#Linus Soderstrom

[boxscorehockey]

2024-25 Cut Tracker

Built and Current to November 23

Buffalo

Kyle Keyser Olof Lindbom Isaiah Saville Jakub Brabenec Logan Couture Dylan Duke Jack Hughes (LA) Evander Kane Alex Killorn Aleksandr Kisakov Rasmus Kupari Jacob Perreault Matthew Phillips Tom Wilson Kailer Yamamoto Tony DeAngelo Mats Lindgren Evan Nause Jusso Valimaki

Seattle

Tyler Brennan Chris Driedger Jonas Johansson Martin Jones Arvid Soderblom Jaxon Stauber Scott Wedgewood Tyler Boucher Mathieu Joseph Ryan Johnson Carson Lambos Victor Soderstrom Noah Cates Eetu Luostarinen Tobias Bjornqvist Ryan Greene Arthur Kaliyev Kaedan Korczak Ville Heinola Tye Kartye Timothy Liljegren Kappo Kahkonen Nicolas Roy Charlie Stramel Jett Greaves Adam Boqvist Vladislav Gavrikov

New York

Isaac Poulter (G,NJ) Blake Coleman Peyton Krebs Anton Wahlberg Calen Addison Jacob Trouba Johnny Gaudreau John Mustard Aatos Koivu Linus Eriksson Jeff Skinner

Winged Wheel

Jaroslav Halak Magnus Hellberg Jaret Anderson-Dolan Cam Atkinson Alex Barre- Boulet Sean Couturier Cody Glass Benoit- Olivier Groulx Taylor Hall Alex Iafallo Ryan Johansen Dominik Kubalik Luke Kunin Alexander Wennberg Filip Zadina Jake Bean Ryan Graves John Klingberg

Quebec

Pavel Francouz Filip Lindberg Ivan Prosvetov Nikita Alexandrov Dmtri Buchelnikov Gregori Denisenko Dillon Dube Danika Klimovich Evgeny Kuznetsov Ayrton Martino Nico Myatovic Joe Pavelski Taylor Raddysh James Van Riemsdyk Jacob Vrana Alex Gologoski Nikita Ishimnikov

[royaielfroot]

Islanders goaltender prospect, and HV71 starter, Linus Söderström congratulates Sebastian Aho on (finally) being picked #139 by the Islanders in the 2017 draft.

[islesblogger]

Islanders: Understanding Prospect Mining #Isles What's in your wallet? The Pool Is Deep The Islanders have had their best string of drafts in the past six years.

[thepinerider]

Linus Soderstrom on Islanders' Goaltending Radar

At just 20 years of age, Linus Soderstrom is an inspiration. Although it's no secret that he's been an incredible talent for a long time, nothing has come easy for him. But where he's at right now shows that with dedication and a solid ground of self-reliance you can go further than most people...

Via: http://thehockeywriters.com/hot-on-the-islanders-radar-linus-soderstrom/

[goalhofer]

2020 IIHF World Juniors Sweden Roster

Wingers

#10 Alexander Holtz (Djurgardens I.F. Ishockeyforening/Stockholm)

#11 Samuel Fagemo (Frolunda H.C./Gothenburg)

#18 Lucas Raymond (Frolunda H.C./Gothenburg)

#20 Nikola Pasic (B.I.K. Karlskoga/Gislaved)

#21 Nils Hoglander (Rogle B.K./Bockstrask)

#23 Albin Eriksson (Skelleftea A.I.K./Bollnas)

#24 Hugo Gustafsson (Sodertalje Sportklubb/Sodertalje)

#26 Jonatan Berggren (Skelleftea A.I.K./Uppsala)

#29 Linus Nassen (Timra I.K./Norrtalje)

Centers

#15 Oskar Back (Farjestad Bollklubb/Karlstad)

#19 David Gustafsson (Winnipeg Jets/Tingsryd)

#22 Karl Henriksson (Sodertalje Sportklubb/Malmo)

#25 Linus Oberg (Orebro H.K./Vanersborg)

Defensemen

#4 Adam Ginning (H.C. Vita Hasten/Linkoping)

#5 Philip Broberg (Skelleftea A.I.K./Orebro)

#6 Mattias Norlinder (Modo Hockey/Kramfors)

#7 Tobias Bjornfot (Ontario Reign/Upplands Vasby)

#8 Rasmus Sandin (Toronto Marlies/Uppsala)

#9 Victor Soderstrom (Brynas I.F./Skutskar)

#27 Nils Lundkvist (Lulea Hockeyforening/Pitea)

Goalies

#1 Jesper Eliasson (Almtuna I.S./Eksjo)

#30 Hugo Alnefelt (HV71/Danderyd)

#35 Erik Portillo (Dubuque Fighting Saints/Gothenberg)

[mitchbeck]

CANTLON'S CORNER: GORD MURPHY IS HERE IN HARTFORD

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - As the Hartford Wolf Pack gets set for their first three-games-in-three-days this weekend with the Laval Rocket coming to Hartford on Friday night at the XL Center. Then the Pack plays a home-and-home with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers on Saturday and then on Sunday afternoon at 3 pm at the Webster Bank Arena. Pack Associate Head Coach, Gord Murphy’s hiring in the off-season, where he was accompanying his last year's fellow Philadelphia Flyers assistant, Kris Knoblauch, who were both relieved at the end of last season, coming to the AHL was a new interesting option. “I really like it so far. When I was researching the position, I talked to a number of former and current AHL coachers, and the one thing they all said was, 'You will like the time you have to really teach and develop.' In the NHL you don’t have all the time to practice. In fact, you're manufacturing time to talk to a player about certain things. "I really appreciate the time so far where a player can learn, process, and prepare for a game at the American (Hockey) League level,” Murphy, who spent 17 years as an assistant coach after retiring from playing, said. Murphy recognizes there's a learning curve. “I know this isn’t going to happen overnight. It takes time to set up and implement procedures and the structure the organization is looking for. We're all new (the coaching staff) and many new players with a lot of skills with leadership and veterans added to the mix.” One of the big mantras is defense-first. “I don’t care what level of hockey you're at, you have defense first, and that’s just not your defensemen. The goal is to keep the puck out of the net. That gives you a chance to win the game. If you don’t have the defense, it's not a recipe for success.” The team saw its shootout loss last Sunday against Rochester in which the Americans scored late to force overtime, and then the team defensive core held against the Springfield Thunderbirds in a 1-0 shutout win. The six-on-five is a part of a defensive strategy that all teams work at as the season starts to progress especially with the Wolf Pack heading into its first heavy dose of games with six games over the next eleven days. “It’s a learning experience. It’s an area we haven’t really touched on yet, only briefly. We obviously have had talks now about what our setups should be. We have been practicing this, and like everything else, it takes time.” The changes in defensive combinations last weekend is all part of the plan to build a stronger team defensively. “Changes are inevitable in this game, especially on defense. There will be injuries and call ups at some point, so it's better we learn, so we'll know how the players work together, finding the strengths and weaknesses will make the team and the player better.” The sport that he mastered playing in 735 NHL games has changed, especially from his early days with the Hershey Bears back in 1987-88. “There weren’t the skills coaches, the nutrition aspect, or the systems that we have today. Back then, we were taught certain positioning, but we were left on our own to use our skills all that we had. The dynamics now is the players are simply so much faster than in our day. We might have had three or four really top skaters, today is like closer to 15. The skill sets are far different today in what goes into making a 'player.'” Among Murphy's teammates were ex-Hartford Whalers, Kevin Maxwell, Don Nachbaur, Ray Allison, Kevin McCarthy, Nick Kypreos, and John Stevens. He also played with ex-New Haven Nighthawks, Brian Dobbin, and Mark Lofthouse, and former Wolf Pack assistant coach, JJ Daigneault. Teaching the new generation trust is an important component. “I’m trying to help them, and I can relate my experiences. The kids can Google about my past and that’s what is the past. Now I can share my knowledge. The kids have been very receptive and have worked very hard, but at the end of the day I have to earn their trust and respect.” For Murphy, the relationship with his troops now is akin to a parent-child relationship, in some ways. “Its like when they’re riding a bike learning that they’ll fall and skin their knee, but you get right back at it. We're helping to shape them, not only as players but as young men. Many are out on their own for the first time and learning to make good decisions on-and-off ice is a part of the equation of their professional growth and development.” Murphy’s experience is hopefully going to produce up top in New York for the Rangers and hopefully for Hartford when next April rolls around. NOTES: The Rangers recalled Ty Ronning to Hartford from the team's ECHL affiliates, the Maine Mariners. Ronning had five points in four games. Laval will be without Michael McCarron who is serving the second of his two-game suspension for a major interference penalty in Providence. He missed Wednesday’s game in Belleville. Not only are the Lindgren brothers, Ryan (Hartford) and Charles (Laval), playing against each other tonight, but two former members of the St. Cloud Huskies (NCHC) who were college teammates will be facing each other, in Patrick Newell (Hartford) and Ryan Poehling (Laval). In addition, ex-Pack/CT Whale, Dale Weise, makes his first appearance back in Hartford since 2010-11. Bridgeport has recalled highly-regarded Czech-born netminder, Jakub Sharek from the Worcester Railers. Sharek posted a 1.42 GAA in two games. The team reassigned another European goalie they like in Swedish Linus Soderstrom to Worcester. Riley Stillman, the grandson of ex-Nighthawks and Springfield Indians player, Bud Stefanski, was recalled from Springfield by Florida. Ex-Pack, Daniel Walcott, is assigned to Syracuse by Tampa Bay. Mitch Eliot, the son of former Nighthawk, Daren Eliot, is reassigned from Utica to Kalamazoo (ECHL). Ex-Pack, and Sound Tiger, Jack Combs signs a deal with Wichita (ECHL). Ex-Pack, and Ranger, Connor Brickley, signed a deal today with EC Salzburg (Austria-EBEL) for the rest of the season. He will report to the Red Bulls next week. Brickley played 13 games in Hartford last year after being acquired. Josh Primeau, the nephew of ex-Whaler, Keith Primeau, signs with HC Sierre (Switzerland-LNB) his eighth Swiss team in his career, all spent in Switzerland. Read the full article

[thrashermaxey]

Ramblings: Thoughts on Philly goaltending, Connolly, Hirose, Bobrovsky, Lehner and more (Mar 25)

Ramblings: Thoughts on Philly goaltending, Connolly, Hirose, Bobrovsky, Lehner and more (Mar 25)

***

Now available for pre-sale – the 13th annual Interactive Playoff Draft List. Pre-order it here. It will be Friday April 5. If you bought the Ultimate Fantasy Pack in the summer, this will be included in that purchase. It is not included in the Keeper Fantasy Pack.

*

The Flyers have lost five of seven games and their playoff hopes hang by a thread. The team would have preferred not to toss young Carter Hart into the fire at this stage in his development, but they know that he represents their best shot at getting there. So the Flyers will juggle three goalies and ride Hart in all but the second of back-to-backs. Which was the case Sunday when Brian Elliott got the start (and took the loss).

It would be interesting to see how things shake out for Philadelphia between the pipes in the summer with both Elliott and Cam Talbot as UFAs. A thought I have is that the team re-signs one of them to be Hart’s backup, giving Hart the reins next season in what I think is a full year ahead of their original plan for him. On one hand you have a veteran who still seems to be adequate when called upon, but is injury prone. At 33, I think what you’re seeing from Elliott is what you get. On the other hand you have Talbot who seems to have completely fallen apart, and what I suspect started to happen when his life changed upon the birth of his twins a couple of years ago. He could fill in as a backup and at the age of 31 I think could at least rebound a little. He could shoulder the load whenever Hart stumbles or is injured. The point is, I suspect that one of the two will be back with the Flyers next season.

Brett Connolly’s career season continues to get better. He has eight points in his last six games. This is particularly impressive because his ice time is actually declining from quarter to quarter. Here is his quarterly breakdown:

  Quarter

GP

G

A

PTS

SOG

PPP

PPTOI

TOI

1

19

2

8

10

34

1

1:12

13:10

2

22

7

7

14

36

1

1:06

14:13

3

22

6

3

9

31

0

0:11

12:20

4

13

6

5

11

27

0

0:04

12:04

  *

The favored goaltender for the Islanders has swung back to Robin Lehner. After Thomas Greiss was pulled March 21 against Montreal after giving up four goals on 22 shots, Lehner has started two straight games. He has stopped 65 of 67 and given the fact that Coach Barry Trotz rides the hot hand, I suspect this is late enough in the season for Lehner to ride this wave into the playoffs. Both goaltenders have 22 wins and SV% at 0.926 or higher (Lehner at 0.928). I don’t think the Islanders or Lehner are thinking about a contract, given the need to focus on the task at hand. But the reality is, Lehner is an unrestricted free agent this summer. The Isles have a ton of cap space and Lehner’s season is demanding a decent chunk of change, one that exceeds the $3.33 million that Greiss makes next year. The Isles do have a couple of young stud goalies on the way in Ilya Sorokin and Linus Soderstrom and really just need a goalie like Lehner for another two years, but I don’t think he signs for anything under three. I think there are plenty of teams willing to sign him for three years and $15 million-plus. At that price point, he will be a starter next year at 55 games be it with a new team or with this one. You don’t put $5 million per year on the bench for 40 games the way it’s happened for him this year at $1.5.

{youtube}bKPUTVm_J3Q{/youtube}

*

He was held off the scoresheet for the fifth consecutive day but Vinnie Hinostroza had five shots on goal. We’ve been talking Hinostroza a lot here lately. Over the last three weeks (11 games), Hinostroza leads all Arizona forwards with five goals and six points, as well as 35 shots (tops Clayton Keller’s 30). His ice time has seen a bump lately as well, averaging over 16 minutes per game lately and 17:54 on Sunday. I’m bullish about him for next season.

The Coyotes have struggled to score this year, it’s no secret. They started the season with just three goals in five games, and their current rut is at four goals in the last four games. They’ve been shut out seven (!) times this year in all, including Sunday. They were held to just a single goal on 17 occasions. That’s 24 of 76 games (31.6%) scoring one goal or not at all. The Coyotes are 23rd in the NHL on the power play and second in shorthanded goals. But at even strength the team has just 139 goals, which sits 30th. I don’t really see a magic wand that can be waved over them in the summer that will make this an NHL team that ranks in the top half for offense, so being “bullish” on Hinostroza is all relative. If he finishes in the top three on the team in scoring next year, that may just mean something like 48 or 50 points.

*

Petr Mrazek has been on fire this quarter though he didn’t get the start Sunday (Curtis McElhinney spotted him, and had a strong game to bounce back from a poor one on March 21). But Mrazek has posted a Quality Start in nine of his last 11 games. His last RBS (what we define as a Really Bad Start – 0.850 SV% or lower) was way back on January 20. Mrazek’s last 11 games:

9-2-0, 1.63 GAA and 0.944 SV% with 3 SO and 9 QS

Mrazek is yet another unrestricted free agent in the summer ahead and he’s completely revived his career. The Hurricanes were likely going to move on from him come July and now I think they’re interested in hearing what he’s looking for. If I was GM Don Waddell, I would see if I can’t lock him in for two years at a low cap rate of perhaps under $3 million. If this team can hang onto a playoff spot on the back of Mrazek playing another five or six strong games, he’ll be looking for a lot more. Carolina was a destination for one of the many UFA goaltenders this summer and Mrazek is doing what he can to shut the door on that opportunity for those people such as the aforementioned Talbot, Elliott and Lehner.

*

One goalie is not unrestricted this summer is of course Carey Price. His numbers this season overall are mediocre but if you delve deeper you can see that the superstar is back. He has Quality Starts in six of his last seven games and since November 23 he has the following numbers:

27-18-3, 2.37 GAA, 0.923 SV%, 3 SO and 32 QS (65.3%)

*

Colin Wilson has seen a surge in ice time with Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen on the sidelines, seeing 17:48 Sunday and 19:01 Sunday. He’s still on the third line but he’s been a member of the top PP unit. No points Sunday, but he had two Saturday and has four in four games if you’re reaching for a short-term option on Wednesday, their next game. Then again, that game is against the white-hot Golden Knights so…maybe not.

JT Compher and Alex Kerfoot have been Nathan MacKinnon’s wingers, even on the power play. Compher has been snakebitten but Kerfoot has three points in two games, two on the power play.

Erik Johnson, who had six BLKS Sunday, has 21 of them in his last seven games.

*

It’s a tight game and a desperate, if a longshot, run for a playoff spot. And Erik Gustafsson led Chicago in ice time with 23:33, and PP time with 3:40. We already know he’s the real deal but this kind of reliance from his coach bodes well for him maintaining his status as “the man” on the blue line next season.

*

College Star and recent UFA signee Taro Hirose has an assist in each of his three games with the Red Wings. His PP time has been slowly increased (albeit small sample) and he’s been producing while playing with Thomas Vanek and Frans Nielsen, two capable veterans but hardly the elite performers  they used to be.  You can read his scouting report on DP right here.

*

Sergei Bobrovsky returned in style Sunday and posted his second shutout in three games. The Blue Jackets really came to play and seemed as though Josh Anderson was the second coming of Tom Wilson in the way that he carried them – three points, plus-4, two PIM and one SOG. Anderson has quietly put together a strong year and lately he’s been huge with nine points in eight games (30 shots, 26 Hits). He, Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel have formed a very strong second line and if team chemistry is finally starting to mesh, Columbus could make the playoffs after all.

*

See you next Monday.

        from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-rambling/ramblings-thoughts-on-philly-goaltending-connolly-hirose-bobrovsky-lehner-and-more-mar-25/

[dangerouslyaddictivethings]

What’s wrong with the Swedish goalie?

[misslifeisbeautiful]

[Asperger’s] helped me focus on the ice so I could be the one I wanted. To others with the same [handicap], I would tell them to do something they love. You have to be positive to help yourself. Don’t shy away from this. Its a strength. Just have fun and that has helped me in regards to ice hockey.

Linus Söderström (Team Sweden’s Goalie)

[boxscorehockey]

2024 Cut Tracker

Built and Current to November 22

Buffalo

Kyle Keyser Olof Lindbom Isaiah Saville Jakub Brabenec Logan Couture Dylan Duke Jack Hughes (LA) Evander Kane Alex Killorn Aleksandr Kisakov Rasmus Kupari Jacob Perreault Matthew Phillips Tom Wilson Kailer Yamamoto Tony DeAngelo Mats Lindgren Evan Nause Jusso Valimaki

Seattle

Tyler Brennan Chris Driedger Jonas Johansson Martin Jones Arvid Soderblom Jaxon Stauber Scott Wedgewood Tyler Boucher Mathieu Joseph Adam Boqvist Ryan Johnson Carson Lambos Victor Soderstrom Noah Cates Eetu Luostarinen Tobias Bjornqvist Ryan Greene Arthur Kaliyev Kaedan Korczak Ville Heinola Tye Kartye Timothy Liljegren Kappo Kahkonen Nicolas Roy Charlie Stramel

New York

Isaac Poulter (G,NJ) Blake Coleman Peyton Krebs Anton Wahlberg Calen Addison Jacob Trouba Johnny Gaudreau John Mustard Aatos Koivu Linus Eriksson Jeff Skinner

Winged Wheel

Jaroslav Halak Magnus Hellberg Jaret Anderson-Dolan Cam Atkinson Alex Barre- Boulet Sean Couturier Cody Glass Benoit- Olivier Groulx Taylor Hall Alex Iafallo Ryan Johansen Dominik Kubalik Luke Kunin Alexander Wennberg Filip Zadina Jake Bean Ryan Graves John Klingberg

Quebec

Pavel Francouz Filip Lindberg Ivan Prosvetov Nikita Alexandrov Dmtri Buchelnikov Gregori Denisenko Dillon Dube Danika Klimovich Evgeny Kuznetsov Ayrton Martino Nico Myatovic Joe Pavelski Taylor Raddysh James Van Riemsdyk Jacob Vrana Alex Gologoski Nikita Ishimnikov

[priceys]

[islesblogger]

Islanders: Understanding Prospect Mining

What’s in your wallet?

  The Pool Is Deep

The Islanders have had their best string of drafts in the past six years. We are already seeing the talents of Pulock (2013) and Toews (2014) in the NHL. Their last six draft classes have either produced or will produce at least two full time NHL players.

 Still on schedule to be NHL players are:

2014 Ilya Sorokin, Linus Soderstrom

2015 Mitch Vande Sompel, Parker Wotherspoon 

2016 Keiffer Bellows, Otto Koivula, Anatoly Golyshev

2017 Sebastian Aho, Robin Salo, Arnaud Durandeau, Logan Cockerill

2018 Oliver Wahlstrom, Noah Dobson, Bode Wilde, Ruslan Iskhakov, Jakub Skarek.

Can They Afford To Rent?

 Sure they can. They have enough of a talent pool now to start shipping some of those “prospects” out for rentals, or vets that can make them better now. But throwing away too much for a high impact rental should not be a trend they start without careful consideration.

CBA Economics 101

Expiring assets from other teams will be available for no added cost in July. When you are looking at renting a player you really have to evaluate the economics of the deal. All of the players mentioned above except Toews($700K AAV)  and Pulock ($2M AAV) are still on their Entry Level Contract (ELC) deals. Usually their first RFA contracts are under $2M.  It’s those players that contribute the most for the least from ages 22 thru 27. Once a player hits 27 they become an Unrestricted Free Agent (UFA) and the one guarantee is that YOU WILL OVERPAY for their services.

As the team ages, players like Lee and Nelson are moving to their UFA status. These are the kind of players who produced on team friendly deals, and have earned value in free agency. One could say the same thing for Jordan Eberle, who has been a very productive player, even at his barely leveraged $6M AAV. 

The structure of the league dictates that you be mindful of your salary cap structure. If you want to retain high end UFA’s and priced RFA’s like Barzal there has to be a balance. The roster must be supplemented with high potential ELC and RFA prospects. This should be the business model for Lou’s Burger Barn going forward.

 Who Should Be Available?

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Sebastian Aho

Aho has already shown that he fits into the NHL game. He still has some growing to do, but a team receiving Aho could probably plug him into their NHL lineup upon arrival. His only deterrent with the Islanders is that they are stacked in the NHL and they have two left handed defensemen right behind him. He is a 2017 draftee, but he is the same age as a 2015 draftee because he was drafted at 20 instead of 18.

Mitch Vande Sompel and Parker Wotherspoon

Both left handed defensemen are in almost exactly the same circumstance as Aho, but they did not have the benefit of pro experience at an earlier age. They both have considerable value though.

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Josh Ho-Sang

He should be on the “untouchable” list due to his talent, but is probably on the “do not touch” list because of his perceived inability to be coached. Who knows the whole story with Josh, all we can assume is that if Lou can get any value for him at all he should do both player and team the service of giving Josh a fourth or fifth “second chance”. If any team would accept him in a rental package they should ship him faster than a Conner McDavid loop around the rink.

European Prospects

The Isles’ prospect list is littered with potential NHLers that are still developing on European rosters. I don’t have enough info on the list of skaters to determine which might be more highly sought after, but I would think that Robin Salo and Anatoly Golyshev head the list.

Michael Dal Colle

MDC really turned his game around this year. He had a very pedestrian pro-rookie campaign in the AHL two years ago, then regressed last year. He worked on his game over the off season and has impressed all year. His expendable status is mostly due to the already signed group of forwards. They will also most likely extend Anders Lee. The Isles have a deepening surplus of high end forward talent. Dal Colle is probably the most valued “prospect” to have NHL games on his resume.

Kieffer Bellows

I think Bellows and DalColle are eventually mutually exclusive in the talent pool. You do not have room for both in the 5 year plan, but you wouldn’t want to trade both. The Islanders have some time to make an ultimate decision, but they’ll probably lose one of them for nothing if they let Kieffer reach RFA status in the AHL.

Linus Soderstrom

I believe Linus had shoulder surgery last year and a major setback this year. He has no trade value, but if he can recover he should be in Bridgeport for the Isles next year.

The Untouchables

Ilya Sorokin

There is no way he is going anywhere for a rental. So this is where we really have to draw the line on trade deadline availability.    

Otto Koivula

He was a player to watch this year as he was going to be playing his first season of North American hockey. He had a decent start, but exploded as soon as he was moved from wing to center. You rarely find centers abundant among NHL prospect lists. Koivula has a tremendous amount of value right now, even though he may be more than a year away from being a full time NHLer. We might see him in the NHL for a few games towards the final weeks of the season. This would give him a feel for the NHL game. It would also prepare him for an emergency call up in a deep playoff run.

2018 Draft Class

The Islanders didn’t have a top ten draft pick. They did manage to get two players that were ranked in the top 10 (Oliver Wahlstrom and Noah Dobson). They also acquired a defenseman thought to be top 20 in the second round.  They weren’t finished there either. They were able to pick up one of the highest ranked goalie prospects and some late blooming talent in the later rounds. Much like Arnaud Durandeau and Logan Cockerill from the 2017 draft, these are kids we might want to let develop a little to before we sell them off the bargain table. They aren’t “untouchable” per say, but they should be put off to the side. You never know when you might stumble upon a hidden Matt Moulson or Michael Grabner in your own garage.

Islanders: Understanding Prospect Mining was originally published on islesblogger.com

[thepinerider]

Can Soderstrom Be a Star?

Casual Islanders fans don't know who the recently signed Linus Soderstrom is. But they should. While everyone in Isles nation believes Ilya Sorokin may be the team's next star goalie, The Super Swede Soderstrom has the makeup to be a star in the NHL. Even at 20, his resume speaks for itself. His...

Via: http://thehockeywriters.com/linus-soderstrom-goaltender/

[goalhofer]

2019-20 Bridgeport Sound Tigers Players By Nationality

American: 13 (Cole Bardreau, Kieffer Bellows, Ryan Bourque, Robert Carpenter; Jr., Mike Cornell, Seth Helgeson, Grant Hutton, Mason Jobst, Jeff Kubiak, Colin McDonald, Nick Schilkey, John Stevens; Jr. & Oliver Wahlstrom)

Canadian: 16 (Steve Bernier, Erik Brown, Kyle Burroughs, Jared Coreau, Arnaud Durandeau, Tanner Fritz, Thomas Hickey, Josh Ho-Sang, Matt Lorito, Ryan MacKinnon, David Quenneville, Travis St. Denis, Ben Thomson, Yanick Turcotte, Mitch Vande Sompel & Parker Wotherspoon)

Swedish: 3 (Sebastian Aho, Simon Holmstrom & Linus Soderstrom)

Finnish: 2 (Christopher Gibson & Otto Koivula)

[mitchbeck]

CANTLON: (FRI) JONES SCORES TWICE IN PACK WIN

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - Rookie Nick Jones scored twice as the Hartford Wolf Pack engineered a 2-1 pre-season win over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in a lively, spirited game at the Koeppel Community Center at Trinity College Friday afternoon. The two teams complete the pre-season Saturday afternoon at 1 pm in a closed to the public pre-season game at the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport before the New York Rangers - New York Islanders exhibition game at 7 pm. The game-winning goal came as a result of some solid forechecking pressure by the Wolf Pack. Patrick Newell at the end of a shift was in the offensive zone and the turnover came to his stick quickly and dished it off to his linemate, veteran Matt Beleskey, who spotted a wide-open Jones, a right-handed shot on the left-wing side. Jones zipped it past Swedish rookie Linus Soderstrom 36 seconds into the third period. Jones was playing his first hockey in more than a year-and-a-half due to injury. “It was a great play. (Newell) was in there and he got it to (Beleskey) and I had a lot of time and room to shoot and we had good forechecks for most of the game that got us some chances. We want to get it behind their D, and we were able to do that,” Jones, who was playing his first AHL pre-season game after getting in two NHL preseason games, said.  He certainly left an impression on new Wolf Pack head coach Kris Knoblauch. “He’s a guy who that just continues to impress right from the start of Traverse City camp. He was one of, if not the best forwards there, for the Rangers," Knoblach said “He went to the main Rangers camp. He earned not one, but two exhibition games, and comes here today in his first game and scores twice,” said Knoblauch. The first goal at 13:46 of the first period was a typical Jones goal. He headed up skating and won the battle in the left-wing corner around a Sound Tigers defenseman and pushed it past starting Sound Tigers goalie, Czech rookie, Jakub Skarek. “I was able to get by my guy. There was nobody else around the net, so I took the shot and it worked out. As a centerman, you have to be aware out there of everything. You gotta hold your head up to make those plays, got to get the puck first, and then I saw a little spot opening and got past him (the defenseman).” Jones said with a bright smile. Ryan Dmowski and Newell picked up helpers on the play. The move again had to catch the eye of the brass at the game and his head coach. “Obviously, he has some skills, but what I think separates him is his determination. He works so hard. He’s not the fastest guy, the most skilled guy, but he just wins a lot of puck battles. He goes in the corner and he will come out with the puck and there’s not much room out there. He saw the opening and took it and if you want to score goals in this league you have to be determined and go to the net.” Newell was another strong forward with two assists. He looks more at ease than he did on Wednesday in Danbury. “He got off to a slow start in camp, but the more you watch him play, you can see how smart he is with the puck,” remarked Knoblach. There was, of course, the game within the game as players competed to win the game as well as earning a roster spot. It wasn't lost on Jones, who's a rookie. “Certainly, the first priority is to win the game, but we're also competing against one another for a spot on the team. Nothing is guaranteed,” Jones, a college free-agent signing out of North Dakota, stated. The Sound Tigers did make it interesting on a Wolf Pack turnover on the powerplay as the Sound Tigers, potted a shorthanded tally by former Sacred Heart University Pioneer, Connor Doherty. Doherty was on the left-wing in a two-on-one with Kyle Thomas. Doherty converted a pass on the left-wing from Thomas and beat goalie Tom McCollum to the far side. It was the only tally to beat the combo of Adam Huska and McCollum, who drew high-praise from Knoblauch for their afternoon of work. They made a combined 37 saves on 38 shots. “The big story today was how well both goaltenders played. It could have been a different situation (if Bridgeport had scored on their chances), but Adam and Tom were good for us. "Anytime you have solid goaltending, you get a chance. When we're up 1-0, Adam made a save on a two-on-one, then McCollum on the four-on-three powerplay. Those saves were the difference in this game,” said Knoblauch. The save by Huska was on Kyle Thomas, who went by Darren Raddysh, who was playing his off left side. Huska stopped former Yale forward, Ryan Hitchcock, as he split LoVerde and Crawley. Then McCollum first stopped Arnaud Durandeau at 11:17 and then Scott Eansor on the four-on-three with 5:33 left in the game. The player who will make the player personnel decision hard for GM Chris Drury and company is training camp tryout, Mason Geertsen. He showed all of his defensive zone strengths and the physicality they like to see. Geertsen was able to use short passes to get the puck out of the defensive zone that led to several rushes, and he made quick recoveries in the defensive zone to stifle Sound Tiger offensive opportunities. The big man showed he can hit and answer a challenge. At 7:06 of the second period, he caught rookie Erik Brown along the center ice boards felling him with a big hit. He fell awkwardly and suffered a left leg injury as he crawled his way to center ice. He was unable to stand and was helped off the ice with the aid of his teammates and medical staff. On the ensuing draw, AHL vet Ben Thomson, at 6’3, switched to the right-wing and some chatting went on with the 6’4 Geertsen. When they got into the Wolf Pack zone, the gloves came off. The two big men had a solid, testy scrap. It was one of three Wolf Pack fights in the game and the first three of the entire pre-season including Traverse City. “To say he was solid would be a true understatement," complimented Geerstsen. "He is a stay-at-home defenseman and you're not gonna see a lot of offense from him. Today, he was very physical and got in some very good hits, got in that fight, but also he got the puck up ice with nice little plays and his puck skills are very good. "I don’t know what his future is with the team, or what’s gonna happen with getting a contract, but we'll see over the next few days,” commented Knoblauch. Note to Drury. Have a contract in hand for him Saturday afternoon. The Wolf Pack need a guy like him on the team. The Pack nearly broke the game open late in the first period with Brandon Crawley hitting the crossbar at 16:35 and Danny O’Regan, playing in his Wolf Pack game, connected with the pipes on a strong right-wing rush with 2:12 left in the first period. Across the way, Sound Tigers head coach and one time Wolf Pack defenseman, Brent Thompson, was philosophical after their first pre-season game. “I was happy with our compete level. There are some things we have to clean up in our own end. I think our young guys did well. We put pressure on them and didn’t connect on our chances, but they had a more veteran squad than we are. I think it was a good first step.” NOTES: Knoblauch indicated he felt the Wolf Pack could get up to three forwards and a defenseman from the Rangers by the end of the weekend as the Rangers work to their CBA cap required roster size of 23. One forward cleared waivers and was assigned, Steven Fogarty. Despite his strong play, Ryan Dmowski (Old Lyme) was sent to the Pack's ECHL affiliate's, the Maine Mariners. This is strictly a numbers game with defenseman Johnny Coughlin also released and heading to the Maine Mariners with Dmowski. LINES: Nick Jones-Matt Beleskey-Lewis Zerter-Gossage Danny O’ Regan-Ryan Gropp-Jake Elmer Patrick Newell-Ryan Dmowski-Shawn McBride Tim Gettinger-Connor Brickley-Ville Meskanen Defense: Joey Keane-Mason Geertsen Darren Raddysh-Jeff Taylor Brandon Crawley-Jeff LoVerde Beleskey was in an ornery mood with two fights. The first was with defenseman Justin Murray, at 1:21 of the second period. The other was with defenseman Mike Cornell at 12:31 of the third period off a net-front battle. He drew the extra two leading to a four-on-three power play for the Sound Tigers. O’Regan had a Massachusets prep high school opponent, Liam Feeney from Dexter Academy watching him in Trinity College. O’Regan played for St. Sebastian’s. Nic Pierog (Canterbury Prep) skated for Bridgeport while Travis St. Denis (Quinnipiac University) cleared waivers and has joined Bridgeport. Ex-Sound Tiger, Steve Olesky, signed a PTO deal with the Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins. Remember former Sound Tiger goalie David Leggio? He who famously and deliberately pushed the net off the moorings on a Springfield Falcons two-on-none breakaway to force a penalty shot on November 3, 2014. He stopped Dana Tyrell on that the penalty shot. Well, he has been signed to a try-out deal by the Springfield Thunderbirds. Leggio also pulled the same move in a German DEL league game for EHC Munich against the Fischtown Penguins Ross Mauerman on December 9, 2017. Read the full article

[thrashermaxey]

Top Fantasy 50 Prospect Goaltenders – Spring, 2019

The top 50 prospect goaltenders to own in keeper leagues – spring edition!

  I don't use the same formulas and variables used in the regular top goalie list – more emphasis should be on upside here and less emphasis on team strength (because – who knows how strong/weak the team will be by the time the prospect arrives?), and with prospects the 'ideal age' to own them should be different than the ideal age to own an established goalie. We also need to consider the balance between a young backup goalie with a lower ceiling but is "in the show now" versus the unproven 19-year-old who has elite upside but is four years away from getting a sniff and may not ever get to the NHL.

Unlike my policy with the Keeper Goaltenders list (posting it tomorrow), for this list I would emphasis the ranking more than the tiers (since most of these goalies are in the fifth or sixth tier). As always, and this is important with all my rankings lists… +/- 5.0 rating points the players are equal.

    Mar 2019 Goalie Team Rating Sep 2018 Tier 1 Carter Hart PHI 90.7 9 1 2 Jordan Binnington STL 87.7 78 2 3 Thatcher Demko VAN 72.7 5 4 4 Alex Nedeljkovic CAR 72.5 36 4 5 Collin Delia CHI 68.1 67 4 6 Cal Petersen LAK 68.0 24 4 7 Samuel Montembeault FLA 66.2 32 5 8 Eric Comrie WPG 66.1 3 4 9 Pheonix Copley WAS 65.8 21 4 10 Alexandar Georgiev NYR 65.3 12 4 11 Adin Hill ARI 62.7 15 4 12 Mackenzie Blackwood NJD 59.1 61 5 13 Elvis Merzlikins CBJ 58.8 27 5 14 Igor Shesterkin NYR 58.1 17 5 15 Jack Campbell LAK 56.4 14 4 16 Filip Gustavsson OTT 55.9 8 4 17 Ilya Samsonov WAS 55.5 6 4 18 Tristan Jarry PIT 50.4 1 5 19 Kevin Boyle ANA 48.0 73 5 20 Anthony Stolarz EDM 46.9 31 5 21 Jon Gillies CGY 46.7 18 4 22 Shane Starrett EDM 45.6 110 5 23 Marcus Hogberg OTT 44.3 44 5 24 Pavel Francouz COL 43.7 26 4 25 Ilya Sorokin NYI 41.9 19 5 26 Linus Soderstrom NYI 39.2 23 5 27 Calvin Pickard ARI 35.6 22 6 28 Ivan Nalimov CHI 35.5 38 6 29 Alex Lyon PHI 33.8 35 5 30 Jake Oettinger DAL 32.2 34 6 31 Colton Point DAL 30.3 25 5 32 Felix Sandstrom PHI 29.9 29 5 33 Kaapo Kahkonen MIN 29.4 60 5 34 Daniil Tarasov CBJ 28.3 70 6 35 Michael DiPietro VAN 28.2 45 5 36 Joseph Woll TOR 28.1 37 6 37 Ian Scott TOR 28.1 64 6 38 Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen BUF 27.4 30 6 39 Ville Husso STL 27.2 7 5 40 Tyler Parsons CGY 25.3 33 6 41 Kirill Ustimenko PHI 24.8 39 6 42 Kasmir Kaskisuo TOR 24.6 41 6 43 Daniel Vladar BOS 24.3 43 5 44 Gilles Senn NJD 23.2 40 6 45 Eetu Makiniemi CAR 22.9 42 6 46 Connor Ingram TBL 22.5 68 6 47 Josef Korenar SJS 21.2 NR 5 48 Matt Villalta LAK 20.7 50 6 49 Stuart Skinner EDM 20.3 49 6 50 Justus Annunen COL 19.9 53 6

  from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-home/hockey-rankings/top-fantasy-prospect-goaltenders-spring-2019/