Prospect Info: Marlies & Prospect Discussion

[Kiwi]

I do want us to affiliate with another ECHL team

We have the money to put high quality coaches and skills people onto an ECHL staff and actually turn a team into a development pipeline for the organization

I doubt money invested like that would be a waste

 

[TheMadHatTrick]

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[TMLBlueandWhite]

The number of games is completely irrelevant. It's that there is a place these players can play, and achieve whatever the Leafs want them to during that time. Injury recovery, get an easy game in, or in McMann's case, actual development, and the chance to move up. We were using it to develop goalies quite a bit too... which may or may not work out.

72 players across the NHL, were in the starting day lineups, who had previously played in the ECHL.

55 Coaches in the NHL this year, had ECHL experience.

548 NHL players, played in the ECHL at some point, since 2002-03.

That you are ignorant to development, and the ECHL, does not mean it's not a useful league...

Oh wow, I must have been completely wrong about the ECHL this whole time.

I always thought it was a league of never-wases and never-will-be's. I didn't realize how many star players come out of there every year. I can't wait for the next "hidden gem" to be unearthed.

The next Gretzky is just waiting to be discovered.

 

[Leaf Fans]

Oh wow, I must have been completely wrong about the ECHL this whole time.

I always thought it was a league of never-wases and never-will-be's. I didn't realize how many star players come out of there every year. I can't wait for the next "hidden gem" to be unearthed.

The next Gretzky is just waiting to be discovered.

You were completely wrong about the ECHL. You still are. I can't think of any stars that have come out, but some decent players have come out of the ECHL.

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

You were completely wrong about the ECHL. You still are. I can't think of any stars that have come out, but some decent players have come out of the ECHL.

I'll be surprised if it's still in existence in ten years.

But you never know. Maybe they'll drop the OHL agreement. Until then not much good is coming out of there.

The ECHL will never be the league it could, and should, be so long as it remains.

 

[genk]

Oh wow, I must have been completely wrong about the ECHL this whole time.

I always thought it was a league of never-wases and never-will-be's. I didn't realize how many star players come out of there every year. I can't wait for the next "hidden gem" to be unearthed.

The next Gretzky is just waiting to be discovered.

No one has suggested the ECHL has or will ever produce elite players. This is an an arbitrary metric you’ve decided is necessary for success. This is wrong. The ECHL is a league for players who would otherwise not have a chance to play in NA and audition for bigger roles in the AHL.

 

[WTFMAN99]

I do want us to affiliate with another ECHL team

We have the money to put high quality coaches and skills people onto an ECHL staff and actually turn a team into a development pipeline for the organization

I doubt money invested like that would be a waste

I'm kind of surprised we didn't outright buy the team.

Although I read that the team had to subsidize the opposing team's travel expenses? That adds up.

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

No one has suggested the ECHL has or will ever produce elite players. This is an an arbitrary metric you’ve decided is necessary for success. This is wrong. The ECHL is a league for players who would otherwise not have a chance to play in NA and audition for bigger roles in the AHL.

I actually thought using the ECHL as a developer league was one of Dubas' better ideas.

It's a little disappointing and concerning to see the Growlers fold. If the NHL isn't gonna support the ECHL then it will eventually fail too is my guess. Too much competition from overseas.

I mean, let's face it, if anyone is willing to travel to, and live in, Newfoundland to play hockey for a pittance as their living I don't see why they wouldn't go Europe for more money and recognition to do the same.

 

[Fogelhund]

Oh wow, I must have been completely wrong about the ECHL this whole time.

I always thought it was a league of never-wases and never-will-be's. I didn't realize how many star players come out of there every year. I can't wait for the next "hidden gem" to be unearthed.

The next Gretzky is just waiting to be discovered.

So laughably wrong, and so stubborn to not admit it. It's hilarious. It's a useful development league. It, or a replacement will be around for some time.

 

[uncleben]

I'll be surprised if it's still in existence in ten years.

But you never know. Maybe they'll drop the OHL agreement. Until then not much good is coming out of there.

The ECHL will never be the league it could, and should, be so long as it remains.

You do know it's already been around for 30+ years, right?
That there are 3 other pro leagues lower than it in North America already?


There's a market, audience, and appetite for mid/low tier pro leagues
I don't think they're worrying too much

 

[ULF_55]

You do know it's already been around for 30+ years, right?
That there are 3 other pro leagues lower than it in North America already?


There's a market, audience, and appetite for mid/low tier pro leagues
I don't think they're worrying too much

List of ice hockey leagues - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

More details at link

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

You do know it's already been around for 30+ years, right?
That there are 3 other pro leagues lower than it in North America already?


There's a market, audience, and appetite for mid/low tier pro leagues
I don't think they're worrying too much

That's had over a WHOPPING 100 teams come and go in their short history, yes.

Times change. The game itself is changing. Teams and leagues need to keep up or go the way of the dinosaur.

This is what a struggling league looks like.

 

[uncleben]

That's had over a WHOPPING 100 teams come and go in their short history, yes.

Times change. The game itself is changing. Teams and leagues need to keep up or go the way of the dinosaur.

This is what a struggling league looks like.

So is the nature of it, and yet the league keeps rolling on

 

[ULF_55]

So is the nature of it, and yet the league keeps rolling on

Restaurants fail all the time.

There are still restaurants.

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

Restaurants fail all the time.

There are still restaurants.

A better analogy would have been a stock market with companies going in and out of business but the market itself remaining open.

The OHL transfer agreement prevents the ECHL from attracting the star power that would draw enough fans to support these teams. Add increasing external pressure from Europe and the result is a league that churns an average of three teams a year. Once a few entrenched long term blue chips finally fold the whole thing will collapse just like stock markets do unless governments bail them out.

History is littered with all kinds of failed markets and the companies that comprised them.

 

[Byron Bitz]

Minten’s stats for his past two seasons of WHL playoff hockey combined are 6 points in 14 games. Is that anything to be concerned about?

 

[Rare Jewel]

Minten’s stats for his past two seasons of WHL playoff hockey combined are 6 points in 14 games. Is that anything to be concerned about?

Yes, if you think he's NHL-ready for next season.

But as a 2nd round pick who needs time to develop, it's not too bad.

 

[WTFMAN99]

I don't know if Minten has been playing hurt but really thought the offense was going to pop a bit more.

I guess there is a decent chance that Stankhoven was a catalyst for it, playing on the PP together or taking the harder match ups.

 

[RomanianLeafs]

Barbolini had the first pro point yesterday

 

[Fogelhund]

Minten’s stats for his past two seasons of WHL playoff hockey combined are 6 points in 14 games. Is that anything to be concerned about?

+5 so far in the playoffs... really good in the dot in 3 of 4 games. I've never thought his offensive upside was going to be much beyond a Kampf, but he's doing well in the areas a "Kampf" would, so that's great. Even if he's a 3/4 C at best, that's still very valuable... and his team is winning... four games this year, 2 points, that a small sample.... I wouldn't worry about last year.

 

[SprDaVE]

Minten’s stats for his past two seasons of WHL playoff hockey combined are 6 points in 14 games. Is that anything to be concerned about?

It is to a certain degree. He's still a good prospect in the sense that he works hard on the forecheck, he plays very smart, can skate well and does have some decent skill, but I wouldn't expect a flashy producing player in the NHL. He has some time to develop further too, which is not impossible with his attributes.

But I think just a solid 3rd liner upside is more than good enough. High end Stajan, lower end Kampf.

 

[sxvnert]

Minten’s stats for his past two seasons of WHL playoff hockey combined are 6 points in 14 games. Is that anything to be concerned about?

No. Hes always been projected as a bottom six player. Unfortunately Tre and co have built him up as an untouchable (trade wise) which will give the fan base a false impression.

 

[BertCorbeau]

It is to a certain degree. He's still a good prospect in the sense that he works hard on the forecheck, he plays very smart, can skate well and does have some decent skill, but I wouldn't expect a flashy producing player in the NHL. He has some time to develop further too, which is not impossible with his attributes.

But I think just a solid 3rd liner upside is more than good enough. High end Stajan, lower end Kampf.

I see a comp like Phillip Danault as his ceiling .. a strong two way #3C that can contribute enough offensively.

Would like to see him with the Marlies though next year to get bigger minutes, polish his defensive game, and see if there is some growth offensively.

 

[Joe n]

No. Hes always been projected as a bottom six player. Unfortunately Tre and co have built him up as an untouchable (trade wise) which will give the fan base a false impression.

He's untouchable to them because he is basically our only decent centre prospect. A hard working 3/4 line centre defensively responsible on an entry level contract is exactly what the Leafs need.

 

[LaPlante94]

Imo the NHL teams should use the ECHL and and they should use it like they do it in Russia where you have the KHL being the top league and then the VHL being the league below it and for the players not yet ready or quite good enough for the big league and then the MHL which is pretty much just a development league for juniors. Maybe have an age limit where the ECHL is only a 18-23/24 years of age league. I was gonna say maybe the NHL partners up with the Universities/Colleges in Canada and USA but I don't think that would be fair to players who actually go for the education or possible to do. A lot of times you see these teenagers graduate from the CHL/Juniors and then go to the AHL and play fully developed men and they end up getting hurt because they haven't had the time to add muscle or anything like that.