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Prospect Info: Syracuse Crunch, Orlando Solar Bears & Prospects

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Heading to overtime now. Buckeyes tied it up with just a few minutes left to go in the period.

Big Ten Network commentators just said “Big-time players score big goals in the biggest of moments“ but were referring to Gunnarwolfe Fontaine (who tied it up). We’ll see if Ike heard that and said “here, hold my BioSteel”.

Stay tuned
 
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He definitely has skills, but so does Geekie who was higher ranked and took some time to get used to the NHL. Howard has a very bright future and high ceiling, but I'd still be surprised if he makes the jump in any significant way this season.
 
JTBF81 said:
He definitely has skills, but so does Geekie who was higher ranked and took some time to get used to the NHL. Howard has a very bright future and high ceiling, but I'd still be surprised if he makes the jump in any significant way this season.
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Why is the geekie/howard false dichotomy still so prevalent here?

They’re not the same. One has a contract and one doesn’t. You give the one without a contract whatever it takes to not lose the asset as you attempt to manage your team.
 
RussianGuyovich said:
Why is the geekie/howard false dichotomy still so prevalent here?
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It's relevant because Howard isn't better than Geekie, and too many on here seem to think Howard's going to come in and be some offensive dynamo or something because he's had one really good year of NCAA hockey. I think both of them will make the team next year, although it wouldn't surprise if Howard needs more time in Syracuse than Geekie to begin the year (seeing as Geekie will have had time there this year).
 
JTBF81 said:
It's relevant because Howard isn't better than Geekie, and too many on here seem to think Howard's going to come in and be some offensive dynamo or something because he's had one really good year of NCAA hockey. I think both of them will make the team next year, although it wouldn't surprise if Howard needs more time in Syracuse than Geekie to begin the year (seeing as Geekie will have had time there this year).
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Literally nobody is saying that.
 
RussianGuyovich said:
Literally nobody is saying that.
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Okay, Perhaps those words havent been used, but plenty have talked about him playing witj the top 6 guys, which is very unlikely to happen imo this season. Some have also mentioned sheltered, minimal minutes, which should benthe absolute most he should see if he makes some demand that he'll only sign thks year if he's guaranteed ice time. I hope that's not the way he is, but if so, Coop can give him a shift or let him watch the games. He still hasn't earned or deserves any game time in crucial regular season games imo. Tampa rarely goes that route with rookies out of college late in a season, and Geekie earned his spot through camp and preseason after the trade. Howard should, and likely will, get that opportunity as well, but there's no room in the top 6 and maybe not the top 9 thks season.
 
JTBF81 said:
Okay, Perhaps those words havent been used, but plenty have talked about him playing witj the top 6 guys, which is very unlikely to happen imo this season. Some have also mentioned sheltered, minimal minutes, which should benthe absolute most he should see if he makes some demand that he'll only sign thks year if he's guaranteed ice time. I hope that's not the way he is, but if so, Coop can give him a shift or let him watch the games. He still hasn't earned or deserves any game time in crucial regular season games imo. Tampa rarely goes that route with rookies out of college late in a season, and Geekie earned his spot through camp and preseason after the trade. Howard should, and likely will, get that opportunity as well, but there's no room in the top 6 and maybe not the top 9 thks season.
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Yeah; like I don’t think you’re wrong. But it’s not an “earn” thing. He’s a good prospect that went the college route and so he’s in a better situation to leverage some playing time from the bolts. That’s just how it is. It’s in the best interests of the team to do whatever it takes to get this kid signed, and if that means we have to let him play some games in the show, then so be it.
 
RussianGuyovich said:
Yeah; like I don’t think you’re wrong. But it’s not an “earn” thing. He’s a good prospect that went the college route and so he’s in a better situation to leverage some playing time from the bolts. That’s just how it is. It’s in the best interests of the team to do whatever it takes to get this kid signed, and if that means we have to let him play some games in the show, then so be it.
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I just disagree that the team, one who has always been about earning your spot, should get forced to put him in the most important games of the season to that point because he's going to hold JBB's feet to the fire. It doesn't sit well with me personally and would seriously question his future with the organization, despite his talent. If that's JBB's only option, I guess he says sure, but Cooper certainly doesn't have to play him much, and likely won't knowing how he deploys young players initially.
 
I watched the game. Very entertaining. I think MSU was seeing if they could be successful with the Cooper shell in the second half of the third.
Howard makes it happen when he’s on the ice. He has a boatload of college hardware. Now he needs to get to work at the NHL level.
I’d like to see him win the NCAA tournament but I’m wanting him to get a shot with the Lightning ASAP. So I guess it’s go Green maybe.
 
The fanfare surrounding this guy reminds me of Richards coming out of the CHL. Crazy praise for his amateur accomplishments but people doubting how it would carry over to professional hockey. Hopefully we have another Richards-esque prospect here.
 
I've been posting some NHLe calculators in the NHL thread. Based on the latest one, Isaac Howard paces for like 30 points in an NHL season, or 50 in the AHL. I would argue that the 116 pt ECHL number looks pretty good, but that's just me.

The AHL and ECHL seasons are also only 72 games, so the points per game is a little higher than it might seem.

It's just vibe coding, and I don't really understand enough of it to really stand by it, but if that's the choice, I think I'd rather have him top six in the AHL than the 3rd line in the NHL.

We can try him out in the NHL, of course, but I don't think that 2nd unit PP time and sheltered minutes is the right next step for him. Syracuse can give him whatever he needs. PP1, PK, OT, tough matchups. Anything.

But those calculated numbers go out the window the second he steps on the ice.
 
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Small note to signing Ike. Expansion talk has picked up again.

We actually want Howard to play less than 10 pro regular season games this year (NHL or AHL). Anything to delay having to protect him in a relatively soon expansion draft.

Notably, the ECHL seems to present a loophole.
 
RussianGuyovich said:
We’re trading first round picks like they cause cancer. We’re not delaying Howard for future benefits.
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There's like a dozen games left in the Lightning season. It'd be poor asset management not to take expansion into account.

If Houston comes in like three years from now, we'll have to expose a forward we would have rather protected because of the lack of forethought.
 
Felonious Python said:
There's like a dozen games left in the Lightning season. It'd be poor asset management not to take expansion into account.

If Houston comes in like three years from now, we'll have to expose a forward we would have rather protected because of the lack of forethought.
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Last expansion draft (2021) rule stated that a player would be eligible if they played more than 54 games in the previous two seasons cumulatively. There’s likely not to be an expansion draft this offseason. So Howard would have to not play next season either. Basically him playing this season has zero affect on expansion drafts.
 
RussianGuyovich said:
Last expansion draft (2021) rule stated that a player would be eligible if they played more than 54 games in the previous two seasons cumulatively. There’s likely not to be an expansion draft this offseason. So Howard would have to not play next season either. Basically him playing this season has zero affect on expansion drafts.
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That's who they have to expose. Teams are required to expose a defenseman and two forwards with a certain amount of recent experience.
 
Felonious Python said:
That's who they have to expose. Teams are required to expose a defenseman and two forwards with a certain amount of recent experience.
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Yes? That’s what I’m saying? Howard playing then season has nothing to do with the expansion. He’s not going to be ineligible. Unless he sucks. And then we won’t have to worry about them taking him.
 


Bolts with 5 prospects in the tournament

Eamon Powell - Boston College
Hagen Burrows - Denver
Connor Kurth - Minnesota
Isaac Howard - Michigan State
Jack Harvey - Boston University



In the QMJHL Playoffs:

Ethan Gauthier and #1 Drummodville vs #8 Halifax
Jan Golicic and #7 Gatineau vs #2 Rouyn-Noranda
Dyllan Gill and #1 Moncton vs #8 Québec

In the OHL:

Ethan Hay and #3 Kingston vs #6 Sudbury
Kaden Pitre and #6 Flint vs #3 Kitchener
 
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