[JCiarniello]

This thread has been under construction for 6 months.

Your tax dollars at work ......

[vancanfan]

RussianProspects.com has updated its Ilya Krikunov profile page.

LINK

Quote

December 2007 Update: Flashy winger with much experience although his relative young age…has top-notch top-speed and excellent acceleration…makes things happen with his excellent skating…lacks a bit of balance and can be moved away from the puck…very agile with and without the puck…his speed makes him useful in penalty killing situations…his defensive play is null…his stick handling is not the best but he doesn’t overplay the puck…very intelligent player, always knows what to do and has a very good decision-making ability…has a good nose for the net and has a good wrist shot around the crease…doesn’t count on his slap shot…is overall a very good player but may not make it in the NHL because he lacks size, defensive play and grittiness to adapt to the more physical, northern American style…

[Jermi]

toxic why no klablukov for russia? he's on the roster still wut gives?

[timw33]

Birchtuzzi, on Dec 26 2007, 01:53 PM, said:

toxic why no klablukov for russia? he's on the roster still wut gives?

Passport troubles.

[timw33]

There is a giant smile on my face seeing Raymond putting up the points in his second stint on the Canucks.

Thank you Dave Nonis.

This post has been edited by timw33: 27 December 2007 - 10:19 PM

[timw33]

Bliznak 1A
Gendur -1

[All Highlight Reel]

timw33, on Dec 27 2007, 09:19 PM, said:

There is a giant smile on my face seeing Raymond putting up the points in his second stint on the Canucks.

Thank you Dave Nonis.

Huge fan of all our prospects and rookies since Nonis took over. Props to Toxic though he was always high on Raymond and the collegiate system where Raymond further developed his skills. Goes without saying, but looks like Raymond is coming along nicely - hopefully Toxic is right about White(lol rhymes ) as well. For me ... I can't wait till I get to see Grabner, Simek, and Bourdon on the Canucks. Raymond and Grabner were always my favorites but Raymond is up with us for now ... ugh I hope I get to see Grabner sometime soon or that he at least makes the team next year (barring trade which would crush me unless we get someone very good in return).

[Bweigelt]

It was good to see Raymond and Jaffray getting some ice time in the last five minutes of a close game. Previously it seemed like they were getting shut down with 10 minutes left if the game was within two goals.

[nucks&bombers]

wow Raymond is playing realy well right now. Anything else think theres a chance we may have somthing more than a second liner here?

[timw33]

nucks&bombers, on Dec 27 2007, 11:53 PM, said:

wow Raymond is playing realy well right now. Anything else think theres a chance we may have somthing more than a second liner here?

I would be very content if he became a solid top 6 winger

[nucks&bombers]

timw33, on Dec 28 2007, 02:31 AM, said:

I would be very content if he became a solid top 6 winger

Same here, the thing is I allways had Ramond pegged as a good to very good second liner. I dont usualy like to put a "cap" on what I think a prospect can accomplish though. I think there is a CHANCE emphasis on CHANCE that Raymond could be a first line player one day.

what do you guys think?

[Gnickers87]

I think Raymond is 15lbs away from becoming a very,very good player. They key will be adding strength while not hindering his speed.

This post has been edited by Gnickers87: 28 December 2007 - 01:47 AM

[Gnickers87]

Rahimi has 5 assists and is a +3 in 12GP on a team with a lot of minuses. He also only has 8PIM, or one Minor every 3 games.....not very Rahimi like. That tells me that either he is much more disciplined or is playing like a pansy...i'm going with the former. It probably also has to do with the fact the ECHL allows more rough stuff then the SL-1

[timw33]

Gnickers87, on Dec 28 2007, 12:47 AM, said:

I think Raymond is 15lbs away from becoming a very,very good player. They key will be adding strength while not hindering his speed.

Needs to be much stronger on the puck for sure.

Gnickers87, on Dec 28 2007, 01:07 AM, said:

Rahimi has 5 assists and is a +3 in 12GP on a team with a lot of minuses. He also only has 8PIM, or one Minor every 3 games.....not very Rahimi like. That tells me that either he is much more disciplined or is playing like a pansy...i'm going with the former. It probably also has to do with the fact the ECHL allows more rough stuff then the SL-1

5 assists is good for a guy who is not noted for offence by any stretch.

I've seen him play live and he is no pansy, always throwing hits whenever he can, very chippy player.

[nucks&bombers]

timw33, on Dec 28 2007, 03:09 AM, said:

Needs to be much stronger on the puck for sure.
5 assists is good for a guy who is not noted for offence by any stretch.

I've seen him play live and he is no pansy, always throwing hits whenever he can, very chippy player.

I whatched Rahimi in the playoffs for the moose last year. The thing that impressed me the most was that he can just be skating along the boards covering his man and then even though he has no speed he has such a strong upper body that he still throws massive hits that the entier arena can hear from that position.

[All Highlight Reel]

I know it was already touched on the other thread with The New York Islanders signing 2006 draft pick Kyle Okposo to a three-year contract on Friday, and the impact it would have on White's playing time. Just wondering... is this a rarity ? As in how often do players leave college to go pro when the season isn't finished yet ? I'm not saying White will be able to do the same thing and leave early (after 1 1/2 years or 2 1/2 etc) - plus the management obviously knows what they are doing in handling the players and trying not to rush them. However, I'd still like to know all the possibilities out there. -Thanks

This post has been edited by All Highlight Reel: 28 December 2007 - 02:19 PM

[MrTubesteak]

All Highlight Reel, on Dec 28 2007, 01:01 PM, said:

I know it was already touched on the other thread with The New York Islanders signing 2006 draft pick Kyle Okposo to a three-year contract on Friday, and the impact it would have on White's playing time. Just wondering... is this a rarity ? As in how often do players leave college to go pro when the season isn't finished yet ? I'm not saying White will be able to do the same thing and leave early (after 1 1/2 years or 2 1/2 etc) - plus the management obviously knows what they are doing in handling the players and trying not to rush them. However, I'd still like to know all the possibilities out there. -Thanks

While you might see guys leave college before their 4 years (like Mason Raymond), it is rare to see a guy leaving halfway through a school year. What Okposo is doing is certainly unusual.
I can't even think of another player who has done that.

I wouldn't be surprised if there was something fishy going on with his grades that may have made him ineligible to play next semester. That's just a wild guess though.

[itzabreeze]

All Highlight Reel, on Dec 28 2007, 01:01 PM, said:

I know it was already touched on the other thread with The New York Islanders signing 2006 draft pick Kyle Okposo to a three-year contract on Friday, and the impact it would have on White's playing time. Just wondering... is this a rarity ? As in how often do players leave college to go pro when the season isn't finished yet ? I'm not saying White will be able to do the same thing and leave early (after 1 1/2 years or 2 1/2 etc) - plus the management obviously knows what they are doing in handling the players and trying not to rush them. However, I'd still like to know all the possibilities out there. -Thanks

This whole situation is interesting to me...... and I went digging for alittle infomation and found a very interesting article. I don't believe what Snow says about the Gophers program, Okposo has been getting tons of ice time, I guess money talks.

www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/12692637.html

Quote

Isles GM says Lucia's coaching hurt Okposo
Garth Snow contends the Gophers program didn't develop his team's prized draft pick. The Minnesota coach disagrees.

New York Islanders General Manager Garth Snow on Thursday criticized Don Lucia's coaching, saying that was the reason sophomore Kyle Okposo is leaving the Gophers hockey program and negotiating a contract with the Islanders.

"Quite frankly, we weren't happy with the program there," Snow said in a telephone interview. "They have a responsibility to coach, to make Kyle a better player, and they were not doing that."

Asked for specifics, Snow said, "[Okposo] just wasn't getting better -- bottom line. And to me, that's the frustrating part. We entrusted the coach there to turn him into a better hockey player, and it wasn't happening. We feel more comfortable in him developing right under our watch."

Notified of Snow's comments Thursday, Lucia e-mailed the Star Tribune via the University's sports information department.

"I am proud of all the success of our program," the coach's statement read. "I believe our staff does an excellent job of developing our players on and off the ice.

"We have had numerous players sign and play in the NHL, but just as important many more move on to have successful careers after graduating from the University of Minnesota. We have always and will continue to work to ensure our players reach their potential on the ice and in the classroom."

Lucia is in his ninth season as the Gophers coach and led the program to NCAA championships in 2002 and 2003.

After scoring 40 points in as many games as a freshman last season, Okposo had 11 points this season for Minnesota (9-8-1). Okposo was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2006 NHL draft.

Okposo's decision to leave was announced by the team Wednesday afternoon. Lucia said then in a released statement that, "it is unfortunate that the Islanders put him in a very difficult position."

Minnesota athletic director Joel Maturi, when told of Snow's comments, was dumbfounded.

"He must feel that somebody's angry," Maturi said. "And I can understand why; you took a kid from a team in the midst of the year and he's probably trying to justify it. And that's his right.

"It's my understanding they now have a roster spot for [Okposo] and therefore our coaching is bad. It doesn't make any sense to me."

Maturi made note of Lucia's coaching record -- more than 500 career victories in 21 seasons -- and the number of NHL-quality players produced under his tutelage.

Still, Snow didn't feel the Gophers were a right fit for Okposo.

"It's well-known in hockey circles that the situation for college players is to develop and get better," Snow said. "And quite frankly, it's a big responsibility for a college coach -- a program -- to handle these kids.

"Whether it was Kyle or another player, until things change in that program we'd probably make the same decision. There should be a coach there that looks in the mirror."

Snow was a standout goalie with the University of Maine, graduating in 1993 before turning pro. He was asked if he thought it was OK for a player to leave midway through a college season.

"I don't think we'd be at this point if he was being coached properly," Snow said.

Snow also refuted that the Islanders' decision to bring Okposo into the system now had anything to do with Chris Simon's NHL-record 30-game suspension, handed down Wednesday.

"We had our meetings well before that transpired," Snow said. "If that incident hadn't happened, we'd probably still be at the same decision."

The Islanders recently contacted Okposo, Snow said, but added the ultimate decision to leave school was Okposo's.

"Obviously, it's Kyle's decision whether to stay or leave," Snow said. "But we contacted Kyle and asked how things were going. And that's why we're where we're at."

Snow then responded "he'll get better coaching" when asked what Okposo would get in the Islanders system.

Snow declined comment when asked about Okposo's contract status.

"[He] will be a tremendous hockey player. We're happy to have him," Snow said.

Also found:

Quote

Okposo got off to a blazing start as a freshman. But since Tyler Hirsch got kicked off the team a year ago, Okposo's production dramatically dropped.

His goal production isn't even a third of what it was with Hirsch. So while Okposo got all of the accolades, you have to wonder

http://www.areavoice...key/?blog=17651

Quote

If he could have signed during the off season, he would have. Since now the Islanders are willing to give him the money, he signed. That simple.


Rumor #1: Okposo was a lockerroom cancer. THIS IS NOT MY CONJECTURE! This was mentioned tonight during the Moorhead Spuds/Fargo South hockey broadcast by Bernie Berggraff (I think) and whomever it was he was talking to. This rumor is assinine. It seems like every player that opts out is a "lockerroom cancer."


Rumor #2: Okposo didn't like Lucia and vice versa. Uh, well, I don't know what's not to like concerning Okposo's Minnesota situation. Wasn't he on one of the top lines (if not THE top line)? Didn't he garner tons of ice time? Wasn't he given every opportunity to be the star of the team? If Lucia didn't like him, I doubt he'd have gotten this much of a role straight away. Most big hype wingers seem to start on the third line (like Howe).


Rumor #3: Okposo didn't appreciate being switched back and forth between wing and center. This is the only rumor that may be closer to fact than fiction. No one likes getting moved around, but it is part of the game. Part of me says "know your role and play it" while the other part of me understands completely when there can logically be a belief, based upon constant switching, that if a role is to be played, one needs to be named to it and stuck to it, not moved around when it suits the coach.

This post has been edited by itzabreeze: 28 December 2007 - 04:34 PM

[itzabreeze]

-Hansen out for atleast 7 days-concussion
-Shannon injured his knee again last night..... not good news.

This post has been edited by itzabreeze: 28 December 2007 - 05:12 PM

[timw33]

itzabreeze, on Dec 28 2007, 04:11 PM, said:

-Hansen out for atleast 7 days-concussion
-Shannon injured his knee again last night..... not good news.

Moose lineup is looking pretty ragged right now.

Man, Hansen is getting unlucky with these injuries, he was on his way to an NHL spot with the way he played in training camp.

Cory, 25 Saves, 1GA (First time in ever when he hasnt let in 3+ goals)
Labrie 1A, +2
Grabner 1G (GWG) +1
Bourdon +2
Gendur 14PIM -1
Ellington -1

This post has been edited by timw33: 29 December 2007 - 12:51 AM