Alot of players have lit up the AHL go look at Keith Aucoin, Mike Kostka, Kris newbury, Jeff Taffe, Ben Walter, list goes on and on.

These guys also all cannot play at the NHL level consistently. Connolly is regarded by prospect sites who have much more info on these kids then you and I I'm sure as an elite prospect. Palat is regarded basically as a AHL scorer with somewhat of an NHL chance.

Ryan Hamilton was Nearly PPG with the marlies a year ago. Does that mean the oilers got an elite prospect as well when they signed him? I'm just curious what you think.
- TheLeafsInsider

if you consider connolly an elite prospect (which you have stated above) based on his points and skill set on this past season in the AHL it is absoloutely rediculous for you to take the same measurements and apply them to palat and tell me that he is not an elite prospect as well, lol 10 less points in the reg season ( btw he was in tampa bay so could of had more) ...and then 26 points in 18 gmes in the post season...that is elite to me especially if you consider connolly elite under the same circumstances

brett connolly played 20 more games than ondrej palat and palat had 52 points while connolly had 63 , but you consider connolly elite and palat not..

+ palat is a year younger and in my opinion already a lot further than connolly in terms of developement

btw i dont want gunnarson i meant gardiner

this is what i think:

palat has played 14 games with us this year
he did a hell of a job for us
he lit up the AHL in the reg season and took it to a more extreme level when his team needed him in the playoffs
he showed up when it counted
thats what the NHL is all about
he is a hard worker, he is massive, he battles, and he has a good set of skills to go along with it
he will most likely be on our roster this season and has way more than "somewhat of a chance"

he is only 19 years old. i dont have a fuking clue who youre talking about, all i know is what youre saying about palat is rediculous ....if he makes a roster containing the likes of purcell, stamkos, st louis, drouin, killorn, filppula.... he is a good hockey player, and i dont care what u say lol

if you are 19 in the AHL making 1.44 PPG in the playoffs in the calder cup finals, you (in my opinion) are considered an elite prospect, dont give a (frank) if u got drafted 7th round
- RileyB77

Palat is 22 years old, not 19, not sure where you got that from. And I suppose your entitled to your opinion even if it seems as if very few others share it.

Palat is 22 years old, not 19, not sure where you got that from. And I suppose your entitled to your opinion even if it seems as if very few others share it.
- TheLeafsInsider

i thought he was born in 93? nope,87

Palat is 22 years old, not 19, not sure where you got that from. And I suppose your entitled to your opinion even if it seems as if very few others share it.
- TheLeafsInsider

very few others? ask anyone in bolts nation about the value of ondrej palat..im just saying if your going to say connolly is elite based on these evaluations, then apply the same evaluations to palat and say hes not, doesnt make sense ( to me)

very few others? ask anyone in bolts nation about the value of ondrej palat..im just saying if your going to say connolly is elite based on these evaluations, then apply the same evaluations to palat and say hes not, doesnt make sense ( to me)
- RileyB77

Go back a page and there is a quote from another Lightning fan admitting Palat is a mid level prospect. I see him as one of those AHL scorers like Hamilton or Aucoin who will likely struggle to stay in the NHL. Just my opinion.

And like I said Connolly is much more highly regarded to have his game translate by prospect sites like Hockeysfuture and pretty much any other source, so that also factors into it.

Go back a page and there is a quote from another Lightning fan admitting Palat is a mid level prospect. I see him as one of those AHL scorers like Hamilton or Aucoin who will likely struggle to stay in the NHL. Just my opinion.

And like I said Connolly is much more highly regarded to have his game translate by prospect sites like Hockeysfuture and pretty much any other source, so that also factors into it.
- TheLeafsInsider

i didnt say they would consider him elite, i said they would understand his value. and they do, go back to the comment your talking about and read it.

i said you are saying connolly is elite, but palat is not, yet under the same evaluations you are using they are pretty much the same, palat only 10 points less in 20 less games, but a monster in the playoffs far more than connolly...so to say connolly is elite and use the same evaluation on palat and say hes not when he had just as good if not better outcomes than connolly this season in the AHL is not fair towards palat in my opinion and doesnt make sense to me

i can understand your transfer skills from league point of view, but he is still a prospect and he still is performing at an elite level based on both regular season statistics and playoff statistics, there for he is an elite prospect in my mind

also i can understand palat was with panik and johnson in the playoffs too on the 1st line while connolly was playing a 2nd line roll, and since the 1st line was producing so much he didnt so much need too

i didnt say they would consider him elite, i said they would understand his value. and they do, go back to the comment your talking about and read it.

i said you are saying connolly is elite, but palat is not, yet under the same evaluations you are using they are pretty much the same, palat only 10 points less in 20 less games, but a monster in the playoffs far more than connolly...so to say connolly is elite and use the same evaluation on palat and say hes not when he had just as good if not better outcomes than connolly this season in the AHL is not fair towards palat in my opinion and doesnt make sense to me

i can understand your transfer skills from league point of view, but he is still a prospect and he still is performing at an elite level based on both regular season statistics and playoff statistics, there for he is an elite prospect in my mind
- RileyB77

Hope he surprises me then, just don't want him being my teams gamble that is all.

Go back a page and there is a quote from another Lightning fan admitting Palat is a mid level prospect. I see him as one of those AHL scorers like Hamilton or Aucoin who will likely struggle to stay in the NHL. Just my opinion.

And like I said Connolly is much more highly regarded to have his game translate by prospect sites like Hockeysfuture and pretty much any other source, so that also factors into it.
- TheLeafsInsider

HockeysFuture has a tendency to rate players based on draft position. Everyone thinks that Connolly is the cream of the crop in the Lightning's system simply because he was a big name when drafted. Nobody outside TB knows who Palat, Panik, and Kucherov, among others, are. That doesn't mean that they're lesser prospects.

EDIT - For example, they have Radko Gudas with a "C" for probability of success.

btw i dont want gunnarson i meant gardiner
- RileyB77

That makes more sense but neither Gardiner nor Franson are going anywhere.

Hope he surprises me then, just don't want him being my teams gamble that is all.
- TheLeafsInsider

i hope he does too ( so we do good lol)

very few others? ask anyone in bolts nation about the value of ondrej palat..im just saying if your going to say connolly is elite based on these evaluations, then apply the same evaluations to palat and say hes not, doesnt make sense ( to me)
- RileyB77

Franson worth more than Palat but Franson is a marginal top 4 defenceman. He had a good short season last year but previous seasons are mixed.

Franson worth more than Palat but Franson is a marginal top 4 defenceman. He had a good short season last year but previous seasons are mixed.
- Leafsandbolts

yes , palat and a 3rd/4th rounder was my suggestion...its just my suggestion, it doesnt neccesarily mean its bang on or perfect

HockeysFuture has a tendency to rate players based on draft position. Everyone thinks that Connolly is the cream of the crop in the Lightning's system simply because he was a big name when drafted. Nobody outside TB knows who Palat, Panik, and Kucherov, among others, are. That doesn't mean that they're lesser prospects.

EDIT - For example, they have Radko Gudas with a "C" for probability of success.
- Michael_Stuart

Hockeysfuture sure are tough in their ranking of players. Radko Gudas and Morgan Reilly are both ranked as "C" for probability of success.

yes , palat and a 3rd/4th rounder was my suggestion...its just my suggestion, it doesnt neccesarily mean its bang on or perfect
- RileyB77

Could be enough since Nonis has been a bit surprising this summer with signing Paul Ranger ahead of Mark Fraser and his choice of buyouts. The Clarkson signing is looking like an awful amount of money and term.

Could be enough since Nonis has been a bit surprising this summer with signing Paul Ranger ahead of Mark Fraser and his choice of buyouts. The Clarkson signing is looking like an awful amount of money and term.
- Leafsandbolts

His off-season decisions have been questionable.

I don't want to get rid of Panik. Panik looks the most skilled out of the 3 you are talking about (Panik, Connolly, Palat). He is big, he hits, and he is quite crafty. He also has a pretty nice shot. I'm not in a rush to get rid of this guy, imo. He has been known to disappear sometimes, but that's nothing coaching shouldn't be able to fix.

I don't want to get rid of Panik. Panik looks the most skilled out of the 3 you are talking about (Panik, Connolly, Palat). He is big, he hits, and he is quite crafty. He also has a pretty nice shot. I'm not in a rush to get rid of this guy, imo. He has been known to disappear sometimes, but that's nothing coaching shouldn't be able to fix.
- BoltsFan4Life

I think yzerman needs to go big or stand pat move connolly for Alex Edler or stay with what you have.

I think yzerman needs to go big or stand pat move connolly for Alex Edler or stay with what you have.
- todd1a

It would take more than Connolly to get Edler. Add a 1st plus another prospect.

It would take more than Connolly to get Edler. Add a 1st plus another prospect.
- Scooby_Doo

Connolly, Panik and a 2nd round draft pick for alex edler I think that would do it but I doubt the canucks would want to move edler

Connolly, Panik and a 2nd round draft pick for alex edler I think that would do it but I doubt the canucks would want to move edler
- todd1a

He'd be moved for the right deal. Edler is a frustrating player, he can be so good, yet so bad in the same shift.

Go back a page and there is a quote from another Lightning fan admitting Palat is a mid level prospect. I see him as one of those AHL scorers like Hamilton or Aucoin who will likely struggle to stay in the NHL. Just my opinion.

And like I said Connolly is much more highly regarded to have his game translate by prospect sites like Hockeysfuture and pretty much any other source, so that also factors into it.
- TheLeafsInsider

I admitted he is a mid-level prospect but he will not struggle to stay in the NHL. He is an excellent PKer and adds solid skill to the bottom 6. He is NOT a "scorer" regardless of the points he put up in the AHL. Hell, the reason he put up those points is twofold. First he makes players around him better. 2nd there is simply ALOT of talent in Cuse right now so he was playing with some very good scorers.

So as I said before Palat is a better player then he is a prospect but that is simply a result of who he is as a player.

i didnt say they would consider him elite, i said they would understand his value. and they do, go back to the comment your talking about and read it.

i said you are saying connolly is elite, but palat is not, yet under the same evaluations you are using they are pretty much the same, palat only 10 points less in 20 less games, but a monster in the playoffs far more than connolly...so to say connolly is elite and use the same evaluation on palat and say hes not when he had just as good if not better outcomes than connolly this season in the AHL is not fair towards palat in my opinion and doesnt make sense to me

i can understand your transfer skills from league point of view, but he is still a prospect and he still is performing at an elite level based on both regular season statistics and playoff statistics, there for he is an elite prospect in my mind

also i can understand palat was with panik and johnson in the playoffs too on the 1st line while connolly was playing a 2nd line roll, and since the 1st line was producing so much he didnt so much need too
- RileyB77

That is EXACTLY what I said in my post. Our definitions of prospect levels may differ but we both understand his value now and moving forward

Connolly, Panik and a 2nd round draft pick for alex edler I think that would do it but I doubt the canucks would want to move edler
- todd1a

No thanks for that price

Connolly, Panik and a 2nd round draft pick for alex edler I think that would do it but I doubt the canucks would want to move edler
- todd1a

To be honest I think that might be very close value, give or take a bit either way. That said, given our win now state, if we're trading Edler I'd prefer a straight 1 for 1 trade for a bonafide top 6 winger like Pacioretty. Bobby Ryan was my hopeful but that opportunity came and went.