I think it's important to put Foo in perspective, but I wouldn't write the player off either.
You can never use four games at the end of a season for a team playing out the string with injuries as a gauge of what's to come. The Oilers made that mistake for the better part of a two decades, and I guess they're sort of doing it again with Ratty.
He looked good, quick, and smart in those games.
He won't make the team this year, the club is too deep, so his big thing is going to Stockton and doing what Jankowski did last year. Prove he's out growing the league.
Do that and then he'll get a look and see what he can do. His second half plus his cup of coffee was certainly a good sign, but you can't pencil him in.
Nice analysis.
Can the same be applied to Kylington? Has he out grown the AHL?
Going into training camp he will be down a slot to #10 on the depth organizational depth chart behind Valimaki.
PS Assumes Prout as #7. Is that a real probability.
One-way contract at 800k. Where did he fit in in Stockton last year when he was making 1.9M.... cap hit of 550K counting against the Flames NHL cap. He must have made a solid impression for the Flames to re-sign him.
Can the same be applied to Kylington? Has he out grown the AHL?
Going into training camp he will be down a slot to #10 on the depth organizational depth chart behind Valimaki.
PS Assumes Prout as #7. Is that a real probability.
One-way contract at 800k. Where did he fit in in Stockton last year when he was making 1.9M.... cap hit of 550K counting against the Flames NHL cap. He must have made a solid impression for the Flames to re-sign him.
Prout will likely play a part-time “grit index” (LOL) role, as a 7D, that will allow Andersson and/or Kylington and/ or Valimaki to further ameliorate their game in the AHL, while playing big minutes.
Playing D is a very tough and challenging task in the NHL for the great majority of young D. Almost never a bad idea to be patient and further a young defenseman’ s growth, in the AHL.
Last edited by timbit; 07-14-2018 at 03:12 PM.
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I still think that Kylington looked like the best of the young defencemen at camp last year. I was (as others were) surprised he got sent down early. I thought he was better than Andersson, and much better than Valimaki (who looked really skilled, but a bit raw still).
It will be interesting to see which out of these 3 defencemen looks the closest to NHL ready, or even if any of them supplant a defencemen on the bottom-pairing. They all have strengths in different areas, and I guess it might come down to what strengths are more needed on the team and who has shored-up their weaknesses the most.
That skating and ability to do 'something' with the puck though with Kylington... and such an underrated point shot as well. He will be a fun player to watch, and I am 100% positive he will be an NHL'er.
Can the same be applied to Kylington? Has he out grown the AHL?
Going into training camp he will be down a slot to #10 on the depth organizational depth chart behind Valimaki.
PS Assumes Prout as #7. Is that a real probability.
One-way contract at 800k. Where did he fit in in Stockton last year when he was making 1.9M.... cap hit of 550K counting against the Flames NHL cap. He must have made a solid impression for the Flames to re-sign him.
You're wrong to number defenseman like that, and I think you know it.
There's a pipeline for guys that play sure, but Prout isn't in it.
I'd say he's behind Giordano and Hanifin on the left side and battling with Kulak and Valimaki for a spot.
Is he the likely winner? No, but like Foo a good start to the AHL in season three and I think he gets a look through the year with injuries.
Can the same be applied to Kylington? Has he out grown the AHL?
Going into training camp he will be down a slot to #10 on the depth organizational depth chart behind Valimaki.
PS Assumes Prout as #7. Is that a real probability.
One-way contract at 800k. Where did he fit in in Stockton last year when he was making 1.9M.... cap hit of 550K counting against the Flames NHL cap. He must have made a solid impression for the Flames to re-sign him.
Kylington definitely hasn't outgrown the AHL. He was only the 3/4 best defenseman on that team last year, and he still has quite a bit to improve on.
I could see him playing on the Heat's top pairing this year. That's pretty exciting to look forward to.