Prospects
Petr Mrazek: Tigr Tigr Burning Bright
May 7th
They say goalies should always be cool, calm and collected.
They say goalies should always be the most composed and stoic players on the ice, too. No egregious celebrating, no display of emotion when giving up a goal, winning a game, or when their team scores.
They say goalies should essentially move, think and look exactly the same, no matter what is happening, all the time.
When I hear people say these things, I tend to worry.
Profile: The Sudden Rise of Anthony Stolarz
May 3rd
When Central Scouting published their final season rankings in early-April, I was most surprised by the unexpected rise of 18-year-old goaltender Anthony Stolarz.
NHL Entry Draft Profile: Jon Gillies
Apr 30th
Now that my weekly “In the Cage” column for NHL.com’s fantasy hockey microsite is done for the 2011-12 season, I have shifted gears to the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Leading up to the release of Central Scouting’s final season rankings on Monday April 9, I have written profiles on three different draft-eligible goaltenders. Below are introductions and links to those articles.
Braden Holtby and the Gift of Opportunity
Apr 26th
Fourteen nights later, I finally had a chance to dissect the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a much wider lens, and from a wider perspective. By doing so, I came to the conclusion that what Braden Holtby experienced over the last four weeks stemmed from a rare gift of opportunity, one given to (or earned by) maybe two percent of the entire pro goalie population over the last 10 years.
Notes on Central Scouting’s Final Rankings
Apr 9th
Earlier today, Central Scouting Services (CSS) released their final rankings for the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. For the goaltenders, the biggest surprise was the giant leap taken by Corpus Christi Rayz (North American Hockey League) goaltender Anthony Stolarz. Standing at 6-foot-5 and 200 pounds, Stolarz was ranked 20th in Central Scouting’s midterm rankings, but vaulted all the way up to the 5th overall spot for North American goalies.
NHL Entry Draft Profile: Brandon Whitney
Apr 9th
Now that my weekly “In the Cage” column for NHL.com’s fantasy hockey microsite is done for the 2011-12 season, I have shifted gears to the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Leading up to the release of Central Scouting’s final season rankings on Monday April 9, I have written profiles on three different draft-eligible goaltenders. Below are introductions and links to those articles.
NHL Entry Draft Profile: Jake Paterson
Apr 6th
Now that my weekly “In the Cage” column for NHL.com’s fantasy hockey microsite is done for the 2011-12 season, I have shifted gears to the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Leading up to the release of Central Scouting’s final season rankings on Monday April 9, I have written profiles on three different draft-eligible goaltenders. Below are introductions and links to those articles.
Talking Leafs Goalies With Leafs Nation
Apr 1st
On Sunday night, I spent a solid 20 minutes as a guest on a podcast for Leafs Nation. Many different Leafs goaltending topics were discussed, including the past, present, and future of the organizations top four goalies in the system: Jonas Gustavsson, James Reimer, Ben Scrivens, and Jussi Rynnas.
Allen York Epitomizes the Yeoman
Mar 30th
Those that know him best would agree with me when I say Allen York is a much better goaltender than you might think. Spending three years at R.P.I. in the NCAA (2008-11), especially in the ECAC, will do that to a prospect, as most collegians with NHL upside often fall within the “hidden gem” category for quite some time. But for everything the former Camrose Kodiak (AJHL) has been through this season, it is York’s perseverance and work ethic that makes him so deserving of that title.
Relaxed Tokarski Cruises to First NHL Win
Mar 14th
It has been quite an invigorating ride for Dustin Tokarski over the past five weeks. After winning eight games in a row for the Norfolk Admirals (a stretch of play from Feb. 10 to Mar. 3), he was recalled by Tampa Bay when Mathieu Garon mangled his groin last week. Tokarski made his first start for his NHL club on Mar. 8 in Washington, and survived the fire by making 29 saves on 32 shots in a 3-2 OT loss.