All are gambles of hope in development.
See: Alexander Daige/ Nails Yukapov.....etc
- NYRCeph

Daigle was good...he just wasn't motivated to play hockey and he pretty much quit before he retired.

All are gambles of hope in development.
See: Alexander Daige/ Nails Yukapov.....etc
- NYRCeph

you have an extremely good chance of getting a great player with 1OA but its not a lock. Man the Oilers have been given every opportunity ... Last 1OA to get enshrined in the HOF was Lindros drated in 1991

2001 Atlanta Thrashers Ilya Kovalchuk
2002 Columbus Blue Jack Rick Nash
2003 Pittsburgh Penguins Marc-Andre Fleury
2004 Washington Capitals Alexander Ovechkin
2005 Pittsburgh Penguins Sidney Crosby
2006 St. Louis Blues Erik Johnson
2007 Chicago Blackhawks Patrick Kane
2008 Tampa Bay Lightning Steven Stamkos
2009 New York Islanders John Tavares
2010 Edmonton Oilers Taylor Hall
2011 Edmonton Oilers Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
2012 Edmonton Oilers Nail Yakupov
2013 Colorado Avalanche Nathan MacKinnon
2014 Florida Panthers Aaron Ekblad
2015 Edmonton Oilers Connor McDavid
2016 Toronto Maple Leafs Auston Matthew
2017 New Jersey Devils Nico Hischier
2018 Buffalo Sabres Rasmus Dahlin
2019 New Jersey Devils Jack Hughes
2020 New York Rangers Alexis Lafreniere
2021 Buffalo Sabres Owen Power
2022 Montreal Canadiens Juraj Slafkovsky

I think the ship has sailed on Gauthier. The kid is a good skater for his size, has a very good power move and has decent hands, kinda Rick Nash-esque, however thats where the comparison abruptly ends. As you say, hes not physical, doesnt get into the dirty scrums and hes a total bonehead. For every one decent play he makes, theres atleast 2 penalties coming. His lack of physical play and terrible backchecking (his reverse skating is atrocious) causes him to take a ridiculous amount of lazy stick penalties. He needs to stay off the ice.
- aecliptic

I don’t get where ur getting the penalty thing from, the guy took 4 penalties in 49 games. Only 2 in his first 47 games……

I don’t get where ur getting the penalty thing from, the guy took 4 penalties in 49 games. Only 2 in his first 47 games……
- nyrangers9479

I remember vividly there being one game where Gauthier might have been getting a try in the top 6. He made one very nice play on offense making a power move and using his body. GG gave a little slack on the leash, gave him a few extra minutes and he rewarded GG by taking a penalty right away on his next shift. I feel like he did that a few times.

I remember vividly there being one game where Gauthier might have been getting a try in the top 6. He made one very nice play on offense making a power move and using his body. GG gave a little slack on the leash, gave him a few extra minutes and he rewarded GG by taking a penalty right away on his next shift. I feel like he did that a few times.
- aecliptic

He took penalties in his last 2 games he played, 1 in each game, but before that had 2 penalties in 47 games. I do remember what you’re talking about but he’s definitely not a penalty machine. I think like u said he was trying to do to much. This is it for him, if he’s bad again this year his career is likely over. GG should sit him down and remind him he’s 6’4 230 and to play like it.

He took penalties in his last 2 games he played, 1 in each game, but before that had 2 penalties in 47 games. I do remember what you’re talking about but he’s definitely not a penalty machine. I think like u said he was trying to do to much. This is it for him, if he’s bad again this year his career is likely over. GG should sit him down and remind him he’s 6’4 230 and to play like it.
- nyrangers9479

I pray Will Cuylle is more Lawson Crouse than Julian Gauthier.

I pray Will Cuylle is more Lawson Crouse than Julian Gauthier.
- aecliptic

Dream bigger

Scott Wheeler from the Athletic top goalie prospects:
7. Dylan Garand, G, 20 (New York Rangers — No. 103, 2020)

Garand has really emerged these last three years as one of the top goalie prospects in the sport, to the point where he is now the CHL Goaltender of the Year and a lock to be Canada’s starter at the restarted 2022 world juniors in Edmonton in August. That light isn’t going anywhere either. Next year, in his final season in the WHL, he’ll get to backstop his Memorial Cup host Blazers. And though he’s listed at 6-foot-1 by the Blazers and by Hockey Canada, he’s listed at 6-foot by the NHL, making him the fourth consecutive goalie on this list (the next name will make it a fifth) who is below average in size.

Garand’s game is led by his quickness in the net (which helps him make acrobatic saves when he needs to), great hands (especially on the glove side, which can really flash), a studious understanding of the game, his positioning, and how he sees the way plays develop in front of him. He plays on his toes and is active in the net, but he does it without spinning and swimming by holding his outside edges when he settles into his stance before a shot, playing sharp angles, and tracking pucks into his body. He also almost never looks panicked in the net and his post-to-post movement is meticulous so he never seems to pull past his parallels and always seems to find and hold his short side on bad-angle shots (his skate and shoulder are always in the right spot, even off of switches when some goalies lose some of those habits). This may be a little high given his size and the work he still has in front of him in the AHL even once he’s done with junior, but I like the goalie and the kid (he’s got a good head on his shoulders).

Top 50 non-goalie prospects:
33. Brennan Othmann, LW, 19 (New York Rangers — No. 16, 2021)

Othmann silenced some critics in his post-draft season, becoming one of the OHL’s most consistent (there were some, in his rookie year in the OHL and his draft year in the second-tier Swiss League who questioned his consistency and his habits, with suggestions of selfishness) and prolific forwards. He was one of the league’s two 50-goal scorers, finishing second in goals behind the elder Luke Evangelista, and he did it on a Flint team where he outproduced his nearest teammate by a pretty remarkable 47 points (121 to 74) across the regular season and playoffs.

He’s got a strong, masked release that he can shoot from his blade from multiple release points while still maintaining pinpoint accuracy. He’s got a silky first touch into quick hands. He’s got that sixth sense as a scorer, where he just finds holes in coverage and in goalies to finish plays at a higher rate than most.

He’s got a heady spatial awareness inside the offensive zone and a good feel for where his teammates are on the ice. With the puck on his stick and quick hands one-on-one, he created a ton this year out of attacking cuts into the slot with Flint. He also wore the “C” which contrasts against some of the ways folks have talked about him in the past. Othmann plays a determined off-puck game that engages in battles even though he’s not a power type.

And he has worked hard to get stronger and a step quicker so that he can make the most out of his natural gifts on the ice. He’s got top-six, top power-play tools. Now it’s just about continuing to hone and tap into them while continuing to round out his game. The talent is clearly there.

Daigle was good...he just wasn't motivated to play hockey and he pretty much quit before he retired.
- mames11

Talent never in question. But motivation and desire is part of the gamble. If you use your pick for a guy and then he says,.."nah (frank) It". That sucks.

Top 50 non-goalie prospects:
33. Brennan Othmann, LW, 19 (New York Rangers — No. 16, 2021)

Othmann silenced some critics in his post-draft season, becoming one of the OHL’s most consistent (there were some, in his rookie year in the OHL and his draft year in the second-tier Swiss League who questioned his consistency and his habits, with suggestions of selfishness) and prolific forwards. He was one of the league’s two 50-goal scorers, finishing second in goals behind the elder Luke Evangelista, and he did it on a Flint team where he outproduced his nearest teammate by a pretty remarkable 47 points (121 to 74) across the regular season and playoffs.

He’s got a strong, masked release that he can shoot from his blade from multiple release points while still maintaining pinpoint accuracy. He’s got a silky first touch into quick hands. He’s got that sixth sense as a scorer, where he just finds holes in coverage and in goalies to finish plays at a higher rate than most.

He’s got a heady spatial awareness inside the offensive zone and a good feel for where his teammates are on the ice. With the puck on his stick and quick hands one-on-one, he created a ton this year out of attacking cuts into the slot with Flint. He also wore the “C” which contrasts against some of the ways folks have talked about him in the past. Othmann plays a determined off-puck game that engages in battles even though he’s not a power type.

And he has worked hard to get stronger and a step quicker so that he can make the most out of his natural gifts on the ice. He’s got top-six, top power-play tools. Now it’s just about continuing to hone and tap into them while continuing to round out his game. The talent is clearly there.
- MeanestOfTimes

Good stuff --- thanks for sharing!

Top 50 non-goalie prospects:
33. Brennan Othmann, LW, 19 (New York Rangers — No. 16, 2021)

Othmann silenced some critics in his post-draft season, becoming one of the OHL’s most consistent (there were some, in his rookie year in the OHL and his draft year in the second-tier Swiss League who questioned his consistency and his habits, with suggestions of selfishness) and prolific forwards. He was one of the league’s two 50-goal scorers, finishing second in goals behind the elder Luke Evangelista, and he did it on a Flint team where he outproduced his nearest teammate by a pretty remarkable 47 points (121 to 74) across the regular season and playoffs.

He’s got a strong, masked release that he can shoot from his blade from multiple release points while still maintaining pinpoint accuracy. He’s got a silky first touch into quick hands. He’s got that sixth sense as a scorer, where he just finds holes in coverage and in goalies to finish plays at a higher rate than most.

He’s got a heady spatial awareness inside the offensive zone and a good feel for where his teammates are on the ice. With the puck on his stick and quick hands one-on-one, he created a ton this year out of attacking cuts into the slot with Flint. He also wore the “C” which contrasts against some of the ways folks have talked about him in the past. Othmann plays a determined off-puck game that engages in battles even though he’s not a power type.

And he has worked hard to get stronger and a step quicker so that he can make the most out of his natural gifts on the ice. He’s got top-six, top power-play tools. Now it’s just about continuing to hone and tap into them while continuing to round out his game. The talent is clearly there.
- MeanestOfTimes

Im really hopeful in this, I just wonder where and when it happens. Were so stacked on LW I hope we can find a spot for him.

Scott Wheeler from the Athletic top goalie prospects:
7. Dylan Garand, G, 20 (New York Rangers — No. 103, 2020)

Garand has really emerged these last three years as one of the top goalie prospects in the sport, to the point where he is now the CHL Goaltender of the Year and a lock to be Canada’s starter at the restarted 2022 world juniors in Edmonton in August. That light isn’t going anywhere either. Next year, in his final season in the WHL, he’ll get to backstop his Memorial Cup host Blazers. And though he’s listed at 6-foot-1 by the Blazers and by Hockey Canada, he’s listed at 6-foot by the NHL, making him the fourth consecutive goalie on this list (the next name will make it a fifth) who is below average in size.

Garand’s game is led by his quickness in the net (which helps him make acrobatic saves when he needs to), great hands (especially on the glove side, which can really flash), a studious understanding of the game, his positioning, and how he sees the way plays develop in front of him. He plays on his toes and is active in the net, but he does it without spinning and swimming by holding his outside edges when he settles into his stance before a shot, playing sharp angles, and tracking pucks into his body. He also almost never looks panicked in the net and his post-to-post movement is meticulous so he never seems to pull past his parallels and always seems to find and hold his short side on bad-angle shots (his skate and shoulder are always in the right spot, even off of switches when some goalies lose some of those habits). This may be a little high given his size and the work he still has in front of him in the AHL even once he’s done with junior, but I like the goalie and the kid (he’s got a good head on his shoulders).
- MeanestOfTimes

I betcha Garand would be a piece in a Kane deal

I betcha Garand would be a piece in a Kane deal
- Slimtj100

Very possible and its something we can easily afford to move. Garand, Nils…

New blog up, meanest of times must have read my mind as to what I was going to cover