Player Discussion Tom Wilson - Part 1

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AlexBrovechkin8

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Wilson would've benefited by playing in Hershey for a year, he was kinda rushed a bit. His maturation is what I've been impressed with, he picks his spots more now, instead of playing reckless. When this team needs a spark, he often supplies one, whether by a heavy hit, or dropping the gloves, especially when it's standing up for a teammate. I also think that his expanded role (more minutes, PK, playing with better linemates) has helped both him and the Caps tap into his potential. Yeah, he had 4pts against subpar goalies, but games like last night is nice reward for his effort and value to the team. He's gonna get paid more than the $2M he's getting this season.

Not sure if you're discussing the hypothetical scenario where Wilson played in Hershey or if you're saying it was a mistake not to play him in Hershey, but he wasn't eligible to play in the AHL... it was juniors or the NHL.
 
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brachyrynchos

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AlexBrovechkin8 said:
Not sure if you're discussing the hypothetical scenario where Wilson played in Hershey or if you're saying it was a mistake not to play him in Hershey, but he wasn't eligible to play in the AHL... it was juniors or the NHL.
Thank you for reminding me of that, sorry, totally forgot.
 
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RandyHolt

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I am still not convinced either Jrs or AHL would have made him a more skilled player. Fighting all the up and coming punks may well have countered any boost in skill many seem to think was a given to happen. All the while missing out on all the learning he could do with the best coaches and players up here daily in the bigs.

I stand firm that George would have snatched him over anyone else we exposed.
 

txpd

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There is a fairly long track record of players like Wilson develop their offensive game slower. That the Caps were a stacked offensive team didn't help him. Even now it takes having both Oshie and Burt out of the lineup for him to get an pp time. Connolly and Chaisson play ahead of him on the pp.
 
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txpd

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8-19-43 has had chemistry going back to 2014-15. It's not just a matter of Ovechkin playing better IMO, though he certainly has been great recently. Wilson really does add something as a top line player.

I give credence to the thought that Trotz was force feeding Ov and Kuzy for the first quarter of the season for a reason. That he kept them together and Backstrom separate thru both going cold for a reason. That with all the talk that Kuzy belongs with Ovechkin, that Ovechkin and Backstrom are most comfortable and do their best work playing together. Once reunited that relief has allowed them to return to their natural state. There have been many successful playing the 3rd with them. Wilson seems to me to be the best fit other than Oshie. If you want Oshie on a different line than Ovechkin, then Wilson is the guy. And has been.
 
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Bananas

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Not sure why anyone is still harping on his development. It’s pretty obvious now that he’s reaching his peak potential via the NHL heavy road he’s taken; and he’s still only 23. It was a legit concern, but he’s obviously put that to bed at this point.

It’s not like he’d have Kuznetsov’s hands if he hung out in Juniors and the AHL for a few more years...
 
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BobRouse

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Revisited for some sweet hot takes


Threads like this prove that folks are far too quick to give up on young players.

Wilson and Marcus Johansson should be valuable learning lessons for those (the majority of posters it seems outside of curmudgeons like me an TX) who were ready to throw guys into to Volcano or consider trading them for mediocre players like Hansen @Eazy for Kuzy
 

CapitalsCupReality

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Revisited for some sweet hot takes


Threads like this prove that folks are far too quick to give up on young players.

Wilson and Marcus Johansson should be valuable learning lessons for those (the majority of posters it seems outside of curmudgeons like me an TX) who were ready to throw guys into to Volcano or consider trading them for mediocre players like Hansen @Eazy for Kuzy

Some of those hot takes, especially from some of the "nose in the air" posters...are so glorious to read...
 
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Alexander the Gr8

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Revisited for some sweet hot takes


Threads like this prove that folks are far too quick to give up on young players.

Wilson and Marcus Johansson should be valuable learning lessons for those (the majority of posters it seems outside of curmudgeons like me an TX) who were ready to throw guys into to Volcano or consider trading them for mediocre players like Hansen @Eazy for Kuzy

If you're gonna call me out at least quote what I said.

Oh that's right, I never criticized Wilson at any point in this thread. Try calling out someone else instead.
 

BobRouse

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If you're gonna call me out at least quote what I said.

I’ll dig it up in a bit. You were actually more positive on Wilson than most on this thread so you def get cred for that. But even then it was far more luke warm than impassioned.

I’m using this to make a point that we should all exercise more patience when dealing with young players.

It’s funny that people get mad at Trotz for not doing so with young players yet they themselves lose faith quicker than they should
 

Alexander the Gr8

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I’ll dig it up in a bit. You were actually more positive on Wilson than most on this thread so you def get cred for that. But even then it was far more luke warm than impassioned.

I’m using this to make a point that we should all exercise more patience when dealing with young players.

It’s funny that people get mad at Trotz for not doing so with young players yet they themselves lose faith quicker than they should

It was hard to be very excited for a while but I never thought he was a bad player at any point. Even now it's difficult to tell what we have on our hands exactly. He could have a much higher ceiling or have reached his max, no one knows.
 

Alexander the Gr8

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I’ll dig it up in a bit. You were actually more positive on Wilson than most on this thread so you def get cred for that. But even then it was far more luke warm than impassioned.

I’m using this to make a point that we should all exercise more patience when dealing with young players.

It’s funny that people get mad at Trotz for not doing so with young players yet they themselves lose faith quicker than they should

Also, there are more productive ways to spend your free time than to search up my posting history. Spare yourself the trouble and go bother someone else.
 
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RandyHolt

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I am so glad we protected Willy. I will stick to my guns no matter what. If we exposed Willy, George would have grabbed him. Schmidt is a nice complementary piece, but Willy has a chance to be a premier power forward in the league, if he isn't already. His solid ESP/G numbers throughout the playoffs says all you need to know about his development.

The opposition just gives up the puck when Willy approaches, which is almost the highest complement you can give. Yeah here, take it. Just don't hit me. That's not a player any team wants to expose.
 

AlexBrovechkin8

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This isn't the first time Wilson has shown flashes while playing with players who have real talent. This run of play is likely going to regress and that line will ebb and flow in terms of effectiveness -- just like every other line in hockey -- but Wilson has certainly shown he's capable of developing into more than a plug or an agitator. People who don't see the vast improvements in his game have an axe to grind and are more concerned with protecting their narrative than with objectively discussing the player.

I love reading old threads and not feeling like an asshole.
 
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