Should the Flames take a flyer on Mitch Holmberg?

[devo22]

there are a few Mitch Holmbergs every year and they rarely pan out. Over the last five years, 14 undrafted overagers hit the 100 point mark in junior hockey:

WHL:

2010-11: Tyler Johnson (Spokane) - 71 games, 53 g + 62 a = 115 p
Johnson was signed to an entry-level contract by the Tampa Lightning and has been excellent for them. He won a Calder Cup and was named AHL MVP before breaking in the NHL on permanent basis. This season, he has 21 goals and 21 assists for the Lightning.

2011-12: Brendan Shinnimin (Tri-City) - 69 games, 58 g + 76 a = 136 p
Shinnimin dominated at the WHL level and was rewarded when the Phoenix Coyotes signed him to an entry-level contract. Shinnimin has since become a somewhat reliable scoring option for the Coyotes' AHL farm team (24 goals and 35 assists in 115 games).

2011-12: Adam Hughesman (Tri-City) - 72 games, 50 g + 66 a = 116 p
Hughesman tore up the league with his linemates Shinnimin and Patrick Holland. However, no NHL team gave Hughesman a contract. He has been playing for the Las Vegas Wranglers in the ECHL since that, without even getting a chance in the AHL so far.

2012-13: Justin Feser (Tri-City) - 72 games, 44 g + 62 = 106 p
Feser played six games in the AHL after finishing his junior career last season, before he went to Switzerland, where he currently plays in the second league for Olten.

QMJHL:

2008-09: Yannick Riendeau (Drummondville) - 64 games, 58 g + 68 a = 126 p
Riendeau signed an entry-level contract with the Boston Bruins. However, he only played 46 games for their AHL farm team over three seasons, spending the rest of the time in the ECHL. He signed in France last summer.

2008-09: Dany Masse (Drummondville) - 68 games, 44 g + 66 a = 110 p
Masse signed an entry-level contract with the Montreal Canadiens. He appeared in 119 AHL games and 29 ECHL games over three seasons before joining McGill University.

2008-09: Cedric McNicoll (Shawinigan) - 65 games, 38 g + 66 a = 104 p
McNicoll signed an entry-level contract with the Colorado Avalanche and was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes a year later. After playing 84 AHL games and 69 ECHL games, he joined McGill University.

2010-11: Philip-Michael Devos (Victoriaville/Gatineau) - 68 games, 47 g + 67 a = 114 p
Devos signed an AHL contract with Syracuse after his finishing his junior career. He has since gone back and forth between the AHL and the ECHL, suiting up for various clubs.

2010-11: Gabriel Levesque (Acadie-Bathurst) - 68 games, 37 g + 70 a = 107 p
Levesque played two seasons for the Stockton Thunder in the ECHL before joining the Quad City Mallards in the CHL ahead of this season.

2011-12: Yanni Gourde (Victoriaville) - 68 games, 37 g + 71 a = 124 p
Gourde has been going back and forth between the AHL and the ECHL in the last two seasons. This year, he has found enough success to earn a contract by the Tampa Bay Lightning last week.

2012-13: Ben Duffy (P.E.I.) - 68 games, 39 g + 71 a = 110 p
Duffy was not offered an NHL contract after finishing his junior career. He played 15 AHL games and 6 ECHL games this season before joining the University of New Brunswick.

2012-13: Josh Currie (P.E.I.) - 68 games, 49 g + 55 a = 104 p
Currie was not offered an NHL contract after finishing his junior career. He has been playing for the Gwinnett Gladiators in the ECHL this season.

OHL:

2010-11: Jason Akeson (Kitchener) - 67 games, 24 g + 84 a = 108 p
Akeson signed an entry-level contract with the Philadelphia Flyers. He has become a great AHL scorer for their farmteam (52 goals and 108 assists in 196 games) and played (and scored a goal) in his first NHL game last season.

2012-13: Charles Sarault (Sarnia) - 68 games, 22 g + 86 a = 108 p
Sarault signed an entry-level contract with the Anaheim Ducks. He has been playing for their AHL farm team since then.

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So of the 14 players, only two have reached the NHL: Johnson (81 games) and Akeson (1 game). Also, keep in mind that, while Johnson is a great success story in Tampa right now, there was a lot of interest in him ... the Wild already wanted to sign him in 2010, but after an injury, he returned to the WHL instead and signed with the Lightning later. He's an exception to the rule ... nobody else of those overagers became an impact player in the last five years.

There's a reason those guys don't get drafted. Some of them might still make it, but not as frequently as a few years ago ... NHL teams have intensified their scouting and players seldomly slip through the cracks anymore.

[dammage79]

Bryan Cameron as well. We all know how that turned out.

[Rerun]

One could also point there finger at hundreds of drafted players who never panned out either.

Still haven't heard a good reason not to give him a look and if it works out, sign him to an AHL/ECHL contract. What do we have to lose?

[OzSome]

Originally Posted by dammage79

Bryan Cameron as well. We all know how that turned out.

Mark Giordano was not drafted by the Flames or any other team in the NHL. It is a gamble....some junior players just doesn't mature until later in their 20s and some who looks like a can't miss just can't cut it in the NHL.

[FlameZilla]

His situation reminds me of the days when this chap tore up the WHL & we acquired his rights: http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=18322

Still, I'd offer Mitch a try-out contract. Alberta boy, so I'm sure he'd consider any camp invite sent his way.

Betcha any money the Oil chuck a load of cash at him & he signs up there.

[Hot_Flatus]

There's a reason he's not signed/drafted at this point - whatever that may be, 30 nhl teams have more then likely passed on him more then once. This type of player is worth a camp invite at most when the time comes, certainly not a pro contract at this point.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Rerun

One could also point there finger at hundreds of drafted players who never panned out either.

Still haven't heard a good reason not to give him a look and if it works out, sign him to an AHL/ECHL contract. What do we have to lose?

There is an opportunity cost due to the 50 contract limit. This past year, with the Flames at 46 contracts, there would have been essentially no risk at all for something like this.

However, going forward, with the influx of college players, we are back to having to be cognizant of the limit and manage it accordingly. So simply throwing out contracts with a cavalier 'nothing to lose' attitude would actually be irresponsible.

[OzSome]

Originally Posted by Hot_Flatus

There's a reason he's not signed/drafted at this point - whatever that may be, 30 nhl teams have more then likely passed on him more then once. This type of player is worth a camp invite at most when the time comes, certainly not a pro contract at this point.

Maybe Abbotsford can give him a tryout. I am sure Burke will go after him because we already have the small skilled forwards with Cammy, Byron and Sven.

[Stay Golden]

Holmberg seems to have a knack for finishing scoring chances and must gave good hands and fairly decent hoxkey IQ to get into scoring chances so frequently.Sign him to a try out contract. Not much of a risk there. I forget want the terminology for that actually is.

[sureLoss]

The giving him a try out option is a pretty obvious option. The only problem is that all 30 NHL teams will offer him a try out no problem. There is no financial commitment, no reserve list commitment in a try out and teams give them out like candy in the off season and in the AHL assuming they have spots open. If they don't offer him one right away, I am sure his agent can cold call any one of the teams and they will give him one, even if he didn't have such an outstanding season.

The $55k signing bonus question is, do you jump in now and offer him an NHL contract?

I think to answer that you have to look at the reasons you passed him over in the previous drafts.

If when you watch him this season and conclude he made significant strides in the areas that prevented you from drafting him, then you sign him.

Otherwise you don't.

[jschick88]

The Edmonton Oilers have reassigned forward Jujhar Khaira to the AHL’s Oklahoma City Barons, General Manager Craig MacTavish announced today. In separate transactions, General Manager Bill Scott announced the Oklahoma City Barons have signed forwards Greg Chase, Mitch Holmberg and Josh Winquist to amateur tryout contracts.

Holmberg recently finished his WHL career with the Spokane Chiefs. He played in 72 games for the Chiefs this season and had 118 points with 62 goals and 56 assists. The Chiefs alternate captain also had one assist for Spokane in the WHL Playoff series against Victoria. He earned the WHL’s Bob Clarke Trophy as the league’s top scorer and was a first team all-star. Holmberg leaves Spokane as the Chiefs top career goal scorer.

The Sherwood Park, Alberta, native has spent his entire WHL career with the Chiefs. In 314 career games, he has 296 points with 147 goals and 149 assists. He has played in 41 career postseason games with 20 goals and nine assists.

http://okcbarons.com/index.cfm?fa=pr...D-B9464EA3BBAA

[Komskies]

Funny comedian but not a very promising hockey player.

Mitch Holmberg is no good.

[IamNotKenKing]

I honestly see 600 goals, and 1300 assists out of him.

[djsFlames]

The Oilers/Barons would..

[Enoch Root]

so it's confirmed: Mich Holmberg is no good