It's truly bizarre the reaction that this guy gets from certain people here. I've been on this site for over 2 decades and I am struggling to think of another player that has ever drawn this kind of weird unwarranted scorn. This guy scores a goal and it's the credit of the guy making the pass, then when he is dishing out primary assists in huge moments it is the credit of the guy scoring the goal. Even people who I think are really good and quality posters just have some bizarre ridiculous opinions of him that I have never seen them have on any other prospect on any other team. I think it's because so many people are hardwired in their thinking on what an NHL player should look like. It's not entirely different when than when these new types of NFL QB's came in. People were just so set in their ways thinking that an NFL QB had to be a 6'4 drop back passer that they refused to realize until the bitter end that there was a place in the league for guys like Russell Wilson and for guys like Lamar Jackson. Who like Caufield were passed over in their drafts for guys who will never have the type of impact in the league that they did.
When he was drafted people questioned how he would do in the NCAA, one of the NHL's premier feeder leagues. He scored point per game as a freshman and had a historical season as a 19/20 year old sophomore. People still doubted and said the pro game would eat him up, then he went to the AHL and just looked completely out of place in the two games (in a good way). He went to the NHL and scored 4 times in his first 10 games, the narrative then became that he wouldn't be able to do it in the playoffs, where again he would supposedly be eaten alive by bigger and stronger competition. He jumps into that series with Toronto and completely changes the dynamic of the Habs team (even the Leafs admitted it after the series). Then these people change their tune to the competition, saying that no one in the North division played any defense and that he would again be eaten alive by bigger and stronger players in this Vegas series, here we are 3 games in and he has a 2-1-3 line in the three games against a non-North team. Now the new excuse is apparently going to be that it's not sustainable and that he will be eaten alive over an 82 game schedule. How many kids in their D+2 who play on a 1st line and have produced at the pace he has currently produced at fall off a cliff and fizzle out? I know there are examples of some who have, but the vast vast majority of players who come into the league and look this good thing young continue on to be impact players. This is a factual statement, even the people who continue to doubt him would agree with that, but they think the rules are different here with this player, again I think because they just can't fathom that a player of his size could possibly be an impact NHL player, there is just no other reason I can think of. I would have thought DeBrincat's success (and I think he's an inferior talent to CC) would have maybe changed some minds, but I don't think we are there yet.
Props to you, you are capable of doing something many on this forum are not able to do.