Post-Game Talk: Young Stars Classic Tournament | Canucks go 3-0 at Young Stars

[Wisp]

Lekkerimaki in transition and on entries is going to be a weapon for Petey for some point.

 

[wonton15]

I think it would be dumb for them not to try Lekkerimaki with Miller and Pettersson in preseason. He has tools right now that would work with even more skilled teammates.

 

[moiderer]

Klimovich looks like a guy who needs some reps and puck touches to learn how to execute but is too busy chasing and losing puck battles to get there.

Wonder what Manny Malhotra can get out of him if anything.

 

[Canucks LB]

I think it would be dumb for them not to try Lekkerimaki with Miller and Pettersson in preseason. He has tools right now that would work with even more skilled teammates.

Absolutely have to give him a shot

 

[Canucks LB]

Klimovich looks like a guy who needs some reps and puck touches to learn how to execute but is too busy chasing and losing puck battles to get there.

Wonder what Manny Malhotra can get out of him if anything.

I feel this has been the best game so far though

 

[Coffees]

I feel this has been the best game so far though

agreed but his decision making isnt sharp at all

 

[Canucks LB]

Raty is such a team player, really have enjoyed him all tournament.

Just right there, has a empty net, but two players in front of him, so he makes a safe play and put it around.

The guy just gets it

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

Victory is ours!

 

[arttk]

I think it would be dumb for them not to try Lekkerimaki with Miller and Pettersson in preseason. He has tools right now that would work with even more skilled teammates.

I think if they send him down it will be to make him work on his defensive game. We don’t want another Hog situation.

 

[Canucks LB]

Lots of good players this tournament, but my most surprise stand out was Felton.

I love how he was protecting Klim at the end also

 

[CanucksMJL]

This Misa guy giving me weird jar-jar binks flashbacks

 

[Coffees]

We got the two points, but did we get the morale victory ? I didnt watch the whole game

 

[cc]

Was hoping lekk could pot in an EN. Oh well

 

[Wisp]

I think it would be dumb for them not to try Lekkerimaki with Miller and Pettersson in preseason. He has tools right now that would work with even more skilled teammates.

The neutral zone and transition work would look beautiful with Petey and Debrusk I think.

 

[arttk]

agreed but his decision making isnt sharp at all

That’s Klim for ya

 

[moiderer]

I feel this has been the best game so far though

He's gotten generous deployment and we've heard his name more. Besides the nice release on the Patterson goal I'd like to see him more assertive but he can't find himself more puck time.

Alriksson had a big glow-up after game 1. Maybe our most intriguing CHL prospect this season.

Don't see anybody of these guys cracking the lineup right away but if it's anyone it might be Sasson. Raty subtly looked very good all tournament, I'd still pencil him as an NHL 3C. Bains and Lekkerimaki looked like they were playing more loose than anybody else, harder to evaluate.

 

[BWJM]

I think it would be dumb for them not to try Lekkerimaki with Miller and Pettersson in preseason. He has tools right now that would work with even more skilled teammates.

Yes please

 

[VanJack]

Arliksson, Patterson and Romani are really going to be guys to watch in the OHL this season. Based on what they accomplished in this tournament, they could tear it up.

Patterson is the most intriguing guy to amongst the younger prospects. He's a big-bodied center who skates really well. And is a legit, everyday center, something any organization can use.

On the blueline, I thought Pettersson and Kudryavtsev acquitted themselves well, and should be ticketed for Abbotsford, And Mynio is such an effortless skater, he makes it look easy at times out there. But still needs some work on positioning and physicality.

I suppose it was expected the Canucks would dominate this tournament, with guys like Sasson, Bains, Tolopilo, Walker and Raty starting their third seasons of pro hockey.

But clearly you have to give some props to the scouting department who really seemed have plucked some intriguing prospects very late in the last couple of drafts.

 

[Scumbag Frank]

Lots going for Lekkerimaki but also some things he needs to work on in the AHL before he can play on a Rick Tocchet team that emphasizes a heavy game and defensive responsibility
- Obviously the big shot, great awareness in the o-zone to head to the right spots, plus skater
- But too easily pushed off the puck, too weak along the walls and in board battles (basically the problems Boeser had before this past year)
Top offensive players win the majority of puck battles along the wall in the o-zone, even weaker players like Pettersson. 1 weak link on the line and the cycle is easily broken and you drag your whole line down by killing sustained o-zone possession time
And if Lekk continues being unable to get the puck out along the wall in the d-zone, he'll get benched like Hoglander
- Sasson could be a good 4C but he needs to really work on his faceoffs, otherwise he's not that distinguishable from Aman. A year in the AHL with Manny as his coach would do him wonders hopefully
- Raty's skating was noticeable improved in this game. Maybe there's hope there still
- Could see in this game Alriksson thinks the game way slower than his pro-level linemates in Sasson and Lekk. If he could just process the game a half step faster, he'd be a really intriguing player with his skating and size combo
- Glover's a plug but he impressed in this tournament at least with speed and physicality
- Klimovich - whatever at this point. Doesn't know how to play systems hockey
- Mueller, Bloom, Hirose look like guys you count down until their contract is up to open a contract slot

- EP2 looked great - way better puck skills than I thought he had. Looks like an eventual NHL player to me
- I don't see it with Mynio. He has no standout traits at all.
- Kudryavtsev intrigued me. Didn't think he would amount to much but he popped in these 3 games with plus skating, o-zone poise, d-zone awareness
- Sansonnens didn't look good but he was still way better than Joe Arntsen, who looked to be in the wrong tier and doesn't look capable of playing an AHL shift as a d-man
- Alcos didn't look out of place which bodes well for him

 

[Phrasing]

Hirose has been a disappointment

 

[BWJM]

Hirose has been a disappointment

He looked better in his call-up games his 1st year than any other time whatsoever.

 

[VanillaCoke]

Rookie tournament to nhl top six is too a big jump

 

[Hansen]

He looked better in his call-up games his 1st year than any other time whatsoever.

I think getting to the NHL and then being paired with Tyler Myers at his worst killed his passion for the sport

 

[orcatown]

Overall assessment of those who improved their prospect status, those who flatlined and those that lowered much believe in them. Not who I think are the best prospects - which a player like Lekkerimaki surely is - but just who were better than ancipated and those who did not fully live up to expectations

Improved Status or Exceded Expectations

Pettersson - as tournament went on got steadier and steadier . Took care of business in his end and most efficient in getting puck out of his end. At times many of the others struggled with that. Not flashy and kept things simple. Pretty much proved the things we anticpated were there.

Patterson - got better as tournament went on. Still a ways away from being a prime prospect but showed enough skill and smarts to think there may be something there.

Alcos - guy just turned 18 (one of the youngest players in the tournament) and, in the time he got, showed the mobility to get up ice and support the play and to use size to screen out around his net and take people off the puck.

Alriksson - raw but had enough good moments to show he has something to build off. Stamina may be an issue but he was much better than predicted.

Sassons - clearly the best player for the team. Showed leadership and ability to settle the team when they got running around. More obviously a player that could see time at the NHL level

Walker - I expected little but he made his checking line effective. Out on key face-offs and in key defenisve situations. Passed the puck much better than expected and actually created chances. Not saying he'll ever play in the NHL (that's very doubtful) but he exceeded what was expected.

Young - had a nice game and while he needs a better glove hand, I think you can have a little more hope than in the past.

Romani - looked dangerous around the goal and showed a nose for the net. Plays too much standing still and needs to hold his feet better but he showed flashes and was not too much a liability in the run of the play.. Must get a lot stronger but I believe he largely passed this test well enough.

Felton - showed good mobility and was strong at rushing the puck. Also, even though he appeared slight, he used his body well to screen people out of the play or pin people along the boards. At many points, the team's best 2 way defense man.

Glover - showed the kind of hard skating style that could make him more of an AHL player than an ECHL one. Might now solidly be on Abby.

Flatlined (didn't show any or very little improvement over their past play)

Tolopilo - today's game dropped him back into questionable area. Needed to come out and then back in with the Calgary players on the break-aways. Instead was pretty much a statue. Did not look NHL calibre in this game and was lucky on some of the scammbles around his net.

Bains - had by far his best game today but still too many hitches in his play. Looks like the same player who had real problems when he came up to the NHL last season.

Raty - at this phase in his career, he should have dominated and, while having some good periods of play, he wasn't able to complete plays or score on his chances. Flubbed way too many passes.

Kudryvastsev - played a lot of hockey this weekend and appear to get worn down. Was mainly good at suporting the puck and hitting players with his passes but got backed in too much on defense and had problems with players going to the outside. Quite a few times, players were able to cut around him. Don't think expectations were fully met in terms of the completeness of his game and not sure he looked any different than last year,

Lekkermaki - after the first game you felt like you could pencil him on the Vancouver team and have Calder aspirations. But, in spite of chances, he didn't score and he disappeared at times. Needed to be stronger on the puck. He wasn't bad in this tournament and at times he was elite. Still there is more work to do here and though his skill and speed were evident and he remains a top prospect, I don't believe, in this tournament, overall, he fully realized expectations

Mynio - expected more and he needs to get a lot stronger.

Maybe Never say Never but Pretty much wrote themselves off as propect

Bloom - might have been the weakest forward

Hirose - played better against Calgary but doesn't have the wheels, given his size, to cope with too many situations. Certainly little impovement shown and at his age that would appear fatal.

Mueller - not bad little player but impossible to see much upside

Klimovich - brain dead play at the end of the Calgary game and amount of turnovers throughout make you lose any belief in this player. I don't see this player's development at all.

Others

Sansonnes had some tough moments during the tournament but he very young and really has no base line to use as a comparison.

 

[HairyKneel]

I think getting to the NHL and then being paired with Tyler Myers at his worst killed his passion for the sport

The same Myers that will play over 1200 NHL games.

Strange take.