Let's Check In With Chicago
I watched Pyotr Kochetkov's season debut with the Chicago Wolves on Saturday.
It’s certainly not how I expected Kochetkov to make his season debut, but then again, he’s almost never doing something you expect him to. It’s the first full Wolves game I’ve watched this year, although I’ve seen chunks of most of the games. With a four month old puppy in the house, rarely do I get enough time to sit down and actually watch a full game. Tonight was one of those rare nights, so here are some thoughts on the Wolves, some standout players and how things are looking for some Canes prospects right now. I’ll start with forwards and end with goaltenders here.
Noel Gunler - Gunler isn’t technically a prospect anymore, but he did have a three assist game on Saturday and is noticeably better this year. I don’t think he’s the dominant power winger that the Hurricanes hoped he would be when he was drafted, but he’ll have a good year in the AHL. Gunler not working out is a huge bummer, because Carolina really lacks size in their pipeline and it’d be nice to have a 6’2” winger on the Hurricanes right now.
Justin Robidas - He’s still just as pesky as ever and brings a lot to this Chicago lineup. It seems like he’s either crashing the net or making something happen every shift, and for a guy that’s a generous 5’8”, that means something. Robidas’ path to the NHL is very murky right now, but he could see games at some point. I think at this point, it’s looking like he’s a good to great AHL player that could see some NHL games sprinkled in throughout his career.
Ivan Ryabkin - This might have been Ryabkin’s best pro game to this point. He was aggressive on the forecheck, had a nice play on Dominik Badinka’s eventual game winning goal, and nearly set up Blake Biondi for a goal in the third period. Ryabkin definitely looks a step too slow at the AHL level and there’s a noticeable drop off in skill, but physically and mentally he belongs in this league. There’s been some noticeable improvements in his game, particularly in how quickly he makes decisions with the puck, that make me think he’s here to stay.
Gleb Trikozov - Man, I just do not see it. Gleb struggles to gain positioning in the offensive zone and hasn’t showcased any of that skill that made him a second round pick in 2022. Gleb is at his best when he’s crashing the net and using his slick hands to move the puck in a small area to beat the goalie. He doesn’t do that often enough to be effective, though, so most of the time you won’t notice him.
Felix Unger-Sorum - I’d like to spend some time talking about Felix. Last year, he lacked confidence and it was clear he felt like he was in over his head. He was overhandling pucks, passing on golden scoring opportunities, and looking lost out on the ice. This year has been a complete 180 for him. He was held scoreless in this game, but I felt that he was one of Chicago’s best players on the ice. Felix looks like a new man this year. He’s making elite plays happen nearly every shift, handling the puck with confidence, playing off of contact and making great decisions at a quick pace. He looks noticeably stronger and much more comfortable with the pace of play, too. Felix has some of the best vision in the system and is one of the Hurricanes’ best playmaking prospects, too. We’re seeing that level of talent on display this year. I’m also noticing that Felix is playing with a bit more assertiveness this year. Last year, he’d turtle in the offensive zone and turn the puck over. While that still happens from time to time, I’m seeing Felix make plays off of contact and draw a crowd to him, which in turn frees up one of his teammates to receive a pass. It’s really encouraging stuff.
Dominik Badinka - Defensively, I’m still seeing a player that needs to get comfortable with the level. He hasn’t been bad, but I would like to see him be a little more aggressive and physical. I do like his puck moving and I’ve found his confidence with the puck on his stick refreshing. His goal in Saturday’s game was a nice one, reading that the goalie was out of position and banking the puck in off of him to score. Badinka’s all around game has taken a step and he doesn’t look out of place at all for a teenage defender in his first AHL season.
Aleksi Heimosalmi - Man, talk about not seeing it. I haven’t hated Heimosalmi’s offensive zone shifts this year, but his defense has been atrocious and when he’s not out of position, he’s taking a penalty to avoid getting beat. He’ll be 23 next year, and I don’t see a future in which he’s an NHL player.
Bryce Montgomery - I know that Bryce may be on the older side for our prospects, but he had a really strong defensive game and had a few good moments offensively. He broke up a pass and the puck hit him in the face, then proceeded to try and block the shot after the redirection off of his face. Those types of plays will earn him the trust of his coaches, and I felt that he was given more ice time as the game went along. With three of Chicago’s regular defenders up with Carolina (Fensore didn’t make it in time for this game), Montgomery has received a golden opportunity to showcase his skill set.
Pyotr Kochetkov - Kochetkov was solid in this game, making a couple of really nice saves and generally looking back up to game speed. I can’t imagine that the Hurricanes will leave him in Chicago for very long, although their goaltending situation probably does warrant some thought. Kochetkov was challenged a few tiems and made strong saves, staying square to pucks and attacking the angles, leaving shooters with very little room. His only goal allowed was on a perfect screen, so it’s hard to blame him for that. Kochetkov did not lose his stick in this game, however, so can we really even consider this one of his starts? In all seriousness, I thought he looked solid in net. I think people have forgotten how good Kochetkov can be when he’s at his best, and Brandon Bussi’s performance to start the year has made that even more of the case. Kochetkov can look like a top ten goalie in the league when he’s on his game, but the problem is that when he isn’t on his game, he looks legitimately awful. We have yet to see him prove that he can be a starter, so maybe this is the year he finally does it.
Nikita Quapp - Kochetkov’s start on Saturday reinforced my belief that this Wolves team’s biggest struggle is their goaltending. Since they were getting solid goaltending, they were able to generate offensive chances and push the pace. Quapp has been awful to start his professional career in North America, and I’m not sure what we’re doing here.
Apologies for the delay on this one. Between a heavier than usual work schedule and my purchase of a Switch 2, productivity has gone out the window. I’ll have more notes on the Hurricanes in the coming days, as I want to take some time to shout out the defense, Jackson Blake, and more.