unsealed container said:
I've heard some of these comparision to NHL players for 2006 draftees...
Kessel - Modano
Toews - Gilmour
Little - Richards
Johnson - Pronger
Backstrom - Forsberg
Okposo - Iginla
Staal - His brother
Any truth to any of these...
Kessel - Modano: Kessel will probably never be as good a two-way player as Mike.
Toews - Gilmour
ossibly, but will Toews ever have the leadership, intangibles, and clutch scoring of Gilmour? Also, Toews is a very smart player, who is cleaner than Gilmour.
Little - Richards:I don't know if Little could be as game-breaking as Richards. Richards really carried his team during the 2005 playoffs; he has leadership and intangibles to boot. If Little had that kind of potential, he'd probably be regarded a lot higher.
Johnson - Pronger: I see this one. Johnson will probably mature faster but not be as good offensively. Johnson certainly plays with an edge like Pronger.
Backstrom - Forsberg
Okposo - Iginla: woa, I don't know. Tough powerforward who is a great leader and clutch in the playoffs, sans this year? What makes Iginla so lethal is his work ethic, character, and willingness to buy into a team system; areas Okposo is relatively deficient in. Iginla also can take over a game, a trait Okposo seems to lake.
Staal - His brother: Very high standards. Eric really matured this year and went on a tear. Such kind of growth is very dependent on environment, and even if the younger Staal gets that, I don't know if he is talented or will develop the same kind of game.