Cole Cassels invited to USA World Junior evaluation camp

[Angry Goose]

lol @ everyone drooling about his stats. just watch the kid play. nuff said

[Warhippy]

Well let this be put out there for a bit of perspective.

Oshawa Generals leading point scorers this past season:

1.) Michael Dal Colle with 95 points in 67 games.

- Dal Colle is a likely top 5 pick in this years NHL draft

2.) Scott Laughton with 87 points in 54 games.

- 1st round pick by the Flyers in 2012 and currently Philly's best prospect not in the nhl. Made WJ's Team Canada.

3.) Cole Cassels with 73 points in 61 games.

- 3rd round pick by the Nucks. Invited to USA WJ's camp and will likely be 2nd line centre.

...looking at the company he's with there, I think it's safe to assume we have a solid player in the making.

Part of the reason i'd be thrilled if Dal Colle falls to 6th and we grab him.

[Vancanwincup]

lol... Cole Cassel's potential aside. OHL stats after your draft year usually means jack. Our own Sestito was a ppg player in OHL after his draft year. How good is he now?

Seeing how Sestito and Cassels are two totally different players with different skill sets and intangibles how can you compare them. Cassel will be given different opportunities than Sestito have been given.

Sestito was drafted to be what he is an enforcer( good or bad at it) ; a big body who can skate and drop the gloves when needed, His main reason for getting drafted was his size and toughness and to a lot lesser degree his scoring ability.

Who is to know if Sestito was given the chance to improve on his scoring and not have the ice time as an enforcer he could have been a capable third line checker with scoring ability. I do not know if you have notice or not, but on a few shifts last year Sestito showed signs of why he got the points he did in OHL with some outstanding set ups.

Cassel was drafted because of his all round play. OK at everything but nothing really stands out, except his hard work every shift. This year he has shown there is more to his game when given the opportunity to showcase it.

In most part a player showing improvement in their game after they are drafted is a good sign and taking a negative spin on it really does not make a whole lot of sense. People should be happy Cassel was invited to the USA World Junior National Team and when he makes it they should be even happier, because it shows he is developing as a hockey player and getting closer to a gem of late round pick.

[Langdon Algur]

He should have made the team last year IMO. Good to see him get another chance at it.

[Monty]

lol... Cole Cassel's potential aside. OHL stats after your draft year usually means jack. Our own Sestito was a ppg player in OHL after his draft year. How good is he now?

Good enough to be in the NHL you goof.

If Cassels, a 3rd round draft pick, ends up in the NHL, then it was a good 3rd round selection.

[Harvey Specter]

I checked Wikipedia (most reliable source) and apparently, we got our own pick back. That 3rd was given to Florida in the Higgins deal. A pretty one sided deal.

85 Cole Cassels © United States Vancouver Canucks (from Vancouver via Florida)¹⁴Oshawa Generals (OHL)

Loved the deal back in 2011 when we acquired Higgy for the 3rd and Oberg and then re-acquiring the pick (something we seldom did previously...) along with some productivity from Booth.

Great deal all around!

[Boudrias]

Seeing how Sestito and Cassels are two totally different players with different skill sets and intangibles how can you compare them. Cassel will be given different opportunities than Sestito have been given.

Sestito was drafted to be what he is an enforcer( good or bad at it) ; a big body who can skate and drop the gloves when needed, His main reason for getting drafted was his size and toughness and to a lot lesser degree his scoring ability.

Who is to know if Sestito was given the chance to improve on his scoring and not have the ice time as an enforcer he could have been a capable third line checker with scoring ability. I do not know if you have notice or not, but on a few shifts last year Sestito showed signs of why he got the points he did in OHL with some outstanding set ups.

Cassel was drafted because of his all round play. OK at everything but nothing really stands out, except his hard work every shift. This year he has shown there is more to his game when given the opportunity to showcase it.

In most part a player showing improvement in their game after they are drafted is a good sign and taking a negative spin on it really does not make a whole lot of sense. People should be happy Cassel was invited to the USA World Junior National Team and when he makes it they should be even happier, because it shows he is developing as a hockey player and getting closer to a gem of late round pick.

Your comments about Sestito are bang on. How many times do we see a player with size get labeled as a

enforcer. Sestito does have size, decent speed and reasonable hands. How does he develop at the NHL level with 4 minutes TOI a game? Kassian had to 'fight off' the sample label. These players try to make

their coaches happy but at the same time must realize they are being pigeon holed. Tough to take when

as a junior you were a team leader and a star.

[Coconuts]

He had a beauty year last season, he's looking to be a potential stud if he can keep his development going. I'd be surprised if he's not a lock for at least the third line center position on the US squad. Speedy, defensively responsible, gritty, with a bit of scoring upside. Gillis really found a gem in Cassels.

[jejejester]

Good for him, excited to see him play in the WJC

[AFrame14]

The next Bergeron. Am I doing this right? Over expectations are the norm around here just want to fit in.

Lol. I think it's funny how many people say gillis hit his last draft out of the park. Every one of the picks are gonna be NHL players right. It's way to early to tell yet everyone says it's his best draft. I think it's because there hasn't been enough time to see if these players actually develop so everyone assumes they will become great. Look at the 09 draft. Schroeder and Rodin were great picks back in 2010 too. I'm not saying it wasn't his better draft but give it some time before you go off saying how successful it was.. I'm happy for cassels tho and hope he pans out

[Tangelos]

The next Bergeron. Am I doing this right? Over expectations are the norm around here just want to fit in.

Probably a Marcel Goc type player in his prime. Solid 3rd liner

[elvis15]

Yeah, saw this in the Cassels thread yesterday. Good news for him, but will still be tough to get a regular role on the team.

Cassels - Gaunce - ???. Future third line almost complete

If Cassels plays wing, it'll be on the right side since he's a right handed shot and more of a play maker.

Kenins Gaunce Cassels

...

Fox would be a good fit in there. Plays on the same team as Gaunce so probably a bit of chemistry there. And that'd be a huge 3rd line to play against with all sorts of skill.

Fox would fit on the right wing, since he's a left handed shot and very much a shooter. Cassels on the left still doesn't work though, so maybe this:

Gaunce Cassels Fox

[JeremyCuddles]

Lol. I think it's funny how many people say gillis hit his last draft out of the park. Every one of the picks are gonna be NHL players right. It's way to early to tell yet everyone says it's his best draft. I think it's because there hasn't been enough time to see if these players actually develop so everyone assumes they will become great. Look at the 09 draft. Schroeder and Rodin were great picks back in 2010 too. I'm not saying it wasn't his better draft but give it some time before you go off saying how successful it was.. I'm happy for cassels tho and hope he pans out

It was a joke, glad you caught it

[ThatPope]

Just a reminder to everyone, Jordan Schroeder is the US leading scorer, or was at least, at the World Juniors. Cassels didn't even make the team last year. Just a little perspective.

That said, I went to the first young stars game last year in Penticton, mainly to watch guys like Horvat, Shinkaruk, Gaunce, Jensen, Subban. I didn't even really know of Cassels. But, during the game there was one guy who I kept noticing, he was actually playing really well and stood out, and I wasn't even trying to watch him. That guy was Cassels. He does seem like a very solid 3rd round pick and I hope he makes the big team sometime in the next few years. A 3rd line of Fox-Gaunce-Cassels does potentially look quite nice.

[JohnLocke]

Yeah, saw this in the Cassels thread yesterday. Good news for him, but will still be tough to get a regular role on the team.

If Cassels plays wing, it'll be on the right side since he's a right handed shot and more of a play maker.

Kenins Gaunce Cassels

Fox would fit on the right wing, since he's a left handed shot and very much a shooter. Cassels on the left still doesn't work though, so maybe this:

Gaunce Cassels Fox

I don't think that would be a line combo down the road.

That's 3 natural centres on the same line.

[Langdon Algur]

I don't think that would be a line combo down the road.

That's 3 natural centres on the same line.

Also Fox should still be considered a long shot to make the NHL

[Rey]

Probably a Marcel Goc type player in his prime. Solid 3rd liner

Nah, Cassels is a bit more chippy. He'll probably be closer to a Matt Cooke without the cheap-shots.

Marcel Goc plays a gentlemens game. Lots of speed, lots of positioning, not much physical game. Cole Cassels tries to be a, at your face, pest. Complete different players.

[Tangelos]

Also Fox should still be considered a long shot to make the NHL

Yea I see him as a 3rd line scorer like Matt Read IF he pans out.

[Rey]

Yea I see him as a 3rd line scorer like Matt Read IF he pans out.

I also disagree with this. If Dane Fox makes it, I think he'll be closer to a Michael Ryder lite. He'll be a guy to stand in open area, and use his shot to put the puck in the net. Matt Read can do a little of everything, because of his speed but lacks size. He's useful on the PK, and is a great complementary player. Dane Fox, perhaps, lacks the foot speed to be effective in those areas.

[Whale Tail]

Just a reminder to everyone, Jordan Schroeder is the US leading scorer, or was at least, at the World Juniors. Cassels didn't even make the team last year. Just a little perspective.

That said, I went to the first young stars game last year in Penticton, mainly to watch guys like Horvat, Shinkaruk, Gaunce, Jensen, Subban. I didn't even really know of Cassels. But, during the game there was one guy who I kept noticing, he was actually playing really well and stood out, and I wasn't even trying to watch him. That guy was Cassels. He does seem like a very solid 3rd round pick and I hope he makes the big team sometime in the next few years. A 3rd line of Fox-Gaunce-Cassels does potentially look quite nice.

I was going to say the same thing. I didn't know anything about him prior to that. Watched the games to see Shink, Horvat and the others and was really impressed by Cassels. He worked hard as or harder than most on the ice during that tourney. He really catches your attention on the ice.