Reid Boucher

[DevilishWon]

Devils' Reid Boucher hopes to get his 'shot' in the NHL now | NJ.com

62 goals at Sarnia....can he make the jump?

 

[DevilishWon]

update...hope the kid starts potting some goals early

Devils prospect Reid Boucher feels he can make the team this year | NJ.com

 

[Nasty_Magician]

Maybe start him in Albany and bring him up when our older guys ineveitably start to wear out or get injured. Let him play against legit competition in the AHL until January and then see where we're at.

 

[MadCaptain]

Not sure where to put this complaint but I guess here is the best place since it relates to Boucher.

Have any of you guys lost confidence in the Albany farm system? The team is a perennial loser each year, hasn't been managed particularly well, and really doesn't try to do anything to change this. Its a total contrast to what the Devils are supposed to represent. I think its telling that the best player to come out of the system, Mark Fayne, spent more time at the ECHL level than the AHL level.

Now, I typically dislike teams that try to do a slow rebuild while bringing up their prospects in a losing atmosphere with no push to win from management. Those players are always the ones with off-ice issues and lack motivation. Hell, every company/job has these problems if there isn't a culture of strong worth ethics and quality control set by upper management. My concern is that Albany has fallen into a place where it is providing sub-standard development for the prospects which will lead them to constantly disappoint at the NHL level when finally brought up.

As for Boucher, I seem to remember him being one of the youngest players drafted in 2011. I went and checked the dates and he made the cut by one week, which would make him one of the youngest. His peers (older 2012 draftees) are close but not all ready to enter the NHL yet. Naturally I would think the best thing for him is to abuse his NHL-ready shot at the AHL level for at-least a few months to better adapt defensively to the stronger AHL forwards, rather than struggle defensively at the NHL level and lose confidence in his shot by changing his style. With all the problems with Albany, however, I'm not sure if thats best for his development.

What do you guys think is best? Sink or swim crash course to the NHL or slower development through the disaster that is Albany?

 

[nj_cup]

I have huge issues with Albany hell I have issues with corrente.

The main problem with Albany is its loaded with former devils players the gm is lous son. Brylin was just named to the coaching staff. After seeing what happened when Mac went there and came back it should be a huge red flag!


I don't want to hear the team is in a constant win now mode or the draft picks are late rounders. That's bs and brings me to my second problem with scouting. Sure the devils have a few good prospects but that's bound to happen what about the Ted jj frazee hallishuk conte and many more. How come yu don't hear of a signing out of Europe like rafalski?


I think the problem is its become a good old boys club. Heck I remember when moose was bought out he might take a job with the team...what?!;!?!?!? I'm sure he's a nice guy but what qualifies him to be a scout or a special assignment coach.

Pdb will get fired one day you know who will replace him? Stevens and what qualifications would he have? Just that he played on the devils? Would much rather see our former players move to other teams as coching or scouting and being back those ideas from other teams. 29 other teams out there let's get some fresh ideas in here!

Same with corrente you found some gems but gotta hold his feet to the flame or he will just grow complacent.


None of this will change until Lou leaves. At that point I hope his son doesn't take over

 

[nj_cup]

A couple things I would look to do different with Albany.

Simple I would change the team name try to get away from the devils as much as you can. Maybe eeven look into putting the team further away give them an identity not just little brother to the devils 4hrs away. Would it change anything I don't know I believe they won the Calder cup as the river rats.

While I do want them to play the devils way for the most part I think moving them away let's them play their own game in a way. I would also get rid of the gm I'm sorry but he's been running thing since I can remember and the have sucked. Just looks bad when your dad is the boss.

I would also tell the scouting department the final draft round every year give me the best non NHL level player and I'm drafting him for the ahl. Face it guys like parise and other stars will play a year and move to the NHL no matter what. Its those fringe players I worry about like teds or JJ or any other player out them on a farm team off in Wyoming that doesnt suck and have a former 3rd line Russian for a coach would they be better?


Also this isn't a devils team that constantly brought up its star talent. Hell this roster has been mostly the same for how my years. Those kids in Albany should have a bunch of time to gel but something is holding them back.

Outside ted JJ kingslayer who have the devils brought up recently

 

[kellmit]

I think it's more about our lack of organizational depth than anything else.. Albany stinks because all of our talent is in the NHL already

 

[Nasty_Magician]

I think it's more about our lack of organizational depth than anything else.. Albany stinks because all of our talent is in the NHL already

Pretty much my thoughts.

 

[MadCaptain]

Our defense prospect depth is as deep as its ever been, possibly deeper than late 90s early 2000s when the farm team was winning titles. The team still is really bad. There's just been an endless train of underwhelming prospects from the minors with Corrente, Bergfors, Tedenby, Josefson, Palmieri, Urbom, Frazee, Fraser, and a few others I can't recall. The AHL hasn't really produced anything over the past 6-7 years post-lockout outside of Henrique and he's still unproven with a sub-par season last year.

 

[nj_cup]

Pretty much my thoughts.

How can you even say that? Who has been brought up recently? Henrique jj ted. The d prospects remain just that prospects and the fact that we are carrying 6 NHL d men already should raise a few flags as to the readiness of our d prospects.


To say that the talent is in the NHL is a real reach. In fact the team was pretty shitty when praise zajac henrique were there.

 

[nj_cup]

Someone is to blame either its the scouts for drafting shitty players or its the farm club for not getting these kids ready.

 

[Nasty_Magician]

Stephen Gionta, solid. Adam Henrique solid. Greene and Fayne came up through the system. There's just not much depth up front in the minors. Our D has been solid. Not every prospect in every organization turns into a stud. Look around the league and see how many guys that were supposed to be studs were busts. Hell how many Rangers have we heard of being the next guy and they all wind up being mediocre to bad.

 

[DevilishWon]

I think it's more about our lack of organizational depth than anything else.. Albany stinks because all of our talent is in the NHL already

No you don't understand it's an old boys club...lets hope Avery doesn't show up

 

[DevilishWon]

Someone is to blame either its the scouts for drafting shitty players or its the farm club for not getting these kids ready.

Blame for what. I don't give a crap if the AHL team wins or loses as long as we keep bringing Henriques etc up to the big club. The rag$ almost always have a good farm team....they win the cup once a century...perhaps we should emulate them

 

[MadCaptain]

Another thing to think about:

The most successful coach the AHL team has had since the 2005 lockout was John MacLean

 

[nj_cup]

Blame for what. I don't give a crap if the AHL team wins or loses as long as we keep bringing Henriques etc up to the big club. The rag$ almost always have a good farm team....they win the cup once a century...perhaps we should emulate them

dont get me wrong i'm not watching the albany squad daily or anything like that. but to say you don't care if they win or lose is a bit strange. you do realize that the majority of the young talent comes through albany. like mad said they are breeding a culture of losing down there straight up through the coaching that we bring up to the nhl level (mac).

good players will pass through there with no problems. fringe players like ted and jj? well their development will really suffer and look at what we have now 2 useless 4th liners (ted and jj) when maybe in the right environment they could be productive.

yeah i know the book isn't written yet on these kids but lets face it it aint looking good for either one of them!

 

[nj_cup]

Stephen Gionta, solid. Adam Henrique solid. Greene and Fayne came up through the system. There's just not much depth up front in the minors. Our D has been solid. Not every prospect in every organization turns into a stud. Look around the league and see how many guys that were supposed to be studs were busts. Hell how many Rangers have we heard of being the next guy and they all wind up being mediocre to bad.

henrique is solid but lets face it he was a 3rd round pick which is still pretty high. he was also playing on a line with taylor hall. hell i would've been more worried that albany was going to fuck him up rather then albany teaching him.

gionta fayne and greene are all solid and good examples of what i want from a solid farm team. but lets get real they are a 3-4th line center. 2 fringe top 4 d men. i get that not every pick will turn out but i'm not asking for that...i'm just asking for them to produce something of nhl quality players.

 

[Nasty_Magician]

It's possible Teds and JJ are just busts. It happens. It may have nothing to do with Albany and what goes on there. Some guys just aren't meant to play in the NHL. And before you pounce and say then the scouting staff or somebody needs to be fired, every single team has draft busts.

If this crop of D we've been hearing about doesn't pan out then there's some cause for alarm. But there have been enough guys that have come up and had some level of success at the NHL level that I'm not going to write off our AHL affiliate as some New York Mets like disaster of a team from top to bottom.

 

[rp2five]

Devilish sums it up perfectly.
Albany's job is to serve the NJ Devils. Winning is second.
Preparing players for NHL level and doing what New Jersey tells them is the number 1 priority.
Thats it.

Chicago's AHL team didnt make the playoffs last season. Albany wasn't terrible, they missed the playoffs by few games. Rangers AHL team also missed the playoffs.
Montreal's team were the worst in the league.

Now questioning our draft picks, thats a different story.
Being the GM of a minor league team is not the same. You don't make a trades to get better. The parent club takes care of that.

 

[rp2five]

Also, when guys like Tedenby return to Albany, they come with instructions. Devils will say make sure he works on the defensive game. Or put him on the PP (even if there is a unit that is already clicking) They pretty much dictate what needs to be done.