"Strengths: Even with the Capitals recent on-ice success, the prospect depth remains very good as a whole. Karl Alzner and Simeon Varlamov are well on their way to becoming fixtures in the talented Washington lineup. Varlamov heads up a very talented group of goalies that includes Braden Holtby and Michal Neuvirth. The Caps have a myriad of offensively capable blueliners. Two-way defenseman John Carlson, slick Sami Lepisto, and creative playmaker Keith Seabrook will help to keep Washington’s power play churning on all cylinders for years to come.
"Weaknesses: Many of the top-tier forward prospects have graduated. Outside of Alzner, there are not enough defensively responsible defensemen.
"Top 5 prospects: 1. Karl Alzner, D, 2. Anton Gustafsson, C, 3. Simeon Varlamov, G, 4. John Carlson, D, 5. Oskar Osala, LW. Key loss to graduation: Eric Fehr."
- Hockey's Futurerates the Caps #6 in its annual Spring Organizational Rankings
8 months ago
J.P.
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Funny rankings. Methinks Caps fans can only dream that Anton would be that good.
by cuqui on May 31, 2009 8:55 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I don’t see how you put Baby Gus at #2 over Varly at this point in time. I agree in that I’m most likely thrilled if that happens given my expectations for Varlamov.
Russian Machine Never Breaks
by macvechkin on Jun 1, 2009 1:28 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
It’s pretty amazing that the Capitals have graduated so many players in recent years – Fleischmann, Fehr, Schultz, Backstrom, Green – and yet still have one of the NHL’s better prospect pools.
by David M. Getz on May 31, 2009 9:16 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
LAK is in the same boat. It’s going to be a nightmare trying to keep all that talent together going forward.
by Fehr and Balanced on Jun 1, 2009 12:06 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
A nightmare you’d like to have…
by Gould Old Days on Jun 1, 2009 1:37 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Hasn’t Detroit had that same nightmare for like 20 years?
by bigmac1124 on Jun 1, 2009 10:37 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Disagree with the assessment
Many players have been drafted high & paid a ridiculous amount of money, only to disappoint, while others who were never drafted are totally overlooked. I see no mention of A. Giroux being one of the top 5 prospects. Top goal scorer in the AHL, broke a record set in 1988 for goals scored in regular season & playoffs … & yet no one seems to see the amazing talent. If Wash. doesn’t sign him to a major contract, they are NUTS!! Tyler Sloan is another non-drafted player who has proven he has the ability & skill to play at the NHL level … yet everyone yaps about Alzner as though he were God’s gift to the Caps defensive core. Perhaps down the road 6 7 years … Alzner may prove himself …. but he certainly has not to date. While he started okay against lesser competition, he soon began to struggle ( -9 rating & just 1 assist in his final 17 NHL games … the worst takeaway-to-giveaway and giveaways-per-minute-per-game ratios on the ENTIRE team and had the second WORST 5 on 5 GAON/60 and the worst GAON/60 at 4 on 5 of ANY Caps defenseman!!) Yes, he has some promise … but I really don’t see him contributing much for several years. Sloan may be 28, but he’s the best D-skater I’ve seen for some time, plays a much more physical game than Alzner & is much tougher along the boards & better at clearing the puck. He has a lot of good years ahead to contribute to the Caps defensive core. I’d much rather see him playing next year than Alzner, Carlson, Kronwall, Lepisto or Collins. No contest. Sloan also has the best +/ rating in all the AHL in playoff games & has been very solid. Just because a Caps prospect has a BIG contract … does not make him the best. And anyone who thinks so probably buys $150.00 name brand designer denim jeans thinking they’re the best … the hottest … when really they’re just denim … and often an inferior quality denim to the $50 jeans. Go figure.
by FORTUNA on May 31, 2009 9:42 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Giroux is in his late 20s. Not exactly a prospect anymore.
by red army line on May 31, 2009 9:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don’t think comparing Alzner to Sloan does anything. Their styles couldn’t be more different in my opinion.
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by ninefttall on May 31, 2009 9:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I see no mention of A. Giroux being one of the top 5 prospects. Top goal scorer in the AHL, broke a record set in 1988 for goals scored in regular season & playoffs … & yet no one seems to see the amazing talent. If Wash. doesn’t sign him to a major contract, they are NUTS!!
As others have mentioned, Giroux is not a prospect, the cutoff for which by the hockeysfuture.com site is 25, I believe. He’s a 27 year old playing at his peak, which is a good AHL, borderline NHL player. To that end, here’s the list of players who have led the AHL in goals for the last ten years:
2008–09 – Alexandre Giroux, Hershey Bears
2007–08 – Jason Krog, Chicago Wolves
2006–07 – Brett Sterling, Chicago Wolves
2005–06 – Donald MacLean, Grand Rapids Griffins & Denis Hamel, Binghamton Senators
2004–05 – Mike Cammalleri, Manchester Monarchs
2003–04 – Jeff Hamilton, Bridgeport Sound Tigers
2002–03 – Eric Healey, Manchester Monarchs
2001–02 – Justin Papineau & Eric Boguniecki, Worcester IceCats
2000–01 – Brad Smyth, Hartford Wolf Pack
1999–00 – Mike Maneluk, Philadelphia Phantoms
Only one of those guys – Mike Cammalleri – had any meaningful measure of success in the NHL, and he was only in the AHL that year because of the lockout. Being able to dominate the AHL does not mean you’ll be able to dominate, or even stick, in the NHL.
Tyler Sloan is another non-drafted player who has proven he has the ability & skill to play at the NHL level … yet everyone yaps about Alzner as though he were God’s gift to the Caps defensive core. Perhaps down the road 6 7 years … Alzner may prove himself …. but he certainly has not to date.
Sloan’s in the same boat as Giroux. He’s 28, at his peak, and is a solid AHL player who can play in the NHL in a pinch. Alzner is 20, in his first professional season, was the WHL Player of the Year and Defenceman of the Year for the 2007–08 WHL season, named the CHL’s best defenseman, and captained Canada’s gold medal winning junior team. When you’re talking about the future of the Capitals, it makes sense to be more excited about Alzner (who’s likely to become a top pairing guy) than Sloan (who’s unlikely to play more games in the rest of his NHL career as Alzner is likely to average for the next ten plus year, barring injury).
And anyone who thinks so probably buys $150.00 name brand designer denim jeans thinking they’re the best … the hottest … when really they’re just denim … and often an inferior quality denim to the $50 jeans. Go figure.
First off, there’s the issue of cause and effect. Players tend to get paid more if they’re drafted high than if they’re not. I don’t think people are excited about Alzner because he received a big contract, they’re excited because of what he did to earn that big contract: his success at the junior level.
Secondly, I think it’s a little offensive to assume people are as shallow as simply looking at contract size and making assumptions based off it. For example, I don’t think anyone assumes Sasha Pokulok will play sort of role for the Capitals down the road, and he’s the second highest paid defenseman in the team’s minor league system.
by David M. Getz on May 31, 2009 10:42 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
I was with you until the denim comment. You’ll never take away my designer jeans!
by Scott in Shaw on May 31, 2009 10:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I really think that having forward prospects as a weakness is totally acceptable. I feel like besides having amazing forwards already, its easier to get skilled forwards via trade, or FA but obtaining defensemen, whatever the skillset, is much more difficult.
That said it would be nice to see flash, fehr, giroux, perrault, bouchard step up and be a bonafide NHL forward instead of all looking like tweeners.
by MetalCap on May 31, 2009 9:44 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Skilled Defensemen
You’re right … obtaining skilled defensemen is much more difficult. I’ve heard several NHL coaches, including Boudreau, say that defense is a much more difficult position to learn and perfect, that’s why the better NHL defensemen are older. If you look at the ages of good offensive players vs. good defensive players …. the offense is most often quite young (21 – 25) … while good defensive players are mature … many in their mid 30’s. How many “styles” can a defenseman have? They’re either more offensive (like Mike Green) who lacks in defensive skills …. or stay-at-home defensemen who don’t do powerplays but tend to excel more at protecting their zone, clearing the puck, hitting, etc. Seldom are they totally balanced. Caps need both … but more defensive minded players than offensive defensemen … as it appears many fans & experts on the game have concluded. Sloan (at 27 or 28) is not too old — he’s just coming into his own. And Giroux? Give me a break. What other player in the AHL, NHL have scored 72 goals & had 48 assists (for a total of 120 points RS & Playoffs), at the age of 27 – 28?? Obviously, their are exceptions as in every other aspect of life and sport.
by FORTUNA on May 31, 2009 10:33 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Sloan (at 27 or 28) is not too old — he’s just coming into his own.
The issue is whether he’s too old to get much better, because right now he’s not an NHL defenseman, he’s a solid AHL player who can fill in at the NHL level from time to time. That’s a valuable guy to have, no doubt, but that doesn’t mean the team should pencil him in as part of their defensive core in the coming years.
Give me a break. What other player in the AHL, NHL have scored 72 goals & had 48 assists (for a total of 120 points RS & Playoffs), at the age of 27 – 28?? Obviously, their are exceptions as in every other aspect of life and sport.
By the same token, how often in the last 10-20 years has a guy dominated the AHL in his late 20’s (while showing limited success at the NHL level) and then go on to be a successful NHL player? To automatically assume that success in the AHL means that a player can succeed in the NHL is a mistake. Along the same lines as my earlier comment, here are the players who have lead the AHL in goals, led the AHL in points, won the MVP award at the AHL level, and won the AHL’s equivalent of the Norris in the last ten years:
Goals
2008–09 – Alexandre Giroux, Hershey Bears
2007–08 – Jason Krog, Chicago Wolves
2006–07 – Brett Sterling, Chicago Wolves
2005–06 – Donald MacLean, Grand Rapids Griffins & Denis Hamel, Binghamton Senators
2004–05 – Mike Cammalleri, Manchester Monarchs
2003–04 – Jeff Hamilton, Bridgeport Sound Tigers
2002–03 – Eric Healey, Manchester Monarchs
2001–02 – Justin Papineau & Eric Boguniecki, Worcester IceCats
2000–01 – Brad Smyth, Hartford Wolf Pack
1999–00 – Mike Maneluk, Philadelphia Phantoms
Points
2008–09 – Alexandre Giroux, Hershey Bears
2007–08 – Jason Krog, Chicago Wolves
2006–07 – Darren Haydar, Chicago Wolves
2005–06 – Kirby Law, Houston Aeros
2004–05 – Jason Spezza, Binghamton Senators
2003–04 – Pavel Rosa, Manchester Monarchs
2002–03 – Steve Maltais, Chicago Wolves
2001–02 – Donald MacLean St. John’s Maple Leafs
2000–01 – Derek Armstrong, Hartford Wolf Pack
1999–00 – Christian Matte, Hershey Bears
MVPs
2008–09 – Alexandre Giroux
2007–08 – Jason Krog
2006–07 – Darren Haydar
2005–06 – Donald MacLean
2004–05 – Jason Spezza
2003–04 – Jason LaBarbera
2002–03 – Jason Ward
2001–02 – Eric Boguniecki
2000–01 – Derek Armstrong
1999–00 – Martin Brochu
Best Defenseman
2008–09 – Johnny Boychuk, Providence Bruins
2007–08 – Andrew Hutchinson, Hartford Wolf Pack
2006–07 – Sheldon Brookbank, Milwaukee Admirals
2005–06 – Andy Delmore, Springfield Falcons
2004–05 – Niklas Kronwall, Grand Rapids Griffins
2003–04 – Curtis Murphy, Milwaukee Admirals
2002–03 – Curtis Murphy, Houston Aeros
2001–02 – John Slaney, Philadelphia Phantoms
2000–01 – John Slaney, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins / Philadelphia Phantoms
1999–00 – Brad Tiley, Springfield Falcons
Take out the guys who played in 04-05 because of the lockout and there’s really only one guy among all those lists (Armstrong) who has been a consistent, solid NHL player. One guy out of more than three dozen. Those aren’t great odds.
Giroux’s a guy worth keeping in the organization, to have fill in at the NHL level when needed, and to have in Hershey to keep the team winning and take pressure off the younger players. Heck, he probably even deserves an extended look at camp next year. But for the Capitals to give him a big contract based on his AHL success would be a mistakes, and the reason people are more excited about other players in the organization isn’t that they’re dismissive of Giroux because of his big contract, it’s because other players in the organization are far more likely to help the team succeed at the NHL level in the future.
by David M. Getz on May 31, 2009 11:02 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
Um, Spezza is no slouch. You wouldn’t want him and his 30/50/80-ish totals centering our second line?
by Scott in Shaw on Jun 1, 2009 1:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
As I mentioned, you kind of have to throw out the guys who were in the league in 04-05 because they were only there because there was no NHL that season.
by David M. Getz on Jun 1, 2009 1:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Whoops. There goes all of my comments. Reading comprehension FAIL.
by Scott in Shaw on Jun 1, 2009 1:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
It happens, especially since it’s part of a pretty long post.
by David M. Getz on Jun 1, 2009 2:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
By the way, I happen to agree with your overall point, I just wanted to point out that not everyone on your list is an NHL bust. Also, Kronwall is playing for his second Cup in two years and Cammalleri gets mentioned in comments here all the time as the type of player we should be looking to add.
by Scott in Shaw on Jun 1, 2009 1:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yep, the 04-05 season was a hell of a year for the AHL with the NHL lockout going on.
by David M. Getz on Jun 1, 2009 2:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
That’s the sort of comment that leaves me reading Hockey’s Future with a salt lick at my side.
If you've read this far...seek help.
by ThePeerless on Jun 1, 2009 12:10 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Bingo
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by J.P. on Jun 1, 2009 6:44 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I hope like hell some NHL scouts feel the same way that H’s F does about Sami’s slickness and that the Caps can parlay that perception as well as some other prospects (Borque anyone?) into a trade that brings a bona fide NHLer to DC.
by CaliCapsFan on Jun 1, 2009 12:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah, whoever it is that covers the Caps obviously doesn’t have his finger to the pulse of the Caps. I would venture these rankings, though:
1. Varlamov
2. Alzner
3. Neuvirth
4. Carlson
5. Osala
6. Holtby
7. Gustafsson
Opinions?
by DrinkingPartner on Jun 1, 2009 12:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Kugryshev and Mestry definitely belong in this discussion too. I’d probably put them 8th and 9th, in that order.
by Gould Old Days on Jun 1, 2009 12:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Of those seven, I’d go:
(1) Alzner (higher ceiling, from what I hear)
(2) Varlamov
(3) Carlson
(4) Neuvirth
(5) Gus
(6) Osala
(7) Holtby
by David M. Getz on Jun 1, 2009 12:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think Osala is ahead of Neuvirth and maybe Carlson, because he could soon contribute to the big team. As for Gustafsson, he is hard to project because he has been frequently injured and some of us (definitely count me in this group) cannot look at a Caps sweater with Gustafsson objectively. He also has the potential to fill our biggest need, a reasonably physical second line center that can play at a high level on both ends of the ice.
I know this is pure, irrational fantasy for a host of reasons but I dream of Semin becoming a great two way player playing on a line with Gustafsson and our future captain, Brooks Laich. This line, capable of shutting down both Malkin and Crosby using only dirty looks and consistently scoring even when they are not on the ice is the real driving force behind the Caps’ second Stanley Cup. I am clearly losing my mind, last night I thought I saw Malkin and Zetterberg fighting.
by CaliCapsFan on Jun 1, 2009 1:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think Osala is ahead of Neuvirth and maybe Carlson, because he could soon contribute to the big team.
The difficult thing when it comes to these rankings is how to weigh potential versus certainty. It looks and sounds to me like Osala will be a decent NHL player in the fairly near future, but I don’t think he has near the upside of Carlson.
by David M. Getz on Jun 1, 2009 1:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Carlson definitely has more upside, but I think defensemen are much harder to prognosticate. Ranking prospects is a largely meaningless exercise for passing the summer months. Osala was a 4th round steal and getting the pick that nabbed Carlson for Eminger and a 3rd rounder (I think) may turn out to be one of the slickest moves ever for GMGM.
by CaliCapsFan on Jun 1, 2009 2:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Stefan Della Rovere is turning out to be another steal for GMGM, from what we’ve seen so far.
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
by gotsparkly on Jun 1, 2009 3:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yes, but as a fourthliner “potential”….maybe third.
Lets not make him out to be a top six forward…please!
by CapsFanSince1979 on Jun 1, 2009 4:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
No, but if you can get a solid 3/4 line pest forward who can score from time to time out of a seventh-round draft pick, what the hell? :)
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
by gotsparkly on Jun 1, 2009 5:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’m with sparkly, you NEED a player like that an it’s better to draft them and develop them.
by Fehr and Balanced on Jun 1, 2009 6:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
see “Helm, Darren”
from the house that Red Jesus built
by bigonetimer on Jun 1, 2009 6:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
If only. I think he’ll probably be somewhere in between Helm and Carcillo.
by Fehr and Balanced on Jun 1, 2009 8:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
It’s not just upside when you are talking Osala v. Carlson. They are both 6’4" so just as much as we can envision Osala being our power forward, we can envision Carlson being our physical presence on the back end. The difference between them: one of them is already an NHL caliber skater. The edge has to go to the guy that you know can skate at the NHL level. Carlson has also been on a meteoric rise in terms of the quality of play he is facing. I like his learning curve.
I don’t see how Osala can be ahead of Neuvirth, either. You have a goalie that is absolutely lighting it up as a starter compared to forward that hasn’t even been playing top 6. I like what Osala has to offer but I’m not close to sold on him being ready anytime next season.
by Fehr and Balanced on Jun 1, 2009 6:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Just wanted to provide a little support for the guy writing for the caps on HFBoards. I once considered writing for them and learnt that you really do not have much say in the rankings. For example, when I submitted who I wanted to have as the top 20 prospects I was told that I only write details on the list and do not actually get to select the top 20. The same happens when you go through organizational and top 50 rankings. For the last two years I have argued that Varlamov should be higher in the top 50 rankings and only in April did he break into the top 50( #33 and still only the 7th best goalie on the list). My opinion is the writers at HF tend to ignore that Varlamov got 2 years of professional experience.
The problem is not with the Washington Capitals writer (though we have not seen much of his stuff yet) but instead with the editors involved in choosing the lists. Those are the individuals who rate a never proven late first rounder over a guy like Varlamov.
by CapsFanSince1979 on Jun 1, 2009 4:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
That’s even worse! They’re essentially telling the writer “I want you to research these guys in depth and tell us what they’re all about. Then we’ll ignore that and go with our gut feelings to make the rankings.”
Craziness!
by Gould Old Days on Jun 1, 2009 4:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
It makes sense for the league-wide rankings because if you only cover one team you are going to overvalue those players and won’t have the same perspective. It makes no sense to not let the writer have input on the team rankings because the writer has the best perspective. Either way, I think this thread shows that most of us have learned not to put too much stock in the HF rankings.
by Fehr and Balanced on Jun 1, 2009 6:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Wow, so we’ve got people ranking players who are probably even more removed from the actual club. Unless, you think these might actually be rankings in-club…?
No. Couldn’t be… could it?
by DrinkingPartner on Jun 1, 2009 4:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Plus the site gets updated, it seems, like once-a-year, only to tell us stuff that we could already find on other websites (most definitely where 90% of the material comes from).
by bigmac1124 on Jun 1, 2009 12:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
SIXTH???
How can any team rank ahead of the Caps, considering both the AHL and ECHL teams that the Caps send players to are winning in the Finals of their respective leagues.
Let's go Caps!
by MikeL-Caps on Jun 1, 2009 9:32 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Because that’s not necessarily because our prospects alone.
by Mobsky on Jun 1, 2009 10:10 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Exactly – guys like Aucoin and Giroux… say it with me now… ARE NOT PROSPECTS.
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by J.P. on Jun 1, 2009 10:53 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
If you think that age does not matter when it comes to evaluating talent, then you must a member of the Washington Nationals front office. I have a 32 year old cousin who is absolutely tearing it up in his teeball league in the Dominican Republic. You probably want to sign him for at least 1.8 million dollars.
In other words, GIROUX AND AUCOIN ARE NOT PROSPECTS. Feel better JP?
Aucoin, Laing, Sloan, and to some extent Giroux and Helmer are valuable guys to have as veteran backups that can play limited minutes at the NHL level as injury replacements. They are also great to have as mentors for our prospects in Hershey. I do worry that having so many guys like that in the farm club results in prospects languishing in the ECHL (e.g. Godfrey) and prevents prospects from getting the minutes in Hershey they need to develop. I like that Hershey is focused on winning, but prospect development can never become an afterthought.
by CaliCapsFan on Jun 1, 2009 11:39 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
In addition to major contributions coming from Mink, Aucoin, Helmer, Giroux, etc, it’s possible for a team to win in the AHL with guys who are both young and dominant there but not necessarily great NHL prospects (think Tomas Fleischmann). Plus a lot of top prospects are either play abroad or in the CHL – certainly a heck of a lot more than are playing in the ECHL.
by David M. Getz on Jun 1, 2009 12:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’m with you on that, considering the SEL might be right up there with the AHL when it comes to level of play. Think about all the young swedes that are playing against some of the best competition over there at young ages and only getting better. Sweden definitely graduates some of the most intelligent hockey players in the world.
by bigmac1124 on Jun 1, 2009 12:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
In fact, the very best NHL prospects don’t help the AHL or ECHL at all. How many minor league games did Ovechkin play? Crosby? Malkin?
by Gould Old Days on Jun 1, 2009 12:35 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
This is true, but we arguably haven’t seen players like these since Lemieux and Gretzky, putting them in the phenom class, so it isn’t really fair to compare them to prospects as a whole. Anyone have any word for what age Malkin and Ovechkin entered the super league in Russia? Also, I saw Crosby play at Laurel for the national championships in 2004 when he was 16 years old (Shattucks Saint Mary), and he looked about ready to play pro-hockey even then.
by bigmac1124 on Jun 1, 2009 2:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’m pretty sure 16 was when both Ovechkin and Malkin entered the RSL (i know Ovechkin did, not as sure about Malkin). Another 16 year old pro we all know is Backs, playing and winning the RofY in the SEL.
by DrinkingPartner on Jun 1, 2009 4:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
It doesn’t just apply to the phenoms. Phenoms come in and dominate right away but there are plenty of Studs that bypass the AHL but take a few years to find their NHL game. It’s tough to find among the current crop of players from the 02-04 draft class because of the lock out (I think DMG mentioned something like that) but here’s a few guys who won’t see the AHL: Bogosian, Schenn, Kane, Toews, Oshie, Doughty, Kopitar. There are plenty others when you really think about it so I don’t think it’s all that rare that the best prospects miss the AHL.
by Fehr and Balanced on Jun 1, 2009 6:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Generally that’s true in part because the best prospects go to the teams most in trouble, and a lot of times these guys are thrown right into the fire because they’re desperately needed with the big club now.
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
by gotsparkly on Jun 2, 2009 8:35 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
That’s definitely true, as well as the fact that many top European prospects play in the top pro leagues in their country before coming to North America. This whole thread is merely a response to the statement that our AHL and ECHL affiliates’ success should be the only evidence we need to show to demonstrate that we are the best organization so I’m not disagreeing with anyone as to why top prospects don’t go to the AHL, just stating that they do.
by Fehr and Balanced on Jun 2, 2009 10:10 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
You’re right … obtaining skilled defensemen is much more difficult. I’ve heard several NHL coaches, including Boudreau, say that defense is a much more difficult position to learn and perfect, that’s why the better NHL defensemen are older.
I remember a discussion about this on NHL-Live…they were saying 4-5 years to really learn defense.
by Bucky Katt-Luvs Caps on Jun 1, 2009 1:14 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
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Southeast Standings
| GP | W | L | OTL | PT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Washington
|
59 | 41 | 12 | 6 | 88 |
|
Tampa Bay
|
57 | 25 | 21 | 11 | 61 |
|
Atlanta
|
57 | 25 | 24 | 8 | 58 |
|
Florida
|
58 | 24 | 25 | 9 | 57 |
|
Carolina
|
58 | 21 | 30 | 7 | 49 |
(updated 2.9.2010 at 9:00 AM EST)
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