Polak went directly to juniors after the draft.
Mod mentioned Birner and Schwarz.
Lemmy tried out the AHL, but never played in NA juniors.
Hellstrom and Kana played in AHL and demoted to ECHL.
Junland AHL one season
Eller AHL one season
Lehtera sipped the AHL
Polak went directly to juniors after the draft.
Mod mentioned Birner and Schwarz.
Lemmy tried out the AHL, but never played in NA juniors.
Hellstrom and Kana played in AHL and demoted to ECHL.
Junland AHL one season
Eller AHL one season
Lehtera sipped the AHL
The point of this little half-assed exercise was to identify the difference between the Norfolk Admirals and how TB utilized their drafted European prospects and the Peoria Rivermen and how STL utilized their drafted European prospects. What made the Norfolk Admirals win the Calder? I looked at injuries to TB and STL and then at the rosters regarding drafted European prospects.
Without much time and due to to straight up laziness I figured Jaskin was the first one to go to NA juniors. Alas, my esteemed colleagues here at HF Boards duly corrected that.
The take-home message from my half-assed study is that there is little to no meaningful difference between Norfolk/TB and Peoria/STL in terms of injuries and call-ups. What I did find interesting is that the Admirals had at least three drafted European prospects who were relatively successful at the same time, meaning on the same team during the same season.
Otherwise, I'm sure chemistry and general talent depth played a big factor. Norfolk had six players with 18 or more goals, while Peoria had six players with 21 or more goals. Where the teams differ is in secondary scoring. Norfolk scored 273 goals during the regular season, while Peoria score only 217.
Overall, the Europeans on Norfolk certainly had an effect, but I don't claim that it was the main reason they won the Calder.
Last edited by ChicagoBlues: 06-29-2012 at 12:35 PM.
PROJECT RIVERMEN: The Rivermen roster projects like this in early July:
Goaltenders: Jake Allen and Mike McKenna.
Defense: Jeff Woywitka, Scott Ford, Taylor Chorney, Cade Fairchild, Brett Ponich, David Shields, Mark Cundari.
Forwards: Andrew Murray, Adam Cracknell, T.J. Hensick, Phil McRae, Evgeny Grachev, Derek Nesbitt, Sebastian Wannstrom, Tyler Shattock, Cody Beach, Anthony Nigro, Stefan Della Rovere, Brett Sonne, Anthony Peluso, Jay Barriball, Chris Bruton.
For anyone that has actually seen him play in the AHL, what makes TJ Hensick so dominant? When I've watched him play for the Blues, it doesn't seem like he doesn't anything exceptionally well. How is he able to put up great numbers in the AHL that simply don't translate whatsoever to the NHL?
For anyone that has actually seen him play in the AHL, what makes TJ Hensick so dominant? When I've watched him play for the Blues, it doesn't seem like he doesn't anything exceptionally well. How is he able to put up great numbers in the AHL that simply don't translate whatsoever to the NHL?
i'm sure others can answer this much better, but to me, he's hockey's version of an AAAA player.
TJ Hensick is the ultimate tweener, just like the guy St. Louis traded to get him; Julian Talbot. Both very good hockey players, but not NHL quality. Some guys are excellent top-6 AHLers, but would never crack the top-6 of an NHL club and are usually very much out of place in the botton-6.
It's not like you can place Hensick on the 3rd line in the NHL and expect results. He is a career AHLer and there is nothing wrong with that.
He's a lot like Alexandre Giroux in that regards as well. He isn't good enough to crack your top six a if you put him in a third line role, he'll be an average player who chips in every so often. Yet the skill he holds, mainly his passing and vision, allow him to dominate te AHL. I love knowing we have a player like that in Peoria.
He's a lot like Alexandre Giroux in that regards as well. He isn't good enough to crack your top six a if you put him in a third line role, he'll be an average player who chips in every so often. Yet the skill he holds, mainly his passing and vision, allow him to dominate te AHL. I love knowing we have a player like that in Peoria.
A player who chips in every now and then on offence, but a liability on defence. His offence on The NHL level isn't productive enough to make him worth playing due to his weak defence, lack of physical game, and bringing no other extras of much value. But, he can help the offence at Peoria, so it will provide a decent situation for The Blues' actual NHL prospects in which to develop, possibly in a winning atmosphere.
I was just thinking of the potential line combos. Here's how I see it:
line 1: Porter/Schwartz - Hensick - Nesbitt
Line2a: Barriball - McRae - Cracknell
Line 2b: Grachev - Murray - Wannstrom
Line 4: SDR - Nigro - Shattock
Line 5?: Beach - Sonne - Peluso : lots of forwards here
Extra for Alaska: Bruton
Reasoning:
Line 1: Assumes Rivs get either Porter or Schwartz; Hensick/Nesbitt combo was together last season
Line 2a: Barriball isn't much use on a checking line and he played well with McRae before; assume Cracknell can play RW
Line 2b: Shutdown line with Wannstrom playing with some vets; see ice time similar to McRae's line
Line 4 could be any combo of 4 or 5. Nigro has been better than Sonne. Hard to say how Beach will stack up
Injuries and call-ups will change it all anyway.
D:
Woywitka - Chorney (one of these 2 may end up in StL as 7th d-man)
Ford - Fairchild
Ponich - Cundari
Shields
A player who chips in every now and then on offence, but a liability on defence. His offence on The NHL level isn't productive enough to make him worth playing due to his weak defence, lack of physical game, and bringing no other extras of much value. But, he can help the offence at Peoria, so it will provide a decent situation for The Blues' actual NHL prospects in which to develop, possibly in a winning atmosphere.
It never ceases to amaze me how well you can analyze a situation from the other side of the planet RobbK. Kudos to you.
It never ceases to amaze me how well you can analyze a situation from the other side of the planet RobbK. Kudos to you.
I watch ALL The Blues' games online, and I spend 2 months a year back home in Winnipeg (and see games on TV there, plus juniors games-and NOW-Jets' games, once again!), and I spend a few months in Los Angeles, as well (and see games on TV and attend a couple Kings' games), and I work some in Copenhagen Denmark and Malmö, Sweden, so I watch some Swedish Elite League and Alsvenskan games, as well. I watch a few games streamed online from other European leagues and US college hockey, as well. And, I read HF's team and player reviews, scouting reports and stories on other hockey websites.
I'm a free-lance cartoonist and writer, so I work mainly at home, and only need to see my editors in The Netherlands sporadically, through the year, and even less (only one concentrated period) in Denmark and Sweden, and spend a couple months (summer) in Munich, Germany (working in an animation studio). So, I can just send my work as scanned attachments in e-mails, and talk over things with my editors on camera with Skype.
I can get a decent overview of The Blues' entire system. If The Blues get into The Stanley Cup Finals, I'll even come to St. Louis to see a few games in person, In addition to their games I catch in L.A. and Winnipeg.
I watch ALL The Blues' games online, and I spend 2 months a year back home in Winnipeg (and see games on TV there, plus juniors games-and NOW-Jets' games, once again!), and I spend a few months in Los Angeles, as well (and see games on TV and attend a couple Kings' games), and I work some in Copenhagen Denmark and Malmö, Sweden, so I watch some Swedish Elite League and Alsvenskan games, as well. I watch a few games streamed online from other European leagues and US college hockey, as well. And, I read HF's team and player reviews, scouting reports and stories on other hockey websites.
I'm a free-lance cartoonist and writer, so I work mainly at home, and only need to see my editors in The Netherlands sporadically, through the year, and even less (only one concentrated period) in Denmark and Sweden, and spend a couple months (summer) in Munich, Germany (working in an animation studio). So, I can just send my work as scanned attachments in e-mails, and talk over things with my editors on camera with Skype.
I can get a decent overview of The Blues' entire system. If The Blues get into The Stanley Cup Finals, I'll even come to St. Louis to see a few games in person, In addition to their games I catch in L.A. and Winnipeg.
I didn't realize you spent so much time in North America.
With the internet, it really shouldn't be such a surprise that someone half a world away can be so in touch with something so regional, but even to this day it amazes me. (And I'm only 28, I grew up with all this stuff!! I can't imagine how it is for those who didn't.)
I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that I'd love to buy you a drink (or at least a GameTime if you don't drink) at a Stanley Cup home game and cheer on our Blues!
LGB!!
