Prospect Info: Hartford Wolf Pack/Maine Mariners Thread: Part XIV

[RangersFan1994]

I just think Gross earned a shot with coach Murph in this new gen of young pro D. As nyr2k2 notes. If he is redundant, he can be flipped for depth elsewhere or futures.

I am ready for the ELCs for NJones, Gross, Barron, Lundkvist, Wall and Panjuniemi to occur.

Hope Jones get an ELC but I think it would have happened if the Rangers were to sign him.

 

[egelband]

Hope Jones get an ELC but I think it would have happened if the Rangers were to sign him.

Fair point. I know there’s a standard template for how/when these kind of things get done. But it seems to me, had the Rangers and the player wanted to get something done, it would have happened by now. Is he a legit prospect?

 

[nyr2k2]

Yeah you'd think Nick Jones would have received an ELC if it was in the cards.

 

[RangersFan1994]

Yeah you'd think Nick Jones would have received an ELC if it was in the cards.

Hopefully he gets a ELC but I doubt it if it hasn't happened. I doubt it would cost much

 

[Ranger Ric]

I was very happy that the Rangers were able to ink Nick Jones to a Hartford contract. He was one of the better players coming out of the NCAA last year. I liked his game at Traverse City and was impressed with his defensive play. He had a fine first season in Hartford for a first year bottom line player and I have no problem if the Rangers decide to sign him to an NHL contract.

But I don't agree that the Rangers necessarily should have signed him by now. Under his contract he remains Hartford property until the free agency negotiating period begins in last June. And if the NHL and therefore AHL decide to extend their seasons beyond the end of the mid June playoff finals the players and teams will extend the start of the free agency period until after the season is over, whenever that is. So the Rangers have plenty of time to decide whether to offer him a contract and with hockey shut down there is no obvious gain by signing him now to a contract for next year.

What the Rangers are focused on now is the free agency period of NCAA, CHL and overseas free agents. The US/Canada players can and are being signed right now and you will see overseas players signed as their contracts expire. The Rangers have been aggressive in this market in the last few years and already have signed two NCAA players to NHL contracts and two to ATO Hartford contracts, presumably with the intent to sign them to Hartford contracts for next year. There are plenty of free agents still available. I expect the Rangers to see where they are in terms of signing these free agents and deciding who else the team wants to keep in the organization and see how many contracts they have left to give out. At this point I think the Rangers are likely to decide what to do with Jones. If they were to sign any of their eight existing AHL contracts to NHL contracts, Jones would clearly be the player to be chosen.

Yeah you'd think Nick Jones would have received an ELC if it was in the cards.

 

[cwede]

...Rangers have been aggressive in this market in the last few years and already have signed two NCAA players to NHL contracts and two to ATO Hartford contracts, presumably with the intent to sign them to Hartford contracts for next year...

Pack Sign Forward Mike O'Leary | Hartford Wolf Pack

Fyi OLeary deal is announced as AHL SPC, presumption is '2 year' (as Jones' was, ie the balance of current season and then including next...)

 

[Leetch3]

 

[Leetch3]

 

[NoQuitInNewMexico]

Bergen County let's goooooo

 

[Lindberg Cheese]

2020-1 Pack:

F (14): Gettinger, Nieves, Fontaine, Barron, Kho, Newell, Rueschoff, Jones, Elmer, Whelan, O’Leary, Fogarty, Ronning, Richards

Hope they sign Virta and Panjuniemi and 1-2 AAAA guys to push a few guys down to ECHL. Henriksson, Altonen, Edstrom stay in Europe no one besides Barron ready from NCAA.

D (8): Robertson, Raddysh, Lundkvist, Reunanen, Rykov, Hajek, Geertsen, Guitarri

I think Day is out of the picture now, he and Guitari probably start in ECHL. I believe Miller makes the big team, if not put him here. Young but talented group. Gross goes back to Swiz and besides maybe Jones, no one in SEL or NCAA stand out right now.

G: Huska/Wall

I’m good with this, maybe a AAAA guy in the mix as well.

 

[nyr2k2]

2020-1 Pack:

F (14): Gettinger, Nieves, Fontaine, Barron, Kho, Newell, Rueschoff, Jones, Elmer, Whelan, O’Leary, Fogarty, Ronning, Richards

Hope they sign Virta and Panjuniemi and 1-2 AAAA guys to push a few guys down to ECHL. Henriksson, Altonen, Edstrom stay in Europe no one besides Barron ready from NCAA.

D (8): Robertson, Raddysh, Lundkvist, Reunanen, Rykov, Hajek, Geertsen, Guitarri

I think Day is out of the picture now, he and Guitari probably start in ECHL. I believe Miller makes the big team, if not put him here. Young but talented group. Gross goes back to Swiz and besides maybe Jones, no one in SEL or NCAA stand out right now.

G: Huska/Wall

I’m good with this, maybe a AAAA guy in the mix as well.

They gave up Virta's rights before last season.

 

[cwede]

2020-1 Pack:
F (14): Gettinger, Nieves, Fontaine, Barron, Kho, Newell, Rueschoff, Jones, Elmer, Whelan, O’Leary, Fogarty, Ronning, Richards
Hope they sign Virta and Panjuniemi and 1-2 AAAA guys to push a few guys down to ECHL. Henriksson, Altonen, Edstrom stay in Europe no one besides Barron ready from NCAA.
D (8): Robertson, Raddysh, Lundkvist, Reunanen, Rykov, Hajek, Geertsen, Guitarri
I think Day is out of the picture now, he and Guitari probably start in ECHL. I believe Miller makes the big team, if not put him here. Young but talented group. Gross goes back to Swiz and besides maybe Jones, no one in SEL or NCAA stand out right now.
G: Huska/Wall
I’m good with this, maybe a AAAA guy in the mix as well.

thanks, of course. bunch of question marks here
- i too remain hopeful they ELC Wall, Barron, Lundkvist (as you assume above) and maybe Panju and IMHO even Gross
- Nieves is UFA unless he plays 4 NHL games THIS season
- Fogarty (and Ebert, Lettieri, ORegan, Beleskey, Berube) are NHL UFAs
- Raddysh (and PDG, Gropp, Crawley, Fontaine, Leedahl) are NHL RFAs
- NJones, Geertsen (and Dmowski, McBride, Loverde ... and nonfactors Chase, Tolkinen) are all expiring AHL contracts, no certainty they return, esp if they get an NHL offer elsewhere. Geertsen may have earned a higher-salary AHL deal, he fits need/role...
- Guitari may, or may not, be signed. Only formal release was for the AHL ATO, but beatwriter Vince reports Drury says he is AHL signed for next
- Robertson, my understanding, is too young to play AHL
- Virta - refers to Patrick? NYR's exclusive rights expired last summer

New York Rangers - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps
New York Rangers Reserve List - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

- you may be right, but IMHO, to me, i highly doubt K'Andre gets anywhere near the NHL, before perhaps a cup of coffee after midway, he is strong prospect but raw, inexperienced at D
Hajek, Tarmo, Rykov maybe ahead of K'Andre at LHD on the near-term callup pecking order
(Brooks wrote that neither K'Andre, nor Nils, should sniff the NHL next season. I happen to agree)

re Day, i was surprised he was away from Pack and coach Murphy (and KK) for so much of this season, if that's the plan for next year, maybe instead he goes for medium pick if he is not in their plans.

 

[Ola]

Hard to know what Nils want to do.

 

[nyr2k2]

Fogarty was named Hartford's Man of the Year for his involvement in the community. I hope they can bring him back.

That makes him one of the 31 finalists for the Yanick Dupre Award.

Steven Fogarty Named Wolf Pack's 2019-20 IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year | Hartford Wolf Pack

 

[cwede]

Maine website posted SEASON REFLECTIONS: JAKE ELMER
https://marinersofmaine.com/news/season-reflections-jake-elmer/

among his comments
"The guy that opened my eyes a lot that I had seen playing juniors was Ty Ronning. He had a hell of a season this year. He works hard every single day on the ice, off the ice. He is just a good, joyous guy to be around. He’s always got a smile on his face. I think that’s the guy where I kind of open my eyes up and say “wow, that’s a very impressive guy out there!” He’s got the professional mentality."

 

[cwede]

 

[Joey Bones]

Kind of shocked that LoVerde got an extension. Was rocky all year long.

Geertsen I’m fine with!!

 

[Irishguy42]

LoVerde is a good re-sign.

Geersten...meh.

 

[NYR Viper]

LoVerde is a good re-sign.

Geersten...meh.

Geersten is fine as a veteran depth piece. He's a guy who is willing to stick up for his teammates

 

[Irishguy42]

Geersten literally can only stick up for his teammates tho. He's not good in the AHL.

 

[Joey Bones]

Geersten literally can only stick up for his teammates tho. He's not good in the AHL.

Geertsen is okay as a bottom pair shut down role. He doesn't turn the puck over as much as LoVerde, though. Seen my fair share of that this year, lolol....

 

[nyr2k2]

Geertsen also plays the Brendan Smith role--both F and D. He sucks at both but he's tough, which is still a need in the AHL. Both can go down and play in Maine if need be, however. If there are a bunch of young guys that play well.

 

[RangersFan1994]

Geertsen is okay as a bottom pair shut down role. He doesn't turn the puck over as much as LoVerde, though. Seen my fair share of that this year, lolol....

but yet they gave him a game in preseason for no reason. awful signing even at the AHL level

 

[nyr2k2]

but yet they gave him a game in preseason for no reason. awful signing even at the AHL level

I don't know if it's an awful AHL signing. If he holds a regular spot in the lineup all season then yeah, it sucks. If he spends the majority of the year in Maine or as a healthy scratch, no problem. The AHL has tried to curb fighting in recent years but it's still more prevalent than in the NHL. So it's not a bad idea to have a guy like him to handle the staged fighting, rather than one of our prospects who is looking to make a name for himself stepping up and getting hurt.

It's all about how he is used, IMO.

 

[Joey Bones]

but yet they gave him a game in preseason for no reason. awful signing even at the AHL level

I don't see how an AHL signing is awful ever....

His contract has nothing to do with the Rangers and he will strictly be a veteran for what seems to be a new crop of players coming next season (Khodorenko, Rueschhoff, Richards, Miller, possibly Lundkvist and/or Gross). I see no problem bringing him back on this term.

FWIW, he was used as a forward and defenseman this year which shows the versatility in the lineup. He has a lot of grit something that Hartford team was missing. Every time I watched them against Springfield they got pummeled aggressively and physically. He'll also be the one to drop gloves when it's all said and done and actually clear the crease. Sure, he has practically zero offensive ability, but he isn't a bad skater and can do the job on a bottom pair, defensive role.