Welcome to the THW NHL Prospects & Draft Substack newsletter, with all the latest from our great team of writers.
In today’s edition, we have a look at why Kent Johnson was demoted to the AHL, another Coyotes prospect tearing up his junior league, Ivan Miroshnichenko’s great AHL start, and much more!
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Now on to the good stuff…
Blue Jackets Handled Johnson Correctly After Sillinger Mishandling
November 11, 2023 by William Espy
The Columbus Blue Jackets recently sent Kent Johnson down to the Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League (AHL). While this came as a surprise, given his rookie performance in the NHL, it shows that the organization has learned from their misstep with Cole Sillinger last season.
Sillinger played 64 games in the NHL in 2022-23 before he was sent down to the AHL, where he should have been for most of the season. He played terribly, and his sophomore slump ruined his confidence. Now, Johnson has the opportunity to do just that. He’s played poorly and has yet to prove to head coach Pascal Vincent that he belongs in the lineup.
Coyotes’ Maveric Lamoureux Making Waves in QMJHL
November 11, 2023 by Cooper Krigbaum
One specialty Arizona Coyotes general manager (GM) Bill Armstrong has looked for when drafting young prospects is size. Size is unteachable. It’s something people are born with.
This has been something Armstrong hasn’t shied away from as GM. In fact, all 12 draft picks from 2023 were all at least 6-foot-0, which showcases his desire to assemble a bigger and stronger team. A player in particular who was drafted for his size is 6-foot-7 Maveric Lamoureux. The 19-year-old missed nearly six months rehabbing a shoulder injury last season, and now, with the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) in full swing, he has shown why he deserved to go in the first round back in 2022.
Sabres Need To Give Matthew Savoie A Real Chance
November 11, 2023 by Jacob D. Strozyk
The Buffalo Sabres made a critical error during their most recent 3-2 win against the Minnesota Wild. They made a big deal about the debut of one of their top prospects in Matt Savoie, and then nothing really happened. Savoie was unfortunately not given a chance to produce, or even participate in the game for that matter.
This gives the organization a bad look, especially with other top prospects like Jiri Kulich and Isak Rosen waiting in the minors for their chance. A young talent like Matt Savoie needs the right environment to grow his skills, but the Sabres did nothing but stifle him in his “debut” (if it can even be called that).
Capitals Prospect Miroshnichenko Making Impact In AHL
November 11, 2023 by Jesse Courville-Lynch
Ivan Miroshnichenko came super close to making the opening night roster but ultimately was sent down to the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL) to start the season.
Since then, he has found his confidence both offensively and defensively. If he is able to continue his strong start and carry that momentum throughout the season, he could become a full-time Capital as early as next season.
Last Edition’s Poll Results
Last time I asked you to tell me who you think should have gone first overall in the 2022 NHL Draft and I’ve never seen you all agree with each other so much. 85 percent of you said that Logan Cooley should have gone first overall back in 2022, rather than Juraj Slafkovsky.
The third overall pick in the 2022 Draft, Cooley dominated the NCAA last year and is now providing a ton of offense for the Arizona Coyotes in their top six forward group. Cooley has already scored 11 points in his first 14 games, and looks like a future star. Slafkovsky is not a bust by any means (it’s faaaar too early to say that), although it does appear his development is stalling out with the way Montreal is handling him. It’s definitely not working so the Canadiens should focus on what’s best for him and also do their best not to watch too many Coyotes highlights.
Now we’re onto a new poll, and a very important one at that!
New Poll!
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