Prospect Info: Marlies & Prospect Discussion

[Tarmore]

Is Hirvonen healthy and ready for day one of training camp after that concussion?

Guys are seldom 100% from a three bell ringer like that one looked for at least a year.

He will be back playing before then (likely) but I caution people to not be to critical of his decision making until then.

 

[LeafSteel]

What are the chances we sign Koster it seems like we are going to lose him to college UFA no? Or too early to tell

What do you feel makes signing Koster a challenge and a high risk to lose him?

Not being snarky, genuinely interested in what the concern would be that he won’t sign.

I assume he’d have a very strong recruiter in Knies and would be very familiar with our scouts.

It’s not like we have an insane amount of depth in our D pipeline that would bury him and make a path to the Marlies/Leafs impossible for him.

It’s only Dubas that’s been removed since Koster was drafted……

 

[francis246]

What do you feel makes signing Koster a challenge and a high risk to lose him?

Not being snarky, genuinely interested in what the concern would be that he won’t sign.

I assume he’d have a very strong recruiter in Knies and would be very familiar with our scouts.

It’s not like we have an insane amount of depth in our D pipeline that would bury him and make a path to the Marlies/Leafs impossible for him.

It’s only Dubas that’s been removed since Koster was drafted……

Nothing more than it’s just his senior year, was more so asking if he would sign! Not implying that he wouldn’t. Sorry if it came across like that. Was mainly cause it’s his senior year so he’d have a lot more options available to him now since he can choose his destination if he doesn’t sign.

Hoping we do!

 

[DragoGrizzly]

I don't think anyone would have been mad at picking Leslie with our 5th or 7th, seems like a good candidate to earn an ELC with a sequence of strong showings from Traverse to main camp

I know nothing about Leslie but his draft profile sounded pretty good. Any guesses why he didn’t get drafted? He’s got pretty good size and offensive acumen.

 

[The Iceman]

Probably not new nickname for Koster...Roller

Does anyone know if he is big enough to stand up to the NHL grind. i saw him as 5'9" on Hockey DB.

 

[Fogelhund]

Probably not new nickname for Koster...Roller

Does anyone know if he is big enough to stand up to the NHL grind. i saw him as 5'9" on Hockey DB.

Dated height. He's listed as 5'10" 180lbs now. Still not big by any measurement, but not super small either.

 

[Minty Cowboy]

I like the Leslie invite if he shows well I’d throw an elc at him it slides anyway

 

[Menzinger]

I wouldn't worry too much about Koster. He's got a lot of connections to the Leafs org. If they want him to sign, he'll come

Probably not new nickname for Koster...Roller

Does anyone know if he is big enough to stand up to the NHL grind. i saw him as 5'9" on Hockey DB.

He's growing into his body more, though he's never going to be particularly large

He still has a legit chance into developing into a bottom pairing guy (not a guarantee though). Likely headed to the AHL next year

 

[Taylor Halls Teeth]

Probably not new nickname for Koster...Roller

Does anyone know if he is big enough to stand up to the NHL grind. i saw him as 5'9" on Hockey DB.

He is dinky but not tiny. I don't think he has enough other skills to offset his size but the whole world probably thought that about Jared Spurgeon. Koster is less likely than if he is bigger and heavier but you don't know if he can or can't play at a heavier level. If he can move the puck in the AHL like his last year in college he could be something. He seems like a guy that will at least play some games in the show.

 

[Prominence]

Koster is pretty fat and wide. He has good skating technique but iirc he’s not quick in terms of mobility or shiftiness. I question his offensive upside. Still, he has good vision, decision making, gap control. Definitely intriguing.

 

[LeafChief]

Lots of talk about Koster recently. @Menzinger has a pretty good handle on Minnesota players as he is from there. He might be a good person to ask.

 

[Oscar Peterson]

Grebyonkin's definitely our under-the-radar (outside of these forums!), wildcard prospect. My (remote, stat-watching) view was he found an ideal loan at Amur, getting top-6 icetime on a generally poor team. Often seems to be a struggle for young Russians to get such opportunities.

This year, if he manages to hold on to regular ice-time at Metallurg... could be exciting. He is turning 21 next year, so I hope ELC discussions start soon.

Only 3 games in, but he's getting 13:05 TOI/G and 19.7 shifts/game so far, including 1:38 on the powerplay. Last year, he got 2:12 TOI/G and 3.6 shifts/game in his 8 Metallurg games (ha) vs 16:39 and 19.5 with Amur.

Side note: SDA off to a hot start back in the KHL with 2 G 2 A in 3 games. Probably fair to write him off, but could be interesting if he has a huge KHL year.

Do we still have SDA's rights? He's still only 22 (about to turn 23), I've always thought he has NHL potential although he did have a rough game last year when we gave him a chance... I could still see him playing in the show at ~25 if he continues to improve

 

[Apex Predator]

Do we still have SDA's rights? He's still only 22 (about to turn 23), I've always thought he has NHL potential although he did have a rough game last year when we gave him a chance... I could still see him playing in the show at ~25 if he continues to improve

Yeah leafs still have his rights. I could see him in a couple years back with the leafs on if I don’t make the NHL I go back to the KHL deal.

 

[The Nic]

I wouldn't worry too much about Koster. He's got a lot of connections to the Leafs org. If they want him to sign, he'll come



He's growing into his body more, though he's never going to be particularly large

He still has a legit chance into developing into a bottom pairing guy (not a guarantee though). Likely headed to the AHL next year

Isn't Koster supposed to be an elite skater?

 

[TheDoldrums]

Minten was captain to start the Kamloops preseason. Might have it for the regular season as well.

 

[horner]

Cowen is playing right now
It's on YouTube

 

[LeafChief]

Live stream on now.

 

[LaPlante94]

Cowen looked pretty good. That goalie on the Sting though was very good. Might be a name worth remembering because I think he's eligible in the 2024 draft.

 

[weems]

Denver Barkey is a dynamic player and another Newmarket Ont kid.
Cowan and Barkey should rip up the OHL this season.
Flyers got a steal taking him in the third round.

 

[weems]

Live stream on now.

Tons of people have been asking for us to become a harder, more physical team and that doesn't always mean fighting or goonery.

Look at 25:22 of that video and Barkey finishes a good check along the boards.

This guy is 5'9, 155lbs skilled player and this was a preseason game.

He could have easily just applied some pressure and curled off but made the play that is important come playoff time when physical attrition over 7 games is a real thing.

I would like to see this more consistently from our top players.

 

[LaPlante94]

Denver Barkey is a dynamic player and another Newmarket Ont kid.
Cowan and Barkey should rip up the OHL this season.
Flyers got a steal taking him in the third round.

I didn't even know London got Halttunen either until I watched that game. He's gonna fit perfectly on that line with Cowen and Barkey. PP puck movement was very good with that unit and Halttunen being a huge threat with his shot.

 

[LeafChief]

Cowan scored today in pre-season. One timer off of a two on one.

Tried to post the video but the website formerly known as Twitter is broken as f***.

 

[notbias]

Cowan scored today in pre-season. One timer off of a two on one.

Tried to post the video but the website formerly known as Twitter is broken as f***.

 

[Menzinger]

Probably not new nickname for Koster...Roller

Does anyone know if he is big enough to stand up to the NHL grind. i saw him as 5'9" on Hockey DB.

He's tough. One of his strengths to his game is actually puck retrieval. As mentioned in this thred, think Jared Spurgeon - small height but very strong lower body.

He's a pretty smooth skater too, though he's been working on having more of an explosive first couple strides.

What I like most about his game is he makes smart plays, even if it's just the right pass at right time. Stuff that isn't going to always be highlight reel worthy, but makes an impact on the actual play

 

[Taylor Halls Teeth]

Isn't Koster supposed to be an elite skater?

I've heard transition, edgework, puck moving, smarts but not elite at skating. What you seem hear with him is he's skilled but small, however not that it has held him back yet. I am not sure he has the scoring to ever be a top 4 guy but he isn't runty like Hutson so he doesn't need elite skating just to survive either. He is a marginal prospect but he has improved ever year so you can't count him out until he plateaus.