Derrick Pouliot – McKeen's Hockey

Boeser Days Ahead – Vancouver Canucks 2018-19 Season Preview

Robert Howard — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 15:00:42 +0000

REVIEW/STATE OF PLAY - Another 7^th place finish in the Pacific Division and their third season in a row under 75 points. The season was noteworthy as the final for Henrik and Daniel Sedin, and the beginning of a new era built around a promising group of prospects. Their results delivered another high draft pick used to select defenseman Quinn Hughes. He joins a group that boasts forwards Bo Horvat, Brock Boeser, Elias Petterson, Jake Virtanen, and Hobey Baker award winner Adam Gaudette. They are joined by Hughes and Olli Juolevi on the blueline and Thatcher Demko in goal - all of whom could be in the lineup next season.

Another significant change in the off-season was the departure of President of Hockey Operations, Trevor Linden. The reasons for the change of heart after four seasons at the team that hung his number from the rafters are unclear, and all parties are being circumspect, but suggestions that the difference was one of philosophy on developing players.

VETERAN ADDITIONS BOLSTER DEPTH - Not sure the entire truth will emerge, but GM Jim Benning did acquire three veteran forwards (Jay Beagle, Antoine Roussel, and Tim Schaller) in the off-season to solidify their third and fourth line and shelter the young stars. Others would argue that they block spots in which a young player could be developing in the NHL. Both coach Travis Green entering his second season and Benning sing from the same song sheet that the youth movement is under way and if someone is ready to play, they will. The three free agents are strong defensively and can kill penalties. They will make the Vancouver line-up deeper, with the goal of making it harder to play against them up and down the line-up.

The loss of the Sedins may not be easily filled with youth. Daniel tied for the team lead in scoring, along with 23 goals, though eclipsed in points per game by Brock Boeser and Bo Horvat. Henrik was right behind him in scoring and together they contributed 105 points. The hope is Elias Petterson can step in right away and contribute on the second line, either as center or on the wing. There is no question 28-year-old Sam Gagner was a disappointment in his first season with the Canucks scoring only 31 points in 74 games. Whether he finds chemistry with Petterson or is replaced at center, remains a big question going into camp.

Bo Horvat

The first line is set around 23-year-old Bo Horvat and 21-year-old Brock Boeser, who finished second in voting for best rookie. Boeser fired 29 goals in 62 games and if had not been injured would have challenged for the Calder. Horvat is a two-way force at center and led all forwards with 19:21 minutes of ice time, more than two minutes greater than any other forward. He took the most number of face-offs on the team with a 53.8% win rate, and17^th in the league with total wins (712). The biggest challenge they will face will be increased scrutiny as the fulcrum of the attack and drawing tough matchups. A slight regression would not be a surprising result.

DARK DAYS ON D WITH A PROMISING FUTURE - Alex Edler leads the defence group and the team leader in ice time per game (24:17), quarterbacking the power play and killing penalties. He is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season at 32-years-old and will be relied upon heavily again this season. He has a no movement clause, but if he chose to waive it he could be a trade chip at the deadline.

The supporting cast leave something to be desired. Michael Del Zotto had a healthy season, but only delivered 22 points. He led the team in total ice time but saw little time on the power play. He is also an UFA at seasons end and will be looked to anchor a spot in the top four. Chris Tanev has been injury prone and in trade rumours. Erik Gudbranson is a towering presence on the blueline, he seems slow in today’s NHL. Former 8^th overall pick Derek Pouliot was picked up at the start of the season and contributed 22 points and showed signs of improvement as the season wore on.

They have two potentially future elite blueliners in Olli Juolevi and Quinn Hughes. Hughes is likely going back to the University of Michigan but did not look out of place as an 18-year-old at the World Championships or the World Junior Championships. It will be a test of philosophy going forward. Juolevi had offseason surgery and is likely to start in the AHL with left shot defenders Edler, Del Zotto, and Pouliot ahead of him on the depth chart.

Thatcher Demko is one of the brightest goaltending prospects in the league and shone in his second season in the AHL. The starter is Jacob Markstrom who started 60 games last season with a 0.912 save percentage. He is backed up by Anders Nilsson. Demko will threaten for the backup role and may be ready to challenge Markstrom as the starter. He is the heir apparent in goal.

OUTLOOK - The Canucks made moves to make them better defensively up front and as a result should win more close games. There is a core of a contender down the road, but the coming season will be another learning one.

NHL Prospect Watch: Pittsburgh Penguins

Ryan Wagman — Tue, 03 May 2016 13:22:48 +0000

Any look at the Pittsburgh Penguins’ system must first reconcile to the fact that the team began the season with one highly touted prospect who surprisingly made the opening game roster and another highly touted prospect who surprisingly did not.

The surprise inclusion was Daniel Sprong, an 18-year old Dutch winger who had been the team’s highest selected player in the 2015 draft. Sprong lasted 31 games with Pittsburgh before being (wisely) sent back to his CHL team in Charlottetown. 13 of those 31 games were spent inactive, only one of which was not as a healthy scratch. In the other 18 games, he had over 10 minutes of ice time only once. He scored twice on 23 shots. He was also dreadful at the possession game, with a relative Corsi of -5%, despite receiving favorable shift starts.

On the other hand, he had Derrick Pouliot, once upon an eighth overall pick, a pick which the Penguins parted with Jordan Staal to acquire. Pouliot had made his professional debut in 2014-15, splitting the season between Pittsburgh and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Adding fuel to the fire of expectations for Pouliot was that the Penguins head coach was Mike Johnston, who had also coached the 21-year old in Portland of the WHL. Nonetheless, and despite faring well in advanced possession metrics in the NHL as a rookie, Pouliot started the season back in the AHL. Judging purely by the statistics, Pouliot was no better in his second AHL go-round than in his first (from 24 points in 31 games in 2014-15 to 23 points in 37 points this year), he was finally recalled in mid-January and spent the remainder of the season with the Penguins, albeit for large stretches (especially in the final month of the season) in the press box. He has yet to suit up in a postseason game.

Sprong maintains his prospect eligibility, while Pouliot, who now has 56 NHL games under his belt, does not. This article is not about them. Nor is it about the unheralded prospects who were called up to Pittsburgh around the mid-point of the season and gave the Penguins scoring depth the likes of which they did not have since their back-to-back appearances in the Stanley Cup finals last decade. Conor Sheary, Bryan Rust and Tom Kuhnhackl (and to a lesser extent, Scott Wilson) all showed true NHL tools, and served as a reminder to the punditry that there is far more to every organization’s pipeline than the big names. The four have combined for 42 points in 151 games, respectable totals for depth line players, and most notably, at a fraction of the cap hit of the types of players who used to populate the back half of the Penguins’ roster.

The biggest impacts will often be made by those who fit available roles. It is nice when those roles are sized right to fit the studs, but that is not always the case. While the Penguins’ system is not exactly deep, there are still a number of prospect-eligible players who could find roles to suit their respective skill sets in the near future.

Matt Murray, G, Pittsburgh Penguins (83^rd overall, 2012)

Perhaps Murray’s inclusion is cheating a bit, but he only appeared in 13 regular season games, so he fits. If you had watched the second half of the Penguins-Rangers series, or the first game between Pittsburgh and Washington in the second round, you should already know a little bit about the 21-year old netminder. Probably not enough, though. Without exception, Murray is the best rated goaltender I have scouted this year. Combining quickness, athleticism and size, he simply stops pucks. Only one goalie in the AHL who played even 25 games had a save percentage better than Murray’s .931. That stupendous mark is actually a big step down from his league-leading rookie save percentage of .941, a total helped along by a record setting shutout streak of 304 minutes and 11 seconds.

Murray anticipates the play very well and is quick to telescope outwards to challenge the shooter. His movements are both crisp and controlled, which helps him to avoid long recovery times. Both his glove hand and legs move very quickly allowing him to trust his reactions. The former third rounder does not get rattled after surrendering the rare goals and fights through screens well, most likely assisted by his lanky 6-4” frame. His quick legs also allow him to remain tall in his crease. Murray handles rebounds nicely as well, either deadening the puck on impact, or ushering it into safe spaces. If there is any one area where he is not above average, it is in puck handling. Not that he’s bad at it, mind you, but I wouldn’t expect any long bombs to center ice to hit a streaking winger. He can put the puck at rest for one of his blueliners, or try to fling it up the boards and out but it isn’t fancy. In Matt Murray, the Pittsburgh Penguins have a special goalie who will eventually give the team pause regarding the long term future of incumbent starter – and former Stanley Cup champion – Marc Andre Fleury. With the potential of an expansion draft looming, a blockbuster trade involving one of them as soon as this summer should not shock.

Dominik Simon, C, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) (137^thoverall, 2015)

Drafted last summer shortly before his 21^st birthday, Simon had risen to prominence after a strong season in the top Czech league, followed by a solid showing for the Czech Republic in the World Championships. Simon moved to North America right away and finished fourth in scoring for the Baby Penguins, with a team leading 25 goals, in his first season on this side of the Atlantic. A three game call up to Pittsburgh in mid-March was earned.

Looking solely at Simon through his collection will leave one underwhelmed and wondering why I would bother wasting so much digital ink on him. His skating is OK, but nothing special. He has a decent shot, getting solid whip on his wrister when he keeps his hands high and close together. He is a little bit undersized, standing under 6-0” tall with a listed weight under 180 pounds. And yet if the Baby Pens have the puck during a Simon shift, it is more than likely that it is on Dominik’s stick. He is patient with the puck, and will not be pressed into getting rid of it before he is ready to. Simon is a clever stickhandler and creative passer, not needing too much space to find an open teammate. To his credit, Simon maintains utility when the opponents are in possession as well, and plays an active role in his own zone, sticking with his assignment and looking to break up plays and jumpstart the transition back to offense. Although he lacks the size typically associated with the bottom six, he plays with a lot of energy and the Penguins have already demonstrated that size is not their main concern, as of the four rookies mentioned above, only Kuhnhackl would not be considered undersized by common NHL standards. Simon should compete for a roster spot next pre-season and will definitely appear in more than three NHL games in 2016-17.

Jake Guentzel, LW, University Nebraska-Omaha (NCAA) (77^th overall, 2013)

Like Simon, Guentzel is another undersized forward (5-10”, 168) who is unremarkable on his skates, but just produces. A top-20 point-producer as a junior for Nebraska-Omaha, Guentzel signed an amateur try-out with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after his collegiate season ended. Considering his scoring exploits in college and his brief time as a pro, as well as the fact that he had another year of collegiate eligibility remaining, tells me that he will get an ELC in short order, but was held back by non-hockey related reasons.

Not just undersized, Guentzel lacks in muscle and can be neutralized. Thankfully, he doesn’t stand still for long enough to be easily caught. The former third rounder is the type of play who simply knows how to make offense happen. His shot and puck skills are both OK but what sets him apart is his vision. He can score goals through positioning and instincts, but as a playmaker he is high level. He finds seams in coverage in the offensive zone and first makes himself available to accept a pass and then (seemingly before he even gets the puck) finds a way to keep the chain moving by picking out a teammate who is better positioned. Despite his size handicap, Guentzel will play in the dirty areas and does a lot of his best work in the slot where his shot is still strong enough to be effective. He shows no hesitation in following his shot to the net, looking for rebounds. The son of a former New York Rangers draft pick and long-time University of Minnesota assistant coach, Mike Guentzel, Jake remains engaged in his own zone, trying to fore mistakes by the opponents. The former USHL rookie of the year needs at least a full year of develop in the AHL, both to get used to the paucity of open ice that he feasted on in college as well as to work on his strength, to help compensate for that loss of space. Then again, he has gotten off to a great start, with 13 points in his first 14 (regular season plus playoff) AHL games. His upside is higher than that of Simon, but Guentzel has farther to go to reach it.

Ethan Prow, D, St. Cloud State (NCAA) (UDFA, signed Mar. 29, 2016)

One of the newest members of the Penguins organization, the slight of stature (how many times can I call a prospect undersized?) blueliner was on the short list for the Hobey Baker Award as the top collegiate player this year, his senior season with the St. Cloud State Huskies. With 38 points in 37 games, Prow was the leading scorer among all NCAA blueliners, narrowly edging out the highly heralded Zach Werenski.

As you might have guessed, Prow is primarily an offensive defenseman. He is a natural quarterback, who has above average vision and excels at identifying opportunities to jump into the rush. He is comfortable at carrying the puck whether leaving his own zone or entering enemy territory – or both. When appropriate, he will also make a pass to a better positioned teammate to carry the load. The Minnesotan is an above average skater as well. As with nearly any undrafted player, there are, of course, warts to Prow’s profile. He is better with the puck than without. While not a pushover in his own zone, NCAA opponents have not shown any hesitation in trying to push their zone entries towards Prow’s side of the ice. He will need to be paired with a strong and reliable partner as a professional so as not to be exploited. While there is still room for power play specialists in the NHL, Prow has bust potential in that he will need to prove that he will not be a liability in his own zone. If he can get to at least passable in that regards – a task which may take closer to two years in the AHL than one – he has the puck skills and skating ability to carve out an NHL career.

Lukas Bengtsson, D, Frolunda (SHL) (UDFA, signed Apr. 27, 2016)

After inking Prow, the Penguins continued to strengthen their blueline depth by signing Swedish defender Lukas Bengtsson, lately of Frolunda, to an ELC. Yet another small, offensively minded prospect, Bengtsson more than held his own in his first season in the top league in Sweden after two solid years in the Allsvenskan (Swedish second league) with Mora. A one-time representative for Sweden at the World Juniors, Bengtsson is more known for his offensive prowess than his own zone play.

Swedish Hockey Prospectus contributor Jimmy Hamrin has called Bengtsson mobile and skilled and gave his best-case outcome for the youngster a John Klingberg career path. If you will recall, Klingberg was very much a sleeper until he turned 21, also with Frolunda. A late-bloomer, Bengtsson missed close to half of this season due to injury, but was fantastic after returning, especially in the SHL playoffs. Calm with the puck under pressure, he has a good first pass and a plus point shot. He will be tested by the physical game (he is not as big as Klingberg) but the Penguins seem to have found themselves a real sleeper in Bengtsson.

Josh Archibald, RW, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) (174^thoverall, 2011)

A one-time teammate of Guentzel’s at Nebraska-Omaha, Josh Archibald is another slight player who is among the ranks of potential bottom six contributors in the Pittsburgh ranks. What differentiates Archibald from his peers though is his speed. Straight ahead, Archibald is a special skater with top line acceleration. He is the type of player that can be utilized for a tactic stressing long, chase passes, much like former Penguins coach Dan Bylsma loved to employ. He also can endear himself to coaches through the zeal which he brings to board play. While small, he completes checks with gusto. Archibald received his first NHL callup this year, a single late-season game, but more AHL time is in his future, as his offensive production over his first two seasons has been pretty dismal. The native of Regina, Saskatchewan has one year remaining on his ELC, so 2016-17 is very much a make-or-break year for him.

Anthony Angello, C, Cornell (NCAA) (145^th overall, 2014)

Finally, at long last, we have a Penguins non-goalie prospect who is not undersized. Tall and lanky, Angello, turned some heads in his freshman season with Cornell, ending it with 24 points in 34 games, finishing second in team scoring. The closest thing to a sleeper in the system, Angello has very good skating for his size (6-4”, 196), taking big strides that chew up the ice. A natural center, he is a power forward and is active in all three zones. An undisciplined player with Omaha in the USHL, he also drastically cut his penalty minutes, another sign of growth and the ability to slow the game down. If he can take another step forward in 2016-17 like he did this past year, expect his stay in upstate New York to be short.

CHL 2014 IIHF WJHC Participants On-Ice Stats

Gus Katsaros — Fri, 27 Dec 2013 20:22:56 +0000

A short post with the focus on participating players dressing for their respective countries in the 2014 IIHF World Junior Championships and their member clubs in the CHL playing overseas in Sweden.

I broke away from the traditional goals-assists-points statistics and focused on the breakdown of ON-ICE even strength goals for/against as well as on the percentage basis for their respective teams. The legend is located just before the table.

Some additional details break down the draft year, team that drafted the player (none of these players have been traded to another NHL team). There are very few undrafted players as this tournament is drafted prospect heavy, but there are many European exceptions – along with some draft-eligible players for 2014 (and two notable 2015 draft eligible players in Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel – as a late birthday).

ESGF - Even Strength Goals For (On-Ice)

ESGA - Even Strength Goals Against (On-Ice)

%TmESGF - Percentage of On-Ice Even Strength Goals For

%TmESGA - Percentage of On-Ice Even Strength Goals Against

Draft Team - Team that drafted this player

Draft Yr - Draft Year

DOB - Date of Birth

Country	Team	Pos	ESGF	ESGA	%Tm ESGF	%Tm ESGA	Draft Team	Draft Yr	DOB
Canada
Josh Anderson	London Knights	C	29	13	20.28	25.00	CBJ	2012	1994/05/07
Chris Bigras	Owen Sound Attack	D	26	30	27.08	27.78	Col	2013	1995/02/22
Jonathan Drouin	Halifax Mooseheads	C	36	19	25.71	19.00	TBL	2013	1995/03/28
Aaron Ekblad	Barrie Colts	D	25	24	22.12	25.53	--	--	1996/02/07
Zachary Fucale	Halifax Mooseheads	G	0	0	0.00	0.00	MTL	2013	1995/05/28
Frederik Gauthier	Rimouski Oceanic	C	25	24	22.12	60.00	Tor	2013	1995/04/26
Bo Horvat	London Knights	LW	37	19	25.87	36.54	Van	2013	1995/04/05
Charles Hudon	Chicoutimi Sagueneens	LW	27	29	26.21	26.36	MTL	2012	1994/06/23
Scott Laughton	Oshawa Generals	C	36	27	30.00	33.75	Phi	2012	1994/05/30
Curtis Lazar	Edmonton Oil Kings	C	41	18	32.80	30.00	Ott	2013	1995/02/02
Taylor Leier	Portland Winterhawks	LW	39	20	23.93	18.02	Phi	2012	1994/02/15
Anthony Mantha	Val-d’Or Foreurs	LW	50	33	29.07	37.50	DET	2013	1994/09/16
Connor McDavid	Erie Otters	C	42	20	24.85	42.55	--	--	1997/01/13
Josh Morrissey	Prince Albert Raiders	C	40	29	34.48	42.65	Wpg	2013	1995/03/28
Jake Paterson	Saginaw Spirit	G	0	0	0.00	0.00	Det	2012	1994/05/03
Adam Pelech	Erie Otters	D	44	21	26.04	44.68	NYI	2012	1994/08/16
Nicolas Petan	Portland Winterhawks	C	52	27	31.90	24.32	WPG	2013	1995/03/22
Derrick Pouliot	Portland Winterhawks	D	51	37	31.29	33.33	Pit	2012	1994/01/16
Griffin Reinhart	Edmonton Oil Kings	D	15	11	12.00	18.33	NYI	2012	1994/01/24
Sam Reinhart	Kootenay Ice	C	32	28	31.37	31.82	--	--	1995/11/06
Kerby Rychel	Guelph Storm/Windsor Spitfires	LW	32	19	26.67	19.19	CBJ	2013	1994/10/07
Czech Republic
Radek Faksa	Kitchener Rangers	C	23	33	24.21	28.70	Dal	2012	1994/01/09
Jan Kostalek	Rimouski Oceanic	D	24	26	21.24	65.00	Wpg	2013	1995/02/17
Marek Langhamer	Medicine Hat Tigers	G	0	0	0.00	0.00	PHX	2012	1994/07/22
David Nemecek	Saskatoon Blades	D	23	28	21.30	20.00	--	--	1995/06/29
Michal Plutnar	Tri-City Americans	D	6	11	6.67	11.58	--	--	1994/02/21
Petr Sidlik	Victoriaville Tigres	D	24	32	24.24	25.20	--	--	1994/01/18
Dominik Volek	Red Deer Rebels	RW	23	20	23.47	26.32	--	--	1994/01/12
Patrik Zdrahal	Rimouski Oceanic	RW	12	16	15.00	30.19	--	--	1995/04/09
Finland
Julius Honka	Swift Current Broncos	D	42	33	35.59	32.04	--	--	1995/12/03
Henri Ikonen	Kingston Frontenacs	LW	40	25	32.00	21.93	TB	2013	1994/04/17
Mikko Vainonen	Kingston Frontenacs	D	36	22	28.80	19.30	Nsh	2012	1994/04/11
Germany
Tim Bender	London Knights	C	16	4	11.19	7.69	--	--	--
Marvin Cupper	Shawinigan Cataractes	G	0	0	0.00	0.00	--	--	--
Leon Draisaitl	Prince Albert Raiders	C	31	30	26.72	44.12	--	--	1995/10/27
Markus Eisenschmid	Medicine Hat Tigers	C	13	20	11.50	21.05	--	--	1995/01/22
Dominik Kahun	Sudbury Wolves	C	10	15	7.94	12.10	--	--	1995/07/02
Maximilian Kammerer	Regina Pats	C	1	5	0.91	6.41	--	--	--
Norway
Jorgen Karterud	SSM Greyhounds	RW	14	16	10.22	31.37	--	--	1994/05/06
Russia
Ivan Barbashev	Moncton Wildcats	C	31	33	30.39	34.74	--	--	1995/12/14
Nikita Zadorov	London Knights	C	12	4	8.39	7.69	Buf	2013	1995/04/16
Valentin Zykov	Baie-Comeau Drakkar	RW	22	9	16.30	10.11	LAK	2013	1995/05/15
Slovakia
Martin Reway	Gatineau Olympiques	LW	31	21	27.93	18.75	Mtl	2013	1995/01/24
Sweden
Andre Burakovsky	Erie Otters	LW	35	16	20.71	34.04	WSH	2013	1995/02/09
Oscar Dansk	Erie Otters	G	0	0	0.00	0.00	CBJ	2012	1994/02/28
Nick Sorensen	Quebec Remparts	RW	22	12	18.49	13.79	Ana	2013	1994/10/23
Switzerland
Phil Baltisberger	Guelph Storm	D	34	15	20.12	28.30	--	--	1995/11/13
Jason Fuchs	Rouyn-Noranda Huskies	LW	23	20	16.79	30.77	--	--	1995/09/14
Fabrice Herzog	Quebec Remparts	RW	30	28	25.21	32.18	TOR	2013	1994/12/09
Mirco Mueller	Everett Silvertips	D	21	20	19.09	27.03	SJ	2013	1995/03/21
Vincent Praplan	North Bay Battalion	LW	22	21	24.44	60.00	--	--	1994/06/10
Yannick Rathgeb	Plymouth Whalers	D	19	27	22.89	27.55	--	--	1995/10/24
United States
Adam Erne	Quebec Remparts	LW	30	27	25.21	31.03	TBL	2013	1995/04/20
Ryan Hartman	Plymouth Whalers	C	21	37	25.30	37.76	Chi	2013	1994/09/20
Anthony Stolarz	London Knights	G	--	--	--	--	Phi	2012	1994/01/20

**********

Derrick Pouliot – McKeen's Hockey

Boeser Days Ahead – Vancouver Canucks 2018-19 Season Preview

NHL Prospect Watch: Pittsburgh Penguins

CHL 2014 IIHF WJHC Participants On-Ice Stats

Follow the McKeen's team on Twitter:

@mckeenshockey
@KatsHockey

Derrick Pouliot – McKeen's Hockey

Boeser Days Ahead – Vancouver Canucks 2018-19 Season Preview

NHL Prospect Watch: Pittsburgh Penguins

CHL 2014 IIHF WJHC Participants On-Ice Stats

Follow the McKeen's team on Twitter:

@mckeenshockey@KatsHockey

@mckeenshockey
@KatsHockey