All-Blogs.net directory Light the Lamp - a Columbus Blue Jackets blog: Prospect Camp - Day 1 reaction

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Monday, July 7, 2008

Prospect Camp - Day 1 reaction

I made it down to Day 1 of the prospect camp. I plan to attend at least one more day.

Anyhow just wanted to throw down some quick observations. Obviously its just a practice and one strength I see can be seen through another's eyes as a weakness. I do not envy scouts!

So on to my observations.

* Best player on the ice hands down was Jakub Voracek. Kid just has "it". Skating, the vision, the NHL build, that extra gear, the patience with the puck - kid has the NHL caliber package no doubt.

* Grant Clitsome. The 2004 9th round pick defensemen who spent 4 years at Clarkson University just continues to impress me. He impressed me last year at camp and has only gotten better. He's very poised with the puck and I didn't see him get beat once all practice. He'll spend next year in Syracuse and I'm exicted to see what he brings at the next level.

* Will Weber. Wow is the kid big and can he ever move. He just looks like someone who can throw some bone crunching hits. He's that athletic big if you know what I mean? Moves extremely well.

* Ted Ruth. Not as big as Weber but still a big thick kid. He didn't do much to stand out either way.

* Maxim Mayorov. Again a big NHL type body who can certainly move when he wants to. I liked him with the puck although he seemed to slow down when he received it. What I didn't like was his play without the puck as he seemed to coast if he lost the puck or made a mistake. Skills are there but first impression is that his play away from the puck isn't close to where it needs to be.

* Stephan Legein. This kid can fly, is great with the puck and just has the jump you look for. He hardly ever places a bad blade. The biggest question mark with him is his attitude -- he'll need to grow up quickly if he wants to make the show.

* Nick Holden. This dude was much bigger than I was anticipating. He definitely had more polish than Weber and Ruth but then again he's two years older than those two. I liked the looks of this kid as he definitely has the raw skills -- he should also be in Syracuse this season to start his pro career.

* Matt Calvert. Definitely a small player who can move and has some offensive ability. No doubt he needs a few more years of development which he'll most certainly get.

* Jordan Sigalet. Acquired in the Marquette deal. He was one of the smaller d-men out there who certainly has some offensive upside. I'd like to concentrate more on his game next practice.

* Cody Goloubef. This year's 2nd round pick also has the raw skill and size. Looked very poised and kind of bright eyed out there. As expected he needs more seasoning in Wisconsin but first impression was very positive.

* Dmitry Kosmachev. The missing Russian defensemen makes his North American debut. He was the oldest player out there as he was a 2003 3rd round pick. I loved this looks of this guy. Very polished, can move well with pro size. Not sure what the plan is for him but I liked the skill set.

* Allen York. No complaints watching him between the pipes. Certainly not a large guy but he didn't let in many soft goals and seemed to move around well.

Lots of other guys but I couldn't concentrate on them all. A friend of mine really liked Page and Delisle had some fans. The Czech kid Kubalik I thought also looked like he's some potential out there.

Again its just one practice and some general observations. Honestly I didn't think anyone looked entirely out of place out there.

There was also a really good crowd and of course the greed in me really really wished Filatov could have been out there! I guess we'll get our chance to see him soon enough in September.

Discuss - if you made it out to the practice today who did you like/dislike?

-LTL

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

I agree with your comments. One guy I really liked was Kubalik. He was right behind Voracek and Mayorov. Weber is a monster! I can't wait to see him with full contact drills or scrimmage. He can move for his size. Ruth looked average, but just drills here.

Anonymous said...

Hey LTL -

Just wanted to thank you for your work on this blog. Your blog is one of my few daily reads and I really appreciate all your insight and commentary.

I'm a relatively new fan of hockey since the Jackets came to Columbus and your blog has definitely helped stoke my interest to a greater level. Keep up the great work!

BZArcher said...

I mostly agree, but I thought that Ruth's shot deserved a mention - he was probably the most accurate shooter and passer of all the defensemen, I thought.

Was that you with the laptop? I wondered, but wasn't sure about saying Hi. :>

"Yeah, um...are you that lamp guy? I'm one of those blogger commenters who is always giving you a hard time..."

Sean said...

Yeah, thanks for the update on Day One, I had the day off from restaurant life but went home to visit my folks.

I plan on trying to make it for either the Wednesday or Friday session, hopefully Wednesday. The only (2) times I've tried to get to a practice at the Ice Haus the team moved into Nationwide...

Anonymous said...

Good to see Vogulhuber out there. He is a local player who had a knee injury in Jrs. last year. I didn't think he'd be able to skate this early. Signed with Miami!

LTL said...

Hey thanks for the comments DW - much appreciated!

Matt - nope that wasn't me. Although I do wish I would have at least brought a notepad! I'll pay more attention to Ruth's shot next time I make it down (which will probably be Thursday).

-LTL

PDSjr said...

Just wanted to agree with what DW said cause I'm in the same boat. Only been a hockey fan since CBJ came to town and really don't follow anything in the league other than the CBJ, but I'm totally into it this summer with all the moves and your blog is one I NEVER miss reading.

Can't tell ya how much I appreciate your insights and the way you take a positive approach to things without all the CRAZINESS that I see in some other CBJ bloggers out there. Yours are just very informative and detailed and really raise my level of understanding and excitement.

So thanks for all the time... it really means a lot.

As for yesterday's camp, I made it down in the evening too and to my limited eyes Voracek stood out primarily because he seemed to look for the pass every single time before he'd look for the shot. Several of his passes seemed to catch guys totally off guard since they weren't expecting it, but he seemed to just instinctively KNOW where the right pass was even if others didn't... can't wait to see what he can do when he plays with NHL level people on the offensive end.

Just my 2-cents.

Anonymous said...

It looks like the CBJ roster is starting to get finalized. However what is the chance of adding another player ?? I am glad to see Peca back as he will be a solid addition that adds so many unlisted intangibles. Furthermore Howsen needs to get LeClaire’s contract done, so we don’t have to worry anymore. Anyways, it looks to me that there is still some room left under the Cap, and it sounds like there are a couple of teams that need to shed some contracts to free up some cap space. What are the predictions or rumors?? Is there anybody up for grabs that the CBJ might add??

LTL said...

Thanks pdsjr! I'm really glad you all enjoy reading it b/c I really enjoy keeping it up to date. Sometimes I feel like I'm tying to myself so I love hearing the feedback!

Anything else anyone would like me to cover please don't hesitate to ask.

Erik - as far more moves I would say for right now Howson is going to sit and see how things shake out on the market. I wouldn't rule out a trade down the line or perhaps a bargain basement signing but for now I think he concentrates on getting Leclaire inked and then seeing how his lineup shakes out in camp.

They are indeed under the cap but remember this team operates with an internal budget which is in that 48 - 50 million range. When Leclaire signs it should take us right to that range.

I think they would certainly like another top 6 center but it appears that for now they won't be able to get one and will have to roll the dice and hope that Brassard can step up and fill that void.

The good news is that this won't be a Brule situation. Brassard has had a year of pro development and Hitch is a smart coach who will put him in the best position to succeed by surrounding him with quality veteran wingers and limiting his ice time when strong defensive play is required.

From a fan perspective though boy how I would love for them to add a Vermette type to this mix.

-LTL

Bruce said...

LTL -

love the blog; keep it up. I was at the practice yesterday and agree with everyones assessment of Voracek, Mayorov, Kubalik, Kosmachev and Legein. It was cool to see the local guy, Trent Vogelhuber skating with these guys, and he was definitely respectable. Another guy I was impressed with was Devon Didiomete. Looked like he could skate, pass and shoot with the best of them. His numbers in the OHL (with Sarnia) were pretty impressive 56GP, 23G, 33A, +5, 216PIM, but he wasnt drafted? Where did he come from?

Thanks.

LTL said...

Hey Bruce - looks like Didiomete is just an undrafted OHL player the Jackets are taking a look at.

He in addition to Formataro, Hughes, Henry and goaltender Mior are the undrafted guys the Jackets brought in.

I guess if they like one of these guys they'll sign him to a minor league deal -- similar to how they found Geoff Platt a few years ago.

-LTL