Xavier Ouellet

[SpookyTsuki]

It's a hopeful sentiment but I think your overrating Ouellet. I just don't see the same potential. I agree with the compliments to his IQ and making simple plays but so can Russo. Or Ericsson for that matter. Unfortunately though his skating is possibly the worst in the NHL and that is a gigantic weakness. Not just speed but the mobility needed in all aspects of the game- XO doesn't have it.

As for cup caliber I'd say barely playoff roster honestly. For Pittsburgh- Cole, Maatta, Dumoulin, Hainsey, Schultz, even old man Daley...you really think with the way that team is rolling XO could secure a place on their blueline? Schultz only plays 15-20 minutes but is a bonafide offensive threat. Hainsey is an ugly beast but he gets the damn job done. Nashville, Anaheim, Washington, St.Louis...Ouellet is nowhere near. May be as a #6 or 7??? I'd rank him with Smith or Ottawa's Wideman- extremely mediocre to a near liability.

I place him 5th on the Wings D only ahead of Russo and Kronwall. I still don't see the potential to be on a 2nd pair in the NHL.

Green
DeKeyser (yes this is horrible)
Jensen
Ericsson
Ouellet
Russo
Kronwall

I do like him as a person and jumping topics a bit agree with the logic of protecting him over DeKeyser. For as much as I'm downing the guy I'd rather him than an over 30 UFA this summer. Keep XO until someone from within overtakes his spot.

I'm sorry but I can't take you seriously if you have Russo ahead of Kronwall. Maybe one day but not now he's not even in the ballpark really even with no knees

 

[vladdy16]

It's a hopeful sentiment but I think your overrating Ouellet. I just don't see the same potential. I agree with the compliments to his IQ and making simple plays but so can Russo. Or Ericsson for that matter. Unfortunately though his skating is possibly the worst in the NHL and that is a gigantic weakness. Not just speed but the mobility needed in all aspects of the game- XO doesn't have it.

As for cup caliber I'd say barely playoff roster honestly. For Pittsburgh- Cole, Maatta, Dumoulin, Hainsey, Schultz, even old man Daley...you really think with the way that team is rolling XO could secure a place on their blueline? Schultz only plays 15-20 minutes but is a bonafide offensive threat. Hainsey is an ugly beast but he gets the damn job done. Nashville, Anaheim, Washington, St.Louis...Ouellet is nowhere near. May be as a #6 or 7??? I'd rank him with Smith or Ottawa's Wideman- extremely mediocre to a near liability.

I place him 5th on the Wings D only ahead of Russo and Kronwall. I still don't see the potential to be on a 2nd pair in the NHL.

Green
DeKeyser (yes this is horrible)
Jensen
Ericsson
Ouellet
Russo
Kronwall

I do like him as a person and jumping topics a bit agree with the logic of protecting him over DeKeyser. For as much as I'm downing the guy I'd rather him than an over 30 UFA this summer. Keep XO until someone from within overtakes his spot.

Think you're conflating what I think he is now, to what I think his ceiling is.

This years version of Ouellet is a 4-7 on a given team. He absolutely would've helped a team like Ottawa eat minutes this playoffs though.

Honestly your list kind of proves my main point here, which isn't 'look at Ouellet, what a great prospect and he's still improving' it's 'Ouellet is our only NHL calibur defensemen that is improving'.

If Dekeyser can find a way to fix his conditioning, maybe he can make a comeback. The rest of that list won't be in the NHL 3 years from now imo.

 

[Mijatovic]

XO included. Hes a stop gap and nothing more. Just filling in time till someone useful shows up.

 

[Vatican Roulette]

I'm sorry but I can't take you seriously if you have Russo ahead of Kronwall. Maybe one day but not now he's not even in the ballpark really even with no knees

Disagree. I'd take a flyer on a depth guy versus Kronwall.

I love the guy, but he's done.

 

[SpookyTsuki]

Disagree. I'd take a flyer on a depth guy versus Kronwall.

I love the guy, but he's done.

I agree he is done. Yet he's still better then Russo and others

 

[Vatican Roulette]

I agree he is done. Yet he's still better then Russo and others

Russo can play in the NHL, Kronwall cannot.

 

[SpookyTsuki]

Russo can play in the NHL, Kronwall cannot.

I like Russo. But he isn't ready maybe this upcoming year but not now. He played 20 games and didn't even get a point. That's not good for someone where the strong point is scoring.

I'll always take the guy that looks worse and produces more then the guy that looks good and doesn't produce at all. Unless we're talking about who to sign and keep for the next 10 years

 

[Vatican Roulette]

I like Russo. But he isn't ready maybe this upcoming year but not now. He played 20 games and didn't even get a point. That's not good for someone where the strong point is scoring.

I'll always take the guy that looks worse and produces more then the guy that looks good and doesn't produce at all. Unless we're talking about who to sign and keep for the next 10 years

I like Russo too. I don't think he amounts to much, but hey.

Kronwall needs to retire.

 

[theD86]

I disagree some what. Ouellet is a solid third line dman/ fringe second line. Russo........ Appears to be a fourth line guy.

 

[Boomhower]

I've always liked Ouellet.
Definitely not ready to give up on him. I think if he is given more of a role next season, he will continue to grow and prove some people wrong. I thought he was solid last season.. nothing special, but it was his first year.

 

[Henkka]

I like Russo. But he isn't ready maybe this upcoming year but not now. He played 20 games and didn't even get a point. That's not good for someone where the strong point is scoring.

I'll always take the guy that looks worse and produces more then the guy that looks good and doesn't produce at all. Unless we're talking about who to sign and keep for the next 10 years

Russo is a power-play specialist. Did play 0:07 on PP in those 20 games. Probably with 3rd liners.

It was just an experimental stint. Didn't try to light the world on fire, but was defensively ok. His time will come when the opportunity is given. But I don't expect him being nothing more than offensive 3-pair guy. 2nd pair at best.

 

[SpookyTsuki]

Russo is a power-play specialist. Did play 0:07 on PP in those 20 games. Probably with 3rd liners.

It was just an experimental stint. Didn't try to light the world on fire, but was defensively ok. His time will come when the opportunity is given. But I don't expect him being nothing more than offensive 3-pair guy. 2nd pair at best.

We see how that worked out with all those third pair pp guys at best we had.

If he can't put up any points regardless of linemates in 20 games you really think he could put up any on the pp? On OUR pp? Our pp is isn't good and Russo ain't changing that

 

[Retire91]

I like Russo. But he isn't ready maybe this upcoming year but not now. He played 20 games and didn't even get a point. That's not good for someone where the strong point is scoring.

I'll always take the guy that looks worse and produces more then the guy that looks good and doesn't produce at all. Unless we're talking about who to sign and keep for the next 10 years

Its one of my concerns too, he kind of has a pure offensive tool box which is really only useful in the NHL if you bring top end offense. Not sure what Russo's future will be here. I heard he has improved his all around game, we'll see

 

[Henkka]

We see how that worked out with all those third pair pp guys at best we had.

If he can't put up any points regardless of linemates in 20 games you really think he could put up any on the pp? On OUR pp? Our pp is isn't good and Russo ain't changing that

Yeah, but he is the 1st PP Quarterback at Griffins and they recorded a highest PP% (25%) for a last decade in AHL. I'd say there some skill hidden just waiting a chance with better players (NHL-level 1st PP unit).

Best thing in Russo is that he can defend at least in average level, which is an impossible obstacle for a guy like Ryan Sproul.

 

[SpookyTsuki]

Yeah, but he is the 1st PP Quarterback at Griffins and they recorded a highest PP% (25%) for a last decade in AHL. I'd say there some skill hidden just waiting a chance with better players (NHL-level 1st PP unit).

Best thing in Russo is that he can defend at least in average level, which is an impossible obstacle for a guy like Ryan Sproul.

Yeah at least he can defend

 

[waltdetroit]

Yeah, but he is the 1st PP Quarterback at Griffins and they recorded a highest PP% (25%) for a last decade in AHL. I'd say there some skill hidden just waiting a chance with better players (NHL-level 1st PP unit).

Russo had 3 goals and 10 assists on the PP for the regular season and zero goals & 2 assists so far in the 17 game Calder Cup playoffs. GRG played a 5 forward PP line during the season and part of the playoffs that helped the high %. For a comparison, Hicketts had 1 goal and 12 assists on the PP during the season. About the same.

 

[PelagicJoe]

We need defenseman that have puck skills and are mobile. Thankfully we have prospects that fit that bill, and I hope we draft a bunch more over the next few years.

I hope you are right. A lot of people thought that Brendan Smith and Jakub Kindl were going to be those guys just a few years ago, and that ended up not being the case.