Prospect Info: Hershey Bears/South Carolina Stingrays 2022-2023 Vol. 1

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LesDiablesRouges

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Just way, way too many bodies in Hershey already, without even accounting for CMM/Beck/AP not making the team and Suz not going back to Juniors (keep in mind, both Miro and Suz will need top-nine minutes to develop - preferably top-six even, but that’s unlikely).
 

Holtbyisms

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Roe is another local guy.

They're certainly well positioned to move some combination of McMichael, Lapierre, Protas, Suzdalev and Miroshnichenko. I'd hesitate to move any potential center for the time being but in the right deal any of should be available. I'm at least intrigued by their additions of Phillips and Dube but I'd be surprised if Phillips makes the Caps. Love will help him get a long look. I think he's definitely better than Frank but unless there's an injury or two I'd be surprised. It would be an upside play but they're already looking to be pretty limited in the number of players they'll be able to carry as-is.
I would not move Miro a likely top line winger if health permits. The others? Sure.
 

usiel

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Just way, way too many bodies in Hershey already, without even accounting for CMM/Beck/AP not making the team and Suz not going back to Juniors (keep in mind, both Miro and Suz will need top-nine minutes to develop - preferably top-six even, but that’s unlikely).
I guess Europe could be an option for Suz but yeah not ideal.
 

Langway

In den Wolken
Jul 7, 2006
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I would not move Miro a likely top line winger if health permits. The others? Sure.
I would at least consider it since Leonard seems more polished in every area. That said they really shouldn't force anything and it would take a special player coming back. If they go into camp with this group and mainly lean on Carbery being a difference maker so be it. They need to allow this coaching staff to cook and be fully in sync if they're to pile up significant wins. For once I very much doubt it will be a stubborn coaching staff at fault for not fully handling various matters so it's mostly on MacLellan being equally on point and in sync. He's made his top hire...now it's on him helping to get their house in order.

Just standing back for the time being may be called for. I think their personnel priorities need to evolve a fair bit, prioritizing just as much defense as offense. Just as much competitiveness and leadership as pace and skill. Not that they'll aspire to just be stingy defensively but it's part of being hard to play against.

How they balance immediacy with patient, faithful developing will go a long way determining how successful this next stage will be. There's a certain pretty entrenched fixed mindset they've operated with for a while now that's somewhat to be expected with a veteran group. But I hope this coaching staff upends it a fair bit to the point of potentially making some of these vets uncomfortable if they're unwilling to dial in consistently. A summer trade may put them on better ground to make the playoffs next season but given that they're still likely in a transitional stage it needs to be a home run to be worth it I think. At least if it's bigger than just dumping Mantha to free up cap space and roster spots for players they're convinced can be part of the solution the next few years.
 

trick9

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Jun 2, 2013
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Smart move to load up the Hershey. Our forward pool at the NHL-level is getting pretty poor so healthy competition is just a good thing. Then there is the elephant in the room with some of the core guys being so injury-prone. Backstrom, Pacioretty and Oshie are an injury waiting to happen. Mantha played 67 games last season but that has been the only time he has surpassed 44 games in the last 5 seasons and he might sit even if he's healthy. Dowd missed time last season. Wilson missed most of the season. Those are players that log significant minutes for us if healthy. It only makes sense to have lots of back-up options behind them if(/when) the injury bug hits us again.
 
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Calicaps

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Definitely think there's one or more trad in the offing.

But also, inquiring minds want to know:
What happened to Nardella?
Do we really not see Jimii in top-6 role next year?
 

Holtbyisms

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Definitely think there's one or more trad in the offing.

But also, inquiring minds want to know:
What happened to Nardella?
Do we really not see Jimii in top-6 role next year?
One dimensional, played terrible in his lone playoff showing this year and got replaced with journeyman Day who then proceeded to almost lead us in scoring through the playoffs. He just never really developed the other side of his game and got squeezed out. He'll be a nice PP qb in the ahl for the rest of his career or go over seas and secure a top pairing role somewhere.

As for Lappy, he settles in on a scoring line again this year. Barring any caps training camp shockers the bears will have three scoring lines kind of like this cup run. Nelson is great at spreading the minutes and keeping the guys fresh. Depending on how he builds the lines out he could roll 1-2-3 evenly and build out a physical 4th line for shutdown situations around Sutter but not sure where else the physical defensive presence come from unless Beck goes back to Hershey to pair with or Hofer makes the team instead of a SC start to his career.
 

Strawberry Fields

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Speaking purely as a Bears fan, I think it's good they've been going crazy on depth the last couple offseasons because the lack thereof is what killed them a couple seasons ago when the taxi squads were reestablished and they then lost guys like AJF and Snively to Washington for the rest of the year. They were fielding half an ECHL roster for the second half of the year. Granted those were unique circumstances that impacted every team, but as was mentioned upthread, Washington isn't exactly a young, healthy club as is.
 
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Holtbyisms

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Another one.

Hofer-Sutter-Trineyev has the makings of an effective, physical fourth line I think. Maybe not as polished but a large trio of humans with legit forechecking upside. Who knows, though, Vecchione could wind up on that line given all of the options to play higher.
With all that depth I'd be surprised if both Hofer and Bogdan are every night guys in Hershey this season.
 

Silky mitts

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There’s an hour long special on what is now called Monumental called Hershey Bears Sweeter by the Dozen that’s got decent highlights of their Calder Cup run
 

John Price

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Sep 19, 2008
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Working through the Sweeter by the Dozen documentary and made it to Episode 2 where they play the Rochester Americans in the 3rd round

@hb12xchamps do they air NBC Sports Washington or Monumental up there in Harrisburg / Hershey. Curious what region that falls under, Flyers market or Caps
 

hb13xchamps

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Working through the Sweeter by the Dozen documentary and made it to Episode 2 where they play the Rochester Americans in the 3rd round

@hb12xchamps do they air NBC Sports Washington or Monumental up there in Harrisburg / Hershey. Curious what region that falls under, Flyers market or Caps
I’m not sure how far the Caps market goes. I live 10 minutes south of Harrisburg and we are in the Capitals and Philly market for our regional sports channels. Not sure if it goes all the way up to Hershey or not. Luckily the episodes are going to be on YouTube after they’ve aired
 
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