ECHL: Greensboro Gargoyles at NHL Prospect Camp

Yesterday the Carolina Hurricanes and the Nashville Predators kicked off their prospect tournament, which featured a handfull of players on contracts with the Greensboro Gargoyles.

The Game

Well, this was certainly the first competitive game of hockey for these prospects in a while. The game started very slow, and was full of defensive errors and shots going wide of the net. Ruslan Khazheyev made several big saves early for the Hurricanes prospects, but Nashville would open the scoring when they put home a rebound off the post late in the second period. Just a few minutes later the Predators would score again on a powerplay, beating Khazheyev high. The Hurricanes would answer back in the third period thanks to Zachary Lansard. The Predators would stop the comeback before it got going, getting a breakaway goal to get the lead back to two. Nashville would then get the empty net goal to take the game 4-1. There was a shootout after the game, as is typical in prospect tournaments. That shootout went scoreless for a stunning thirteen rounds until finally Khazheyev was beat.

The Gargoyles

For this portion I will be going over the Gargoyles that are confirmed on the team this year, as well as a goaltender who has the potential to be on the team this upcoming season.

Oskar Briedis

We will start with Oskars Briedis, the young Latvian who has a wealth of international experience. Briedis is certainly a stay at home defenseman. He got his stick in the passing lanes a few times and was solid defensively. I would like to see him improve the offensive part of his game, make quicker decisions, and improve his skating ability. He will be a fine defenseman at the ECHL level and certainly has some upside as he develops.

Tyler Cristall

Next up, Tyler Cristall. Cristall is just 5’9 but you would never know it. He was highly noticeable on every shift. Cristall does not have a ton of high-end skill, but he is absolutely fun to watch. The word I would use to describe him is “pest” and that is something you need in the ECHL. This is a player that Gargoyles fans should get to know quick because he may just become a fan favorite.

Chase Lefebvre

The next player is Chase Lefebvre. Lefebvre is massive. He has breakaway speed, has a decent stick in all three zones, and can place his shot fairly well. The only downside is that he doesn’t seem to have a ton of power behind his shot, that observation could simply be due to lack of opportunities. He did have his own breakaway where he tried to go high glove side but that got turned away. I think he will be a solid depth guy for the Gargoyles who can contribute on the scoresheet from time to time.

Austen May

The final skater is Austen May. To be honest, he wasn’t super noticeable in this first game. Despite not doing much statistically, I do think he has improved on his game awareness. He made some solid decisions away from the puck and got rid of the puck when he needed to. If a defenseman isn’t talked about postgame that is usually not a bad thing. He will have another chance to make an impact against the Lightning prospects.

Ruslan Khazheyev

Finally, we have Ruslan Khazheyev. Let me start by saying that it is in not way confirmed that he will be back in Greensboro. He will have every opportunity to earn a spot with the Wolves this upcoming season. Now that part is over with, he looked really good. His confidence was there, he made several big saves early, he had two breakaway saves, and was fantastic in the shootout. Khazheyev has all the tools of a future NHL goaltender and is a player Hurricanes fans should keep a very close eye on. If he ends up back in Greensboro this season the Gargoyles will be in absolutely fantastic hands.