Prospect Info: Penguins #6 prospect - RUNOFF

[Burgs]

So those clear decisions got close in a hurry. With a single vote separating Archibald and Lauzon we're going to have our first runoff vote. Winner takes 6th spot, loser places 7th.

There almost couldn't be more of a difference between these two. Archibald is very close to graduating from prospect to NHLer, even if only as a 4th liner. Lauzon is six years younger and has only just started his road this summer.

Click to read more...

 

[Malkinstheman]

I dont see much upside in archie. The pens obviously thought really highly of Lauzon to pick him in the second so I'll go with him.

 

[jmelm]

I'm a big fan of Archie, but I'm going to go with Lauzon for upside.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Lauzon again.

 

[deathtouchtrample]

Not as high on Archibald as a lot of this board so I'll take the shiny new toy.

 

[WayneSid9987]

For me, Archy is close to a Rust type player.
Picked Archy.

 

[Jacob]

Archibald is almost 25, waiver eligible, and on a one-way deal. That's graduated IMO.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

I like Archibald, but I don't think the upside is there for him to beat out someone with Lauzon's at his age.

The Rust comparisons would be a bit more meaningful if he was more than 5 months younger than Rust.

 

[PensandCaps]

Archibald is pretty much a guaranteed NHLer at this point. Gonna be a fine bottom sixer. I don't think he should even be in this prospect poll. He's graduated.

 

[Zero Pucks]

What is Lauzon's upside? Really curious to know what everyone thinks.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Archibald doesn't have the upside to be this high in the prospect pool voting. I don't know how he beat out Dominik Simon.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

For me, it goes:

Simon
Tiffels
Johnson
Archibald
Lauzon

Which means I obviously don't agree with how this poll for #6 was done. To me, the math was too close to exclude Simon.

But guess what:

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Dammit... Forums updates don't allow it...

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

What is Lauzon's upside? Really curious to know what everyone thinks.

Doubt enough people have seen him play to give a reasonably opinion on this. Based on comments from the club and various scouting reports, it seems maybe a Vlasic-like defender (ie. bread and butter is as a shutdown defenseman; can move the puck but will never put up big numbers).

I hope our scouting staff was correct in their assessment and we don't have another Connor Hall selection.

 

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

Vlasic had 30 points the year before his draft year and then was a PPG+ player in his draft year. Then he jumped straight to the NHL at age 19. At a quick glance it's hard to tell a Vlasic season in the NHL from a Lauzon season in the Q, except that Vlasic always scores more goals. There's no way Lauzon is as good a player as Marc-Edouard Vlasic. There's no way Lauzon is even half the player Marc-Edouard Vlasic is.

To me, guys who can't even produce in juniors have no upside.

 

[Liquid Gel]

Doubt enough people have seen him play to give a reasonably opinion on this. Based on comments from the club and various scouting reports, it seems maybe a Vlasic-like defender (ie. bread and butter is as a shutdown defenseman; can move the puck but will never put up big numbers).

I hope our scouting staff was correct in their assessment and we don't have another Connor Hall selection.

Which is exactly why the choice be Archibald. 90% or more of the voters have never seen Lauzon play other than highlights.

 

[UnderratedBrooks44]

Do I have to pick one? I've got no beef with either, but Lauzon is just a name at this point and I don't know if Archibald has much of a ceiling.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Why is Simon not on here too? He got near the same amount of votes as them.

And I still find it stupid for Archie to be in the poll.

 

[Peat]

Despite being convinced he has no business in these polls, I went with Archibald, as I believe he's gonna stick at the NHL and I've no idea about Lauzon, about all we know is the Pens liked him enough to reach for him big time.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

Lauzon

 

[Burgs]

Why is Simon not on here too? He got near the same amount of votes as them.

And I still find it stupid for Archie to be in the poll.

The more players you include in a runoff the more split up the vote gets and the higher the chance for another tie (which nobody wants). So I try to keep it to 2 players for that reason. Can't please everybody I guess.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

The more players you include in a runoff the more split up the vote gets and the higher the chance for another tie (which nobody wants). So I try to keep it to 2 players for that reason. Can't please everybody I guess.

Well you should have done a runoff for #7 too then.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Vlasic had 30 points the year before his draft year and then was a PPG+ player in his draft year. Then he jumped straight to the NHL at age 19. At a quick glance it's hard to tell a Vlasic season in the NHL from a Lauzon season in the Q, except that Vlasic always scores more goals. There's no way Lauzon is as good a player as Marc-Edouard Vlasic. There's no way Lauzon is even half the player Marc-Edouard Vlasic is.

To me, guys who can't even produce in juniors have no upside.

That's been my concern about him since the Pens drafted him. I've brought up the fact that typically, even stay at home guys in the NHL, put up numbers in junior as a concern.

I'm just saying a Vlasic-like defender seems to be the ballpark of the kind of player the Pens envision as the reason they selected him.

 

[Zero Pucks]

Honestly I'm more happy Lauzon seems to have the defensive side of the puck down and can work on developing his offensive game the next year or two in juniors. We've seen Morrow and Pouliot and others with all the upside in the world, but looked like chickens with their heads cut off after juniors because they were in way to deep when it came to tougher defensive assignments at the next level.

 

[jmelm]

The way Lauzon is described (very physical, willing to drop the gloves, etc.) keeps making me come back to the Ian Cole comparison. Vlasic is not a guy who is known for those characteristics. But when I think of gritty/physical, can really skate and make a good first pass, it sounds like he could fit the role of a Cole-type player.


I think we all know how valuable Cole has been for us the past 2 years, and if Lauzon can be that good, we should be thrilled. If he can be that good at a younger age (Cole only really established himself about 25), and/or reach and even higher level as than Cole, then we should be ecstatic.