Sustr

[meecrofilm]

Read yesterday that he has officially dropped out of UNO.

Snaaaap

[netwolf]

It was widely speculated he would leave after his junior year to seek NHL contracts and that's exactly what happened. He was at the Pens' development camp last summer and while I wouldn't say he's a sure-fire top 4 guy, I really cannot explain how he slipped through the draft. He's huge and his skating is that of a much smaller player. His passing and vision are really good. Maybe I'm guilty of over-selling the guy because you don't often see puck skills and skating like he has in a guy that big. FWIW, he was as impressive as you could be in a setting like development camp.

IIRC, he's also been to camps with the Senators, Lightning, and Rangers. Last I heard, 20+ teams had more than a passing interest in him. With the CBA limits on rookie deal, the contract offers will all be fairly comparable, so money won't be a factor.

Why he won't sign here: There's a lot of competition for this player. The Penguins are among the deepest teams in the league in terms of contracted defensemen. If the goal is to get to the NHL as soon as possible, there are much easier roads to take.

Why he will sign here: The Penguins are a top-notch organization that knows how to develop defensemen. They've turned guys with lesser ability (Lovejoy, Engelland) into NHL players. The Pens seem to have a connection to UNO (they signed Jayson Megna from there last year, prospect Josh Archibald plays there currently). Ray Shero has big ties to USA Hockey, as does UNO's head coach Dean Blais.

Again, I qualify all of this by saying I'm basing my opinions off of a week of development camp and a handful of games on TV. I'd love for Shero to add him to the mix though. If he does, I'd say he's among the Pens' top 10 prospects for sure, maybe even top 5.

[Mr. Colby]

I hope he wouldn't think of our organization as a place he'd struggle to make it. Most of our NHL guys are toward the end of their contracts, and most of our prospects have a long way to go.

Always room for a big physical body on our 3rd pairing. Engelland and Bortuzzo would be his only competition

[netwolf]

Just because he's 6'8" doesn't make him a bruiser. He plays strong, positional defense and uses his big wingspan (kind of like Kjell Samelsson if you remember him)from what I saw. He doesn't avoid contact by any means; he just doesn't look to hammer people.

[Gaucho]

Just because he's 6'8" doesn't make him a bruiser. He plays strong, positional defense and uses his big wingspan (kind of like Kjell Samelsson if you remember him)from what I saw. He doesn't avoid contact by any means; he just doesn't look to hammer people.

Sounds like prime whipping boy material.

[netwolf]

Around here? Most definitely, especially since it's common knowledge that hitting equals great defense.

[Pitts]

Bob McKenzie ‏@TSNBobMcKenzie 4m
College UFA 6-foot-8 D Andrej Sustr will cull list of 20 to 25 interested NHL teams tomorrow and Friday, likely to sign by weekend.

[Beveridge]

I'd like to know the list of 5-10 teams that aren't interested, haha.

[Idoit40fans]

I'd like to know the list of 5-10 teams that aren't interested, haha.

I'd be willing to bet that Calgary is one of them.

[NebraskaNic]

Watched him play several times with the UNO Mavericks... The beauty of the guy is just how much area on the ice is denied because of his wingspan and active stick. He'sa guy who can really setup his d-partner to have success just by being positionally sound, makes it easier for the other guy. Also, coming from a Dean Blais squad, you can guarantee the kid is well coached and conditioned and Blais squads tend to have a lot of Bylsma-esque philosophies.

[pens_CT]

Watched him play several times with the UNO Mavericks... The beauty of the guy is just how much area on the ice is denied because of his wingspan and active stick. He'sa guy who can really setup his d-partner to have success just by being positionally sound, makes it easier for the other guy. Also, coming from a Dean Blais squad, you can guarantee the kid is well coached and conditioned and Blais squads tend to have a lot of Bylsma-esque philosophies.

What happened to the UNO team this year? They really went into free fall the last month of the season.

[Pavel Bure]

Just because he's 6'8" doesn't make him a bruiser. He plays strong, positional defense and uses his big wingspan (kind of like Kjell Samelsson if you remember him)from what I saw. He doesn't avoid contact by any means; he just doesn't look to hammer people.

So a better skating Hal Gill?

[netwolf]

Better skating, better passing, better hands, better vision... pretty much just better period.

[Rylan]

Better skating, better passing, better hands, better vision... pretty much just better period.

Is developed enough to be in the NHL or will he still need a few years in the minors?

[netwolf]

I always have a tough time projecting how a guy's game might progress at the next level. He could probably handle bottom pairing for some NHL teams right now, but college to NHL is a big jump. I think it would probably be good for him to get some time in the minors just to adjust to being a pro. He has the physical skills to do it. Like I said earlier, I think he'd be among the Pens' top 10 prospects for sure, maybe even top 5.

Here's another article with some Sustr stuff, along with several other college UFAs that may be signing over the next few weeks. It says Sustr's defense partner for most of the year was Jaycob Megna. Jaycob is the brother of Jayson, who the Pens' signed last year as a college UFA. It also paints him as more physical than I saw in my limited viewings.

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articles/8 ... nhl-bound/

[Mongoose87]

HOW IS HE GOING TO CULL A LIST OF 20 TO A LIST OF 25!?

[meecrofilm]

No dungeon master worth his weight in Geldings goes anywhere without his..... 20-sided die.

[Mr. Colby]

I'd like to know the list of 5-10 teams that aren't interested, haha.

I'd be willing to bet that Calgary is one of them.

Calgary usually only likes guys that once played for Calgary

[columbia]

I'd like to know the list of 5-10 teams that aren't interested, haha.

I'd be willing to bet that Calgary is one of them.

Calgary usually only likes guys that once played for Calgary

The Steelers of the NHL.

[FallenHero96]

http://www.omaha.com/article/20130320/M ... 09838/1707

Andrej Sustr said Wednesday that he has narrowed his list of potential NHL organizations to five or six and hopes to make a decision within the next two or three days.

“The first couple of days (this week), my adviser said he got at least 20 calls on me,” Sustr said. “I've kind of narrowed it down every day to a certain amount of teams and I talked to about 10 teams' (general managers) over the phone. I'm just looking to see the best fit and opportunity.”

[wondermoose]

A guy that big that isn't naturally thicker would make me wary.

[Bioshock]

Sustr is a beast. Pray to god he comes to the Pens.

[netwolf]

There are some good quotes from Sustr in that omaha.com article. Thanks for posting it.

[mikey287]

Tampa Bay got Sustr.

[meecrofilm]

Sustr-Hedman could be beastly in a few years.