Prospect Info: Rookie camp and Rookie Tournament 9/17-20

[Gecklund]

Great assessment!

Eklund has centre potential however unlikely to be 1C so I see his ceiling at a really good 2C (for me 2C > 1W)
Merkley's ceiling is a 3rd pairing PP specialist
Kniazev & Hatakka have a similar ceiling as 2nd pairing

Merkley’s ceiling is high as hell. Like Erik Karlsson in his prime high. He just needs to find the compete to get there which is unlikely.

 

[Stewie Griffin]

Merkley’s ceiling is high as hell. Like Erik Karlsson in his prime high. He just needs to find the compete to get there which is unlikely.

While I agree his ceiling is high it's not as much as you make it sound here. The longer it takes him to make this below average team makes his potential a little lower. While I don't expect him to become a star 1D I think he could become a very good 2nd pairing guy on a deep team that is a PP specialist.

 

[tealzamboni]

While I agree his ceiling is high it's not as much as you make it sound here. The longer it takes him to make this below average team makes his potential a little lower. While I don't expect him to become a star 1D I think he could become a very good 2nd pairing guy on a deep team that is a PP specialist.

I know the rookie tournament doesn't mean much, but I'm not sure where or how Merkley will fit in.
He definitely has skill and skating, but I'm not sure if he's got enough juice to create space for himself.
Also, not sure if the Sharks' system will help him out either. The zone entries seem to rely more on brute speed/strength than quick and precise passes.
This is not to say he's doomed - just seems like there's a couple external factors.

 

[tealzamboni]

The reality is outside of the top 2-3 prospects that is what those players need to do to become NHL players. Those guys lack the talent to make the NHL based on creativity and skill alone, they need to lock down the simple stuff. Hell, even the top-end prospect need to learn to do the simple stuff before they can ever become NHL regulars.

While I agree, I do wish they'd give more texture to the answers. Otherwise, it sounds like the Cuda's job is to push out simpletons that will run into a wall if told to. And it doesn't help the perception when that's what they do for 82 games.

 

[Herschel]

Merkley’s ceiling is high as hell. Like Erik Karlsson in his prime high. He just needs to find the compete to get there which is unlikely.

At this point, I believe Merkley has shown what his nature is as far as his attention to detail and compete level. I think with continued work he can improve on both of those but as soon as he gets a overworked on a given shift or game he is going to slide back to his nature. For that reason I just never see him playing more than a sheltered offensive role at the NHL level.

 

[JumboJoe23]

I was impressed with Hatakka, Merkely, Eklund, Gaudreau, Wiesblatt, Gushcin, Cardwell, Robins, Weatherby, Kinasev and Coe

One thing that's kind of concerning is our development coaching. Not a huge fan of Sommer, their team was obviously not ready to start game 1 or end game 3. (even with a young team skating together for the first time) Merkely's effort level still can be a concern but I think he showed enough progress in other parts of his game to warrant hope

Hatakka, Weatherby, Gaudreau and Wiesblatt looked the best (Merkley's offense too but he needs to stop turning it over at the offensive blue line and center ice not gonna fly in the NHL)

Hamaliuk looked lost

 

[Sharksrule04]

Funny how the people who do hockey for a living liked Weatherby but a lot of board posters thought his ELC was a waste of a contract space. It's almost like people who do this for a living know more than people who just post about it on the internet.

#appealtoauthority

Prospect Info: - Summer development camp | Tentatively scheduled for 8/15-20 w/ scrimmage 8/19 | Page 7 | HFBoards - NHL Message Board and Forum for National Hockey League (mandatory.com)

Exactly, and it could serve as a lesson to some but they never learn. The type to write off a player based on stats and percentages. I’ve even seen it in this thread a few times about how people don’t understand why so and so have a contract.

I wouldn’t have expected Weatherby to be an NHLer but he sure looks like he’s developing into one.

 

[LadyStanley]

Paywall. Pronman liked Gushchin and Ozzy.

 

[Mattb124]

Exactly, and it could serve as a lesson to some but they never learn. The type to write off a player based on stats and percentages. I’ve even seen it in this thread a few times about how people don’t understand why so and so have a contract.

I wouldn’t have expected Weatherby to be an NHLer but he sure looks like he’s developing into one.

He wasn’t in my radar screen either but ironically Weatherby may be the most NHL ready prospect we have.

 

[Hodge]

Exactly, and it could serve as a lesson to some but they never learn. The type to write off a player based on stats and percentages. I’ve even seen it in this thread a few times about how people don’t understand why so and so have a contract.

I wouldn’t have expected Weatherby to be an NHLer but he sure looks like he’s developing into one.

Based on what? A decent showing in a prospect scrimmage where he was the oldest player on the ice by 3-5 years? Let's wait until Weatherby actually plays a professional hockey game before using him as a "lesson."

 

[Doctor Soraluce]

Merkley’s ceiling is high as hell. Like Erik Karlsson in his prime high. He just needs to find the compete to get there which is unlikely.

There is no way in hell his ceiling is that high. You also wouldn't be saying that if you watched him at all last season. EK65 in his prime was never lacking for effort. Up until these prospect games it seemed Merkley lacked for effort at both ends of the ice.

 

[Jargon]

There is no way in hell his ceiling is that high. You also wouldn't be saying that if you watched him at all last season. EK65 in his prime was never lacking for effort. Up until these prospect games it seemed Merkley lacked for effort at both ends of the ice.

If it’s only effort that keeps him from achieving EK status I’m thrilled.

 

[Gecklund]

There is no way in hell his ceiling is that high. You also wouldn't be saying that if you watched him at all last season. EK65 in his prime was never lacking for effort. Up until these prospect games it seemed Merkley lacked for effort at both ends of the ice.

I would be. Ceiling isn’t potential. It’s if everything goes right what would his max potential be.

 

[Mattb124]

Effort is among the hardest things to teach and the fact that Merkley hasn't come very far with is of concern. I am not ready to call him a bust but I would bet against him becoming an impact NHLer at this point.

 

[Mattb124]

Based on what? A decent showing in a prospect scrimmage where he was the oldest player on the ice by 3-5 years? Let's wait until Weatherby actually plays a professional hockey game before using him as a "lesson."

Oldest by 13 months

 

[Hodge]

Oldest by 13 months

Majority of players at the tournament were 18-21 years old. 6'4" 23 year old with 3 years of experience at UND should be expected to dominate that kind of competition. Doesn't change the fact that he's still extremely unlikely to be more than replacement level if he even makes the NHL. We're talking about someone who had a significantly weaker college career than Dylan Gambrell.

 

[Doctor Soraluce]

I would be. Ceiling isn’t potential. It’s if everything goes right what would his max potential be.

We're way past everything going right. Like I said I don't think you watched him last season. He was awful and it had nothing to do with talent.

 

[Doctor Soraluce]

If it’s only effort that keeps him from achieving EK status I’m thrilled.

It's the thing that will keep him from even being considered bargain basement version of ek65.

 

[Mattb124]

Majority of players at the tournament were 18-21 years old. 6'4" 23 year old with 3 years of experience at UND should be expected to dominate that kind of competition. Doesn't change the fact that he's still extremely unlikely to be more than replacement level if he even makes the NHL. We're talking about someone who had a significantly weaker college career than Dylan Gambrell.

Doesn't change the fact that he wasn't the oldest player on the ice by 3-5 years, which is what you claimed. Another hot take.

 

[Gecklund]

We're way past everything going right. Like I said I don't think you watched him last season. He was awful and it had nothing to do with talent.

I just think you judge him way too much on his rookie season.

 

[Hodge]

Doesn't change the fact that he wasn't the oldest player on the ice by 3-5 years, which is what you claimed. Another hot take.

Just saying you should maybe wait to take the victory lap on Weatherby until he plays against actual competition.

 

[hohosaregood]

He wasn’t in my radar screen either but ironically Weatherby may be the most NHL ready prospect we have.

I remember during that draft, he was an automatic write off as a prospect. Just a total waste of a 4th round pick. I'm pretty shocked that he's a pro NA player, let alone one with potential NHL ability.

 

[Doctor Soraluce]

I just think you judge him way too much on his rookie season.

I think you didn't watch him and don't know of what you speak. I'm fine with prospects sucking and making mistakes. Problems of engagement and effort though are massive red flags. Considering all the other red flags he's had in his young career I'd say it'll be a miracle if he's ever a top 4 defensemen in the NHL.

 

[Gecklund]

I think you didn't watch him and don't know of what you speak. I'm fine with prospects sucking and making mistakes. Problems of engagement and effort though are massive red flags. Considering all the other red flags he's had in his young career I'd say it'll be a miracle if he's ever a top 4 defensemen in the NHL.

I never said it was likely. You just are arguing about something I didn’t say. Merkleys ceiling is elite. Chances of him reaching that are low.

 

[Le Grand Quebecois]

I never said it was likely. You just are arguing about something I didn’t say. Merkleys ceiling is elite. Chances of him reaching that are low.

Merkley's elite potential is only in the offensive zone. He has never shown that he understands the fundamental mechanics of playing in the d zone. It's not effort either, he is consistently missing details, positioning and assignments, which makes it seem like he's slow or chasing.
Being potentially elite in one zone is not anything comparable to Karlsson.