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Post by hockeyfanattic on Sept 14, 2020 14:25:30 GMT -4
Unfortunately you’re probably right on those guys. I find them to be a little overrated, although Olson did play well yesterday. And likely “overrated” not the greatest descriptor. I just think if you’re gonna be invited and potentially signed pre camp, as a 18yr or 19yr old FA, you should be lights out. Otherwise an open ended no strings attached try out should be the offer IMO. Nobody is lights out, otherwise they'd be in the OHL or committed to NCAA. What you get is what we have seen in past years. DeJong was just okay when he came here at 18, but last year he was so much improved to be a key guy. Daoust was just okay last year also, but in the second half he started to show flashes of brilliance with regards to puck skills. I expect big numbers from him this year, and I note also that he has added some size. So I don't think you should have too high expectations from the Ontario FAs this season as it will take them some time to adapt firstly, and it may take a full year before you really start seeing improvement. The alternative is we use our 7th to 12th round picks to fill out our roster. I'll take the 18 yr olds that have at least a year of Jr A experience, because it is a much smaller jump to the CHL than a kid out of U18 (isn't that what we are supposed to call Midget now ?) We are rebuilding ... don't expect so much. I agree. I think dauost had a strong camp last year and showed signs of potential offensive upside. Was just kind of expecting the same this year, with the others. And I guess I was looking forward to seeing Wilson and watt crack the roster. Both had good years in jr a and got called up last year. Thought they both would have taken priority over FAs from Ontario. |
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Post by Captain Obvious on Sept 14, 2020 14:32:27 GMT -4
I think some of them were guaranteed spots and others were just brought in. Usually the ones that have NCAA options playing in the CJHL at 18 would only report with a guaranteed spot. My guess is Olson Labelle and Tomasini were guaranteed spots. Bernier, I'm not sure. I think Stammer was(not a UFA but a 2018 pick). Often the good FA's get spots plus education money, the Cats did it with many guys over the years. Unfortunately you’re probably right on those guys. I find them to be a little overrated, although Olson did play well yesterday. And likely “overrated” not the greatest descriptor. I just think if you’re gonna be invited and potentially signed pre camp, as a 18yr or 19yr old FA, you should be lights out. Otherwise an open ended no strings attached try out should be the offer IMO. That's how the game is played, those players have multiple teams interested usually and they go where they know they have a spot and a chance at ice time. Some times they get guaranteed school money also. There are some that don't work out, but in general, the cats have done very well with FA's... Daoust(2019) Seitz(2018) DeJong(2018) Pataki(2017) Tucker(2017) Dunda(2017) Kuzmin(2017) K.Klima(2016) K.Klima(2016) Meisenheimer(2016) MacEwen(2014) Johnston(2013) Yarwood(2013) Caissy(2013) Haas(2012) Holowenko(2012) Robichaud(2011) McGurty(2011) Milan(2010) Pettersson(2008) Howe(2009) |
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Post by Citris on Sept 14, 2020 15:39:08 GMT -4
several rosters, including the Wildcats, updated with jerseys numbers.... Maxime Barbashev listed as #99.... lol. That's a flex if true  |
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Post by SteveUL on Sept 14, 2020 17:52:42 GMT -4
So who gets cut if Fortier stays here and Usnik has not yet arrived ? I can see them running with 4 OAs for awhile. But if nothing changes then the odd man out would seem to Hudson.
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Post by palmateer on Sept 14, 2020 20:33:39 GMT -4
Nobody is lights out, otherwise they'd be in the OHL or committed to NCAA. What you get is what we have seen in past years. DeJong was just okay when he came here at 18, but last year he was so much improved to be a key guy. Daoust was just okay last year also, but in the second half he started to show flashes of brilliance with regards to puck skills. I expect big numbers from him this year, and I note also that he has added some size. So I don't think you should have too high expectations from the Ontario FAs this season as it will take them some time to adapt firstly, and it may take a full year before you really start seeing improvement. The alternative is we use our 7th to 12th round picks to fill out our roster. I'll take the 18 yr olds that have at least a year of Jr A experience, because it is a much smaller jump to the CHL than a kid out of U18 (isn't that what we are supposed to call Midget now ?) We are rebuilding ... don't expect so much. I agree. I think dauost had a strong camp last year and showed signs of potential offensive upside. Was just kind of expecting the same this year, with the others. And I guess I was looking forward to seeing Wilson and watt crack the roster. Both had good years in jr a and got called up last year. Thought they both would have taken priority over FAs from Ontario. |
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Post by palmateer on Sept 14, 2020 20:43:30 GMT -4
I think it's a joke taking a free agent from Ontario over a 2001-02 Atlantic kid who spent a year or 2 in the MHL. It just doesn't make sense. The MHL takes a number of 16 year olds and grooms them to play in the Q after only one year. They also accommodate the Q when an injury call up is needed. So a kid from Ontario who is not good enough to play in the O, but can play in the Q over an experienced MHLer makes no sense to me.
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Post by joehockey on Sept 14, 2020 20:52:36 GMT -4
I think it's a joke taking a free agent from Ontario over a 2001-02 Atlantic kid who spent a year or 2 in the MHL. It just doesn't make sense. The MHL takes a number of 16 year olds and grooms them to play in the Q after only one year. They also accommodate the Q when an injury call up is needed. So a kid from Ontario who is not good enough to play in the O, but can play in the Q over an experienced MHLer makes no sense to me. Well the CCHL and OJHL (where the free agents are from) are better leagues than the MHL. I don’t think that’s really even an argument. I assume Moncton and most fans would rather have a better team than a team with a bunch of local kids. I find the argument that teams need to have local kids is so stupid. Teams should try to get the best players they can. |
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Post by palmateer on Sept 14, 2020 21:05:54 GMT -4
Not agreeing with you at all with point of view.
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Post by scotiahockey on Sept 14, 2020 21:29:50 GMT -4
Not agreeing with you at all with point of view. The MHL is one of the weakest leagues in the Jr. A circuit unfortunately. While the MHL is fine and dandy for what it is but it’s not a feeder league for the Q. You’ll see guys who go through the league that go on to be successful in the Q but for the most part, they’re just not good enough. |
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Post by hockeyfanattic on Sept 14, 2020 22:46:15 GMT -4
I think it's a joke taking a free agent from Ontario over a 2001-02 Atlantic kid who spent a year or 2 in the MHL. It just doesn't make sense. The MHL takes a number of 16 year olds and grooms them to play in the Q after only one year. They also accommodate the Q when an injury call up is needed. So a kid from Ontario who is not good enough to play in the O, but can play in the Q over an experienced MHLer makes no sense to me. Well the CCHL and OJHL (where the free agents are from) are better leagues than the MHL. I don’t think that’s really even an argument. I assume Moncton and most fans would rather have a better team than a team with a bunch of local kids. I find the argument that teams need to have local kids is so stupid. Teams should try to get the best players they can. The point I was trying to make earlier was that I didn't think the kids from Ontario were/are any better than the ones from here. I'm not suggesting only taking local kids, but given all kids being relatively equal there should be some loyalty to the kids who have been developing, and who you've drafted (which the kids don't have a choice in). If you're signing all the kids before they even try out then why bother having a camp? Regardless of which league is better for development (CC VS MHL VS OJHL), the kids from Ontario would have had to clear waivers, meaning no team in the O needed/wanted them. I have a hard time with them getting the royal treatment in another league, when we already have enough capable kids to fill the spots. The issue I have is signing them before they try out.......it is unfair to the "local" kids. Invite them to camp to try out? sure. But roll out the red carpet and sign them before camp? |
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Post by Captain Obvious on Sept 15, 2020 7:40:41 GMT -4
I think it's a joke taking a free agent from Ontario over a 2001-02 Atlantic kid who spent a year or 2 in the MHL. It just doesn't make sense. The MHL takes a number of 16 year olds and grooms them to play in the Q after only one year. They also accommodate the Q when an injury call up is needed. So a kid from Ontario who is not good enough to play in the O, but can play in the Q over an experienced MHLer makes no sense to me. They have both, they got Richard cheap from SJ, he was one of the top U18 players in the MJHL. Labelle and Tomasini were among the top U18 players in the CJHL. The FA's are largely filling the gaps for guys that went via trades as future considerations like L'heureux and Desnoyers. The kids that are ready to play in the Q are staying like Sheehan Pilotte Pavan LeBlanc Loshing and Cloutier, had they shown up Rozzi and Hopkins would have likely been on the roster also. I would rather see that than keeping 5 or 6 16 year olds and 6 or 7 17 year olds all sticking where some are not ready and the team getting lit up every night with no 1st round pick as reward. Let the younger kids develop in MAAA or Jr.A(like Iasenza Casey Katz Darcy Dollemont Dimattiaplus Hopkins/Rozzi) rather that rushing them. Plus guys like Watt Wilson Desrosiers etc may come back at midseason once a few vets are traded. |
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Post by SteveUL on Sept 15, 2020 8:04:35 GMT -4
Well the CCHL and OJHL (where the free agents are from) are better leagues than the MHL. I don’t think that’s really even an argument. I assume Moncton and most fans would rather have a better team than a team with a bunch of local kids. I find the argument that teams need to have local kids is so stupid. Teams should try to get the best players they can. The point I was trying to make earlier was that I didn't think the kids from Ontario were/are any better than the ones from here. I'm not suggesting only taking local kids, but given all kids being relatively equal there should be some loyalty to the kids who have been developing, and who you've drafted (which the kids don't have a choice in). If you're signing all the kids before they even try out then why bother having a camp? Regardless of which league is better for development (CC VS MHL VS OJHL), the kids from Ontario would have had to clear waivers, meaning no team in the O needed/wanted them. I have a hard time with them getting the royal treatment in another league, when we already have enough capable kids to fill the spots. The issue I have is signing them before they try out.......it is unfair to the "local" kids. Invite them to camp to try out? sure. But roll out the red carpet and sign them before camp? I think what you are missing is that this year is different. Where you could only bring 34 kids to camp, decisions have to be made early on without seeing kids compete against each other. So you take the kids that rated high and hope it works out. The MHL kids will always be available on short notice if they are needed, but the Ontario kids are not and would have to do two weeks isolation (until that restriction is gone) if they were called upon later. So you bring in your Ontario kids now, get them to self-isolate for two weeks while there is time to do that, and then see how they do. Some of them may get cut a month into the season and then they can be replaced by an MHL kid. The team is obligated to the fans to put the best team that they possibly can on the ice. This approach is the best route to do that through, under the given circumstances. In a non-COVID year, you bring everybody to camp and they compete against each other for a spot. This year is different and the team is trying to find their best route through this "all new" approach to building a team. I doubt you get even half of the Ontario kids to come to camp and do 2 weeks isolation if you aren't promising them a spot on the team. That promise doesn't have to extend to the whole season though and they can be cut later on, and replaced by somebody else. This is a rebuilding team, and we will probably see 30 to 40 players names that have suited up for us by the end of the season. |
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Post by L'il Boy on Sept 15, 2020 11:13:18 GMT -4
Not agreeing with you at all with point of view. The MHL is one of the weakest leagues in the Jr. A circuit unfortunately. While the MHL is fine and dandy for what it is but it’s not a feeder league for the Q. You’ll see guys who go through the league that go on to be successful in the Q but for the most part, they’re just not good enough. The bold text you posted above can be said about every Junior A league in Canada....a place for junior aged players not good enough to play major junior hockey, plus some guys that have NCAA aspirations. |
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Post by Captain Obvious on Sept 15, 2020 11:25:32 GMT -4
Not agreeing with you at all with point of view. The MHL is one of the weakest leagues in the Jr. A circuit unfortunately. While the MHL is fine and dandy for what it is but it’s not a feeder league for the Q. You’ll see guys who go through the league that go on to be successful in the Q but for the most part, they’re just not good enough. I would say they are average. Not as strong as BCHL or AJHL or CJHL but as strong or stronger than Manitoba Saskatchewan and the Quebec JRAA league. About on par with the large Ontario junior league. |
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Post by hockeyfanattic on Sept 15, 2020 11:36:02 GMT -4
What do we think is going to happen with 4- 20s now? is the 3 allowed for the whole year? Can you dress 4 until XMAS? Who's the odd man out I wonder? If you can't trade until xmas they'll likely be sent down to another league until then and then traded?
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