Isles Prospect Talk 2020-21 Pt. II

[MJF]

That is an atrocious list.

What’s atrocious about it? There’s some real talent coming up along with a guy like Grant Hutton who can handle NHL minutes today.

 

[leeroggy]

What’s atrocious about it? There’s some real talent coming up along with a guy like Grant Hutton who can handle NHL minutes today.

Heck, I didn't even include Wilde or Berg

 

[SI]

What’s atrocious about it? There’s some real talent coming up along with a guy like Grant Hutton who can handle NHL minutes today.

Because it lacks any elite level talent. I was not trying to bash anyone - it’s simply fact.

The team has had young players graduate, trading 1st round picks (which I thought were the right moves both times), and made questionable decision on drafting Holmstrom and Iskahov over stronger players still left on the board.

Let’s hope Raty, Bolduc, and Dufour do live up to their promise and maybe even beyond them.

 

[leeroggy]

Because it lacks any elite level talent. I was not trying to bash anyone - it’s simply fact.

The team has had young players graduate, trading 1st round picks (which I thought were the right moves both times), and made questionable decision on drafting Holmstrom and Iskahov over stronger players still left on the board.

Let’s hope Raty, Bolduc, and Dufour do live up to their promise and maybe even beyond them.

Elite level talent makes the NHL in their first year these days, they don't move up the organization

 

[doublechili]

Jeez, if you think that's bad dig out the Hockey News Top Prospects issues from 15 years ago and go forward

I remember when Maxim Afinogenov was "the best player outside the NHL".

 

[MJF]

Because it lacks any elite level talent. I was not trying to bash anyone - it’s simply fact.

The team has had young players graduate, trading 1st round picks (which I thought were the right moves both times), and made questionable decision on drafting Holmstrom and Iskahov over stronger players still left on the board.

Let’s hope Raty, Bolduc, and Dufour do live up to their promise and maybe even beyond them.

Raty looks like he can be elite. So does Bolduc. I haven’t seen any of Dufour but he may turn out to be a real goal scorer for us.

 

[MJF]

Elite level talent makes the NHL in their first year these days, they don't move up the organization

Also true. Kinda also branches off into the things people bitch about with Bridgeport—high end prospects don’t go to the AHL to develop but I don’t want to hijack this thread.

The type of elite prospects that go right to the NHL from their 18 year old entry draft are usually top 5 in the 1st round. If that’s the definition of elite then we don’t have any of those. But I wouldn’t lose any sleep over that.

 

[Osakahaus]

Not even close to right. We had years where the 5th-best prospect was barely AHL level if you go back to the early-mid 2000's.

And there are always a few surprises.

Even if you are not counting Wahlstrom, Dobson, Bellows and Salo (the last two can still qualify for Rookie of the Year voting and all of them have a LONG career ahead of them):

Ratu looks like a home run
Holmstrom will be 3rd line at worst, think Pat Flatley
Hutton proved he can play 3rd pair right now, he's got no opening so far to get into the lineup.
Bolduc showed enough to get his ELC pretty early
Dufour is looking like the biggest steal of his draft year
And if you want a really interesting possibility we'll see if Krygier gets signed out of college as another stay-at-home LD.

Outside of these we have some interesting possibilities the last two years.

If Simon ends up like Flatley, I will personally go to your house and give you a gift basket

 

[PK Cronin]

I remember when Maxim Afinogenov was "the best player outside the NHL".

He was pretty good in it for spurts and then he disappeared. That was a weird Buffalo team.

 

[MJF]

He was pretty good in it for spurts and then he disappeared. That was a weird Buffalo team.

With weird fans.

 

[leeroggy]

If Simon ends up like Flatley, I will personally go to your house and give you a gift basket

Where do you live?

 

[The Real JT]

Baby Isles play tonight.

Let’s see the big guy on D (Bolduc) hit the scoresheet.

 

[DerekKingSnipes]

Because it lacks any elite level talent. I was not trying to bash anyone - it’s simply fact.

The team has had young players graduate, trading 1st round picks (which I thought were the right moves both times), and made questionable decision on drafting Holmstrom and Iskahov over stronger players still left on the board.

Let’s hope Raty, Bolduc, and Dufour do live up to their promise and maybe even beyond them.

Just out of curiosity who taken after either Holmstrom or Ishakov are stronger players right now? Holmstrom actually is getting much closer to being a solid player and who knows about Ishakov at this point but can’t give up on him at this point.

 

[DerekKingSnipes]

Baby Isles play tonight.

Let’s see the big guy on D (Bolduc) hit the scoresheet.

He is struggling mightily lately, not a good year for him this year with injuries and his play.

 

[DerekKingSnipes]

What’s atrocious about it? There’s some real talent coming up along with a guy like Grant Hutton who can handle NHL minutes today.

Wotherspoon interests me as a depth defenseman

 

[SI]

Just out of curiosity who taken after either Holmstrom or Ishakov are stronger players right now? Holmstrom actually is getting much closer to being a solid player and who knows about Ishakov at this point but can’t give up on him at this point.

These picks were both off the board.

Each player I am going to name was rated higher than Holmstrom in almost every single mock draft analysis -
Tomasino, McMichael, and Pelletier were the 3 picks right after Isles selected.

In round 2 - Pinto, Kaliyev, and Hoglander were also potential 1st round picks who fell to the second, who were also rated higher than Holmstrom by many mock drafts.

Iskahov - Perunovich was selected right after. There was David Gustafson and Benoit Groulx were picks most on this board were hoping for that year.

 

[Osakahaus]

Just out of curiosity who taken after either Holmstrom or Ishakov are stronger players right now? Holmstrom actually is getting much closer to being a solid player and who knows about Ishakov at this point but can’t give up on him at this point.

Ishakov needs to be signed or else he loses his rights. Thats what i know

These picks were both off the board.

Each player I am going to name was rated than Holmstrom in almost every single mock draft analysis -
Tomasino, McMichael, and Pelletier were the 3 picks right after Isles selected.

In round 2 - Pinto, Kaliyev, and Hoglander were also potential 1st round picks who fell to the second, who were also rated higher than Holmstrom by many mock drafts.

Iskahov - Perunovich was selected right after. There was David Gustafson and Benoit Groulx were picks most on this board were hoping for that year.

Perunovich really would've been nice considering how bad our defense has been. could've been a better pick than Wilde, even if Bode was highly touted until this season

 

[DerekKingSnipes]

These picks were both off the board.

Each player I am going to name was rated than Holmstrom in almost every single mock draft analysis -
Tomasino, McMichael, and Pelletier were the 3 picks right after Isles selected.

In round 2 - Pinto, Kaliyev, and Hoglander were also potential 1st round picks who fell to the second, who were also rated higher than Holmstrom by many mock drafts.

Iskahov - Perunovich was selected right after. There was David Gustafson and Benoit Groulx were picks most on this board were hoping for that year.

But at this point that’s all over and now it’s time to see who actually will be players and nobody after Holmstrom has really made you say geez we reached to take him.

 

[SI]

But at this point that’s all over and now it’s time to see who actually will be players and nobody after Holmstrom has really made you say geez we reached to take him.

I disagree - McMichael, Tomasino, and Hoglander do absolutely.
Also, to think about what they would be worth in a trade - Holmstrom has zero value.

 

[DerekKingSnipes]

I disagree - McMichael, Tomasino, and Hoglander do absolutely.
Also, to think about what they would be worth in a trade - Holmstrom has zero value.

I don’t know I just think watching Bridgeport each night Holmstrom is on a path to being an NHLer who plays in all situations. He is going to fit Trotz system extremely well, again I’m not a scout by any means but he plays game like an NHL winger IMO.

 

[Osakahaus]

I disagree - McMichael, Tomasino, and Hoglander do absolutely.
Also, to think about what they would be worth in a trade - Holmstrom has zero value.

I don’t know I just think watching Bridgeport each night Holmstrom is on a path to being an NHLer who plays in all situations. He is going to fit Trotz system extremely well, again I’m not a scout by any means but he plays game like an NHL winger IMO.

So he's gonna be better than Palmieri is what you mean? I remember they said "we drafted him to be barzals wingman", which is BS. I just wish he ends up like a Vrana, his projected type player

 

[DerekKingSnipes]

So he's gonna be better than Palmieri is what you mean? I remember they said "we drafted him to be barzals wingman", which is BS. I just wish he ends up like a Vrana, his projected type player

He isn’t Barzals winger snd wasn’t drafted to be, maybe Wahlstrom is that player but Holmstrom to me is probably middle six winger who plays on both special teams units and in good year gets 50 points. He isn’t a star but is going to be solid NHLer for a while.

 

[MJF]

Wotherspoon interests me as a depth defenseman

I don't see it in Wotherspoon. He still has too many instances where he handles the puck like it's a live grenade. Too many flubs with the puck on his stick.

 

[DerekKingSnipes]

I don't see it in Wotherspoon. He still has too many instances where he handles the puck like it's a live grenade. Too many flubs with the puck on his stick.

This is best he has played ever I think, I don’t know if he can play regularly but he has improved a lot this year.

 

[SI]

I don’t know I just think watching Bridgeport each night Holmstrom is on a path to being an NHLer who plays in all situations. He is going to fit Trotz system extremely well, again I’m not a scout by any means but he plays game like an NHL winger IMO.

I hope you are correct that he becomes an NHLer, but at this point he is an Arturs Lehknonen type player - unlikely he becomes anything more than that.