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Devante Stephens traded to Tampa (for reasons)


Sabel79

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33 minutes ago, Cage said:

I don't watch Cyclones games, but do follow the stats.  He was a +35 last year on the top team in ECHL.  He scored points and is 6'2".  What is the purpose of a farm club if we don't see what a guy on an ELC has?  Why couldn't they give him 10-15 games w/ Amerks and see if he should stick?  Our prospect experts rave about players who play well in Juniors or NCAA, but isn't ECHL a higher tier league than either of those?  It seems to me his stats were better in a tougher league and the team ignored it

Except the ECHL really isn't a higher tier league than the CHL or NCAA.  It's one thing if you're made up of the elite from those leagues, but that's not who heads to the ECHL.  They're pulling in the 3rd or 4th tier guys from those leagues.  So if you're a player in the ECHL, many of the elite guys who you previously faced don't wind up in your league and instead wind up in at least the AHL.  Things get watered down.

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3 hours ago, Cage said:

What has the bottom half of that list done that warrants that order?  Bryson and Fitzpatrick played in NCAA and put up lesser numbers.  Hickey's done little.  Redmond, MacWilliam, Paestch are career AHLers.  They determined he's lower ranked from 3-4 practices?

Redmond and MacWilliam are top tier AHL defensemen. They’re not sitting for a low end prospect like Stephens. 

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9 minutes ago, inkman said:

I can only speak from the talent level I see of fringe players who occasionally get called up but I say the ECHL is fairly close to juniors or NCAA hockey. Just the elite from those leagues never see it. 

I think your average ECHL player is better. NCAA or juniors obviously have high end talent, but the low end can be pretty bad. Usually only the better juniors or college players get a pro contract. 

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8 minutes ago, Amerks8796 said:

I think your average ECHL player is better. NCAA or juniors obviously have high end talent, but the low end can be pretty bad. Usually only the better juniors or college players get a pro contract. 

I don’t know for certain, but I would think that a lot of (at least some) NCAA/junior players would prefer to go off and start an alternate career, rather than make $500 per week for 6 months only in the ECHL.

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4 minutes ago, Curt said:

I don’t know for certain, but I would think that a lot of (at least some) NCAA/junior players would prefer to go off and start an alternate career, rather than make $500 per week for 6 months only in the ECHL.

I’m sure for some that’s the case, but I think what I said is true. I think the best ECHL team beats an NCAA without much difficulty. 

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4 minutes ago, Amerks8796 said:

I’m sure for some that’s the case, but I think what I said is true. I think the best ECHL team beats an NCAA without much difficulty. 

Without a doubt. It’s not a question of skill either. It’s more of a nod to experience really.

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11 minutes ago, Amerks8796 said:

I’m sure for some that’s the case, but I think what I said is true. I think the best ECHL team beats an NCAA without much difficulty. 

Best ECHL vs average NCAA D1?  Sure ECHL.

How about the best NCAA D1 team vs best ECHL team?  I’m probably betting on the NCAA.

Very bad NCAA D1 vs very bad ECHL?  I’d probably go with the ECHL.

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15 hours ago, Curt said:

Best ECHL vs average NCAA D1?  Sure ECHL.

How about the best NCAA D1 team vs best ECHL team?  I’m probably betting on the NCAA.

Very bad NCAA D1 vs very bad ECHL?  I’d probably go with the ECHL.

So with that said, Stephens was a +35 and had some offense to him on the best ECHL team.  I'm not suggesting he's the second coming, but seems I'd put him up on the Amerks for at least 1/4 season and see if he belongs.  He was signed to ELC as a 5th rounder, so he needed some time to develop, but now its 2 years later and it seems like he performed in Cincinnati.  If there's no purpose to ECHL other than to park a goalie for a season, then what's the point?

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15 hours ago, Curt said:

Best ECHL vs average NCAA D1?  Sure ECHL.

How about the best NCAA D1 team vs best ECHL team?  I’m probably betting on the NCAA.

Very bad NCAA D1 vs very bad ECHL?  I’d probably go with the ECHL.

I’d take the ECHL team all day. It’s a professional league with older players who are simply better than the kids are the NCAA level. It’s not a knock on college at all, but experience would win out on this one. The ECHL is actually quite a bit better than people seem to believe. Far better than it used to be and more and more NHL teams are starting to utilize it in a AA baseball sort of way. 

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9 minutes ago, Cage said:

So with that said, Stephens was a +35 and had some offense to him on the best ECHL team.  I'm not suggesting he's the second coming, but seems I'd put him up on the Amerks for at least 1/4 season and see if he belongs.  He was signed to ELC as a 5th rounder, so he needed some time to develop, but now its 2 years later and it seems like he performed in Cincinnati.  If there's no purpose to ECHL other than to park a goalie for a season, then what's the point?

Who’s he playing over?

Redmond

Pilut

Borgen

Gilmour

Bryson

Nelson

MacWilliam

Fitzgerald

 

All of these defensemen have been very good this season. 

 

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14 minutes ago, Amerks8796 said:

Who’s he playing over?

Redmond

Pilut

Borgen

Gilmour

Bryson

Nelson

MacWilliam

Fitzgerald

 

All of these defensemen have been very good this season. 

 

And it's not like he didn't have a chance to beat out any of these guys.  He's been in multiple training camps with the Sabres and with the Amerks.  They've had more than enough time to evaluate him in comparison to anyone else on the roster.

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