Prospect Info: Hershey Bears/South Carolina Stingrays 2022-2023 Vol. 1
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McMichael has looked good. I think his game will translate better to the NHL than it does the AHL. He has a terrific hockey IQ and he just always seems to make the right play — the play seems to slow down when he has the puck. He’s ready to play in Washington next year, hopefully at center.
Johansen has been really impressive to me. If there’s one guy who is helping his chances the most it’s him. He’s looked noticeably quicker both in skating ability and how fast he’s thinking the game. Seems like he’s healthy and confident which are two things he hasn’t been for most of his time here.
I love Malenstyn. No reason he can’t be Garnet Hathaway 2.0. He needs to work on his shot a bit but he’s a bruiser.
Lapierre you can tell the skill is there but he still needs more time.
Johansen has been really impressive to me. If there’s one guy who is helping his chances the most it’s him. He’s looked noticeably quicker both in skating ability and how fast he’s thinking the game. Seems like he’s healthy and confident which are two things he hasn’t been for most of his time here.
I love Malenstyn. No reason he can’t be Garnet Hathaway 2.0. He needs to work on his shot a bit but he’s a bruiser.
Lapierre you can tell the skill is there but he still needs more time.
Brian23
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- Dec 3, 2011
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Well, when you've spent all year doo-dooing on those young players because you appeal to the old coach, gotta keep justifying that instead of admitting fault...
McMichael has been consistently noticeable in every game I've watched. Creating good scoring opportunities, making great passes, and has just all around been a good player. He's beyond ready for the NHL level at this point.
Protas has been kinda dispointing in that I wanted him to preform more of a top 6/offensive style role, but he's been outstanding as a big bodied checker playing the plugger bottom 6 style. Again, easily ready to be a 4th line forward with some jump in the NHL next year. Disapointing cause I want him to be a middle sixer, but he's a big body and they take time.
Lapierre I can 100% see being disappointed with. When he first came up in the NHL I really thought he'd be like a Burakovsky and make the show quickly, but I feel like I just never notice him during the game. Have much less faith he can develop into a full time NHLer then before. But he's still only 21.
I also agree with Bro that Johanssen has looked really good. If we didn't have our left side set, I think I'd be very comfortable with him being a 3rd pair LD, or the 7th D, next year.
I don't know if or where they'd play, but I still really wish Fehervary and Alexeyev could have been in Hershey for this run.
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hb13xchamps
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The Protas-Lapierre-Anas line produced big time in the ECF and has been one of their best lines throughout the playoffs. It’s clear CV has honed in on that, which makes sense given how good of an AHL player Anas is. I’m glad the scoring has been spread out now with Frank finally playing at the level he was in the regular season.
Just have to win one in Cali now, which is huge. Judging by their social media trolls, their building should be pretty hostile and tough to play at
Just have to win one in Cali now, which is huge. Judging by their social media trolls, their building should be pretty hostile and tough to play at
CapitalsCupReality
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Definitely not, but it’s not unworthy of the other poster bringing up, certainly in the context of a series performance discussion.
The reason he spent the season in Hershey instead of DC is because the coaching staff didn't trust him due to a lack of two-way play and consistency. It's also noteworthy that he's showing tons of both, that many of us didn't think he had...credit where credit is due.
CapitalsCupReality
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I want him to show more of what is his primary role…to create offense.
He’s been fine in Hershey overall and it’s showed he needed that additional time IMO.
He’ll never be a high end defensive forward, so sure it’s nice that he can’t not look bad in the defensive aspect, but he need to produce in the offensive zone eventually IMO.
I very much enjoy that our young guys are contributing and playing good solid hockey for Bears in their big run. It brings me hope that Caps will get the much needed help for their roster next year and beyond.
That being said, I dont think its as much as complaining they dont produce, but its mixed expectations of the level that they will reach when they do get in the NHL. Some of Caps fanbase expect them to become top level producers and we've had a lot of hype for them because of that, which is maybe not completely fair.
I mean, ive seen a lot of suggestions that McMichael and Lapierre will be nr 2-3 centers and carry their own lines for a true contending team. Thats a lot to expect. Im just happy if we can get 2-3 NHLers out of this group.
Had a great time at the game on Saturday and the building was great.
Hope they can close it out!
Hope they can close it out!
CapitalsCupReality
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I don’t think many, if any, Caps fans are expecting top-level production after seeing Protas and CMM play a ton the last 2 years. This isn’t about unfair expectations at all, it‘s based upon plenty of observation of them both.
I expect CMM to eventually produce middle-6 numbers, Protas less. Right now, that looks iffy at best, to me.
Thats fair. I have seen the hype too, and my message wasnt aimed at you.
My expectations for CMM is a third line center with capability to take stints as 2C. Lars Eller sorts of, but not the same player type though. For that role i like the maturity and compete CMM is showing with the run, and im not worried about the points and offensive flashes.
For Protas, he is a plug-in kind of guy for bottom six. He is never likely to burst out offensively but can be a ”dependable” option for a third wheel in all sorts of lines.
For either of the types, theres always going to be options from FA/trade market aswell. So yeah, great to have ”homegrown” guys and its fun to get a bit excited for them, but thats why i never really jumped in to bash Laviolette ruining their careers by going veterans first.
Its different thing though that Lavi didnt keep up the requirement level for the vets, he should have benched Eller or demand an update for him last year. Accountability matters.
BiPolar Caps
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Is it just me seeing some resemblance of the Bears goalie Shephard with Denis Lemieux the Charlestown Chiefs goalie in Slapshot.
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CapitalsCupReality
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Vets are held to a a higher standard overall and have proven themselves, therefor they get a lot of rope. You think they get anything in a trade for Eller if he’s benched? Nope.
CMM and Protas have proven nothing at the NHL level, therefor very little rope for CMM, a bit more for Protas.
I personally think they believe in Protas more, I guess we’ll see.
CMM and Protas have proven nothing at the NHL level, therefor very little rope for CMM, a bit more for Protas.
I personally think they believe in Protas more, I guess we’ll see.
HTFN
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You can give somebody enough rope to strangle a whole team and undercut your own authority pretty quick too, which is what happened here. Coaching made bad personnel decisions that lost them games and then scratched or benched players seemingly at random while letting the team's biggest problem just sit there and figure it out.
Let's forget Protas for a second and talk more about why they benched Dylan Strome instead of Kuznetsov, for example.
CapitalsCupReality
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Nope only in the eyes of fans. The players get it IMO, some fans just don’t.
They expect some fantasy culture of everyone is equal therefor they should all be held to the same standards. It’s just not the way it works in Pro Sports (or Corporate America).
I don’t care about Strome. They experimented for a short time. Who cares?!? I feel like Kuzy would become a malcontent and immediate team distraction if he was benched (for any significant time), but whatever.
This is a Bears thread and CMM and Protas are Bears, Strome isn’t.
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The salt 
...fact is we have one of the worst ranked prospect pipelines in the NHL for a reason. Our "top prospects" are wildly exaggerated by our own peer group. In my opinion the only guys in our organization with the ability to be a top line or pair are Miro and Iorio. And Iorio is going to need a stud #1 to play with on the top pairing or else he's a stud second pairing guy. McMichael would exceed my expectations if he becomes a second liner who puts up points on a regular basis. Lappy will only be successful if he can make it on a second line so we'll see how his development goes but right now he's been trending towards tweener. The organization has a long way to go and a tough rebuild ahead.
...fact is we have one of the worst ranked prospect pipelines in the NHL for a reason. Our "top prospects" are wildly exaggerated by our own peer group. In my opinion the only guys in our organization with the ability to be a top line or pair are Miro and Iorio. And Iorio is going to need a stud #1 to play with on the top pairing or else he's a stud second pairing guy. McMichael would exceed my expectations if he becomes a second liner who puts up points on a regular basis. Lappy will only be successful if he can make it on a second line so we'll see how his development goes but right now he's been trending towards tweener. The organization has a long way to go and a tough rebuild ahead.
CapitalsCupReality
It’s Go Time!!
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exactly…..Lavi is not with the team anymore….no reason to talk about the same 3 decisions over and over.
Get on with your life (not you specifically) and move on and stop acting like a jilted lover.
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CapitalsCupReality
It’s Go Time!!
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Totally…The salt
so you believe he’s a bottom 6 guy? Brutal if so.
zappa4ever
Music is the Best!
Might be a huge night that ends with the raising of the Cup 
Gonna be a latenight oot here in the EST
LGB!
Gonna be a latenight oot here in the EST
LGB!
Ovechkins Wodka
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Langway
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On the plus side I think team defense, structure and buy-in are areas they'll also heavily lean on under Carbery. Todd Nelson has prepared this group very well so they should all have confidence in their ability to execute structurally and bring the buy-in. Not sure an assistant gig under Carbery, a first-year head coach, will be as attractive for Nelson compared to other options. Marek floated Toronto under Keefe and it comes with both visibility and perhaps the potential to replace Keefe before long. But I think there's probably a lot Carbery very much agrees with philosophically in how this Bears team plays. A promotion seems like a strong fit if he's good with it.
There's maybe not a wealth of high-end NHL upside on this Bears team but there could be a number of depth players at least. Both McMichael and Protas do some good things in terms of underlying play that should allow them to gain a foothold. Maybe they parlay that into more regular production as they gain more confidence (and ideally there's competent skill development ongoing). I wouldn't necessarily count on this run paying massive dividends for the Caps but particularly with Protas and Malenstyn there's definite checking pedigree. Sutter also seems like he could be a fringe NHLer with the right adjustments and opportunity. Johansen & Iorio could similarly help on the back-end.
It's a Bears team larger than the sum of the parts and that's also going to need to be the recipe in the back nine of Ovechkin's career here with the Caps. Shutting down teams at the AHL is a lot easier thanks to a lack of true game-breakers but nonetheless these team concepts valuable components for success at all levels. Lots of teams and players can do it in theory. Executing it in practice and finding that rhythm and cohesion is not nothing. It's pretty special how they've managed to adjust. Hopefully the Caps can leverage this further with some hungry role players at least. And I'm thinking Carbery's energy is bound to rub off on the group to the point where it's less a question of skill than will.
There's maybe not a wealth of high-end NHL upside on this Bears team but there could be a number of depth players at least. Both McMichael and Protas do some good things in terms of underlying play that should allow them to gain a foothold. Maybe they parlay that into more regular production as they gain more confidence (and ideally there's competent skill development ongoing). I wouldn't necessarily count on this run paying massive dividends for the Caps but particularly with Protas and Malenstyn there's definite checking pedigree. Sutter also seems like he could be a fringe NHLer with the right adjustments and opportunity. Johansen & Iorio could similarly help on the back-end.
It's a Bears team larger than the sum of the parts and that's also going to need to be the recipe in the back nine of Ovechkin's career here with the Caps. Shutting down teams at the AHL is a lot easier thanks to a lack of true game-breakers but nonetheless these team concepts valuable components for success at all levels. Lots of teams and players can do it in theory. Executing it in practice and finding that rhythm and cohesion is not nothing. It's pretty special how they've managed to adjust. Hopefully the Caps can leverage this further with some hungry role players at least. And I'm thinking Carbery's energy is bound to rub off on the group to the point where it's less a question of skill than will.
Ovechkins Wodka
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Whats funny about Lavi is some of his best hot streaks happened when he had no choice but to call up a bunch of hungry Hershey players. Lavi would then go back to old habits and the team would suck again.
Im am 100% good promoting Nelson to the Caps
Im am 100% good promoting Nelson to the Caps
SecretaryofDefense5
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Ovechkins Wodka
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Yes and if the goal is developing our young players hes a great fit. I assume he has worked with Carberry before?
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