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

[Joey Bones]

Lettieri, too, has a rumor to be moving to the NLA....

 

[Thirty One]

Even if there is an AHL schedule next season, you have to wonder if the talent will be so diluted that it just doesn't hold its own as a developmental option.

 

[Irishguy42]

Even if there is an AHL schedule next season, you have to wonder if the talent will be so diluted that it just doesn't hold its own as a developmental option.

Really depends on how saturated the European leagues get from all the players going overseas, but yeah I'm not feeling great about it.

 

[Leetch3]

Even if there is an AHL schedule next season, you have to wonder if the talent will be so diluted that it just doesn't hold its own as a developmental option.

there are a limited number of spots for guys to go to europe. not everyone will have that option

 

[Irishguy42]

 

[DutchNYR]

If this means Rangers legend Dale Weise* will come and play in the Netherlands again, these are pretty exciting times.


*48 points in 19 games. And he was playing with his eyes closed.

 

[bobbop]

Even if there is an AHL schedule next season, you have to wonder if the talent will be so diluted that it just doesn't hold its own as a developmental option.

They are targeting a December 4th start of the regular season. That, of course is subject to change.

 

[nyr2k2]

I do think there was some pressure to establish a (preliminary) start date so that those guys who were in limbo for next season at least have something to go on from the AHL in making a decision on where to play.

 

[gravey9]

I just don't understand how it will be financially feasible to run the AHL if there are no fans and still have the money it'll take to enhance social distancing and create a bubble. Unlike the NHL are they really going to have the resources to test and quarantine and bubble? And travel in a safe way?

I suppose i feel safer with what the NHL is doing because they're in a bubble. Lots of money is being spent to ensure players are kept apart from the rest of the public. And there's tv money to offset some of the costs. AND since its just the playoffs, it's fewer teams to worry about. and a shorter window of time. I would be weary about having my brightest young talent in a situation where protecting the players is way more challenging than the NHL.

If I'm the Rangers, I call up the Islanders, devils, Flyers and Sabres and figure out how to create a bubble/pod for local prospect development for next season. Basically create a traverse city like tournament inside a bubble where all non-collegiate NA prospects and pro signees for each team can play. It's all one facility that has multiple rinks. A hotel. and a large dedicated medical team. This bubble would be part of the NHL bubble because i think the NHL will be forced to keep expanded rosters for next season anyway. I understand the multitude of hurdles - specifically it could destroy the AHL.

I wouldnt want to be Jeff Gorton or JD in this situation.

 

[GAGLine]

I just don't understand how it will be financially feasible to run the AHL if there are no fans and still have the money it'll take to enhance social distancing and create a bubble. Unlike the NHL are they really going to have the resources to test and quarantine and bubble? And travel in a safe way?

I don't think they've planned that far ahead. I think they just set a date in the hopes that they'll be able to start the season as normal with fans in the stands. That date is still 4 months away. A lot can happen between now and then. If they need to wait until January so they can have fans, that's what they'll do.

The NHL has set a tentative date of Dec 1st, but there's still lots of stuff for them to figure out at well.

 

[Leetch3]

I just don't understand how it will be financially feasible to run the AHL if there are no fans and still have the money it'll take to enhance social distancing and create a bubble. Unlike the NHL are they really going to have the resources to test and quarantine and bubble? And travel in a safe way?

I suppose i feel safer with what the NHL is doing because they're in a bubble. Lots of money is being spent to ensure players are kept apart from the rest of the public. And there's tv money to offset some of the costs. AND since its just the playoffs, it's fewer teams to worry about. and a shorter window of time. I would be weary about having my brightest young talent in a situation where protecting the players is way more challenging than the NHL.

If I'm the Rangers, I call up the Islanders, devils, Flyers and Sabres and figure out how to create a bubble/pod for local prospect development for next season. Basically create a traverse city like tournament inside a bubble where all non-collegiate NA prospects and pro signees for each team can play. It's all one facility that has multiple rinks. A hotel. and a large dedicated medical team. This bubble would be part of the NHL bubble because i think the NHL will be forced to keep expanded rosters for next season anyway. I understand the multitude of hurdles - specifically it could destroy the AHL.

I wouldnt want to be Jeff Gorton or JD in this situation.

I feel pretty confident saying that they won't play if they can't do it safely. neither side will agree to it if its not...but as far as money goes, every AHL team has a NHL affiliate that wants their AHL team playing so how much $$ will be pumped in from the NHL clubs to make this happen?

 

[nyr2k2]

I feel pretty confident saying that they won't play if they can't do it safely. neither side will agree to it if its not...but as far as money goes, every AHL team has a NHL affiliate that wants their AHL team playing so how much $$ will be pumped in from the NHL clubs to make this happen?

Part of the complication is that as far as I know, only about 20 of the teams in the AHL are actually owned by the NHL club. There are still independently-owned teams. So while Hartford is owned by MSG, Syracuse, Milwaukee, even Lehigh Valley and Hershey, aren't owned by the parent club (unless it changed recently). We could keep Hartford operating at a loss, bit those other teams, the independently-owned ones, they may not be able to do it.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

If this means Rangers legend Dale Weise* will come and play in the Netherlands again, these are pretty exciting times.


*48 points in 19 games. And he was playing with his eyes closed.

I drove down to Tilburg for over an hour several times just to see Weise play haha. Good times

 

[DanishRanger]

Shawn O’Donnell just signed for my home-town team here in Denmark. Was he any good in Hartford? Vaguely remember him

 

[nyr2k2]

Shawn O’Donnell just signed for my home-town team here in Denmark. Was he any good in Hartford? Vaguely remember him

He played hard. Every day he came to the rink and gave it his all. I do remember that about him. Skill-wise, not much to report. He was a grinder on the bottom line, could kill penalties. I remember he could score at a PPG pace in the ECHL, though, so playing in Metal Ligaen he may well be able to score some points.

 

[cwede]

Shawn O’Donnell just signed for my home-town team here in Denmark. Was he any good in Hartford? Vaguely remember him

He played hard. Every day he came to the rink and gave it his all. I do remember that about him. Skill-wise, not much to report. He was a grinder on the bottom line, could kill penalties. I remember he could score at a PPG pace in the ECHL, though, so playing in Metal Ligaen he may well be able to score some points.

Danish Ranger:
Soren True Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com

ODonnell obviously a dedicated guy, to follow up a Canadian college career and force a career of pro hockey. NYR/Hartford obviously liked him, to bring him back a few times

at lower levels (ECHL, last season in Germany) he contributed some offense
Shawn O'Donnell (b.1988) Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com
Shawn O'Donnell at eliteprospects.com

 

[DanishRanger]

Danish Ranger:
Soren True Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com

ODonnell obviously a dedicated guy, to follow up a Canadian college career and force a career of pro hockey. NYR/Hartford obviously liked him, to bring him back a few times

at lower levels (ECHL, last season in Germany) he contributed some offense
Shawn O'Donnell (b.1988) Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com
Shawn O'Donnell at eliteprospects.com

Søren True played for Odense Bulldogs too His two sons are hockey players too. Alexander is well known in NA playing for the Sharks. His younger brother Oliver is playing for Odense this season. Met Søren at a game last year where we chatted a bit and I got a pic with him. Should have been the first dane in the NHL. Nikolaj Ehlers in Winnipeg is his nephew

 

[cwede]

Søren True played for Odense Bulldogs too His two sons are hockey players too. Alexander is well known in NA playing for the Sharks. His younger brother Oliver is playing for Odense this season. Met Søren at a game last year where we chatted a bit and I got a pic with him. Should have been the first dane in the NHL. Nikolaj Ehlers in Winnipeg is his nephew

was at Jets AT MSG/NYR game a few years back,
probably Ehlers rookie year, i didn't know of him,
he sniped a sudden, fast goal from above left circle, knew who he was after that

 

[cwede]

was at Jets AT MSG/NYR game a few years back,
probably Ehlers rookie year, i didn't know of him,
he sniped a sudden, fast goal from above left circle, knew who he was after that

whaddya know it was Ehlers' first NHL goal
and closer to the dot, than above the circle, sorry ....

 

[cwede]

Matt Beleskey brilliant in net for Tampa tonight

 

[eco's bones]

Shawn O’Donnell just signed for my home-town team here in Denmark. Was he any good in Hartford? Vaguely remember him

There are videos of him working out in the summer at a Halifax area rink with Sidney Crosby and Brad Marchand. He's basically an ECHL level player--he's pretty fearless though--will fight anybody (though very average at that) and he will take on the jobs that no one else wants to do. I'm sure his teammates appreciated him for those things and that's why he hung in the AHL as long as he did.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

long time employee Jim Anderschatz retiring from his position as part of the off ice staff at Cross Arena

 

[kovazub94]

No one has said anything yet about the AHL, but we've discussed it some here.

We don't know if or when they'll have a season. The AHL, like minor league baseball, is very highly reliant on gates (people coming to the game and buying things) to generate revenue, since they don't have a lucrative TV contract and the sponsorship deals are small and many will likely be voided with no fans present. So the likelihood of being able to play, is very small, if you ask me. Less than two-thirds of the teams are owned by their NHL franchises, who are already facing their own operating shortfalls, and probably don't want to lose more money operating an AHL team. The independently-owned AHL teams are in trouble.

Beyond that, the NHL is using the whole "bubble" model. That's obviously not going to work for AHL teams as it's another added expense and you'd have to do it for all franchises all season, or until things truly opened back up. So, that's another major impediment.

There are the "4A" players--guys who are really good AHL players but not quite NHL regulars--who are probably going to look for opportunities in Europe, given the uncertainty of if/when the AHL season will start. I posted the other day that Danny O'Regan, when he's done with the Rangers this postseason, is rumored to be signing in Germany. Lots of guys will do that (for as many spots as there are for North American players in the European leagues). Many guys can't just wait around and then lose an entire year of income if the AHL in canceled.

At the same time, you're going to have guys under NHL contract--for us, think guys like maybe a Gettinger, Elmer, Ronning, the three college guys we signed, maybe K'Andre Miller, etc., that will need a place to play. They could theoretically be loaned out, but if we do that it makes it very difficult to bring them back into the mix if we needed them. The NHL could expand rosters, or allow a permanent taxi squad of 6-10 guys, but that would be tough still as those guys aren't actually playing when for their development, they need to be playing more than anything.

It's also going to be interesting to see how the European assignment clauses work. Usually, they are written so that if a player isn't on the NHL roster by Date X, or after X games, he can exercise the clause. How will that work if the NHL season start a couple months late? Like, if Rykov's EAC kicks in if he's not on the roster after ten games, and we're not ten games in until December, will he have to wait until that point to exercise it? At that point the KHL has played a couple dozen games, and most of the other leagues have as well. Or, if his clause kicks in if he's not on the roster by October 15--does that date get pushed back, or is it honored?

There are a ton of things still up in the air with the AHL in general and the players specifically. It will be really interesting to see how they work it all out. Lots of guys will be looking for places to play hockey and quite honestly, there probably aren't enough spots in the high-level European leagues for the North American guys that will be looking for work. I feel like a lot of guys are just going to sit out.

You really should post this Kravtsov thread. A KHL team with half decent scouting could benefit finding the right AHL vets, AAAA or players who fully haven’t broken into with an NHL team. Traktor made such moves this offseason.

 

[egelband]

You really should post this Kravtsov thread. A KHL team with half decent scouting could benefit finding the right AHL vets, AAAA or players who fully haven’t broken into with an NHL team. Traktor made such moves this offseason.

Does the KHL put a cap on the number of foreigners a team may have? An “import limit”... They do in Japanese baseball for example.

 

[kovazub94]

Does the KHL put a cap on the number of foreigners a team may have? An “import limit”... They do in Japanese baseball for example.

They do and so there’s a need to find right foreigners. I believe only 5 can be in the lineup on a given night but at least 6 are allowed to be on the active roster. Also “tricks” are very commonplace with foreigners taking Russian citizenship to not count against the limit.