[Signing] Canucks Sign NCAA FA Griffen Molino

[Pears]

He doesn't really seem all that but we'll see. 

[apollo]

Never heard of him... hope he leads us to a cup next year. Best case scenario. 

[48MPHSlapShot]

Utica depth.

[Fateless]

Has anyone figured out what position he actually plays?

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

26 minutes ago, darkpoet said:

lol @ Benning poaching Detroits interests

(Chatfield was at Wings camp last year as well)

 

Not a bad strategy. DRW scouting has been fairly good historically.

 

And always nice to be the poacher instead of the poachee.  

 

Apparently Molino had a pretty good camp too:

 

Griffen Molino- Of all the camp invites, Molino has been the standout for me so far. He's quick, his skill with the puck made kept making me forget he was an invite and not a draftee.

https://www.google.ca/amp/www.wingingitinmotown.com/platform/amp/2016/7/9/12133450/red-wings-development-camp-scrimmage-team-lindsay-6-team-howe-3

[Lockhart]

We sure have a lot of Americans on the team now

[stawns]

22 minutes ago, Quantum said:

I like it. It seems to me he is a versatile winger/centre. Free prospect is always great  I and it's nice padding for the prospect pool. Still hoping that the Canucks will sign Spencer Foo from Union. They could use another centre prospect.

 

Probably spells the end of Grenier, Zalewski, and Rendulic in the organization after this year. Zalewski will probably stick around Utica on an AHL deal, though.

 

 

Rendulic is playing very well in Utica and Zalewski is as well.  I think you're right about Grenier though.

[oldnews]

 

[diesel_3]

Great Skater?

Plays a complete 3-zone game?

 

I like free prospects!

[darkpoet]

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

Not a bad strategy. DRW scouting has been fairly good historically.

 

And always nice to be the poacher instead of the poachee.  

 

Apparently Molino had a pretty good camp too:

 

 

 

https://www.google.ca/amp/www.wingingitinmotown.com/platform/amp/2016/7/9/12133450/red-wings-development-camp-scrimmage-team-lindsay-6-team-howe-3

Yeah for sure.

Benning is nothing if not methodical. People can say what they want about our "rookie GM" but his track record so far is pretty notable.

Granlund was supposed to be a marginal NHL player, and now he's starting to look more and more like his brother. Same with Baertschi - washed out early, going nowhere fast.

Now both those guys look like they'll be 25 goal scorers. 

What did he give up for those guys? Shinkaruk (who's still wallowing in the minors) and a 2nd round pick.

Talk about return.

[darkpoet]

 

[oldnews]

26 minutes ago, Down by the River said:

I really like Biech as bloggers go, but he totally missed the point of this signing. He's there for Utica, not for Vancouver.

 

Two tough losses for the Comets, where they played three games in three nights (I think). The teams needs bodies. Biech should recognize the purpose of the signing and frame his tweets accordingly instead of thinking that the NHL context is how we should evaluate this signing.

I like Biech too, but I'm not a fan of attempts to assess a player on a few reductive stats.  Ppg is always worth looking at in context - some teams have half a dozen ppg players, others none.   Western Michigan was not a high scoring team - 33 pts in 40 games doesn't necessarily tell us much.  Also not a fan of the idea that 'based on pGPS, 1.8% of comparables went on to be NHL regulars'.   These kind of metrics give you next to no idea of the actual translatability of the player's skillset/attributes - a relatively meaningless statistic and essentially claim.

He was the 2nd highest scorer on a relatively low-scoring but pretty good college team.  Stecher's college numbers wouldn't blow people away either - college production alone does not necessarily indicate a player's potential or eventual production.

Anyhow, the Canucks amateur scouting obviously saw some things they liked - and like you point out, he could help Utica immediately.

[Alflives]

17 minutes ago, stawns said:

Rendulic is playing very well in Utica and Zalewski is as well.  I think you're right about Grenier though.

Maybe he's taking Valk's place next season?  Similar kind of player, but (perhaps?) better on the defensive side of the puck.

[darkpoet]

36 minutes ago, Alflives said:

Maybe he's taking Valk's place next season?  Similar kind of player, but (perhaps?) better on the defensive side of the puck.

After Benning started signing guys beginning of March I said it was a sign of a major roster turnover both here and in Utica. 

He hasn't slowed down. Still signing guys every week it seems. I'd bet that everyone who's a free agent on the farm is gone this year, unless they are top shelf.

Utica is going to kick ass next year. They have a boat load of fresh talent coming in, and Demko is like Thor wielding the Hammer of Judgement. 

$#*! yeah !

[RRypien37]

1 hour ago, Silky mitts said:

little ceasers lol, worst team name ever

Logical explanation being the team/association was sponsored by Little Ceasars Pizza Chain. Add to the fact Little Ceasars started/has its head quarters in Michigan where he was born and played.

 

Like "Timbits" hockey here. 

[Alexandre]

44 minutes ago, darkpoet said:

Yeah for sure.

Benning is nothing if not methodical. People can say what they want about our "rookie GM" but his track record so far is pretty notable.

Granlund was supposed to be a marginal NHL player, and now he's starting to look more and more like his brother. Same with Baertschi - washed out early, going nowhere fast.

Now both those guys look like they'll be 25 goal scorers. 

What did he give up for those guys? Shinkaruk (who's still wallowing in the minors) and a 2nd round pick.

Talk about return.

Not bad "asset management".

 

At this stage of the re-stocking of the prospect cupboard, I would think that most of Benning's signings would have to have some NHL upside. If that is so, then Molino may be able to provide depth for the team in the future. If it doesn't work out then he is a Comet.

[darkpoet]

1 minute ago, Alexandre said:

Not bad "asset management".

 

At this stage of the re-stocking of the prospect cupboard, I would think that most of Benning's signings would have to have some NHL upside. If that is so, then Molino may be able to provide depth for the team in the future. If it doesn't work out then he is a Comet.

Exactly.

I've said it before, but why did it take this organization over 40 years to start doing things this way?

We should have won a Cup by accident by now. 

Better late than never i suppose. 

I'll say this, in the 35 years I've been a fan of this team, I've never been this excited during a time they are losers. 

 

[theminister]

52 minutes ago, oldnews said:

I like Biech too, but I'm not a fan of attempts to assess a player on a few reductive stats.  Ppg is always worth looking at in context - some teams have half a dozen ppg players, others none.   Western Michigan was not a high scoring team - 33 pts in 40 games doesn't necessarily tell us much.  Also not a fan of the idea that 'based on pGPS, 1.8% of comparables went on to be NHL regulars'.   These kind of metrics give you next to no idea of the actual translatability of the player's skillset/attributes - a relatively meaningless statistic and essentially claim.

He was the 2nd highest scorer on a relatively low-scoring but pretty good college team.  Stecher's college numbers wouldn't blow people away either - college production alone does not necessarily indicate a player's potential or eventual production.

Anyhow, the Canucks amateur scouting obviously saw some things they liked - and like you point out, he could help Utica immediately.

The largest issue with pGPS, and Biech is aware of this, is that it doesn't factor inputs into the equation. It doesn't say why one member of a cohort is more successful than another. It treats them equally which is a fallacy. Translation is almost impossible to account for in a statistical model, at least with the tools freely available now. Context is everything.

 

For example, it only looks at data points like production but makes no account for skating or, as you point out, deployment and team depth. Gaudette, based on pGPS, looked bad in draft year with that metric because he was a 3C on a good team where he didn't get many opportunities. If he was on a lesser team he would have gotten more scoring chances and his numbers would skew up changing his rating.

 

The major fallacy wirh only looking at scoring numbers and production is that it treats the player differently. For example, on a good team a player may have 20 less points if pushed down the depth chart, or 20 more if playing up beside good line mates. The thing is... It's still the same player and the same quality of prospect. The player hasn't changed.

 

 

[darkpoet]

Bennings signings/acquisitions in the last 27 days:

Crammerosa
Goldobin (+ a 4th / conditional 1st)
Shore
Dahlen
Chatfield
MacEwen
Boeser
Molino

That's 1/3 of a team he's acquired/signed, in less than a month.

Don't kid yourselves. This "rebuild" is on a serious fast track. Benning's throwing everything he can at the wall. Whatever sticks, stays. If not - next.







 

[-AJ-]

Looks like more of a defensive forward with a chance at some offensive punch if he works out well. Definitely looks like he has an AHL ceiling though.