2008/09 Handy-Dandy Prospects Stats & Links

[sevenarms]

Vancouver beats Spokane 1-0 in OT. Chiefs and Wahl are out but Bouma moves on to face Backlund and the Rockets.

[icarus]

OT: Who's hosting the Mem Cup this year?

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by icarus

OT: Who's hosting the Mem Cup this year?

I believe it is Rimouski

[bigtmac19]

Nemisz with an assist tonight in an absolutely outstanding game in Windsor. I haven't been to a game that exciting in a long time. Windsor down 3-1 going into the third, tied it up and went to overtime, getting the game winner in OT. Ryan Ellis with 2 tonight. Man, he is fun to watch. Tavares was pretty quiet tonight.

[Flame4Ever]

Originally Posted by bigtmac19

Nemisz with an assist tonight in an absolutely outstanding game in Windsor. I haven't been to a game that exciting in a long time. Windsor down 3-1 going into the third, tied it up and went to overtime, getting the game winner in OT. Ryan Ellis with 2 tonight. Man, he is fun to watch. Tavares was pretty quiet tonight.

I have to disagree with your assessment. Tavares was critical in the 2nd and 3rd goals that the knights scored and pretty much created that third goal and was absolutely robbed point blank by Engelage 3 times in one sequence. If that's a quiet night, I want that on my roster.

Nemisz was trying to feed Hall too much at times and was most effective when along the boards and in front of the net. He, Hall and Mitchell were caught up ice on the third London goal.
Nemisz isn't all that good at faceoffs and really needs to work on that side of his game if he'll want to play centre in the NHL. He also needs to improve his quickness. He's got god speed once he gets going, but he doesn't have "jump" and agility.

That being said, he's quite good on the PK, making sure the box doesn't collapse. He protects the puck very well along the boards and has good hands. He is defensively responsible once he gets back into his own zone.

LAst but not least, Taylor Hall is one of the best junior players I have ever seen. He sparked the Spits last night with a great hit on Erlich which caused him to retaliate. He's fast strong and has great hands. If the Flames had to do a "reload" year similar to Philly in 06/07, I would love it be next year.

[bigtmac19]

^^
Thanks for that, I'm decidely non-expert.

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by Flame4Ever

Nemisz isn't all that good at faceoffs and really needs to work on that side of his game if he'll want to play centre in the NHL.

Thanks for your thoughts. Just need a point of clarification on the above sentence. I thought Nemisz was drafted to as a winger to be a winger. Is it his/Sutter's goal to convert him to center? Is he playing as center in the windsor games?

[Claeren]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Thanks for your thoughts. Just need a point of clarification on the above sentence. I thought Nemisz was drafted to as a winger to be a winger. Is it his/Sutter's goal to convert him to center? Is he playing as center in the windsor games?

Yeah, he was definitely drafted as a RW.

I am guessing to get the line-up they want he has shifted to Centre, but that is not his regular position.




Claeren.

[Flame4Ever]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Thanks for your thoughts. Just need a point of clarification on the above sentence. I thought Nemisz was drafted to as a winger to be a winger. Is it his/Sutter's goal to convert him to center? Is he playing as center in the windsor games?

He takes a lot of the faceoffs on the PK, and stats in the dot at even strength and on the PP. He was having a bad night last night though.
He usually does drop back to the RW after the faceoff though, similar to Iggy.

[Svartsengi]

J.D. Watt had 1 goal in the Wranglers 4-0 win over Bakersfield. The first round playoff series is tied 2-2. J.D. Watt has 1 goal and 1 assist in two games played. Hugo Carpentier has 2 assists in three games played but missed last nights game. No word on how severe his injury is just that he took a hard hit the previous game.

[Canada 02]

Nemisz with a goal in a losing effort yesterday in OT; series with London tied 1-1
Aulie with 1A in the Hitmen blow out yesterday

Backlund with 1G 2A tonight; Bouma with 1G; Kelowna wins the game 4-2

[johnnyluv]

Originally Posted by Canada 02

Backlund with 1G 2A tonight; Bouma with 1G; Kelowna leads the game 4-2 late in the 3rd

Better than you thought.

[JiriHrdina]

Didn't Backlund finish with 1 G 2 A (2nd on the empty net goal?).
Regardless he should have scored into the empty net - funny sequence.
Watched about half of this one and Backlund is impressive - skates hard at both ends of the rink and what I really like about him is his ability to make plays at top speed. When he's flying he can still handle the puck, fire a bullet or find a team-mate.

Bouma is a handful out there as well....

[johnnyluv]

Backlund with 2 assists and +1 tonight in a losing cause, while Bouma got the primary assist on the GWG in OT. Keith Aulie also got a goal in the loss to the Hitmen.

[Flame4Ever]

Watched the Spits-Knights game 3 today. A few random thoughts:

1. Neimsz looks OK manning the point on a 5 on 3, but putting him out there with Ellis is just silly. Why have two RH shots? He couldn't get his one timer off playing on the right side.
2. He really needs to work on his hitting. He's just not very good at it.
3. Neimsz backchecks very well, and despite a lack of first step quickness, is still the first man back and very responsible defensively.
4. He doesn't have a ton of offensive creativity. Good on the cycle, decent hands and a hard shot, but he needs to get his confidence up. Keeps it too simple and is trying to give the puck to Hall and Loktionov who are the offensive catalysts on that team.
5. I think a slightly better David Moss is a good projection for Neimsz. At his peak he can be a 55-60 point, all situation guy, but I doubt he'll ever be a star or a player who can carry a line.

Lastly, Taylor Hall is a beast. The guy is the total package. I would not be surprised to see him make an Toews/Kopitar type impact immediately in the NHL. He hits, scores, dangles plays in all situations for the Spits and is just lights out. If he grows another inch and adds 8-10lbs over the summer he is going to be looking at a dominant season in the OHL next year (over a 100 points and 50 goals).

[Canada 02]

Nemisz with a goal in an OT winning effort; 4th OT game in a row. Windsor leads 3-1

[Phanuthier]

Originally Posted by Flame4Ever

[*]I think a slightly better David Moss is a good projection for Neimsz. At his peak he can be a 55-60 point, all situation guy, but I doubt he'll ever be a star or a player who can carry a line.

I was under the assumption that Neimesz is a bit of a mean SOB, and while Moss will drive to the net, he's not really one to get physical. Or would I be wrong in assuming Neimesz has a bit of a mean streak?

[bigtmac19]

Originally Posted by Phanuthier

I was under the assumption that Neimesz is a bit of a mean SOB, and while Moss will drive to the net, he's not really one to get physical. Or would I be wrong in assuming Neimesz has a bit of a mean streak?

I don't wholeheartedly agree with the above post about Nemisz. I think he's better than that sounds myself from what I have seen.
I have seen him get physical, especially the last 3 games I've been to.

[Claeren]

It is worth noting that bigger players and/or power forward style players tend to take a couple more years to develop into NHL star talent than smaller all-skill finesse forwards, who are the fastest of hockey players to develop.

The bigger players still often have to grow into their bodies well into their early 20's, and being 'mean and tough' at the NHL level is harder to learn than being 'fast and skilled' is for an 18-22 year old kid (to whom that comes naturally).

Hundreds of 18-20 year old smaller finesse forward type players have made impacts in the NHL for every 6'4, 235lb powerforard at the same young age. But a GM/Coach will take a well rounded monster 28 year old powerforward over a tiny skilled 26 year old finesse player everytime, especially when they can replace that finesse guy with the latest and freshest set of 18-22 year old legs/hands.


I am not trying to say one is better than the other though, as you need both to win. I am just trying to say it is comparing apples to oranges, Nemisz shouldn't be compared to Taylor Hall -- because Taylor Hall is going to be fighting with the Cody Hodgeson's of the world for a roster spot not the Greg Nemisz's.... (And hopefully all 3 have major NHL impacts)


It is also why trying to compare the value of a 201lb Nemisz (25th) pick (who has a likely mature playing weight of 230lb-240lb) to that of a 167lb Tedenby (24th) pick or 174lb Eberle (22nd) pick or a 155lb Eberle (26th) pick is so hard. Especially when you see someone like 160lb Patrick Kane going from regular-season-dynamo to playoff-no-show.




Claeren.

[Flame4Ever]

On Neimsz physicality:

He doesn't shy away from contact and will finish his checks, but he doesn't have a nasty edge. Moss, when he's playing at his best is quite physical in that he's had a couple of games with 5-7 hits in them, but he doesn't seem to ever just lower the boom. Dustin Brown for example is a guy who is just plain nasty and will try to catch you napping so he can hurt you.
Neimsz just doesn't seem to have that in his game. That doesn't mean he's soft like Bert in the regular season and would rather skate by a guy than finish his check, he just isn't particularly punishing.

On Taylor Hall:
Hall isn't just a slick speedster. He's capable of throwing a big, moment shifting hit and I've seen him do this every game I've watched. In game 3 it was against John Carlson.
He's already 6' and 178 at 16 years old, so it's not out of the question for him to grow an inch or two over the summer. He's still pretty lanky so he still has a lot filling out to do.
He's just a very special player. Ovenchkin light (speed, physicality, shot and a ton of skill) with better playmaking is how I think of him.