WJC thread

[Devils Dominion]

I really don't see the McLeod - Tyler Johnson comparison but if McLeod becomes anything like him I'd be ecstatic

It's an awful comparison, so is Speers to Kunitz.
Kunitz has had a great NHL shot meanwhile Speers has a subpar OHL shot.

My WJC grades on the Devils prospects:

Rykov: A (very impressive all around game, looked like Russia's best d-man)
McLeod: B- (never got a fair shake by the buffoon coach, but he produced at a decent clip for the limited minutes played and showed speed)
Speers: C (great hustle and good on the PK but weak with the puck and did not get many shots off)
Anderson: C- (no offense to speak of, floated around too much for a supposed lunch-pail forward)

 

[HenriquesJawLine]

Travel would be the main issue I think. While not far from Canada, our region is certainly a lot further than Buffalo. Canada, the country not the team, obviously carries the majority of the tournament and I think they'd need to be as close as possible proximity wise.

It's been in Sweden and Finland recently

 

[217 Forever]

Travel would be the main issue I think. While not far from Canada, our region is certainly a lot further than Buffalo. Canada, the country not the team, obviously carries the majority of the tournament and I think they'd need to be as close as possible proximity wise.

I'm no geography major but NYC seems a little closer than Finland, Russia, and some of the other places the event is held basically ever other year

 

[217 Forever]

It's an awful comparison, so is Speers to Kunitz.
Kunitz has had a great NHL shot meanwhile Speers has a subpar OHL shot.

My WJC grades on the Devils prospects:

Rykov: A (very impressive all around game, looked like Russia's best d-man)
McLeod: B- (never got a fair shake by the buffoon coach, but he produced at a decent clip for the limited minutes played and showed speed)
Speers: C (great hustle and good on the PK but weak with the puck and did not get many shots off)
Anderson: C- (no offense to speak of, floated around too much for a supposed lunch-pail forward)

McLeod and Speers seem like the prototypical Shero players. Speed galore but allergic to scoring goals.

 

[Devils Dominion]

McLeod and Speers seem like the prototypical Shero players. Speed galore but allergic to scoring goals.

Mcleod is much faster than Speers.

I would have liked to have seen Zacha in the WJC to see how he compares to his peers.

 

[Spoiled Bratt]

It's an awful comparison, so is Speers to Kunitz.
Kunitz has had a great NHL shot meanwhile Speers has a subpar OHL shot.

My WJC grades on the Devils prospects:

Rykov: A (very impressive all around game, looked like Russia's best d-man)
McLeod: B- (never got a fair shake by the buffoon coach, but he produced at a decent clip for the limited minutes played and showed speed)
Speers: C (great hustle and good on the PK but weak with the puck and did not get many shots off)
Anderson: C- (no offense to speak of, floated around too much for a supposed lunch-pail forward)

McLeod wasn't missed used, he just got caught in a numbers game in regards to the center position. He wasn't going to displace Strome, Barzal or Roy and Cirelli was Ducharme's face off guy.

It's his first year and very rarely will you see a 1st year player get a big role on team Canada. He'll be there's next year and I wouldn't be surprised to see him in a top 6 role.

 

[MNDevilsfan]

Rykov was definitely the stand out among our prospects, but he's also older than most of the players in the tournament. Still encouraging to see...very impressed with his skating and his instincts seem pretty solid as well.

McLeod didn't play much but made an impact in the few minutes he got out there. Limited time but a good showing nonetheless.

I thought Speers and Anderson had OK tournaments. A few offensive flashes, generally solid with winning battles, etc.

As a side note: Keller has tons of skill no doubt, but Canada pretty easily neutralized him last night.

 

[JimEIV]

19 year olds typically get top billing over 18 year olds in the WJC.

In my opinion Anderson's performance as an 18 year old, was much more impressive than Speers a 19 year old who actually turned 20 January 2nd.

Anderson played a much larger role for his team and made a lot of nice plays throughout the tournement.

Just a ancillary look;
2 points for the 18 year old Anderson vs 3 points for the 20 year old Speers?

Anderson was more impressive.

 

[Zippy316]

It's an awful comparison, so is Speers to Kunitz.
Kunitz has had a great NHL shot meanwhile Speers has a subpar OHL shot.

My WJC grades on the Devils prospects:

Rykov: A (very impressive all around game, looked like Russia's best d-man)
McLeod: B- (never got a fair shake by the buffoon coach, but he produced at a decent clip for the limited minutes played and showed speed)
Speers: C (great hustle and good on the PK but weak with the puck and did not get many shots off)
Anderson: C- (no offense to speak of, floated around too much for a supposed lunch-pail forward)

I'm sorry, but I completely disagree here.

I could see the "floating" argument, but don't you think there was a reason he was playing 1RW (at 18 nonetheless) with USA's best two forwards in Keller and White? Anderson is the type of player that always seems to be in the right spot and it looks like he isn't trying because he doesn't have to.

I see a lot of Stempniak in Anderson. They both play a simple, but methodical game and you might not notice them a lot, but their line always seems to be dictating the play when they're out there.

 

[Spoiled Bratt]

19 year olds typically get top billing over 18 year olds in the WJC.

In my opinion Anderson's performance as an 18 year old, was much more impressive than Speers a 19 year old who actually turned 20 January 2nd.

Anderson played a much larger role for his team and made a lot of nice plays throughout the tournement.

Just a ancillary look;
2 points for the 18 year old Anderson vs 3 points for the 20 year old Speers?

Anderson was more impressive.

Trying to separate both players based on points is a flawed argument IMO.

 

[Billdo]

I'm no geography major but NYC seems a little closer than Finland, Russia, and some of the other places the event is held basically ever other year

All of which would probably draw more interest than the NYC area around NFL playoff time.

 

[JimEIV]

Trying to separate both players based on points is a flawed argument IMO.

Of course it is...Especially when Speers was in a primarily checking role...But that really wasn't the point...The points wasn't this guy has 2 and that guy has 3 so one is better - The point was one is 18 and the other is 20 both contributed to there team at not so different levels.

 

[Billdo]

It's an awful comparison, so is Speers to Kunitz.
Kunitz has had a great NHL shot meanwhile Speers has a subpar OHL shot.

My WJC grades on the Devils prospects:
Speers: C (great hustle and good on the PK but weak with the puck and did not get many shots off)
Anderson: C- (no offense to speak of, floated around too much for a supposed lunch-pail forward)

I have to disagree with the Anderson part entirely and partly with the Speers assessment. I thought for being one of the younger guys, Anderson was very visible and not floating, at all. Speers also had the puck a good amount, and while he didn't do much with it for the most part, he didn't seem weak with it and often made a good play.

It's weird how people can see different things while watching the same thing. I'm not saying I'm right and you're wrong obviously, it's just interesting to have separate assessments.

 

[Spoiled Bratt]

One guy that I liked a lot, and wanted us to trade back in the 1st for when he was dropping, was Julien Gauthier. He has the size and speed to be a real solid player at the top level. Being a natural goal scorer is another quality I'd take on our team any day.

 

[Zippy316]

Can I vent about Mcleod and Team Canada for a second? Here's some stats to think about after that joke

• 60% faceoff winrate
  
• 1+ ppg
  
• +4 despite playing nearly 60% DZS
  
• 3/4 shootout rate, best on Team Canada
  
• highest Controlled Entries in the OHL in 2016
  
• fastest player in the CHL
  
• top penalty killer in the OHL

He does all of this on one of the worst teams in the OHL. Lets also not forget that he was a top 15 draft pick with nearly everyone on the team being taken after him- so none of this should be a surprise

Gets 1 shift in the ENTIRE game, where he immediately sets up an assist and then creates another scoring chance. Then he rides pine for another 2 periods

Doesn't get a shootout attempt

Game goes for 4 periods with exhausted players that can barely skate anymore.

Strome is played every other shift while looking far below average. Barzal absolutely refused to pass and consistently lost the puck.

And Douchearme doesn't give Mcleod a single chance? What a -------- joke.

Not my words, but found this on r/hockey posted by a guy named calsiuis. Thought I would share.

 

[JimEIV]

Not my words, but found this on r/hockey posted by a guy named calsiuis. Thought I would share.

I don't understand what the expectation is from that person...

Coach went with his 19 year olds...They all do in this tournament.

Why is that so hard for some to figure out?

 

[OmNomNom]

One guy that I liked a lot, and wanted us to trade back in the 1st for, was Julien Gauthier. He has the size and speed to be a real solid player at the top level. Being a natural goal scorer is another quality I'd take on our team any day.

wasn't gauthier heavily under criticism prior to the draft?

 

[Zippy316]

I don't understand what the expectation is from that person...

Coach went with his 19 year olds...They all do in this tournament.

Why is that so hard for some to figure out?

I think his problem is how ineffective those 19 year olds were when they had a kid they refused to play who was outperforming them.

 

[OmNomNom]

I don't understand what the expectation is from that person...

Coach went with his 19 year olds...They all do in this tournament.

Why is that so hard for some to figure out?

the expectation is that the coach do all he can to win, and he had a player with skills on the bench not being used. it's like bringing a knife and a gun to a gang battle, and leaving the gun in the car intentionally

 

[Triumph]

Eh, I see both sides there - the 13th forward really is an afterthought. I think how I would use a 13th forward would be as an ES player after PPs/PKs in order to replace someone who had been used in that spot, so maybe that would be 6-7 minutes or so a game.

 

[HenriquesJawLine]

Of course it is...Especially when Speers was in a primarily checking role...But that really wasn't the point...The points wasn't this guy has 2 and that guy has 3 so one is better - The point was one is 18 and the other is 20 both contributed to there team at not so different levels.

Let's not pretend like Speers is two years older, he just turned 20 two days ago. They are one draft apart. But yes they were used pretty much the same on both teams.

 

[Comparison Ford]

Yeah, I totally don't blame the coach for not using McLeod that much. I wish he did, but I'm with Jim. He's gotta go with his older players even if they're tired.

That being said, I'm happy with what Mike did with the minutes he got. He will be there next year and I am very happy about the prospect we got.

 

[Brooklyndevil]

McLeod wasn't missed used, he just got caught in a numbers game in regards to the center position. He wasn't going to displace Strome, Barzal or Roy and Cirelli was Ducharme's face off guy.

It's his first year and very rarely will you see a 1st year player get a big role on team Canada. He'll be there's next year and I wouldn't be surprised to see him in a top 6 role.

Stome & Barzal I can understand, but for the 12th pick he should have beat out Roy or Cirelli. To bad for the Devils. Hopefully, he has a bigger role next year.

 

[Zippy316]

Eh, I see both sides there - the 13th forward really is an afterthought. I think how I would use a 13th forward would be as an ES player after PPs/PKs in order to replace someone who had been used in that spot, so maybe that would be 6-7 minutes or so a game.

With a back-to-back though, he should've at least cycled McLeod into either one of the games, especially when it seemed like he was effective in his limited minutes.

I'm not saying in OT, both teams shortened the bench in OT to 3 lines and 5 defenders it seemed. But having a guy with McLeod's speed playing limited shifts likely would've created havoc for the US defenders. I believe on his only shift he set up a great scoring chance last night.

 

[Spoiled Bratt]

Stome & Barzal I can understand, but for the 12th pick he should have beat out Roy or Cirelli. To bad for the Devils. Hopefully, he has a bigger role next year.

Being selected 12th overall means jack squat. Logan Brown was picked 11th overall an de didn't even make team USA.

Again, 1st year players aren't going to see too much ice, it's just the way it is. If he's being utilized next year as a 13th forward, I would understand, but I don't see that happening.