Prospect Info: Marlies/Prospects Thread

[Fogelhund]

Ok now do Patrik laine and aho

You want to compare Laine's 17 year old Liiga year, and Aho's 18 year old Liiga year, with Hirvonen's 19 year old performance?

I mean, that premise on it's own is ridiculous. But Aho was PPG in Liiga at 18, and Laine put up 33 points in 46 games at 17. Hirvonen just put up 26 points in 46 games, a year or two older than either of these guys.

At 17 years old Hirvonen put up 16 points in 52 games, compared to Laine who had 33 pionts in 46 games.
At 18 years old Hirvonen put up 21 points in 54 games, compared to Aho who was PPG.

I mean... was this supposed to support your argument or something?

 

[LeafChief]

You want to compare Laine's 17 year old Liiga year, and Aho's 18 year old Liiga year, with Hirvonen's 19 year old performance?

I mean, that premise on it's own is ridiculous. But Aho was PPG in Liiga at 18, and Laine put up 33 points in 46 games at 17. Hirvonen just put up 26 points in 46 games, a year or two older than either of these guys.

At 17 years old Hirvonen put up 16 points in 52 games, compared to Laine who had 33 pionts in 46 games.
At 18 years old Hirvonen put up 21 points in 54 games, compared to Aho who was PPG.

I mean... was this supposed to support your argument or something?

Hirvonen is a nice prospect but nowhere near the class of Laine or Aho. Weird response from that guy.

 

[stickty111]

From of all the highlights I have seen, his skating needs massive improvement. He has some nice hands and a solid shot, but he is not getting anywhere with that skating ability.

Also keep in mind that they are playing one of the worst teams in the KHL here, and this is not even their best lineup.

You don't need to downplay every good play for a prospect you don't like. It's a goal and lets just leave it at that. All it does is potentially make an impression. It's a pre season game and thats his best chance to make an impression. Thr extra stuff doesn't matter. I doubt team would be like "hey you scored but it's not good because this and that".
We'll see if he can continue.

 

[Leafs at Knight]

From of all the highlights I have seen, his skating needs massive improvement. He has some nice hands and a solid shot, but he is not getting anywhere with that skating ability.

Also keep in mind that they are playing one of the worst teams in the KHL here, and this is not even their best lineup.

Who cares if the team was bad, lazy argument. He could've done nothing against a bad team, or others could've done more. Same shit trolls on the mainboard use if a Leafs player has a big game against a bad team. He's a 5th round prospect, you basically forget about them for a couple years, and hope the next time you check on them, they've improved.

 

[weems]

Canada didnt look that great but I actually thought Latvia was somewhat impressive.

They were consistently able to move the puck up the ice, at least the final 30 minutes and actually created some nice zone time and good chances. Tuning into the game I wasn't expecting Latvia be that talented but they played a good underdog game.

Finland will be a very tough game for Canada.

 

[Prominence]

From the 3 mhl games i have seen from grebyonkin, his skating can be hard to judge at times because he tries to do as little as possible and doesn’t play with the most pace. There are times he looks like he’s coasting. When he picks up speed, he’s not bad, but you feel like you want more intensity from him.

From that clip, he doesn’t look fast because he decelerates with the puck (and nearly to a standstill) and has to skate on the outside and drive in. Keep in mind, this play wouldn’t work against nhl dmen lol.

I remember in a game against chaika (a good mhl team in october 2021), his mobility was garbage, but then in a game against a bad team, it was good. His edges need a little bit more polish. Straight line speed is okay, but he’s no ovechkinov. I don’t have a firm opinion on his mobility despite my past posts on grebyonkin. Overall, his skating is inconsistent.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Who cares if the team was bad, lazy argument. He could've done nothing against a bad team, or others could've done more. Same shit trolls on the mainboard use if a Leafs player has a big game against a bad team. He's a 5th round prospect, you basically forget about them for a couple years, and hope the next time you check on them, they've improved.

In a normal league with a reasonable amount of parity, sure. In the case of Russian leagues, it is a legitimate argument and important context that teams still consistently miss. Magnitogorsk may as well play in a different league than Khabarovsk.

There is a reason why Russian draft picks have only yielded a couple dozen good players in the past 15 years (pretty much the same as Czechia has produced but with a significantly higher whiff rate) and why almost 20% of the noteworthy Russian players in the NHL right now went completely undrafted, including two of the highest paid players in the NHL. It is not because they have an abnormal amount of guys coming out of nowhere in their mid-20's like Mikheyev.

 

[The Nic]

Maple Leafs sign former Vegas farmhand goaltender Dylan Ferguson to a PTO...

Sorry... I just noticed that there's a separate thread for this news.

 

[Namikaze Minato]

 

[Hockey 4 Life]

This is great news. Hopefully he can return, build up his strength and start fine tuning his skills again. I'm really pulling for this kid, hes a fighter and I have a ton of respect for him.

 

[Hockey 4 Life]

Just watched the interview, Rodion looks good and seems to be in good spirits and looks like he wants to move forward and start playing again. I don't speak Russian so I'm speculating but the interview seems to be quite positive.

 

[hockeywiz542]

Finnish pair hopes to have the upper hand with Maple Leafs with stellar play at world juniors

Prospects Roni Hirvonen and Topi Niemelä ventured to Toronto earlier in the summer to work out with the likes of John Tavares and Michael Bunting and get to know the organization and city before returning to Finland.

www.thestar.com

EDMONTON - It would seem Maple Leafs prospects Roni Hirvonen and Topi Niemelä are inseparable.

They’ve known each other since they were kids. They were drafted five picks apart in 2020. And Hirvonen is captain of the Finnish entry at the world junior hockey championship, while Niemelä is an alternate captain.

And one day, they believe, they will play together for Toronto.

“It was awesome to have a good buddy drafted by the same team, and hopefully we’ll get to play there together,” said Hirvonen, taken 59th overall in 2020.

“It will be easier to go there because you have a good friend with you,” said Niemelä, standing with Hirvonen in the media centre at Rogers Place. “It’s not usual to go at the same time with a good friend.”

It’s unclear whether they will venture to Toronto in September for what would be their first training camp with the Leafs. It’s more likely a year away for the 20-year-olds, who are under contract for one more season in the Finnish top league — Hirvonen with HIFK Helsinki, Niemelä with Karpat.

But they did venture over earlier in the summer, a week before other prospects had their development camp. Hirvonen and Niemelä worked out with the likes of John Tavares and Michael Bunting while getting to know the organization and city before returning to Finland to attend their world junior camp.

“It was a really good experience,” Hirvonen said. “It was a lot of fun and good to see everyone, the staff members there and some NHL players and get to train with those guys. It was really cool.”

Hirvonen is a centre, unafraid to compare his game to that of Mikael Granlund, a 10-year NHLer with Minnesota and Nashville. Hirvonen is five-foot-nine, an inch shorter than Granlund, but a terrific playmaker with a high hockey IQ. Finland coach Antti Pennanen said the comparison is warranted.

“They’re both skillful and they can make plays,” Pennanen said. “(Hirvonen) can be good on the power player and everything else. And he has improved his game a lot since last year, and especially skating. It’s improving all the time.”

 

[LeafSteel]

Finnish pair hopes to have the upper hand with Maple Leafs with stellar play at world juniors

Prospects Roni Hirvonen and Topi Niemelä ventured to Toronto earlier in the summer to work out with the likes of John Tavares and Michael Bunting and get to know the organization and city before returning to Finland.

www.thestar.com

EDMONTON - It would seem Maple Leafs prospects Roni Hirvonen and Topi Niemelä are inseparable.

They’ve known each other since they were kids. They were drafted five picks apart in 2020. And Hirvonen is captain of the Finnish entry at the world junior hockey championship, while Niemelä is an alternate captain.

And one day, they believe, they will play together for Toronto.

“It was awesome to have a good buddy drafted by the same team, and hopefully we’ll get to play there together,” said Hirvonen, taken 59th overall in 2020.

“It will be easier to go there because you have a good friend with you,” said Niemelä, standing with Hirvonen in the media centre at Rogers Place. “It’s not usual to go at the same time with a good friend.”

It’s unclear whether they will venture to Toronto in September for what would be their first training camp with the Leafs. It’s more likely a year away for the 20-year-olds, who are under contract for one more season in the Finnish top league — Hirvonen with HIFK Helsinki, Niemelä with Karpat.

But they did venture over earlier in the summer, a week before other prospects had their development camp. Hirvonen and Niemelä worked out with the likes of John Tavares and Michael Bunting while getting to know the organization and city before returning to Finland to attend their world junior camp.

“It was a really good experience,” Hirvonen said. “It was a lot of fun and good to see everyone, the staff members there and some NHL players and get to train with those guys. It was really cool.”

Hirvonen is a centre, unafraid to compare his game to that of Mikael Granlund, a 10-year NHLer with Minnesota and Nashville. Hirvonen is five-foot-nine, an inch shorter than Granlund, but a terrific playmaker with a high hockey IQ. Finland coach Antti Pennanen said the comparison is warranted.

“They’re both skillful and they can make plays,” Pennanen said. “(Hirvonen) can be good on the power player and everything else. And he has improved his game a lot since last year, and especially skating. It’s improving all the time.”

Really enthusiastic to see what we have with these 2, particularly Topi.

Hoping we hold on to them and see what they can become here. They, along with Knies, are the main reason that I am even interested in the WJC tournament this far…. which is quite the departure from my usual blind cheering of Team Canada.

 

[deprw]

You want to compare Laine's 17 year old Liiga year, and Aho's 18 year old Liiga year, with Hirvonen's 19 year old performance?

I mean, that premise on it's own is ridiculous. But Aho was PPG in Liiga at 18, and Laine put up 33 points in 46 games at 17. Hirvonen just put up 26 points in 46 games, a year or two older than either of these guys.

At 17 years old Hirvonen put up 16 points in 52 games, compared to Laine who had 33 pionts in 46 games.
At 18 years old Hirvonen put up 21 points in 54 games, compared to Aho who was PPG.

I mean... was this supposed to support your argument or something?

Laine really came with a bang was bit lanky, but he was a player from that season as 17 year old. Something like Barkov in the Liiga, but Laine came from nowhere, since he had his reputation as problem child. That shot and that flair was something that is not common on player that young and that he could carry those into the NHL is impressive. Though his talent was clear as a day.

I think you could see Aho's personality and talent when he came into playoffs game as 18 year old and scored winning goal. How he handled himself right after that moment and in overall after that. Also his hockey iq was clearly great, but he was small. I think those traits his personality and hockey iq really separate him from lots of Finnish junior players last decade.

I wouldn't put Hirvonen into same talks like you said. Hirvonen is good junior player and can definitely be NHL player in the future, but I think when Aho was 19 year old you knew he will be. Different talent level even though all played In the first line of Team Finland U20 in WJHC.

 

[stickty111]

Doesn't guarantee anything but good sign here

 

[daethfromabove1979]

Doesn't guarantee anything but good sign here

Philippe Maillet and Nikolay Goldobin were their top scorers last year, so definitely a good sign to be playing with them.

 

[SoftDumpNtheCorner88]

Watching Niemala eat those minutes for Finland and skate with confidence is a great sign!!

He still needs development, but you can see what people were raving about him. Just a confident skater, not afraid to let off accurate writers from the point. He's responsible in his own end as well.

He will need a lot of playing time in the Marlies. He just seems like a smart kid, who adjusts and learns. Him being in the top 4 and hopefully work his way to the Top pairing will be great for us if he succeeds. Great to see a dman like him in our system.. he reminds me a lot of Reilly in terms of potential.


Hirvonen is also a huge surprise for me this tournament. He's the most confident player on team Finland IMO. His intight turns along the boards is a great fit for NHL/AHL to make room for himself in tight spaces.. his hussle and passing ability is also a surprise.

These are the gems we look for in later rounds and great work ethic to boot.

 

[rocketman588]

Doesn't guarantee anything but good sign here

It's insane they're having a KHL season this year

 

[WTFMAN99]

It's insane they're having a KHL season this year

See the bit about Amirov being served military papers but was exempted because he's been dealing with medical issues? Jesus...

 

[Orfieus]

The US is out and looking at Knies stats I'd say I was hoping for more but I didn't really watch the tournament

 

[rocketman588]

See the bit about Amirov being served military papers but was exempted because he's been dealing with medical issues? Jesus...

I did not that's crazy

 

[SprDaVE]

 

[WTFMAN99]

Really cornering the market on 5'9 forwards.

 

[Leaf Fans]

Really cornering the market on 5'9 forwards.

The Marlies?

 

[SprDaVE]

Really cornering the market on 5'9 forwards.