Although, Engelland hasn't really been that guy this season either.
If you're arguing that we need Engelland because we're way too soft, I agree. If you're saying as long as we have Engelland we're fine in terms of needing enforcers, I would disagree.
Did you write this post before the game tonight? (I wrote mine before the game, and then we saw Engo drop the gloves and fare well against a heavyweight tonight )
All I'm saying is: Yes, we need an enforcer. Yes, I like Engelland both as a player and for his contract/cap-hit. And yes, I think that his presence and fighting ability is needed on this team. Of course, I would rather have a Milan Lucic who could score 30 goals AND deter opposing players and kick the **** out of them, too. But we don't have a Lucic, a Tyler Biggs, Tom Wilson or Erik Gudbranson in the system.
So I don't care if Engelland plays as the #6 Dman or if we converted him a swing-man who played 7th D and 4th line wing. All I know is that I want him on this team and in the line-up every night, at least for the foreseeable future (next 2-3 years or until we find a suitable replacement that is also capable of contributing and playing real minutes)
Is there any good free agents in juniors? I know straka isnt sigend and hes having a good season so far. I saw anaheim signed Sarault, 102 points in the OHL. Im hoping we can get a good prospect for free.
I know undrafted/unsigned players are often longshots. But its a bit dissapointing when team signs players like Shinnimin, who might not pan out but at least put up 134 points last year in juniors. And we sign Payerl.
I think when its coming to undrafted players you might just go with the boom or bust player imo.
Is Derrick Pouliot on an ELC because Cap geek says that his cap hit is $1.350m but I'm guessing that's only if he was to actually be playing for the Penguins?
Is Derrick Pouliot on an ELC because Cap geek says that his cap hit is $1.350m but I'm guessing that's only if he was to actually be playing for the Penguins?
Yep. He and the Pens agreed to his ELC but it won't go into effect until he starts playing in the AHL or the NHL. He'll get 1.350m to play in the NHL and 70k to play in the AHL.
Did you write this post before the game tonight? (I wrote mine before the game, and then we saw Engo drop the gloves and fare well against a heavyweight tonight )
All I'm saying is: Yes, we need an enforcer. Yes, I like Engelland both as a player and for his contract/cap-hit. And yes, I think that his presence and fighting ability is needed on this team. Of course, I would rather have a Milan Lucic who could score 30 goals AND deter opposing players and kick the **** out of them, too. But we don't have a Lucic, a Tyler Biggs, Tom Wilson or Erik Gudbranson in the system.
So I don't care if Engelland plays as the #6 Dman or if we converted him a swing-man who played 7th D and 4th line wing. All I know is that I want him on this team and in the line-up every night, at least for the foreseeable future (next 2-3 years or until we find a suitable replacement that is also capable of contributing and playing real minutes)
Yep, I wrote it before. I still want some help for Engelland in the enforcer department, and if he doesn't improve his game defensively he won't be able to maintain his spot in the lineup...what with all the talent coming up the system.
I just want to give a shout-out to Tom m.f. Kuhnhackl, our forgotten prospect. People never stopped talking about Veillieux, until he joined the KKK, but Tommy Kuhn has been somewhat of a forgotten man amongst our group. So having watched this guy play A LOT in juniors, I have been reflecting on his absence, his upside, and what he may be able to provide for us going forward.
Basically, what it comes down to is this: like Beau Bennett, Tommy Kuhn has some very strong instrinsic strengths to his game that cannnot be taught: specifically, he very good hockey sense & offensive instincts, he has a HELL of a great shot, and he has the ability to play with and think the game with good players like Sid, Geno and those types of guys. He's not afraid to go to the net or be physical, and like Neal, makes great little quick chip passes or give & goes over short distances when leading/trailing his linemates up on the rush. And he's smart enough to be a reliable 200ft player. His one-timer on the PP is fantastic (2nd PP unit potential). He also has a VERY big and wide frame to fill out (as big as James Neal, perhaps even a touch bigger)
But also like Beau Bennett, this guy had done VERY little, if any, training prior to being drafted and even much during junior. So, like Bennett, if Kuhnhackl decides that he's going to work with a great trainer and put in the kind of work BB did, Kuhnhackl is the type of player who could have a breakout-type season in the AHL next year (i.e. among the better offensive players in that league, get invited to the all-star game, possibly lead our team in scoring, etc.); and then possibly seriously compete for a job at the NHL level the following season. No, he is not a blue-chip, sure thing like Niederreiter or Coyle, but he has 30 goal upside and could be a legitimate option (not just a fill in) to play wing on a line with Sid or Geno. All he has to do is put the work in off the ice. Let's see if he does that this season.
I just want to give a shout-out to Tom m.f. Kuhnhackl, our forgotten prospect. People never stopped talking about Veillieux, until he joined the KKK, but Tommy Kuhn has been somewhat of a forgotten man amongst our group. So having watched this guy play A LOT in juniors, I have been reflecting on his absence, his upside, and what he may be able to provide for us going forward.
Basically, what it comes down to is this: like Beau Bennett, Tommy Kuhn has some very strong instrinsic strengths to his game that cannnot be taught: specifically, he very good hockey sense & offensive instincts, he has a HELL of a great shot, and he has the ability to play with and think the game with good players like Sid, Geno and those types of guys. He's not afraid to go to the net or be physical, and like Neal, makes great little quick chip passes or give & goes over short distances when leading/trailing his linemates up on the rush. And he's smart enough to be a reliable 200ft player. His one-timer on the PP is fantastic (2nd PP unit potential). He also has a VERY big and wide frame to fill out (as big as James Neal, perhaps even a touch bigger)
But also like Beau Bennett, this guy had done VERY little, if any, training prior to being drafted and even much during junior. So, like Bennett, if Kuhnhackl decides that he's going to work with a great trainer and put in the kind of work BB did, Kuhnhackl is the type of player who could have a breakout-type season in the AHL next year (i.e. among the better offensive players in that league, get invited to the all-star game, possibly lead our team in scoring, etc.); and then possibly seriously compete for a job at the NHL level the following season. No, he is not a blue-chip, sure thing like Niederreiter or Coyle, but he has 30 goal upside and could be a legitimate option (not just a fill in) to play wing on a line with Sid or Geno. All he has to do is put the work in off the ice. Let's see if he does that this season.
Is he back in the lineup yet? I keep seeing that he's been scratched, assuming he's hurt.
I just want to give a shout-out to Tom m.f. Kuhnhackl, our forgotten prospect. People never stopped talking about Veillieux, until he joined the KKK, but Tommy Kuhn has been somewhat of a forgotten man amongst our group. So having watched this guy play A LOT in juniors, I have been reflecting on his absence, his upside, and what he may be able to provide for us going forward.
Basically, what it comes down to is this: like Beau Bennett, Tommy Kuhn has some very strong instrinsic strengths to his game that cannnot be taught: specifically, he very good hockey sense & offensive instincts, he has a HELL of a great shot, and he has the ability to play with and think the game with good players like Sid, Geno and those types of guys. He's not afraid to go to the net or be physical, and like Neal, makes great little quick chip passes or give & goes over short distances when leading/trailing his linemates up on the rush. And he's smart enough to be a reliable 200ft player. His one-timer on the PP is fantastic (2nd PP unit potential). He also has a VERY big and wide frame to fill out (as big as James Neal, perhaps even a touch bigger)
But also like Beau Bennett, this guy had done VERY little, if any, training prior to being drafted and even much during junior. So, like Bennett, if Kuhnhackl decides that he's going to work with a great trainer and put in the kind of work BB did, Kuhnhackl is the type of player who could have a breakout-type season in the AHL next year (i.e. among the better offensive players in that league, get invited to the all-star game, possibly lead our team in scoring, etc.); and then possibly seriously compete for a job at the NHL level the following season. No, he is not a blue-chip, sure thing like Niederreiter or Coyle, but he has 30 goal upside and could be a legitimate option (not just a fill in) to play wing on a line with Sid or Geno. All he has to do is put the work in off the ice. Let's see if he does that this season.
I remeber there being other knocks on him like his stength and that if he reaches his potential he become a neal typeplayer, knows how to score goals but will do much better with a great center, is this true...
Edit: Just got this from hockeysfutures take on him: The German-born Kuhnhackl has demonstrated over his past two seasons in the OHL that he has the potential to be a complementary goal-scoring forward at the professional level. Possessing a lethal wrist shot in tight, Kuhnhackl does his best work in the slot and around the net. He is particularly competent without the puck and seems to innately find open ice and scoring lanes.
sounds alot like neal, which isnt a bad thing
I think the odds of Kuhnhackl being an NHL 30-goal scorer are next to nil.
Scoring goals in this league is hard, really hard, and indeed only about 30 guys do it each season. Kuhnhackl's track record to date shows one decent OHL season and not much else other than injuries. At this point in time, I find that to be a majorly optimistic projection.
I think the odds of Kuhnhackl being an NHL 30-goal scorer are next to nil.
Theres really no telling what prospects from after rounds will become, i mean, look at cambell(one of seeabrook,cambell or keith) hewas what, 17th on there prospect list, know hes on of th.e top offensive defencemen. The skillis there just a matter of wether he works hard enough,same with hankowski, he projects as apure goal scorer.
The skill is not really there. Nor is it for "Hankowski."
Like clefty said, 30 goal scorers are a pretty exclusive club. Neither Kuhnhackl nor Hanowski are as purely skilled nor as hard working as, say, Chris Kunitz, and even he's never hit 30.
I didn't mean to suggest that Kuhnhackl was a shoo-in to score 30 goals -- in fact, didn't I specifically say that he's not a blue chip prospect in my post? What I was saying, simply, is that if we look at our prospect list and we see a void of high-end forward talent, that among those players, Kuhnhackl often gets forgotten due to injury. But his goal-scoring potential is tops in our organization among our prospects.
We have seen countless examples of players with tons of talent who don't put in the work off the ice in terms of training, and we've seen what high-level training does to certain players (such as Bennett with TR Goodman, or Gary Roberts and his crew of players). What I'm saying is that if Kuhnhackl committed to a serious off-ice training program like TR or Roberts, you could see this guy right back on the map as a seriously good prospect with significant upside.
This guy has size, a great frame, very good skills, great offensive instincts, bloodlines, willingness to go to the net, a 2-way conscience, and one of the top 5 shots in our entire organization. The only thing standing between him becoming a legit NHLer is the training element. If he doesn't commit to that, he won't be anything. If he does commit to it, he could be a top-6 goal scoring forward.
I'm just pointing out the amusing dichotomy between Keven Veilleux, whose upside never seemed to go off the radar until this season, yet one bad calendar year of injuries and Kuhn is the forgotten man. Deal with it.
I think the odds of Kuhnhackl being an NHL 30-goal scorer are next to nil.
Scoring goals in this league is hard, really hard, and indeed only about 30 guys do it each season. Kuhnhackl's track record to date shows one decent OHL season and not much else other than injuries. At this point in time, I find that to be a majorly optimistic projection.
Yeah, I'll be pretty shocked if he or Hanowski do anything of note in the NHL. I could definitely see them score some big point totals in the AHL though, just because both have great shots.
Yeah, I'll be pretty shocked if he or Hanowski do anything of note in the NHL. I could definitely see them score some big point totals in the AHL though, just because both have great shots.
Yeah, well I'm also pretty surprised that these two totally different players are being put into the same category, just because they both have good shots? Let's try to evaluate each of our prospects invidually, rather than just lump two different guys together.
Again, I'll just make my point again based on seeing Kuhnhackl play 60+ regular season an playoff games in the OHL: this kid has A LOT of different skills, and the only thing holding him back (and what probably led to his injuries) was that he had never really done any significant off-ice training program. And if he is able/willing to make the dedication to do so, he could make some serious noise in our prospect pool and could be an impact player in the NHL (i.e. very good complementary 2nd/3rd line goal-scoring winger and PP guy).
I didn't mean to suggest that Kuhnhackl was a shoo-in to score 30 goals -- in fact, didn't I specifically say that he's not a blue chip prospect in my post? What I was saying, simply, is that if we look at our prospect list and we see a void of high-end forward talent, that among those players, Kuhnhackl often gets forgotten due to injury. But his goal-scoring potential is tops in our organization among our prospects.
We have seen countless examples of players with tons of talent who don't put in the work off the ice in terms of training, and we've seen what high-level training does to certain players (such as Bennett with TR Goodman, or Gary Roberts and his crew of players). What I'm saying is that if Kuhnhackl committed to a serious off-ice training program like TR or Roberts, you could see this guy right back on the map as a seriously good prospect with significant upside.
This guy has size, a great frame, very good skills, great offensive instincts, bloodlines, willingness to go to the net, a 2-way conscience, and one of the top 5 shots in our entire organization. The only thing standing between him becoming a legit NHLer is the training element. If he doesn't commit to that, he won't be anything. If he does commit to it, he could be a top-6 goal scoring forward.
I'm just pointing out the amusing dichotomy between Keven Veilleux, whose upside never seemed to go off the radar until this season, yet one bad calendar year of injuries and Kuhn is the forgotten man. Deal with it.
No, I know what you said, and to even talk about 30 goal upside is again, extremely optimistic. I don't think you get to say he's not a blue chipper and then say he has 30 goal potential in the exact same sentence.
Yeah, well I'm also pretty surprised that these two totally different players are being put into the same category, just because they both have good shots? Let's try to evaluate each of our prospects invidually, rather than just lump two different guys together.
Again, I'll just make my point again based on seeing Kuhnhackl play 60+ regular season an playoff games in the OHL: this kid has A LOT of different skills, and the only thing holding him back (and what probably led to his injuries) was that he had never really done any significant off-ice training program. And if he is able/willing to make the dedication to do so, he could make some serious noise in our prospect pool and could be an impact player in the NHL (i.e. very good complementary 2nd/3rd line goal-scoring winger and PP guy).
I'm not lumping them together. I'm merely saying, I think the shortcomings both guys have could see them not being NHL'ers. I think they could be good AHL players on natural skill alone though.
He looked overwhelmed in the AHL when he was healthy.
One guy who I think might be getting overlooked is Brian Gibbons. He was a pretty good scorer in college, so maybe a lot of people had him pegged as top 6 or bust.
This year he's really rounded his game out, to the point where he's strong defensively and he's getting a fair amount of PK time. He's a terrific skater, and his speed gives teams fits on the PK, he pressures the point man effectively and he creates a lot of chances going to the other way.
I think if he continues to round out his game, he can be a versatile guy who can PK and play in a lot of different situations, similar to Pascal Dupuis.
He looked overwhelmed in the AHL when he was healthy.
One guy who I think might be getting overlooked is Brian Gibbons. He was a pretty good scorer in college, so maybe a lot of people had him pegged as top 6 or bust.
This year he's really rounded his game out, to the point where he's strong defensively and he's getting a fair amount of PK time. He's a terrific skater, and his speed gives teams fits on the PK, he pressures the point man effectively and he creates a lot of chances going to the other way.
I think if he continues to round out his game, he can be a versatile guy who can PK and play in a lot of different situations, similar to Pascal Dupuis.
I agree about Gibbons. While he is smaller, his speed seems like it would be a nice asset to have on the bottom six at some point. He also has some skill as shown by his scoring in college. He, Uher, and Payerl formed a nice little line in the development camp this past summer.
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