Dayton Musicmen Player Grades after 25 games Part Two (Defense & goalies)

Thirty percent of the 82 game CCHL regular season has passed and it's a good time to see how the boys are performing. We'll use a traditional grading scale with A being the best and F being the worst grades available. In the case of a player being traded to Dayton, a grade will be assigned. In the case of a player being traded from the Musicmen, no grade will be awarded. 






DEFENSE: 

Matt Niskanen: GP- 25, 6/12 - 18 pts. - Part of the team top blueline duo, Niskanen has a solid +7 so far playing heavy minutes thus far this season. GRADE (A)

Ron Hainsey: GP- 22, 5/9 - 14 pts. - Working well with Niskanen so far, he'll be welcomed back to the lineup for the team's next game on Wednesday night. GRADE (B)

Ben Lovejoy: GP- 25, 3/6- 9 pts. - The third Musicman who holds a +11 rating at this point. Working well on the team's second defensive pairing working mostly with Brenden Dillon. GRADE (A)

Brenden Dillon: GP- 25, 1/7 - 8 pts., - Not sexy but his +9 on the year is just fine to the coaches in Dayton. GRADE (B)

Adam McQuaid: GP- 21, 0/4 - 4 pts. - Not much is asked or expected but he's handling his 3rd pairing duties quite well. GRADE - (C)

Roman Polak: GP- 14, Similar to McQaid, he's handling his limited duties rather well. GRADE - (C)

Troy Stecher: GP - 3, GRADE - (Incomplete)

Matt Benning: GP - 3, GRADE - (Incomplete)

GOALIES:

Pekka Rinne: GP - 24, 16-6-2 - Tied for the CCHL lead in Wins and top 5 in most other goaltending catagories. Without question, Rinne is the team's MVP twenty five games into the 2019-20 season. GP - 3, GRADE - (A+)

Corey Crawford: GP - 2, GRADE - (Incomplete)

Dayton Musicmen Player Grades after 25 games...

Thirty percent of the 82 game CCHL regular season has passed and it's a good time to see how the boys are performing. We'll use a traditional grading scale with A being the best and F being the worst grades available. In the case of a player being traded to Dayton, a grade will be assigned. In the case of a player being traded from the Musicmen, no grade will be awarded. 


FORWARDS: 


Jay Beagle: GP-25, 6/7-13 pts. - A strong season for the veteran 3rd line/PK specialist. One of three Musicmen with a good +11 rating helps Dayton's stingy defense keep them in most games.  GRADE: (A)

Pierre-Edouard Bellemare: GP-23, 1/3-5 pts., - Another 4th liner who brings defense first to his game. Good mentor for McCann and on of the team's best checking forwards. GRADE: (C)

Blake Comeau: GP-25, 7/5-12 pts. - Comeau's value doesn't come offense, but rather his stellar defense as witnessed by his league 6th best +11 plus/minus rating. Veteran leadership and responsible play is and has been his calling card for a long time. GRADE: (A)

Evgeni Dadonov: GP-25, 2/11-13 pts. - Another disappointment in the goal scoring department with just 2 tallies so far. In the NHL, Dadonov posted a 14.4% shooting percent last year yet is limping along at just 3.92% - another candidate for a goal scoring breakout before too long. GRADE: (C)

Ryan Dzingel: GP-25, 10/9-19 pts. - Dzingel has played on each of the top three lines and done well regardless of where he's asked to play. GRADE: (A)

Rocco Grimaldi: GP-0, 0 pts. - GRADE: (Incomplete)

Taylor Hall: GP-21, 9/8-17 pts. Coming off an injury-riddled NHL season, the team has limited Hall's ice time in an effort to keep him healthy. GRADE: (B)

Evgeny Kuznetsov: 25 GP, 2/15-17 pts. - Holding down the pivot on the team's 2nd line, Kuznetsov has put up 17 pts. but just 2 goals on the year, more is needed. His shooting percentage of 2.99% compared to his NHL number of 10.9% suggests an adjustment may be coming soon. GRADE: (B)

Evgeni Malkin: 21 GP, 8/11-19 pts. - Since arriving in Dayton several weeks ago, Malkin has taken over the top line center slot and performed very well. On pace for 30 or more goals and a 70+ point season. GRADE: (A)

Jared McCann: GP-24, 2/2-4 pts. - Reduced to the 4th line, McCann is developing and will likely graduate to duty on the team's 3rd line. Solid checking forward. GRADE: (C)

Daniel Sprong:  GP-13, 0 pts. - Sprong  - despite great talent - hasn't really got a chance to show what he can do in the lineup. 13 games played but just 3-4 shifts and just 3 minutes of ice per game won't give him the opportunity he needs. Using Batherson instead of Sprong shows Corfield's confidence level. GRADE: (Incomplete)

Drake Batherson: GP-5, 1 pt. - 5 games isn't much to grade anybody but Batherson has been averaging 16 minutes per game and skating in a top 6 role. We're expecting a bit more from the rookie. GRADE: (Incomplete)

Juho Lammikko: GP-2, 0 pts. - GRADE: (Incomplete)

Up next - defense and goaltenders...

Calgary: A Week in Review (November 9th to 15th, 2019)

Record this week: 1-3-0

Game 20: Calgary Chinook 2 Niagara Falls Thunder 5

Chinook drop 5-2 decision to Thunder
NIAGARA FALLS -

In what was billed as a bounce back game against the Niagara Falls Thunder, the Chinook are still very much a work in progress. The Thunder capitalized on early mistakes by the Chinook to stake a 3-1 lead after 20 minutes and then close the door with a pair in the 2nd period for a 5-2 victory.
“This was a lesson for us,” said defenceman Mark Giordano. “Obviously we have a long way to go. We have to find a way to win these games because there are going to be many of them this year.”

“It was not enough,” said Yip. “There are some guys who can play better. We have lots of guys looking for a lot of extra ice time and extra opportunities, but there is not much happening.” “There’s no let up from us, which is important, but one thing we’ve done too much this year is put ourselves behind,” said Johnny Gaudreau. “Good teams start to be on top a lot and make other teams come to you.”

That’s two games in a row now that Chinook have give up 5 goals in a game.

Game 21: Las Vegas Aces 2 Calgary Chinook 1

Aces hand Chinook 3rd straight loss

CALGARY - David Perron was pleased that his Las Vegas Aces were finally able to close one out.
Oskar Sundqvist and Jan Rutta scored for the Aces in a 2-1 victory over the Calgary Chinook on Monday. "It was nice to be able to finish one," said Perron. "This trip hasn't been kind to us
in that respect, but we've played some pretty good hockey and to get some results is huge for us."

Calvin de Haan responded for the Calgary Chinook, who have lost three in a row."We just have to keep battling," said Giordano, the Chinook captain. "We have said everything that there is to say. It is just up to us to do it now.” "Everybody here has to look in the mirror and ask themselves if they are doing enough and playing the right way and playing for the team," said Chinook forward Matthew Tkachuk.

Game 22: Calgary Chinook 6 Portland Owls 3

Calgary Chinook snap losing streak with 6-3 win over the Owls

PORTLAND - David Pastrnak had two goals and an assist to lead the Calgary Chinook to a 6-3 win over the Portland Owls on Wednesday. Mark Giordano had two goals for the Chinook, who snapped their three-games losing streak.

Playing alongside Giordano, defenseman John Carlson had three assists. Derek Ryan and Ryan O’Reilly also scored for Calgary, while goalie Carey Price made 19 saves. Radio Gudas, TJ Brodie and Torey Krug scored for the Owls. "We just stayed within our game and tried to play it simple," Pastrnak said. "We got going and just tried to keep our foot on the gas the whole 60 [minutes]."
"We're building every shift, every game throughout the series," Giordano said. "We're getting close to our game and it's pretty dangerous."

Game 23: Portland Owls 5 Calgary Chinook 2

Chinook fall short once again in 5-2 loss to Owls

CALGARY - Not a strong effort for Chinook. It was a difficult night for Calgary from start to finish.
A dominant opening frame for the Owls set the tone early, and Calgary was never able to fully recover.

Torey Krug got the Owls on the board eight minutes into the game when he scored on a breakaway.
Less than 2 minutes later, Portland took a 2-0 lead when Patrick Marleau beat Carey Price cleanly as he capitalized on a Derek Ryan turnover. It was 3-0 at the end of the first period. Calgary responded with a goal from Jakob Silfverberg early in the second period, who blasted a scorcher top-shelf to cut the deficit by one. Price didn’t have his best night, giving up 4 goals on 14 shots for an .714 save
percentage. All in all, it was not a strong effort for the Chinook, who continue to struggle with consistency this season.

Dayton Musicmen Top Ten Prospects (NOV 2019)...

We're past the 1/4 milepost of the 2019-20 season and it's a good time to see who cracks the top ten prospects for the Musicmen.

1. Drake Batherson - RW - OTT- Batherson is having a solid season for Belleville in the AHL with 16 points in 14 games so far this season. It's not a question of if, but when Batherson heads to Ottawa for good.

2. Owen Tippett - W - FLA - Arguably, the best goal scoring draftee in the 2017 entry draft. Playing for Springfield in the AHL, Tippett has 12 points in 17 games. With the Panthers 2nd in the NHL in scoring, patience may be a virtue for Dave Tippett's son.

3) Sam Poulin - W - PIT - Son of former Flyer Dave Poulin, this Pittsburgh draftee is off to a scorching start for Sherbrooke in the Q. 37 points in just 19 games. 16 goals in just 19 games. This high-energy, talented 2-way winger should force his way into the Pens lineup by 2020-21.

4) Dmitry Zavgorodniy - LW - CGY - The highest scoring forward in Dayton's prospect system. 16 goals, 27 assists and 43 points, good for 3rd in the QMJHL. He should be skating on an NHL rink in 2-3 years.

5) Patrick Harper - C - NAS - Boston University top pivot has 15 in just 8 games. Gets better each year, not sure how his game translates to the Pro game, but we will get to find out in a year or two.

6) Daniel Sprong - W - ANA - A very, very talented offensive player who has trouble finding his game in the NHL. Pittsburgh grew tired of his uneven performance and sent this former second-rounder away for defenseman Marcus Petterson, which appears to be a steal for the Pens at this point. The Ducks waived Spring at the start of the 19-20 season and no one claimed Sprong. Still, his toolset is impressive and at 22, he's still very, very young.

7) Alex Nedeljkovic - G - CAR - Two strong years for the Charlotte Checkers in the AHL with a combined W/L record of 65-21-8 and a Turner Cup championship last season has built up the young goalie's resume. Petr Mrazek and James Reimer have played well so far this NHL season, which will force Neds to bide his time in the AHL.

8) Semyon Der-Arguchintsev - C - TOR - As much of a bummer the 2019-20 season has been so far for the NHL Leafs, there is help on the way. Semyon is producing at a high level on the OHL's Peterborough Petes.  31 points in just 18 games so far this campaign.

9) Shawn Boudrias - RW - MIN - Cape Breton's Boudrias has been a force so far this season in the QMJHL, totaling 13 goals and 13 assists for 26 points in 21 games.

10) Dustin Wolf - G - CGY - Not the biggest netminder, but one of the best in the WHL. 10 wins in 14 starts and a sterling .936 save percentage. Wolf just keeps winning and will be climbing up the Flames depth chart in the next few years.

A Weekly Look at the 2019-20 Sudbury Miners: Volume 5 (Games 20-22)

CANADIAN PRESS (Sudbury, ON):

Miners Record: 1 wins, 2 losses, 0 OT loss.
Miners League Standing: 11 wins, 9 losses, 2 OT Loss = 24 points total. Currently sit in 5th place in
the Canosa Conference, 11th overall in the CCHL.
Miners Special Teams: Power Play – 20.7% (10th); Penalty Kill – 81.5% (8th)
Miners Scoring Leader: Center Tyler Seguin (10G – 14A = 24 pts; 16th Overall in the CCHL)

If the first quarter of this years’ CCHL season has told us anything, is that the Miners will struggle
with consistency.

The Miners have fallen into a pattern of having a bad week, followed by a good week. This
pattern has seen them gain no ground in their chase for a playoff spot and has them dangerously close to that “mushy” middle – good enough to win some games, but no bad enough to get that early draft pick.

“We’ve got to dig in. Plain and simple”, stated Miner's defenseman Jake Muzzin. “I know we
have had some injuries, but every team goes through that. It’s no excuse and we need to be better.”
Despite their struggles through the first quarter, the Miners dressing room appears solid and
committed to playing with the type of consistency that quality teams always do.

“Frustration’s just useless. Like, it’s really a useless emotion, it doesn’t do you any good, you lose
confidence over it,” said Miners forward Sam Reinhart. “Yeah, there are days when I come when I’m maybe not as upbeat as I am other days, but I think you just really try to refocus every day. I know it’s a marathon, not a sprint.”

MINERS PLAYER PROFILE OF THE WEEK: J.T. Compher

A smart, tenacious forward, Compher plays a solid, all-around game. He is versatile, responsible
and reliable to play in all situations. He is defensively mature compared to other players of the same age
and experience. His skating, while it has gotten better, still has much room for improvement. Compher
will never be a top scorer, but projects as a solid third-line center with penalty-killing abilities. He is the
type of player that every team needs and that good teams already have. It’s not a stretch to see that his
value goes beyond goals and assists.

MINERS PROSPECT NEED TO KNOW: Simon Holmstrom

At first glance, you can see that Holmstrom is an elite skilled winger. With that being said, he has
the potential to be a top-six or bust forward. With his elite skill, he can control the pace of the game. He
is a strong skater and with more strength in his legs, he will continue to improve. He possesses both a
good wrist shot as well as an elite playmaking potential. Injuries have slowed his development curve a
bit. Last summer he couldn’t train properly, and he missed a big portion of the season due to multiple
injuries. Holmstrom will be a long-term project for the Miners but one that could be worth the wait.
Expected CCHL arrival: 2023-24.

Millers Top 10 Prospects for 2019-20

The Millers prospect pool was greatly reduced after Dylan Samberg and Nils Hoglander were dealt to Minnesota. The top 3 show up on most lists of Top 100 NHL prospects but the system’s depth has been greatly reduced due to trades and the graduations of Kotkaniemi, Bennington and Foegele.

1. Ilya Samsonov, G - He’s established himself as a backup netminder in the NHL this season and it’s not an outrageous possibility to see him become a 1B if Braden Holtby continues to struggle. If he pans out the Millers are set in net for the foreseeable future.

2. Ty Smith, D - Expected to break camp and at least get an NHL look-see this season Smith instead was sent back to the WHL. He still profiles as a 2nd pairing, offensive-minded Dman and PP contributor.

3. Tyler Maden, C -Scoring at a point per game pace in college, he’ll probably go pro after this season. Should be a solid middle 6 Center and special teams contributor in the NL.

4. Calen Addison, D - Another gifted WHL blueliner, Addison doesn’t have the well-rounded game of Smith nor the dynamic playmaking skill, but should slot as a 4 to 6 Dman and PP asset.

5. Karl Henriksson, C - He’s a long ways off but the young Swede is opening eyes as an 18 year-old playing against men in his home country’s non-elite (2nd tier) division.

6. Samuel Fagemo, RW - Fagemo is playing in the top tier in Sweden as a 19 year-old and holding his own. At nearly 200 lbs he could make the jump to North America in the next year or two.

7. Oskari Laaksonen, D - A 20 year-old in his 3rd year in the Finish top division, he’s rounding out his game and may show up in NA next season.

8. David Farrance, D - 14 points in 9 games for Boston University has put him back on the radar as a potential offensive contributor from the blueline in the NHL.

9. Janne Kuokonnen, LW - 3rd year AHLer should be a good middle 6 winger, but is unlikely to hit the top 6 ceiling expected when he was drafted.

10. Dustin Wolf, G - Dropped in the draft due to size concerns but he continues to stop pucks in the WHL.

Around the CCHL blog post for Victoria

Victoria News

November 11 2019


It didn't take long for the Ronin to show their true colors about the current season when they traded former Norris trophy winning defenseman PK Subban to Dartmouth. The return isn't overwhelming either although we can't make a final assessment as the draft pick and Ryan Merkley have yet to make the NHL. The cost savings are the real motivation for Victoria to make this move.

While Lawson Crouse has upside and is a former 1st round pick, his best NHL season is 25 points with Arizona of the NHL. Granted he has played less than 200 games in the NHL and as a bigger player, it has been said that they often take longer to grow into their frame and adjust to the speed and pace of the NHL. At least the Ronin hope so.

The team did have pending UFA defenseman Marco Scandella on the bench who now gets a regular starting gig, they also had a roster issue when Jake Virtanen went down with a minor injury. So the thought process in BC was that Scandella should make up some of what they lost in Subban. They also feel that Crouse can fill in on the wing and improve overall team depth upfront.

The onerous Subban contract went to a team that can easily afford his price, plus they can bank on the upside of Merkely and the pick thrown into the deal. The team is fortunate enough to have some very promising kids on the backline including Chabot, Hughes, Lindell, Mayfield & Cholowski so that they can easily take on the risk of Merkley and hope the best for him.

The move also helps clarify who their UFA resign is likely to be as Tyler Myers can likely be retained at less than 4 million dollars due to the CCHL free agency resigning rules. This move signals that the team is likely to continue their rebuild for at least 1 more season in the hopes of becoming a better than 500 hockey team and banking the all-important playoff bonus money in seasons to come.

Its been a slow process but things are starting to come together now. Rumors now indicate that Andrei Svechnikov will soon be joining the club, but the club would not respond to questions about his status.