Training Camp - Probability of Rookies Making the Team

Paolo · Member

Training Camp - Probability of Rookies Making the Team

macneil · Guru

bob has gone on record saying he is leaving 1 spot open for a player at camp , he wants the players at camp to know 1 of them will make the team , i believe it will be kots but guy may slip in there if he impresses like he did last year .

beakermania · Senior Member

I believe the spot as a spare forward is Kostitsyn's to lose he will get 50-60 games at the NHL level which is better than 80 in the AHL. These 50-60 will come through injuries and by putting him in the lineup when guys like Murray, Perez, Johnson, Ribs, are not playing well and need a night in the pressbox. Kosty has done all he can in the AHL, its time to take the next step. Its his spot to lose going into training camp.

Other contenders for this one spot are Chipchura, Grabovski, Latendresse, Lapierre, Ferland,

Real Longshots include Locke, Milroy,

Lapierre is ready and will be the first callup if a guy is needed to come up and play a defensive/grinder game. Just no room to keep him on the team right now unless we find a way to dump Bonk's albatross salary. Bonk will be UFA after this year, Lapierre can take that spot. He can also go to the minors without having to clear waivers.

Chipchura needs at least a full year in the AHL at least to be ready IMO. Needs to learn to play against men and adjust to the faster speed from Junior to AHL before jumping to the NHL. With a great camp he does have an outside shot to make it though, and if hes not in the top 3 lines he can still benefit from the AHL so thats a better spot than part-time/pressbox.

Grabovski should spend a year in the AHL learning the smaller ice and the language/culture. Again an outstanding camp could get him the spot.

A guy like Latendresse shouldn't be the 13th forward, he has to be on the top 3 lines to make the team. Like Chipchura he can still benefit playing many more minutes in the minors. Spending 20-30 games in Montreal's pressbox will do him no good at this point.

Ferland has to clear waivers to go down so thats a consideration. But from what i've seen i don't think hes ready. His role will be defensive and grind oriented. I think Begin, Murray, Lapierre are all ahead of him on the depth chart. I don't think he will be grabbed in waivers, but even if he is, we have the guys already on the roster and ahead of him so its not a huge loss. That said, I'm not putting him ahead of the other guys without seeing anything great yet. There is less chance of losing him on waivers as gritty forwards are in more abundance then the d-men we have lost in recent years.

hockeyman · Senior Member

I'm sorry but Lats isn't ready....far from it. This guy will need some seasoning and have to be a force in Junior this year. He rode the pine at last years World Juniors. Does anybody not remember this? How can he be ready for prime time? Kost and Chip are definitely more ready.

Diehardhabsfan · Veteran Member

took the words right out of my mouth hockeyman, I agree totally

rwp2le · Guru

Is Grabovski Russian? If so, do you guys think that he could be the missing link at center? Would Gainey and Carbs put him on the team to keep Kovy and Sammy happy? They could be the rushin' Russian line.

Didn't Barry say that Gainey did things last year to "stroke" Kovalev's ego? I am just thinking out loud here, feel free to rip me to shreds on this one, I was just wondering.

beakermania · Senior Member

Grabovski is from Belarus. He was Kostitsyn's linemate on the Belarus National Team and Belarus National Junior team, so the two of them already have some chemistry.

He was drafted with a late round pick the year after Kosty was taken. I think one of our scouts must have been looking to see Kosty's progression and found this little diamond in the rough playing with him.

Paolo · Member

mmm...interesting, I have to agree with the comments on latendresse...chipchura is so young it may not be worth bringing him up just yet.

I do like Kots, but I don't like having him and Pez in the lineup at the same time, they bring the same thing to the table.

beakermania · Senior Member

I don't think Kost and Perez bring the same thing to the table.

Perez is a speedster, pure flat out speed. His game is flying all over the ice and he has some sick moves and passes. He can create a lot of odd man rushes. He is also a more of a pass first type guy than a shooter. He is probably a little more two way than Andrei too, but Andrei's game here is improving.

Kost has one of the best wrist shot/releases i have ever seen at his age, just beautiful. While he is quick he is nowhere near as fast as Perez. He is also a little bigger than Perez and probably a little stronger on the puck. He can also through his weight around effectively, though he seems to only do this in big games. He is more of an Alex Kovalev type player than Perez. Kosty shoots alot though, more than Alex does.