chance to win.

Defense

Before the season I suggested that a weakness on the defense was a puck moving defenseman who could run a power play. No Hallowell, Jones, Reunanan, Pionk in site. While I won’t say that the lack of a PP QB is the cause of the poor PP numbers this year it likely is a factor. And when you look at the Ranger defensive prospects, Fortescue, Emery, Kempf, none shows much offensive upside. The lack of a puck moving defenseman is an organizational weakness.

I saw Victor Mancini play parts of a few games while he was in college and I remember writing that fans should not sleep on this guy. I think nyr2K2 posted similar comments. I was excited to see Mancini when he signed last year and his play was very good. It was great to see him make a strong impression in Rangers camp. And he also showed an offensive flair that he didn’t show in college.

But it’s really hard to jump from college right to the NHL and I think it’s even harder for defensemen than forwards. I think Mancini needs more time in the AHL and I was glad to see that the Rangers sent him down rather than scratching him as the seventh defenseman. I’m high on Mancini and expect him to replace Trouba next year.

Unless you consider Scanlin (25), who I like a lot, and Robertson, in his fourth season, as prospects, Hartford is going with a veteran defense except for Mancini, who was called up yesterday. You would expect to see fewer goals given up with an experienced defense. I don’t know what is the problem but the defense as a whole is off to a slow start.

Hartford did sign three young defensemen, Case McCarthy, Ryan Siedem and Carter Berger to AHL contracts with the first two getting two year deals. But all three are in Bloomington. While McCarthy was called up with the Harpur suspension, he didn’t get into any games with Blake Hillman replacing Harpur. I would have liked to have McCarthy be given a shot before being sent back to Bloomington.

Forwards

Brennan Othmann’s long-term injury is very unfortunate. Given the Rangers’s cap situation next year, it’s likely that Othmann, Berard and/or Perreault will need to play forward for there Rangers. Othmann shows signs of talent but he hasn’t been consistent and he needs to play. Meanwhile, Berard is having another good season with 12 points in 15 games while shooting at 13.3%.

When Chytil was injured, the Rangers called up Jake Leschyschen. As the lowest earning forward the Rangers were able to save a few dollars to continue to accumulate cap space for the trade deadline. But with Jake playing second line center and contributing little offense, his call up gave Dylan Roobroeck the opportunity to play on a higher line with better players and have ore opportunities. Roobroeck has responded and I hope with Jake’s return he doesn’t move Roobroeck back to the fourth line.

I have been less of a fan of Sykora because of the lack of offense but this year he has scored 9 points in 15 games shooting at 13%. The increased production is encouraging.

I like Chmelar. He’s big, physical, a good skater and has some skill. His seven points in 15 games shooting at only 7.4% is fine for a rookie. His +/- of -8 sticks out even acknowledging that +/- has its weaknesses.

BMB has 5 points in 11 games playing left wing on the fourth line. At some point I would like to see him move over the center even if he stays on the fourth line.

Matt Rempe. 8 games, 2 points , -6. It certainly doesn’t look great. Maybe things will get better as he plays more.

I would be interested in hearing from those who have watched any games over the last month about my stat surfing comments.

Welcome back.
Your thoughts on BMB are spot on. I believe his development will be better served at Center.
Very early to judge but he seems like a fish out of water defensively on the wing.

 

[Clark Kellogg]

 

[noncents]

Alex Thomas and his co-announcer just discussed Chmelar - said he deserves more goals than he has. Plays around the net a lot and jams for rebounds. Good to hear

i'm telling you this kid has bottom 6 NHLer written all over him. one of them Mean europeans

 

[Clark Kellogg]

 

[TopShelfSnipes]

Brutal finish to the game last night. Garand should have come all the way out and played that puck away on the third goal. That killed them. He's a decent goalie but he's vulnerable high blocker a lot, and he makes too many mental errors. He's gotta clean it up.

 

[Clark Kellogg]

Brutal finish to the game last night. Garand should have come all the way out and played that puck away on the third goal. That killed them. He's a decent goalie but he's vulnerable high blocker a lot, and he makes too many mental errors. He's gotta clean it up.

Baptism by fire. He needs to be ready to back up Quick next season

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

i'm telling you this kid has bottom 6 NHLer written all over him. one of them Mean europeans

I've always been a fan.

He does 4th line things really, really well and he isn't completely inept with the puck on his stick. I like the idea of him playing with Edstrom at some point.

 

[RangersFan1994]

Springfield leads Wolfpack 2-1


Scanlin from Belzile and Groulx

 

[Raspewtin]

Blidh has been promoted to the top line and Chmelar has been dropped to Rooberock's line

 

[Raspewtin]

I don't have AHL advanced stats but i'm pretty confident Rempe's line would be the leader by a wide margin. They're just really good on the boards and on the cycle

 

[Raspewtin]

Mancini just got burned on a bad pinch and Springfield score. He's having a rough game.

 

[Raspewtin]

4 on 4 Rempe and Chmelar just had a truly physically dominant shift, Chmelar hammered a TBirds defender and Rempe knocked it loose to Scanlin who almost scored. They generally caused a lot of chaos.

 

[Raspewtin]

Also, Rempe is really bad in the defensive zone. All his good work is in the offensive zone. He barely tries defensively.

 

[RangersFan1994]

Mancini just got burned on a bad pinch and Springfield score. He's having a rough game.

It happens. He at least is trying. He'll get better hockey. IQ as he learns

 

[Raspewtin]

Groulx-Belizle reminds me of a better Kreider-Zib. Not in a good way. Two of them both have shit habits that the other enables. Back to back giveaways miraculously didn't result in a goal.

Connor Mackey sucks so bad at this level. I can't believe he played a single moment as a Ranger.

 

[Raspewtin]

super quick whistle robs Lesch of a goal from Rempe

 

[EdJovanovski]

Rempe crashes the net and forces a puck loose which Leshyshyn puts in the back of the net but waived off

 

[Raspewtin]

oh my god Mancini again completely fans on his shot and just gave the game away. that's like the 8th time tonight. so bad.

 

[EdJovanovski]

oh my god Mancini again completely fans on his shot and just gave the game away. that's like the 8th time tonight. so bad.

Just screwed up another pass in his own zone right after too lol