timlap said:
Barnes is also older and could have been drafted last year, had he played better.
Could have played better? He was coming back from a serious neck injury and it took time to regain his confidence and get back into the flow of things. It certainly didn't help that he played on perhaps the worst team in CHL history with a horrible coach. He came back from the injury perhaps too soon and went out there and played every night to show that he's a team player. Looking back, he would have been better off sitting out the year as it seems to stick in a lot of people's minds that he didn't produce.
Seachd said:
He didn't opt in last year. But I agree his age is a factor and Setoguchi shows a lot of potential.
His age is a factor? How is his age a factor? He's one year older then everybody else. Before the NCAA changed their rules, college players were also a year older when they were getting drafted. Was their age a factor? I don't think so.
Hedberg16 said:
Setoguchi will go way ahead of Barnes because the draft is based on potential, not current production.
LOL! You're telling me what the draft is based on?
Of course it's based on potential. Nobody ever said it wasn't. What I said, and from what I've been told a number of scouts agree with me, was that Joe Barnes was Saskatoon's best player last year and is a more complete package than Setoguchi. And he has more potential. I've heard that numerous scouts/GMs went to Saskatoon to see Setoguchi play, only to come away amazed with Barnes and feeling he's the better prospect.
My point is, a lot of posters here like to believe all the hype and jump on the bandwagon of these prospects, without ever seeing them play. Joe Barnes had a bad year last year, for the right reasons, and opted out of the draft. That shouldn't be a knock on him. I just don't see the reason for all the hype surrounding Setoguchi. I really don't think this kid is going to be anything special at the next level. Joe Barnes is going to get drafted a lot higher than many of you expect. Teams are going to do their homework. This kid is 6'4 220 and he's a phenomenal athlete. Sure, he's a bit raw and lost a year of development, but another year of juniors and two years in the minors, and you'll have a second line center on your hands.