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Prospect Info: Syracuse Crunch, Orlando Solar Bears & Prospects

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The ECHL's PR guy, Joe Babik, speculated on the Everblades broadcast that he thinks the ECHL could get to 32 teams over the next 4-5 years.

There's a lot more versatility in where you can put an ECHL team, but every division in the ECHL right now is 7 teams, except for the Mountain Division, which is 8 teams.

The northeast could honestly use another team. There's enough NHL and AHL teams to justify it. NYR are affiliated with Bloomington, IL. Ottawa are affiliated with Allen, TX.

Albany, Binghamton, and Manchester, NH could work. There's been rumors of Ontario getting a team, but it's a tough market for anyone not named the Leafs.
 


Me, every year seeing minor leaguers getting sold on Orlando.
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It might even eventually work.
 
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Kessy is the new Crunch tough guy, especially if the rumors of Element having a lingering injury issue are true.
 
These Are The Days said:
Well one thing is for sure, the Crunch are gonna be a hell of a fun team to watch this year
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I wish I had your hope.

As of right now, the forward group seems to be often injured vets and young players learning to play against much bigger and more experienced opponents. While many AHL rosters carry that same outlook, we have brought back two players who are supposed to add leadership yet have not led the Crunch to the next level despite being here a number of years. I would have preferred new veteran players, but fan favorites are fan favorites regardless of the level of the league.

Defense looks better following the signing over the last couple of days.

Goaltending is still questionable as to who is number one. Hopefully, one of the goaltenders takes the reins and opts to carry the rest of the team on his back as he clearly takes over the top spot.

Until Tampa Bay sets its roster, Crunch fans can speculate who will be here on two way and NHL contracts and see how those potential players mesh with the Crunch contracts on paper.

As we have seen so many times in the past, once the annual injury bug hits both organizations, all bets are off and Orlando as well as other ECHL teams will see players heading to Syracuse to fill the Crunch roster as players are called up to Tampa Bay to fill out the Lightning's.

The thrill and challenges of minor league hockey!
 
Crunchrulz said:
I wish I had your hope.

As of right now, the forward group seems to be often injured vets and young players learning to play against much bigger and more experienced opponents. While many AHL rosters carry that same outlook, we have brought back two players who are supposed to add leadership yet have not led the Crunch to the next level despite being here a number of years. I would have preferred new veteran players, but fan favorites are fan favorites regardless of the level of the league.

Defense looks better following the signing over the last couple of days.

Goaltending is still questionable as to who is number one. Hopefully, one of the goaltenders takes the reins and opts to carry the rest of the team on his back as he clearly takes over the top spot.

Until Tampa Bay sets its roster, Crunch fans can speculate who will be here on two way and NHL contracts and see how those potential players mesh with the Crunch contracts on paper.

As we have seen so many times in the past, once the annual injury bug hits both organizations, all bets are off and Orlando as well as other ECHL teams will see players heading to Syracuse to fill the Crunch roster as players are called up to Tampa Bay to fill out the Lightning's.

The thrill and challenges of minor league hockey!
Click to expand...
Guys like Duke, Geekie and Huuhtanen have absolutely nothing left to prove in the junior, collegiate and Finnish League levels respectively. I am like 96.2% certain Howard is going to sign in time for the playoffs. And I am also about that sure all these kids are gonna catch on. Groshev in particular is probably going continue to have a lot of growing pains because he lived on the bench in Russia. It might take some time but they will catch on. You can be terrible at skating. You can have a shit motor. You can be the smallest guy on the ice. You can be overage. You can have like 90 in 2 years because of injuries as a teenager. If the Lightning even smell that a player thinks the game at a high level and listens to coaching, the Lightning are gonna find them.
 
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These Are The Days said:
Guys like Duke, Geekie and Huuhtanen have absolutely nothing left to prove in the junior, collegiate and Finnish League levels respectively. I am like 96.2% certain Howard is going to sign in time for the playoffs. And I am also about that sure all these kids are gonna catch on. Groshev in particular is probably going continue to have a lot of growing pains because he lived on the bench in Russia. It might take some time but they will catch on. You can be terrible at skating. You can have a shit motor. You can be the smallest guy on the ice. You can be overage. You can have like 90 in 2 years because of injuries as a teenager. If the Lightning even smell that a player thinks the game at a high level and listens to coaching, the Lightning are gonna find them.
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How do u think what are chances that Groshev in next 2 seasons will get 3 rd 4th line place at Bolts?
Im asking cuz really liked him at U20 champ, and whta he brings on ice, if he can translate it to adult league he could be great 3rd liner,kinda Killorn+ stuff, but I never saw him playing last seasons, so dont know about his progress
 
Ethan Gauthier gets an invite to Hockey Canada’s camp for the Summer Showcase



That makes 3 Lightning prospects at this exhibition tournament with Jayson Shaugabay (US) and Joona Saarelainen (Finland)
 
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These Are The Days said:
Guys like Duke, Geekie and Huuhtanen have absolutely nothing left to prove in the junior, collegiate and Finnish League levels respectively. I am like 96.2% certain Howard is going to sign in time for the playoffs. And I am also about that sure all these kids are gonna catch on. Groshev in particular is probably going continue to have a lot of growing pains because he lived on the bench in Russia. It might take some time but they will catch on. You can be terrible at skating. You can have a shit motor. You can be the smallest guy on the ice. You can be overage. You can have like 90 in 2 years because of injuries as a teenager. If the Lightning even smell that a player thinks the game at a high level and listens to coaching, the Lightning are gonna find them.
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Hoping Geekie, Duke, & Huuhtanen kill it in Syracuse to start the season. We need it
 
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Hockeyville USA said:
Need to get a better goalie prospect into the pool. Alnefelt is done, Malik and Meneghin ain't gonna cut it. Scrap heap dumpster diving time I guess
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I am glad someone else is noticing this "hole" in the depth chart.

Without a reliable, steady goaltender, the Crunch may be on the wrong side if many games as there is a lack of scoring also.

Defense looks OK, and Kessy will provide the necessary deterrent.

Not overjoyed with Dumont and Walcott taking two of the veteran spots as neither has proven capable of leading the Crunch to the next level in the post season despite being in leadership roles for several seasons. Those signing are more for the off-ice influence of both players rather than the on-ice ones. Would have been nice to use those two spots to bring in some new veteran talent to see if they could spark the team better performing on the ice but that is why I am sitting at a keyboard at home and not an organization's management office.

We will have to see what training camp brings.
 
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Crunchrulz said:
I am glad someone else is noticing this "hole" in the depth chart.

Without a reliable, steady goaltender, the Crunch may be on the wrong side if many games as there is a lack of scoring also.

Defense looks OK, and Kessy will provide the necessary deterrent.

Not overjoyed with Dumont and Walcott taking two of the veteran spots as neither has proven capable of leading the Crunch to the next level in the post season despite being in leadership roles for several seasons. Those signing are more for the off-ice influence of both players rather than the on-ice ones. Would have been nice to use those two spots to bring in some new veteran talent to see if they could spark the team better performing on the ice but that is why I am sitting at a keyboard at home and not an organization's management office.

We will have to see what training camp brings.
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Crunch gonna be fun with Groshev, Geekie, Duke, Huuhtanen, Finley and more this season! We'll see how the NHL lineup shakes out to see what will happen with Crozier, Carlile, Lilleberg, Goncalves.
 
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