2023 NHL Draft: 2nd Round Pick 51, G Carson Bjarnason - Brandon

[TimKerrFan12]

Not sure what the Flyers traded but moved into the 2nd round and took Goalie Carson Bjarnason - Brandon WHL

 

 

https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/646947/carson-bjarnason

[TimKerrFan12]

This guy played for Team Canada but it looked like had some rough outings. 

[jammer2]

4 minutes ago, TimKerrFan12 said:

This guy played for Team Canada but it looked like had some rough outings. 

Yes, he got shelled in one game particularly. Carson was still the top rated North American Goalie. Just feels like the right move at this point of the draft. Giving away next years 2nd (plus another not so consequential asset) feels right. At this point, all the high end prospects are already gone in the top 50....what is left...high end Goalies. 

[pilldoc]

@TimKerrFan12

 

thanks for posting this ...was about to myself.  

[pilldoc]

51. Carson Bjarnason, G, BRANDON (WHL)

June 30, 2005 | 6′ 3″ | 190 pounds

 

Tier: Projected to play NHL games

Skating: NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average

 

Background:

Bjarnasson played the bulk of the games this season for Brandon. He was the backup goalie for Canada at the Hlinka. He started for Canada at the U18 Worlds, but struggled and couldn’t finish the tournament after suffering a concussion. Bjarnasson was undrafted in his WHL Bantam Draft.

 

Analysis:

Bjarnason has decent size at 6-foot-3, to go with very good quickness and ability to make the tough saves. His hockey IQ is probably his best trait, though. Bjarnason is consistently square with pucks, and makes difficult stops seem easy due to how well he reads and reacts to the play. He has a lot of efficiency in his game. He has NHL potential, but was inconsistent this season, with major highs and lows in his play. It’s hard for me to say he for sure has an NHL career, but I think he has a decent chance to do so.

 

From the Athletic .....

[OccamsRazor]

18 minutes ago, jammer2 said:

Yes, he got shelled in one game particularly. Carson was still the top rated North American Goalie. Just feels like the right move at this point of the draft. Giving away next years 2nd (plus another not so consequential asset) feels right. At this point, all the high end prospects are already gone in the top 50....what is left...high end Goalies. 

 

When you spin it this way we'll Danny comes up smelling like roses getting a stud with Ron's bust compensation.

 

Carter Hart i'm afraid by next offseason you will be traded....i hate it.

[pilldoc]

 

 

Goaltenders are always longer-term selections, but typically there are one or two standouts that dominate the conversation that often work their way into the First Round on draft day.

 

Heading into the 2023 Draft, the goaltending prospect that best fits this description is Carson Bjarnason, who is considered to be amongst the top-rated goalies of the class. In the net, Bjarnason tracks the puck at an elite level, and he understands how to put himself in the right position to cover as much of it as possible while always giving him a chance to make the stop. His body control is also fantastic, as he has a strong catching hand that he flashes with confidence and a blocker that is developing quickly.

 

Now, if you only look at his statistics you may not understand why Bjarnason is a highly touted prospect, as he posted a save percentage of .900 and a goals-against average of 3.08 in 47 games played for the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL. However, it’s worth noting that the Wheat Kings were not a particularly great team this year, as they missed the postseason. Also, as River Foster of portageonline.com pointed out:

 

 

So, the statistics of his first full season as a starter in the WHL aren’t indicative of the type of prospect Bjarnason is. When it comes to a top-flight prospect, Bjarnason has everything that NHL general managers look for. He has the size of a modern NHL starter, along with a toolkit that is filled to the brim with talent that can be refined into a dominant force if given the proper time to develop.

 

Carson Bjarnason – NHL Draft Projection
When discussing where a top goaltending prospect will fall on draft day, it gets a bit tricky at this point in the season. For example, back at the 2021 draft Sebastian Cossa jumped up the boards when he was the first goalie selected at 15th overall by the Detroit Red Wings. However, in April of that season, he was projected to be selected in the late first to early second round, before steadily climbing up the charts in the pre-draft discussion.

 

For Bjarnason, I’m not expecting a Cossa-like rise in the coming months, but I could still see him being the first goalie picked in 2023, with a late-first-round selection not being out of the question.

 

However, given the amount of talent up front in this draft, I’m expecting general managers to shy away from selecting a long-term project like a goalie in Round 1. This means Bjarnason should hear his name called no later than Round 2, likely somewhere in the pick 40-50 range. Some have him projected as late as the third round, but I doubt he would slip that far down the boards, barring a sudden shift in his play.

 

 

 

Strengths

• Tracks the puck at an elite level
• Deep toolkit that has NHL starter potential
• Big Frame that NHL General Managers love
• Was a workhorse for a below-average Wheat Kings team

 

Under Construction – Improvements to Make

• While he has an elite toolkit, Bjarnason still needs a lot of time to develop before reaching his full potential. He will be a project, but one that could be well worth the time investment.

NHL Potential
When you look at Bjarnason, you see the potential that makes him a top prospect for a reason. However, having a toolkit is one thing, whereas putting it all together is another. We’ve seen a lot of talented goalies never reach their potential because they were rushed into a difficult situation or simply couldn’t take that next step into professional hockey.

 

So, if the right team selects him and gives him time to develop, he could become a dominant force in four to six years. Yes, this means he would be a long-term project, but if handled properly, that investment could become a top-10 goaltender that backstops a franchise for a decade-plus.

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

Creating a goalie pipeline is smart. I wish they would have taken a center, but because goalies are so volatile, it makes sense to draft and invest heavily in goaltenders. 

[flyercanuck]

I wanted Beau Akey, but I guess at least we have a GM who realizes goalies matter.

Edited June 29, 2023 by flyercanuck

[OccamsRazor]

Could this be a steal the team needs for the future it would help a lot...

 

 

This very well could make Hart expendable say by the deadline....let Errson and Petersen take over the crease.

 

Leafs are ineed of a goalie with their goalie and them so far apart but if i trade him in the East it has to be an over pay.

[Podein25]

2 hours ago, OccamsRazor said:

Could this be a steal the team needs for the future it would help a lot...

 

 

This very well could make Hart expendable say by the deadline....let Errson and Petersen take over the crease.

 

Leafs are ineed of a goalie with their goalie and them so far apart but if i trade him in the East it has to be an over pay.

 

I'm not sure what you're suggesting. Bjarnason turned 18 three weeks ago. He's possibly so far away that I'm not sure it informs a decision on Hart. Or do I misunderstand?

 

[OccamsRazor]

27 minutes ago, Podein25 said:

 

I'm not sure what you're suggesting. Bjarnason turned 18 three weeks ago. He's possibly so far away that I'm not sure it informs a decision on Hart. Or do I misunderstand?

 

 

If the right deal comes along it may be best to move Hart now.

 

Let Ersson and Petersen or Sandström take over the net.

 

It's a rebuild. So blow it up.

 

Buy don't just move him to move him.

[OccamsRazor]

30 minutes ago, Podein25 said:

Bjarnason

 

We'll see where he is at in about 2 years should be ready for some AHL action.

[Brewin Flames]

Not sure if the list is updated or accurate but the current list of flyers net minders in the system are.....

 

Hart, Sanstrom, Peterson, Zavorgiv, Ersson, and Fedotov.

 

Even With Bjarnason being a few seasons away, unless he pulls a Carey Price and stats at 18, he probably already better than all except Hart.

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

It would be awesome if the Flyers could hire a good goaltending coach though. Kim Dillabaugh is terrible. It still kills me that Hextall sided with Craig Berube over Jeff Reese after the incident with Steve Mason. If that were any other GM, they'd have fired Berube for putting his starting goalie out on the ice after having his meniscus operation. That pretty much started the beginning of the end for Mason in Philadelphia.

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

2 minutes ago, Brewin Flames said:

Not sure if the list is updated or accurate but the current list of flyers net minders in the system are.....

 

Hart, Sanstrom, Peterson, Zavorgiv, Ersson, and Fedotov.

 

Even With Bjarnason being a few seasons away, unless he pulls a Carey Price and stats at 18, he probably already better than all except Hart.

You're missing Kolosov.

[Podein25]

13 minutes ago, BobbyClarkeFan16 said:

It would be awesome if the Flyers could hire a good goaltending coach though. Kim Dillabaugh is terrible. It still kills me that Hextall sided with Craig Berube over Jeff Reese after the incident with Steve Mason. If that were any other GM, they'd have fired Berube for putting his starting goalie out on the ice after having his meniscus operation. That pretty much started the beginning of the end for Mason in Philadelphia.

 

I don't know enough to say I agree with you, but this is the kind of insider perspective that is so valuable. I know you're not really an insider (or are you, bwhahahahaha?), but it's awesome. Dillabaugh was in LA and is a Hextall loyalist is part of the problem, right.

 

So, why do incoming GMs and coaches just keep the goalie coach they inherited? It seems to me that it happens frequently. You clear out all the old assistants except for the tendy coach. Seems weird. Or am I off base on that?

[OccamsRazor]

30 minutes ago, Brewin Flames said:

Ersson

 

Don't sleep on this guy i think he will start to separate from the pack more if he gets a lion share of starts in the net for the Phantoms this coming season.

[ctid]

On 6/29/2023 at 8:05 PM, pilldoc said:

 

 

So, if the right team selects him and gives him time to develop, he could become a dominant force in four to six years. Yes, this means he would be a long-term project, but if handled properly, that investment could become a top-10 goaltender that backstops a franchise for a decade-plus.

I'm not sure the Flyers are the right team to develop projects...

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

On 7/21/2023 at 5:10 PM, OccamsRazor said:

 

Don't sleep on this guy i think he will start to separate from the pack more if he gets a lion share of starts in the net for the Phantoms this coming season.

Kolosov is the guy I'm interested in. He might just be the best of the bunch. 

[OccamsRazor]

7 minutes ago, BobbyClarkeFan16 said:

Kolosov is the guy I'm interested in. He might just be the best of the bunch. 

 

All these options now might be the best time to move Hart.

 

Or move the young goalies for other pieces.

 

I guess we'll see what is up their sleeves soon.

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

11 hours ago, OccamsRazor said:

 

All these options now might be the best time to move Hart.

 

Or move the young goalies for other pieces.

 

I guess we'll see what is up their sleeves soon.

Well, Hart is the incumbent, but moving him will all hinge on this Hockey Canada investigation. If it turns out Hart was a participant in the assault, he'll be blackballed and never play in the league again. What's really concerning is how eerily quiet everything has been. It's almost as if that report is going to go the way of the Beth Wilkinson investigation into the operation of the Washington Commanders.....

[ruxpin]

On 7/21/2023 at 4:41 PM, BobbyClarkeFan16 said:

Kim Dillabaugh

Someone else mentioned him once, too.

 

And you're completely right, of course.

Edited July 23, 2023 by ruxpin

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

3 minutes ago, ruxpin said:

Someone else mentioned him once, too.

 

And you're completely right, of course.

I'd love to find a way to get Steve Mason or Jeff Reese back into the organization. Honestly, I'd say Mason was the last good goalie this club had and he did nothing to deserve to be banished by Hextall and Hakstol. As for Reese, he was a good goaltending coach. The fact he managed to coach up Rob Zepp and get some good play out of him speaks volumes about his ability. He should have never been fired over Craig Berube. Never. Still angers me to this day.

[ruxpin]

51 minutes ago, BobbyClarkeFan16 said:

As for Reese, he was a good goaltending coach.

I'd say he was a terrific goaltending coach.  I don't know enough to compare across the league, but in comparison to the hot garbage we've had over the years, he was stellar.   I would have prefered seeing him work with Hart rather than Dildo.  My theory is that Dildo got into Hart's head and that's the drop in play we saw from Hart until this year.   The theory goes on to speculate either his sports therapist or someone else got back into his head--or he overcame Dildo himself -- and got himself back on the right track.

 

53 minutes ago, BobbyClarkeFan16 said:

He did nothing to deserve to be banished by Hextall and Hakstol.

 

Agreed.    Between the two, I initially blamed Hextall with an assist from Hakstol.  In retrospect -- and how would I know then OR now? -- I blame Hextall.  Period.