If anything, he's going to finish the season in Hamilton and help them make the play-offs. If he makes his way onto the Habs roster this season, it's because the team plane ran into the side of a mountain...
Looking forward to hearing about his performances with the Dogs, but I am a bit wary. The conditions under which he left the team seem suspect, and on the Avalanche's board one poster talks of him having a "serious attitude problem":
Quote:
As an avid DU fan, I can tell you he has MAJOR attitude. Because he's skilled, I think he's usually able to back up his talk, however IMO he's over-rated. He was really amazing in the first part of the last season, but his production became inconsistent (sometimes non-existent) towards the end. He didn't come up big when his team needed him and he made selfish play after selfish play. Also, there were several times in the second half of the season that he was benched in the third period of games. Last, he was passed over to serve as a captain this season, meanwhile Tyler Ruegsegger (also a freshman last season) was given an A. That said a lot to be about what Coach Gwozdecky thinks about Trotter....
It's always exciting to get a new player without giving anything up, even if he never plays in the NHL. Who knows, he may be the next Andy McDonald? Probably not, but we just need one prospect like Trotter, Beauregard or Deshairnais to work out, and we have a steal.
It's good to see the team is always looking for new talent!!! I thought they would wait 'till the draft to start getting some talented forwards into the system. We kinda lack some depth there. Good move. I was hoping for this Brunnstrom dude everyone is talking about but this is pretty good news. It will be good for hamilton too because they try to make the playoffs and need some help for sure. It also allow us to include a prospect forward in a trade and still have someone to replace him. I am confident in the organisation's judgment regarding prospects. If he doesn't pan out, so what he cost us nothing.
I have been watching Trotter develop for the last three years (really less than 2 years of actual play) and here's what I can share with those of you who haven't seen him:
Trotter is a highly skilled player from Brandon, Manitoba with great hands and vision, and strong hockey sense. He was the leading scorer, mostly on the top line for both years he played here. For those of you who may not be familiar with the University of Denver Pioneers, it is a top level NCAA program in the best NCAA league (WCHA) that has produced over 50 NHLers over the years, including Paul Stastny, Matt Carle, Glenn Anderson, Keith Magnuson and Kevin Dineen.
Trotter has a very good shot, is a fine passer and slippery/elusive. He's a player that is shifty down low, good moves, good puck handler in traffic and devastating on breakaways. He can also play defense, kill penalties and block shots, but his natural tendency is toward offensive hockey. The downside of his game is he's not blazing fast, nor is he a big player. He also has a slightly selfish tendency to cherry pick, waiting at the blue line for an outlet pass. Under normal circumstances, he would benefit from more seasoning at the college level, but his signing came under very unusual circumstances....
From what I have been able to gather, Trotter was very likely privately expelled from the University, and that event triggered the sudden mid-season signing with Montreal. I do not know that nature of the offense that triggered the expulsion, and probably never will know, but I believe the University waited until he signed the contract in order not to embarrass him with a public dismissal. I do not know Trotter personally, but those who do have told me that he's a very talented player with a lot of confidence, bordering on cockiness at times.
As for a projection, it's hard to tell. He should be in school, but given that he isn't, he'll probably be able to skate a regular AHL shift for now and chip in with points, but he's at least a couple of years from being NHL ready, and even then, it's a 50/50 proposition that he'll ever make the big show. He has NHL skills, hockey sense and hockey desire, but his size, speed and off-ice attitude leave all of us with reservations about whether or not he can advance beyond the AHL.
I have been watching Trotter develop for the last three years (really less than 2 years of actual play) and here's what I can share with those of you who haven't seen him:
Trotter is a highly skilled player from Brandon, Manitoba with great hands and vision, and strong hockey sense. He was the leading scorer, mostly on the top line for both years he played here. For those of you who may not be familiar with the University of Denver Pioneers, it is a top level NCAA program in the best NCAA league (WCHA) that has produced over 50 NHLers over the years, including Paul Stastny, Matt Carle, Glenn Anderson, Keith Magnuson and Kevin Dineen.
Trotter has a very good shot, is a fine passer and slippery/elusive. He's a player that is shifty down low, good moves, good puck handler in traffic and devastating on breakaways. He can also play defense, kill penalties and block shots, but his natural tendency is toward offensive hockey. The downside of his game is he's not blazing fast, nor is he a big player. He also has a slightly selfish tendency to cherry pick, waiting at the blue line for an outlet pass. Under normal circumstances, he would benefit from more seasoning at the college level, but his signing came under very unusual circumstances....
From what I have been able to gather, Trotter was very likely privately expelled from the University, and that event triggered the sudden mid-season signing with Montreal. I do not know that nature of the offense that triggered the expulsion, and probably never will know, but I believe the University waited until he signed the contract in order not to embarrass him with a public dismissal. I do not know Trotter personally, but those who do have told me that he's a very talented player with a lot of confidence, bordering on cockiness at times.
As for a projection, it's hard to tell. He should be in school, but given that he isn't, he'll probably be able to skate a regular AHL shift for now and chip in with points, but he's at least a couple of years from being NHL ready, and even then, it's a 50/50 proposition that he'll ever make the big show. He has NHL skills, hockey sense and hockey desire, but his size, speed and off-ice attitude leave all of us with reservations about whether or not he can advance beyond the AHL.
Thanks for the post. Here's a quote from on of his teammates :
Quote:
“Brock is a good kid,” DU senior defenseman and team captain Andrew Thomas said. “We always bring in character kids. We’ll bring in a character kid over a skilled kid any day of the week. That’s what our coaching staff always emphasizes, that’s why we’re here. It was never a case of his personality or any of that.”
Brock Trotter, C
Redshirted Freshman, University of Denver
5'10 170 lbs.
DOB: 9/18/87 Shoots: Right
NHL Central Scouting final ranking: N/A
2006-07 season: A year after suffering a season-ending Achilles tendon injury, Brock Trotter emerged as a better, wiser and more appreciative player. The Brandon, MB native led the Pioneers with 40 points (16 goals, 24 assists) playing in all 40 games this season. His 24 assists also led the team. He was the first freshman to lead Denver in scoring in two decades. Trotter's stellar season earned him the team's Leading Scorer and "Star of the Year" awards.
Talent Analysis: Trotter is an instinctive, multi-dimensional player who is equally adept in both offensive and defensive situations. He possesses great vision, awareness and anticipation, and utilizes those attributes effectively regardless of where he is on the ice. While Trotter is not an overly physical player, he has the capability to deliver some pretty solid checks. One of Trotter's greatest assets are his hands, whether it's in making nice tape-to-tape passes or keeping the puck on his stick. Continuing to add size and strength should help to not only make Trotter tougher to play against but also add power to his quickness and speed.
Denver head coach George Gwozdecky's comments on Trotter: "After sitting out a year, Brock was starting over again in many ways, especially in his timing and confidence. He is the kind of athlete, not only physically but also intelligence-wise, where he picked it up again pretty quickly. We're very fortunate that Brock has the skills and the attitude that makes him as good in our own zone as he is the offensive zone and that's kind of player that you can build around."
The line of danger in hockey can be as thin as a skate blade. Just ask Denver sophomore Brock Trotter.
Five games and five points into his college career, Trotter skated into the corner after the puck on Oct. 29, 2005, at North Dakota. Towering Sioux defenseman Matt Smaby, now with the Tampa Bay Lightning, stepped on Trotter’s right leg in the process of delivering a check.
Smaby’s skate came down like a guillotine and severed Trotter’s Achilles tendon.......
(continued in link)
Last edited by Beakermania*: 02-08-2008 at 06:06 AM.
Reason: copyright
... Sidney Crosby 5'11...
i AGREE
