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Les Habitants Prospects Thread

GrandWazoo said:
Good players don’t spend much time in the AHL.
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Yeah, that's kind of my point. We've gotten nothing from our AHL roster, but when you look at that roster, who exactly was supposed to make a push? Four players with very limited upside?

Again, rehashing old arguments... It's like when Houle had those Laval rosters and the best forwards with Xavier Simoneau, RHP, Anthony Richard, Brandon Gignac, Jordan Weal... What's he supposed to do with that?

Was Houle a great coach? No, he probably wasn't. But at the same time, I can't blame him for not getting us NHL players, he was only given AHL lifers.
 
GGpX said:
I don't know why you're being obtuse about this point.

He's the one who agreed to a contract with that clause.

He's the one who signed his contract to play in Sweden when his Finnish contract was completed. He's the one who could have refused to sign that contract if that European clause was included. He signed his ELC with the Habs a month after signing that contract to play in Sweden.

This isn't a situation like Demidov where the player doesn't have control over his playing situation and just has to wait it out. He purposely signed that contract with that clause.

He & Adam Engstrom were both in the same boat last Spring. Both had their European contracts conclude at the end of their seasons and they were available to sign where they wanted, Europe, North America, Russia, whatever they wanted. Engstrom took the Habs's ELC without a European clause nor a contract with a European team, Kapanen signed a Swedish contract with a European clause, and then took the Habs' ELC.
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Just because he is risk adverse doesn't mean it doesn't make sense.

These are humans not pieces of meat.
 
GGpX said:
Yeah, that's kind of my point. We've gotten nothing from our AHL roster, but when you look at that roster, who exactly was supposed to make a push? Four players with very limited upside?

Again, rehashing old arguments... It's like when Houle had those Laval rosters and the best forwards with Xavier Simoneau, RHP, Anthony Richard, Brandon Gignac, Jordan Weal... What's he supposed to do with that?

Was Houle a great coach? No, he probably wasn't. But at the same time, I can't blame him for not getting us NHL players, he was only given AHL lifers.
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I’ve gotten to the point that I’m writing off any players spending more than one season in the AHL. There is a few exceptions, but not many. Which is also why I don’t get excited by players like Jiricek and Nemec being available.
 
I’m not sure what the issue is.

Laval is there to develop to be a short weigh station for top players and a 2 year (max) development filter for support players.

On this roster maybe Mailloux, Engstrom, Tuch and Beck make it. Maybe Xhekaj? Apparently Roy isn’t up to it. The others can go to Europe.
 
worm said:
Just because he is risk adverse doesn't mean it doesn't make sense.

These are humans not pieces of meat.
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????

He's literally taking on risk for his career by staying in Europe, assuming playing in the NHL is his desired career. If it isn't, why did he sign an ELC?

There is no risk by coming to North America if he's good enough to play in the NHL. Literally none.
 
lecoqsportif said:
I’m not sure what the issue is.

Laval is there to develop to be a short weigh station for top players and a 2 year (max) development filter for support players.

On this roster maybe Mailloux, Engstrom, Tuch and Beck make it. Maybe Xhekaj? Apparently Roy isn’t up to it. The others can go to Europe.
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Realistically, I think only Beck has a shot as a fourth liner.
 
GrandWazoo said:
I’ve gotten to the point that I’m writing off any players spending more than one season in the AHL. There is a few exceptions, but not many. Which is also why I don’t get excited by players like Jiricek and Nemec being available.
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It depends, in a way.

If you're a prospect for the San Jose Sharks and you're not making any noise to make the NHL in your first year in the AHL, I'll write you off immediately. If you can't beat out jobbers that are AHLers making an NHL salary, you probably ain't good enough. (Always assuming that there aren't external factors such as injuries or personal issues.)

But if you're in an organization that's stacked and they're trying to win a championship? I'm willing to give that player a little more time.
 
Habsy said:
I don't understand the issue. If he wasn't going to play in the NHL he preferred to be home. It's his decision.
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The issue is that the NHL is much different than Euro leagues, therefore delaying his adaptation jeopardizes his NhL career. Otherwise, that’s his life, he can do what he wants.
 
Habsy said:
I don't understand the issue. If he wasn't going to play in the NHL he preferred to be home. It's his decision.
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Issue is as follows:

Is Oliver Kapanen's career goal to play in the NHL and earn a salary that reflects playing in that league?

If the answer is no, then what he's doing makes sense. Although signing an ELC to play in North America's kinda strange, but whatever.

If the answer is yes, then see below:
GGpX said:
It is objectively true that Kapanen would have a better chance at making the NHL right now if he was in Laval than if he was in Sweden, for the simple fact that he could get called up at any point if he's in Laval and he would be getting used to playing in a league with more physicality.

Kapanen could make the NHL despite staying in Europe an extra year, sure. My point is that he is not good enough to simply walk into the NHL and stick. He's a fringe player and he needs to put all of the odds in his favor.

Excluding goalies, close to 70% of all players in the NHL - roughly 80% when it comes to forwards - that have a career (defined as playing 400 or more games, enough to get a second contract without an AHL clause) in the league are established by the age of 22, the age Kapanen will have in next season's training camp. Established being defined as not being used as a yo-yo between the NHL & AHL and staying on an NHL roster as a permanent fixture. The biggest discrepancy are players who stay in college for three years like Mike Matheson, before heading to the AHL and then making it. Change the statistic to 23 years old and close to 90% of all the forwards in the NHL fit under this umbrella.

I would have the same opinion if someone like Jacob Fowler decided to return to Boston College for a third season. He's perfectly entitled to and if he feels that it would be better for his "personal journey", then good on him. But if his goal is to make the NHL and make a career out of it? Then going back to college for a third year is counter productive, even if he still makes the NHL later.
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That's it. That's all it boils down to.
 
GGpX said:
It depends, in a way.

If you're a prospect for the San Jose Sharks and you're not making any noise to make the NHL in your first year in the AHL, I'll write you off immediately. If you can't beat out jobbers that are AHLers making an NHL salary, you probably ain't good enough. (Always assuming that there aren't external factors such as injuries or personal issues.)

But if you're in an organization that's stacked and they're trying to win a championship? I'm willing to give that player a little more time.
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Meh, the amount of top 9/top4 players that have spend 2+ years in the AHL, regardless of the organization, is very very small.
 
Typically Swedes & Finns simply don’t like playing AHL making lower $alaries vs SEL / Liga… same as Russians / KHL

It’s NHL or bust
 
GGpX said:
????

He's literally taking on risk for his career by staying in Europe, assuming playing in the NHL is his desired career. If it isn't, why did he sign an ELC?

There is no risk by coming to North America if he's good enough to play in the NHL. Literally none.
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He could have been one of Laval’s better forwards and get at least a cup of coffee in the NHL.
 
Meh

seems to me he’s trying to follow the Arturri Lehkonen career arc

He’ll have a decent chance to make the big club out of camp next yr.
 
kappy missed most of his post draft season due to injury… so yeah he’s a year behind
 
If anyone's interested, the Beanpot semi-finals are tonight. BC plays Northeastern at 8 pm. Good chance to check out Fowler in a somewhat meaningful game. Should be on ESPN + at the very least.
 
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