News & Notes XLV: Simply Having A Wonderful Canesmastime

[To Be Determined]

The borg turned lucas mercuri - who we learned last week wouldn't sign with the canes after his college career ends - into a 6th from tampa.

There's a tweet, i'd link but fat finger too much on my phone to try lol

 

[TheReelChuckFletcher]

Mercuri's agent did the right thing here. Tampa has almost no prospects outside of Howard and Geekie and precious-little 4th line depth. Perform well in Syracuse and he could be in the NHL as soon as next season.

 

[robbieberns]

Have to respect prospects that are proactive about finding a spot that gives them the best shot to break in. Cream obviously rises to the top, but such a large percentage of the league is made up of guys who were a right place right time situation. Tons of dudes are talented, but the real miracle of making it in the league comes from being a guy who gets the right development+free path to the big league.

 

[Navin R Slavin]

The borg turned lucas mercuri - who we learned last week wouldn't sign with the canes after his college career ends - into a 6th from tampa.

There's a tweet, i'd link but fat finger too much on my phone to try lol

And they will turn that 6th into a multiple vezina winner.

 

[Discipline Daddy]

Yeah, I have to be honest the prospect of this ilk - a legitimate, but still C-rated prospect, rarely gets fetched in a trade. Usually he just goes to free agency. He did us a little solid by getting some value and he gets the advantage of picking a good team to play for with opportunity and an ELC guaranteed.

 

[HisIceness]

Mark Stone was a 6th round pick. Just need to find who among this crop of prospects will turn into Mark Stone. Then we will profit.

 

[Navin R Slavin]

Personally, I believe that every single pick fifth round or later should be a goalie. Every pick, every time.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

Personally, I believe that every single pick fifth round or later should be a goalie. Every pick, every time.

The 2012 draft is the perfect example of this. Ullmark went in the 6th round. Hellebuyck in the 5th. Slavin was a late 4th. Andersen a late 3rd.

Meanwhile, the top 5 were Yakupov, Murray, Galchenyuk, Griffin Reinhart, and Morgan Reilly. Vasi went 19th later that round.

We also have, somehow, managed to acquire a surprising amount of players from that draft despite not drafting them:

In addition to Slavin and Andersen, we also have Martinook, Ghost, Jankowski. And we had Teravanien and Skjei last year.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Personally, I believe that every single pick fifth round or later should be a goalie. Every pick, every time.

I don’t hate this approach at all. Only downside is you’ve only got like 6 goalie slots in your entire development ladder, so the logjam will be swift and brutal.

 

[chaz4hockey]

Re: Svetch--

Would anyone support Svetch + Ghost + 2026 first + 2028 First for Quinn Hughes?

 

[robbieberns]

Re: Svetch--

Would anyone support Svetch + Ghost + 2026 first + 2028 First for Quinn Hughes?

Slavin and Nikishin makes LD the lowest priority position on our roster

 

[Blueline Bomber]

Re: Svetch--

Would anyone support Svetch + Ghost + 2026 first + 2028 First for Quinn Hughes?

Vancouver would never do it. Hughes is probably the 2nd best all-around defenseman in the league and he's 25

 

[CanesUltimate11]

Re: Svetch--

Would anyone support Svetch + Ghost + 2026 first + 2028 First for Quinn Hughes?

Everybody but Vancouver probably. Unless Hughes states he wants out.

 

[chaz4hockey]

Everybody but Vancouver probably. Unless Hughes states he wants out.

true but can dream.

 

[Stickpucker]

Every year is the same pretty much, as soon as we face a team that's physically imposing we struggle immensely. We're a great regular season team that simply doesn't have the build for long playoffs IMO. We can dominate other skill teams (NJD), and sometimes physical teams because THEY don't have another dimension (i.e. NYI trap and physical style). But if a team can counter us by stopping our skill guys by being physical to back them off, protecting the net, keeping us to the outside, we hit a brick wall because we don't have that extra dimension to change up our game plan. What works all year in the regular season against different teams every night doesn't work the same in the playoffs because the same teams are playing enough they can change up their normal game-plan to counter it. That's probably RBAs biggest drawback at not being an Xs & Os guy, we just stick to our game in playoffs even when it's failing us...and part of that is personnel too (we have NO physical punch on the roster)

If you're really stanky people tend to give you all the room you need and we should be able to make our way to the net.

Have the boys tried not showering during the POs? It would be like taking the not shaving thing to the next level and add another measurable dimension to the team.

 

[Navin R Slavin]

I don’t hate this approach at all. Only downside is you’ve only got like 6 goalie slots in your entire development ladder, so the logjam will be swift and brutal.

That's why 2/3 of them should be from European leagues.

Be swift and brutal with position players, especially the way this team can fill out its bottom 6 with cheap hard skating vets forever. Be very very slow with goalies -- it takes forever to see what you've got with those guys.

 

[WreckingCrew]

I don’t hate this approach at all. Only downside is you’ve only got like 6 goalie slots in your entire development ladder, so the logjam will be swift and brutal.

Will it though? Currently we have (not including "vets") Khazheyev (2023), Velmakin (2023), Vondras (2022), Quapp (2021), Hamrla (2021), & Naumov (2021). None of the guys from 2021 or 2022 ever developed enough to even get an ELC contract, to the point we signed college UFA Perets for 2 years just to have something in the system (and he hasn't developed beyond ECHL). Can't be a logjam if they're not even good enough to get an ELC. Goalies are voodoo, even the highest touted (Askarov, Knight) don't always pan out and some of the best come from later rounds or UDFA. Honestly you probably have better odds of getting a future starting goalie in late rounds than you do of getting a star forward. Though Kooch & Needaspellcheck have been our only hits in like 10 years, and even they have been meh. so I'm not sure how much I trust our goalie talent evaluation/development to make that viable.

 

[chaz4hockey]

Will it though? Currently we have (not including "vets") Khazheyev (2023), Velmakin (2023), Vondras (2022), Quapp (2021), Hamrla (2021), & Naumov (2021). None of the guys from 2021 or 2022 ever developed enough to even get an ELC contract, to the point we signed college UFA Perets for 2 years just to have something in the system (and he hasn't developed beyond ECHL). Can't be a logjam if they're not even good enough to get an ELC. Goalies are voodoo, even the highest touted (Askarov, Knight) don't always pan out and some of the best come from later rounds or UDFA. Honestly you probably have better odds of getting a future starting goalie in late rounds than you do of getting a star forward. Though Kooch & Needaspellcheck have been our only hits in like 10 years, and even they have been meh. so I'm not sure how much I trust our goalie talent evaluation/development to make that viable.

Tulsky's model needs a Goalie module tweak or hire someone that can successfully navigate in the young goalie voodoo world

 

[Stickpucker]

Goaltending under DW and Tulsky has been light years ahead of RF. I'm not going to complain.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Will it though? Currently we have (not including "vets") Khazheyev (2023), Velmakin (2023), Vondras (2022), Quapp (2021), Hamrla (2021), & Naumov (2021). None of the guys from 2021 or 2022 ever developed enough to even get an ELC contract, to the point we signed college UFA Perets for 2 years just to have something in the system (and he hasn't developed beyond ECHL). Can't be a logjam if they're not even good enough to get an ELC. Goalies are voodoo, even the highest touted (Askarov, Knight) don't always pan out and some of the best come from later rounds or UDFA. Honestly you probably have better odds of getting a future starting goalie in late rounds than you do of getting a star forward. Though Kooch & Needaspellcheck have been our only hits in like 10 years, and even they have been meh. so I'm not sure how much I trust our goalie talent evaluation/development to make that viable.

Presumably we would be adding more ELC candidates to the pipeline, but not slowing down on signing vets. At least I would hope not.

A logjam is a good problem to have, don’t get me wrong. It’s just that it’s a case of “if it ain’t one thing it’s another”. Our real issue is simply that none of the picks have hit, and there’s not a whole lot to be done for that other than making better picks.

It’s also just generally very hard to find a true star goalie. Say the top-5 or (debatably) the top-10 are the guys who really hold down franchise status. That’s 5-10 picks out of hundreds over the course of a generation. Half the time they’re high picks in rounds 1-3, half the time they’re low picks, and there’s the odd undrafted like Thompson or Bobrovsky. This is where I can see the value in using lots and lots of darts in the low rounds, because even if you think you’ve got a hit, it’s still more likely than not to be a below-average starter who will drive you crazy, like Skinner with the Oilers.

 

[Navin R Slavin]

Presumably we would be adding more ELC candidates to the pipeline, but not slowing down on signing vets. At least I would hope not.

A logjam is a good problem to have, don’t get me wrong. It’s just that it’s a case of “if it ain’t one thing it’s another”. Our real issue is simply that none of the picks have hit, and there’s not a whole lot to be done for that other than making better picks.

It’s also just generally very hard to find a true star goalie. Say the top-5 or (debatably) the top-10 are the guys who really hold down franchise status. That’s 5-10 picks out of hundreds over the course of a generation. Half the time they’re high picks in rounds 1-3, half the time they’re low picks, and there’s the odd undrafted like Thompson or Bobrovsky. This is where I can see the value in using lots and lots of darts in the low rounds, because even if you think you’ve got a hit, it’s still more likely than not to be a below-average starter who will drive you crazy, like Skinner with the Oilers.

And here's the thing: this system is built for an average goalie. Limit shots, limit shots, limit shots. Don't rely on a great tendie to bail you out. Remember: this team beat the Leafs with a Junior B goaltender, and won the Jennings with Andersen and Raanta. Since late picks are pretty close to useless anyway, spend them on goalies that are hard to find any other way.

If the Canes ever do manage to hit big with one of these picks, it's found money.

 

[tarheelhockey]

And here's the thing: this system is built for an average goalie. Limit shots, limit shots, limit shots. Don't rely on a great tendie to bail you out. Remember: this team beat the Leafs with a Junior B goaltender. Since late picks are pretty close to useless anyway, spend them on goalies that are hard to find any other way.

If the Canes ever do manage to hit big with one of these picks, it's found money.

And at the end of the day, all we’re really asking is for them not to be cold or injured in the spring.

 

[DaveG]

Tulsky's model needs a Goalie module tweak or hire someone that can successfully navigate in the young goalie voodoo world

me. Hire me. I was super high on some guys that were completely off the radar like Helle, Wolf, Levi, and Grubauer as prospects that weren't rated all that highly, and calling some guys that scouts were all over like Fucale, Helenius, and Pogge guys that wouldn't pan out. I mean sure, I'll own up to liking Primeau as well but that's a 7th round pick, exactly the kind of dart a team should be throwing.



On another note, I will say this, I wonder if Kooch has a bit of the Wild Thing Vaughn deal going on where I wonder about the guy's eyesight. Not even joking about that. He's elite against high danger chances this season, It's the mid to low danger stuff, especially when he's not seeing a lot of pucks to get into the flow of the game, that seem to be the issue.

 

[Discipline Daddy]

On another note, I will say this, I wonder if Kooch has a bit of the Wild Thing Vaughn deal going on where I wonder about the guy's eyesight. Not even joking about that. He's elite against high danger chances this season, It's the mid to low danger stuff, especially when he's not seeing a lot of pucks to get into the flow of the game, that seem to be the issue.

Possible. I've assumed it's mental focus. I think the mental part of his game has grown, but I've still seen this year when he makes a mistake to make another mistake on the next shift. What also evidences this in my eyes is how much better he plays when he's seeing constant action. He gives up the most stinkers when the other team has 15 shots. If he's seeing 35, he just seems so much more in the zone to me.

 

[chaz4hockey]

Possible. I've assumed it's mental focus. I think the mental part of his game has grown, but I've still seen this year when he makes a mistake to make another mistake on the next shift. What also evidences this in my eyes is how much better he plays when he's seeing constant action. He gives up the most stinkers when the other team has 15 shots. If he's seeing 35, he just seems so much more in the zone to me.

"If he's seeing 35, he just seems so much more in the zone to me."

If that's the rub he is on the wrong NHL team.