Claude Giroux: In the years to come, there may be a debate as to whether 2006 first round pick Giroux or 2007 first rounder James vanRiemsdyk is the Flyers' top young forward. Right now, the 20-year-old Giroux is clearly the most polished and NHL-ready prospect in the system.
Giroux had quite a year in 2007-08, playing on the top line for WJC gold medalist Canada, winning the QMJHL championship and MVP awards, playing in the Memorial Cup and even making his NHL debut during a two-game emergency callup. There's been so much said and written about his performance this year that there's little more to add in that regard.
Now it's time to start looking ahead: What can the Flyers expect from Giroux next season? A realistic expectation would be for Giroux to produce at a similar rate to Simon Gagne's rookie season in 1999-2000 (20 goals, 48 points). Anything beyond that would be a bonus.
As I blogged several weeks ago, I would like to see Giroux play on Jeff Carter's right wing. (Yes, Carter will be resigned by the Flyers -- there's no need to panic because a deal isn't in place three weeks before July 1 even rolls around). Carter has never played regularly with playmaking linemates, and there's the potential for strong chemistry between the two players.
Giroux lacks size. But he's already a pretty well-rounded young prospect and keeps himself in good condition. Adjusting to the rigors of the NHL's demands -- the physical play, the defensive demands, the grind of the schedule, the mental aspects of the game -- will take time. But there's a lot to like about this young man.
James vanRiemsdyk: Coming off a good freshman season for the University of New Hampshire (11 goals, 34 points in 31 games) and a World Junior Championships All-Star selection (after a 5 goal, 11 point tournament despite relatively limited ice time), the second overall pick in the 2007 Entry Draft will look to continue his development next year.
The Flyers wanted JVR to turn pro now, believing the 19-year-old would accelerate his development in the AHL rather than Hockey East. (As an NCAA-affiliated player, he'd have been AHL eligible as soon as he turned pro. The oft-cited AHL age restriction applies to CHL prospects). The player, however, opted to play a second college season and to play in a third World Junior Championship for Team USA.
vanRiemsdyk was drafted as a left wing but played center for part of the Flyers' rookie camp last summer and part of the collegiate season this year. He's always been a good passer and only in the last couple years has begun to have confidence in his shot. His long-term future in the NHL is stil most likely on the winger.
Bigger players often take a little longer to mature as players, as vanRiemsdyk -- while he's already a good prospect -- has only scratched the surface of his potential. He's not just big, he's agile on his skates and should continue to get stronger physically and more consistent.
Andreas Nödl: The 21-year-old Austrian right winger has flown under the radar in some dicussions of the club's top prospects but he has NHL caliber skating ability and some offensive upside. He's not a blue-chip prospect, but has a chance to make it.
After finishing his sophomore NCAA season for St. Cloud State, Nödl joined the Phantoms for the last three games of the AHL regular season and also suited up for 10 playoff games. He scored two goals in relatively limited ice time. During the college season, he got off to a slow start but rebounded to post 18 goals and 44 points -- virtually identical to his freshman totals.
Often compared stylistically to countryman Thomas Vanek, Nödl doesn't have Vanek's finish or uncanny knack for finding the seams in the defense. But the tools are there for Nödl to win an NHL spot and be a solid contributor. It's unlikely that he'll be able to win a spot on the big club at the start of next season -- Nödl isn't NHL-ready at this point, and the numbers game works against him even if he surprises at camp.
More than just his goals and assists, the thing to watch for with Nödl next season is how well he holds up to the demands of the long pro season and how much he improves from the beginning of the campaign until the end. That will tell a lot more about his potential to be an NHLer than his college hockey stats.
Patrick Maroon: The 6-foot-4, 225 pound Maroon was a man playing among boys this past season with the London Knights. The St. Louis native, who turned 20 on April 23, wasn't your typical OHL rookie. But the Ontario League proved to be a wise choice (Maroon had initially planned to play college hockey for Ferris State), as racked up 35 goals and 90 points in 65 games.
But no one has ever doubted Maroon's touch around the net. The question marks about him have always been his conditioning, his skating and his defensive play. He made strides in every area this season -- prompting the Flyers to sign him early to an entry-level contract -- but still has room for improvement if he's to make it in the professsional game.
"He's a work in progress, but he's a player we're optimistic about," Paul Holmgren said in February. "It's really a question of Patrick continuing to work on the areas where he knows he needs improve."
All young players face scrutiny for their summertime workouts, both on and off the ice. That will be especially true for Maroon. The likelihood of him playing a prominent role on the Phantoms (both five-on-five and powerplay) at the outset of the season will depend on how much he pushes himself before he even arrives at camp.
Stefan Ruzicka: Ruzicka will be entering his fourth professional season in 2008-09. H's seen his window of opportunity to earn an NHL job in Philadelphia close with each passing year. He's improved over the course of the last few seasons, but not a rate that will win him a regular job with the big club.
Every organization in the NHL has players like the 23-year-old Ruzicka. He's skilled and things came pretty easily for him in junior hockey, but he's not talented enough to get by his natural ability. He's been in the AHL too long to have much to gain development-wise, yet he's neither been a huge AHL producer nor particularly impressive in the 55 NHL games he's played over the last three seasons.
At this point, Ruzicka may need a change of scenery. For a forward, he's getting late into his prospect years and this year will be a make-or-break season for him as an NHL candidate, whether it's in the Flyers organization or elsewhere. If things don't work out this year, I think the Slovak would do best playing in Europe in 2009-10.
Mario Kempe: Kempe made a bold move leaving the Modo Hockey junior program in Sweden to play junior hockey in Canada. His two seasons in the QMJHL with St. John's were a moderate success.
Kempe's raw offensive numbers (25 goals, 49 points in 48 games) from this year were strictly ordinary for a player who's best known for his offensive flair. But more importantly, he improved as an all-around player and showed he had some moxie to go along with his speed. He also played for Team Sweden -- albeit on the fourth line -- at the World Junior Championships.
As he continues to move up the ladder, Kempe's best bet would seem to be to develop into the type of player who can be plugged into different lines as needed, kill some penalties (using his speed as a counterattacking weapon) and perhaps developing into a shootout specialist as well.
Next season, Kempe will return to Sweden to play for Rögle BK Ängelholm. Rögle recently earned a promotion back to the Elite League for the first time in 12 years. The club is likely to be near the bottom of the Eliteserien standings next year, but it remains to be seen how much ice time Kempe will get early in the season. Kempe will turn 20 on September 19.
*****
Special note: On August 17, enforcer
Riley Cote and
The Five-Hole Outfitters will be hosting the first annual
Cote Carnival in Cherry Hill New Jersey to raise money and awareness for the
Multiple Sclerosis Association of America.
As many fans know, MS activism is something close to Riley Cote's heart. His sister, Jamie, suffers from the disease, and he works tirelessly to support MS-related causes.
In addition to Cote, various other Flyers and Phantoms players and alumni will be on hand. The event is planned as a small-scale version of the annual
Flyers Wives Fight for Lives Carnival at the Wachovia Center.
The event will be held at Swanky Bubbles (482 Evesham Rd.). I'll pass along the starting time when it's announced.
*****
For those who haven't already read it in Wayne Fish's
column over the weekend, Paul Holmgren reported slow progress so far with the early negotiations with Jeff Carter, R.J. Umberger and Randy Jones.
"I think we'll have some idea by the draft (June 21-22) where we are with those guys,” Holmgren said. “I certainly would like to get all three of those guys done before the draft.”
As I alluded to in the top section of this blog and in previous entries, there's no cause for alarm. As things move closer to the start of free agency on July 1, we'll see the pace of things pick up considerably.
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