HF Habs: U18 World Men's Hockey Championship, April 25-May 5

[Lafleurs Guy]

I was hoping TSN would Re-run Canada’s game but no such luck. I’d have liked to have seen Iginla. Didn’t notice him at all in game one but only saw part of it.

 

[26Mats]

I don't know if it's character or not, he's a pretty hard worker on the ice and he seems to be a good teammate and knows his role. I really don't know what went wrong with KK. He has the size, the skill, the processing speed and he doesn't seem to be a cancer as he hangs out with all the Canes boys and all. He's also pretty selfless on the ice and somewhat of a pest. On paper he has it all, lol.

The only thing I can say is the self-entitlement he seems to have, he really seems to have trouble accepting criticism and he really seems to have trouble not butting heads with coaches. I'm like 99.99% that comes at least in part from being rushed in the NHL but it may also have always been there, and it just got worse by being put in that position. He's also plateaud pretty hard skills wise after his first season, he more or less always remained the same player. Is that from not working hard enough ? Is that from being in the NHL too soon and never actually developping anything ? I have no idea.

He's one of the youngest player in the draft, he has all the skills in the world and compared to Matheson, whom you've alluded to, he's actually a forward and a high-offensive one. Matheson is neither and is merely a hockeyDB darling. He's also not playing ahead of the best defender on the team, which is probably the main reason why I hate him. And he's not as stupid, which is the second reason.

He's not even my pick, it's just that the criticism is ridiculous IMO.

Personally I don't make my own draft lists. I don't get to watch enough and probably don't know how to project well enough. Pierre McGuire and Button are saying the criticism is unwarranted.

I look forward to seeing who HuGo go with, and then how all these prospects we've been hearing about turn out. I can't remember hearing such good things about 13 prospects heading into a draft. Probably mainly because I've followed them more closely since we went full rebuild mode.

I was hoping TSN would Re-run Canada’s game but no such luck. I’d have liked to have seen Iginla. Didn’t notice him at all in game one but only saw part of it.

I saw his Dad live in Boston at the world Juniors, in like 1996. He wasn't the most noticeable, though he put up solid points. He was strong and solid

 

[Playmaker09]

I was hoping TSN would Re-run Canada’s game but no such luck. I’d have liked to have seen Iginla. Didn’t notice him at all in game one but only saw part of it.

You can watch the VOD on tsn.ca or the TSN app if you have a tv subscription. Video --> Games on Demand

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

You can watch the VOD on tsn.ca or the TSN app if you have a tv subscription. Video --> Games on Demand

Thanks!

 

[WeThreeKings]

One thing I liked about Tijs game last time was his ability to get his shot off in traffic on the PP and his willingness to get inside around the net.

Watching Toronto, I'd be sick if we had too many guys who are afraid of the middle. I do think we could handle one, but it's better if you have competitors with skill.

No interest in trading for Zegras who is as soft as baby shit and a wissy loser like Marner and Eiserman as well just looks like he's content to stay out of the muck.

 

[Sam de Mtl]

One thing I liked about Tijs game last time was his ability to get his shot off in traffic on the PP and his willingness to get inside around the net.

Watching Toronto, I'd be sick if we had too many guys who are afraid of the middle. I do think we could handle one, but it's better if you have competitors with skill.

No interest in trading for Zegras who is as soft as baby shit and a wissy loser like Marner and Eiserman as well just looks like he's content to stay out of the muck.

Yep, the maple laughs are the cautionary tale against relying too much on star players.

Someone wondered on the main board where they would be if they had kept Kadri and Human instead of signing Tavares.... Oof... A lot better I expect.

Thank you rookie Dubas for making such a bad move.

 

[skidcells]

Konsta Helenius with 2 more assists today. The @Goldenhands prophecy may be coming true. Lisan al Gaib!

 

[SannywithoutCompy]

"several players in this draft who can do exactly what Eiserman can do"

My issue is with this statement. It's just not true. I consider Eiserman at 5 but he's not my pick, I wouldn't be mad if they picked him, but I wouldn't be super happy. Iginla is probably the second best goalscorer in this draft and he's a much better player to me than Eiserman, yet I would never say "He can do what Eiserman can". He just can't. He's not as good a goalscorer.

2nd after Macklin, surely

 

[WeThreeKings]

Konsta Helenius with 2 more assists today. The @Goldenhands prophecy may be coming true. Lisan al Gaib!

I can't wait until they play one of the good teams in the tournament. Nice cross-ice feeds to Emming, thought I was watching the same goal 4 times.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

I can't wait until they play one of the good teams in the tournament. Nice cross-ice feeds to Emming, thought I was watching the same goal 4 times.

That group is just Finland & USA. The other 3 teams aren't good. The tournament isn't the same with out Russia. There's always one division with only 2 good teams in it now. Unfortunately, Slovakia's 2006s aren't very good, so they brought an extremely young team.

Apparently, Helenius is playing at the U18s and the World Championships with the regular team.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

One thing I liked about Tijs game last time was his ability to get his shot off in traffic on the PP and his willingness to get inside around the net.

Watching Toronto, I'd be sick if we had too many guys who are afraid of the middle. I do think we could handle one, but it's better if you have competitors with skill.

No interest in trading for Zegras who is as soft as baby shit and a wissy loser like Marner and Eiserman as well just looks like he's content to stay out of the muck.

Eiserman’s got a lot more balls than Marner does. At least he scores some dirty goals and isn’t afraid to throw some hits.

 

[WeThreeKings]

That group is just Finland & USA. The other 3 teams aren't good. The tournament isn't the same with out Russia. There's always one division with only 2 good teams in it now. Unfortunately, Slovakia's 2006s aren't very good, so they brought an extremely young team.

Apparently, Helenius is playing at the U18s and the World Championships with the regular team.

Yes, no Russia hurts and that Slovakia team is terrible. Even the Czechia team isn't very good and the Sweden team is weaker than normal. Honestly, even USA is weaker that normal.

Canada should win handedly and that's without Lindstrom and Catton, who would be two of the best forwards in the entire tournament.

Eiserman’s got a lot more balls than Marner does. At least he scores some dirty goals and isn’t afraid to throw some hits.

Take your word for it, I haven't seen it yet.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Take your word for it, I haven't seen it yet.

As I said earlier in the thread he doesn’t have CC’s motor but saying he’s going to be Marner is just not deserved. He does throw hits and does go to the front of the net. It’s his lackadaisical play defensively that’s an issue.

Marner does anything he can to avoid physical play. Calling anyone Marner is a serious insult.

This is a 17 year old kid with real question marks but it’s not right to say at this stage that he’s going to be the biggest candyass in the league. That’s overboard.

I don’t disagree that Eiserman has drive issues that need work though.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

Eiserman’s got a lot more balls than Marner does. At least he scores some dirty goals and isn’t afraid to throw some hits.

No one's saying he's Marner. Eiserman was excellent in last year's U18 final with USA. He's a competitive kid, but so are the other forwards he's competing with in the draft. Lindstrom, Iginla, Helenius, even a guy like Sennecke play high compete games. I would say Eiserman can be a bit of a drifter in the sense he's not always engaged in every game, but when it matters most he's engaged and competitive.

I just think Lindstrom & Iginla fit better with what Hughes is trying to build, and while Demidov & Helenius are smaller, I like their overall skills better.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

No one's saying he's Marner. Eiserman was excellent in last year's U18 final with USA. He's a competitive kid, but so are the other forwards he's competing with in the draft. Lindstrom, Iginla, Helenius, even a guy like Sennecke play high compete games. I would say Eiserman can be a bit of a drifter in the sense he's not always engaged in every game, but when it matters most he's engaged and competitive.

I just think Lindstrom & Iginla fit better with what Hughes is trying to build, and while Demidov & Helenius are smaller, I like their overall skills better.

WTKs seemed to be comparing him to Marner.

I have no issues with us drafting any if those other players. I’ll defer to the scouts. I’ll be thrilled if we get Lidstrom. My take on Eiserman isn’t popular and I understand why.

 

[WeThreeKings]

WTKs seemed to be comparing him to Marner.

Zegras was compared to Marner - I just said Eiserman is someone who looks afraid of the muck. I can see how you could read it the other way, though.

Gotta get inside consistently in the playoffs. Marty did a great job working with Caufield on that but I've never had questions about Caufield's compete.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Zegras was compared to Marner - I just said Eiserman is someone who looks afraid of the muck. I can see how you could read it the other way, though.

Gotta get inside consistently in the playoffs. Marty did a great job working with Caufield on that but I've never had questions about Caufield's compete.

Okay cool. Thanks. I guess I misread your post.

 

[Boss Man Hughes]

Yep, the maple laughs are the cautionary tale against relying too much on star players.

Someone wondered on the main board where they would be if they had kept Kadri and Human instead of signing Tavares.... Oof... A lot better I expect.

Thank you rookie Dubas for making such a bad move.

Did Dubas make the Tavares signing? Was it after Lou and Hunter were gone?

 

[MarkovsKnee]

WTKs seemed to be comparing him to Marner.

Ouch. Lol

I wouldn't compare him to Marner, although I don't know anything about Eiserman's dad, and too much about Marner's, so that's a good start for Eiserman right.

Like I said, Eiserman was strong in last year's final. He attacked the net. He's not a big hitter, but doesn't shy away from the boards. Imo, he's more Brock Boeser. Boeser had his best goal scoring season this year with 40 g and 33a at age 27. Prior to that he had never scored more than 29g, 55 pts.

I think Eiserman projects as a consistent 25-35 goal guy with 25a-40a, so 50 pts in a down year. 75 pts in a good year. He'll be good on the PP, and will be out in offensive situations, but like Boeser he isn't a play driver. He's a complementary player who you put beside a better player (in Boeser's case Miller or Pettersson). Eiserman in our case would complement Dach.

The players that I have before him are players I consider to be play drivers at NHL level. They'll control play and help elevate overall team play, including offensively and defensively.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

Did Dubas make the Tavares signing? Was it after Lou and Hunter were gone?

Yeah, signing Tavares was the first move Dubas did as GM. Lou and Hunter quit after they realized Dubas was getting the GM job.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Ouch. Lol

I wouldn't compare him to Marner, although I don't know anything about Eiserman's dad, and too much about Marner's, so that's a good start for Eiserman right.

Like I said, Eiserman was strong in last year's final. He attacked the net. He's not a big hitter, but doesn't shy away from the boards. Imo, he's more Brock Boeser. Boeser had his best goal scoring season this year with 40 g and 33a at age 27. Prior to that he had never scored more than 29g, 55 pts.

I think Eiserman projects as a consistent 25-35 goal guy with 25a-40a, so 50 pts in a down year. 75 pts in a good year. He'll be good on the PP, and will be out in offensive situations, but like Boeser he isn't a play driver. He's a complementary player who you put beside a better player (in Boeser's case Miller or Pettersson). Eiserman in our case would complement Dach.

The players that I have before him are players I consider to be play drivers at NHL level. They'll control play and help elevate overall team play, including offensively and defensively.

He’s definitely a complimentary player even if he is a high end one. 25-35 goals may be right. But I think there’s a lot more upside there.

The best predictor of future success is past performance. He’s going to set the record and he missed next year’s draft by two weeks. That’s pretty impressive.

CC has already shown he can get 48 in 82 and his career is just getting started. I think Eiserman has huge upside.

But I think he also has a good chance of not reaching that ceiling. And if he turns out to be a complimentary 25 goal per year winger, that’s not worth spending a high pick on.

That’s why I’ll defer to our scouts. At a minimum for example I think Lidstrom will be a decent scorer with a power game. We can certainly use that. So I’m totally fine with is going that way. Demidov is all about flash and skill, we don’t have much of that either… so many ways we can go.

To me, Eiserman has the highest ceiling. But if he doesn’t reach it, there’s not much to fall back on. So I totally get us going another way.

 

[Boss Man Hughes]

Czechs win. Glad to see them destroy the Swedish goaltender in the shootout.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

Czechs win. Glad to see them destroy the Swedish goaltender in the shootout.

What do you have against Swedes?

 

[Boss Man Hughes]

Yeah, signing Tavares was the first move Dubas did as GM. Lou and Hunter quit after they realized Dubas was getting the GM job.

I believe Lou's contract was up and he wasn't supposed to be extended. Of course they could have changed their minds but then Hunter and Dubas would have left and they would have had an 80 yr old GM left. In any event no way to know if Dubas made the choice or the incompetent Shanahan did.

What do you have against Swedes?

Not Swedes. Goaltenders. Czechs were the better team everywhere but in net.

 

[Paddy17]

Eiserman is a great goal scoring prospect no doubt, will be a good add for a team who doesn't already have a Caufield type in place. Yes we need goals, but having Caufield and Eiserman on separate lines in your top 6 doesn't exactly inspire confidence for future playoff success.

It's crazy how Caufield is getting no respect by some portion of this board because he didn't score 50 goals this year...

"You let me down. I feel betrayed. You're just a one-dimensional small player that can't perform in the playoffs."