Prospect Info: Sharks Prospect Info & Discussion Thread XX

[tiburon12]

You ever take a long haul flight where every minute sucks, but once you land at your destination you immediately forget how terrible your past day was?

That's how I feel about the Sharks re: Celebrini and Smith. If they come, great, if they don't, it's just another long haul flight to get through, and come this time next year we'll be pumped because we have another top pick (hopefully a few) and forget how bad the season was.

 

[Jargon]

You ever take a long haul flight where every minute sucks, but once you land at your destination you immediately forget how terrible your past day was?

That's how I feel about the Sharks re: Celebrini and Smith. If they come, great, if they don't, it's just another long haul flight to get through, and come this time next year we'll be pumped because we have another top pick (hopefully a few) and forget how bad the season was.

yeah but it’s suuuuuch a loooong fliiiiiight

 

[tiburon12]

yeah but it’s suuuuuch a loooong fliiiiiight

As any seasoned long hauler will tell you, it gets easier and you find ways to occupy the time

The "pressure" on where they finish in the standings next year is off, from a fans perspective all the way up to Hasso (likely). Now that they have Celebrini, they can focus purely on development and reviving the business end with ticket revenue and better marketing.

Plus, if Smith and Celebrini dont join the team, they'll be battling it out for best in Boston. Think of that, two future Sharks, leaders of their teams, in the national spotlight all season long in a league that's growing in popularity and coverage, trying to win a championship. That will be awesome to watch and will absolutely be a positive for their development.

Either way we are back watching a team actively trying to get better again. Next season is already better than last!

 

[WSS11]

You ever take a long haul flight where every minute sucks, but once you land at your destination you immediately forget how terrible your past day was?

That's how I feel about the Sharks re: Celebrini and Smith. If they come, great, if they don't, it's just another long haul flight to get through, and come this time next year we'll be pumped because we have another top pick (hopefully a few) and forget how bad the season was.

So let’s say for shits and giggles that both go back to college and we won the lottery again. Do we draft Hagens and move Smith to wing? Smith as a 3C would be nuts

 

[Stewie Griffin]

So let’s say for shits and giggles that both go back to college and we won the lottery again. Do we draft Hagens and move Smith to wing? Smith as a 3C would be nuts

You draft hagens and trade someone for D help or go the PIT 09 model and have

Hagens-Celebrini-Smith all on the team like Crosby, Malkin and Staal.

 

[Jargon]

As any seasoned long hauler will tell you, it gets easier and you find ways to occupy the time

The "pressure" on where they finish in the standings next year is off, from a fans perspective all the way up to Hasso (likely). Now that they have Celebrini, they can focus purely on development and reviving the business end with ticket revenue and better marketing.

Plus, if Smith and Celebrini dont join the team, they'll be battling it out for best in Boston. Think of that, two future Sharks, leaders of their teams, in the national spotlight all season long in a league that's growing in popularity and coverage, trying to win a championship. That will be awesome to watch and will absolutely be a positive for their development.

Either way we are back watching a team actively trying to get better again. Next season is already better than last!

you make a compelling case. There is definitely a weight off our shoulders with Celebrini — to be able to finally cheer for this team in any form will be exciting. I don’t need to keep replaying tankathon anxiously to see what may happen…

 

[landshark]

I spoke with Aunt Viv and she said he’s still undecided.

You know Uncle Phil is pushing for him to get his degree...

 

[Lebanezer]

You know Uncle Phil is pushing for him to get his degree...

Shredder always had his own agenda.

 

[landshark]

Shredder always had his own agenda.

Junkyard Dog FTW.

 

[Jargon]

So let’s say for shits and giggles that both go back to college and we won the lottery again. Do we draft Hagens and move Smith to wing? Smith as a 3C would be nuts

If Hagens is by far the best player available (and there isn’t a guaranteed #1 defenseman) then absolutely, we take Hagens and let the chips fall where they may. At worst, Smith moves to wing or you trade him for a haul, but having Celebrini - Hagens - Smith would be absolutely insane.

 

[Cas]

If Hagens is by far the best player available (and there isn’t a guaranteed #1 defenseman) then absolutely, we take Hagens and let the chips fall where they may. At worst, Smith moves to wing or you trade him for a haul, but having Celebrini - Hagens - Smith would be absolutely insane.

Yes, you never, ever draft for need at #1.

 

[Barrie22]

So let’s say for shits and giggles that both go back to college and we won the lottery again. Do we draft Hagens and move Smith to wing? Smith as a 3C would be nuts

Yes also draft the best player even if it leaves the team with 9 centers.

Having Hagens, Celebrini, Smith is a good 1-2-3 punch, or even a good start to a first and second line if you moved someone to wing.

I would be happy to get back to a point where the top 6 was headed by the likes of Couture, pavelski, Marleau, Thornton. 4 natural centers, even if 2 of them were just as good or even better at wing.

 

[The Nemesis]

Yes, you never, ever draft for need at #1.

You never draft for need period unless you have two players on your board who are equally ranked and positional need is necessary as the tiebreaker. It's part of the reason I don't want them looking at Jiricek if there are better forwards available at 14 in this draft. Draft the better players and worry about your positional distribution later.

 

[LadyStanley]

Halts

 

[The Nemesis]

Watching what could be the final games of the two remaining CHL championships. London (Halttunen) can close out Oshawa (and as I watch now they're up 1-0) while Portland (Cagnoni) has to fight to stay alive tonight as they're down 0-3 to Moose Jaw.

I wonder when the last time was that all 3 CHL champ series ended as sweeps...

 

[The Nemesis]

Halttunen extends London's lead to 3-0 just over halfway through the first period. His 8th PP goal of the playoffs (1 back of the league record in that regard) and I think his 16th overall (which I thought they said was the league record but it's actually the record for import players) It was exactly the goal you'd think: he came off the boards at the top of the faceoff circle and wired home a wrister that the goalie never saw.

 

[LadyStanley]

 

[The Nemesis]

Halttunen's 2nd of the night puts London up 5-1 with just under 8 minutes to go in the 2nd.

Nice goal too. He fought past the defenders to get to a loose puck in the slot, slipped free and snapped it past the goalie.

 

[Barrie22]

Halttunen is such a weird prospect , yes he is destroying the league goal scoring wise (especially in the playoffs). But then you watch the highlights of most of his goals and i am personally left saying for most of them thats a weak goal.

Yes i know he has a very strong shot, but so did Bedard in his draft year when i started paying attention to him, and never once was left thinking that was a weak goal, Bedard was mostly left with a how is that possible lol.

 

[LadyStanley]

 

[The Nemesis]

7-1 London now with under 4 minutes. Pretty much a foregone conclusion the Knights are going to sweep this championship series, which means a title for Halttunen.

It also means we'll get some bonus Halttunen hockey in the next few weeks since London will head to the Memorial Cup.

EDIT: yep, London completes the sweep. The first OHL championship sweep since the last time London won the title in 2016.

 

[The Nemesis]

Easton Cowen gets OHL playoff MVP at the expense of Halttunen.

Also OHL commissioner David Branch looks rough. Like he's been on a 3-day bender or they just got him out of bed or something.

 

[LadyStanley]

 

[Jargon]

Halttunen has so many tools, like he has the potential to be something really good, but I think it’s going to take a lot of work from our development guys. It’ll be really interesting how much they can get out of him.

 

[The Nemesis]

Ok, switching over to Portland/Moose Jaw. Cagnoni and the Winterhawks have their work cut out for them. It's scoreless 5 minutes into the game but IIRC Portland's only led for something like maybe a period's worth of time across all 3 games so far.