Prospect Info: Riley Heidt, C, 64th Overall, 2023 NHL Draft
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StateofCelly
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- Jan 5, 2017
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I don’t think Dallas is too worried about burning a year on Wyatt Johnston’s deal. He came in the league at 19, 2 months younger than Riley. Not saying the expectations would be the same but what I saw from him at Dev camp and his motivation, if he comes in and beats out some of the vets and adds value to the team THIS year, they better not be harboring his ELC as an excuse. If he comes in and can’t beat someone out, then great.. another year for Prince George to come in ready next year, but the kid is closer to ready than he isn’t.
BagHead
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Hah, you guys failed hard. He said to answer nothing, but you answered anyway.
Dr Jan Itor
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BagHead
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Yes. Sometimes players who move up to the pros and don't produce offense right away start to get in their own heads and it hurts their development. There's something to be said for a player focusing on the weaker aspects of their game in a league they can dominate offensively, as that pressure to produce isn't so strong.
Players stagnate when they coast by on their already developed skills. If he's got a growth mentality, always pushing, he'll develop just fine. A cup of tea in the NHL should show him what he needs to focus on, and then his time in the CHL will allow him to focus on it without extra pressure. I think that's a fine plan.
And if he blows the doors off in Wild training camp and forces the issue, great!
Players improve more when actually challenged by competition. I don't think the competition will be much of a challenge for him at this point. This can result in stagnation.
- Dec 10, 2012
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I think you're both right. He can definitely stagnate if the challenge is too low, but if the challenge is too great, it can also lead to stagnation. There needs to be a level of challenge that's just right, that he's actually capable of overcoming, that will lead to improvement and development.
Like, hypothetically, if there was a league between CHL and NHL where he could take the next step and play against men, but those men weren't as good as NHL players. In my dream scenario this would be a league that's affiliated with the NHL teams, so that the Wild have more direct control over his development while he's in that league. Maybe even with the ability to call him up for brief stints in the NHL to check his progress before sending him back down to work out any issues.
Alas, it's unfortunate a league like that doesn't exist, as that would be the perfect spot for Heidt.
Saga of the Elk
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I thought there was a rule where a guy who had played three full CHL seasons was eligible for the AHL, even if he was still junior-eligible. I'm certainly open to the argument that guys like Heidt who have seemingly done all they can do as a junior are ready for the AHL.
It's game based and he got screwed by the pandemic, being under the games played trigger
- Dec 10, 2012
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It's a certified mess and there's already precedent for allowing Heidt to enter the AHL at 19 but for some reason it's not gonna happen.
The rule is you have to play four "full" seasons in the CHL or age out. A full season is defined as 25 or more games.
Heidt has played 22, 68, 77, 81 in his four seasons.
2020-21 was the year he only played 22 games, and that was the covid shortened year where his team only had 22 games. He played in every single one of Prince George's games that year, the only reason he didn't play in 25 games is because Prince George didn't have 25 games to play in.
Another rule they had surrounding eligibility, specifically in the eastern leagues, who cancelled their entire seasons, is that those players got credit for an entire season despite playing zero games.
So effectively, Heidt's 22 game season doesn't count towards the eligibility for whatever reason, despite the fact that Shane Wright's 0 game season counted towards his.
But further, Shane Wright's last season in the CHL was still only 24 games because Seattle did some "creative accounting" where they got him in 8 NHL games and 8 AHL games before sending him back to the OHL after WJ's. Wright only had 2 seasons of 25+ games.
So what we have in the end is a situation where Wright was eligible to play in the AHL this last season at 19, despite not technically meeting the criteria, and Heidt will not be eligible, despite not technically meeting the criteria.
The kicker in all of this is that Heidt has played 248 games in the WHL so far, and Wright played 156 games in the OHL total.
I'm hoping the Wild are able to do the same creative accounting this season that Seattle did with Wright, but I'm not holding my breath.
I want to see how Heidt holds up playing against men in training camp. Looking good in Development camp is nice, but guys like Sammy Walker were killing it in Development camp for TBL 4-5 years ago. My guess is that he won't be strong and fast enough to compete right now in the NHL ... which would be completely normal for a 2023 draftee. Yurov, a higher ranked 2022 draftee, thinks he needs more time, and Ohgren, another more highly ranked 2022, and is a bigger, stronger individual, has barely had a cup of coffee in the NHL, and is not a sure thing to make the team out of camp.
MN has to keep their minds open about him being the next Jarvis, but even there, Jarvis was a 13 oa pick, not a 64th like Heidt. Expectations have to be very different. Heidt is the longest of long shots to make the team for more than 9 games.
MN has to keep their minds open about him being the next Jarvis, but even there, Jarvis was a 13 oa pick, not a 64th like Heidt. Expectations have to be very different. Heidt is the longest of long shots to make the team for more than 9 games.
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BagHead
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- Dec 10, 2012
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Oh yeah, not saying he belongs in Iowa necessarily, just that it would be nice to have the option.
In my ideal world, maybe an Iowa team with an improved Lambos and Spacek, a competent Peart, an experienced Wallstedt, and a hungry young forward core consisting of Ohgren, Heidt and others wouldn't be a complete dumpster fire, and actually might be a good place to be.
For someone like him(Heidt), who is not a physical specimen, a college team would be perfect. Even the ECHL can be pretty tough, but the AHL certainly can. The refs are kind of whack, too, and allow all sorts of contact that can can be pretty hard to deal with, if not downright dangerous. A marked contrast to college, where they crack down pretty hard on head shots and hits from behind.
I know it's not going to happen, but it would be the best option for him, IMO. The difference one or two years can make for an athlete at that age is huge. I don't know that i want him looking over his back in the AHL playing scared rather than playing free and working on his skills in the CHL(or NCAA, if we are talking fantasy land).
I've probably watched more Heidt than most on this board. I like a lot of things about him, but nothing really obvious jumps out about his play, except maybe ability to receive and move the puck quickly. He takes care of himself physically in the CHL, but he isn't exactly bullying players out there. Just isn't strong or big enough. In his draft year, he was measured at 1/4" taller, and 5 lbs heavier than Berkly Catton - that's no monster.
Waiver Draft
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First Light - An Exclusive Q&A with Riley Heidt | Minnesota Wild
“I am in a comfortable spot when I'm playing hockey. I love it so much.”
www.nhl.com
Waiver Draft
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It looks like, according to the article, that Heidt will have to beat out Ohgren (as well as Bankier, Haight, and other AHL'ers)to get even a 9 game stint because of the cap situation.
I'm not holding my breath.
Oops... in re-reading the article, it looks like they would also have room if they left Wallstedt down in the AHL, also. I can see doing that, getting him games to start the season in Iowa while Heidt gets his 9 games in, then Heidt goes back to the WHL, allowing Wallstedt/whomever to come up. I don't think it's ideal for any young prospect, but especially Wallstedt, to come up then sit around watching from the bench. A guy like Walker, sure.
Also hope that Hunt comes in and kills it in camp, making BG consider making a move with (hopefully) Merrill.
I'm not holding my breath.
Oops... in re-reading the article, it looks like they would also have room if they left Wallstedt down in the AHL, also. I can see doing that, getting him games to start the season in Iowa while Heidt gets his 9 games in, then Heidt goes back to the WHL, allowing Wallstedt/whomever to come up. I don't think it's ideal for any young prospect, but especially Wallstedt, to come up then sit around watching from the bench. A guy like Walker, sure.
Also hope that Hunt comes in and kills it in camp, making BG consider making a move with (hopefully) Merrill.
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- Aug 9, 2011
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I wonder if we accumulate enough cap space in that 9 game stretch to be able to call up Wallstedt and keep Heidt. If we have ~ $700k to start the year,
BagHead
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I'd only bring a Russian player over to North America when I was very sure he'd be able to hang in the NHL, and I'd never send him down to the AHL unless I didn't mind losing him. I'll be surprised if they send him to the AHL, regardless of his waiver status.
DANOZ28
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i knew when billy added lauko there wasn't going to be an open spot for heidt. i would have played him on the big club this year. we really need to trade freddy and or mojo. heidt is such an amazing passer i'd luv to see him matched a game with kaprizov (hopefully happens preseason)
- Aug 9, 2011
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I get that, and that's the most likely outcome anyway. But can you justify keeping Marat up if Öhgren and Heidt both end up being more deserving of a roster spot after camp?
Of course they'd ideally find a way to get rid of Gaudreau in that scenario but I don't see that happening either.
BTW Heidt wouldn't have been eligible to play in the AHL this year even based off of Shane Wright's exemption. His 20-21 season doesn't count because he was not an exceptional player. He got drafted that year and was called up if I remember correctly
But how are you ever sure, until you actually see them play? Some players simply can't make the transition immediately, while other like Brodin, Faber, and the like make it look easy. Dumba spent quite a while going up and down, as did Zucker, and countless others.
Getting a player in the organization allows you to move them up and down as they develop and learn to adjust to the NHL. Keeping them over in the KHL doesn't allow that to happen.
