Prospect Info: Hartford Wolf Pack/Bloomington Bison Thread: Part XV
- Thread starter nyr2k2
- Start date
I've watched parts of the last three games and you are correct that there is a talent issue.
With Othmann out for a few months, Nash out long term and perhaps finished, and Berard in NYC, the only young offensive talents are BMB, Chmelar and Rooebroeck. If Sykora and/or Rempe make the NHL it will be as bottom line players. BMB has been playing fourth line left wing so he hasn't had much of a chance to play with talented players. Roobroeck and Chmelar are playing together and while I like them they still are relatively early into their rookie seasons. Roobroeck reminds me of Kevin Hayes carrying the puck, big guy without a lot of speed who carries the puck well. The vets; Blidh and Leschyshyn are not good offensively and Grouix and Belzile have their moments but are inconsistent. I've not been a Korczak fan. He was listed today as a healthy scratch in favor of three ECHL players who were in today's lineup. He has a decent shot but has shown me little with the puck. So not much happening up front.
I know that the defensive numbers have not been good but when you look at the goals it sometimes is because a forward is failing in coverage. On Wednesday night I saw an opposing player skate right by Robertson for a great chance and then watched Robertson get beat leading to a scoring opportunity that Garand stopped but Robertson did a fly by leaving a rebound that was put home. Harpur is slow. Fitzgerald and Mackay are perfectly fine AHL defensemen but don't move the needle very much. Fitzgerald was running PP1 but that didn't work out leaving Mancini to run PP! with Scanlin and Robertson on PP2. I think Mancini plays with a lot of confidence and I think he is an NHL defensemen next year but he's not Bobby Orr. Scanlin had a bad turnover Wednesday night but redeemed himself later with two good plays leading to goals and he had a goal today. Other than Mancini I like Scanlin next best. But he is better defensively. So again not a huge amount of offense coming from the defense.
It's hard to see this team making much progress unless the kid forwards grow over the year and Othmann has a successful comeback after being out for so long.. And what we have seen so far this year has not been very good.
