Jordan Schroeder Talk

[GZA]

i would much rather have a rookie like Schroeder or Hodgson playing on the third line and live with their ups and downs than see an "experienced" guy like wellwood have another on-again and off-again season. we have given welly 2 years and in these two years he has done the same thing over this time and only the consistency he showed was his nack for inconsistencies.

[bluesy_shoes]

i would much rather have a rookie like Schroeder or Hodgson playing on the third line and live with their ups and downs than see an "experienced" guy like wellwood have another on-again and off-again season. we have given welly 2 years and in these two years he has done the same thing over this time and only the consistency he showed was his nack for inconsistencies.

I dunno, Welly isn't all bad. He's not physical, but he does play sound positionally, he's quick along the boards, and is one of our best puck movers and puck possession guys. He had relatively impressive +/- for playing in a checking role whist not accumulating any points in the first half of the season. He's good at what he does, and he gets us wins in the shootout.

This is not to say he has no shortcomings. He doesn't kill penalties or score, which is important for a third line center (especially penalty killing), and he has no physical game, (though I've seen him take a hit to clear the zone). He has a lot that can be improved upon by substituting him with another player, but he does have upside.

All that aside, I don't know what the plans are for Schroeder, if he's being groomed as a wingman or what. He may not even be in competition with Wellwood, so maybe Gillis will sign an FA in the summer for 3rd line center. Its either Wellwood or an UFA; I can't imagine management's relying on Schroeder or Hodgson exclusively.

[UFCanuck]

Another assist for Schroeder tonight. Desbiens is lighting it up right now, 7 points in 2 games.

[MoneypuckOverlord]

Wow, ya know, had a pretty weak year in Minnesota, wins a gold medal at the world Juniors, is now being a key part in a Manitoba Moose run, and all this, he is only 19, and will remain 19, when the Season ends. Good job Schroeder.

[aqua59]

One thing that is great about Schroeder is that he can take tons of pressure of Hodgson. It may put pressure on Hodgson from his own personal standpoint since he is about equal (or, using the term loosely, 'behind') Schroeder in development right now, but it takes off the pressure from the organizational standpoint: there are only so many spots on the team for developing young players. It is one thing to have either Schroeder or Hodgson on the third line over an experienced guy like Wellwood, but to have two (or three, with Grabner) inexperienced players has its obvious concerns when you are an elite team pushing for a cup every year. (Mistakes in the playoffs=goals) Management and fans won't be so eager for the upside/downside of another rookie if we already have 1 or 2 on the team.

If Hodgson pushes too hard because he's worried about his spot on the team, it could be a bad thing. With some maturity, Hodgson can take advantage of the situation and take his sweet time in the AHL, take a year to rehab, get surgery if he needs it, or who knows, maybe he needs to move to the Yukon to "find himself"; whatever he needs.

Schroeder, who is absolutely ready and eager to make the jump, is here for us to compete for a spot and elevate our team.

Good post. I worry that Hodgeson has put pressure on him self more than any one. I think it was a mistake last training camp to head off on his own. Schroeder seems far more mature already. He is thriving in Manitoba and it would be great to see him push for a job in training camp this fall.

[hockeyhero1994]

here is TSN's scouting report!

NHL Central Scouting's Jack Barzee: "He's a dynamic player, a leader and a type of player that has developed into a complete offensive and defensive threat every time he is on the ice. He has a rocket of a wrist shot and he can beat you by putting the puck in the net, going around a defender, or freezing the goaltender and passing it off to one of his wingers. The concern is going to be his overall size, like there was with Scott Gomez, with Brian Gionta and with Patrick Kane, but at the same age he is probably a little thicker and a little bit more compact than they were. He's a great hockey player."

Minnesota (WCHA)

POS: C SH: R

DOB: 9/29/90 HT/WT: 5-8/175

Style: Steve Yzerman

nice

[Get real canuck fans]

didnt see this posted anywhere,,been on ahl website for a few weeks

AHL playoffs latest challenge for Schroeder

April 19, 2010

Photo: Manitoba Mooseby Lindsay Kramer || NHL.com

Manitoba Moose center Jordan Schroeder came better than advertised just 1 minute, 52 seconds into his pro career.

On his very first shift, March 21 vs. Grand Rapids, Schroeder deflected a power play shot from teammate Lawrence Nycholat into the back of the net for his maiden goal.

"My jaw just kind of dropped. I was like, did I just score?" Schroeder said. "It's your first pro game, you're excited, nervous. You have to love the game and love the challenge."

That's the kind of talk that raises the eyebrows of Moose coach Scott Arniel. The coach, like everyone else, appreciates the touted rookie's past, his starring role on three U.S. World Juniors teams and his selection as the No. 22 overall pick by Vancouver in the 2009 draft.

Yet Arniel wants more, as is the nature of title-hungry coaches. Arniel looks at the mountain that is the first-round playoff series between Manitoba and Hamilton and says, "How about climbing that?"

Winnipeg gets even more hockey-crazed come playoffs. North Division champion Hamilton was the league's best defensive team this season and hoarded 115 points. There isn't much that makes Schroeder sweat after all these years, but then again, nothing beats a first AHL postseason as a gauge for a phenom's development.

"This will be a big stage for how he shows against these teams," Arniel said. "It's going to be about his attention to detail, how he wants to compete, not just over one shift or one game, but over seven games. That's what young guys have to face when they go to the NHL. The pressure of this time of year is going to be as big as of some of those (World Junior) tournaments. I'm sure he'll have a target on his back."

No doubt, but it will be a moving one, and also one that shoots back.

Schroeder has an ease about his game appropriate for such a high pick, and so far he's made playing in the AHL look that way. He scored twice in that first game, then added one goal and three assists in his next three. In his 11 regular-season games after joining the Moose out of the University of Minnesota, he posted four goals and five assists.

"I set high expectations for myself. At the same time, I was surprised at how quickly I was able to contribute," he said. "You want to be noticed out there. It's a challenge for yourself."

Schroeder's been a pressure-treated product for the last three years, especially at the World Juniors. The gold this year capped off a run in which he became the U.S. all-time career points leader in that competition.

"My first and second World Juniors, it was a little bit of a wakeup call," he said. "I took lots of pride in those games. Being a winner is a great feeling. You've been in those situations. You know what to expect. You know what to do to be on the top of your game."

Arniel didn't have time or playing minutes for anything short of that. Schroeder, 19, joined Manitoba at a time when the Moose was trying to make sure the last playoff spot in the North didn't scatter away in the prairie winds.

"There's confidence there. He doesn't panic with the puck," Arniel said. "That's what skill guys have. They have an inner drive to push through to do things that other guys don't do."

And, correspondingly, a frustration level that magnifies when that drive bogs down. Schroeder went 13-32-45 as a freshman at Minnesota two seasons ago, but dropped off to 9-19-28 this year.

It was a predictable hiccup forced by opponents wise to and weary of Schroeder's playmaking skills. Defenses bore in on Schroeder, forcing him to give up the puck in non-scoring situations, then hounded him so there was no room to get it back.

Coming to a lineup of pros opened the window for some fresh air on his game and cleared out space on the ice.

"I'm usually a playmaker. Sometimes giving it and not getting it back was a little frustrating," he said. "This start in Manitoba has been great for me and my confidence. Every guy on every (pro) team, they understand the game. That's why they are here. It's a more controlled game. It's definitely a different style of game, but it definitely benefits me."

Arniel has kept Schroeder thinking by making him a movable piece of the puzzle. Schroeder has a background on the wing, especially at the World Juniors. With the Moose, Arniel has put him back in the middle. At 5-foot-8, 175 pounds, that creates a disadvantage in trying to defend pro centers, but when you flip that around it's always a plus when Schroeder gets more quality time handling the puck.

"Both areas (wing and center) have brought out the best in him," Arniel said. "We knew he was a smaller player but he does a good job of not putting himself in precarious positions. He's got real good vision on the ice."

The same may not yet be true of Schroeder's view of the AHL's rugged playoff terrain. But his sense of how it can shape perceptions of teams and individuals is coming into sharp focus.

"It will define your character, the way you play," he said. "It's definitely a big step for me in my career. You want to be involved out there. If I can learn how to adapt to the game and be a winner, hopefully it can carry over to the next level."

Lindsay Kramer, the AHL correspondent for NHL.com, profiles an up-and-coming player each Monday during the season, and his AHL notebook appears each Thursday on NHL.com

[NoShowWilly]

is Schroeder going to be on team USA for the world championships? I like it when teams take a few young guys to these competitions. Would be nice to have him play against NHLers

[ballsdeepfreeze]

I wonder if Schroeder doesn't play for Team USA if Canuck management would bring him in to practise with the Canucks right now?....although is that legal if he is just on a ATO with the Moose for this season?

[GZA]

I dunno, Welly isn't all bad. He's not physical, but he does play sound positionally, he's quick along the boards, and is one of our best puck movers and puck possession guys. He had relatively impressive +/- for playing in a checking role whist not accumulating any points in the first half of the season. He's good at what he does, and he gets us wins in the shootout.

This is not to say he has no shortcomings. He doesn't kill penalties or score, which is important for a third line center (especially penalty killing), and he has no physical game, (though I've seen him take a hit to clear the zone). He has a lot that can be improved upon by substituting him with another player, but he does have upside.

All that aside, I don't know what the plans are for Schroeder, if he's being groomed as a wingman or what. He may not even be in competition with Wellwood, so maybe Gillis will sign an FA in the summer for 3rd line center. Its either Wellwood or an UFA; I can't imagine management's relying on Schroeder or Hodgson exclusively.

puck handling can only do so much for you and even less when you hold on to it too long and turn it over trying to make a silly pass as we saw on more than a few occasions this series. I do think that Schroeder might converted to wing, should probably be an improvement over raymond, but might take another year in AHL. That being said i think the team gives Hodgson or even Bliznak a chance to earn that spot next year before looking at bringing in a FA. bliznak is better suited for 4th line C if RJ isnt back next year but i don't see him getting let go.

This coming up off-season just might be one the most exciting one's for the team since core is in tact and we have quite a few contracts running out (welly, demo, SOB, RJ, Raymond and willie) and young guys close to making the jump (grabner, hodgson maybe even schroeder and bliznak).

[tonimator#19]

puck handling can only do so much for you and even less when you hold on to it too long and turn it over trying to make a silly pass as we saw on more than a few occasions this series. I do think that Schroeder might converted to wing, should probably be an improvement over raymond, but might take another year in AHL. That being said i think the team gives Hodgson or even Bliznak a chance to earn that spot next year before looking at bringing in a FA. bliznak is better suited for 4th line C if RJ isnt back next year but i don't see him getting let go.

This coming up off-season just might be one the most exciting one's for the team since core is in tact and we have quite a few contracts running out (welly, demo, SOB, RJ, Raymond and willie) and young guys close to making the jump (grabner, hodgson maybe even schroeder and bliznak).

lol we say 'this may be the most exciting off season in canucks history' every year lol.... but it's true though..

i think that really shows how well MG has done.. when you have about 3 maybe even 4 young players in the system challenging for a full time roster.

[danksedin]

So Schroeder will most likely be in NHL 11?

[23•Qwerty]

So Schroeder will most likely be in NHL 11?

He will for sure.

[McBruce]

I had said in other posts ..and just so it's clear- I well remember those years living in Edmonton through the Gretsky era. Now as a long time Lower mainland resident and a huge Canuck fan I see a ton of exciting things that make me think I may be seeing deja vu all over again ..less Gretz, mess and the boys here in Vancouver, in the form of a dynasty.

We thought people hated us as fans before - I see it coming ... even with the parody in the league things are going to be real exciting for years to come. When you develop well in your system and have a GM that seems brilliant at times .. this is what you get.

I like it.........

[bluesy_shoes]

puck handling can only do so much for you and even less when you hold on to it too long and turn it over trying to make a silly pass as we saw on more than a few occasions this series. I do think that Schroeder might converted to wing, should probably be an improvement over raymond, but might take another year in AHL. That being said i think the team gives Hodgson or even Bliznak a chance to earn that spot next year before looking at bringing in a FA. bliznak is better suited for 4th line C if RJ isnt back next year but i don't see him getting let go.

This coming up off-season just might be one the most exciting one's for the team since core is in tact and we have quite a few contracts running out (welly, demo, SOB, RJ, Raymond and willie) and young guys close to making the jump (grabner, hodgson maybe even schroeder and bliznak).

I don't think Gillis will take any chances; he will either keep Wellwood or sign a FA for 3rd line center. This is not because I want to see Wellwood or a FA on the team; this is because you can't really give any prospects a shot "before looking at bringing in a FA". If you do this, it'll be slim-pickin's as all the good FA's will most likely be gone after training camp (personally training camp really means relatively little, so you're looking at maybe October to make a signing?) It makes the most sense for Gillis to either sign someone or keep Wellwood in the summer.

I like Wellwood. I think he does his job well, I know what to expect, and I can justify his salary. I would sign him again and let prospects compete with him. If there is a FA out there who is a sure upgrade on Wellwood for about the same salary and who is willing come here on a try out basis, then I would be happy with that, too.

As for Schroeder playing center, I think they will at least give it a look. I think if he looks like the BPA for that position, they'll use him, but I see him eventually moving to the wing (in a few years maybe). If he can do it, why hold him in the AHL to play wing?

I am super excited about our future, and I think management will stick by their "best players play" policy. They're likely gonna do one of those big try outs again, so in the end, whoever surfaces from that will start the season. Anyways, I daresay its far too premature to be talking of training camp when I am even more excited about what's going on right now!

[GZA]

I don't think Gillis will take any chances; he will either keep Wellwood or sign a FA for 3rd line center. This is not because I want to see Wellwood or a FA on the team; this is because you can't really give any prospects a shot "before looking at bringing in a FA". If you do this, it'll be slim-pickin's as all the good FA's will most likely be gone after training camp (personally training camp really means relatively little, so you're looking at maybe October to make a signing?) It makes the most sense for Gillis to either sign someone or keep Wellwood in the summer.

I like Wellwood. I think he does his job well, I know what to expect, and I can justify his salary. I would sign him again and let prospects compete with him. If there is a FA out there who is a sure upgrade on Wellwood for about the same salary and who is willing come here on a try out basis, then I would be happy with that, too.

As for Schroeder playing center, I think they will at least give it a look. I think if he looks like the BPA for that position, they'll use him, but I see him eventually moving to the wing (in a few years maybe). If he can do it, why hold him in the AHL to play wing?

I am super excited about our future, and I think management will stick by their "best players play" policy. They're likely gonna do one of those big try outs again, so in the end, whoever surfaces from that will start the season. Anyways, I daresay its far too premature to be talking of training camp when I am even more excited about what's going on right now!

it would be good to have wellwood and hodgson or one of the other young guys compete for that one spot but what if he gets outplayed. we sign him to another one year deal and he gets outplayed then we are stuck with him for the year because i don't see a market for him out there. MG most likely tried to get a return for him this year and probably got nothing of value offered back, so rather than having him take up a roster spot and wait for an injury to have him slot back in I'd rather have a younger guy gain experience and become a part of the team sooner than later. it's never a bad thing to give a kid the chance to prove himself and i do think hodgson could very well outplay welly and wouldn't count schroeder out either even though i would like to see jordan play wing.

if you're looking at FA, theres not much that's going to be out there for the third line C position. A few guys that might be worth a look, (halpern, belanger, steen, moore) would probably not be much of an improvement over welly and others like Malhotra and Cullen who would be great additions but are not likely to leave their current teams.

[doublej]

Any word on whether Schroeder and some of the other prospects are joining the Nucks?

[bluesy_shoes]

it would be good to have wellwood and hodgson or one of the other young guys compete for that one spot but what if he gets outplayed. we sign him to another one year deal and he gets outplayed then we are stuck with him for the year because i don't see a market for him out there. MG most likely tried to get a return for him this year and probably got nothing of value offered back, so rather than having him take up a roster spot and wait for an injury to have him slot back in I'd rather have a younger guy gain experience and become a part of the team sooner than later. it's never a bad thing to give a kid the chance to prove himself and i do think hodgson could very well outplay welly and wouldn't count schroeder out either even though i would like to see jordan play wing.

if you're looking at FA, theres not much that's going to be out there for the third line C position. A few guys that might be worth a look, (halpern, belanger, steen, moore) would probably not be much of an improvement over welly and others like Malhotra and Cullen who would be great additions but are not likely to leave their current teams.

If Wellwood gets outperformed, we can waive him.

[NoShowWilly]

Any word on whether Schroeder and some of the other prospects are joining the Nucks?

Schroeder will be brought in for the experience but he cannot play due to signing after the trade deadline.

5 players including cory schneider will be brought up for the remainder of the playoffs.

[gnarbot]

I dunno, Welly isn't all bad. He's not physical, but he does play sound positionally, he's quick along the boards, and is one of our best puck movers and puck possession guys. He had relatively impressive +/- for playing in a checking role whist not accumulating any points in the first half of the season. He's good at what he does, and he gets us wins in the shootout.

This is not to say he has no shortcomings. He doesn't kill penalties or score, which is important for a third line center (especially penalty killing), and he has no physical game, (though I've seen him take a hit to clear the zone). He has a lot that can be improved upon by substituting him with another player, but he does have upside.

All that aside, I don't know what the plans are for Schroeder, if he's being groomed as a wingman or what. He may not even be in competition with Wellwood, so maybe Gillis will sign an FA in the summer for 3rd line center. Its either Wellwood or an UFA; I can't imagine management's relying on Schroeder or Hodgson exclusively.

you could probably make a pretty good argument that hodgson is a better puck mover and has better puck possesion too. maybe for shcroeder too and both are much better defensively. i'd love to, and think theres a pretty decent chance, see both of em on the third line next year