Kessel closing gap on Crosby?

[Le Golie]

And what about destroying the likes of Luc Bourdon, Ryan Parent, and Brendan Mikkelson at the U-18's?

Destroying...lol.

 

[nomorekids]

I was wainting for that remark ...
surprised its from an American ..
I was 100% sure somebody would bring up nationality in the debate ...

Note that I said Kessel wasn't anywhere near Crosby. I don't disagree.

HabLover, however, has something of a reputation around here.

 

[Sammy*]

oh please, lighten up. just take a look at the posts HL has made lately. Everything from Johnson being overrated, the US world champ. victory being a fluke to the U-18 championship Canadian team being "the C team."

I didnt know that. I delete my post

 

[monster_bertuzzi]

Destroying...lol.

Yeah, you're right - he didn't destroy. 4 points in a game is just another day at the ballpark for Kessel.

 

[target]

Perhaps if Canada would have played the other goalie instead of that dub guy we would of won...Kessels first goal Price was out to lunch on it and oh yeah Kessels empty goal was a beauty.

 

[Kritter471]

May both of them end up playing like Alexandre Daigle in the NHL just so I can watch everyone trip over their own feet trying to backpedal from their predictions. *grins*

 

[alecfromtherock]

Well, count this Canadian as being more impressed with Kessel than Crosby so far. In the World Juniors, I saw Crosby as a guy who was only dominant on the power play, who racked up the majority of his goals and points against three ultra crappy teams in the round robin. Against the top talent, he managed 2 measly assists in 3 games (and of course, half of them on the power play).

Crosby couldn't dominate the best juniors, and folks think he's going to dominate the NHL? He'll have a good career, but nowhere near the godlike status being attributed.

In agreement that far too many people have Crosby set on ‘God’ status for the NHL in which he has played 0 games against the best players in the world.

Has any non-NHLer faced goalies such as Kiprusoff and Khabibulin? Will great balance and leg strength/speed/everything else that Crosby seems to have an advantage over every player present and past in hockey history(read: his Godlike status that some have endowed him with) prevent A ‘Joe Thornton’ from crushing him like a bug?

Kessel’s speed and shot did impress myself at the U-18.

People saying that X can never be as good as Y when neither has played in the NHL are full of BS. Dragging down players by cross-comparisons is not productive, pointing out differences/strengths is fine.

Can never is an absolute and there is no such thing in sports.

Skilled players are targets in the clutch and grab style that the NHL has ‘evolved’ into and they will not be able to showcase their full ability in such an environment.

I'm not interested in putting Crosby (or Kessel) up on the kind of pedestal some of you guys are suggesting. There is no doubt that Crosby is the best junior aged player in the world right now. In that sense he is superior to Kessel, but we don't know what impact they will have at the next level. For all we know, they both could bust and Brule and Mueller could end up as better pros.

Played at the junior level this year or are currently junior aged? Either way what is AO chopped liver?

 

[Le Golie]

Yeah, you're right - he didn't destroy. 4 points in a game is just another day at the ballpark for Kessel.

Yeah, he had a really good game and a really good tournament. It just sounded like they had to use dental records to identify the remains of those players you mentioned. Made me laugh.

 

[monster_bertuzzi]

Yeah, he had a really good game and a really good tournament. It just sounded like they had to use dental records to identify the remains of those players you mentioned. Made me laugh.

You mentioned the sub-par defenceman that Kessel consistently burns in the States, but as soon as he does it against Bourdon, Parent etc. you ignore it.

 

[bert]

That's the best description of Sidney Crosby I've seen so far.

And the worst is the one above you avatar.

 

[Sammy*]

Perhaps if Canada would have played the other goalie instead of that dub guy we would of won...Kessels first goal Price was out to lunch on it and oh yeah Kessels empty goal was a beauty.

Dont be ridiculous. While the goalie may have played the 1st one bad, it was a breakaway.

 

[Form and Substance]

In agreement that far too many people have Crosby set on ‘God’ status for the NHL in which he has played 0 games against the best players in the world.

Has any non-NHLer faced goalies such as Kiprusoff and Khabibulin? Will great balance and leg strength/speed/everything else that Crosby seems to have an advantage over every player present and past in hockey history(read: his Godlike status that some have endowed him with) prevent A ‘Joe Thornton’ from crushing him like a bug?

Kessel’s speed and shot did impress myself at the U-18.

People saying that X can never be as good as Y when neither has played in the NHL are full of BS. Dragging down players by cross-comparisons is not productive, pointing out differences/strengths is fine.

Can never is an absolute and there is no such thing in sports.

Skilled players are targets in the clutch and grab style that the NHL has ‘evolved’ into and they will not be able to showcase their full ability in such an environment.



Played at the junior level this year or are currently junior aged? Either way what is AO chopped liver?

Well I suppose it boils down to comparing Crosby's junior numbers, with respect to the league and the era he plays in, with the junior numbers of some of the best players who've played in the NHL and you have to say Crosby, relatively speaking, crushes their numbers. Then again, stats don't prove anything but when you watch Crosby play, you can easily tell he's the smartest and most talented player out there. Playing 0 NHL games doesn't mean anything. You can still tout Crosby. Geez someone has to replace the legends and for goodness sakes it looks like Crosby and Kessel's will be the ones. It's time to dissolve centuries of old encrusted dogma that prospects will never be better than their predecessors.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

In agreement that far too many people have Crosby set on ‘God’ status for the NHL in which he has played 0 games against the best players in the world.

Has any non-NHLer faced goalies such as Kiprusoff and Khabibulin? Will great balance and leg strength/speed/everything else that Crosby seems to have an advantage over every player present and past in hockey history(read: his Godlike status that some have endowed him with) prevent A ‘Joe Thornton’ from crushing him like a bug?

Kessel’s speed and shot did impress myself at the U-18.

People saying that X can never be as good as Y when neither has played in the NHL are full of BS. Dragging down players by cross-comparisons is not productive, pointing out differences/strengths is fine.

Can never is an absolute and there is no such thing in sports.

Skilled players are targets in the clutch and grab style that the NHL has ‘evolved’ into and they will not be able to showcase their full ability in such an environment.



Played at the junior level this year or are currently junior aged? Either way what is AO chopped liver?

I should have said junior level. Crosby and Ovechkin is a close call for me since Ovechkin has a much larger frame. I favor Crosby, but not by much.

 

[PanthersRule96]

For those of you who say Kessel will go #1 no doubt in 2006, don't forget about Alexander Vasyunov (sp?), Jesse Joensuu (I doubt he goes 1 tho), and most impressive of all of them, Michael Frolik. Frolik is going to be an amazing prospect, if he was american or Canadian, he'd be so hyped right now.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

For those of you who say Kessel will go #1 no doubt in 2006, don't forget about Alexander Vasyunov (sp?), Jesse Joensuu (I doubt he goes 1 tho), and most impressive of all of them, Michael Frolik. Frolik is going to be an amazing prospect, if he was american or Canadian, he'd be so hyped right now.

What has Frolik done this year to deserve such hype? Kessel has outclassed him in every head-to-head competition they've met in this year, and in particular at the U18's it wasn't even close.

 

[espo*]

So far everything i've seen says Kessel is simply better then Frolik.I said it in threads after the juniors were completed that from what i saw i'd take Kessel over him were the draft tommorow.People told me it was too early to tell and in a sense they are right.But.......this is the second look at both those guys and i'm still not seeing why i would pick Frolik over that Kessel.That's two head to heads and Kessel has out-performed him a by a lot.By no means am i saying Frolik is no good,he is a talented little sucker but right now he's really not in Kessels ballpark if you ask me.

 

[BigE]

Simply put Kessel is just starting to receive the attention that he deserves. He's no more closer to Crosby now than he was in the fall. Fans are just becoming increasingly more aware of his play.

 

[HabLover]

What has Frolik done this year to deserve such hype? Kessel has outclassed him in every head-to-head competition they've met in this year, and in particular at the U18's it wasn't even close.

Don't forget, Frolik can still play in the U18's this summer and next April. Kessel will be too old for both tourney's. Now I'm not saying he is better than Kessel, but he is a year younger.

 

[HabLover]

You're missing out on the number 1 criteria for a good player in HL's eyes...

Kessel isn't Canadian.

How could he be good?

Kessel is damn good, there is no argument here, 2nd best 1987 in the world right now. The problem I have is with JJ and all the hype you guys have spouted off all year and the guy just doesn't fit it, just looked ordinary at the U18's. I guess I was expecting too much, but of course he's still god too you yanks!

 

[Ol' Dirty Chinaman*]

Kessel is amazing when he gets the puck in the neutral zone. The big difference between these two is that Kessel can snipe goals from 30 feet away, 98% of Crosby's goals are either right around the net or going end-to-end against the sub-par Q defenceman.

as of right now, Crosby>Kessel

I'm a Canadian that thinks both players are closer than people think. Crosby is spectacularly hyped right now. Would anybody really care if Gretz didn't talk about him ?

On that note, I was watching the CAN-US game, and I swear Kessel was doing Bure's signature move with moving the puck down to his skate and kicking it up while skating at full speed !

IMO: if both were available in the draft, I'd take Kessel over Crosby. Actually I'd take Kessel, Brule, then Crosby.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Don't forget, Frolik can still play in the U18's this summer and next April. Kessel will be too old for both tourney's. Now I'm not saying he is better than Kessel, but he is a year younger.

Which is why a Frolik/Mueller might be a better comparison since they're the same age.

 

[espo*]

I'm a Canadian that thinks both players are closer than people think. Crosby is spectacularly hyped right now. Would anybody really care if Gretz didn't talk about him ?

On that note, I was watching the CAN-US game, and I swear Kessel was doing Bure's signature move with moving the puck down to his skate and kicking it up while skating at full speed !

IMO: if both were available in the draft, I'd take Kessel over Crosby. Actually I'd take Kessel, Brule, then Crosby.

Gutsy call.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Gutsy call.

Yeah, I'm a big Kessel fan, but I wouldn't go that far (picking him ahead of Crosby that is).

 

[cagney]

Don't forget, Frolik can still play in the U18's this summer and next April. Kessel will be too old for both tourney's. Now I'm not saying he is better than Kessel, but he is a year younger.

Actually, Frolik is only four months younger than Kessel.

 

[tuckerdomi]

How can u compare this kid too Crosby? not even close.