Habs Prospects 2018-19

[NWTHabsFan]

Two countries have named their WJC selection camp rosters. Here who is on the list so far:

CAN: Suzuki, Brook
FIN: Ylonen

I expect all three should make their final team rosters. In addition, the following others should be on the list when their countries name their rosters:

USA: Poehling, Primeau
RUS: Romanov
SWE: Olofsson

The two other "possibilities" for Finland are Kotkaniemi (playing in the NHL) and Ikonen (injured). While I would love the see the Habs release KK for this event as he could play a huge role for his country and team, I don't expect they will do so. They did last year for Mete, however. As for Ikonen, his projected return date from injury likely means he won't be ready and/or in game shape to make the team. Too bad, as this would have been a good gauge of how he is doing.

[drkcloud]

Dec 3, 2018 15:03:15 GMT -5 NWTHabsFan said:

Two countries have named their WJC selection camp rosters. Here who is on the list so far:

CAN: Suzuki, Brook
FIN: Ylonen

I expect all three should make their final team rosters. In addition, the following others should be on the list when their countries name their rosters:

USA: Poehling, Primeau
RUS: Romanov
SWE: Olofsson

The two other "possibilities" for Finland are Kotkaniemi (playing in the NHL) and Ikonen (injured). While I would love the see the Habs release KK for this event as he could play a huge role for his country and team, I don't expect they will do so. They did last year for Mete, however. As for Ikonen, his projected return date from injury likely means he won't be ready and/or in game shape to make the team. Too bad, as this would have been a good gauge of how he is doing.

Bob McKenzie mentions Brooks good season but has him ranked as 5th on the right side depth chart for Canada. Maybe he sneaks in as the 7th D?

[NWTHabsFan]

Dec 3, 2018 19:44:26 GMT -5 drkcloud said:

Dec 3, 2018 15:03:15 GMT -5 NWTHabsFan said:

Two countries have named their WJC selection camp rosters. Here who is on the list so far:

CAN: Suzuki, Brook
FIN: Ylonen

I expect all three should make their final team rosters. In addition, the following others should be on the list when their countries name their rosters:

USA: Poehling, Primeau
RUS: Romanov
SWE: Olofsson

The two other "possibilities" for Finland are Kotkaniemi (playing in the NHL) and Ikonen (injured). While I would love the see the Habs release KK for this event as he could play a huge role for his country and team, I don't expect they will do so. They did last year for Mete, however. As for Ikonen, his projected return date from injury likely means he won't be ready and/or in game shape to make the team. Too bad, as this would have been a good gauge of how he is doing.

Bob McKenzie mentions Brooks good season but has him ranked as 5th on the right side depth chart for Canada. Maybe he sneaks in as the 7th D?

I see Brook behind Bouchard for sure, but ahead of Dobson and Mitchell. I still think he makes it as one of the top six. They named him captain of team WHL and Moose Jaw and Tim Hunter (Team Canada head coach) is his club head coach and knows him well. He is 19. He leads CHL defencemen in ppg (or at least he was last week when I saw the stats posted). He ticks a lot of boxes for me. Who knows, the TSN crew are far more connected and knowledgeable, but I am still going to go with Brook making it.

[NWTHabsFan]

[seventeen]

Dec 3, 2018 23:20:50 GMT -5 NWTHabsFan said:

I see Brook behind Bouchard for sure, but ahead of Dobson and Mitchell. I still think he makes it as one of the top six. They named him captain of team WHL and Moose Jaw and Tim Hunter (Team Canada head coach) is his club head coach and knows him well. He is 19. He leads CHL defencemen in ppg (or at least he was last week when I saw the stats posted). He ticks a lot of boxes for me. Who knows, the TSN crew are far more connected and knowledgeable, but I am still going to go with Brook making it.

These are the right handed defensemen Brook will be fighting to make the team

Addison is doing well and is scoring at a ppg pace for Lethbridge. He also played well at the U18's. What he'll have to fight is the fact he's 18 and 5' 10" 180 lbs.

Jacob Bernard-Docker played in exhibition games with Ottawa and is doing ok with North Dakota, but again he's 18. Now that's not a automatic strike, of course, but older teams tend to do better at the WJC.

Evan Bouchard - a lock in my opinion too. Played some NHL games and is excelling in London.

Cameron Crotty - Appears to be very much the prototypical defensive defenseman. I say that because he has zero points for 13 games for Boston University. I watched BU play BC this weekend, but wasn't payiing much attention because there weren't many 'name' guys anymore in evidence. If I'd known of the Team Canada selection, I'd have paid more attention to Crotty. I suspect he's a long shot unless Canada is looking for a defensive specialist. Eight points in 34 games for BU last year and only 13 in 41 games for Brockville the year before that. Not an Orr, for sure.

Noah Dobson - One wonders if the NYI blew it last draft. Oliver Wahlstrom has 4 points in 12 games for Boston College (totally forgot he was there) so that's kinda bad and Noah Dobson has just 15 points in 26 games for Acadie Bathurst. That's not awful by any stretch, but he was a ppg guy last year and he's -28 in 26 games this year. Unless he flicks a switch, I'd have to say Brook is playing better than he is.

Ian Mitchell. The last RH applicant. A University of Denver product, scoring at a good clip, 11 points in 12 games and is +6. Fairly small at 5'11", 173 lbs.

While you want your defense to be mobile, it also helps to have some size. Bouchard and Brook are both of good size. So is Crotty, but he's tall and lighter. Of the left hand guys, McIsaac and Phillips have good size. The other LHD are slight, so It would help to have a couple of bigger RHD.

Brook combines a lot of qualities. Good size at 6'1", 192 lbs, mobility, scoring 8-21-29 in 22 games and a plus 17, so he doesn't ignore his own end. He's also 19. With respect to McKenzie, I think Brook is right behind Bouchard 1-2 for RHD on the team. McKenzie may be giving too much credit to Dobson who's having a bad year.

[NWTHabsFan]

Olofsson (SWE) and Romanov (RUS) both named to their respective preliminary/selection WJC rosters.

[NWTHabsFan]

As expected, Poehling and Primeau on the USA preliminary WJC roster.

[NWTHabsFan]

Josh is taking advantage of his last few games in Moose Jaw before he heads to WJC camp.

[NWTHabsFan]

Hope it is nothing serious. I would hate for him to miss the WJC for an "innocent" looking hit.

p.s. The WJC is coming back to Edmonton (and Red Deer) in 2020-21. Awesome news. Got to watch Captain Tinordi (thankfully not Captain and Tennille) the last time they were here in the classic New Year's Eve CAN-USA game.

[NWTHabsFan]

This is more of a look at how the Habs run their development camp rather than a story about the kids going to their respective WJC selection camps.

[NWTHabsFan]

Some stats from last night.

Teasdale had two goals an an assist.

Fonstad scored the GWG and added an assist.

McShane scored his 8th goal in the last 11 games.

Poehling had an assist.

Hillis scored, his 8th point in his last 8 games.

Brook had an assist.

Tyszka made his season debut. He is cleared to play after that concussion in the rookie tourney.

And today, Ylönen had a goal, an assist and scored the shootout winner.

[seventeen]

All hail Caesar Timmins.

[NWTHabsFan]

And tonight:

Fonstad with two goals.

Suzuki with two assists.

Brook and Poehling with an assist.

Primeau with the win.

[NWTHabsFan]

Ylönen’s shootout winner yesterday was a beauty.

[blny]

Resisting temptation, and staying the course with the last couple of years picks/assets is going to bode well I think. Lots of skill.

[seventeen]

The temptation has hardly been resisted. Berg is all out to make the playoffs.

[blny]

Dec 10, 2018 16:49:50 GMT -5 seventeen said:

The temptation has hardly been resisted. Berg is all out to make the playoffs.

Making the playoffs, and selling off future pieces are different things. He has said that he won't sell off pieces, but we know that what he says and what he does are sometimes different. I think the current group can make it, despite my desire for a second tank season.

[franko]

Dec 10, 2018 17:08:32 GMT -5 blny said:

Dec 10, 2018 16:49:50 GMT -5 seventeen said:

The temptation has hardly been resisted. Berg is all out to make the playoffs.

Making the playoffs, and selling off future pieces are different things. He has said that he won't sell off pieces, but we know that what he says and what he does are sometimes different. I think the current group can make it, despite my desire for a second tank season.

but why bother for a



moment?


oh, right.

[NWTHabsFan]

Our WHL defenders not named Brook were on display last night. Tyszka got his first goal of the season (he just returned to play last weekend) and ended up with a 1+1 night in a 6-5 win. Walford had four assists in a 7-4 Victoria win. After this weekend, the Royals will be on the road for a bit as they give up their rink for the WJC. One of their stops in in Edmonton.

[NWTHabsFan]

Keeping with the WHL defender theme, looks like Brook is practising on the left side paired with Bouchard at the WJC camp. I guess this is how Coach Hunter will rebalance a roster with very strong and deep RHD compared to LHD. Brook does play on the left on the PP with Jett Woo, and someone noted that he played on the left the last few league games. We shall see.

[seventeen]

Dec 12, 2018 7:41:42 GMT -5 NWTHabsFan said:

Our WHL defenders not named Brook were on display last night. Tyszka got his first goal of the season (he just returned to play last weekend) and ended up with a 1+1 night in a 6-5 win. Walford had four assists in a 7-4 Victoria win. After this weekend, the Royals will be on the road for a bit as they give up their rink for the WJC. One of their stops in in Edmonton.

I've had a good feeling about Tyszka for a while and it's nice to see that shouldn't change after he got back playing again. I have no idea what his ceiling will be, but IMO, he's already exceeded it for a 149th overall pick. We'll have to see if his hockey sense improves as much as physical skills have. Or maybe it's just his physical skills catching up to the rest of his game. I'd need to see him play to judge.

[NWTHabsFan]

Dec 12, 2018 15:22:19 GMT -5 seventeen said:

Dec 12, 2018 7:41:42 GMT -5 NWTHabsFan said:

Our WHL defenders not named Brook were on display last night. Tyszka got his first goal of the season (he just returned to play last weekend) and ended up with a 1+1 night in a 6-5 win. Walford had four assists in a 7-4 Victoria win. After this weekend, the Royals will be on the road for a bit as they give up their rink for the WJC. One of their stops in in Edmonton.

I've had a good feeling about Tyszka for a while and it's nice to see that shouldn't change after he got back playing again. I have no idea what his ceiling will be, but IMO, he's already exceeded it for a 149th overall pick. We'll have to see if his hockey sense improves as much as physical skills have. Or maybe it's just his physical skills catching up to the rest of his game. I'd need to see him play to judge.

He really improved last year. Not sure if it was growing into his lanky body or just maturing as a player, but it was night and day from the raw player with promise that I saw at the Memorial Cup with Seattle 7 weeks before the Habs drafted him. You could see he had some potential, but his skating looked awkward and he seemed a bit hesitant in his decision making.

[NWTHabsFan]

Like a few of our other CHL forwards drafted in June, Cole Fonstad is heating up these days. He scored the OT winner and added two assists last night in a win over the Oil Kings. He now has 11 points in his last 8 games.

Scott Walford followed up his four assist game from the night before with his 3rd goal of the season last night. He needs to keep playing solid hockey as he is in a contract year for his ELC and really seemed to stagnate last season. I think it was a good sign that he was chosen for Team WHL in the CAN-RUS series, as it is hard for defensively-minded defensemen to get noticed with so many good defensemen these days in the league putting up big points and driving the play.

[seventeen]

I just watched a video of Craig Button extolling the virtues of Ty Smith who appears to be a lock for the WJC team. Button really likes him. I'm more lukewarm probably because the only two times I've seen him (U18's and Challenge series) he hasn't looked that good, especially in the U18's where he made more than a few mistakes. I just looked over his stats. He plays on the Spokane Chiefs, kind of a middling team. Smith has 6 more points than Josh Brook in 3 more games, 39 to 33. But he's +1 compared to Brooks' +14. Now I know +/- is not the best indicator, but when there's that much of a disparity, it tells me that either Brook is a lot better in his own end than Smith (who isn't that big at 5'11", 177 lbs) or the Warriors are a better team than Spokane, which is true. One would have to dig deeper to work that out. Smith's +/- is about average for Spokane while Brooks is the best on the Warriors.

Smith was drafted 17th overall in 2018, so Brooks compares quite favourably vs him. We'll get to compare even more, assuming good health, at the WJC coming up. Both should make the team.

[NWTHabsFan]

Walford getting a bit more involved in the offensive side of the game. Nice to see.

Four assists in his first game this week, and this goal in the next game this week.

[NWTHabsFan]

Ryan Poehling's new head coach at St Cloud State had plenty of good things to say about his #11.

www.nhl.com/canadiens/news/brett-larson---ryan-poehling---st-cloud-state-university/c-302920198

[Anardil1]

Dec 13, 2018 13:40:06 GMT -5 seventeen said:

I just watched a video of Craig Button extolling the virtues of Ty Smith who appears to be a lock for the WJC team. Button really likes him. I'm more lukewarm probably because the only two times I've seen him (U18's and Challenge series) he hasn't looked that good, especially in the U18's where he made more than a few mistakes. I just looked over his stats. He plays on the Spokane Chiefs, kind of a middling team. Smith has 6 more points than Josh Brook in 3 more games, 39 to 33. But he's +1 compared to Brooks' +14. Now I know +/- is not the best indicator, but when there's that much of a disparity, it tells me that either Brook is a lot better in his own end than Smith (who isn't that big at 5'11", 177 lbs) or the Warriors are a better team than Spokane, which is true. One would have to dig deeper to work that out. Smith's +/- is about average for Spokane while Brooks is the best on the Warriors.

Smith was drafted 17th overall in 2018, so Brooks compares quite favourably vs him. We'll get to compare even more, assuming good health, at the WJC coming up. Both should make the team.

I have to agree with you. Every time that I've been able to watch Smith, I've come away unimpressed. He gives me a Brisebois vibe, only physically smaller. I just don't see what the big deal is.

[NWTHabsFan]

Fonstad with two assists last night. He has 13 points in his last 9 games.

Ylonen with two goals for his club team. Nice moves on the second goal.

[PTH]

Dec 15, 2018 12:59:12 GMT -5 Anardil1 said:

Dec 13, 2018 13:40:06 GMT -5 seventeen said:

I just watched a video of Craig Button extolling the virtues of Ty Smith who appears to be a lock for the WJC team. Button really likes him. I'm more lukewarm probably because the only two times I've seen him (U18's and Challenge series) he hasn't looked that good, especially in the U18's where he made more than a few mistakes. I just looked over his stats. He plays on the Spokane Chiefs, kind of a middling team. Smith has 6 more points than Josh Brook in 3 more games, 39 to 33. But he's +1 compared to Brooks' +14. Now I know +/- is not the best indicator, but when there's that much of a disparity, it tells me that either Brook is a lot better in his own end than Smith (who isn't that big at 5'11", 177 lbs) or the Warriors are a better team than Spokane, which is true. One would have to dig deeper to work that out. Smith's +/- is about average for Spokane while Brooks is the best on the Warriors.

Smith was drafted 17th overall in 2018, so Brooks compares quite favourably vs him. We'll get to compare even more, assuming good health, at the WJC coming up. Both should make the team.

I have to agree with you. Every time that I've been able to watch Smith, I've come away unimpressed. He gives me a Brisebois vibe, only physically smaller. I just don't see what the big deal is.

So he'll have a 15+ year career, play over a thousand games, and win a Cup ? That ain't so bad.

[seventeen]

And get into a public dispute with a local journalist.

That part's a given, no matter the hockey player.