Don't mistake this.. Poirier is going to be a player. Just how good is yet to be determined.
Granlund already is NHL caliber, but he's not flashy, so doesn't get the recognition that maybe he deserves. I worry he'll be overlooked for Poirier and Bennett next camp. He may be the next Reinhart in a player that has NHL upside but gets buried due to our really deep prospect pool and a lack of roster spots.
Wotherspoon should already be on our bottom pairing. I don't even understand the hold up. It's harder to put him in now with circumstances and it being late in the season, but after last season I just assumed he'd play his way onto the bottom pairing after being an early call up, but it just never happened.
Seeing what Ortio's doing in the AHL and what he's shown at the NHL, I think he's our starter by the end of next season. He's technically sound and more acrobatic than our other guys, thus able to make the more unlikely saves. The only thing with Ortio is his random off nights where he look very leaky.
Gaudreau is no longer a prospect, he's a top 6 NHLer who's bordering a top line NHLer.
|