Over on IslanderMania someone said that he'd heard from someone close to Lacroix that he'd been told he would not be signed. 7th round picks are always a longshot anyway, so we shouldn't be surprised.
I'd be a little disappointed to see Lacroix not signed -- we're thin at D and he did just captain a team to the finals of the Q playoffs, not to mention put up 50 pts in 62 games. He's a longshot, sure, but seems to have good upside. Not a huge loss, really, but still would've liked to see his rights retained.
I'd be a little disappointed to see Lacroix not signed -- we're thin at D and he did just captain a team to the finals of the Q playoffs, not to mention put up 50 pts in 62 games. He's a longshot, sure, but seems to have good upside. Not a huge loss, really, but still would've liked to see his rights retained.
Agreed. I wonder how the reserve list is looking. Maybe it was just a numbers game.
If they decline to sign Gratchev though I'd be a little nonplussed because why invite him to BPort if they have no plans for him inthe future?
Maybe he didn't impress in all those practices.
The draft is a numbers game, therefore the more seeds you have planted the potential for more to grow. However, I like that management is exercising a discriminating eye in terms of their prospects.
While I think the Isles drafting has improved since the lapse between 2000-2005, they still have a ways to go evidently. Middling prospects with decent upside forming a team full of bottom 6'ers and bottom pairing D. Yeah, there are a few wild cards (Ness, Petrov, Katic, Figren) and diamonds in the rough (Dibo, Gregoire), but those are more the exception than the norm and we could see the next wave of Justin Mapletofts or Jeremy Collitons.
Thankfully, they've done well in the first round (sans 2005) and are poised to follow suit in 1.5 months.
Agreed. I wonder how the reserve list is looking. Maybe it was just a numbers game.
With the cap on the amount of guys you can have signed Garth has to make some decisions. Last year we had a lot of picks and this year we will have a ton of picks. So we aren't going to be able to sign everyone. I trust Garth and his scouts have done enough scouting on these guys to know who to sign.
this is time to trust the scouts and not the stats. they'll make mistakes, just like all teams do.
ultimately, the measure is how many players do make it and whether they're able to contriute to a winning team, in the NHL and in the AHL (as well as Jr. College, Europe - for that matter)
it would be nice to see a BP team go deep in the playoffs.
it would be nice to see some of our draft choices win a championship (like Trivino, albeit in a limited role)
i don't want michael ryder, good stats, not much else.
It's a big mistake that the organization will likely pass on Lacroix, I was really looking forward to seeing him develop in the system. I still feel that Gratchev could get an AHL deal similar to Tyler Haskins and Haley had the past 2 seasons.
It's a big mistake that the organization will likely pass on Lacroix, I was really looking forward to seeing him develop in the system. I still feel that Gratchev could get an AHL deal similar to Tyler Haskins and Haley had the past 2 seasons.
I felt the same way when the Isles chose not to sign Wes O'Neill a few years back. Turns out they were right about him. In general, I feel like most organizations take a "let's be safe than sorry" approach and sign all prospects that have even the least bit of potential of making the NHL. If the Isles' scouting staff doesn't think Lacroix or Gratchev will make it, I'm going to trust it. There are very few cases of unsigned prospects that become any good. Unless of course, it was a contract issue as was with Wheeler and Umberger. All others just don't make it. Gotta have faith in the scouting staff.
I felt the same way when the Isles chose not to sign Wes O'Neill a few years back. Turns out they were right about him. In general, I feel like most organizations take a "let's be safe than sorry" approach and sign all prospects that have even the least bit of potential of making the NHL. If the Isles' scouting staff doesn't think Lacroix or Gratchev will make it, I'm going to trust it. There are very few cases of unsigned prospects that become any good. Unless of course, it was a contract issue as was with Wheeler and Umberger. All others just don't make it. Gotta have faith in the scouting staff.
I had high hopes for O'Neill too, as well as Caldwell and Blanshan also. I was way off on all 3. I guess my job as an NHL scout will have to wait.
But Garth has shown a keen eye to know which prospects to keep and which ones to dump. And if the scounting staff thinks it's safe to pass on Lacroix and/or Gratchev, who am I to argue.
Detailed, accurate, and fair. That said, don't expect much of a response. You didn't inject any controversy.
Reading some of the rest of that thread... According to some other posters, Trivino would be a waste for scoring only 13 points in his first year, Petrov would be a Eurobust, and Dibenedetto would be packaged to Toronto for a 2nd round pick '10 and on the way to 80 pt season and the ROY.
Strengths: The team has solid depth in all three forward positions with Kirill Petrov, Jesse Joensuu, Corey Trivino, and Robin Figren. They also have defensive depth with Aaron Ness, Travis Hamonic and Jyri Niemi leading the way. Weaknesses: While the Islanders may have depth in forward and defense, they lack any sort of impact prospect in the system. The organization is also very thin in net. Top 5 prospects: 1. Kirill Petrov, RW, 2. Jesse Joensuu, LW, 3. Trevor Smith, C, 4. Robin Figren, LW, 5. Jason Gregoire, LW. Key losses to graduation: Kyle Okposo, Joshua Bailey, Frans Nielsen, Blake Comeau.
Last edited by Forty Six and Two: 05-27-2009 at 05:54 PM.
Strengths: The team has solid depth in all three forward positions with Kirill Petrov, Jesse Joensuu, Corey Trivino, and Robin Figren. They also have defensive depth with Aaron Ness, Travis Hamonic and Jyri Niemi leading the way. Weaknesses: While the Islanders may have depth in forward and defense, they lack any sort of impact prospect in the system. The organization is also very thin in net. Top 5 prospects: 1. Kirill Petrov, RW, 2. Jesse Joensuu, LW, 3. Trevor Smith, C, 4. Robin Figren, LW, 5. Jason Gregoire, LW. Key losses to graduation: Kyle Okposo, Joshua Bailey, Frans Nielsen, Blake Comeau.
i take that site with a grain of salt. the fact that bailey isn't a "prospect" any more is crazy..i don't care that he play 70 games already. plus they will be moving up once the draft occurs this month
Strengths: The team has solid depth in all three forward positions with Kirill Petrov, Jesse Joensuu, Corey Trivino, and Robin Figren. They also have defensive depth with Aaron Ness, Travis Hamonic and Jyri Niemi leading the way. Weaknesses: While the Islanders may have depth in forward and defense, they lack any sort of impact prospect in the system. The organization is also very thin in net. Top 5 prospects: 1. Kirill Petrov, RW, 2. Jesse Joensuu, LW, 3. Trevor Smith, C, 4. Robin Figren, LW, 5. Jason Gregoire, LW. Key losses to graduation: Kyle Okposo, Joshua Bailey, Frans Nielsen, Blake Comeau.
Thanks!
I saw this too and was, at first, not happy with the ranking.
Then I took into consideration that our best prospects are on the Island alredy anyways, so I understood it more.
But then I though about how this isn't just a ranking of prospects, but of "organizational depth". Haven't yet looked up how they define that.
I take it all with a grain of salt. I'd have to think that if organizational depth includes guys with 3 or less years of NHL duty under their belt, well, we're surely not 29th in the league.
i take that site with a grain of salt. the fact that bailey isn't a "prospect" any more is crazy..i don't care that he play 70 games already. plus they will be moving up once the draft occurs this month
Yep, I think so too, especially if they use the picks they have.
But one way or the other, alone the #1 will have to have us jumping up the list a bit.
Imagine, if all of our early picks are used, we will have had three 1sts, six 2nds and five 3rds within a two year span. That simply HAS to have an effect on organizational depth rankings.
