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

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Barron with another goal yesterday. Hopefully he gets a look soon

His AAV is still a problem, especially when Kravtsov comes over. Probably looking at mid-April before his PBs aren't an issue anymore

 

[nyr2k2]

Barron and Reunanen are both playing well but neither are dominating play by any means. It would be nice to get a look but I wouldn't say either are forcing their way into the picture yet. Even if the cap wasn't a problem I would say they both still belong in Hartford.

 

[ThirdEye]

5 goals in 8 games and not dominating. Guess I’ll take it haha

 

[nyr2k2]

5 goals in 8 games and not dominating. Guess I’ll take it haha

I'm talking about on a shift-by-shift basis, he's still inconsistent. Sometimes you watch AHL games and you see guys who are clearly ready to take the next step, where they're really dictating play every time they're on the ice, creating opportunities all game long.

That's not Barron and it's not Reunanen (and I said this same thing about Reunanen when he had 5 points in his first four games or whatever). They're both noticeable and do nice things, but also go through stretches where you don't really notice them and they look like JAG out there on the ice.

You look at Barron's line and it looks like he's killing it. The reality is more that he's playing well for a first-year pro and has taken his chances well, but definitely still has work to do before he's ready for the next step IMO.

 

[Ranger Ric]

Having watched all 8 Wolfpack games I completely agree with nyr2k2.

I'm talking about on a shift-by-shift basis, he's still inconsistent. Sometimes you watch AHL games and you see guys who are clearly ready to take the next step, where they're really dictating play every time they're on the ice, creating opportunities all game long.

That's not Barron and it's not Reunanen (and I said this same thing about Reunanen when he had 5 points in his first four games or whatever). They're both noticeable and do nice things, but also go through stretches where you don't really notice them and they look like JAG out there on the ice.

You look at Barron's line and it looks like he's killing it. The reality is more that he's playing well for a first-year pro and has taken his chances well, but definitely still has work to do before he's ready for the next step IMO.

 

[Ranger Ric]

With the Wolfpack season 1/3 finished I thought I would review the players' and coaches' performance over the eight games, all of which I have watched. I also checked the player statistics to see whether they aligned with my thoughts.

Overall -- The Pack won its first two games and now have lost 5 of 6. So what happened. We've discussed two issues. First, Keith Kinkaid is an NHL goalie and Huska and Wall are not. So there has been a decline in goalie play. Second, Braden Schneider played the first two games before going back to the WHL. While his defensive play was very good he also showed the same offensive ability that he showed in the world juniors. Reunanen is the only other defenseman that can generate offense. Finally, the team's best player is Jonny Brodzinski and he missed two games when called up. The team is 3-3 with him and 0-2 without him. Hopefully his return to the Pack will help although his last game was his worst.

Defense -- The main problem here is that other than Reunanen no one on the back line is generating any offense. The Pack have 8 defensemen on the roster including Geertson who now is playing forward. Four of those defensemen have 0 points in 8 games. Those 4, Loverde, Crawley, Seiloff and Taylor, have generated 18 shots in 21 games played. Darren Raddysh and Zack Guttiari each have two points and one goal between them. Raddysh at least has 12 shots. Geeertson has 2 points but but his goal was shorthanded. Reunanen had an excellent start but I think his game has declined over the last 2-3 games. His shooting percentage is 18.2%, small sample but that's not likely to continue. And at -5 he has the second worst +/- on the team although that's misleading because the Pack have given up several empty net goals when he is on the ice and he usually is playing with Loverde who is +2. When the Pack had a seven minute penalty to kill, however, the coaches never put Reunanen on the ice. I like his offensive game. He is very calm with the puck like Adam Fox. And in the first couple of games he was making very good plays. But as nyn2k2 and others who have watched games have said he is not dominating yet.

Forwards -- So the Pack has Mike O'Leary centering the fourth line and in 8 games he has generated 0 points. Fontaine has played 4 games and has 1 assist. It's not clear whether or not he is healthy but in the games I've seen him play he never stands out to me. Alex Whelan has played four games with 1 goal. Ty Ronning has played 2 games with 1 goal and five shots. Ronning was 1 of the 2 best players in his first game and one of the better players in the second game. While he is not an NHL player I don't understand why he is sitting when he has shown to be effective when he plays. More on that when we get to the coaches. Patrick Khodorenko also only has 1 goal and no assists. Khodorenko is offensively creative and handles the puck well. I've noticed a couple of defensive lapses and turnovers but you can see there is something there. He is being given a good chance to play centering the second line so you would think his output would increase over the year. At 2 points we have Anthony Greco and Paul Thompson. I know they are AHL vets and supposed to help provide some ballast for the team but they have been terrible. Greco playing on the first line. Why? They are huge disappointments to date. Justin Richards has 0 goals and 2 assists in 5 games. He hasn't really stood out to me so far. Will Cuylle and Austin Reuschhoff have 3 points. Cuylle has 22 penalty minutes in 7 games. He doesn't look out of place and he has made a few nice plays but he isn't having a huge impact. Reuschhoff was the least heralded of the 3 NCAA free agents but I think he has been the best player to date. In those 8 games he has generated 19 shots and his shooting percentage in only 5.3%. What I really like about him is that while he is huge he really knows how to use his body to keep others away from the puck and he looks strong along the boards. There was talk that he needed to work on his skating and while he clearly is not a speed burner I can't recall a play where I thought his speed and quickness were a problem. For some reason he is playing on the 4th line with O'Leery and Geertson. Maybe all the coach can see is size. He needs to get more of an opportunity and he did get some power play time in the last game leading to his pass out front on which Morgan Barron scored. The two young veterans, Tim Gettinger and Patrick Newell have scored 4 and 5 points respectively. But Gettinger's one goal was an empty netter and he doesn't have the quickness, skill and ability to use his huge frame that you would want to see in a real prospect. Patrick Newell has 3 goals and five points generating 16 shots. He has some quickness and speed and I like him much more than Gettinger. But I think that with his size he probably tops out as a good AHL player. Jonny Brodzinski leads the team in scoring with 10 points in 6 games with 21 shots. He was a very good signing for the AHL. Finally Morgan Barron is the best prospect in Hartford. He did look nervous his first two games but he has gotten over that and we are starting to see the smarts and skill and the ability to use his size that we saw in Cornell. He has 5 goals and 7 points in 8 games and has generated 23 shots. HIs shooting percentage, however, is an unsustainable 21.7%. We need to see more consistency and domination but he looks like an NHL player.

Coaching -- Everyone was happy to see Ken Gernander go and with the Pack fast start last year it looked like Kris Knoblauch was an inspired choice. But once Igor Shesterkin was recalled to the Rangers the Pack tanked and it seemed like the team we saw at the beginning of the year was a mirage. And off the top of my head I can't think of a young player who improved over the year. I don't count Chytil and Lindgren who had short stays in Hartford before coming up to the Rangers. But I didn't see many games and there is so little reporting on Hartford it was hard to get a good sense of what was happening. This year watching the team I find myself mystified at some of the coaching decisions. Why is Austin Reuschhoff playing on the fourth line with O'Leery and Geertson? Why can't Ty Ronning brake into the lineup? Why have AHL veterans like Brodzinski and Greco and not play them with one of the prospects? And why is Anthony Greco on the first line and PP 1? Barron started the year with Brodzinski and for the last few games Gettinger has replaced him? While the coach wants to win and create a positive attitude his main goal is to develop future Rangers. And there are times I don't understand how his decisions are furthering that goal. It's only 8 games and maybe there is some master plan I don't understand and maybe the kids develop over the next 16 games.

What I am looking for over the remaining 16 games is whether the kids, Barron, Reunanen, Khodorenko, Richards and Reuschhoff develop. It also will be interesting to see if the coaching staff gives James Sanchez and other NCAA free agents a chance.

 

[ThirdEye]

I'm talking about on a shift-by-shift basis, he's still inconsistent. Sometimes you watch AHL games and you see guys who are clearly ready to take the next step, where they're really dictating play every time they're on the ice, creating opportunities all game long.

That's not Barron and it's not Reunanen (and I said this same thing about Reunanen when he had 5 points in his first four games or whatever). They're both noticeable and do nice things, but also go through stretches where you don't really notice them and they look like JAG out there on the ice.

You look at Barron's line and it looks like he's killing it. The reality is more that he's playing well for a first-year pro and has taken his chances well, but definitely still has work to do before he's ready for the next step IMO.

Not doubting you at all. It’s just nice to see that he’s still able to find his way on to the scoreboard when he isn’t dominating

 

[MrAlmost]

I have not watched as many games as the rest here, I will admit, as I have only watched 2. However, the Wolfpack just do not seem like a very good team. Worse than their big brothers comparatively. This has been an issue here for too long in my opinion. The Rangers seem uninterested in putting in the money to build a strong AHL club that can really feed the NHL team with serviceable players.

Barron and Reunanen really look like the only players that might get into NHL action. Too early to tell with Cuylle as he spends most of his time in the penalty box. Though in the small amount I have seen him if he keeps up his style of play and improves, he can be a Tom Wilson-esque player. He is big and he is mean and that's something this team, both in the AHL and NHL, need a little more of.

Outside of a few months last year where the Pack was atop their division, this team has really not gotten the support through needed to win games, which by my estimation is a much better way of breeding good NHL players to fill holes as your NHL club competes for a Stanley Cup. Winning makes everyone better.

Also, the only reason the Pack were on top last year was because Igor was literally the best player in the entire league.

 

[jay from jersey]

Barron with another goal yesterday. Hopefully he gets a look soon

I would love to see Lemieux-Rooney-Barron. Even for 3-5 games or so

 

[nyr2k2]

I think the Rangers are certainly willing to spend the money and commit the resources to making Hartford better. Davidson has emphasized improving Hartford several times.

Last year was tough. Guys like O'Regan and Lettieri had down years. They were both supposed to be point per game guys and neither came close. Fogarty took a step back. Nieves was his normal self but was also injured (as usual) a good bit.

They were counting on guys like Rykov, who barely played and was average when he did, and Kravtsov/Andersson to really help out. Instead, Andersson pussed out on the team and was sulking and Kravtsov essentially did the same (and when he came back, didn't look ready). Those are big setbacks. And of course not only did they lose their best player, Shesterkin, but later in the year they did the Keane-Gauthier swap and then sent Gautheir directly to the NHL--depleting the defense but also removing one of the best offensive weapons.

There were other things that really hurt them--Fontaine getting injured for the year early really hurt their depth, Meskanen pulling a total no-show and then being released, Hajek coming down and looking awful, etc. Last year was supposed to be a reboot, but things came off the tracks midway through. It was unfortunate. I did think they needed one or two more 4A-level guys, but based on how they lined up on paper at the start of the year, they should have been better. Certainly, I didn't look at the team and think a lack of investment by the Rangers would be what sunk them (and it wasn't--it was just poor performance, either due to coaching, guys not actually being that good, both, whatever).

This year is a different story. They obviously went much younger than normal (like many AHL teams) due to the roster situation with the CHL leagues. The taxi squad hurts the depth, as guys like Kinkaid and Bitetto are probably otherwise in Hartford. I don't think the Rangers anticipated someone like Colin Blackwell spending the whole year in the NHL, either. Some prime Hartford depth is currently in NY. And then making matters even worse, the veterans they did sign like Thompson and Greco have been awful. At least Brodzinksi is working out.

I definitely think they're moving in the right direction. It's possible Knoblauch isn't the right guy for the job, but otherwise I think they're headed the right way. I think a "normal" season next year will provide a better indication of where they really are.

 

[cwede]

Pack added a Goalie, Michael Lackey
age 23, 6'4 215#
played last year at U Providence after 3 seasons at Harvard
13 games in E this season 3.07GAA, 0.906 SV%

TheAHL.com | The American Hockey League
2021-03-14 Michael LackeyMichael Lackey (G) Hartford ADD Signed to PTO

ECHL Transactions - March 14
Delete Michael Lackey, G loaned to Hartford

Michael Lackey Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com

Michael Lackey at eliteprospects.com

 

[MrAlmost]

I think the Rangers are certainly willing to spend the money and commit the resources to making Hartford better. Davidson has emphasized improving Hartford several times.

Last year was tough. Guys like O'Regan and Lettieri had down years. They were both supposed to be point per game guys and neither came close. Fogarty took a step back. Nieves was his normal self but was also injured (as usual) a good bit.

They were counting on guys like Rykov, who barely played and was average when he did, and Kravtsov/Andersson to really help out. Instead, Andersson pussed out on the team and was sulking and Kravtsov essentially did the same (and when he came back, didn't look ready). Those are big setbacks. And of course not only did they lose their best player, Shesterkin, but later in the year they did the Keane-Gauthier swap and then sent Gautheir directly to the NHL--depleting the defense but also removing one of the best offensive weapons.

There were other things that really hurt them--Fontaine getting injured for the year early really hurt their depth, Meskanen pulling a total no-show and then being released, Hajek coming down and looking awful, etc. Last year was supposed to be a reboot, but things came off the tracks midway through. It was unfortunate. I did think they needed one or two more 4A-level guys, but based on how they lined up on paper at the start of the year, they should have been better. Certainly, I didn't look at the team and think a lack of investment by the Rangers would be what sunk them (and it wasn't--it was just poor performance, either due to coaching, guys not actually being that good, both, whatever).

This year is a different story. They obviously went much younger than normal (like many AHL teams) due to the roster situation with the CHL leagues. The taxi squad hurts the depth, as guys like Kinkaid and Bitetto are probably otherwise in Hartford. I don't think the Rangers anticipated someone like Colin Blackwell spending the whole year in the NHL, either. Some prime Hartford depth is currently in NY. And then making matters even worse, the veterans they did sign like Thompson and Greco have been awful. At least Brodzinksi is working out.

I definitely think they're moving in the right direction. It's possible Knoblauch isn't the right guy for the job, but otherwise I think they're headed the right way. I think a "normal" season next year will provide a better indication of where they really are.

Good points all around. Is there a way for the Rangers to get and maybe keep some of these 4A players? Like Lettieri and others? Maybe use max AHL money? Having those players as the guys that can come up and down for a handful of games really makes a difference for both clubs.

I understand guys leave for potentially better opportunity elsewhere, or closer to home if they choose to retire, but being able to almost build a core of guys in the AHL could really change the dynamic. Create a winner down there to feed a winner in the NHL.

Perhaps make the Wolfpack the proverbial "Belle of the Ball" treating players to other things that perhaps they would not have access to in other AHL markets? Almost like being in the NHL, but not. Perhaps it would be more financially difficult than what it seems on the surface, as most things are.

EDIT: It just seems on the surface, compared to other AHL franchises, the Rangers spend much less money on the Pack despite being the most profitable NHL team.

 

[nyr2k2]

Good points all around. Is there a way for the Rangers to get and maybe keep some of these 4A players? Like Lettieri and others? Maybe use max AHL money? Having those players as the guys that can come up and down for a handful of games really makes a difference for both clubs.

I understand guys leave for potentially better opportunity elsewhere, or closer to home if they choose to retire, but being able to almost build a core of guys in the AHL could really change the dynamic. Create a winner down there to feed a winner in the NHL.

Perhaps make the Wolfpack the proverbial "Belle of the Ball" treating players to other things that perhaps they would not have access to in other AHL markets? Almost like being in the NHL, but not. Perhaps it would be more financially difficult than what it seems on the surface, as most things are.

EDIT: It just seems on the surface, compared to other AHL franchises, the Rangers spend much less money on the Pack despite being the most profitable NHL team.

Yeah, it's hard with the 4A guys. A lot of times you can't really get them to stay because if they didn't get a chance with you one year, they'll move onto somewhere else where they think they might see some NHL games. The Rangers signed a fair amount--Brodzinski, Thompson, Sieloff, Greco, Kinkaid, Blackwell. A lot of people assumed Rooney and Bitetto would also be in the mix, though I think it was fairly clear they'd be at least part-time NHL players. The whole "taxi squad" thing complicated the plan for AHL teams as their top guys often end up on that.

A guy like Lettieri, he played in 25+ games with the Rangers two years ago but then never got the call last year. Even if the Rangers made him an offer, he was likely to go somewhere else where he thought he might be in the plans. Same for a Nieves or Fogarty. Of course for those two, the pastures aren't always greener.

I think they could spend a bit more, but you also have to worry about things like the veteran maximum in terms of guys you can play and all that. This year in particular they also have a lot of young guys they want to get into games, more so than most years. I think their problem with the 4A guys is that they often get the wrongs one, like Greco and Thompson who are awful this year, O'Regan who sucked last year, Bobby Butler, Joe Whitney, etc. And then they good good players like Cole Schneider and Peter Holland and trade them for garbage.

 

[E-Train]

Too early to tell with Cuylle as he spends most of his time in the penalty box.

This is just not true.
First five AHL games; 0 PIM
Game 6: 20 PIM from one incident with a interference major, a fight and a game misconduct.
Game 7: 2 PIM.

Other than one incident, he spends almost no time in the penalty box.

 

[RGY]

We want Cuylle to be in the Tom Wilson mold....but we are not ok with him being in the penalty box??

 

[MrAlmost]

This is just not true.
First five AHL games; 0 PIM
Game 6: 20 PIM from one incident with a interference major, a fight and a game misconduct.
Game 7: 2 PIM.

Other than one incident, he spends almost no time in the penalty box.

I watched the most recent games. I guess it was just a bad sample size.

 

[MrAlmost]

We want Cuylle to be in the Tom Wilson mold....but we are not ok with him being in the penalty box??

That's not necessarily what I said, and based on the games I saw, I got a bit of a misrepresentation. I was only recently able to buy the AHL team package so I am catching up.

 

[jay from jersey]

Really hope they play soon. Vierling needs ice time

I really hope this kid takes the next step. Sounds like he just oozes talent and skill with a chippy attitude

 

[Ranger Ric]

E Train is correct. Cuylle has not had a penalty problem. The Game 6 play he did check a defenseman but the defenseman turned his back to Cuylle at the last second and Cuylle hit him. Someone else was watching the game and we both thought the play was either not a penalty or at most a minor because the defenseman turned his back so late.

Cuylle has had a few good moments. He is not dominating and has a long way to go. But he doesn't look out of place. So we'll see how he develops.

This is just not true.
First five AHL games; 0 PIM
Game 6: 20 PIM from one incident with a interference major, a fight and a game misconduct.
Game 7: 2 PIM.

Other than one incident, he spends almost no time in the penalty box.

 

[E-Train]

Cuylle has had a few good moments. He is not dominating and has a long way to go. But he doesn't look out of place. So we'll see how he develops.

The part I really like is that he’s getting pro looks in his age 18 season. Plenty of development time ahead

 

[MrAlmost]

E Train is correct. Cuylle has not had a penalty problem. The Game 6 play he did check a defenseman but the defenseman turned his back to Cuylle at the last second and Cuylle hit him. Someone else was watching the game and we both thought the play was either not a penalty or at most a minor because the defenseman turned his back so late.

Cuylle has had a few good moments. He is not dominating and has a long way to go. But he doesn't look out of place. So we'll see how he develops.

That was me. Really didn't look like that bad of a hit to be honest. I thought if anything it was maybe late, but even then only in slow motion. At full speed you just can't react that quick. And I will say I stand corrected. I watched the recent games so it was only a poor sample size mixed with a small, but bad attempt at humor.

 

[cwede]

Bitetto assigned to Pack, who will actually play 4 times in 9 days!

TheAHL.com | The American Hockey League
2021-03-16 Anthony BitettoAnthony Bitetto (D) Hartford ADD Loaned from N.Y. Rangers (Taxi)

 

[Ranger Ric]

Who knew Knoblauch was such a good coach?

 

[Leetch3]

tarmo was assigned back to hartford...he will be in the lineup today at 1.

not sure if the coaching staff will be sent back too

 

[Leetch3]

well not sure who will be behind the bench but