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Post by seventeen on Oct 8, 2012 12:22:18 GMT -5
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Oct 9, 2012 9:51:59 GMT -5
The kid does show some nice skill and vision out there. I guess his timing is coming back! |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Oct 9, 2012 10:24:15 GMT -5
I know it is early, but here is a first top three prospects for the start of the hockey season. They have been playing for a bit in Europe and the CHL has been underway since September 20th, so some kids have been able to get off to a decent start. Here are a few of them:
1. Charles Hudon, LW/C, Chicoutimi (QMJHL) - I think I give the nod to Hudon because he was injured leading up to opening night, so he did not get the benefit of getting in game shape in the pre-season. That makes his fast start even more impressive, and moreso considering you never quite know what you are going to get out of a 5th rounder. He had a good summer camp with the WJC team and quite recently Bobby Mac on TSN had him as a strong candidate for this year's WJC team, which will be a tough team to make given that a lot of kids who were expected to be in the NHL this season are still in the mix. That would be a feather in his cap for sure. Charles has 5g 5a for 10 pts in his first 7 games played and has a nice +3 and 12 pim to go along for the ride. He still lacks that explosive first step and is a bit undersized, and that is likely why the Habs still were able to find him in the 5th round this summer.
2. Brady Vail, C, Windsor (OHL) - The Spits have dropped from the ranks of the perennial powerhouse after the graduation of all those good young players they have developed of late, so Brady has taken on a bigger role on the team this season. He played mainly the shutdown guy last year, and now he is getting more opportunity to put up points. The southern US born Vail has 4g 6a for 10 points in his first 8 games (he managed to get more points than Galchenyuk last night in a head to head battle of Hab prospects). He was a late start to ice hockey as he started playing in-line before converting over, so it will be interesting to see how his development keeps progressing. So far so good, as he is off to a good start.
3. Tim Bozon, LW, Kamloops (WHL) - I am giving props to each of the three CHL leagues this go around, and it is very warranted. The French-born Bozon has had a very decent start to his second season in North America. He has 10 points in his first 6 games. He seems to get points in spurts so far, as he has had three 3 point games so far this early season. I saw one Kamloops game, and they have two very talented offensive lines, so I can see them putting up lots of offense this season. He also has a very impressive +6 already in only 6 games, but that comes when you are putting up points and your team is winning. The Blazers are looking good and should be in the mix for the WHL title next spring.
Honourable Mention. Alex Galchenyuk, C, Sarnia (OHL) - I expect Alex will be a mainstay on my top three lists all season, so I gave the nod to the three others because they did get off to a better offensive start than Alex did. That is not surprising, as Alex has been shaking off the good old ice rust as he only played 8 games last season. It takes a while to get back in game shape and get your timing back. All is not lost as he had a great weekend with 6 points in two games, although Brady Vail got the last laugh as the Spits held Alex pointless last night. Alex now has 9 points in his first 7 games and he and Sarault will be heavily counted upon to put up points for what looks anything like a dominant team this season.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Oct 9, 2012 14:23:37 GMT -5
Does anyone know why Dalton Thrower has been a healthy scratch the last couple of games? Looks like Thrower is out of the coach's dog house as reports on another site are that he is back practising with the team and is expected to be back in the lineup for tomorrow night's tilt against the Portland WinterHawks. The Blades also added some character by trading young forward Stockl for Red Deer's captain Adam Kambeitz. They are off to a very slow start, so the shake up begins. |
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Post by seventeen on Oct 15, 2012 0:06:21 GMT -5
I don't know about Thrower being out of any doghouses. He didn't play Sunday, so unless he's hurt.... Dietz, OTH, had a goal and 3 assists and was first star of the game in a 6-3 win. He now has 7 points in 11 games. He's doing well on the PP. Sarnia outshot the hell out of the Soo Greyhounds, but only scored 3 in a 3-1 win. Galch had 2 assists. The first was unearned, but the second was a nice saucer pass to the winger who made a good shot: Highlights below: www.ontariohockeyleague.com/video/index/id/5ebb3e768d74255be654b97ab3ac370bCharlie Hudon had 3 points in a 7-3 win over Gatineau, and was first star of his game too. theqmjhl.ca/schedule/show/game/62669 |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Oct 15, 2012 16:10:49 GMT -5
I don't know about Thrower being out of any doghouses. He didn't play Sunday, so unless he's hurt.... Dietz, OTH, had a goal and 3 assists and was first star of the game in a 6-3 win. He now has 7 points in 11 games. He's doing well on the PP. Sarnia outshot the hell out of the Soo Greyhounds, but only scored 3 in a 3-1 win. Galch had 2 assists. The first was unearned, but the second was a nice saucer pass to the winger who made a good shot: Highlights below: www.ontariohockeyleague.com/video/index/id/5ebb3e768d74255be654b97ab3ac370bCharlie Hudon had 3 points in a 7-3 win over Gatineau, and was first star of his game too. theqmjhl.ca/schedule/show/game/62669Thrower threw a hard open ice hit the game before and was called for a hit to the head - so he was suspended for last night's game. Saw the video, the call could have gone either way. Dietz has a really good, hard accurate point shot, so it is good to see he is having some good success with it this season. Hudon is really putting up points so far this season, and I am sure both the Habs brass and Hockey Canada brass are taking note. Bozon was actually held scoreless even though his team won 5-2 in Cowtown and his linemates got most of the points. Kamloops scored all five goals on the PP and Bozon just was not one of the last few guys to touch the puck. The Blazers are blazing right now, being the last CHL team to not have lost yet in regulation. They continue their AB tour this week with stops in Red Deer tomorrow and Edmonton on Wednesday. Guess what I plan on doing on Wednesday? |
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Post by CentreHice on Oct 15, 2012 18:54:33 GMT -5
Thrower threw a hard open ice hit the game before and was called for a hit to the head - so he was suspended for last night's game. Saw the video, the call could have gone either way. If he was a Bruin prospect...0 games.  Thanks for the updates as always, guys! Planning on catching Galchenyuk when the Sting visit Guelph this Friday. Also on seeing several Bulldogs' games. I'm not a scout by any means.....but I'll relay some notes, as far as one game can illustrate. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Oct 16, 2012 9:34:43 GMT -5
Thrower threw a hard open ice hit the game before and was called for a hit to the head - so he was suspended for last night's game. Saw the video, the call could have gone either way. If he was a Bruin prospect...0 games. Thanks for the updates as always, guys! Planning on catching Galchenyuk when the Sting visit Guelph this Friday. Also on seeing several Bulldogs' games. I'm not a scout by any means.....but I'll relay some notes, as far as one game can illustrate. Have fun at the game(s)!! Sportsnet just announced its Friday Night CHL schedule through November 16th, and the sad news is there are no teams involving Habs prospects so far...so I guess we have to go to the rinks to see them!! |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Oct 16, 2012 23:21:10 GMT -5
Bozon popped two in Red Deer tonight in a 4-0 win. That line of Lipon, Bozon and Smith is the best in the Dub right now. Will be at the game tomorrow night when they are in town! The video is up for the highlights of Dietz's big game in the Hat on Sunday. www.whl.ca/video/index/id/1350399025 |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Oct 17, 2012 9:31:14 GMT -5
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Oct 17, 2012 13:28:04 GMT -5
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Post by sergejean on Oct 17, 2012 20:54:44 GMT -5
I haven't seen Bozon play live but from the clip you provided, it seems like he has a nose for the net and that goal scorer's touch.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Oct 18, 2012 10:45:00 GMT -5
I haven't seen Bozon play live but from the clip you provided, it seems like he has a nose for the net and that goal scorer's touch. I saw him live last night for the first time, before it had just been on TV. Some impressions about Bozon overall: Concerns: - He is pretty lanky, but he is also only 18. He needs to get stronger for sure. He doesn't play an overly physical game, but he will dish out some checks. They just don't have a lot of oomph to them. - He doesn't dominate the games that I have seen. Right now he is benefiting from being on the same line as the top two scorers in the WHL, both whom are a year older. He does not look the least bit out of place though, as he has more than enough talent to be on a top line in the WHL right now. - There have been knocks on his defensive game, but I saw him cover for a Dman last night and also backchecking and moving his head to see which man to cover. I think another few years under a good coach like Guy Charron will help develop this area of his game. Impressive bits: - He has great wheels and seems to have really solid offensive instincts. He knows where to go and how to get open, and he can get his shot off quickly and accurately. - He has good on ice vision and hockey IQ. He sees his linemates well and dishes off nice passes when they are in a better position than he. - He is a goal scorer. He has the potential to be a second line winger if he gets it all together and continues to develop his game. - He is going to get better getting top line ice time and playing with two very talented linemates. This team can produce offense. They have the top two scorers in the Dub right now, Bozon is tied for 7th and Ranford is 11th. He doesn't have to be the "go-to" guy right now as they have lots of talented scoring depth. |
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Post by GNick99 on Oct 19, 2012 6:52:57 GMT -5
Ever hear any speculation how the draft will go if season is wiped out?
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Post by franko on Oct 19, 2012 7:22:55 GMT -5
in a very public bingo ball drop Phoenix will get the first over all pcik
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Post by Gogie on Oct 19, 2012 8:41:25 GMT -5
Ever hear any speculation how the draft will go if season is wiped out? Don't have to look too far to figure it out. Think Sydney Crosby's (and Carey Price's) draft year. |
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Post by seventeen on Oct 19, 2012 9:16:50 GMT -5
in a very public bingo ball drop Phoenix will get the first over all pcik To paraphrase Claude Rains in Casablanca, "I'm shocked, shocked to find out there's collusion going on here". So true, Franko. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Oct 19, 2012 9:41:26 GMT -5
Ever hear any speculation how the draft will go if season is wiped out? Don't have to look too far to figure it out. Think Sydney Crosby's (and Carey Price's) draft year. Yeah, so teams that have sucked the last few years (eg, Columbus and Edmonton) would have more balls in play than the rest. It was weighted based on placement over the previous number of NHL seasons before the lockout. The thought of the Oilers with another number one pick sure gets the old breakfast churning. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Oct 19, 2012 10:29:24 GMT -5
A little tidbit of Habs prospect-related news. It was interesting to read that Patrice Brisebois was in Saskatoon this week. He watched Dietz' game on Wednesday night (Thrower was serving his last of his 2 game suspension for a hit to the head). Breezer then was seen on the ice with the whole team on Thursday. Good to see our player development coaches actually involved in more than just taking in a few games and taking the kids out for lunch or supper. Bergevin was at Galchenyuk's game last night. I expect a lot of the brass will be taking in the home and home series between the Dogs and Marlies this weekend too.
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Post by Roggy on Oct 19, 2012 10:36:18 GMT -5
Edmonton winning again is likely not to happen. From NHL.com, here is how the 2005 Draft Lottery was run.
The Pittsburgh Penguins won the National Hockey League Draft Drawing, held today following the League's Board of Governors meeting in New York, and obtained the first overall selection for the 2005 Entry Draft, to be held Saturday, July 30 (noon, ET) at the Westin Hotel in Ottawa.
The Draft Drawing, a weighted lottery system, was used to determine the order of selection for all seven rounds of the Entry Draft. Under the weighted lottery system, the clubs that neither qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in each of the 2001-02, 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons, nor were awarded the first overall selection in each of the 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004 Entry Drafts, had the greatest chance of receiving the first overall selection, 6.3 per cent. These clubs were the Penguins, Buffalo Sabres, Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Rangers.
Ten clubs met one of the seven criteria listed above and had a 4.2% chance of winning the Drawing, while the remaining 16 clubs met more than one of the criteria and had a 2.1% chance.
Forty-eight balls, numbered one through 48, were placed in a lottery machine. Three ball numbers were randomly assigned to each the Penguins, Sabres, Blue Jackets and Rangers; two ball numbers were assigned to the 10 clubs with a 4.2% chance; and one ball number was assigned to the 16 clubs with a 2.1% chance. The first ball expelled determined the winner of the first overall draft pick and it had been assigned to the Penguins.
After the first overall selection was awarded, another ball was expelled to determine which club, from among the 29 remaining, received the second overall pick. This process was continued until each of the 30 first-round draft positions was assigned.
Seeing as Edmonton has had the 1st overall pick the last few years, they would lose a ball if the same system were to be used and only have a 4.2% chance of winning.
I would also suspect the NHL would change the system this time to remove a ball for each 1st overall pick, effectively eliminating the Oilers from getting it. There was a large cry for Edmonton to not be able to win 1st overall again prior to the draft this year, but the lottery system is set in stone with the CBA. If there is no CBA, the system can be done at the NHL's discretion ala 2005 and I don't think the NHL wants backwater Edmonton getting 4 1st overall's in a row.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Oct 19, 2012 17:13:13 GMT -5
5 of our 7 NCAA prospects make their regular season debut tonight as they will finally join the ranks of our European and CHL prospects whose seasons have started in earnest already. Danny Kristo has played (and played very well by all accounts) in the pre-season games, but he will sit out this weekend as he serves the team imposed suspension for that off ice incident involving the rookies. The team captain and assistants are all suspended as a result of that. Dartmouth, as an Ivy League school, has a shorter hockey season so they are not playing tonight yet.
As a little reminder, here are our NCAA prospects and the schools for which they play:
Mac Bennett - Univ of Michigan
Mike Cichy - Western Michigan Univ
Josiah Didier - Univ of Denver
Danny Kristo - Univ of North Dakota
Mark MacMillan - Univ of North Dakota
Colin Sullivan - Boston College
Dustin Walsh - Dartmouth College
Some of our prospects are on some very highly ranked teams, so their chances of longer seasons look good so far...although lots can change over the course of a long hockey season.
According to the US College Hockey Online poll, the following teams are ranked in the top 20:
North Dakota #2
Boston College #3
Michigan #5
Denver #7
Western Michigan #12
Only Dartmouth does not make the top 20 rankings at this point.
Good to see our kids in good and solid hockey programs, that never hurts their development.
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Post by CentreHice on Oct 19, 2012 21:47:58 GMT -5
Just got back from the Sting-Storm game in Guelph. I'm not a scout by any means...just reporting what I saw. Guelph scored quickly and built a 5-0 lead on some uninspired play from Sarnia. The Sting made it 5-3 when the Storm got into penalty trouble. 6-3 final. It's worth a mention that Sarnia played last night (5-3 loss to Mississauga)...and Guelph hadn't played since last Sunday. Galchenyuk.....nothing special tonight. 1 assist. He certainly doesn't appear to have an impressive team around him. Then again, it could've been the back-to-back factor. He made a couple of bad giveaways at the point on the PP (they used him there a couple of times). Let one wicked snap shot go from the high slot...missed the net...so he'll fit in perfectly on the Habs.  A bad game to judge, IMO. But if his team really is that mediocre, I wonder just how much improving he'll do this year. Early yet. I might go see the same two teams play on Nov. 9th. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Oct 22, 2012 11:49:09 GMT -5
Some quick statistical updates on a lot of our kids:
QMJHL - Hudon - 16 points in 11 games, but left a game recently after a dirty hit. He supposedly has a concussion, so not sure when he will be able to return to play.
- Archambault - not talked about much as a prospect, but he is working for a contract as he needs to be signed by next June. He has improved his production this year, with 12 points in 13 games. He still needs to use his teammates more. I consider him a bubble prospect who unless he really tears it up this year will be outside looking in, as there are other kids who need to be signed more next summer (eg, Kristo, Pribyl, Dietz, etc.).
OHL - Galchenyuk - on a five game point streak on a pretty average team, and so he now has 15 points in 12 games. Saw an article/blog this weekend where the writer talked to Trevor Timmins at a recent game, and the conclusion was that Alex would have a lot more points if he had more talented teammates. From the sounds of it, he has not yet fully regained the timing on his shot.
- Vail - quite the year so far with 16 points in his first 13 games, including a current six game point streak. He has decent size and skating too, so a kid to keep an eye on as a future two-way centre.
WHL - Bozon - are the Blazers for real? It sure looks like it, as they still have not lost in regulation (hey Oil Kings, you had them!!). They also wake up at home after a perfect 5 game road trip through AB and Cranbrook with the top four scorers in the WHL. Tim is now in 3rd in WHL scoring with 21 points in 13 games. He has already had 7 multi-point games.
- Dietz - he sure has played more than his fellow prospect Thrower these days, and he is putting up good numbers on a struggling team. He now has 9 points in 14 games, but also sits at -8 as he always gets to play against the other teams' top lines.
NCAA - Bennett - a favourite of mine has kicked his Michigan season off in style, with 4 points in his first three games. He is one of our best skating prospects, but is a little undersized so will need to get stronger for the move to the pro game.
- Cichy - a 7th rounder who missed all of last season due to NCAA transfer rules when he left North Dakota and moved to Western Michigan. He has got himself into proper shape and has 4 points in his first games played in over a year. Not bad for an oft-forgotten 7th rounder. I think he will always be on the "unlikely to be signed" list, but let's see what he can do this season (his 3rd in the NCAA).
- Kristo - he served his two game team-imposed suspension this past weekend as the Sioux opened their regular season; however, he did put up 5 points in 2 exhibition games. Danny will need a huge year to keep his development going as he is staying the full four years at North Dakota, much to the surprise of many. The Habs hold his rights until August 15, 2013, so expect to see him inked after his NCAA season is over.
- MacMillan - Kristo's younger teammate from Penticton is picking up where he left off last season with 2 goals in his first two regular season games this year. He is very skilled, but is also a very slight prospect. He will need to get stronger, but he has been putting on weight and strength since being drafted out of the BCHL.
Sweden - Collberg - Sebastien has managed to get his first SEL points this season, as he now has 2 assists in 16 games. But he is definitely not getting a lot of ice time, as he often finds himself as the 13th forward or on the 4th line, which the current coach does not use much at all. His most recent game was spent entirely on the bench as the 13th guy. The good news is he will get top line time with the Swedish junior team at the Worlds over the holidays, so bring them on!!
- Nystrom - another 7th rounder that most people had never heard of and still know nothing about. He has managed 14 points in his first 14 games in the Swedish junior league, so he may get a call up to the SEL before the season is out. He was invited to a summer camp for the WJC team, but Sweden is stacked and he likely will not be part of the team come December. However, it was pretty impressive to get an early invite as such a late round pick.
Czech - Pribyl - my favourite dark horse prospect. He combines good size and skill at the centre position, although he does lack first step exlosiveness and could definitely improve his skating if he wants to make the NHL. He was injured at the end of August and missed six weeks of hockey, but has come back and is playing in the top mens league and has 4 points and is +3 in his first 3 games back. He also came over and participated in both the development camps this summer, so I fully expect him in a Hamilton Bulldog uniform by next fall.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Oct 22, 2012 12:21:09 GMT -5
Bozon was the game's third star in Cranbrook on Saturday night after a two goal, one assist night. He showed some real nice vision on the assist, a great backhand on the breakaway goal, and a quick and accurate release on the PP goal. He also turned it over in his own zone for one of the Ice goals. The highlights were a little out of synch between the video and audio when I played it, but you get the idea. www.kootenayice.net/video/index/id/c93cc2a95acc92db8189252cb71eb5cb |
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Post by 24in93 on Oct 22, 2012 14:49:52 GMT -5
I should be seeing Gally play this weekend in Brampton. I'll do my best to provide some first-hand feedback of his game.
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Post by GNick99 on Oct 22, 2012 15:13:06 GMT -5
Bozon was the game's third star in Cranbrook on Saturday night after a two goal, one assist night. He showed some real nice vision on the assist, a great backhand on the breakaway goal, and a quick and accurate release on the PP goal. He also turned it over in his own zone for one of the Ice goals. The highlights were a little out of synch between the video and audio when I played it, but you get the idea. www.kootenayice.net/video/index/id/c93cc2a95acc92db8B189252cb71eb5cbBozon sounds way better than I projected him when he was drafted |
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Post by CentreHice on Oct 22, 2012 15:51:41 GMT -5
OHL - Galchenyuk - on a five game point streak on a pretty average team, and so he now has 15 points in 12 games. Saw an article/blog this weekend where the writer talked to Trevor Timmins at a recent game, and the conclusion was that Alex would have a lot more points if he had more talented teammates. From the sounds of it, he has not yet fully regained the timing on his shot. Pretty much my observations from the Guelph game on Friday. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Oct 23, 2012 9:20:11 GMT -5
In what should be a good move to get him more ice time, Frolunda has loaned 18 year old Sebastian Collberg to Örebro in the 2nd tier Allsvenskan. He will still be playing in a mens league, albeit the second tier league as opposed to the SEL, but he should get a lot more ice time...which is never a bad thing for a young kid trying to develop his game. Hopefully he can up his ice time, his points production and his confidence all from this move. The kid just needs to play.
EDIT: Collberg found the back of the net today in his first Allsvenskan league game, playing top six minutes. One goal, +2 and 3 shots on goal. This is a good league for him as it includes all the tier 2 mens teams including the SEL teams that got relegated last year. All the teams are battling to get promoted up for next season too. There are even several big name NHLers playing in this league this season, so he will be up against some good local talent and good locked out players: Anze Kopitar, Gabriel Landeskog, Patrik Berglund, Michael Backlud, Douglas Murray, and top Swedish draft pick from last year, Filip Forsberg.
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Post by seventeen on Oct 23, 2012 20:06:24 GMT -5
Good to see that his scoring ability is still intact. I suspect he could probably score at the SEL level too, but not from the bench.
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Post by GNick99 on Oct 24, 2012 10:49:49 GMT -5
If no season hope to hell we end up with third pick again. Barkov!
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