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Post by NWTHabsFan on Sept 14, 2004 9:53:54 GMT -5
PapaBear from HF, fresh from his morning porridge, had this to say in addition to his report last night:
for the rest of the players, here are my impressions...
although he really didnt do anything spectacular i really love Archer's potential to a be a solid 5-6th defensive d man... i mean the guy is huge and already seems like he likes to play physical... i cant wait till he can put on 20 pounds or so...
he's not fast by any stretch but seemed to have decent speed (he's not brent bilodeau) although he will have to work on his quickness, but then again almost everyone does at this point... he has a really good shot and doesnt have bricks for hands...
i thought that locke had a tough night... he often didnt seem on the same page as his linemates and wasnt that much of a factor in the game... he did throw his body around a few times which was encouraging to see...
bonneau has more speed than i thought he would have... he's not fast mind you but i just figured he'd remind me a lot of turner stevenson... which wasnt the case
mark flood has improved a lot since i saw him at the rookie tourney last year... against ott rookies last year i remember him not having a good game at all... from what i saw this time around he looked a lot more confident and did a better job positionally, especially in transition (both ways).
i think lacasse looked a little shaky but i think he stayed true to the scouting reports that i have read stating that he has good reflexes but has trouble with rebound control... i didnt think he was awful mind you...
to me urquhart played a disaoppointing game tonight... he wasnt that noticeable and he's definitively going to have to bulk up if he wants to make it because he doesnt have close to ideal strength for someone his size... but i've liked him since the day we drafted him so i'm holding out hope that he can get there someday...
overall...
our forwards look pretty good for the future... we dont have a heatley or a kovalchuk in the group that i saw yesterday but if they continue to improve we have quite a few that could contribute to an nhl team someday...
considering only 3 of the 7 d men at the camp were habs draft picks (and that dulac lemelin was a 9th round pick that has a lot of improving to do if he wants to come close to making it) it seems that this is where we need the most help... i know at least 2 of the 4 goals came while flood and archer were on the bench so that bothers me a lot less...
in response to other posts:
Bileur : kosts just doesnt have that hold on by the seat of your pants speed... (actually 2 of the leafs prospects, Peverley and Williams, had that blazing speed that gets us fans excited... and they caught your attention everytime they got it going) but like i said, when he sees the oppurtunity he'll get by you before you have a chance to really react... that can be just as effective if used correctly IMO...
Disco Vilante i will respectfully disagree with your comments about milroy... this is the first time i've seen him play live... and i was more impressed with his hustle and his anticipation more than the fact that he scored 3 goals (i think i mentioned that in my previous post)... he also looked confident (due to his experience advantage over the other player no doubt) which is always a big factor...
finally, i just wanted to mention that from where i was (in the back of the stans) ian white looked like he was a 40 year old man... that was just funny to me...
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Sept 14, 2004 9:57:24 GMT -5
Montreal25m from HF joined the fray with these comments:
Well I was there Sunday and Monday. I only keyed on a few players to be honest.
First player, Mr. Kyle Chipper, he really impresses me with his complete game. I mentioned this in a post after Sunday's game, he is a complete player. What Mr. Burke mentioned at the draft, he will be our captain and he will be the next Trevor Linden. I would be shocked if he didn't make the Junior squad. I am not sure if anyone else noticed, but he was almost on all the time for defensive face offs. In addition, he has decent hands to put up 40-60 points a year. He will just be a solid player for us for years to come. One more thing, someone else mentioned this, he plays a very mature game, it seems like he is a veteran on the team already.
Locke, well like Sunday, he doens't do much for me. I just don't see the so called "creative" side of his game. The games are chippy and physical during the tournament, so maybe it really isn't suiting his game.
Kost: I think he will be alright. He definatly has all the tools to be someone special. That snapper he has is lethal. Whoa!
I will mention that Flood is a great skater, a pleasure to watch. Urquart didn't do anything last night..invisible. Not that great of a skater to be honest.
In terms of Milroy, he did show the hustle and determination that surprised me. I am very interested to see if this could be the year he has a good year for us in Hamilton.
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Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Sept 14, 2004 13:54:16 GMT -5
I haven't seen any of the games, but the reports from those who have are universal in their assessment of Locke as being small and a non-factor. Lets see if that changes with his back up against the wall.
If I was negotiating for a contract, I might be trying a little harder.
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Post by M. Beaux-Eaux on Sept 14, 2004 16:24:33 GMT -5
An important season for Milroy, Archer and Ferland September 13 2004 - MONTREAL (CP) - Duncan Milroy, Andrew Archer, with their fourth appearances, and Jonathan Ferland, with his third, are the three veterans of the Canadiens rookie camp. They all underwent certain difficulties in their first professional seasons in Hamilton last year and they all hope to begin anew now that they have a year of experience in the American League. Milroy, who turned in a hat-trick against Toronto on Monday, is the one of the three who was drafted the highest, 37th overall in 2001. He's an offensive-minded forward from the West who notched 45 and 34 goals in his last two junior campaigns, in addition to being the leading scorer in the playoffs and winning the Memorial Cup in 2002 after being traded from Swift Current to Kootenay. But he's probably lost more points than he's gained since then. In Hamilton he was limited to four goals and 10 assists in 50 games. "It was a huge learning experience, on and off the rink, and I promise that I'll be more focused this year", declares the athlete from Edmonton. "I played in only 50 games, it was very frustrating. I wasn't accustomed to that. I used to play 20 minutes a game and there I played five. It was difficult to break into the lineup, we had a strong team, with players from the Tampa organization as well. But now I know what I must do." Like many before him, he had to make the transition from star of his team to being a marginal player at a higher level. "I learned to play better defensively", says he, but with my physique (6' and some 200 pounds) I must produce offensively." Archer was often injured. Archer was tried by injuries in 2003-04 and he took part in only 30 matches, picking up one point and 23 penalty minutes. Like Milroy the Canadiens offered him a three year contract last year. "I fully intend to do well", said the strapping 6'4" defenseman on Monday. He was suspended for the second match of the tournament for fighting twice in the first game. Born in Calgary and having played his junior hockey there, this stay-at-home defender was drafted 203rd, but feels that he has a future in the Canadiens organization. Ferland confidentFerland was drafted a year after the other two, 212th, yet he saw the most action in Hamilton, appearing in 70 games. But he did not always play very many minutes and also produced a modest 5-10-15. "It was a first season of adjustment", he explains. "There's a big difference between the AHL and junior hockey." "I am in the second year of my contract and I started to train almost as soon as last season had ended. This rookie camp is very useful, there is a lot of intensity. Much is expected of me and I will be serious, will work very hard and play physically." Ferland, who measures 6'2" and some 210 pounds, has the reputation of being a complete player, robust, able to play at both ends of the rink, a style which one commonly associates with the pros. - www.rds.ca/canadien/chroniques/162605.html
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Post by montreal on Sept 14, 2004 18:21:34 GMT -5
Thanks Mr B, that was a good read.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Sept 14, 2004 22:01:44 GMT -5
Jake Wilson from HabsWorld gives a recap of the 5-3 loss to the Leafs in the final:
The Canadiens lost the final game of the annual prospect tournament to the Toronto Maple Leafs Tuesday night. The Canadiens have not won this tournament since 2001.
The Habs got off to a strong start, and had a 1-0 lead after the 1st on a goal by tough guy Jimmy Bonneau. The Leafs got that back in the 2nd, and it was 1-1 after 2. Then the action began to pick up. Scott May got a quick goal for the Leafs, but that was soon matched by Corey Locke. Shortly thereafter, Toronto re-gained the lead, but the Habs once again tied it a minute later on a goal by Gregory Stewart. That was all the good news from there though, as Matt Hubbauer got the winner just past the 14 minute mark, and Cory Stillman clinched it with an empty netter.
The Habs heavily outshot the Leafs in this one, by a margin of 39-22, but could not find too many holes in J-F Racine. Yann Danis took the loss for the Habs in this game. Both teams were unsuccessful on the powerplay, the Leafs were 0/6, while the Habs were 0/4.
The focus now shifts to contract talks, particularly with Corey Locke. Locke has been vocal that he is seeking a contract, and hopes to begin the season with Hamilton (AHL), rather than Ottawa (OHL). Other tryouts may also get deals, just like J-P Cote last season.
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Post by seventeen on Sept 14, 2004 22:11:58 GMT -5
Ironic, huh, the team with the worst set of prospects in the NHL beats the team with one of the best group of prospects. I wonder what the average ages of the 2 teams were?
Good thing this tournament means nothing.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Sept 14, 2004 23:15:50 GMT -5
Toronto's two top scorers and forwards were try-outs. Guess that's how you complement a pretty ordinary group of prospects.
I still grade this tourney as a success, as players like Kosty and Chip showed their wares against older players and seemingly held their own. I also like Milroy doing his best Phoenix imitation and showing that we cannot count him out yet. Archer still may be a big force on the D sometime downstream, and Ferland and Lambert showed some signs of potential that should intrique fans and management alike. Urquhart had an injury plagued tourney, so we have to wait for his AHL debut to see how he stacks up at the next level. Locke is definitely no lock after a pretty nondescript tourney against bigger and tougher players that better represent the next level of hockey for his progression. Will that pro contract be forthcoming, or will he be an over-ager in Ottawa? Lapierre is our own Mad Max and is on track for a nice agitator with decent size and skills role..can't have enough of those. And in net, our depth is decent as Lacasse had a good debut, and it will be interesting to see how well Danis does as the clear cut #1 Habs guy in Hamilton this season. Both Lacasse and Halak will be starters in the Q and our big Development Camp pleasant surprise Heino-Lindberg will be spending his time in Division 2 in Sweden hoping for a chance to hop the pond.
Tomorrow may be a downer for a lot of the millionaires, but for these guys it is just the start of another step along a potentially great path.
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Post by M. Beaux-Eaux on Sept 15, 2004 6:02:51 GMT -5
Good summary NWT.
I'll add that based on dev camp, O'Byrne and Korpikari have awakened fans' enthusiasm as future blueliners. In fact Mark Flood has shown considerable improvement, the main beef being that he needs to add more beef. Jimmy "Ooops, dropped my gloves" Bonneau seems to be rounding into something more than a pretty face.
I look at the Habs system and to me it seems to be more than half full.
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Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Sept 15, 2004 13:17:24 GMT -5
Good summary NWT. I'll add that based on dev camp, O'Byrne and Korpikari have awakened fans' enthusiasm as future blueliners. In fact Mark Flood has shown considerable improvement, the main beef being that he needs to add more beef. Jimmy "Ooops, dropped my gloves" Bonneau seems to be rounding into something more than a pretty face. I look at the Habs system and to me it seems to be more than half full. I like the Long Beach IceDogs too. It's hockey and you sit much closer to the action even if it is played a little slower. Tickets are a quarter the price, beer and hotdogs are half the price but the rink is the same size and the guys try just as hard. Even better I still play oldtimers hockey with my sons. Gentlemans League sounds too much like a place where men stuff dollar bills into the bikinis of girls younger than their own daughters. Bettman sounds like Marie Antoinette, "without the NHL life as we know it will cease to exist." NOT! The Gulf of Mexico will still have hurricanes, LA will have quakes, Fallujah will still have suicide bombers, Bush and Kerry will continue to call each other names, Oprah will give away cars, Quebec will have language laws, and Kobe will continue to  ??...errrr..... shoot threepointers. Israel and Palestine bomb eachother to bring the oposition to the bargaining table. BG and GB may learn about the "Art of War!" |
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Post by blaise on Sept 15, 2004 16:05:10 GMT -5
Israel and Palestine bomb eachother to bring the oposition to the bargaining table. BG and GB may learn about the "Art of War!" What makes you think the Israelis and Palestinians want to bargain with each other? The Israelis want to wall out the Palestinians rather than talk to them, and the Palestinians want to destroy Israel. Their lockout will last a lot longer than that between the NHL and the PA. |
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Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Sept 15, 2004 17:27:49 GMT -5
What makes you think the Israelis and Palestinians want to bargain with each other? The Israelis want to wall out the Palestinians rather than talk to them, and the Palestinians want to destroy Israel. Their lockout will last a lot longer than that between the NHL and the PA. In a pissing contest, everybody gets wet. I don't remember very many strikes where one side was a winner. In this dispute, everybody loses, players, fans, owners. BG and GB rate a little better than Israel and Palestine, but their problems are much less deeply rooted. The NHL strike looks foolish in comparison. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Sept 15, 2004 17:41:57 GMT -5
Back to the Rookie Tourney I go...
I am going to mention a name that nobody did, as I am a sucker for an underdog. I think that young Greg Stewart had a pretty successful development camp this summer and rookie tourney this past week. He ended up with a couple of goals, and the reports seemed to indicate they were well placed shots with some oomph. Dan Linn reported that he showed good size and decent wheels in the development camp.
Heck, pretty good for an 18 year old who was drafted in the 8th round this year, 246th overall, and who only managed 4 goals and 6 assists in 58 games in the OHL last season as a rookie. He is 6'1" 193 lbs and likely will get bigger, and he seems to be improving his skills. You always like to see that in a young prospect. My read is that he is miles ahead in development from his fellow 2004 draft late rounder, Alex Dulac-Lemelin.
Sure, he is a long shot to even get a pro contract and play in either Hamilton or the ECHL, but I am now officially rooting for this kid.
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Post by montreal on Sept 15, 2004 21:24:34 GMT -5
Back to the Rookie Tourney I go... I am going to mention a name that nobody did, as I am a sucker for an underdog. I think that young Greg Stewart had a pretty successful development camp this summer and rookie tourney this past week. He ended up with a couple of goals, and the reports seemed to indicate they were well placed shots with some oomph. Dan Linn reported that he showed good size and decent wheels in the development camp. Heck, pretty good for an 18 year old who was drafted in the 8th round this year, 246th overall, and who only managed 4 goals and 6 assists in 58 games in the OHL last season as a rookie. He is 6'1" 193 lbs and likely will get bigger, and he seems to be improving his skills. You always like to see that in a young prospect. My read is that he is miles ahead in development from his fellow 2004 draft late rounder, Alex Dulac-Lemelin. Sure, he is a long shot to even get a pro contract and play in either Hamilton or the ECHL, but I am now officially rooting for this kid. I actually noticed Stewart while watching Mark Flood play, and while he didn't do much of anything offensively, he was hitting everything and seemed to be one of the few players working hard every shift on the team. But with his lack of offense, I was surprised we took a shot on him, although I'm glad we did. At the development camp he did show off a good slap shot, and foot speed as well. I look forward to seeing what he does this year. Dulac-Lemelin is another story, as he struggled at the development camp, and in the only game I saw him play for Drakkar he didn't do much to impress, aside from his long reach and somewhat physical game. He should get a lot of ice time as their #1 defensemen, on a very bad team. I feel sorry for Lacasse, who's going to lose a lot of games with that team in front of him. Funny, I was thinking we might take a shot on another Drakkar player, Maxime Belanger, but he ended up not being drafted and we take 2 other players from Drakkar that didn't seem to stand out. |
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??...errrr..... shoot threepointers.