Burakovsky and Kuznetsov

[CapitalsCupReality]

How do you prove something that never happened? I'm not criticizing, merely pointing out reality and that reality is that he's become an impact player (last season), and progressed most noticeably defensively and some offensively (this season), at age 21. Many here suggested his career was about to be ruined or his development was severely diminished by making the Caps his first two years. I called Bologna then and I stand by that opinion today. I was reading that Kuznetzov article and one comment stuck with me. He made a comment about nobody being able to be taught skill after 16 (paraphrasing). I immediately thought of Wilson. Many here thought he would have done so much better if he was sent down and playing in all situations. Not that it would have been bad, but I think his skillset is what it is. If anything he can improve some things to a small, but probably still impactful degree at this point in life. He could probably work on his shot and improve still, maybe his skating. He's got some hockey IQ that will continue to grow as a pro. What else? We'll never be able to prove that he could have been better but we can point to his successes and positives in his career arc so far that suggest his development was handled correctly early on.

 

[hb12xchamps]

You have nothing but opinion to support that, but OK. At least we have real life evidence of how he's progressed in the NHL with his ACTUAL development path.

Humor us, just how much further along do you think he'd be if he was dangling career minor leaguers in the AHL for a season? And I say humor, because there's nothing to support it other than opinion. Maybe your reply would be better placed in the Wilson thread...

You underestimate the importance of the AHL. "Dangling career minor leaguers" is a terrible knock on the league. There are many many solid prospects currently in the AHL including the #13 overall pick Jakub Vrana. Guess it isn't good for him to dangle those career minor league plugs who only bash people faces in because they can't make the NHL

 

[BrooklynCapsFan]

You underestimate the importance of the AHL. "Dangling career minor leaguers" is a terrible knock on the league. There are many many solid prospects currently in the AHL including the #13 overall pick Jakub Vrana. Guess it isn't good for him to dangle those career minor league plugs who only bash people faces in because they can't make the NHL

Ironically the only thing Wilson did his rookie year was bash people's faces in in the NHL.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

How do you prove something that never happened? I'm not criticizing, merely pointing out reality and that reality is that he's become an impact player (last season), and progressed most noticeably defensively and some offensively (this season), at age 21. Many here suggested his career was about to be ruined or his development was severely diminished by making the Caps his first two years. I called Bologna then and I stand by that opinion today. I was reading that Kuznetzov article and one comment stuck with me. He made a comment about nobody being able to be taught skill after 16 (paraphrasing). I immediately thought of Wilson. Many here thought he would have done so much better if he was sent down and playing in all situations. Not that it would have been bad, but I think his skillset is what it is. If anything he can improve some things to a small, but probably still impactful degree at this point in life. He could probably work on his shot and improve still, maybe his skating. He's got some hockey IQ that will continue to grow as a pro. What else? We'll never be able to prove that he could have been better but we can point to his successes and positives in his career arc so far that suggest his development was handled correctly early on.

Kuznetsov is right. You can't teach skill past the age of 16, but you can learn skill past the age of 16.

Example, Leon Draisaitl.
He made the Oilers last year but was a crappy skater if I've ever seen one. His skating was like Jeff Schultz bad. They sent him down and a year later, he's a very good skater scoring over a PPG.

Wilson could've been further along in his development if Oates sent him down in his rookie season, but it's all speculation.

 

[Ajax1995]

Oates rushed Wilson in that first year. He could've refined his hands and playmaking earlier if he spent some time in the AHL.

The AHL wasn't an option Wilson's rookie year. It was DC or Plymouth...

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

The AHL wasn't an option Wilson's rookie year. It was DC or Plymouth...

True, my mistake. I meant the minor leagues.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

You underestimate the importance of the AHL. "Dangling career minor leaguers" is a terrible knock on the league. There are many many solid prospects currently in the AHL including the #13 overall pick Jakub Vrana. Guess it isn't good for him to dangle those career minor league plugs who only bash people faces in because they can't make the NHL

I think the Ahl is very important for many players. For many players it's not needed. Tom Wilson had the physical maturity and edge to make the team immediately. Vrana is there to both mature physically and because there's no room for him in the NHL this season. Tom Wilson didn't have those disadvantages when he was ready to make the NHL roster. This all points to something else I said earlier. Each player has to be evaluated individually. There shouldn't be and isn't a standard development path that every player follows. The people that steadfastly believe that time in the AHL is a must and would always be beneficial are stuck in the past IMO. For Wilson, this is clearly looking like he was handled just fine if not we'll even. He was impactful in the Islanders series last postseason and continues to progress this year. Is there anything other than speculation to suggest he would do any better? Many were suggesting he was a disappointment as a 1st rounder early last year. I'd say he's debunking that notion today.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

The AHL wasn't an option Wilson's rookie year. It was DC or Plymouth...

Was waiting on someone to make that clarification. Just further highlights his physical readiness IMO. Keep him down playing with kids or play him up in the NHL against real men. If he wasn't an edge/grit guy I bet he goes back to Plymouth, but his intangibles and physicality were NHL ready and that's why he stayed IMO.

 

[ViD]

I saw the poll results and was shocked until I noticed the thread creation date.

 

[discobob]

I saw the poll results and was shocked until I noticed the thread creation date.

The poll results look pretty silly now...although I would be tickled if Burt turned out to be a better player...we'd be in amazing shape for another decade

 

[Chukcha]

eh... Bura-Kuzya-Forsberg... what a line it could be for the next decade. A-la Benn-Seguin-Nichushkin, no less.
How deep actually is our prospect pool for blue-chip forwards besides Vrana? The best of them (Galiev) doesn't impress at the moment. Maybe it's worth to pursue agressively undrafted forwards from the KHL, that Korshkov guy has been very good.

 

[sqw3r]

eh... Bura-Kuzya-Forsberg... what a line it could be for the next decade. A-la Benn-Seguin-Nichushkin, no less.
How deep actually is our prospect pool for blue-chip forwards besides Vrana? The best of them (Galiev) doesn't impress at the moment. Maybe it's worth to pursue agressively undrafted forwards from the KHL, that Korshkov guy has been very good.

Korshkov is draft eligible this year, and i don't think he's going to be drafted high as overager (i think at the very best he's going to be drafted in the 4th round or even further). Would be great to pick him late and secure his rights.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Yeah, we should definitely draft Korshkov. He was a tank in the semis and against the Finns. Could become a nice power forward.

 

[Atas2000]

I saw the poll results and was shocked until I noticed the thread creation date.

You won't be shocked to read my old post in this thread though And I had to convince ppl back then.

 

[thelebaron]

eh... Bura-Kuzya-Forsberg... what a line it could be for the next decade.

oh god, i had almost forgotten