Cole Cassels | C

[Phat Fingers]

This is really going to be his first full pro year. Going to be ups and downs. He will have lots of opportunity to make mistakes and learn from it.  Glad Jake is also finally where he needs to be for his chance to develop.  This year is going to rough all around, but there are good prospects and young players to look forward too. 

 

It it reminds me of when Kesler, Edler, Burrows, Bieska, Bourdon and Schnieder were all either drafted or skating in Manitoba.   It was right around the collapse of the west coast express. 

 

This looks even better with the depth and quality coming thru the pipeline. Added to that Utica is under club control. That is vital. The Chicago Wolves killed off a decent development program when it was moved from Winnepeg. 

[elvis15]

4 hours ago, iinatcc said:

 

I still believe he can be a quality player in the NHL. You don't shut down McDavid and not be an NHL'er eventually. 

Tell that to all the players who've made world junior teams over the years, but never gone on to do anything professionally.

 

Cassels definitely has a skillset to do so (even if the team also contributed to shutting down McDavid) but the question is if he can translate it to the NHL with the change in speed and size.

[canucklehead44]

On 10/20/2016 at 1:23 PM, Hairy Kneel said:

A pic of his father around the same age (with mullet).

Wow didn't realize Andrew Cassels had an 85 point season...crazy!

[Lancaster]

2 hours ago, elvis15 said:

Tell that to all the players who've made world junior teams over the years, but never gone on to do anything professionally.

 

Cassels definitely has a skillset to do so (even if the team also contributed to shutting down McDavid) but the question is if he can translate it to the NHL with the change in speed and size.

 

"It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog."

 

Size issues can be negated by speed, strength and technique (that's what she said, lol).  I certainly hope that Cassels can get a strong skating coach, perhaps the one Horvat got.  Some face-off sessions with Malhotra.  Most importantly, guidance from Travis Green.  Green was a highly touted prospect from junior.... 23rd overall (2nd rounder at the time), explosive in junior.  Adapted his game to be a gritty role player, being a defensively reliable 30-40 point guy (along with a couple of high scoring seasons).  

[Canorth]

10 hours ago, canucklehead44 said:

Wow didn't realize Andrew Cassels had an 85 point season...crazy!

 

I think the 92-93 season was a record season for points. 

 

Link

 

"A record 21 players scored at least 100 points during the 1992-93 NHL season. The Pittsburgh Penguins employed four of them. Wayne Gretzky was not one of them for the first time in his career.

A record 14 players scored at least 50 goals, including seven who never reached that milestone again. Pierre Turgeon and Mark Recchi did it for the only time in their careers. Shanahan's 51 goals didn't even put him in the top 10.

Teams combined to average 7.25 goals per game, a total that has not been approached since then."

[-AJ-]

12 minutes ago, Canorth said:

 

I think the 92-93 season was a record season for points. 

 

Link

 

"A record 21 players scored at least 100 points during the 1992-93 NHL season. The Pittsburgh Penguins employed four of them. Wayne Gretzky was not one of them for the first time in his career.

A record 14 players scored at least 50 goals, including seven who never reached that milestone again. Pierre Turgeon and Mark Recchi did it for the only time in their careers. Shanahan's 51 goals didn't even put him in the top 10.

Teams combined to average 7.25 goals per game, a total that has not been approached since then."

It was truly an insane year. I wasn't alive for the large majority of the season, but looking back at the stats, it's incredible how many players had their career years in 1992-93.

 

 

More on topic, Cassels scored again tonight. I think that's his 2nd in as many games? Hopefully this is the start of some offense from him as maybe it will boost his confidence.

[SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME]

Cassels with another goal (and at least one other shot off the post) last game to bring his total to 3 goals on the season. First point scored in 8 GP. Still sits at zero assists. 

 

From the fan reports out of Utica, Cassels has played well of late, but is still struggling to create offense, in large part due to poor quality linemates and the overall lack of capable offensive players in a talent thin Utica forward group. But he is developing and building most of his fundementals to a capable AHL level this season. However, skating, particularly his first step, remains an issue for Cole. But he has shown decent positioning and awareness, has been a capable PKer, and seems to be creating chances offensively.

 

Lots of game reports from the past while noting Cassels making nice, quick, accurate passing plays to setup linemates, only to see offense die on his wingers' sticks as they flub the opportunity. Might go a long way toward explaining his zero assists to-date this season.

[canuckledraggin]

1 hour ago, SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME said:

Cassels with another goal (and at least one other shot off the post) last game to bring his total to 3 goals on the season. First point scored in 8 GP. Still sits at zero assists. 

 

From the fan reports out of Utica, Cassels has played well of late, but is still struggling to create offense, in large part due to poor quality linemates and the overall lack of capable offensive players in a talent thin Utica forward group. But he is developing and building most of his fundementals to a capable AHL level this season. However, skating, particularly his first step, remains an issue for Cole. But he has shown decent positioning and awareness, has been a capable PKer, and seems to be creating chances offensively.

 

Lots of game reports from the past while noting Cassels making nice, quick, accurate passing plays to setup linemates, only to see offense die on his wingers' sticks as they flub the opportunity. Might go a long way toward explaining his zero assists to-date this season.

His skating has improved by leaps and bounds since last year. Cassels wears #19 and Jake wears #18 in Utica and I've been caught a few times thinking that I  was watching Virtanen only to see #19 on the back of the jersey. It will be nice when they send Labate back, because those 2 have played lots together and have some chemistry to build on. Grenier is his other winger lately and they have been good as well. It's nice to see him getting rewarded for good play and working his way up the lineup. 

[SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME]

6 minutes ago, canuckledraggin said:

His skating has improved by leaps and bounds since last year. Cassels wears #19 and Jake wears #18 in Utica and I've been caught a few times thinking that I  was watching Virtanen only to see #19 on the back of the jersey. It will be nice when they send Labate back, because those 2 have played lots together and have some chemistry to build on. Grenier is his other winger lately and they have been good as well. It's nice to see him getting rewarded for good play and working his way up the lineup. 

True. Didn't mean to suggest his skating hasn't improved, especially compared to last season. But I still think he'll need to improve further, particularly his first step and how he accelerates through those first few strides. He's an adequate skater now but IMO his skating remains a possible limiting factor in how far he can progress. Although given his character and work ethic, I don't put it past Cassels to put in the necessary work and continue to improve.

[canuckledraggin]

2 minutes ago, SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME said:

True. Didn't mean to suggest his skating hasn't improved, especially compared to last season. But I still think he'll need to improve further, particularly his first step and how he accelerates through those first few strides. He's an adequate skater now but IMO his skating remains a possible limiting factor in how far he can progress. Although given his character and work ethic, I don't put it past Cassels to put in the necessary work and continue to improve.

In addition to the improvement in his skating, he is getting a lot more chippy.  Last year he was getting shoved around a lot and this year he is initiating and shoving back. The question was always can his body catch up to his brain and it's nice to see a step in that direction from last year.

[SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME]

38 minutes ago, canuckledraggin said:

In addition to the improvement in his skating, he is getting a lot more chippy.  Last year he was getting shoved around a lot and this year he is initiating and shoving back. The question was always can his body catch up to his brain and it's nice to see a step in that direction from last year.

Makes sense given his history. Cassels had a mean streak in junior. But that abdominal injury is a tough one and it pretty much has global effects on what a player does on the ice. Now that he's healed, it's good that he's adding physicality to his game and returning to that chippy style of play. This will only help him as he tries to progress to the next level.

[Tiger-Hearted]

Is Cassels injured? Haven't seen him on the score sheet in ages. Wondering if his abdomen is still bothering him.

[UticaHockey]

1 hour ago, Tiger-Hearted said:

Is Cassels injured? Haven't seen him on the score sheet in ages. Wondering if his abdomen is still bothering him.

Not injured. Just stinks along with the rest of the team.

[Tiger-Hearted]

26 GP, 4 goals, 0 assists, 4 points, 18 PIM, -2. Listed as RW instead of C on the AHL website. 

 

No points tonight in the 3-2 overtime win in Hershey. Not looking good.

[snizzle_]

Oh, how the star has fallen. I was a real big Cassels fan through Junior and loved the way he played. Kind of hard to play a chippy and gritty game in the AHL when your not imposing physically or offensively; at this point he's just chirping bag of pucks to the opposition. As a 3rd round pick, expectations weren't high when he was drafted but his trajectory before turning pro was very promising. 

 

He just coudn't figure it out after Junior, and the abdominal injury set him back a lot in a crucial year and he just couldn't fulling acclimate himself and it seems as though he's lost all his confidence. 

 

[aGENT]

43 minutes ago, junglesniper said:

Oh, how the star has fallen. I was a real big Cassels fan through Junior and loved the way he played. Kind of hard to play a chippy and gritty game in the AHL when your not imposing physically or offensively; at this point he's just chirping bag of pucks to the opposition. As a 3rd round pick, expectations weren't high when he was drafted but his trajectory before turning pro was very promising. 

 

He just coudn't figure it out after Junior, and the abdominal injury set him back a lot in a crucial year and he just couldn't fulling acclimate himself and it seems as though he's lost all his confidence. 

 

 

On 1/7/2017 at 7:35 PM, Tiger-Hearted said:

26 GP, 4 goals, 0 assists, 4 points, 18 PIM, -2. Listed as RW instead of C on the AHL website. 

 

No points tonight in the 3-2 overtime win in Hershey. Not looking good.

 

He's got the next couple years to figure it out. And if he doesn't, as you say, he was a long shot 3rd rounder anyway.

 

Ideally you at least some progress by the end of this year but that could be tough given how Utica as a whole is struggling.

 

Noting to do but wait and see. I wouldn't lose any sleep.

[Vicky]

53 minutes ago, junglesniper said:

Oh, how the star has fallen. I was a real big Cassels fan through Junior and loved the way he played. Kind of hard to play a chippy and gritty game in the AHL when your not imposing physically or offensively; at this point he's just chirping bag of pucks to the opposition. As a 3rd round pick, expectations weren't high when he was drafted but his trajectory before turning pro was very promising. 

 

He just coudn't figure it out after Junior, and the abdominal injury set him back a lot in a crucial year and he just couldn't fulling acclimate himself and it seems as though he's lost all his confidence. 

 

To be fair, the bar was set pretty high by most.

[canuckledraggin]

1 hour ago, junglesniper said:

Oh, how the star has fallen. I was a real big Cassels fan through Junior and loved the way he played. Kind of hard to play a chippy and gritty game in the AHL when your not imposing physically or offensively; at this point he's just chirping bag of pucks to the opposition. As a 3rd round pick, expectations weren't high when he was drafted but his trajectory before turning pro was very promising. 

 

He just coudn't figure it out after Junior, and the abdominal injury set him back a lot in a crucial year and he just couldn't fulling acclimate himself and it seems as though he's lost all his confidence. 

 

If you compare his play from last year to this one, he has made a giant leap forward in development. Last season he was barely noticeable on the ice. This season his skating is 100% better and I often mistake his #19 for Jakes #18. Say what you want about Jake but his skating has always been his best asset and it seems as though Cassels has become a good skater in his own right.

 

Also his deployment is much different. He is a staple on the PK and he is becoming more of the shutdown center that he was touted to be. If he can take another step forward between this season and next, then I could see him get a game or 2 in the NHL, he would at least warrant a callup.

[Alflives]

6 minutes ago, canuckledraggin said:

If you compare his play from last year to this one, he has made a giant leap forward in development. Last season he was barely noticeable on the ice. This season his skating is 100% better and I often mistake his #19 for Jakes #18. Say what you want about Jake but his skating has always been his best asset and it seems as though Cassels has become a good skater in his own right.

 

Also his deployment is much different. He is a staple on the PK and he is becoming more of the shutdown center that he was touted to be. If he can take another step forward between this season and next, then I could see him get a game or 2 in the NHL, he would at least warrant a callup.

I've been watching the Comets games online too, and Cassels has actually impressed.  

[Tiger-Hearted]

On 1/9/2017 at 1:31 PM, Alflives said:

I've been watching the Comets games online too, and Cassels has actually impressed.  

I do realize that stats don't always tell the whole story. Thanks for the update as I really want Cassels to succeed. He was considered a steal as a 3rd round draft pick. The Canucks can certainly use a steal here in there in later rounds to make up for first round mistakes.