He’s still an ok prospect but top 5? I don’t think he’s even close. Bear, his best comparable, is light years ahead of him right now. He needs to rebound in a big way these next couple of years or he might even struggle to earn another contract. As a guy who was sold as someone with “pro” style of game he needs to show he can play against pros. Had the team been deeper with vets last year he likely would have seen some time in the coast. Bakersfield should have a good influx of skilled forwards next year so hopefully the team as a whole does better which is good for everyone. Struggling defensively in the bottom 4 in the AHL is a bad start for a so called pro ready prospect. His stock took a big hit this year.
To start the year Bear came out on fire, while Jones struggled. In game eight, Bear suffered a concussion that kept him out for 15 games. Bear struggled when he got back. He was lost, but it was understandable. Around this time Jones was really finding his game and in my opinion Jones was the Condors best defenceman (Bear included) from December on.
From the time Bear returned from injury on Dec. 16th to the final game before his callup on Feb. 24th he put up eleven points while going -12 in 26 GP. So the idea that Bear was dominating in the AHL and earned a call up is just not true. While he was showing his game from the blue line in was good at the pro level, he still struggled with the size and speed of the AHL game.
Bear was given the first shot, because the Oilers wanted to take a look. He is the exact player the Oilers needed and still need. In his time with the Oilers I thought he looked overwhelmed. He had enough nice moments in the offensive zone to perk interest (myself included, bumped him from #6 in January to #4 today) but I just can’t see Bear not being a liability due to his skating and defensive issues.
That sounds very critical of Bear, but I’m still extremly excited about him as a prospect. He’s proven that his offence will translate to the NHL level. Which is excellent. I think he’ll end up as a PP specialist who will need to be sheltered. As for Jones I think his ceiling is incredibly high. His skating abiltiy is remarkable. He is a one-man zone exit and has the abilty to dictate the pace of a game. Two qualities reserved for elite level defencemen. Jones doesn’t do it every game (consistency is an issue) but when he’s “on” he can take over a game.
So while I think Jones is the suprerior PROSPECT, I think Bear’s offence alone is intriguing enough to put him high up on our prospect list.
One last note. I'm happy to see these debates. We're debating a 4th and 5th round picks. I love it. The depth of this pool (given the picks we've had) is excellent.
He was in the same boat as Bear and Mantha and both outperformed him despite being sold as a guy who plays a “pro” game. Jones simply wasn’t good. I bet you’d be hard pressed to find a guy who struggled that badly in their first pro year who went on to be a top 4 D. I don’t know how anyone could have Jones ahead of Bear at this point. Bear has been better at every level. There is no logical argument that Jones is a top 5 prospect right now.
Neither guy definitively “outplayed” Jones and neither touch Jones in terms of upside.
