- Aug 5, 2010
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What exactly is the Russian Factor?
A need to eat borsh before every game. Not all teams can accommodate.
What exactly is the Russian Factor?
Ahh....that explains it. I should have guessed.A need to eat borsh before every game. Not all teams can accommodate.
And get Ryan Murray or Griffin Reinhart.
I'm guessing they're not kicking themselves.Ryan Murray would’ve been a good fit there. Too bad his career has totally be destroyed by injuries.
Ryan Murray would’ve been a good fit there. Too bad his career has totally be destroyed by injuries.
What exactly is the Russian Factor?
There is more risk involved due to a number of factors, and that risk can lower a prospects stock.
- A marginal NHL player who is Russian has way more earning potential in the KHL. Why not go make more money at home?
- Some teams may not have the means to have a large scouting presence in Russia.
- Relations between the USA and Russia have been lukewarm at best.
- Teams have less control over their prospects in Russia. Extreme case, but Cherapanov would be alive today if the arena he was playing in had an AED. Thats a standard thing to have in athletic facilities in North America.
OTOH it can be a great way to find prospects who have fallen farther than they should have.
Buchnevich for example.
While there definitely are people out these who are biased against Russians for one reason or another, I think its reasonable to be apprehensive about picking Russians (who aren't surefire stars) because independent from the player, there is inherent risk involved.
In getting the tables setup for the draft/next season, I was struck by how many pro prospects we have. It's 27 right now, if you assume that all the RFAs are brought back (they won't be). Obviously they'll be spread over three levels (NHL, AHL and ECHL), but it's still a lot of guys. And, it's still possible we add another player or two. I can't go back and compare since the old posts were corrupted/lost in the platform change, but I think in an average season we would normally have 15-18 guys as professional prospects.
Taking tiolet paper from the men’s room to stock up at homeWhat exactly is the Russian Factor?
Having picks that aren’t limited to the late 2nd and later is going to be a nice change of pace. I wonder how much of the 2012-15 cropp will be cut loose in favor of newer prospects with guys like Fogarty, Gropp, and RamboIn getting the tables setup for the draft/next season, I was struck by how many pro prospects we have. It's 27 right now, if you assume that all the RFAs are brought back (they won't be). Obviously they'll be spread over three levels (NHL, AHL and ECHL), but it's still a lot of guys. And, it's still possible we add another player or two. I can't go back and compare since the old posts were corrupted/lost in the platform change, but I think in an average season we would normally have 15-18 guys as professional prospects.
Gropp still has a couple years left before hitting RFA status, and he was only a first-year pro, so I'd think he's safe (even though he sucked).Having picks that aren’t limited to the late 2nd and later is going to be a nice change of pace. I wonder how much of the 2012-15 cropp will be cut loose in favor of newer prospects with guys like Fogarty, Gropp, and Rambo
What do you guys think of Ryan Merkley?
A little bit. He needs to really take a step forward though. He was too slow to find the space he needed to get his shots through and that hurt him. In general he just wasn't operating at the pace required in the professional game. Again, he'd need to take a big step forward. In general I like to give guys at least through their ELCs, so he gets two more years from me. This is this big year--if he can't adjust now, his chances 2019 would be bleak.Anybody has any hope for left for Gropp?
Idk if it's a worse reflection on Hartford, but he was 5th on the team in goals and 4th in goals/game. Maybe I'm setting a ridiculous bar for him, but I want him to either score 25+ or lead the Pack in goals next year. I expect him to be a full-time top-6 AHLer, and if he plateaus like Rambo, then we'll cut bait in a few years.A little bit. He needs to really take a step forward though. He was too slow to find the space he needed to get his shots through and that hurt him. In general he just wasn't operating at the pace required in the professional game. Again, he'd need to take a big step forward. In general I like to give guys at least through their ELCs, so he gets two more years from me. This is this big year--if he can't adjust now, his chances 2019 would be bleak.
Yeah, the reality is the AHL is not a high-scoring league. I think people assume it is or guys should light it up there because it's a "developmental" league which is really only half true. There were only like 3-4 guys or something who played basically the full year in the league and at a PPG rate. Only 6 guys scored 30 goals (more scored at that pace but didn't play a whole year down there). Anyway the point I'm making is that he doesn't need to score 40 or record 70 points or anything. Like if he could score 25+ goals as you said and have 45-50 points that would be huge for him.Idk if it's a worse reflection on Hartford, but he was 5th on the team in goals and 4th in goals/game. Maybe I'm setting a ridiculous bar for him, but I want him to either score 25+ or lead the Pack in goals next year. I expect him to be a full-time top-6 AHLer, and if he plateaus like Rambo, then we'll cut bait in a few years.
Idk if it's a worse reflection on Hartford, but he was 5th on the team in goals and 4th in goals/game. Maybe I'm setting a ridiculous bar for him, but I want him to either score 25+ or lead the Pack in goals next year. I expect him to be a full-time top-6 AHLer, and if he plateaus like Rambo, then we'll cut bait in a few years.
It might be deeper this upcoming season, but there's going to be a lot of first year pro's down there tooI think we also need a more competent coaching staff in there. I guess this season if they fail to make the playoffs with a much deeper roster it will be obvious that the coaching is a big part of the problem down there.
Anybody has any hope left for Gropp?
Offer him to Louy Lambs for a 5th. There should be some interest as a Barzal experiment
Kid may have a future with an NHL team, but I have serious doubts it's us. Why let him walk for nothing when we burned a good pick on him to begin with.
A little bit. He needs to really take a step forward though. He was too slow to find the space he needed to get his shots through and that hurt him. In general he just wasn't operating at the pace required in the professional game. Again, he'd need to take a big step forward. In general I like to give guys at least through their ELCs, so he gets two more years from me. This is this big year--if he can't adjust now, his chances 2019 would be bleak.
Yeah I can see it now, there will probably be a lot of disappointment with the Pack this year. They have a ton of guys in years 1-3 professionally. Unless they get creative there's not much room for the AAAA-caliber, veteran players, and those are the guys that really help push you from a fringe team to a really good team. I know that's not some ironclad rule, but in general, it's hard to win in the AHL predominantly with youth.It might be deeper this upcoming season, but there's going to be a lot of first year pro's down there too