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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jun 24, 2019 13:08:37 GMT -5
The annual update to reflect our recent draftees and to remove those that have moved on. I will update the list as needed throughout the season.
QMJHL
Samuel Houde - Chicoutimi Sagueneens
Rafael Harvey-Pinard - Chicoutimi Sagueneens
OHL
Cam Hillis - Guelph Storm
Allan McShane - Oshawa Generals
Jacob LeGuerrier - SSM Greyhounds
WHL
Cole Fonstad - Everett Silvertips
Gianni Fairbrother - Everett Silvertips
NCAA
Jordan Harris - Northeastern University
Jack Gorniak - University of Wisconsin
Brett Stapley - University of Denver
Cole Caufield - University of Wisconsin
Jayden Struble - Northeastern University
USHL
Rhett Pitlick - Muskegon Lumberjacks
BCHL
Kieran Ruscheinski - Salmon Arm Silverbacks
Finland
Joni Ikonen - KalPa
Jesse Ylonen - Pelicans Lahti
Sweden
Jacob Olofsson - Skelleftea AIK
Mattias Norlinder - Modo
Frederik Dichow - Malmo Redhawks
Russia
Alexander Romanov - CSKA
Arsen Khisamutdinov - Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jun 24, 2019 13:13:01 GMT -5
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Jun 24, 2019 13:21:53 GMT -5
... completely different attitude/approach than there was in 2013 ...
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jun 24, 2019 14:55:17 GMT -5
Guess it is looking more likely that Struble heads to Northeastern (NCAA) next season. I will update the list above.
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Post by GNick99 on Jun 24, 2019 19:59:26 GMT -5
Guess it is looking more likely that Struble heads to Northeastern (NCAA) next season. I will update the list above. Be too cool he goes to NE. Struble was one of the guys I wanted in 2nd round. After seeing the combine results could tell he was a physical freak of nature. Can't remember exact but he placed top 5 in Benchpress, left and right grip, long jump, vertical and squats and VO. Despite being one of the youngest, 17. Before that I knew he was raw but high skilled. Seen Harris just a year before in USHS. Once he got to college his game jumped up. Struble has more skill, added that to getting exposed to Weber. So much there good chance he could be a stud. The trade down in 2nd round puzzled me though. However, I have to give Timmins the benefit of the doubt. At least, early on. I wanted Grewe or Robertson |
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Jun 24, 2019 20:40:58 GMT -5
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Post by Skilly on Jun 25, 2019 8:37:56 GMT -5
Guess it is looking more likely that Struble heads to Northeastern (NCAA) next season. I will update the list above. Be too cool he goes to NE. Struble was one of the guys I wanted in 2nd round. After seeing the combine results could tell he was a physical freak of nature. Can't remember exact but he placed top 5 in Benchpress, left and right grip, long jump, vertical and squats and VO. Despite being one of the youngest, 17. Before that I knew he was raw but high skilled. Seen Harris just a year before in USHS. Once he got to college his game jumped up. Struble has more skill, added that to getting exposed to Weber. So much there good chance he could be a stud. The trade down in 2nd round puzzled me though. However, I have to give Timmins the benefit of the doubt. At least, early on. I wanted Grewe or Robertson STRUBLE'S RANKINGS - (only in tests he ranked in the top 10) Percent Bodyfat - 3rd (7.52%) Grip Strength Right Hand - 1st (170lbs) Grip Strength Left Hand - T-1st (160lbs) Bench Press - 1st (9.42 W/kg) Long Jump - 1st (117.8 inches) Vertical Jump - 3rd (23.88 inches) Wingate Test (Average Power) - 1st (11.7 W/kg) He didn't rank in the top ten in the other tests, so I am not sure where he was in them. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jun 25, 2019 9:43:17 GMT -5
A fluke training accident to his hand is keeping Norlinder away from this week's development camp and Sweden's summer U20 camp. He will be ready for the season and hopefully still has a shot at a very competitive Swedish defense roster for the WJC.
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Post by blny on Jun 25, 2019 9:48:10 GMT -5
Shared tsn link in draft thread as well. Might calm a few of the people with the "I don't know that kid, so he must stink" virus. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jun 25, 2019 9:53:08 GMT -5
20 year old Rafael Harvey-Pinard (RHP) was Rouyn-Noranda's captain and Joel Teasdale's teammate this past season and got to raise the Memorial Cup in Halifax last month. He has since been traded to Chicoutimi, and has already been named their captain without playing a game for the team. If he plays his overage season there, he will be a teammate to another current Habs prospect, Samuel Houde.
In TT's interview, he did mention that he did not think that RHP was quite ready for pro hockey yet, but they will wait and see how he does at camp this fall.
Definitely a move that should help Laval with some depth down the road. It remains to be seen if he has any higher upside. TT seems to pull rabbits out of the seventh round (Evans, Primeau, Stapley and even Addison was decent and won a Memorial Cup as co-captain).
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Jun 25, 2019 10:08:58 GMT -5
Shared tsn link in draft thread as well. Might calm a few of the people with the "I don't know that kid, so he must stink" virus. Thanks, blny ... I went to it after you'd mentioned it and I simply forgot about it, apologies man ... here's another one from MSN that gives the Habs a B+ for the draft ... NHL Draft results 2019:
Final grades, analysis for all 31 teamsMontreal Canadiens
The Habs came into the 2019 draft with a lot of picks following a season in which they barely missed the playoffs, and the weekend began with a thunderous explosion after expert sharpshooter Cole Caufield (15th) slipped right into their laps in the middle of the first round. Physical puck mover Jayden Struble (46th) followed to became the first of three consecutive offensively-inclined rearguards who along with Caufield should decrease the likelihood that the Canadiens’ power play will never be as historically bad as it was last season. Swedish overager Mattias Norlinder (64th) was a horse as MODO J20’s top-pairing blueliner, and Everett’s Gianni Fairbrother (77th) knows how to create offense within a tight-checking system while dishing out big open-ice hits and haymakers in the process. Another pick with a lot of potential for exploiting the man advantage is Omaha Lancers winger Rhett Pitlick (131st), a wiry kid with electrifying stickhandling, dekes and dangles in addition to owning high-end vision and playmaking skills.
Prospects selected after the aforementioned picks sit somewhere between obscure and raw, beginning with Sault Ste Marie defenseman Jacob Leguerrier (126th). He is a bit of a reach, even for the fifth round, as his contributions are limited to below his own circles. Their last four picks will cause more nightmares for the equipment staff than their opponents on the ice, as goalie Frederik Nissen Dichow (138th), center Arsen Khisamutdinov (170th), overage winger Rafael Harvey-Pinard (201st) and playmaking defenseman Kieran Ruscheinski (206th) are moderate needle movers in terms of their place in the middle and upper tiers of Montreal’s impressive prospect depth. Grade: B+( link) |
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Post by blny on Jun 25, 2019 11:27:11 GMT -5
Shared tsn link in draft thread as well. Might calm a few of the people with the "I don't know that kid, so he must stink" virus. Thanks, blny ... I went to it after you'd mentioned it and I simply forgot about it, apologies man ... here's another one from MSN that gives the Habs a B+ for the draft ... NHL Draft results 2019:
Final grades, analysis for all 31 teamsMontreal Canadiens
The Habs came into the 2019 draft with a lot of picks following a season in which they barely missed the playoffs, and the weekend began with a thunderous explosion after expert sharpshooter Cole Caufield (15th) slipped right into their laps in the middle of the first round. Physical puck mover Jayden Struble (46th) followed to became the first of three consecutive offensively-inclined rearguards who along with Caufield should decrease the likelihood that the Canadiens’ power play will never be as historically bad as it was last season. Swedish overager Mattias Norlinder (64th) was a horse as MODO J20’s top-pairing blueliner, and Everett’s Gianni Fairbrother (77th) knows how to create offense within a tight-checking system while dishing out big open-ice hits and haymakers in the process. Another pick with a lot of potential for exploiting the man advantage is Omaha Lancers winger Rhett Pitlick (131st), a wiry kid with electrifying stickhandling, dekes and dangles in addition to owning high-end vision and playmaking skills.
Prospects selected after the aforementioned picks sit somewhere between obscure and raw, beginning with Sault Ste Marie defenseman Jacob Leguerrier (126th). He is a bit of a reach, even for the fifth round, as his contributions are limited to below his own circles. Their last four picks will cause more nightmares for the equipment staff than their opponents on the ice, as goalie Frederik Nissen Dichow (138th), center Arsen Khisamutdinov (170th), overage winger Rafael Harvey-Pinard (201st) and playmaking defenseman Kieran Ruscheinski (206th) are moderate needle movers in terms of their place in the middle and upper tiers of Montreal’s impressive prospect depth. Grade: B+( link) No problem. I sometimes find mobile links don't open well on computers. My only goal was to point people to the url I shared as it will open on any interface.  |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jun 25, 2019 14:25:46 GMT -5
In addition to his reputation as a defender who can play physical and is hard to play against, here is a video montage of Gianni Fairbrother's shooting abilities. Note that he has a good wrist shot, slap shot, and very good one-timer.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jun 25, 2019 15:49:40 GMT -5
Hillis may have missed a lot of this past season to injury, but he still is the latest Habs prospect to get the honour of wearing the captain's "C".
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jun 25, 2019 16:19:43 GMT -5
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Post by frozone on Jun 25, 2019 17:39:36 GMT -5
In addition to his reputation as a defender who can play physical and is hard to play against, here is a video montage of Gianni Fairbrother's shooting abilities. Note that he has a good wrist shot, slap shot, and very good one-timer. Holy smokes, that strong side wrist shot from the point at 1:10  I know, its never smart to get excited over a prospect from just one play. And the reality is that Fairbrother is a long shot to carve out a legitimate NHL career. So I'm in no way thinking right now that Timmins has found a diamond in the rough here. But I definitely wasn't expecting to see that type of shot in the toolset of a barely 0.5ppg junior defenseman. It's essentially Matthews' signature PP goal but from further out. Thanks for the video NWT. I'm at least hopeful now that he may have more offensive upside than his uninspiring numbers may suggest. Let's see if he turns out to be anything more than Darren Dietz version 2. |
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Post by blny on Jun 25, 2019 17:47:50 GMT -5
That's a Bossy-like release.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jun 26, 2019 10:03:21 GMT -5
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jun 26, 2019 10:33:38 GMT -5
Holy smokes, that strong side wrist shot from the point at 1:10 I know, its never smart to get excited over a prospect from just one play. And the reality is that Fairbrother is a long shot to carve out a legitimate NHL career. So I'm in no way thinking right now that Timmins has found a diamond in the rough here. But I definitely wasn't expecting to see that type of shot in the toolset of a barely 0.5ppg junior defenseman. It's essentially Matthews' signature PP goal but from further out. Thanks for the video NWT. I'm at least hopeful now that he may have more offensive upside than his uninspiring numbers may suggest. Let's see if he turns out to be anything more than Darren Dietz version 2. I am going to build on your points, as they are good ones. Gianni's offensive numbers have not been impressive in his first two seasons. Post-draft, I have spent a lot more time researching this guy than I did pre-draft. In his 17 year old season, his first in the WHL, he missed over half the year due to a shoulder injury from a fight. That is a lot of critical development time for a kid in his first year of major junior hockey. He also plays on the WHL's most defensive-minded team. Kevin Constantine really established a defense-first mentality at Everett (alumni include Juulsen and Scherbak), and their new head coach for the last two seasons has maintained that philosophy. They had the lowest goals against in the entire league, and by a decent margin. As a defenseman in that environment, I am sure the mantra is look after the defense first. To his style of play: he is a guy who plays a strong defensive game and brings a physical element. He keeps his transition game simple, with a good first pass rather than puck possession or rushing up with the puck. He does join in the rush, and from those videos, you can see he has capable skills in the offensive zone. I expect that Everett still preaches a bit of a safety-first style of transition, and we all know a quick, short pass is actually a very effective method of puck moving. It is faster than a defender skating it out, even if watching a guy like Karlsson or Subban go for those big end-to-end rushes is more entertaining for the fans. As a pass-first transition defender, he likely is seen as a lower upside to the new age really mobile guys who like the puck on their stick and like to rush it up ice. To his offense: a couple of scouting reports from guides that I had bought prior to the draft both referenced his offensive game. They both mentioned that he grew in confidence this past season. Missing half a season in year one and playing on a defensive-first team likely also plays into that. So the big question is does he have untapped offensive potential or is he going to plateau out as a defensive specialist with a good shot? His skating is quite good, although he does not have a blazing high-end speed. I have liked his mobility in the few videos I have seen as he has a quick first few steps (critical for a defender in the new game where forwards are much faster now, and for creating time and space). He also has decent edges and lateral movement, which are great for defending but also mean he can ride the blue line and find shooting and passing lanes in the O zone as well. Given his high quality shots (he has several shooting options that he looks to be above average on), I would think there is untapped offensive potential there. I am not over-hyping this guy, but I can see a bit more why TT and his team might have been very comfortable picking this kid at 77. A lot of guides and rankings had him in that range anyway. I really look forward to see if his game takes off. If not, he could be one of those safe picks that should at least be able to get some NHL time due to the transferable skills that he already possesses. This Habs scouting team seems to be dialing it in better with defensive prospects over the past few years. Recent picks like Juulsen, Mete, Sergachev, Brook, Fleury, and Romanov all seem to be very promising, even if they all have not earned their spots yet. That does not guarantee future success, but I think they are assessing a lot of the right attributes in defensemen for today's more mobile game. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jun 27, 2019 11:16:40 GMT -5
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jun 27, 2019 22:41:14 GMT -5
Now it gets interesting. Does the young man stay way closer to home and play in Malmo or make the big jump to Sudbury? I guess he and the club have things to talk about before they send him home after camp is over.
Our Belarussian camp invite was picked fifth overall in the CHL import draft. I guess others see the guys we have picked or invited to camp too. Not that shocking.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jun 28, 2019 8:26:57 GMT -5
It will be interesting to see where Dichow ends up. There are benefits for both options. European countries develop darn good goalies these days. Playing in the Malmo systems means he can move between juniors and the senior team in-season when he is ready. Some intrigue for a guy nobody had heard of 10 days ago.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jun 28, 2019 14:13:31 GMT -5
Good news for Suzuki. That is one area where even a bit of improvement will really help his game.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jun 30, 2019 9:39:05 GMT -5
A good video analysis of Struble. This fellow is very high on Struble’s upside. He definitely has to keep developing and adding structure to his game at the next couple of levels of hockey to get there. Good thing is Northeastern is a very good program and Harris seems to have made the jump quite well in his first season.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jul 2, 2019 15:45:28 GMT -5
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Post by blny on Jul 3, 2019 5:20:07 GMT -5
If you can skate, you have a chance. If you can skate, and you're as big as he is, who knows. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jul 6, 2019 9:06:48 GMT -5
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jul 6, 2019 20:23:24 GMT -5
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jul 10, 2019 9:27:21 GMT -5
Summer hockey will be upcoming for a few of our prospects who will be participating in the four team U20 Summer Showcase (essentially a development camp and short round robin for prospective WJC players).
USA - Caufield, Harris, Struble (injured - unable to attend)
SWE - Olofsson, Norlinder (injured - unable to attend)
CAN - Fonstad, McShane
FIN - no representatives
Hopefully TSN will show a few games. I was actually really hoping to get a full game glimpse of our two newest guys, Struble and Norlinder, but both are now going to miss the camp due to small injuries suffered this off season (Norlinder with a fractured hand from gym training and Struble missed the last day of Habs development camp with an undisclosed injury).
In KHL news, they always start hockey quite ahead of North American leagues. Regular season starts for both Romanov and Khisamutdinov on September 1 and 2.
And finally, an interesting quote from Norlinder's coach in Sweden.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jul 13, 2019 10:05:45 GMT -5
Someone else joining me on the Norlinder bandwagon.
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