Nigel Williams, Chris Stewart and Codey Burki

[Granlund2Pulkkinen*]

The Colorado Avalanche walke away with 3 players touted to go first round (Williams, Stewart and Burki; in that order) but ended up with all of them.

If you look at them.

What is their maximum potential?

Will Williams turn out to be that '1st round defender?'
Will Stewart pick up the ball as a power forward?
Will Burki become a good forward for the Avalanche?

Click to read more...

 

[VikingAv]

I have the most faith in Stewart as a secondliner, or a third-line grinder at worse. Williams could become a #5-6 D-man spending alot of his time on the PP. I would be pleasantly surprised if Burki makes the NHL, just cause there's nothing spectacular about him or his game. Then again, maybe he will turn out really good in alot of aspects of the game, and become a decent 2nd-line center

 

[nuckfan insk]

after 2-3 years in the ahl burki could make the nhl as a 3-4th liner. but will need to bulk up and get more physical

 

[Qubax]

Stewart is by far the safest

Burki is a long shot

Williams may make the NHL in a 4-6 role

 

[Bam Beet*]

Stewart is by far the safest

Burki is a long shot

Williams may make the NHL in a 4-6 role

Why do you think Burki is a long shot? he finished 5th in WHL scoring, while missing some games, nearly made a team Canada squad that is stacked and played in the CHL top prospects game. I'd say he should at least become a decent third liner with 2nd line upside.

 

[nuckfan insk]

Why do you think Burki is a long shot? he finished 5th in WHL scoring, while missing some games, nearly made a team Canada squad that is stacked and played in the CHL top prospects game. I'd say he should at least become a decent third liner with 2nd line upside.

well if he ever got his consistancy and efforts lined up....
and burki got probably 26-28 mins of ice, always got top pp time. i wouldnt rule out your prediction but i think its going overboard.... like if i said grabner is the next gaborik

 

[Bam Beet*]

well if he ever got his consistancy and efforts lined up....
and burki got probably 26-28 mins of ice, always got top pp time. i wouldnt rule out your prediction but i think its going overboard.... like if i said grabner is the next gaborik

overboard? all I said is that he should be a decent third liner with second line potential. Is that really going "overboard"?

 

[Letang fan 58]

Burki got in the range of 18-22 mins per night for the WK's over the last season and the exact same the season before...........there were several times he was on the top line and several he was on the 2nd line.......hes got all the skill in the world but is inconsistent.........he wont make the nhl as a 3rd-4th liner...........he will be a top 6 forward or nothing imo.......if he doesnt make it as a top 6 forward hes going to be a top 6 forward in the AHL or ECHL.

He is anything but a safe pick, but he has the skill of a top 5-10 player in the draft. Burki is one of the most frustrating players in the world to watch.

His first half of this season he was the best player in the WHL hands down and he was very consistent which was the most surprising part of it......he then went to the Canadian world junior camp and failed to make the team.....after coming back from the camp he went into full blown sulk mode..........he regressed big time back to his inconsistent ways after not making the team and played the rest of the season in his same previous inconsistent mode. After having a lead in the WHL points race of nearly 10 points at one point he was lucky to finish top 5 at the end of the season.

He in my opinion is a bulkier Erik Christensen. Doesnt have as good of a shot as EC but he has awesome speed and skill.

 

[Bam Beet*]

Burki got in the range of 18-22 mins per night for the WK's over the last season and the exact same the season before...........there were several times he was on the top line and several he was on the 2nd line.......hes got all the skill in the world but is inconsistent.........he wont make the nhl as a 3rd-4th liner...........he will be a top 6 forward or nothing imo.......if he doesnt make it as a top 6 forward hes going to be a top 6 forward in the AHL or ECHL.

He is anything but a safe pick, but he has the skill of a top 5-10 player in the draft. Burki is one of the most frustrating players in the world to watch.

His first half of this season he was the best player in the WHL hands down and he was very consistent which was the most surprising part of it......he then went to the Canadian world junior camp and failed to make the team.....after coming back from the camp he went into full blown sulk mode..........he regressed big time back to his inconsistent ways after not making the team and played the rest of the season in his same previous inconsistent mode. After having a lead in the WHL points race of nearly 10 points at one point he was lucky to finish top 5 at the end of the season.

He in my opinion is a bulkier Erik Christensen. Doesnt have as good of a shot as EC but he has awesome speed and skill.

So he did the opposite of Wolski in terms of when Wolski got snubbed from Canada he absolutely tore apart the OHL. Burki was disappointed and sulked the rest of the season (though he had some very good numbers in the playoffs).

 

[Letang fan 58]

So he did the opposite of Wolski in terms of when Wolski got snubbed from Canada he absolutely tore apart the OHL. Burki was disappointed and sulked the rest of the season (though he had some very good numbers in the playoffs).

Burki sulked after being cut no doubt....he did have some good games in the 2nd half....even had a few good weeks....but then he would go for a week or 2 and be invisible again....in the playoffs he had some good games and some invisible games, same as the regular season.

Ultimately he has the skill, puck skill, speed to be effective in the NHL if he can become more consistent and a harder worker.....so its all up to him.

 

[AmericanDream]

I dont think you will see much out of all 3 of these guys...not saying they are busts, but all of them just dont impress me overall. Nigel has great size, and could turn into a shutdown d-man, maybe a poor mans Brooks Orpik may be a good comparision for Nigel.

edit: poor mans Orpik size and defense wise, but should put up better number then Brooks has.

 

[Bam Beet*]

I dont think you will see much out of all 3 of these guys...not saying they are busts, but all of them just dont impress me overall. Nigel has great size, and could turn into a shutdown d-man, maybe a poor mans Brooks Orpik may be a good comparision for Nigel.

edit: poor mans Orpik size and defense wise, but should put up better number then Brooks has.

That tells me right there that you've never watched any of these guys play. Nigel Williams a "shutdown d-man"?

I'm pretty sure we'll be seeing quite a bit out of Stewart don't you worry.

 

[AmericanDream]

That tells me right there that you've never watched any of these guys play. Nigel Williams a "shutdown d-man"?

I'm pretty sure we'll be seeing quite a bit out of Stewart don't you worry.

I dont think there is anything wrong with that at all. I am projecting Nigel to NOT put up numbers in the pros. Many people DO NOT like his offensive upside, and if you cant hack it with the O, he better use his size and play some D. He will not be a pp quarterback, he very well could be the next Jeff Jillson...a never was, who should have been so much more. I stand by my original post, and if this guy does make it, it will be in the vein of Brooks Orpik.

 

[LadyByngJeanRatelle]

I dont think there is anything wrong with that at all. I am projecting Nigel to NOT put up numbers in the pros. Many people DO NOT like his offensive upside, and if you cant hack it with the O, he better use his size and play some D. He will not be a pp quarterback, he very well could be the next Jeff Jillson...a never was, who should have been so much more. I stand by my original post, and if this guy does make it, it will be in the vein of Brooks Orpik.

Your saying then that you've never seen Nigel Williams play before. Because anyone who has seen him play , would never ever ever ever describe him as having the potential to be anything close to a shutdown dman. He's the exact opposite.

If Williams doesn't put up numbers in the pros, he'll have a very short NHL career.

 

[AmericanDream]

Your saying then that you've never seen Nigel Williams play before. Because anyone who has seen him play , would never ever ever ever describe him as having the potential to be anything close to a shutdown dman. He's the exact opposite.
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If Williams doesn't put up numbers in the pros, he'll have a very short NHL career.

So you must think that every player who ever played college or juniors turned out to be the exact type of player in the NHL or AHL that they were pegged to be??? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

I have seen Nigel play a few times by the way, even in highschool since we are both from Illinois. If I could put a list together of all the players who didnt pan out the way they were supposed to, but then adapted another style or facet of the game just to make it to the NHL...I would be here all week. Noone knows what it will take for Nigel Williams to make it to the NHL, but I have seen wayyyyyy too many offensive type players that just fell off the face of the Earth because their college or junior game didnt jump with them. If Nigel is to make it to the NHL, it will be as a brusing D Man...That is MO, and we all have them right?