Wabit
Registered User
- May 23, 2016
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what is he going to learn in the ohl? answer nothing!
Bad hockey habits?
what is he going to learn in the ohl? answer nothing!
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.Same reasons as any other year: pointless to burn a year of his ELC, while also crushing his confidence, possibly exposing him to injury, and not giving him the ice time he needs to round out his game. It seems like a long wait but he's still junior-eligible. Hopefully he gets WJC experience, possibly 9 games of NHL experience, and another healthy, productive season to get him ready for 25-26 for real.
Bad hockey habits?
Hah, you guys failed hard. He said to answer nothing, but you answered anyway.How great it feels to put up a 200 point season
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.Maintain the production with the #1 and possibly #4 scorer on the team aging out and be better defensively = development.
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.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.
It's game based and he got screwed by the pandemic, being under the games played triggerI 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.
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
I''m not completely sure that Iowa is the right place for him - or frankly anyone - to be developing, but it is some Grade A BS.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''m not completely sure that Iowa is the right place for him - or frankly anyone - to be developing, but it is some Grade A BS.
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.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.