Thrashers scout on Larsson

Swedes in the first round two years in a row is likely impossible to happen on the Thrashers, but I ran across this quote that was mildly interesting, out of what I think is the Gotland, Sweden newspaper. Talks about Johan Larsson, who made a big run up some draft lists with his performance at the U18 World Championships in Minsk.

Google translation of the section:

[quote] Fredrik Jax, Atlanta Thrashers scout, has seen Johan Larsson several times in Brynäs J20 and he is one of the scouts who were not surprised at the hysteria created by Larsson still in hockey circles.
- It is strongly influenced by him to perform as he does. John takes with the team. He is a true team player and important in all parts of the game.
Like most other scouts, Jax avoids answering the question whether Atlanta would be interested in Larsson. Precisely because it is so secret between the clubs.
- I can not sit and talk about right now. He is a good player clearly. We make a list of those we are interested in, says Jax.[/quote]

Hockey looking better than Goldman Sachs?

According to his LinkedIn profile, former Thrashers prospect Colin FitzRandolph is still employed at Goldman Sachs.

The news coming out of the investigation of that company just gets worse and worse.

I wonder if he is thinking he should have pursued hockey instead of jumping straight from Saint Lawrence to Wall Street.
.

Glads as Knights

Glads as Knights...Gladys Knights...get it?

Anyway, here's some pictures I took before chasing Brady Calla around the building, no thanks to Malcolm Cameron.

Michael Forney.


Chad Denny.

Kaip and Kozek at UND game

I went to the Sears Centre in Chicago last weekend for the Shillelagh Tournament featuring Notre Dame and North Dakota. In the championship game, I looked to the left of the press box, and who's sitting there but Rylan Kaip, drinking a beer, and Andrew Kozek. They were there to see their alma mater of course. Kozek was interviewed on the UND broadcast during the second intermission. Tilt your head for the photo.


The tournament was a great time, the arena was efficient logistically and the Notre Dame and UND media relations guys were very professional and nice. I will definitely go back.
.

Where are they now? Jimmy Sharrow

I went to Wheeling Nailers pre-game skate today to talk to one of the prospects that Pittsburgh sent down. Jimmy Sharrow is there now, having signed a contract just last week. Wheeling, though it has some very good Penguins prospects come through there, is the place that Thrasher prospects go to die. Both Mike Vannelli and Lane Manson retired after playing just a few games for Wheeling. We'll see if Sharrow lasts all season.

Schell invited to Rockford camp

Former prospect Brad Schell is an invitee at AHL Rockford IceHogs camp. The IceHogs obviously would have seen him play last year in Gwinnett. Click here for the press release.

I'm a little surprised he didn't head to Europe this year.
.

2009 Traverse City Prospects Tournament review

I attended the Traverse City Tournament this year and was able to catch most of all four Thrasher games. If one had traveled all that way just to see the Thrashers, there wouldn't have been much reward, as the team had just spotty talent. They finished seventh out of eight, but had to go to a shootout to do it.

Let's start with the two best players: Evander Kane and Eric O'Dell. O'Dell doesn't get a lot of publicity, but he's quite good. Not flashy, but solid and effective. The only question is how he'll fit in at the NHL level. But I think he'll make it somehow. Originally drafted by Anaheim.

I talked a lot about Kane in my Day 4 game summary, so you can read that for more detail, but basically he played well, one of the top 5 or 10 guys in the tournament I'd say, but looks like a very good junior player, not an NHLer quite yet because he hasn't filled out. Here's a picture of him talking to his dad outside the rink that shows how thin he is:

Also solid was Levko Koper. Plays a very simple game, but it's effective. Not sure he's a player, but don't see any huge flaws. A checker in any case.

Next we have two goats: Jeremy Morin and Jimmy Bubnick. I didn't like Morin at the U18s in April, and liked him even less after seeing him this week. His puck skills are bad for someone with such a good shot -- a demonstration that when he has the puck he shoots it, no matter what. Doesn't matter if there's a better play to be made. Poor hockey sense in that way, and many other ways too. He also doesn't do the little things correctly, or more to the point, doesn't know what he should be doing. He had to be screamed off the ice by the bench for lining up on a faceoff making it too many men. A faceoff! 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. He's going to the OHL because he didn't qualify academically for college. It's all related.

Jimmy Bubnick didn't do anything, but it wasn't for lack of trying, it was for lack of skill. Not much to see here.

On Ben Chiarot, I was writing in my notebook "Effort? Doesn't skate hard," when the two scouts behind me said "that Chiarot is lazy." So there you go.

Others: Postma and Paquette played pretty much as expected. Mike Forney had to be searched for, which isn't good. Cody Sol was fine, for what he is. I'm not sure how Andrew Kozek managed to get all those points. That's a head scratcher. Tryout Philip Paquet seemed unreliable on the blue line. Tryout Josh Unice wasn't great in goal, but neither was draftee Chris Carrozzi.

Here's some video footage I shot from Game 2 and Game 3.
.