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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jul 8, 2022 14:49:44 GMT -5
Time to update for all our new draftees and existing prospects who have not yet graduated to the Rocket or Habs. A few of our new players have some options for where they play next season, so I have used the best information available right now and will update if changes are announced.
QMJHL
Riley Kidney - Gatineau Olympiques
Joshua Roy - Sherbrooke Phoenix
OHL
Logan Mailloux - London Knights
Daniil Sobolev - Windsor Spitfires
Owen Beck - Peterborough Petes
Vinzenz Rohrer - Ottawa 67s
Cedrick Guindon - Owen Sound Attack
Filip Mešár - Kitchener Rangers
WHL
Jared Davidson - Seattle Thunderbirds
NCAA
Jayden Struble - Northeastern University
Luke Tuch - Boston University
Blake Biondi - University of Minnesota-Duluth
Sean Farrell - Harvard University
Jakub Dobeš - Ohio State University
Rhett Pitlick - University of Minnesota
Ty Smilanic - University of Wisconsin
Jack Gorniak - University of Wisconsin
Lane Hutson - Boston University
Jack Smith - University of Minnesota-Duluth
USHL
Emmett Croteau - Waterloo Blackhawks
Finland
Oliver Kapanen - KalPa
Petteri Nurmi - HPK
Sweden
Frederick Dichow - Frölunda
Adam Engström - Rögle
Emil Heineman - Leksand
Russia
Alexander Gordin - Sochi/Rostov
Dmitri Kostenko - Kunlun
Slovakia
Migüel Tourigny - Dukla Trenčín
Recent graduates to Laval or Montreal: Juraj Slafkovsky, Kaiden Guhle, Arber Xhejak, Jan Myšák, Xavier Simoneau, Jordan Harris, Mattias Norlinder, William Trudeau, Joe Vrbetic (Laval/3R)
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jul 13, 2022 17:39:34 GMT -5
Smilanic said he transferred to Wisconsin from Quinnipiac to get on a more offensive minded team. He plans on playing next season in college and hopes to turn pro the following season. We shall see how his season goes.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jul 15, 2022 10:01:17 GMT -5
Looks like the Habs will be sending their prospects to a different rookie tournament this fall, in Buffalo. Only two months away…yikes.
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Post by seventeen on Jul 15, 2022 12:52:07 GMT -5
Is that to get them away from the Ottawa Legbreakers? Good idea.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jul 15, 2022 13:34:10 GMT -5
Is that to get them away from the Ottawa Legbreakers? Good idea. The other five teams will be the Sabres, Devils, Pens, Devils and aforementioned leg-breaking Sens. |
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Post by seventeen on Jul 15, 2022 13:58:31 GMT -5
Damn. Just saw that. Legbreakers will be there too. We’ll have to dress Fairbrother and Xhekaj.
Wasnt there one Rookie tournament where a couple of our guys were injured against Ottawa ECHL’rs?
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jul 17, 2022 11:25:34 GMT -5
We will see how much ice time Smith gets this season as a late freshman. He lost most of last season to injury with Sioux Falls. He is definitely behind in his development and has not shown much yet. By comparison, fellow 2020 fourth round picks Biondi (entering third season at UMD, led the team in scoring) and Farrell (one season as top USHL scoring points leader, freshman season at Harvard over a ppg, Olympics and World Championship showings as well) are miles ahead.
Montreal Canadians?
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jul 18, 2022 9:37:58 GMT -5
It will be interesting to see how many big names and top stars of these teams are left off WJC rosters either because they are preparing for NHL camps right after or else since they have played a ton of hockey and need some off season time off to recover properly. I had hoped to see both Slafkovsky and Mešár live next month, but may have to wait a bit longer to do so.
The Habs have a lot of players in contention to play, so it will be interesting to see how many actually get picked (and/or are allowed to play) once the dust settles and the lineups are announced.
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Post by Tankdriver on Jul 18, 2022 12:01:16 GMT -5
If I was a GM of a team, all my players that were eligible would be going. The WJC is going to be more tougher than any training camp would be and players will be in peak shape when they arrive to the teams camp. So while everyone is trying to get up to speed the rookies are already there.
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Post by seventeen on Jul 18, 2022 13:14:10 GMT -5
It will be interesting to see how many big names and top stars of these teams are left off WJC rosters either because they are preparing for NHL camps right after or else since they have played a ton of hockey and need some off season time off to recover properly. I had hoped to see both Slafkovsky and Mešár live next month, but may have to wait a bit longer to do so. The Habs have a lot of players in contention to play, so it will be interesting to see how many actually get picked (and/or are allowed to play) once the dust settles and the lineups are announced. It may be worth going just to see Dvorsky. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jul 18, 2022 13:50:04 GMT -5
It will be interesting to see how many big names and top stars of these teams are left off WJC rosters either because they are preparing for NHL camps right after or else since they have played a ton of hockey and need some off season time off to recover properly. I had hoped to see both Slafkovsky and Mešár live next month, but may have to wait a bit longer to do so. The Habs have a lot of players in contention to play, so it will be interesting to see how many actually get picked (and/or are allowed to play) once the dust settles and the lineups are announced. It may be worth going just to see Dvorsky. I was either going to catch him at the WJC or the Hlinka just before in Red Deer. So very looking forward to it. That is quite the top end of the 2023 draft class. A few of the other top Canadians (Fantilli aged out of the Hlinka due to a late 04 birthday) should be at the Hlinka and some of the top Euros should be scattered between the two tournaments. I still expect the following prospects should play: Myšák (CZE), Kapanen/Nurmi (FIN), Rohrer (AUT), and perhaps Roy (CAN) or a long shot Hutson (USA). I think Roy and Beck have a good chance for the December tourney as does Hutson, Rohrer, and the Slovaks (especially Mešár if he is in the CHL, but I would let him go even if in Laval). Slafkovsky, if he sticks with the Habs this fall, is unlikely to go in December as NHL teams rarely let roster guys go. Given Hockey Canada’s legal/moral/sponsorship mess right now, they are going nowhere near Mailloux even if he explodes in the early part of the season. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jul 19, 2022 9:57:34 GMT -5
More on whether Mešár will play or not. In the end, it will be interesting to see how prevalent this view is amongst the teams and older players (that is why I am a bit shocked the Habs are saying this to an 18 year old) and how watered down the lineups might end up being as a result. Countries like Canada can afford to send other guys and still be strong, but smaller nations that are deprived of a few of their key stars changes the chances of said team a fair bit. In the end, it still provides opportunities for the “next man up” mentality and for other prospects to get a chance to make their mark.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jul 19, 2022 11:28:05 GMT -5
Tuch gets added to the WJC camp. He was at the one last year too, but did not make the team due to injury in the fall.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jul 21, 2022 14:59:58 GMT -5
Here is more on Tuch and his last shot at playing at the WJC. He is definitely a long shot, but hopes he brings some of that stuff he learnt at camp from Adam Nicholas and start to integrate it into his game. He will be joined at BU this season by Lane Hutson, so double the fun when BU games are on now.
Tuch had an off year to me last season. He regressed from his fairly successful freshman season the year before. In the games I watched, he was effective when he moved his feet and played physically. The problem is he was not consistent with that effort, not just game to game, but even in games. If he can get that sorted out, his size and mobility package is interesting.
Next winter’s Beanpot should be fun for Habs fans with Farrell (Harvard), Struble (Northeastern) and Tuch/Hutson (Boston University).
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Post by seventeen on Jul 21, 2022 15:47:41 GMT -5
One hopes he follows his brother's path. Alex is a definite power forward, but his scoring numbers were better in his draft year than Luke's. Here's hoping whatever ailed him last year has been exorcized (just watched "Constantine" so my wording is more devilish than usual).
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jul 28, 2022 13:01:50 GMT -5
Myšák confirmed as part of the WJC team next month. He is almost assuredly their captain again.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jul 28, 2022 13:04:30 GMT -5
Kapanen and Nurmi named to next month’s WJC team. Nurmi does play top pairing D.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jul 28, 2022 13:51:46 GMT -5
Rookie tourney games dates and details.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Aug 1, 2022 9:53:29 GMT -5
All three of Tuch, Biondi and Hutson were amongst the cuts to get the roster down to 27 for Team USA for the summer WJC team. That means no Habs prospects on the team.
Biondi was doing well and even scored a few goals in the scrimmages. I imagine he was one of the bubble guys, but they went in other directions in the end. Tuch was actually playing with Cooley at the last scrimmage but did get injured and was sent home with a UBI. Hutson showed well according to those that followed the trials, but the team has almost every defender returning from the December event so they are loaded up with their 19/20 year old cadre and have a strong core back there. He should get his chance this winter I would expect.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Aug 1, 2022 17:48:18 GMT -5
Roy and Kidney are coming to Edmonton next week for the WJC. Congratulations lads.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Aug 4, 2022 17:21:08 GMT -5
A pre-WJC warm up between two old foes. Kapanen lines up as the 2C and Nurmi is the top pairing LD today in Edmonton. No stream of the game.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Aug 8, 2022 14:46:06 GMT -5
The rescheduled 2022 WJC event starts tomorrow here in Edmonton. The Habs will be represented by five prospects playing on three teams.
🇨🇦 Joshua Roy #9 - the QMJHL scoring champion had a heckuva year, and was a late cut for the December team. He gets his chance with a number of forwards not returning on this team.
🇨🇦 Riley Kidney #11 - Another member of the QMJHL 100 point club gets the call for Canada, likely in what will be an extra forward role.
🇨🇿 Jan Myšák #19 - The returning captain of the team will be looking for a big tournament in his last chance of eligibility before he comes to Habs/Rocket camp in the fall.
🇫🇮 Oliver Kapanen #27 - The returnee has been playing 2C in the warm up games, so we will see where he does play in the tournament. As a 2003 born, he can also play in December.
🇫🇮 Petteri Nurmi #15 - The seventh rounder from this past draft suited up for Finland in December and retains his 1LD spot on this team. He has already turned 20 so this is last chance at this event.
Even when you consider that five guys who were on teams in December are opting out of the summer event for various reasons (Guhle, Smilanic, Slafkovsky, Mešár, and Rohrer), the Habs will still have a very good representation at the event.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Aug 8, 2022 15:00:51 GMT -5
I had high hopes of seeing Heineman in Laval this season, but fully understand his SHL team wanting him back for one last year if he does not make the Habs roster. A similar situation to Norlinder last year, although I thought the Habs bungled that a ton by keeping him around too long and hardly playing him, and losing half a season “for nothing”. A Berg/Ducharme player development special on that one.
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Post by seventeen on Aug 8, 2022 16:50:06 GMT -5
So true. Norlinder is a bit of a favourite dark horse of mine, and Bergie did his best to muff that big time too. Makes me look at the Magnus Nygren situation in a different light as well. That was a waste of a potentially very good asset. Ten points in 15 games for the Bulldogs in 14/15 before going back to Sweden. He really hated offensive defensemen.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Aug 8, 2022 21:21:06 GMT -5
Joshua Roy was on the top line with MacTavish and Bedard today as Canada had its only pre tourney warm up game against the Swedes. Final score was 4-3 and Roy scored the GWG in the second to give Canada a 4-1 lead at the time. Kidney was not dressed as the 14th forward. Canada’s first game isWednesday night versus Latvia.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Aug 9, 2022 7:04:43 GMT -5
Prospects in action and on TV today at the WJC:
Slovakia vs Czechia (Myšák) Noon MT (2:00pm ET) TSN
Finland (Kapanen, Nurmi) vs Latvia 4:00pm MT (6:00pm ET) TSN
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Aug 9, 2022 8:10:12 GMT -5
Captain Jan.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Aug 9, 2022 8:16:07 GMT -5
Engström to suit up for a four nations late August U20 tournament. As a late 2003 born, his last chance to play at the WJC would be the event in Halifax/Moncton in December. Given the depth that Sweden has on defence in every age category, it is always a long shot to crack into a tough lineup.
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Post by Tankdriver on Aug 9, 2022 11:28:16 GMT -5
Question for NWT. What is the success rate of playing in the NHL if you make the roster of a world junior team? I have to figure it is in the 80% range for the 6 major countries? The same question goes for how many players do you think are in the NHL that never suited up for a national team in their career?
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Post by jkr on Aug 9, 2022 14:25:04 GMT -5
Watching a bit of Czechia and Slovakia.
Why is the crowd do small? Is it because it's a summer afternoon?
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