Observations from Hamilton
Mar 24, 2005 22:42:36 GMT -5
Post by M. Beaux-Eaux on Mar 24, 2005 22:42:36 GMT -5
From a poster on the Habs newsgroup:
Here are my impressions of our more prominent prospects, after taking
in a dozen or so Hamilton Bulldog's games so far this season:
Andrew Archer - RD - Grade: B-
After injuries made last season a writeoff, Archer has been progressing
slowly but steadily this year. Has good mobility for his size, Archer
is playing much better positionally and has better poise under
pressure. He is learning to pick his spots better for unleashing his
solid checks. Archer has a bit of a mean streak and is not afraid to
drop the gloves. Although his passing could become more accurate, he
is making better decisions with the puck. He is quietly becoming a key
man for defensive situations.
Mike Komisarek - RD - Grade: N/A
Yesterday played in his 8th game. His timing and skills are off.
Mike will need another few weeks to shake off the rust from sitting out
most of the year owing to hip surgery. Right now he is at about where
Archer was at the start of this season. His presence has already
provided a boost to Hainsey's game though.
Gavin Morgan - C - Grade: C
Small centre has peaked at the level of average AHL player. Will not
play in the NHL.
Tomas Plekanec - C - Grade: A
Continues improving in the final year of his contract. MVP at this
year's AHL All-Star game has great vision and anticipation. Has
developed a slight mean streak which, with his speed and agility,
affords him more space on the ice. An effective leader. Surprisingly
effective along the boards. Contributes at both ends of the rink.
Great on both PK and PP. Has ability to control the flow of the game
at the AHL level. Is crafty and determined. Only question is can he
continue improving enough to excel for a full season at the NHL level
given his size? This will only be answered if he is offered [& signs]
a new contract, although it is equally plausible that he will return to
Europe after this season. Team points leader has been the best Bulldog
virtually all season long.
Jason Ward - RW - Grade: C
AHL regular season MVP 2 years ago seems to have forgotten what got him
to that level. Is interested in exerting full effort only if & when
the puck has been placed on his stick. Does not body check. Does not
fight for the puck. Will not drop the gloves to defend smaller
teammates. Somewhat weak positionally and tends to float about
refusing to engage physically. Once ferocious at capitalizing from
around and behind the net, his performance has softened equally in this
area. Stays on the ice far too long for his shifts. SHould have
captaincy revoked. Unless he has been playing injured this entire
season, I can't see how he can win back a spot with the big club given
this level of effort and performance---which currently resembles that
of Jim Campbell.
Andreï Kostitsyn - RW - Grade: B
Like Perezhogin last season, has the formidable task of adjusting to
many new variables on and off the ice. Has undeniable skill, which has
been shown in flashes. Is a constant gamebreaker threat. Superb
hands. Surprising vision and playmaking ability. Seems to be on a
short leash with Jarvis [sees little PP time & plays mainly on the
3rd/4th lines] and is perhaps overly conscious of positional play,
rather than finding a seam to break away. Has shown resiliency and
ability to absorb punishment. Decent backchecker. Would excel with a
playmaking centre. Has the skills to dominate on any given night if he
was given carte blanche permission to exhibit them. Most
highly-skilled prospect in the Canadiens organization for a long, long
time. I am afraid his potential may never be realized under the Jarvis
"the best defence is a 5-man defence" regime. This concerns me even
more with Jarvis being Charon's heir-apparent. Don't be deceived by
Andreï's current statistics, this kid can score 50+ goals in the NHL
if he is developed properly. His game is more suited to the
faster-paced NHL than the minors.
Jonathan Ferland - RW - Grade: C+
Big and strong with good top-end speed, Ferland plays on the 4th/crash
line, usually with Ivanans and Morgan. Seems to have more talent than
he has shown during the past 2 seasons. Plays his role as "energy
provider" well enough, but could contribute much more offensively with
some confidence [both in himself and from Jarvis]. I can envision him
being used very effectively à la Tomas Holmstrom parked in front of
the net on the PP. Ferland is a tough kid with a big heart. I believe
that he can deliver much more if given the opportunity. Hopefully he
will be granted that before the end of next season.
Duncan Milroy - RW - Grade: C-
A former Memorial Cup MVP, Milroy would seem to have ample talent. I
would love to see a tape of that season's performance, as there is no
current evidence of the qualities for which he was drafted: aggressive,
great digging in the corners, leadership, blend of skill and grit.
Milroy can fly when he wants to. And he can handle the puck too when
the mood strikes him. But that's only, say, one game in every five or
so. His rookie season went much as that of Balej's. I had high
expectations for Milroy, and he has been given the opportunity, playing
on the top 2 lines every night. I see no future in professional hockey
for Milroy as he just doesn't have the heart for it. Offensively, his
sole concern is to avoid any and all punishment. He takes no chances
and never exposes himself. Other teams have key in on him as the guy
to push around with impunity after the whistle. He is non-combative
and non-responsive. He floats. He dishes the puck off blindly rather
than eating a hit. He loses all battles for the puck. Statistically,
Milroy has been riding on the coattails of Plekanec and Higgins all
year. His PP time has been constant and undeserved. He is afraid to
enter traffic and to engage physically. In the words of one Spider
Jones: "He wouldn't drop his gloves to hang a whiz." What a waste. I
look for Duncan to return to handball after his contract expires. I
would call Milroy a poor man's Brian Savage, except he's too afraid to
shoot the puck!
Chris Higgins - LW - Grade: A
Higgins had a tough initial portion of the season. But he persevered
and continued improving his well-rounded game even when he wasn't
producing offensively. While smallish at 5'11", 185, Chris is
tenacious in his approach to the game. Undeterred by physical
punishment, Higgins has quick hands and feet which he uses to emerge
from the corners with the puck more often than not. He is a determined
goal scorer and will do anything it takes to put the puck in the net.
He's not shy in driving to the net or in shooting the puck. Excellent
positionally, Higgins plays a sound defensive game and is a stalwart on
both the PP and PK. With a slightly more accurate shot, Higgins could
add 50% to his goal totals. Looking very comfortable now at LW, this
kid is ready for the NHL.
Corey Locke - C - Grade: C+
Locke reminds me of the Ribeiro of a few years ago. Locke is smaller,
a poorer skater, yet has better hands. After a quick start, Locke has
begun to fade. Some nights he looks so tired as to be almost stumbling
around. Like Higgins, he is very determined, but lacks the rudimentary
skating abilities to be anywhere as effective. Like Ribeiro, Locke
attends to his defensive duties only to be tossed around and made
disoriented. Offensively, Corey is a natural. His game is
puck-possession and generating chances off the rush. The dump and
chase does nothing to elicit his talents. As the season progresses,
Locke is being used more exclusively in offensive situations like the
PP and when trailing late. Right now, his chances of making the NHL
don't look great. But I wouldn't throw in the towel any time soon.
Locke is unriled at any criticisms, is a very confident young man and
above all, is determined to succeed. If he works hard [like Ribeiro did]
on his strength and skating, we should see a better and improved
Locke report to camp next September. What I like about Locke is his
willingness to take chances, to be creative and to get the very most
out of what he has.
Ron Hainsey - LD - C
Hainsey has spent this season quietly improving his defensive game.
With Dallas prospect Trevor Daley providing the team with an offensive
arsenal of his own, Ron has turned his attention to honing his craft in
his own end. He has become much more aggressive in playing the man and
using his 6'3" frame to rub out opposing forwards. On the attack,
Hainsey can still rush the puck and QB the PP. But he is employing a
more conservative, simpler approach to his game. There are less flashy
offensive outbursts, yet his game is now tempered with a new higher
consistency. Seeing the success of his colleague Komisarek, I believe
that Hainsey returned to square one this year and decided to focus on
the rudiments of his game. The results have been less than
spectacular, however, Hainsey IS steadily improving in his own end. As
he develops confidence in his ability to take care of defence every
night, I am betting that we will see his offensive prowess begin to
re-emerge. Perhaps in the same manner as it did with Markov.
Here are my impressions of our more prominent prospects, after taking
in a dozen or so Hamilton Bulldog's games so far this season:
Andrew Archer - RD - Grade: B-
After injuries made last season a writeoff, Archer has been progressing
slowly but steadily this year. Has good mobility for his size, Archer
is playing much better positionally and has better poise under
pressure. He is learning to pick his spots better for unleashing his
solid checks. Archer has a bit of a mean streak and is not afraid to
drop the gloves. Although his passing could become more accurate, he
is making better decisions with the puck. He is quietly becoming a key
man for defensive situations.
Mike Komisarek - RD - Grade: N/A
Yesterday played in his 8th game. His timing and skills are off.
Mike will need another few weeks to shake off the rust from sitting out
most of the year owing to hip surgery. Right now he is at about where
Archer was at the start of this season. His presence has already
provided a boost to Hainsey's game though.
Gavin Morgan - C - Grade: C
Small centre has peaked at the level of average AHL player. Will not
play in the NHL.
Tomas Plekanec - C - Grade: A
Continues improving in the final year of his contract. MVP at this
year's AHL All-Star game has great vision and anticipation. Has
developed a slight mean streak which, with his speed and agility,
affords him more space on the ice. An effective leader. Surprisingly
effective along the boards. Contributes at both ends of the rink.
Great on both PK and PP. Has ability to control the flow of the game
at the AHL level. Is crafty and determined. Only question is can he
continue improving enough to excel for a full season at the NHL level
given his size? This will only be answered if he is offered [& signs]
a new contract, although it is equally plausible that he will return to
Europe after this season. Team points leader has been the best Bulldog
virtually all season long.
Jason Ward - RW - Grade: C
AHL regular season MVP 2 years ago seems to have forgotten what got him
to that level. Is interested in exerting full effort only if & when
the puck has been placed on his stick. Does not body check. Does not
fight for the puck. Will not drop the gloves to defend smaller
teammates. Somewhat weak positionally and tends to float about
refusing to engage physically. Once ferocious at capitalizing from
around and behind the net, his performance has softened equally in this
area. Stays on the ice far too long for his shifts. SHould have
captaincy revoked. Unless he has been playing injured this entire
season, I can't see how he can win back a spot with the big club given
this level of effort and performance---which currently resembles that
of Jim Campbell.
Andreï Kostitsyn - RW - Grade: B
Like Perezhogin last season, has the formidable task of adjusting to
many new variables on and off the ice. Has undeniable skill, which has
been shown in flashes. Is a constant gamebreaker threat. Superb
hands. Surprising vision and playmaking ability. Seems to be on a
short leash with Jarvis [sees little PP time & plays mainly on the
3rd/4th lines] and is perhaps overly conscious of positional play,
rather than finding a seam to break away. Has shown resiliency and
ability to absorb punishment. Decent backchecker. Would excel with a
playmaking centre. Has the skills to dominate on any given night if he
was given carte blanche permission to exhibit them. Most
highly-skilled prospect in the Canadiens organization for a long, long
time. I am afraid his potential may never be realized under the Jarvis
"the best defence is a 5-man defence" regime. This concerns me even
more with Jarvis being Charon's heir-apparent. Don't be deceived by
Andreï's current statistics, this kid can score 50+ goals in the NHL
if he is developed properly. His game is more suited to the
faster-paced NHL than the minors.
Jonathan Ferland - RW - Grade: C+
Big and strong with good top-end speed, Ferland plays on the 4th/crash
line, usually with Ivanans and Morgan. Seems to have more talent than
he has shown during the past 2 seasons. Plays his role as "energy
provider" well enough, but could contribute much more offensively with
some confidence [both in himself and from Jarvis]. I can envision him
being used very effectively à la Tomas Holmstrom parked in front of
the net on the PP. Ferland is a tough kid with a big heart. I believe
that he can deliver much more if given the opportunity. Hopefully he
will be granted that before the end of next season.
Duncan Milroy - RW - Grade: C-
A former Memorial Cup MVP, Milroy would seem to have ample talent. I
would love to see a tape of that season's performance, as there is no
current evidence of the qualities for which he was drafted: aggressive,
great digging in the corners, leadership, blend of skill and grit.
Milroy can fly when he wants to. And he can handle the puck too when
the mood strikes him. But that's only, say, one game in every five or
so. His rookie season went much as that of Balej's. I had high
expectations for Milroy, and he has been given the opportunity, playing
on the top 2 lines every night. I see no future in professional hockey
for Milroy as he just doesn't have the heart for it. Offensively, his
sole concern is to avoid any and all punishment. He takes no chances
and never exposes himself. Other teams have key in on him as the guy
to push around with impunity after the whistle. He is non-combative
and non-responsive. He floats. He dishes the puck off blindly rather
than eating a hit. He loses all battles for the puck. Statistically,
Milroy has been riding on the coattails of Plekanec and Higgins all
year. His PP time has been constant and undeserved. He is afraid to
enter traffic and to engage physically. In the words of one Spider
Jones: "He wouldn't drop his gloves to hang a whiz." What a waste. I
look for Duncan to return to handball after his contract expires. I
would call Milroy a poor man's Brian Savage, except he's too afraid to
shoot the puck!
Chris Higgins - LW - Grade: A
Higgins had a tough initial portion of the season. But he persevered
and continued improving his well-rounded game even when he wasn't
producing offensively. While smallish at 5'11", 185, Chris is
tenacious in his approach to the game. Undeterred by physical
punishment, Higgins has quick hands and feet which he uses to emerge
from the corners with the puck more often than not. He is a determined
goal scorer and will do anything it takes to put the puck in the net.
He's not shy in driving to the net or in shooting the puck. Excellent
positionally, Higgins plays a sound defensive game and is a stalwart on
both the PP and PK. With a slightly more accurate shot, Higgins could
add 50% to his goal totals. Looking very comfortable now at LW, this
kid is ready for the NHL.
Corey Locke - C - Grade: C+
Locke reminds me of the Ribeiro of a few years ago. Locke is smaller,
a poorer skater, yet has better hands. After a quick start, Locke has
begun to fade. Some nights he looks so tired as to be almost stumbling
around. Like Higgins, he is very determined, but lacks the rudimentary
skating abilities to be anywhere as effective. Like Ribeiro, Locke
attends to his defensive duties only to be tossed around and made
disoriented. Offensively, Corey is a natural. His game is
puck-possession and generating chances off the rush. The dump and
chase does nothing to elicit his talents. As the season progresses,
Locke is being used more exclusively in offensive situations like the
PP and when trailing late. Right now, his chances of making the NHL
don't look great. But I wouldn't throw in the towel any time soon.
Locke is unriled at any criticisms, is a very confident young man and
above all, is determined to succeed. If he works hard [like Ribeiro did]
on his strength and skating, we should see a better and improved
Locke report to camp next September. What I like about Locke is his
willingness to take chances, to be creative and to get the very most
out of what he has.
Ron Hainsey - LD - C
Hainsey has spent this season quietly improving his defensive game.
With Dallas prospect Trevor Daley providing the team with an offensive
arsenal of his own, Ron has turned his attention to honing his craft in
his own end. He has become much more aggressive in playing the man and
using his 6'3" frame to rub out opposing forwards. On the attack,
Hainsey can still rush the puck and QB the PP. But he is employing a
more conservative, simpler approach to his game. There are less flashy
offensive outbursts, yet his game is now tempered with a new higher
consistency. Seeing the success of his colleague Komisarek, I believe
that Hainsey returned to square one this year and decided to focus on
the rudiments of his game. The results have been less than
spectacular, however, Hainsey IS steadily improving in his own end. As
he develops confidence in his ability to take care of defence every
night, I am betting that we will see his offensive prowess begin to
re-emerge. Perhaps in the same manner as it did with Markov.
