Penguins Prospects Thread

mikey
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2021 Prospect Update

Postby mikey » Mon Jul 12, 2021 10:12 am

Ooh, a Russian scout...? Finally...I have 50 players for you to take a look at Alex, let's go!

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2021 Prospect Update

Postby mikey » Sat Jul 17, 2021 6:26 pm

Filip Hallander is ours again...

He's making progress. Good skater, I'd love a little more knee bend from him, but that might be physiological...he's got decent hands, he can beat some guys sometimes but I wonder about the skill chaining...I don't often see him doing much after the handsy move, he boots some pucks in those circumstances...plus shot though. 13 goals in his third year in the SHL (after 5 and 7 the previous two seasons), Good hockey sense. No physicality to him. I don't think this is a top-six forward, actually, this just seems like a lesser McCann with, of course, no NHL experience...I'd call him a C+ prospect probably...

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2021 Prospect Update

Postby mikey » Wed Jul 28, 2021 10:35 pm

Filip Lindberg - Surprisingly Finnish ( @Lelldorin you guys lose a finlandssvensk in a draft or something...?). He's quick. He's a fast skater, his movement on his pads his fast, he's got quick hands, he's a quick twitch goalie. Hands look good. Big time micro-adjustment goalie. Not great playing the puck out of the net in my limited viewings of that. Looks pretty susceptible near his posts right now, but meow suggests that's pretty coachable, and I would certainly agree, as goalies are playing around with that kind of stuff all the time...I didn't get a great look at how his rebound control is and what his panic threshold is because UMass plays some really tight hockey...if I had to pin it, the rebound control looks pretty good and he'll use his paddle to swipe away rebounds, I wonder about the panic threshold and where he stuffs his body into it...looks like his game might fall apart there, as he's a little scrambly, kind of overplays the game a bit...

Either way, hell of a lot more upside than clown jobbers like Lagace and Larmi...he has really terrific numbers versus his backups at the NCAA and the U20 Finn levels, where he was recognized for his achievements league/conference wide...

He was a Minnesota pick (7th round, 2019) that left school, so he was able to file for unrestricted free agency, that allowed us to get him here...so, I don't think his draft stock has gone down since the pick, certainly...it's a good get for even a mid-tier prospect pool, much less ours...

Trip McNeely
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2021 Prospect Update

Postby Trip McNeely » Wed Jul 28, 2021 11:08 pm

:thumb:

Thanks for the write up. Seems like a solid signing for sure

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2021 Prospect Update

Postby Lelldorin » Thu Jul 29, 2021 3:12 am

Haha, yeah. Finlandssvenskar usually have really Swedish names, almost more so than the average Swede ;) They speak like moomins which is cute.

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2021 Prospect Update

Postby mikey » Thu Jul 29, 2021 10:03 am

Not that I want to really want to grade goalies in such a way...but if I could consider Lindberg a C/C- prospect, that would give us three goalies at that level or above...I look at Blomqvist and Clang and I don't bristle at their existence like I did for Larmi and Lagace and even CDS I never really cared for...

How we did it was interesting, our top two picks in the draft one year and then a UFA signing immediately post draft in another...

I wonder what Khavanov's network is like over in Russia...Russian and Finnish goalies are the way to go...

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2021 Prospect Update

Postby mikey » Fri Aug 13, 2021 7:36 pm

2021 NHL Draft Class

Tristan Broz (LW/RW) - I have a lot of respect for his skill level. He's dynamic in space. I've been watching him for a few years now, and he's getting better for sure. He can skate, I like his crossovers...lateral crossovers are where it's at for deception - look at McDavid and MacKinnon coming up the ice, they're lateral crossover experts...he actually kind of reminds me of Max Domi in how he surveys the attack zone, he circles around it, head up, looking for open lanes and soft ice...I like his puck poise, I like the way he manipulates the defense, he handles the puck real smooth without lifting his heel off the ice much...he's a playmaker, he looks to pass, I'm not sure about his ability to finish...well, I'm pretty sure about it - he doesn't have it. His shot isn't interesting and for an organic rush style of player, he scored zero goals off of rushes all season. It's just his shot mechanics are not good...the kick, the hip torque, the footwork, all of it isn't interesting to me...in fact, I wish he'd shoot less...

Not noteworthy defensively, doesn't hit, not a real battler...and I've had this battle all year with other scouts, I think this guy is fool's gold. There's no question, his hands and skating combo are there, it's a sensible pick...but man, I just see this is as a perimeter player...I looked at all of his controlled zone entries in the last two playoff rounds he had vs Chicago and Sioux City, you really expect to get something more than a chip-in or a turnover when you carry the puck across the attack line like that, but only 8 (maybe 7) of 23 of those entries amount to anything...I think he has a little bit of Jean-Luc Foudy in him, where he looks really interesting in space, he looks really interesting exiting the zone, he can even look kind of interesting cross the line with the puck...but it all kind of breaks down for me when things get tight...

One of the only minuses on a very successful team (went to the Clark Cup Final), despite 51 pts in 54 games. I don't know if he's listed as a center anywhere, but he's not, he's a LW all day...I don't think he can manage all the ice in the middle to do it...just not quite enough to him for me...he also gets walloped...good players generally don't get hit as hard as he does as often as he does...

Don't get me wrong, there's a clear avenue where this works out and becomes, I don't know, Ladislav Nagy or something...but from the beginning, this as always felt like a player almost designed to trick scouts, I've learned to value interior skill, and I wonder about his jelly to jam ratio a little bit...five years ago, I probably think this is a first round pick, but this year recommended him as a C-/ND player, just because I'd rather be wrong without him than be wrong with him...

##

Isaac Belliveau (LD) - This is as good of a technical skill d-man as you're going to find in round 5 from ordinary draft channels...he has some real interesting hands, he can spin, he can shoot, I can definitely see it...he's not a good straight line skater, he's not a good transitional skater, he's below average laterally...I just wonder how good of an athlete he is, he looks pretty fat, so I wonder if he's just a fatty fat fatso and that's why his skating is so bad...

He really mops up on the power play...he played with Alexis Lafreniere in 2020, so that 11+42=53 in 62 games is not going to be matched, but still, dipping down to 17 points in 37 games in his draft year still kinda sucks...that's like halving your production, which isn't great...then one point and a dash-7 in four playoff games, that's a thud too...

Doesn't seem like he improved the structure to his game from the previous year at all...he's just out there kind of winging it...he makes some pretty hilarious defensive mistakes too...I saw him try to avoid a pick while gapping up for rush absorption, saw the pick, dance it around it to the outside and allowed his mark to just cruise on his arc to the net unmolested...I actually chuckled. Overall, his defensive game isn't quite as bad as that, but he's definitely more of a fourth forward than a legit defender right now...think Erik Gustafsson...

While I don't think this works out because of the skating and the lack of improvement, I actually like the pick for what it is...it's imaginative and it has upside, which is all I can ask...instead of drafting buffoons that get 0 pts in 20 games playing against bantam players, we took a player that has legit offensive talent...

But if Jeremy Roy didn't make it, I'm not sure how Belliveau will...the key for me is hoping that he's fat and his skating and coordination are a rouse...

##

Ryan McCleary (RD) - Tough read. Looks very raw. Looks like he might have just had a growth spurt. He looks like he likes to jump into the rush. Looks calm, but has some deception to his game on the breakout...handles the puck pretty well for a 7th round d-man. Hockey sense looks fine. If he was a week older, he would have been a 2022 pick...so interesting project, but tough for me to read, even in a couple of tries to be honest...every once in a while, I just watch a player and get no read and turn him over to someone else...it's a good sign that I don't hate him I guess...sorry.

##

Daniel Laatsch (RD) - Really plays downhill. He's aggressive without being overtly physical. He is very indecisive in breakout situations. He'll hold on to the puck to a fault and even when he does move it, it's not very good. Skates fine for a 6'5" d-man. I just don't know that he's improved much from last year, so I'm just going to give what I had on him last year if that's ok...

Laatsch is a tall, lanky defenseman who has yet to really carve out a career track or even a really clear role at this level. His skating improved and smoothed out over the course of the year and besides his length, that’s his best attribute. In particular, his back-skating is pretty high end and coordinated for a bigger player. He has a good deep knee bend and there’s a strong platform to work off of from that perspective – even if the small area footwork still needs to improve. His puck touches are heavy and his outlet passing is not very good, as a lot of pucks are either chunked away up the boards or they’re thrown into feet enough to make it noticeable. The University of Wisconsin commit doesn't have great rhythm between his hands and his feet and it takes away from what little open-space carry ability he might possess. His hockey sense is probably a little bit better than it looks, but he plays a very passive or unsure game most of the time.

It's odd that he doesn't utilize even his best asset well enough. Part of it his strength and being lanky and then some of it looks like a confidence issue. A good example is when he does a turn-and-go with an attacker or when he's matching speed while trying to absorb a rush. It looks like he's taking a little bit off of it and being just too cautious. He doesn't dig in enough or lean on his man enough. Just in general, he leaves his feet too often for our liking when defending near his net. If he’s not going to be high on puck skills - and he's not - and he doesn't shoot the puck or really join the rush (he scored one of his goals on a 150 foot clear that a goalie just didn't see somehow), he's got to be tougher to play against. We think the latter is the straw that broke the camel’s back leading to his demotion to the U17s. He’s not typically physical and isn’t too keen on boxing out and building that wall between him and his goalie when he is able to gain inside position. He looks like all right when he's not directly tasked with something as odd as that is to say, but once it’s time to engage, we’re left wanting a lot more. He creeps in fairly low - top of the circles or so - on sustained attacks, but only when he has really no chance of getting the puck (nor does he really work to get open to support the play) and it kind of is a microcosm of his game and his mental application to the game overall. Bottom line is a lot of work needs to be done: Angles, spacing, outlet passing, partner support, and being harder to play against. He's a 6'5" defenseman who can skate and seems to have a pretty heavy shot hidden away in there, but this is a very long term project and one without a great foundation of skills.

##

Kirill Tankov (C) –

Crafty, playmaking center. Kirill Tankov possesses a really intriguing and even flashy skill set. He exudes outstanding puck control in tight spots and a lot of misdirection. There’s a lot of quick, deft touches that catch unsuspecting blueliners by surprise with regularity. He’s up against it as his teams have been just horrid for the last two seasons – winning just one out of four each year. As a result, Tankov has the puck all the time without a ton of help. He makes it work to the best of his ability. He’s clearly the lead catalyst for offense for his team, he’s led them in scoring each of the last two years. What’s most interesting about his progression is despite his relatively poor linemates, Tankov looks even more creative in terms of the lanes that he finds and the passes that he’s making. His knack for accurate saucer passes and exquisitely timed dishes are very high-end for this level of play. He can control the puck away from his body very well and it really accentuates his wingspan. He’s very clearly a pass-first player, but his release seems to have really quickened this season. Even off-balance shots are showing more pop off of his blade and it’s helping get shots off in traffic more. It’s not fair to assume he’ll be relied upon for a mess of goals when he moves up to better levels, but being put in the same drab team situation and then more than doubling your career goals over the two previous seasons combined is a striking jump. It’s not just the release that has improved, but also his ability to find - and his patience in - soft ice has elevated.

Kirill’s experience and hockey sense are really jumping off the page as a 19 year old. Not only does it present itself in his offensive game, but his play on the other side of the puck is strong as well. He boasted some evidence of a conscientious defensive game last season, but this year there are some surprising high-effort plays that are a superb mix of compete and smarts that are really tough to ask of a such a load-bearing piece of the offense. He’ll come all the way back and really support his defensemen, even acting as one at times in pinch situations. Even after an offensive foray breaks down later in a shift, there’s Tankov putting his head down, gritting his teeth, and peddling his way back to provide poignant, well-timed help. He has a fairly stiff, upright skating posture and the lack of deep-knee bend dampens his balance and first-step quickness. His contact absorption has improved – even mid-move, he’s able to keep himself upright through contact much more often and it really helps him work in the interior. He can get some above average speed generated after a few strides, but he’s not a naturally gifted skater. It’s tough to unearth a translatable talent from some of these lesser teams most of the time, but this feels like it could be a found wallet in the later rounds.

TL;DR: I love this pick, I really like this player. This is the creativity I have so sorely missed in recent years...

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2021 Prospect Update

Postby mikey » Fri Aug 13, 2021 7:50 pm

If I had to take a shot at our top-5 prospects, I might say...

1. Legare
2. Tankov
3. Poulin
4. Hallander
5. Svejovsky

HM Broz, he really belongs on that list. Maybe even as high as 1 is acceptable even...he's just not for me. Not on a clothes hanger level, I don't know, something about it feels wrong...

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2021 Prospect Update

Postby meow » Fri Aug 13, 2021 8:00 pm

Slanderous against the goalies, I see

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2021 Prospect Update

Postby mikey » Fri Aug 13, 2021 8:04 pm

Who cares...even when they work out, they don't work out...get bent, sir...

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2021 Prospect Update

Postby meecrofilm » Sat Aug 14, 2021 2:15 am

Excellent stuff. Thanks as always, mikey

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2021 Prospect Update

Postby Lelldorin » Sat Aug 14, 2021 3:11 am

TY mikey
Sounds like you are high on Tankov. Why did he fall to pick 218?

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2021 Prospect Update

Postby Gaucho » Sat Aug 14, 2021 3:57 am

thanks, mikey

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2021 Prospect Update

Postby mikey » Sat Aug 14, 2021 9:11 am

TY mikey
Sounds like you are high on Tankov. Why did he fall to pick 218?
Bad, obscure Russian team. I'd wager that only 10ish teams know he exists. I have had him as a mid-round pick for at least two years now, can't remember if it's three...

There's a number of guys like him out there, but you have to be willing and have a plan and have the knowledge...hopefully this was Khavanov's first touch...

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2021 Prospect Update

Postby King Colby » Sun Aug 15, 2021 8:22 pm

Is that sebastian maniscalco guy real

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2021 Prospect Update

Postby Lelldorin » Mon Aug 16, 2021 1:08 am

I know that you enjoy watching hockey, but you don't think you are going overboard if you watch players that only half of the league's scouting organisations know about;)

I believe I am a nerd in some areas but perhaps I spread my nerdiness too much to reach that level ;)

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2021 Prospect Update

Postby Gaucho » Mon Aug 16, 2021 6:13 am


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2021 Prospect Update

Postby iamjs » Mon Aug 16, 2021 11:18 am

That's a lot of words to say "we found some youtube clips of this dude" and "Penguins haven't drafted a Russian in years" and that they now have a scout in Russia.

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2021 Prospect Update

Postby Gaucho » Mon Aug 16, 2021 11:30 am

yup

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2021 Prospect Update

Postby King Colby » Mon Aug 16, 2021 1:28 pm

I dont know who pensburgh is but I have a sneaking suspicion that combined they have watched less than 25 games of all of the "top 25 under 25"

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2021 Prospect Update

Postby Jim » Mon Aug 16, 2021 2:20 pm

I dont know who pensburgh is but I have a sneaking suspicion that combined they have watched less than 25 games of all of the "top 25 under 25"

It is probably just a regurge from other articles/posts from other places. That's why their posts often show conflicting opinion. One day they regurgitate person A's blog post, a few days later they regurgitate person B's, but person A and person B do not always agree, so it appears that they have conflicting opinions with themselves. Ask them about it and they get pissypants because you are looking behind their curtain.

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2021 Prospect Update

Postby meecrofilm » Fri Oct 08, 2021 11:34 am

Tankov off to a nice start in the V.

Svej with 2 goals in his first game. 2nd one was a pro-style release (2:27 mark): https://tigershockey.com/video/tigers-2-vs-broncos-3

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2021 Prospect Update

Postby meecrofilm » Sun Oct 10, 2021 9:02 pm

Svej now 6 goals in his first 3 games in the dub. It's his 19-20 season, so you'd expect big numbers, but still, nice start.

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2021 Prospect Update

Postby mikey » Wed Nov 24, 2021 10:19 am

If it's ok with meow, I'd like to also have a copy of his minor league/prospect update here...
O’Connor was by far the best player on the ice. He also played center which I thought was curious. He looked quick and confident. He made a few slick steals where he lurked around then ganked a CTL player of the puck. He will be the first call up

Puustinen was completely invisible. To the point where half way through the game, I wasn’t sure he was even dressed. Then he got ragged dolled in a scrum. He made a few crafty plays on the PP. Doesn’t seem to understand timing in the man advantage. He jumped in and out of holes for no apparent reason. I don’t see anything exciting with this player despite him leading the team in points I believe.

Poulin seems like a softy. He’s got good size and good speed down his wall, but there wasn’t a big willingness to drive it to the hoop. He made two plays around the net that showed quick hands. Seems like consistently might be an issue here. Like with most power forward type players.

Zohorna had a bit of a rough game. You could see the ability is there. mini meow even commented that he was having trouble handling the puck. He booted a few plays and mishandled several other. I said earlier in the season, I’d for him to get a long shot in the show to try and put it together. I see a useful NHL player here.

Hallander was noticeable. He works hard all over the sheet. Lots of head down back checks. Lots of hard work to get a breakout going then head down to catch the play. Has a good blend of playing smart but also aggressive. His skating is decent. His first three steps are not great, but he gets around because his feet never stop. A by product of that is his timing with offensive plays was not great. He would get a little antsy and spoil a chance. Overall, I think this game translate to the NHL well, but he has to find a niche there.

Legare’s game grew on me as the game went. He plays bigger than his frame. Good balance and protects the puck well. He absolutely wired a shot that hit the bar. He’s not the flashiest of guys, but has good instincts. I like this player. He has a good motor and plays heavier than I expected.

Domigue is a tire fire. Zero clean saves made

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2021 Prospect Update

Postby willeyeam » Wed Nov 24, 2021 10:21 am


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