Will Josh and/or Leon return this fall?

[Wapitikev]

Well, as most of us know, both Josh and Leon are too young to play in the AHL this fall, so either they make the show or they come back to PA.

This thread is for musings and news affecting that situation.

-Wapitikev

[Wapitikev]

Most recent (and bad for the Raiders) news regarding Leon is the departure via trade of Sam Gagne to Arizon (via Tampa). Ted Purcell (who I've had in my keeper league for 4 years and counting) comes over in return.

Purcell is a winger.

With no Ryan Smyth this season, there is now a smoking crater in the Oil's depth chart at Center for Leon to fill. Without doubt he'll have all of training camp, pre-season and the first 9 games of the NHL season to prove he belongs there.

Will he be good enough, by then, for Edmonton to burn a year of his entry level contract and keep him for the year?

As a Leon fan I hope he gets that good that fast...he is one of the most talented Raiders I've seen play and he deserves it. He's going to be a great NHL player for a long time.

But, as a Raiders fan I hope they let him play his final year in Junior to improve his skating, his in-tight shooting, and become completely dominant against ALL D-men in the WHL (instead of just 90% of them) in preparation for facing bigger tougher NHL d-men, every night, in 2015.

But the odds of his return to PA took a huge hit on Sunday morning from what they were on Friday at midnight.

Dag.

-Wapitikev

[Wapitikev]

Josh Morrissey had a spectacular playoff run with the IceCaps of the AHL, proving what we already knew...his skill is more than enough to compete with AHL calibre forwards and goalies while seeing time on the second powerplay pairing.

One issue that continued to be mentioned by sportswriters throughout the playoffs, however: his strength and size.

While nothing can be done about his height, Morrissey himself (in one of the articles I read) admits that hitting the gym hard is a main goal this summer.

Meanwhile, in Winnipeg, the Jets already have 7 D-men under contract for the coming year, plus sometimes-defenseman Dustin Byfuglien, plus 25yo playoff hero (and leading defensive scorer and physically ready) Zach Redmond, waiting in the wings in St John.

A budget conscious team like Winnipeg cannot afford to burn a year off Josh's contract while he sits in the stands as the sometimes 8th D-man...Pardy and Postma both make almost $200,000 less than Josh would, so they are far more economical (and physically capable) options for the 6 and 7 d-men. In fact, Winnipeg just renewed Pardy for another year on Monday June 30th 2014.

Neither can Winnipeg afford to sit one of their top salaried powerplay guys in favour of Josh.

Next season, Pardy is an UFA and Postma is a RFA. Without one (or both) of them, it wouldn't surprise me if Truba is bumped down into one of their roles by Josh.

So, for this year, without some serious trades, there looks to be little room for Josh in Winnipeg. If the team keeps their current d-men and none of the powerplay guys get seriously injured before mid-October, we'll see Josh back in PA after 9 NHL games.

There's still a lot of time for trades before training camp, though.

-Wapitikev

[Wapitikev]

Redmond was signed by Colorado today...so he's not clogging up the depth-chart in the Peg any longer.

But Winnipeg also qualified Ben Chairot (from the Icecaps) on Monday, as well as renewing Pardy...so that's 8 defensemen under contract for the coming season.

-Wapitikev

[Wapitikev]

Josh was exempted from the Jets development camp due to his long WHL/AHL season.

-Wapitikev

[puckdad]

Unfortunately for Raider fans, I'm certain Leon will not be back. He has the size & strength to play at the next level as shown by his participation with Germany's National Team where he more than held his own while playing against men. Even if the slight chance he doesn't crack Edmonton's lineup, Europe is a real option for him this year. Although he has too much class to say it publicly, he (as do all the players) despises Clouston, and would do anything possible not to have to endure another year under him like last year.

[Wapitikev]

...so either way he's not back here in the fall.

Would Edmonton want him all the way over in Europe if he didn't make their squad? How are their Euro training staff as opposed to how often their regular staff could work with him in PA (or he could go there)?

As I'm sure that Leon will soon discover...it is now about what Edmonton wants...not what Leon wants.

-Wapitikev

[puckdad]

Of course Edmonton would want him there. There are excellent Pro Leagues in Europe, including the DEL (German Elite League) that Leon's father both played & coached in. He'd be playing against men - a lot of ex CHL, AHL & even ex NHL players play there. Superior coaching & skill development than the WHL. As to Edmonton staff "working with him" if he does not make the Oilers.....come on. It just doesn't happen. They'll want him playing where he can best continue his development. As much as we tout the WHL as "developing the World's Finest Talent" ....ask yourself where most of the truly exceptional players in the NHL come from.

[Wapitikev]

I was honestly asking (hence the question marks) about Edmonton's staff and where they'd want him.

I didn't have the faintest clue.

Thanks for edjumacating me.

And I honestly thought that the best players in the NHL came from the CHL...where do they come from? AHL? Europe?

I agree that Leon is likely not to return...where he plays will be up to Edmonton. If is not here, then it really doesn't matter (to me) what the name of the league is.

Wherever he plays, I'm still a Leon D fan.

And a Raiders fan.

-Wapitikev

[puckdad]

I'm a huge Leon fan as well. He has been by far the most exciting player we've had the pleasure to watch since the Mike Modano days. Not only has he been a great PA Raider, there is no question in my mind that he's going to be a great NHL player in the near future. He has the physical attributes and the right mental attitude to be a star in the show.

IMO most European players have a better individual skill set than their North American counterparts. Euros come to the CHL to learn how to couple their skills with NA Systems. In talking with a Czech-born coach who coaches in a hockey academy in Sweden (the equivalent of Notre Dame in Midget AAA), they spend a total of 20-30 minutes a WEEK on systems. The rest of their practices are all geared to skill development. The practice to game ratio is 3-or-4 to 1 in Europe. North American and, in particular, Canadian coaches spend a large part of every practices on team systems, all the way down to Atom age. More games, fewer practices equates to individual players developing a less complete hockey skill set.

Hockey Canada still trains coaches with a version of hockey systems developed in the 1980's by Dave King when he was in charge of Canada's National Team. He was one of the most innovative & best coaches I've ever played for but that's 30 years ago and the game has evolved so much since then.
Coaches here aren't rewarded for developing players, they're rewarded for winning games, and until that changes, foreign leagues will continue to develop more individually skilled players.

[Wapitikev]

Ellerby played 51 games for the Jets last year.

...now all 8 D-men who played 20 games or more for the Jets, last season, are signed for this fall.

Trouba and Ellerby are the only ones on 2-way contracts (although it's unlikely that Trouba would be sent down without a major sophomore slump)...the other 6 are on 1-way contracts.

...still hoping that there is no big trade prior to October 29th.

-Wapitikev

[Wapitikev]

Interested in what people think that Josh would be worth at the January trade deadline, assuming Winnipeg sends him back to the Raiders prior to the world juniors?

Is a 1st round bantam pick unreasonable?

-Wapitikev

[Sttop]

If Josh is returned I would think he would be worth a young defence men , good prospect and a 1st . He is one of the best if not best all around dmen in the league

[Wapitikev]

Winnipeg signed Julien Brouillette to a two-way contract last Friday. He played 10 games for the Capitals last season.

That's 6 one-way contracts and 3 2-way contracts for players who saw at least 10 NHL games last season.

The 2-way contracts signed by the Jets for Defensemen are:

Jacob Trouba 65 Jets
Keaton Ellerby 51 Jets
Julien Brouillette 10 Capitals
Ben Chiarot 1 Jets
Julian Melchiori 1 Jets
Cody Sol 0 AHL IceCaps
Will O'Neill 0 AHL IceCaps
Brenden Kitchton 0 AHL IceCaps

So 6 one-way contracts and Trouba likely leaves Ellerby and Brouillette in the AHL, unless there is an injury to a bottom 3 d-man.

Still hoping for no top-4 d-men trades/injuries on the Jets this season.

-Wapitikev

[Wapitikev]

The next step in Leon making the Oil permanently.

Nice to hear that he would be "excited to play" back in PA, if he is returned. -PA NOW.com

-Wapitikev