Prospect Info: The 2024 Lightning Development Camp (July 2nd - 5th)

[Five Alarm Fire]

The only thing I really learned at the tourney is that Geekie is in no way ready for a 2/3 center job.

One year in Syracuse will be good for him.

I always wonder with high draft picks that are traded - there must be a reason the team is willing to part with them.

We haven’t really watched enough of him to conclude anything.

 

[These Are The Days]

One year in Syracuse will be good for him.

I always wonder with high draft picks that are traded - there must be a reason the team is willing to part with them.

We haven’t really watched enough of him to conclude anything.

I think it's as simple as the fact we traded them Sergachev. Geekie has nothing left to prove in the WHL anyway. And I am sure we are going to do everything possible to coach all the skill out of him that we can. Until he's yet another mindless robot only worried about the 100 feet of ice on the defensive end.

 

[Rschmitz]

One year in Syracuse will be good for him.

I always wonder with high draft picks that are traded - there must be a reason the team is willing to part with them.

We haven’t really watched enough of him to conclude anything.

I'm looking forward to real camp to see if this is the real him, but in general I've always been pretty good at predicting young kids out of camp making the team within the year.

 

[JTBF81]

Geekie will be fine. 2 days of 3v3 scrimmage means very little. He was very unlikely to get a starting spot this year anyway, at least not right away. It's very rare for a Lightning prospect to not spend any time in Syracuse. Everything I've read and the little I've seen before this glorified OT session indicates a future NHL talent. JBB wouldn't have likely had him as the prospect coming back otherwise.

 

[Rschmitz]

Just did some more research on him and apparently this is the book on Geekie, tons of talent, speed, size, but no motor.

I mean Lecavalier was the same way for his first 6ish years in the league so it's not like it's the kiss of death on his career, but there were certainly some growing pains before he matured into a super star.

 

[ultra63]

Just did some more research on him and apparently this is the book on Geekie, tons of talent, speed, size, but no motor.

I mean Lecavalier was the same way for his first 6ish years in the league so it's not like it's the kiss of death on his career, but there were certainly some growing pains before he matured into a super star.

Unfortunately he sounds like Pierre-Luc Dubois

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Unfortunately he sounds like Pierre-Luc Dubois

Dubois seems to care more about popularity and being cool than hockey. Not sure if that's the case (yet) with Geekie.

 

[DFC]

I think it's as simple as the fact we traded them Sergachev. Geekie has nothing left to prove in the WHL anyway. And I am sure we are going to do everything possible to coach all the skill out of him that we can. Until he's yet another mindless robot only worried about the 100 feet of ice on the defensive end.

Yeah, I mean, as much as Sergachev wasn't really a fit here time-wise, he had great value. And I feel like we got great value, or at least fair value, in the trade.

We will see how he looks in camp. Seems like he is further away, while Utah wants big improvements RIGHT NOW, which is also a big part of the trade.

 

[TheDaysOf 04]

Stacy Roest -

On TJ Hughes:

"I'm sure these players have a lot of invites from different teams because especially a team like Michigan, a lot of people are watching them play during the year. We're going to watch our prospects as development, and our scouts are watching every player in college hockey, every league, every level. Ultimately they're the ones that come up with the names for us to invite for camp to keep an eye on. TJ had a great camp, and he's a really nice kid. Yeah, we're looking forward to watching him next year. He's one of those players, the skill level,the compete, the speed, and the way he thinks the game is very impressive."

On Dylan Duke:

"Like you said, it was perfect for him because after a good year in Michigan he got to come (to Syracuse) for the end of the season, and then playoffs, which is the highest level of AHL hockey that's available. I think he knows, he understands it's a little bit of a different level with the age, older players, and just the pace of the game is another step from college which is a very fast level when you go to the American league, and then the NHL is another step above that. He knows exactly what he has to do, he'll put the work in, and we'll give him the resources. Looking forward to seeing him in September."

On Max Groshev:

"I think Grosh came over and had a really great training camp, really good prospect tournament, then training camp, had an excellent start to the season. He had 7 or 8 goals right out of the gate, and then slowed down a little bit, but that's normal for a first year player. He's a big, strong, fast player that works hard every shift, every day in the gym. I think it's just more settling into the game, finding your role, and settling into the North American game. The language is still a little bit of a barrier, but he's learning, and when you can speak the language and your comfortable around your teammates, it just makes it easier on the ice. But we're happy with his projection. It was a good week for him just to be here to be around the younger players, and he was helping some of the younger ones which is key for him."

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Stacy Roest -

On TJ Hughes:


On Dylan Duke:


On Max Groshev:

Would be nice to give TJ Hughes an ELC once Michigan is done.

Duke looks much faster than a couple years ago, so that's good to see. Always trusting the goat herself Barb Underhill to come up huge for us.

 

[ThunderRoad]

Wish Highes was already one of the Lightning's prospects and not just an invitee. He looked about as good as anyone, and is certainly making pro scouts take notice.

 

[Felonious Python]

Camp invitee Ludvig Persson to Brynas.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1812743944683319401

 

[TheDaysOf 04]

 

[RLP55]

Would have been nice to have seen Niko Huuhtanen.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Would have been nice to have seen Niko Huuhtanen.

Yeah does anyone know why he didn't come over for camp? Injury?

 

[Felonious Python]

 

[RLP55]

Not on Twitter. No interest in subscribing. Could someone please post the above article.

Thank you, in advance.

 

[Felonious Python]

Not on Twitter. No interest in subscribing. Could someone please post the above article.

Thank you, in advance.

You can just click 'continue reading' when the popup on substack shows up.

 

[RLP55]

. Thank you!

 

[RLP55]

Yikes, this Kyle dude brings it. Great read.

Been a Groshev fan for awhile. Now on board with Niko.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Yikes, this Kyle dude brings it. Great read.

Been a Groshev fan for awhile. Now on board with Niko.

Huuhtanen has been intriguing for awhile. He has the shot and ability to be in the Stamkos spot on PP1 right now with that bomb of a one T, but would have to play 4th line minutes 5v5. That's why he'll need a year in the A to adjust, but there's a ton of potential, especially since he continues to progress year by year. Hope he comes to camp in top shape.

 

[Meuracas]

Huuhtanen has been intriguing for awhile. He has the shot and ability to be in the Stamkos spot on PP1 right now with that bomb of a one T, but would have to play 4th line minutes 5v5. That's why he'll need a year in the A to adjust, but there's a ton of potential, especially since he continues to progress year by year. Hope he comes to camp in top shape.

Huuhtanen is also a relatively heavy hitter and was not afraid to drop the mitts in the WHL (and Liiga, for what it's worth) which hopefully means he'd be useful in a bottom 6 role as well.