Peter Mueller vs. Brian Little - who to draft first?

[Woody19]

Obviously Phil Kessel will be the top center available at this year's draft, but if you had to decide between picking Mueller or Little, who would you go for?

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[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

Mueller.

 

[Vikke]

Obviously Bäckström is outplaying Kessel as we speak. By a pretty huge margin, too.

 

[Woody19]

Obviously Bäckström is outplaying Kessel as we speak. By a pretty huge margin, too.

Yeah, nice score But still Kessel will be drafted before Bäckström...

 

[zoomba]

Although nearly everyone I have seen has Mueller ranked ahead of Little I would go with Brian Little first.

Mueller has great offensive potential but I don't see him being a huge factor in the NHL unless he alters his game and becomes more assertive. Little on the other hand seems to be a player that gets the most out of his abilities. I love his speed and work ethic as well as his ability to create offense. I think he will be an offensive sparkplug in the league for years.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Obviously Bäckström is outplaying Kessel as we speak. By a pretty huge margin, too.

Based on what? Besides, why include Backstrom or Kessel in a Mueller/Little debate?

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Although nearly everyone I have seen has Mueller ranked ahead of Little I would go with Brian Little first.

Mueller has great offensive potential but I don't see him being a huge factor in the NHL unless he alters his game and becomes more assertive. Little on the other hand seems to be a player that gets the most out of his abilities. I love his speed and work ethic as well as his ability to create offense. I think he will be an offensive sparkplug in the league for years.

I don't think Mueller lacks assertiveness at all. He might appear to be coasting but a lot of great players with great ability do that. The minute you stop paying attention to players like that the puck goes in the net.

 

[zoomba]

I don't think Mueller lacks assertiveness at all. He might appear to be coasting but a lot of great players with great ability do that. The minute you stop paying attention to players like that the puck goes in the net.

I mean assertiveness as in the way he uses his big body. I don't expect him to hit everything in sight and be a physical dominator but I would like to see him play a bit more down low protecting the puck and driving to the net with it. For me, he plays on the perimiter too much. He should be better than he is IMO.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

I mean assertiveness as in the way he uses his big body. I don't expect him to hit everything in sight and be a physical dominator but I would like to see him play a bit more down low protecting the puck and driving to the net with it. For me, he plays on the perimiter too much. He should be better than he is IMO.

That's a fair criticism, but IMO people get too wrapped up in size as the main dictator of a player's style. Just because a player is big doesn't necessarilly make him a banger. Mueller, despite being a big kid is more of a finesse player. Bobby Ryan is the same way.

 

[Capitals19]

Mueller

 

[Nash]

I haven't seen Little play enough to make a judgement on him, but Mueller is one of the more overrated prospects in this draft. He has great hands, passing and offensive awareness, but doesn't have a physical side to his game. Every time I have seen him play he has been soft. Maybe I unfairly equate soft players to not having the type of heart to excel in the game, but that's how I see him.

 

[Vikke]

Based on what? Besides, why include Backstrom or Kessel in a Mueller/Little debate?

A little objection to "obviously Kessel is the top center".

 

[Rabid Ranger]

A little objection to "obviously Kessel is the top center".

Fair enough, but I don't think Backstrom has done enough to suggest he is miles ahead of Kessel-as the post I was referring to mentioned.

 

[Vikke]

Fair enough, but I don't think Backstrom has done enough to suggest he is miles ahead of Kessel-as the post I was referring to mentioned.

1. He's been way, way better than Kessel in the Worlds, even though he's played only two games. He's getting PK & PP time.

2. He's been the best player on Brynäs this season, in the SEL. As an 18 year old.


I'm not bashing Kessel, I'm a big fan of him and his flashy style, but he's certainly not ahead of Bäckström.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

1. He's been way, way better than Kessel in the Worlds, even though he's played only two games. He's getting PK & PP time.

2. He's been the best player on Brynäs this season, in the SEL. As an 18 year old.


I'm not bashing Kessel, I'm a big fan of him and his flashy style, but he's certainly not ahead of Bäckström.

You're certainly entitled to your opinion. I'm not sure how many scouts agree with you though.

 

[Vikke]

You're certainly entitled to your opinion. I'm not sure how many scouts agree with you though.

Well, CSB even has Derrick Brassard ahead of Kessel.
ISS ranks Bäckström 4th and Kessel 5th.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Well, CSB even has Derrick Brassard ahead of Kessel.
ISS ranks Bäckström 4th and Kessel 5th.

Right, but it's hardly a consensus. We'll find out soon enough who is selected first and who will be the better NHL player.

 

[Vikke]

Right, but it's hardly a consensus. We'll find out soon enough who is selected first and who will be the better NHL player.

Agreed on the first one, not on who'll be the better NHL player. Let's wait 15 years

 

[Anthony Mauro]

I'm not sure how many scouts agree with you though.

LOTS.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

LOTS.

How do you know?

 

[Transported Upstater]

I haven't seen Little play enough to make a judgement on him, but Mueller is one of the more overrated prospects in this draft. He has great hands, passing and offensive awareness, but doesn't have a physical side to his game. Every time I have seen him play he has been soft. Absolutely I unfairly equate soft players to not having the type of heart to excel in the game, but that's how I see him.

Fixed.

 

[Corona-12]

Probably Mueller will go first. He has great hands, and his playmaking skills are world class. Hes a big man, and needs to work on his acceleration, he should explode for Everett next year as argubly the best player in the league.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

As for the question at hand in this thread, there's always the possibility Little ends up the superior player of the two, but I can guarantee Mueller will be selected first. I doubt he falls past Columbus.

 

[Jovofan]

I haven't seen Little play enough to make a judgement on him, but Mueller is one of the more overrated prospects in this draft. He has great hands, passing and offensive awareness, but doesn't have a physical side to his game. Every time I have seen him play he has been soft. Maybe I unfairly equate soft players to not having the type of heart to excel in the game, but that's how I see him.

Actually I think people UNDERrate Mueller because he lacks a physical game (which IMO isn't really much of an issue since you can teach a player to use his size as opposed to teaching what Mueller already has). He stepped up his physical game in the series against the Giants in the playoffs somewhat which leads me to believe that it is possible for him to play with a bit of an edge, but, even if he doesn't he wouldn't be the only player who plays a soft game that is still successful in the NHL.

Take another player who had great hands, passing and offensive awareness and great vision but lacked a physical game, I believe he wore a couple of 9s on his back too. Now, before people jump on my back, I am NOT in any way saying that Mueller is as good as Gretzky, never ever ever ever would I say that, I'm just merely using it as an example.

In the new NHL, you don't really need to have those mammoth forwards who go into the offensive zone and crush some poor defenceman on the forecheck, the things that Mueller has, skating, vision, etc. is what translates well in this new style of game. Plus, if Mueller goes to a place where he has a larger winger who likes to crash and bang, all Mueller will have to do is get open and that guy will feed the puck to him and Mueller can take over from there.

I just think it's a joke that people downgrade Mueller because of a lack of physical game and say that the kid doesn't have heart because of it, he's got plenty and he showed it in the playoffs which is IMO the biggest testing ground for a prospect, 'does he step his game up when the chips are down?' In Mueller's case - yes.

 

[KH1]

I would take Mueller any day of the week. He's got the potential to be a force as a playmaker in the NHL. Like several people above have said, just because he's not a huge hitter doesn't mean that he's a floater, and it certainly doesn't mean that he doesn't use his size.