|
|
Post by Boston_Habs on Jul 13, 2023 10:54:12 GMT -5
Well, easy to find lots to back up why he wasn't drafted if you go looking. apparently . Exactly. It's like last year with Shane Wright. Nobody ever really questioned his character until all of a sudden character became an issue right before the draft? Now everyone is looking for cover to explain why they didn't draft Michkov. I'd rather people just say they weren't sold on his talent or didn't have enough to go on rather than coming up with BS reasons. I'm not saying character doesn't matter, he may very well be an a-hole, but there are lots of super competitive athletes who aren't exactly choir boys. What matters is what happens on the ice. Seems that management feels compelled to go on a bit of an "apology tour" to explain the Reinbacher pick. That's all fine and I sure hope they expect him to be more than just a 2nd pair RHD, but that's not exactly the consensus among scouts and even Hughes said they probably wouldn't have picked him if he were a LHD. If you think you have another Alex Pietrangelo on your hands then you don't care if he's LH or RH. So there is a bit of a disconnect there, but I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt for now. All justifications aside, the final word on this draft will be written in the next 3-5 years. If Michkov turns into the real deal then the Habs will be judged harshly on this pick. |
|
|
|
Post by Tankdriver on Jul 13, 2023 12:22:01 GMT -5
Well, easy to find lots to back up why he wasn't drafted if you go looking. apparently . Exactly. It's like last year with Shane Wright. Nobody ever really questioned his character until all of a sudden character became an issue right before the draft? Now everyone is looking for cover to explain why they didn't draft Michkov. I'd rather people just say they weren't sold on his talent or didn't have enough to go on rather than coming up with BS reasons. I'm not saying character doesn't matter, he may very well be an a-hole, but there are lots of super competitive athletes who aren't exactly choir boys. What matters is what happens on the ice. Seems that management feels compelled to go on a bit of an "apology tour" to explain the Reinbacher pick. That's all fine and I sure hope they expect him to be more than just a 2nd pair RHD, but that's not exactly the consensus among scouts and even Hughes said they probably wouldn't have picked him if he were a LHD. If you think you have another Alex Pietrangelo on your hands then you don't care if he's LH or RH. So there is a bit of a disconnect there, but I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt for now. All justifications aside, the final word on this draft will be written in the next 3-5 years. If Michkov turns into the real deal then the Habs will be judged harshly on this pick. Maybe Hughes mentioned that, because he has like 5 or 6 LD's in the system and not because of skill set? Dunno. I'll give the kid a chance. I'm hoping he turns into Pietrangelo. Very good defenceman but not a great defenceman (Makar, Hedman, Josi level) in my books. |
|
|
|
Post by jkr on Jul 13, 2023 12:43:34 GMT -5
The negative comments about Michkov may be warranted but who knows. If your pick cant stand on its own merits without slagging someone else, than there is a problem.
Dont sell the pick on negativity, tell me the positives .
This reminds me of the Subban trade. Friendly shills like Marinaro started talking trash about PK and we were all supposed to believe it.
|
|
|
|
Post by Willie Dog on Jul 13, 2023 13:13:35 GMT -5
The reason I am giving HuGo the benefit if the doubt is that the Michkov concerns were voiced by people outside the organisation
|
|
|
|
Post by seventeen on Jul 13, 2023 13:22:43 GMT -5
Well, easy to find lots to back up why he wasn't drafted if you go looking. apparently . Exactly. It's like last year with Shane Wright. Nobody ever really questioned his character until all of a sudden character became an issue right before the draft? Now everyone is looking for cover to explain why they didn't draft Michkov. I'd rather people just say they weren't sold on his talent or didn't have enough to go on rather than coming up with BS reasons. I'm not saying character doesn't matter, he may very well be an a-hole, but there are lots of super competitive athletes who aren't exactly choir boys. What matters is what happens on the ice. Seems that management feels compelled to go on a bit of an "apology tour" to explain the Reinbacher pick. That's all fine and I sure hope they expect him to be more than just a 2nd pair RHD, but that's not exactly the consensus among scouts and even Hughes said they probably wouldn't have picked him if he were a LHD. If you think you have another Alex Pietrangelo on your hands then you don't care if he's LH or RH. So there is a bit of a disconnect there, but I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt for now. All justifications aside, the final word on this draft will be written in the next 3-5 years. If Michkov turns into the real deal then the Habs will be judged harshly on this pick. One thing we sure don't have is luck. We end up with the first overall pick (1922) and it's a weak draft with no consensus #1. We end up with the 5th pick in 2023 and it's the last pick in the first tier and all the guys we would have picked for sure are already gone. The guy left standing has serious (allegedly) character issues. As Boston says, some guys are not likeable but provide so much to a team that they are indispensable. Reggie Jackson is one guy I can think of immediately. The key factor is whether or not that guy's teams win. In Jackson's case that's pretty obvious. We don't know a great deal about Michkov's teams, other than the fact SKA booted him down to Sochi to get him out of the way. When you're a $hit disturber to opposition players, it seems to fly, but if you're cruel to your own teammates, that's different. Which is Michkov? How have his teams done? (excepting Sochi because they were cannon fodder). One observation from Brian Wilde, who viewed a number of games to answer that question to himself, was that there were many instances where the camera showed Michkov's team's defensive zone coverage and you couldn't see Michkov. He wasn't inside his own blueline and his team was playing with 4 guys defending against 5 and it wasn't a penalty kill. I've played with guys like that and it used to tick me right off. They couldn't bother to exert the slightest effort to even get in someone's way. That's not good for team morale and if character is high on the list for you, then you don't draft that player. And there's where that bad luck comes in because now, instead of drafting 5th, we're effectively drafting 6th because we've dropped a tier. That tier includes about another 5-10 guys and you're spinning a roulette wheel as to who is the best. So they went for positional need. I liked Ryan Leonard at that spot, but I can see the arguments for picking Orville, who played in a professional league and still stood out. That's a big factor for me. I like guys who have excelled in the SHL or Swiss League, two of the better quality European pro leagues. |
|
|
|
Post by seventeen on Jul 13, 2023 13:26:54 GMT -5
All justifications aside, the final word on this draft will be written in the next 3-5 years. If Michkov turns into the real deal then the Habs will be judged harshly on this pick. Maybe Hughes mentioned that, because he has like 5 or 6 LD's in the system and not because of skill set? Dunno. I'll give the kid a chance. I'm hoping he turns into Pietrangelo. Very good defenceman but not a great defenceman (Makar, Hedman, Josi level) in my books. [/quote] Pietrangelo won a gold on Team Canada and has 2 Stanley Cups under his belt. He was clearly the best defenseman on both the Blues and the Knights. He may not be flashy but he is very effective. Of the guys mentioned above none have done as much as AP so far. I still think those Tampa Cups are tainted (much as the Vegas one could be). Anyway, I'd consider AP elite. But with an Italian background, I am biased. |
|
|
|
Post by Cranky on Jul 13, 2023 13:57:06 GMT -5
Michkov "sounds" like Pavel "MeMoi" Bure. Any assist he had was by accident and couldn't find his own end with two hands and a flashlight.
But...
It could also be pure misinformation by beat writers to cover not picking him.
|
|
|
|
Post by Cranky on Jul 13, 2023 14:07:50 GMT -5
Well, easy to find lots to back up why he wasn't drafted if you go looking. apparently . Exactly. It's like last year with Shane Wright. Nobody ever really questioned his character until all of a sudden character became an issue right before the draft? Now everyone is looking for cover to explain why they didn't draft Michkov. I'd rather people just say they weren't sold on his talent or didn't have enough to go on rather than coming up with BS reasons. I'm not saying character doesn't matter, he may very well be an a-hole, but there are lots of super competitive athletes who aren't exactly choir boys. What matters is what happens on the ice. Seems that management feels compelled to go on a bit of an "apology tour" to explain the Reinbacher pick. That's all fine and I sure hope they expect him to be more than just a 2nd pair RHD, but that's not exactly the consensus among scouts and even Hughes said they probably wouldn't have picked him if he were a LHD. If you think you have another Alex Pietrangelo on your hands then you don't care if he's LH or RH. So there is a bit of a disconnect there, but I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt for now. All justifications aside, the final word on this draft will be written in the next 3-5 years. If Michkov turns into the real deal then the Habs will be judged harshly on this pick. If they moved him up several steps just because he's a RHD and ignored Leonard, the consensus pick after Michkov, then it will damage the franchise for a decade. Right now we don't know if Rein is Alex Pietrangelo or Noah Juulsen or the second coming of Patrice Brisebois. |
|
|
|
Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Jul 13, 2023 14:34:21 GMT -5
Well, I'll give the kid a chance ... he may not make the team this year, but that won't mean he sucks ... he's still the highest-rated d-man in the draft ... Willkommen bei den Montreal Canadiens, David ...
Cheers.
|
|
|
|
Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Jul 13, 2023 16:09:05 GMT -5
Well, easy to find lots to back up why he wasn't drafted if you go looking. apparently . Exactly. It's like last year with Shane Wright. Nobody ever really questioned his character until all of a sudden character became an issue right before the draft? Now everyone is looking for cover to explain why they didn't draft Michkov. I'd rather people just say they weren't sold on his talent or didn't have enough to go on rather than coming up with BS reasons. I'm not saying character doesn't matter, he may very well be an a-hole, but there are lots of super competitive athletes who aren't exactly choir boys. What matters is what happens on the ice. Seems that management feels compelled to go on a bit of an "apology tour" to explain the Reinbacher pick. That's all fine and I sure hope they expect him to be more than just a 2nd pair RHD, but that's not exactly the consensus among scouts and even Hughes said they probably wouldn't have picked him if he were a LHD. If you think you have another Alex Pietrangelo on your hands then you don't care if he's LH or RH. So there is a bit of a disconnect there, but I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt for now. All justifications aside, the final word on this draft will be written in the next 3-5 years. If Michkov turns into the real deal then the Habs will be judged harshly on this pick. Agree 100%. Lafleur smoked and drank and wasn’t the hardest worker I still would draft him. |
|
|
|
Post by drkcloud on Jul 13, 2023 16:25:21 GMT -5
When Hughes said the kid's ceiling did not include ever being the qb on the powerplay, that was enough for me. Way too high of a pick for a dman without those capabilities. I wish him the best of luck but it's hard to get excited
|
|
|
|
Post by Skilly on Jul 13, 2023 17:02:26 GMT -5
Time to pick a nickname... I'm thinking "Popcorn"  David Reinbacher - DR - Doc |
|
|
|
Post by Skilly on Jul 13, 2023 17:11:15 GMT -5
Well, easy to find lots to back up why he wasn't drafted if you go looking. apparently . Exactly. It's like last year with Shane Wright. Nobody ever really questioned his character until all of a sudden character became an issue right before the draft? Now everyone is looking for cover to explain why they didn't draft Michkov. I'd rather people just say they weren't sold on his talent or didn't have enough to go on rather than coming up with BS reasons. I'm not saying character doesn't matter, he may very well be an a-hole, but there are lots of super competitive athletes who aren't exactly choir boys. What matters is what happens on the ice. Seems that management feels compelled to go on a bit of an "apology tour" to explain the Reinbacher pick. That's all fine and I sure hope they expect him to be more than just a 2nd pair RHD, but that's not exactly the consensus among scouts and even Hughes said they probably wouldn't have picked him if he were a LHD. If you think you have another Alex Pietrangelo on your hands then you don't care if he's LH or RH. So there is a bit of a disconnect there, but I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt for now. All justifications aside, the final word on this draft will be written in the next 3-5 years. If Michkov turns into the real deal then the Habs will be judged harshly on this pick. The Montreal Canadiens don’t deserve an offensive talent. The way they develop and assign ice time, they just don’t deserve it. This team will be playing for Liam Tep in 2031 .. 🙄 |
|
|
|
Post by Cranky on Jul 13, 2023 18:36:32 GMT -5
When Hughes said the kid's ceiling did not include ever being the qb on the powerplay, that was enough for me. Way too high of a pick for a dman without those capabilities. I wish him the best of luck but it's hard to get excited I didn't hear that one. So basically he picked a "top 6" low offense defenseman you can sign for a few million? I wasn't gushing over the hiring of Hughes, just thought that he's competent. BUT, competent will wear out very quickly if we spend more years in the basement. On the other hand, when I read fans Hab fans actually excuse 2-3 years of basement dwelling before we see results, that scares me just as much. That screams "welcome to the Buffalo Sabres". |
|
|
|
Post by folatre on Jul 13, 2023 21:25:39 GMT -5
Not everyone is nice and such. I get the whole culture thing, but sometimes that is the product of decision-makers weaving the whole web of justification for why talent walked out the door (or in the case of Michkov, why he never came through the door).
Weird story, my mentor in my first 'important' job in the financial world after leaving the U was a smart, cool dude who happened to be lifelong buds with Kenny "the Snake" Stabler and they were mates on the pitching staff of the Univ. of Alabama baseball team. Anyway, he was close to Stabler over the decades so he told me a lot of crazy stories about the Raiders. Basically, Stabler said there were more than few dudes who marched to the beat of their drummer and irritated the shet out of the other guys in the room. But the glue was the hard-core, run through a wall focus on doing whatever it took to win football games.
Is there a moral to this story? Jeje, probably not, but I suppose it is possible to over-focus on conformity (i.e. safe) and for decision-makers to 'group-think' their way into making risk-averse decisions based on the imposition of 'personality' or 'cultural' standards.
|
|
|
|
Post by jkr on Jul 14, 2023 6:07:06 GMT -5
For sure the Raiders of that era were a collection of non conformists to say the least. Mean ( on the field) dudes like Atkinson and Tatum, free spirits like Ted Hendricks and some troubled guys like Alzado.
They had confidence in their coaches to hold a large roster together & focus on the ultimate goal.
There is room on a team for an individual talent & team success but it looks like they'd rather take the safe route.
|
|
|
|
Post by Willie Dog on Jul 14, 2023 11:32:11 GMT -5
When Hughes said the kid's ceiling did not include ever being the qb on the powerplay, that was enough for me. Way too high of a pick for a dman without those capabilities. I wish him the best of luck but it's hard to get excited I'd think Hutson would be the PP QB along with Mailloux... if the coaches decide to have 4 forwards and 1 D on the PP. If they decide to have 2d on the pp then the 1st 2 pairings below would work great imo Hutson-Orville Guhle-Mailloux Xhekaj-Harris/Barron That's a big D... and sooo many D prospects as well |
|
|
|
Post by seventeen on Jul 14, 2023 13:36:33 GMT -5
Not everyone is nice and such. I get the whole culture thing, but sometimes that is the product of decision-makers weaving the whole web of justification for why talent walked out the door (or in the case of Michkov, why he never came through the door). Weird story, my mentor in my first 'important' job in the financial world after leaving the U was a smart, cool dude who happened to be lifelong buds with Kenny "the Snake" Stabler and they were mates on the pitching staff of the Univ. of Alabama baseball team. Anyway, he was close to Stabler over the decades so he told me a lot of crazy stories about the Raiders. Basically, Stabler said there were more than few dudes who marched to the beat of their drummer and irritated the shet out of the other guys in the room. But the glue was the hard-core, run through a wall focus on doing whatever it took to win football games. Is there a moral to this story? Jeje, probably not, but I suppose it is possible to over-focus on conformity (i.e. safe) and for decision-makers to 'group-think' their way into making risk-averse decisions based on the imposition of 'personality' or 'cultural' standards. There's's a lot of dissatisfaction on the board about HuGo passing on the risky but superstar potential of Michkov. When the pick was made, I felt a certain amount of disappointment, but also had a feeling from earlier reading of the tea leaves that the team was going that way, regardless. Since then, more articles about justifying the pick have come out and whether those were management manufactured or independent articles is up to you to decide. Rather than the story about kicking a teammate (which is similar to Draymond Green punching Jordan Poole which I could take as an extremely competitive player reacting to someone who is less competitive), the point Brian Wilde made resonated with me. In various defensize zone situations, Wilde couldn't see Michkov inside the blue line at all, which meant he was cherry picking. To me, that is a guy who is more interested in his own stats than in wins. I don't care for that, no matter how good he is because he would be a cancer on the team. Now he might still come to the NHL and light it up, but I'd be very surprised if the Flyers ever won anything with him on the team. If we'd had just a few wins less, we might have come in at 4th worst and be able to pick a legitimate franchise player. That's what disappoints me the most, as I was clamoring for that the entire season. Monty, you screwed us. Maybe. And maybe Orville turns into our version of Cale Makar, a guy picked 4th overall when 3 teams jumped ahead of the Avs. As the old saying goes, time will tell. |
|
|
|
Post by seventeen on Jul 14, 2023 13:46:12 GMT -5
When Hughes said the kid's ceiling did not include ever being the qb on the powerplay, that was enough for me. Way too high of a pick for a dman without those capabilities. I wish him the best of luck but it's hard to get excited I'd think Hutson would be the PP QB along with Mailloux... if the coaches decide to have 4 forwards and 1 D on the PP. If they decide to have 2d on the pp then the 1st 2 pairings below would work great imo Hutson-Orville Guhle-Mailloux Xhekaj-Harris/Barron That's a big D... and sooo many D prospects as well Close  Guhle - Reinbacher Hutson - Harris Xhekaj - Engstrom Spares - Barron, Struble, Trudeau The first two pairs are more top pair 1A and top pair 1B. I think both could be very good and the 3rd pair will be much better than the typical 3rd pair. I might go as far as to say we won't have a 3rd pair except in name only. I'm definitely sticking my neck out in saying Mailloux will never make the Habs, but what the heck, go big or go home. |
|
|
|
Post by Willie Dog on Jul 14, 2023 14:01:15 GMT -5
I'd think Hutson would be the PP QB along with Mailloux... if the coaches decide to have 4 forwards and 1 D on the PP. If they decide to have 2d on the pp then the 1st 2 pairings below would work great imo Hutson-Orville Guhle-Mailloux Xhekaj-Harris/Barron That's a big D... and sooo many D prospects as well Close Guhle - Reinbacher Hutson - Harris Xhekaj - Engstrom Spares - Barron, Struble, Trudeau The first two pairs are more top pair 1A and top pair 1B. I think both could be very good and the 3rd pair will be much better than the typical 3rd pair. I might go as far as to say we won't have a 3rd pair except in name only. I'm definitely sticking my neck out in saying Mailloux will never make the Habs, but what the heck, go big or go home. I like engstrom... but given we have so many D prospects.. we can move some to fill any gaps up front... I could also see Arber being used as a forward to create space on the left side... having a guy that can play both would be very helpful... I hope Logan is a Hab for a long time |
|
|
|
Post by Cranky on Jul 14, 2023 14:06:34 GMT -5
I like engstrom... but given we have so many D prospects.. we can move some to fill any gaps up front... I could also see Arber being used as a forward to create space on the left side... having a guy that can play both would be very helpful... I hope Logan is a Hab for a long time 6'3", 220, plays with a chip on his shoulder, tough, great offensive instincts. What's not to like about Mailloux. There are people who want him to fail strictly on their politics. |
|
|
|
Post by Willie Dog on Jul 14, 2023 14:37:01 GMT -5
I like engstrom... but given we have so many D prospects.. we can move some to fill any gaps up front... I could also see Arber being used as a forward to create space on the left side... having a guy that can play both would be very helpful... I hope Logan is a Hab for a long time 6'3", 220, plays with a chip on his shoulder, tough, great offensive instincts. What's not to like about Mailloux. There are people who want him to fail strictly on their politics. And in 4 years when he fills out, what a handfull |
|
|
|
Post by seventeen on Jul 14, 2023 14:47:10 GMT -5
I like engstrom... but given we have so many D prospects.. we can move some to fill any gaps up front... I could also see Arber being used as a forward to create space on the left side... having a guy that can play both would be very helpful... I hope Logan is a Hab for a long time 6'3", 220, plays with a chip on his shoulder, tough, great offensive instincts. What's not to like about Mailloux. There are people who want him to fail strictly on their politics. I'm more concerned about his processing of the game. It's too slow. |
|
|
|
Post by Skilly on Jul 14, 2023 17:59:40 GMT -5
I'd think Hutson would be the PP QB along with Mailloux... if the coaches decide to have 4 forwards and 1 D on the PP. If they decide to have 2d on the pp then the 1st 2 pairings below would work great imo Hutson-Orville Guhle-Mailloux Xhekaj-Harris/Barron That's a big D... and sooo many D prospects as well Close Guhle - Reinbacher Hutson - Harris Xhekaj - Engstrom Spares - Barron, Struble, Trudeau The first two pairs are more top pair 1A and top pair 1B. I think both could be very good and the 3rd pair will be much better than the typical 3rd pair. I might go as far as to say we won't have a 3rd pair except in name only. I'm definitely sticking my neck out in saying Mailloux will never make the Habs, but what the heck, go big or go home. And I got Engstrom, Struble, and Trudeau never playing for the Habs. (Unless injuries occur) |
|
|
|
Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Jul 23, 2023 21:15:59 GMT -5
Ok, so what if Carey Price had really messed up and blurted out the wrong player’s name? Does Hughes get a chance to interject and correct it, or is the sale final as soon as your team vocalizes a player’s name. Before a team announces its pick, the name is given to the NHL and they check their eligibility, so no, a misstep doesn't change the pick. Hugo can’t make a good first round pick. He can’t even make a good selection to announce the pick. |
|
|
|
Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Jul 23, 2023 21:17:38 GMT -5
Time to pick a nickname... I'm thinking "Popcorn" David Reinbacher - DR - Doc I call him “not Michkov” ! |
|
|
|
Post by Cranky on Jul 27, 2023 14:47:52 GMT -5
After the preseason we will see two outcomes and a long shot...
Outcome 1...he's not ready at all for the NHL so the excuse will be that he has to go to Europe to "get more ice time and development". Basically an admission that the top 5 pick is not good enough for the AHL. All else is bullpucks and copium. The AHL is the second toughest league in hockey and the step before the NHL.
Outcome 2...AHL because he's got to work out some kinks in his game. Fine. He's at the NHL doorstep and needs that extra development to make it. So be it. He's a short taxi ride to the NHL.
Outcome 3...he's in our line up opening night and while flawed, he's ready for battle. Great. It's not like are contenders and those rookie mistakes will trip us on the Promised Land.
I'm hoping for the later two but afraid we are going to see the first...with a flurry of extra bullpucks about how going to Europe will make him a top 2 in the NHL.
|
|
|
|
Post by Willie Dog on Jul 27, 2023 15:28:37 GMT -5
After the preseason we will see two outcomes and a long shot... Outcome 1...he's not ready at all for the NHL so the excuse will be that he has to go to Europe to "get more ice time and development". Basically an admission that the top 5 pick is not good enough for the AHL. All else is bullpucks and copium. The AHL is the second toughest league in hockey and the step before the NHL. Outcome 2...AHL because he's got to work out some kinks in his game. Fine. He's at the NHL doorstep and needs that extra development to make it. So be it. He's a short taxi ride to the NHL. Outcome 3...he's in our line up opening night and while flawed, he's ready for battle. Great. It's not like are contenders and those rookie mistakes will trip us on the Promised Land. I'm hoping for the later two but afraid we are going to see the first...with a flurry of extra bullpucks about how going to Europe will make him a top 2 in the NHL. Just because an 18 year old from Europe could go to the AHL doesn't mean he should... If he was in the OHL and he had to go back to the OHL everyone would he fine with it... So why wouldn't going back to Europe and playing against men be beneficial to him... It's what should have been done with Slaf in hindsight |
|
|
|
Post by PTH on Jul 27, 2023 18:47:08 GMT -5
After the preseason we will see two outcomes and a long shot... Outcome 1...he's not ready at all for the NHL so the excuse will be that he has to go to Europe to "get more ice time and development". Basically an admission that the top 5 pick is not good enough for the AHL. All else is bullpucks and copium. The AHL is the second toughest league in hockey and the step before the NHL. Outcome 2...AHL because he's got to work out some kinks in his game. Fine. He's at the NHL doorstep and needs that extra development to make it. So be it. He's a short taxi ride to the NHL. Outcome 3...he's in our line up opening night and while flawed, he's ready for battle. Great. It's not like are contenders and those rookie mistakes will trip us on the Promised Land. I'm hoping for the later two but afraid we are going to see the first...with a flurry of extra bullpucks about how going to Europe will make him a top 2 in the NHL. Just because an 18 year old from Europe could go to the AHL doesn't mean he should... If he was in the OHL and he had to go back to the OHL everyone would he fine with it... So why wouldn't going back to Europe and playing against men be beneficial to him... It's what should have been done with Slaf in hindsight Frankly, if you aren't Crosby or McDavid, you shouldn't be in the NHL in the year after being drafted. |
|
|
|
Post by Cranky on Jul 27, 2023 19:20:15 GMT -5
After the preseason we will see two outcomes and a long shot... Outcome 1...he's not ready at all for the NHL so the excuse will be that he has to go to Europe to "get more ice time and development". Basically an admission that the top 5 pick is not good enough for the AHL. All else is bullpucks and copium. The AHL is the second toughest league in hockey and the step before the NHL. Outcome 2...AHL because he's got to work out some kinks in his game. Fine. He's at the NHL doorstep and needs that extra development to make it. So be it. He's a short taxi ride to the NHL. Outcome 3...he's in our line up opening night and while flawed, he's ready for battle. Great. It's not like are contenders and those rookie mistakes will trip us on the Promised Land. I'm hoping for the later two but afraid we are going to see the first...with a flurry of extra bullpucks about how going to Europe will make him a top 2 in the NHL. Just because an 18 year old from Europe could go to the AHL doesn't mean he should... If he was in the OHL and he had to go back to the OHL everyone would he fine with it... So why wouldn't going back to Europe and playing against men be beneficial to him... It's what should have been done with Slaf in hindsight The men in Europe and the man in the AHL have different...hair styles. This is about learning to cope with tougher, harder hitting, faster league. NHL redux. Defending agaisnt 66" 70 kg ice dancers is not the same as getting Tkachucked in the corner. He's got the physical tools, he needs to sharpen their uses. |
|
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/archetype/6F6VF25GCFF2HFJCOITRJSGNPE.jpg)
