Since we know Gillis and Gilman were also scouting the NCAA, I figure now is a good time to take about NCAA free agents this season. (Canucks Scouts were also at UND-WIS this weekend, but I assumed that was for LaBate).
I've gotten a good look at Antoine Laganiere this season and I'd say he is amongst my top free agent this season, along with Andrej Sustr and Nate Schmidt. I'd also add Ryan Walters to my list of wants!
Laganiere definitely fits into the mold Gillis has been trending towards, a package of skill, speed and size. He covers a lot of ice in little time, seem him breakaway and drive to the net quite often. Also, with the system Yale plays, He is very aggressive on the forecheck and has thrown some strong hits along the boards. When you combine all of this with his hands, you can see why the Canucks first invited him to camp and why they are scouting him now in person. He is the player we'd want Beattie to become at the end of his 4 years.
Not that high on Zengrele anymore. Looked invisible in most of the games I've seen this season. Just doesn't create much and looks much less dynamic than he was when Schultz was there. TBH, the last couple games I watched, LaBate and Lee and Mersch looked much better than Zengrele.
Another FA I liked was Spiro Goulakos, but unfortunately he was just diagnosed with cancer. So I don't know what to do with that. He is definitely a very noticeable player for Colgate, solid defensively, can skate very well, very mobile, and has a high level of offensive awareness. The PP with and without him is stark. Hopefully he can recover and return next year?
Thanks for the write up. Was wondering about Laganiere as soon as I saw Gillis was interested. Can any one of these FAs be signed at any time?
Thanks for the write up. Was wondering about Laganiere as soon as I saw Gillis was interested. Can any one of these FAs be signed at any time?
Who do you like more Laganiere, Sustr or Shmidt?
They can sign with any team as soon as their season is over, usually March-April is when there is a spurt of signings.
I want them all! I would say I like Sustr more because he has enormous potential with his size, reach and continuing development. But both him and Schmidt have 75% of the league waiting to offer them contracts and we don't necessarily offer the best opportunity for playing time now or in the next couple of years. I don't see them choosing us, unfortunately.
Laganiere could likely step in the AHL at the end of this season and help out the Wolves. He'd likely get a good chance to play a lot of minutes next season as well. He just makes sense on an organization level and based on what Gillis has been looking for. Need some more dynamic wingers beyond Kassian and Jensen. So i can see him seeing us as an attractive option.
They can sign with any team as soon as their season is over, usually March-April is when there is a spurt of signings.
I want them all! I would say I like Sustr more because he has enormous potential with his size, reach and continuing development. But both him and Schmidt have 75% of the league waiting to offer them contracts and we don't necessarily offer the best opportunity for playing time now or in the next couple of years. I don't see them choosing us, unfortunately.
Laganiere could likely step in the AHL at the end of this season and help out the Wolves. He'd likely get a good chance to play a lot of minutes next season as well. He just makes sense on an organization level and based on what Gillis has been looking for. Need some more dynamic wingers beyond Kassian and Jensen. So i can see him seeing us as an attractive option.
Laganiere could likely step in the AHL at the end of this season and help out the Wolves. He'd likely get a good chance to play a lot of minutes next season as well. He just makes sense on an organization level and based on what Gillis has been looking for. Need some more dynamic wingers beyond Kassian and Jensen. So i can see him seeing us as an attractive option.
I don't believe we have at this time; there was a rumor earlier this year that the Wolves might not be interested in extending the affiliation agreement, as well. But that's all rumor at this time.
... we don't necessarily offer the best opportunity for playing time now or in the next couple of years. I don't see them choosing us, unfortunately.
...
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On the bright side, they can point directly at Tanev when discussing player opportunity on the team. He's a pretty rare case in this league, and it speaks well to the Canucks ongoing youth infusion to have him in the lineup playing solid minutes. If we came out with even one of those players it would be a decent boost to our prospect pool.
I hope MG can sign a few NCAA players......that are top 6 material......we have far more bottom 6 on the Wolves than top 6, need more canucks ptospect than Wolves on the team
Canucks 6th rounder Wesley Myron leaves Boston U. Wonder where he's headed next.
We've been following his departure as best we can. Some lengthy posts by myself and others can be found above in this thread, along with a more detailed news article or two.
His destination is thought to be the ECHL / K-zoo (?) but so far, no further news on that.
They can sign with any team as soon as their season is over, usually March-April is when there is a spurt of signings.
I want them all! I would say I like Sustr more because he has enormous potential with his size, reach and continuing development. But both him and Schmidt have 75% of the league waiting to offer them contracts and we don't necessarily offer the best opportunity for playing time now or in the next couple of years. I don't see them choosing us, unfortunately.
Laganiere could likely step in the AHL at the end of this season and help out the Wolves. He'd likely get a good chance to play a lot of minutes next season as well. He just makes sense on an organization level and based on what Gillis has been looking for. Need some more dynamic wingers beyond Kassian and Jensen. So i can see him seeing us as an attractive option.
I would love to see us take the free contract spots that Stefan Schneider and Prab Rai will be leaving and offer Laganiere and Sustr contracts. We'd be lucky to get one of the two but why not eh?
would love tohave Andrej Sustr. How did no team take a chance on him is crazy. 6"8 defenseman.
Ya, I agree. I imagine he flew under the radar at the draft still playing in the Czech Republic. Lets see if Gillis can find a way to tempt this guy into signing with us.
Who are the top NCAA free agents this year? It sounds like there must be a decent crop considering Gillis' road trip and the amount of current discussion.
Bumping from a few pages back, missed the Myron discussion over the weekend. Yeesh you're right feebster, sounds like Hodgson's dad might be Myron's advisor
Seriously though, I won't rush to judge Myron's character based on this, simply because of the amount of kids we've seen leaving BU lately. Even though it's common knowledge freshmen don't play much at that level, you have to assume they're being promised the moon in recruiting and then when reality sets in they probably feel a bit cheated.
(Still, I'd stay for the free eduction and the college chicks, but that's just me)
He can still return to the BCHL as a 20-year-old. Nuts, I thought I was breaking something cool. My apologies guys.
No apologies needed. The Myron story, like the McNally story earlier, has fallen out of our "news cycle" here already . . . yet we still don't know Myron's side of it, nor what he's doing now . . . working at Pizza Hut?
From personal experience, I'd say the girls at BU are better than Pizza Hut.
You say he can still return to the BCHL at age 20. Any more news about him would be good to hear.
The way the story about Myron broke, it sounded like he had an opportunity to turn pro, rather than go back to a Junior league. To me, that leaves the options as Europe or the ECHL. We saw the Canucks make use of Europe for both Grenier and Hannay, so that could be a route for Myron to try while still staying on the Canucks' radar.
The way the story about Myron broke, it sounded like he had an opportunity to turn pro, rather than go back to a Junior league. To me, that leaves the options as Europe or the ECHL. We saw the Canucks make use of Europe for both Grenier and Hannay, so that could be a route for Myron to try while still staying on the Canucks' radar.
Sadly though, both those guys are back in NA after being cut. Hannay is with the Halifax Mooseheads again and as we know, Grenier is in Kalamazoo. Would be interesting to see if Myron goes to Europe or stays.
Bumping from a few pages back, missed the Myron discussion over the weekend. Yeesh you're right feebster, sounds like Hodgson's dad might be Myron's advisor
Seriously though, I won't rush to judge Myron's character based on this, simply because of the amount of kids we've seen leaving BU lately. Even though it's common knowledge freshmen don't play much at that level, you have to assume they're being promised the moon in recruiting and then when reality sets in they probably feel a bit cheated.
Gotta wonder what they said to him when he was recruited...
Quote:
(Still, I'd stay for the free eduction and the college chicks, but that's just me)
Who are the top NCAA free agents this year? It sounds like there must be a decent crop considering Gillis' road trip and the amount of current discussion.
Laganiere "6'4 Center I think someone MG will go after
@TysonGiuriato
#Canucks prospects Alex Mallet and Alex Grenier each had a goal and assist + Yann Sauve scored the OT winner as the @KalamazooWings win 5-4
@TysonGiuriato
#Canucks prospect Alex Grenier now has five points (2-3-5) in the last two games and 12 points (2-10-12) in 11 games with the K-Wings
No way he takes over from Donnelly during playoff season though.
