2010 Development Camp updates

[justafan]

Originally Posted by fotze

If they had scrimmages then it would be awesome.

One of the security/ushers today mentioned that Saturdays session would be a scrimmage. Take it for what it worth as we didn't exactly get a detailed program as last year.

[jschick88]

Thefanblogger has been raving about Jon Rheault and how he is one of the best prospects out there but I have not read anything about him here.

[JiriHrdina]

Originally Posted by justafan

One of the security/ushers today mentioned that Saturdays session would be a scrimmage. Take it for what it worth as we didn't exactly get a detailed program as last year.

A scrimmage with Brent Sutter isn't even that great. At least last year he whistled down the play whenever he saw something he didn't like. No flow whatsoever - just 10 seconds of play - whistle - 20 seconds of play - whistle.

Not that I'm complaining - the purpose of camp isn't to entertain us nerds. But if you are heading down - just be prepared for that type of thing.

[jeremywilhelm]

I asked him to post what he saw on HF. Twice he said that Negrin looked great while he was skating, then he went and later on in the same post said Negrin looked like he was still struggling a little with his skating and wasn't out for the drills for long.

Which is it man?

[SuperK]

Wow. Tim Erixon is brutal at interviews. He sounds really scared or nervous to answer the questions... Or maybe he's very uninterested. Even when he was drafted, I don't think he was happy at all to be coming here. Compared to Erixon, Backlund seems as pumped to play as his Captain!

[JiriHrdina]

^Don't confuse weakness with English and a lack of enthusiasm

[jschick88]

Originally Posted by jeremywilhelm

I asked him to post what he saw on HF. Twice he said that Negrin looked great while he was skating, then he went and later on in the same post said Negrin looked like he was still struggling a little with his skating and wasn't out for the drills for long.

Which is it man?

I don't think he has a clue. He once blogged that he was offered a scouting position and he turned it down. He is as credible as Dwayne.

[justafan]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

A scrimmage with Brent Sutter isn't even that great. At least last year he whistled down the play whenever he saw something he didn't like. No flow whatsoever - just 10 seconds of play - whistle - 20 seconds of play - whistle.

Not that I'm complaining - the purpose of camp isn't to entertain us nerds. But if you are heading down - just be prepared for that type of thing.

Was not there Monday, but I have yet to see Brent anywhere, on the ice or in the stands. Maybe later this week if or when there is a scrimmage.

[jschick88]

Thefanblogger posted his blog tonight. Point for instance about Jon Rheault.

Jon has speed to burn. He is a very fast skater. Jon is particularly gifted with the puck. He is a gifted offensive hockey player. I can see him as a future top six forward for the Calgary Flames. He does not let his size stop him. Jon is a lot stronger than you think. He is a terrific hockey player.

http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/randy-workman/20351/

Now, I don't know very much about Jon Rheault but a top 6 forward?

[jeremywilhelm]

Jon Rheault is basically a younger Jaffray. At least, that was my impression of watching him last year.

[Converge]

Since a couple people are asking on here, I thought I would post my observations. Most of my opinions are probably overly-positive and optomistic, but whatever. I'm just a fan with too much time, enjoy if you want...

GOALIES
33 G Irving, Leland (L)
- Looked better today. Had good rebound control as well as quick reflexes and strong lateral movement, but was positionally off on some of his angles. Has been the best goalie so far though.

31 G Lamoureux, J.P (L)
- Once again, didn't really watch J.P. in particular, but when I did he looked pretty decent.

1 G Lanigan, Cam (L)
- Did not notice him at all.

37 G Ortio, Joni (L)
- Ortio has definitely been the most interesting goalie so far. He continued today with his absolutely brilliant skating and used his stick very well. Excels at playing the puck and makes good use of the poke check at the right times. Once again made a couple nice glove saves today. Only complaint might be his rebound control, which got him in a bit of trouble today with the shooters. His highlight of the day had to be a save on Carpentier where he let out a juicy rebound but scrambled to get back into position and absolutely stone Hugo with the right pad, causing a quiet chorus of 'Oohs' to arise from the crowd and players alike, followed by some friendly chirping thrown Carpentier's way. Joni's interesting skill-set definitely makes him an exciting prospect.


DEFENCE
54 LD Breen, Chris (L)
- Chris looked pretty much the same as yesterday. Decent defensive play punctuated with poke-checks and use of his long reach. Breen is also a very strong skater for a guy his size; nothing spectacular, but okay. Appears to have a very low offensive upside though.

66 LD Brodie, T.J. (L)
- Skating looked better today than yesterday, but still not exceptionally good. Was not very strong along the boards and was a step behind when making decisions with the puck. However many flaws in his game should dissipate with experience gained at the next level.

80 RD Deilert, Alex (R)
- Deilert definitely didn't live up to the expectations I had set after seeing some promise yesterday from him. He was probably one of the best skaters again today, but struggled immensely with puck control. He continually lost the puck in the morning drills around the cones, especially when they did drills that required the players to turn and look back at the coach while skating. Also quite weak along the boards.

51 LD Erixon, Tim (L)
- Erixon looked better in almost everyway today. His skating looked stronger, not excellent, but adequate. He was strong along the boards and moved the puck quickly and calmly. He reads the play very well, and reacts accordingly. Always has his head up ready for a pass, and makes clean, crisp passes to teammates. Plays a smart and safe game, and displays above average puck control. He even looks to have a bit of a heavy shot. But whether all of these offensive abilities translate into a solid offensive game, of course, remains to be seen. He has all the tools to do it though, there's no denying that.

45 LD Leach, Joey (L)
- I was quite surprised with how much I noticed Leach today. He looked strong and physical, especially on the boards. Also very good at settling the puck down and moving it out of the corners. Skating needs work, but he could be a bit more mobile than I thought.

63 RD Meyers, Josh (R)
- Meyers was hands down the best defenceman today. Very physical and smart in the corners. Moves the puck well and has good vision for outlet passes. By far the most vocal player on the ice today, Josh looked like a natural leader. However, most of these skills probably have a lot to do with the maturity and experience he brings to the table at age 24.

61 LD Negrin, John (L)
- Negrin hardly skated again today, but looked okay for the time he was out there. Skated very slowly through the drills and let a couple nice wristers go but that was it.

40 LD Nyren, Giffen (L)
- Nyren was all over the place today, he looked pretty bad in the skating drills, and actually fell down 2 or 3 times in the same drill. He did have a better afternoon though, he had decent speed and a hard shot that probably should have went in a bit more than it did.

43 RD Seabrook, Keith (R)
- Seabrook was less noticable than yesterday, and didn't really excel in any area of the sessions, but didn't look bad in much either. He did experience some trouble skating this morning though, and caught his edge on the same drill Nyren did.

[Converge]

FORWARDS
75 C Armstrong, John (R)
- Armstrong had a very similar day to yesterday. Slightly above average offensive skills in comparison to most the guys there, and the same goes for his skating. He simply looked more experienced than most the prospects there.

49 C Arnold, Bill (R)
- Arnold looked more noticable today, but needs to work on his speed and placing his shot better. Pretty average skating ability and decent puck control.

60 C Backlund, Mikael (L)
- Backlund continued to look good today. Very good skating session, and exceptional vision and puck control at high speeds. He showed off an excellent shot (very accurate one-timer) once again, as well as some superb hands. Today wasn't quite as good as yesterday, as he had some difficulties in some drills, but overall was still one of the best prospects there.

74 C Carpentier, Hugo (L)
- Carpentier looked pretty average all day. Skating needs some work still. Not much to say here.

77 C Marvin, Aaron (L)
- It is almost impossible to pin down an opinion on Aaron Marvin so far. He likes to shoot the puck, a lot, and has an absolutely wicked shot. He looks pretty big, and I'm sure if it wasn't for this being a prospect camp, he would've crushed some of the littler guys by now. Despite being one of the best shooters so far, his apparant lack of skating ability and speed will inevitably hold him back. If he can work to round out his overall game a bit more, mainly defensively, I think he could be an effective bottom-six guy one day.

71 C Patterson, Gaelan (L)
- Gaelan's shot has been his most noticable asset so far, but has been quite average so far. Hasn't shown anything special yet.

59 C Reinhart, Max (L)
- Reinhart was still not very noticable for the second straight day, but did make a couple nice plays and show off a surprisingly hard shot for a kid his age.

52 C Wahl, Mitch (R)
- Wahl just continues to impress and has been one of the standout players thus far. Today he showed off some incredibly soft hands and a monstrous shot that none of the goalies could stop. He had good offensive instincts, but his passing seemed a little off, and although it could be from lack of chemistry with the other players, his saucer passes looked wobbly and off target at times. His skating was also completely average, showing good mechanics and good strides, but his speed and acceleration was nothing special. Once again, he was very vocal on the ice, showing good communication with his teammates, and at the end of the afternoon session unleashed a huge slapper into an empty net; I think it was the hardest shot anybody took all day. Mitch was also the last guy off the ice today, always a great quality to see.

46 LW Bancks, Carter (L)
- For the second straight day I didn't notice Bancks a lot. When I did he seemed to have a below average shot, without much power or accuracy. His skating didn't stand out either.

68 LW Bennett, Spencer (L)
- Bennet was a little more noticable than yesterday. He scored a couple nice goals with some above average shooting abilities. Need to watch his skating more though.

57 LW Bouma, Lance (L)
- Bouma looked pretty average today, not really showing anything notable. Scored a couple goals here and there, but besides that, not much. Maybe an off day.

79 LW Ferland, Michael (L)
- Ferland was much quicker today, and seemed to have a bit of a boost in his stride. Although not very noticable in the morning, he was much more prevalent in the afternoon and scored a couple nice goals.

73 LW Grantham, Ryley (L)
- Did not skate.

58 LW Larson, Nick (L)
- I simply cannot believe I didn't notice Nick more the first day I went. He is an above average skater and his high-end offensive skill-set came to the forefront in the afternoon. Larson has etremely soft hands and a superb wrist shot that he used today. He scored what was probably my favourite goal of the day with a complete bomb of a one-timer that he absolutely ripped into the top left corner of the net over the goalies shoulder. He also showed off some seriously impressive passing abilities after the session ended in the afternoon, just passing the puck around for fun. His saucer passes are sublime and his vision is above average. A very good overall player when considering all of this with his size and physicality as well. Can't wait to see more.

38 LW MacMillan, Logan (L)
- Did not skate.

72 LW Severyn, C.J. (L)
- C.J. didn't show as much skill today, aside from slightly above average speed and a decent shot.

39 RW Cameron, Bryan (R)
- Cameron did better today than yesterday. He had a solid morning again, displaying strong strides in his skating, but also showed excellent offensive prowess with some super soft hands (seriously this guy is always dangling) and a powerful and accurate one-timer in the afternoon. He was also the best player in the rebound goal drill, which came as no surprise.

78 RW Holland, Patrick (R)
- Holland performed a lot like the Ferland's and Bennet's of the day. Not much throughout the day that was noteworthy, but still looked solid and had an average shot.

64 RW Howse, Ryan (L)
- Howse continues to disappoint. His shot has actually looked very weak and he hasn't been scoring much. His skating was average at best. I have no idea what is wrong with him, but he has simply not performed to his potential in any way, shape, or form in the past two days.

48 RW Nemisz, Greg (R)
- Nemisz had a bit better day today. He has very good all around offensive tendencies, including a keen passing ability probably picked up while playing with shoot-first linemate Taylor Hall in Windsor. He's a very defensively responsible player with good work ethic and soft hands. Shooting and skating would be his two biggest flaws, both of which are about average

47 RW Rheault, Jon (R)
- Rheault may actually be the fastest skater at camp. He has speed to burn, leaving everyone behind him in many of the power skating drills. Offensive skills are limited, although he is a good player, his shot needs improvement.


Note: Bancks, Bouma, Severyn and Arnold all did not skate this morning with the forwards at 9:00, but rather with the defencemen at 10:30, not sure why.


Just my two cents on the camp so far.

Also, I guess this post excedes 10,000 characters, sooooo, it's in two parts. lol

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by dustygoon

Wow....this is the most quiet it has been on here about prospect camp in a long time. The team finally has a group of players that have a decent shot at making the NHL at some point in their careers. But hardly anyone is going to the skates and reporting back.

Is it apathy towards the team after a bad year and a stubborn "let's try this again + retreads" approach from the GM?

Or does everyone spend their time gazing at twitter now?

Living in SF, I miss the updates on players.

Well the prospect camp is nowhere near as interesting as the scrimmages in actual training camp. If it was, I'd be much more interested in going but drills and skills just aren't like a game situation.

I think you'll see a lot of interest in the actual camp early this September. These prospects camps can't really tell you that much imo.

[icarus]

^ I agree with Converge's assessment of Nick Larson.

Originally Posted by jschick88

Thefanblogger has been raving about Jon Rheault and how he is one of the best prospects out there but I have not read anything about him here.

Originally Posted by jschick88

Thefanblogger posted his blog tonight. Point for instance about Jon Rheault.

Jon has speed to burn. He is a very fast skater. Jon is particularly gifted with the puck. He is a gifted offensive hockey player. I can see him as a future top six forward for the Calgary Flames. He does not let his size stop him. Jon is a lot stronger than you think. He is a terrific hockey player.

http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/randy-workman/20351/

Now, I don't know very much about Jon Rheault but a top 6 forward?

Not sure what he's talking about, from this afternoon's session Rheault didn't look great. Bobbled passes, lost control of the puck in drills, flubbed shots. Didn't impress me today at all.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by jschick88

Thefanblogger posted his blog tonight. Point for instance about Jon Rheault.

Jon has speed to burn. He is a very fast skater. Jon is particularly gifted with the puck. He is a gifted offensive hockey player. I can see him as a future top six forward for the Calgary Flames. He does not let his size stop him. Jon is a lot stronger than you think. He is a terrific hockey player.

http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/randy-workman/20351/

Now, I don't know very much about Jon Rheault but a top 6 forward?

See, this is the problem with prospect camps, and guys like fanblogger who try to take too much from them.

Their is no way he could have gleamed "size won't stop him" from watching these camps.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by dustygoon

Wow....this is the most quiet it has been on here about prospect camp in a long time. The team finally has a group of players that have a decent shot at making the NHL at some point in their careers. But hardly anyone is going to the skates and reporting back.

Is it apathy towards the team after a bad year and a stubborn "let's try this again + retreads" approach from the GM?

Or does everyone spend their time gazing at twitter now?

Living in SF, I miss the updates on players.

I think part of the problem is the thread location in the farm club page.

[Doc Hudson]

Originally Posted by Bingo

I think part of the problem is the thread location in the farm club page.

"...and Prospects Forum".

Besides, keeps the riff-raff out!

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Doc Hudson

"...and Prospects Forum".

Besides, keeps the riff-raff out!

don't get me wrong, makes sense ... but I do think it effects traffic to the topic.

[Azure]

So move it to the main forum.

[Doc Hudson]

Originally Posted by Bingo

don't get me wrong, makes sense ... but I do think it effects traffic to the topic.

I know, I just enjoy how this thread (despite a couple of comments) has not veered off track into a I hate Sutter vs I love Sutter/Flames draft record discussion. Sorry to say, but threads in the main forum often contain an awful lot of garbage.