One of the things I've found over the years is that saving draft day scouting reports from credible sources is invaluable. Reason? Our memory plays tricks on us. Scouting reports just stay frozen in time, unaware of huge junior seasons at 18 and 19, or poor pro debuts.
They are 17-year old "lines in the sand" and they stay the same. Forever.
With all due respect to the Hockey News, they can no longer be considered in any way a credible source of scouting information. Their latest draft issue (2007) looks like it was published by the makers of People magazine: all gloss, no substance.
The heavy hitters of modern scouting info are International Scouting Service and Redline Report. ISS uses the same words a lot (I suspect they could use a good editor, as words like "mobile" show up for 50/50 defensemen, etc) and Redline has a pettiness that makes an otherwise outstanding publication a little less professional than they could be with a more mature outlook.
Either way, they're the best in their business. Here's ISS on draft day about Schremp:
An absolute wizard with the puck. A scoring threat whenever he is one the ice. Controls the play. Makes unbelievable passes; elite skills and vision. Schremp is a game breaking offensive pivot with superior playmaking ability and hockey sense. He is probably the most one dimensional of all of the top prospects this year. Despite not logging nearly as much ice in London as he did in Mississauga, he continued to contribute to London's high powered offence. Effective moving the puck on the PP and conducts the action during man advantage situations. A very smart player offensively, can read plays and reacts accordingly in the offensive zone. His speed is just average, however he does have a quick first step, elite vision and playmaking skill that make him very dangerous on the powerplay. For those who question his maturity, scouts sometimes forget we are talking about an 18-year old, and maturity comes with age. NHL Potential: 1st line offensive centreman.
And Redline:
Huge talent level, probably the best of any North American in this draft. Tremendous hands and magic with the puck. Average skating keeps him from being a truly special offensive player, yet still can be explosive. Unfortunately that usually only happens when he gets lots of ice to work with. Solid leg strength and low centre of gravity make him difficult to separate from the puck. Can make good d-men look stupid 1-on-1. Selfish and petulant with an attitude of entitlement; difficult teammate. Always looks to be focus of attention, but wants to make things happen and many times does. Unafraid of traffic. Lacks defensive intensity and off-ice issues are a concern, but abilities are first rate. If you can get past the baggage, he’s your man. Projection: Top flight playmaker or total bust. Style compares to: Marc Savard/Vaclav Prospal
The two scouting reports aren't that much different. Redline identifies the defensive aspect of his game and they famously came down hard on him attitude-wise (it seemed to be a Hockey USA issue that Redline took personally, at least that's how it looks from here).
After his AHL season, I think the Redline projection holds true. Schremp isn't really a tweener, he's an all or nothing. The best thing that could happen to him this summer is that the Oilers deal Joffrey Lupul.
Someone has to be in the Soft Parade, but coach MacTavish isn't going to have very many players of this type in the top 6 anytime soon. Schremp's AHL season corrected his junior Desjardins' NHLE by giving us a fair line in the sand based on a more reasonable ATOI total (Desjardins' NHLE for Schremp's AHL season is 10-21-31).
Can Rob Schremp score 30 points as an NHL rookie? Not on 4th line minutes, but a team in rebuilding mode might just do what they did with Mike Comrie Xmas 2000 (for those who don't know, Comrie arrived in the NHL to much fanfare + Doug Weight's linemates Ryan Smyth and Anson Carter).
Can Rob Schremp play on the same line as Ales Hemsky? On a MacTavish team?
We need several things to happen if Schremp is to move up from the AHL next season:
ReplyDelete- more improvement in his play away from the puck and in the defensive zone
- more improvement in his skating (injury hurts this)
- the ES nightmare twins Lupul and JFJ being dealt
- MAP becoming reliable ES player which would allow us to move Reasoner and create room for Schremp on the 4th line
That is a lot of ifs........not impossible........but difficult.
Asia: Plus Cogliano who could jump Schremp and a few others. Not likely, but certainly possible.
ReplyDeleteLT - honestly it would not surprise me to see Schremp dealt at the draft - especially if his rehab has gone well. Too many young guys fighting for too few soft spots - something has to give this summer.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Asiaoil. LT has sort of hinted he thinks Pouliot might be dealt.
ReplyDeleteIt makes no sense whatsoever to hold on to Schremp and deal MAP. None whatsoever.
Schremp or Lupul? I'd deal 'em both.
There's only one winger on the team that would be capable of babysitting Shremp, and historically he's already had to babysit Raffi.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, throw him up in the bigs for a few games to see what he has. His value is low already, might as well lay the cards on the table and see what falls where.
In a MacTavish world, Schremp doesn't stand a chance.
ReplyDeleteLupul for Kubina? Great trade. I'd make the deal in a heartbeat. Of course 5m is too much but it helps address a big problem. I also love a Torres+ for Pitkanen deal. Adding those TWO solid, puck moving dmen would help quickly overcome last year's largest liability - not to mention how it could help the PP. After rebuilding the back end, signing Hartnell, starts to make a whole lot of sense... they are great simple moves. But it all starts on the backend.
Note: I believe Smid/Greene is a solid, VERY young 5-6. I wouldn't bail on these two yet! Stick it out and reap the rewards down the line.
But, Schremp... not unless he is the first true PP specialist (maybe not a bad idea) on a team with impressive depth (not the Oilers as of today).
I've said it a few times on here, but I truly believe that the best thing for Rob Schremp would be to get dealt to St. Louis. The team could use a flashy American center and Robbie would benefit from being on a team unafraid of his player type, not to mention playing under the guidance of Dougie Weight. And as you pointed out, there's no way we have space on this team for Hemsky, Lupul, Schremp, and Nilsson, especially when considering our overall lack of size from our checking and grit players too.
ReplyDeleteSchremp can play with Hemsky on a MacT team, just as long as he doesn't make too many defensive mistakes and scores at least 25-40-65 or so. Otherwise, he's back to fourth-line minutes and second unit PP. Who do you put on the LW of that unit? Moreau, I suppose. Chopper's done well with Hemsky in the past, and if Schremp doesn't respect what Moreau tells him, he's never going to make it on that team anyway.
ReplyDeleteToo bad Rob Schremp can't be put on waivers.
ReplyDeleteLowetide said...
ReplyDeleteAsia: Plus Cogliano who could jump Schremp and a few others. Not likely, but certainly possible.
Well I think you might be right here LT. Based on MacT's comments in the paper today.
Of course he always says the part to be fair that there is a good chance this kid or that can make the team out of camp. But I certainly do not recall him saying about Schremp that if he goes down to the AHL he feels there is a good chance that Cogs can come up and make the team half way through the season.
Just going by past comments I think Cogs is pretty high on MacT's prospect list and I would almost bet unless it is an unbelievable blockbuster that Cogliano is as close to untouchable as any of our prospects gets.
Lets give Schremp another year in the AHL, this time learning the Oilers system in Springfield. I doubt he learned much about the defensive aspects of play in WBS. Let him be a go-to guy for at least half a season with the Falcons, give him some sort of leadership role where he'll be forced to play hard every night.
ReplyDeleteIf by some miracle this happens to turn on something in his head that he can be an NHL player, bring him up, give him Hemsky and Pisani on a line, and powerplay time. Hemsky and Schremp are the playmakers and Pisani can finish plays, we all saw that during the cup run. He'll be a player for us before long, but he's only 20-21...there's no reason to give up on him yet after only one season of professional hockey.