Now the chances that a given player becomes Malkin are 0.000000001%, but it's still possible.
When can we call up Chytil and Lias without burning a year off their elc?
When can we call up Chytil and Lias without burning a year off their elc?
Zborovskiy sent back down to Greenville again. I guess the organization liked what they saw from Kotyk and Denis and felt Zborovskiy was better off getting more minutes in Greenville. Who is the third RD in Hartford--Bigras? I know he has played both sides before. Otherwise it's Crawley, Labrie or Pedrie (with Smith out). They probably need to make another move to find a 7th D.
It's difficult to hold any hope for Zboro at this point. A bad pick imo.
I'm far from a scout, but since I first seen him (at the WJC), I couldn't figure out why he warranted a third round pick.
It was tough, because I remember some places calling him a reach and a few legitimate outlets saying he was a great pick or a steal. So, I guess there was no consensus on him. I had no problem with the pick, I was willing to trust the FO there. However it does seem strange that they'd pick a guy that's a mediocre skater at a time where the game and the team place such an emphasis on that skill. If Zborovskiy was a stronger skater, I have no doubt he'd play in the NHL in some capacity. Without the skating, though, what is he? A poor man's Marc Staal?It's difficult to hold any hope for Zboro at this point. A bad pick imo.
I'm far from a scout, but since I first seen him (at the WJC), I couldn't figure out why he warranted a third round pick.
Zborovskiy played on a f***ing powerhouse WHL team that was way better than Ronning's team. That whole season we discussed whether Zborovskiy was a product of his environment. And then, same thing this year, he plays on an ECHL team scoring over 4 goals a game and posts big numbers. Then the ECHL team loses some guys, and he goes from producing offense to posting 3P (0G-3A) in 18 games. Again, product of his environment.He's produced in the WHL and ECHL. 1st team all-star last year in the WHL. Ronning is getting all this praise for being a 2nd team all-star as an overager, Zborovskiy was a 1st team all-star without being an overager. And then from all accounts, he did well in the ECHL. He only got 10 AHL games, it seems like he's done well, but he's out of favor with management.
He's produced in the WHL and ECHL. 1st team all-star last year in the WHL. Ronning is getting all this praise for being a 2nd team all-star as an overager, Zborovskiy was a 1st team all-star without being an overager. And then from all accounts, he did well in the ECHL. He only got 10 AHL games, it seems like he's done well, but he's out of favor with management.
Not for nothing, but Ronning is getting all types of praise because he scored 60 this year.
Can't look at league awards and really draw any conclusions from them. Zboro put up big numbers on a powerhouse team last year. Ronning's skill set translates much better to the pro game even if he is undersized.
Different positions require different roles. Ronning will have to make his mark in professional hockey as a point/goal producer, a defensive defensemen won't. If they produced significant offense, they probably wouldn't be a defensive defensemen. Comparing their goals/points is irrelevant. Does anyone compare Zuccarello's point production to Smith? And he was 24th in points in the WHL among defensemen, so he didn't score that much. I think he got the accolade due more to his defensive play than his offensive play.
Zborovskiy played on a ****ing powerhouse WHL team that was way better than Ronning's team. That whole season we discussed whether Zborovskiy was a product of his environment. And then, same thing this year, he plays on an ECHL team scoring over 4 goals a game and posts big numbers. Then the ECHL team loses some guys, and he goes from producing offense to posting 3P (0G-3A) in 18 games. Again, product of his environment.
When you say, "And then from all accounts he did well in the ECHL," what accounts are those? Who is watching the ECHL providing us accounts of Zborovskiy's play? And even if he was doing well in the ECHL, does that really matter?
Even if that were the case, it was clear as day that he would struggle to play in the higher pro leagues unless he got faster.
Hes huge and mobile enough to do well in Juniors, but thats really it.
I think Ronning has a future as a bottom 6 energy guy, so I disagree with the "he either scores or he doesn't make it" assessment.
How many AHL games have you watched this season?
He only played in 10 of them. Did he play in any of the games you watched?
As for Ronning, how many "energy" guys are 5'9? He likely needs to provide offense to be an NHL'er. If that comes with grit, excellent. If not, I still think its possible for him to make it to the NHL on offense.
The thing with Zboro, and I fee like this will be repeated ad nauseum, is his mobility. He’s a very solid defensive dmen, but his skating might not translate to the pros. Being able to absolutely shut down kids in juniors is different than don’t it against men. He has the size and smarts, but the skating will hold him back unless he fixes it. He has really awkward footwork when trying to move laterally. I know Adam Herman knocked his passing, but I didn’t see a problem with it
That's fine. He had that 7 point game or whatever, was plus-70-something. That's what got him noticed. That's what got people talking. He was like a PPG player for half the season. That stuff was being a product of the team he was on. Beyond that, sure, he was a good defensive defenseman for the team. Then we were all thoroughly unimpressed with what he did at the WJC. Kind of put a damper on things.Having watched probably like 5 of those WHL games last season, along with the CHL-Russia series against CHL'ers, he was clearly not a product of his environment. That is a ridiculous assertion, and given how few posts people here made about claiming to watch his games and giving updates on his CHL games, I would guess there were very few others who watched. Unless these people watched the games and didn't post updates, I would say there's little to back that up. In fact, I'd say everything points to that being false. Maybe the offensive numbers were helped by the environment, but as I already mentioned, he didn't score that many points, so the perception was not only about points. And with most of these situations, its often possible the player who people claim is a product of the environment is part of why that environment is doing so well.
He was the first call up from the ECHL a few times, so I take that to mean he was playing well. And for a defensive defensemen to be putting up significant points, I think that usually means they are too good for that league. Usually when you see non-point producers producing a lot of offense, that usually means they are too good for that league. I would assume that came with good defense, as thats more his game than the offense, but I guess its possible he was playing bad defense and the offense was a product of the team. I have no clue where you'd find an ECHL game to watch.
It was tough, because I remember some places calling him a reach and a few legitimate outlets saying he was a great pick or a steal. So, I guess there was no consensus on him. I had no problem with the pick, I was willing to trust the FO there. However it does seem strange that they'd pick a guy that's a mediocre skater at a time where the game and the team place such an emphasis on that skill. If Zborovskiy was a stronger skater, I have no doubt he'd play in the NHL in some capacity. Without the skating, though, what is he? A poor man's Marc Staal?
You look at Sean Day and Sergey Zborovskiy. Two guys taken two spots apart (81 vs. 79, different drafts of course). Who do you prefer? The former has the tools but a limited toolbox, the latter has the toolbox but limited tools. I'm cool with taking either, but I would probably lean towards the mercurial guy with the tools instead of the steady guy with limited game. Particularly the later you get in the draft.Yeah, I guess calling the pick a bad one is a bit unfair. We were just in the half of informed opinions that was probably wrong this time around.
That said, if there is one positive that a young defenseman has to his favour, I really would rather it wasn't 'positionally sound'. That and strength can develop easier than anything else.
I always lean towards opting for the tools. I think @silverfish mentioned an interesting question from Billy Beane IIRC:You look at Sean Day and Sergey Zborovskiy. Two guys taken two spots apart (81 vs. 79, different drafts of course). Who do you prefer? The former has the tools but a limited toolbox, the latter has the toolbox but limited tools. I'm cool with taking either, but I would probably lean towards the mercurial guy with the tools instead of the steady guy with limited game. Particularly the later you get in the draft.
That's from The West WingI always lean towards opting for the tools. I think @silverfish mentioned an interesting question from Billy Beane IIRC:
You watch two guys running to first base who have the same exact time. One does it with perfect form, while the other does it with imperfect form. Which player do you choose?
You look at Sean Day and Sergey Zborovskiy. Two guys taken two spots apart (81 vs. 79, different drafts of course). Who do you prefer? The former has the tools but a limited toolbox, the latter has the toolbox but limited tools. I'm cool with taking either, but I would probably lean towards the mercurial guy with the tools instead of the steady guy with limited game. Particularly the later you get in the draft.