Wouldn't surprise me either way with Merrill. I think he's clearly ready for the pro game but at the same time, he might feel he wants to leave Michigan on a high note after a full season.
I will eat my hat if he finishes his college career. No way.
The devils have never been one to rush a player. With Salvador likely out next year retiring at age 37, we'll have a spot open up, which I think could be for Urbom, however, it will also be interesting with the play of Gelinas in the AHL this year. We still have Tao waiting as well.
With that depth, I'd think Merrill stays another year at Michigan. No doubt. After next year, he maybe gets a shot, depends upon his development and maturity.
Possible Taormina moves as Group 6 UFA this summer.
Volchenkov
Greene
Larsson
Fayne
Zidlicky
Tallinder (assuming he returns healthy)
There's not much room with the big club barring a trade, which may prompt Tao to take an offer elsewhere, given the promise of being an NHL regular. Could see Urbom staying up as 7th d-man.
Scott Wedgewood - win, stopped 17 of 20 shots in Plymouth's 10-6 win at Erie
*relieved Matt Mahalak after 7:48 as Mahalak allowed 3 goals on 7 shots
*Erie's much publicized goaltending problems certainly haven't been solved. Adam Wood, recalled from the Clarington Eagles of the Central Ontario Junior C Hockey League, started and stopped 29 of 39 shots.
It is a tough thing to call where Merrill might go after this NCAA season. IT would seem that he has some kind of deep loyality to the Wolverines hockey program and there is nothing wrong with that. I think his thoughts on whether to leave or go forward depends on how deep the team goes in the playoffs. But on a side note I would love to see him in a NJ or more likely a Albany uniform, I think he would make a strong replacement for Gelinas because i think a spot on the top team might be his for the taking.
Wouldn't surprise me either way with Merrill. I think he's clearly ready for the pro game but at the same time, he might feel he wants to leave Michigan on a high note after a full season.
I will eat my hat if he finishes his college career. No way.
I agree, he won't finish out the four years. I think we'll need him in NJ well before that. It's not rushing him either, the kid is ready for the professional game.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DevsFan30
Wednesday's OHL Activity:
Scott Wedgewood - win, stopped 17 of 20 shots in Plymouth's 10-6 win at Erie
*relieved Matt Mahalak after 7:48 as Mahalak allowed 3 goals on 7 shots
*Erie's much publicized goaltending problems certainly haven't been solved. Adam Wood, recalled from the Clarington Eagles of the Central Ontario Junior C Hockey League, started and stopped 29 of 39 shots.
My goodness, that's a lacrosse score. Total insanity.
Sucks for Erie. I know Junior C up there is still very good, but this is the OHL we're talking about. Has to be tough for any kid to make that kind of leap in talent.
I don't know about that, around here the Junior C is BRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUTAL
Just the better players from house league. I mean I'm sure it's better in Ontario but still can't be anything good. Might as well put that forward back in net since he'd actually know what's going on out in front of him
It is a tough thing to call where Merrill might go after this NCAA season. IT would seem that he has some kind of deep loyality to the Wolverines hockey program and there is nothing wrong with that. I think his thoughts on whether to leave or go forward depends on how deep the team goes in the playoffs. But on a side note I would love to see him in a NJ or more likely a Albany uniform, I think he would make a strong replacement for Gelinas because i think a spot on the top team might be his for the taking.
When he didn't jump ship to go to the OHL this season he pretty much showed that he is going to play at least another season at Michigan. If he wasn't it was in his best interest to go to the OHL.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Getzo5
Brian Costello @bcostellothn
#Devils have B- rating and 1 prospect (Jon Merrill) among top 75 in THN's upcoming #FutureWatch
Not surprising. I don't really care about what the rankings say, I'm high on a good amount of our prospects.
So a 20 year old that leads the AHL in goals by a defenseman doesn't make the cut as a top 75 prospect?
Hurrrr durr
Was Yannick Weber a top 75 prospect a few years back? I think we could come up with a pretty lengthy list of prospects we'd be willing to trade Gelinas for.
Future Watch usually skews towards WJC performance since it's the freshest thing on the memory of the respondents. There's usually not a consensus top 10 either. The year that Alex Pietrangelo was named the #1 overall prospect, more than half of the people polled didn't put him in their top 5. I can only imagine how scattered the rankings get after the top tier.
It's a fun issue for bragging rights, but it's hardly definitive. I still love the screenshot HabsFan18 has of an older issue which had Detroit/Edmonton's articles on the same page. THN proclaimed the Oilers to have a top 10 system with surefire guys like Jani Rita and Alexei Semenov. Meanwhile the Red Wings were in the bottom tier with Nik Kronwall and some unheralded guys like Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk.
Was Yannick Weber a top 75 prospect a few years back? I think we could come up with a pretty lengthy list of prospects we'd be willing to trade Gelinas for.
Future Watch usually skews towards WJC performance since it's the freshest thing on the memory of the respondents. There's usually not a consensus top 10 either. The year that Alex Pietrangelo was named the #1 overall prospect, more than half of the people polled didn't put him in their top 5. I can only imagine how scattered the rankings get after the top tier.
It's a fun issue for bragging rights, but it's hardly definitive. I still love the screenshot HabsFan18 has of an older issue which had Detroit/Edmonton's articles on the same page. THN proclaimed the Oilers to have a top 10 system with surefire guys like Jani Rita and Alexei Semenov. Meanwhile the Red Wings were in the bottom tier with Nik Kronwall and some unheralded guys like Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk.
Anyone remember Pierre Dagenais? He was drafted TWICE by the Devils, in 96 and then in 1998.
Well, he's playing for the Akwesasne Warriors of the Federal Hockey League (which I would not know about if the Danbury Whalers weren't in my home town) and he's been burning the league down. Recently someone called him "the Gretzky of the FHL" which I thought was crazy, and then I checked his stats.
He has 81 goals in 45 games so far this season. TWO separate 14-point games. I'm not trying to say anyone should pick him up, just thought it was funny that this guy topped out a sub-ECHL hockey league.
OHL:
Reid Boucher - 1 goal, 1 assist, +1 in Sarnia's 5-4 win vs. Sault Ste. Marie
*Sarnia was outshot 48-25 but scored 5 goals in 10:05 span from late 2nd to early 3rd period
*Boucher seemed to be playing on 2nd line with Sarault and Alberga
Scott Wedgewood - win, stopped 30 of 32 shots in Plymouth's 5-2 win at Kitchener
WHL:
Reece Scarlett - 1 assist, -1 in Swift Current's 5-2 loss at Prince Albert
*Anthony Bardaro scored natural hat trick in 3rd period to snap 2-2 tie, finished with 4 goals
NCAA:
Blake Coleman - 1 goal, 1 assist, +2, 2 PIM (coinc. rough), 1 shot, won 5 of 9 draws in #11 Miami's 6-0 win vs. #15 Michigan State
*CCHA Second Round - Miami leads best-of-3 series, 1-0
David Wohlberg - E, 2 shots, won 7 of 19 draws in #4 Michigan's 2-1 2OT win vs. #17 Notre Dame
Jon Merrill - +2, 5 shots, 4 blocked shots, won 1 of 1 draws for Michigan
*CCHA Second Round - Michigan leads best-of-3 series, 1-0
Corbin McPherson - +1, 1 shot in Colgate's 4-2 win vs. Quinnipiac
*ECAC Quarterfinals - Colgate leads best-of-3 series, 1-0
Seth Helgeson - E, 2 shots in #5 Minnesota's 2-1 win vs. Alaska-Anchorage
*WCHA First Round - Minnesota leads best-of-3 series, 1-0
Joe Faust - E, 2 PIM (hold), 3 shots in Wisconsin's 1-0 win at #9 Denver
Patrick Daly - DNP
*WCHA First Round - Wisconsin leads best-of-3 series, 1-0
Blake Pietila - E, 14 PIM (double rough, misconduct), 2 shots in Michigan Tech's 3-1 win at #18 Colorado College
*WCHA First Round - Michigan Tech leads best-of-3 series, 1-0
*involved in altercation that saw 58 total PIMs with 43 seconds left
OHL:
Reid Boucher - 1 goal, 1 assist, +1 in Sarnia's 5-4 win vs. Sault Ste. Marie
*Sarnia was outshot 48-25 but scored 5 goals in 10:05 span from late 2nd to early 3rd period
*Boucher seemed to be playing on 2nd line with Sarault and Alberga
Scott Wedgewood - win, stopped 30 of 32 shots in Plymouth's 5-2 win at Kitchener
NCAA:
Blake Coleman - 1 goal, 1 assist, +2, 2 PIM (coinc. rough), 1 shot, won 5 of 9 draws in #11 Miami's 6-0 win vs. #15 Michigan State
*CCHA Second Round - Miami leads best-of-3 series, 1-0
Playing on the 2nd line = 2 points, plus rating, automatic.
Also, this reminds me that Coleman seems to have a lot of roughing minors. Me gusta.
Possible Taormina moves as Group 6 UFA this summer.
Volchenkov
Greene
Larsson
Fayne
Zidlicky
Tallinder (assuming he returns healthy)
There's not much room with the big club barring a trade, which may prompt Tao to take an offer elsewhere, given the promise of being an NHL regular. Could see Urbom staying up as 7th d-man.
It's really going to be interesting next season with the glutness of this defensive core. There is literally no spots opon for a rookie to step up.
