NOTE: I made the picture so terrible I had to keep it because I cannot stop laughing. I hope to make a better one for next time! 

Formidable Opponent 2019

Welcome to the Thursday ramblings that are on Saturday today due to a conflicting schedule. I am going to answer questions from my most formidable opponent … since I don’t have a ton of twitter followers and don’t get a lot of questions!

Question 1:

Are there any prospect goaltenders out there, besides the top five (Samsonov, Hart, Sorokin, Shesterkin/ Shestyorkin, and Demko), that are surprising you right now?

Answer:

Yes there have been a few I have been impressed with:

• Besides Mackenzie Blackwood (NJ) and Jordan Binnington (STL), who both look great in the short term. Blackwood is better served with more AHL time, and Binnington is surprising everyone this season and appears to now be back in the picture (recency bias at work) for the future of the St. Louis’ net
• Connor Ingram (TB) – Ingram is tied for fourth in save percentage in the AHL, albeit with just 14 games as he is the back up for Syracuse. Ingram has looked better than Pasquale but Tampa’s plan must be to bring him along slowly for development
• Vitek Vanecek (WSH) – The numbers may not look too great this season but he has improved on his play last season on an equally bad Hershey Bears’ squad. He is keeping himself relevant in the Capitals goaltending picture although he is behind in draft position to Samsonov
• Cayden Primeau (MTL) – Primeau has been one of the best NCAA goalies this season and played extremely well for the USA at the World Junior Championship winning silver with the team. I remember saying he was a steal for Montreal in the seventh round in 2017 and all he has done since is reward them for selecting him
• Keep Josef Korenar (SJ), Kaapo Kahkonen (MIN), and Pavel Francouz (COL) on your mind as well

Question 2:

Which goalies have you been disappointed with this season so far?

Answer:

• Ville Husso – Husso was supposed to challenge Allen for the starters crease this season but instead has had a poor season, and now Binnington has helped right the ship in St. Louis for this season instead of Husso. He is too good to just fade out and be a bad goalie, so do not fret, but it may take him longer to take the reins in St. Louis than normally thought
• Filip Gustavsson – For the Brassard trade Gustavsson was the main piece coming back for Ottawa and was thought to be the goaltender of the future, but his first season in Belleville has been very poor. He is still the goaltender of the future but he is having a tough first full season in the AHL

Question 3:

How does it feel to be so wrong about your Svechnikov vs Pettersson calder race?

Answer:

Yeah I was kind of wildly wrong (thanks Brind’Amour roster deployment). ALSO:

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Question 4:

Future NHL projection for Connor Garland now that he seems to have developed in to a legit NHL player instead of a bust?

Answer:

Well first, temper your expectations as he could just become a solid third line winger, but:

In an optimal world where Garland is on the top line, plays with Keller, and gets top line powerplay time: 25-45-70

In a more realistic sense:

• Top six and #1PP time: 25-30-55
• Middle six and #2PP time: 20-20-40

Question 5:

There is lots of hype with Kappo Kakko right now and some say he can go #1 overall, do you think he can challenge for that spot with Jack Hughes?

Answer:

No, even though he is in a tier of his own, he is not in Hughes’ tier. The sports media people will make this sound closer than it is but in reality Hughes is going first and everyone knows Hughes is going first.

By the way Hughes is in no way “not ready” for the NHL give me a freakin break!

Alright that is all for me. Thanks for reading.

Here is my Twitter: @FHPQuinn