Zach Fucale: Why I'm skeptical about him

[CP31]

Couldn't agree more. Great situation to step in to.

 

[Plante]

I don't think any one is saying the defense was garbage. Mooseheads didn't give up many shots but what they did give up, almost always, was a prime scoring chance.

That sounds pretty garbage.

I'd rather face 40 outside shots, rather than 20 in prime real estate.

 

[Team_Spirit]

First of all, I will admit that I never watched Zach Fucale play, ever! (And please don't come with unoriginal comments such as '/thread')

What do you expect?

 

[WeThreeKings]

That sounds pretty garbage.

I'd rather face 40 outside shots, rather than 20 in prime real estate.

So garbage they won the Memorial Cup and were one of the best junior teams in history, but yeah, ok.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

So garbage they won the Memorial Cup and were one of the best junior teams in history, but yeah, ok.

Their defence was fine. The reason for the high quality scoring chances was often a case of the game being already in hand and things getting sloppy. It is strong play in all 3 zones that builds these leads.

 

[onemorecup*]

First of all, I will admit that I never watched Zach Fucale play, ever! (And please don't come with unoriginal comments such as '/thread')

So I was looking at his juniors stats with Halifax like his save % and GAA and the first thing that crossed my mind was: 'Is this guy really considered as a steal?'

Don't get me wrong, his stats aren't bad at all. I just find them average for a potentially 'best goalie of the draft' or 'future no. 1 goalie in the NHL'. or a franchise goalie like Craig Button said.

Zach Fucale
16 years old: 0.892% - 3.16 - 58gp
17 years old: 0.909% - 2.35 - 55gp

Some good stats when we look at it, but he couldn't do better with a monster team last season???

If we look at other top prospects goalies

Tristan Jarry
16 years old: 0.894% - 2.93 - 14gp
17 years old: 0.936% - 1.61 - 27gp

He was drafted 8 spots after Fucale. He played less games and he had some better stats with a western powerhouse like the Edmonton Oil Kings. Could he be way better than Fucale?

Malcolm Subban
16 years old: 0.900% - 3.16 - 32gp
17 years old: 0.923% - 2.50 - 39gp
18 years old: 0.934% - 2.14 - 46gp (after draft)

Better stats for Subban at 16 and 17 by far, but in a poll on this threadhttp://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1464575, Fucale won by a small margin, even with the stats I showed you.

My hypotheses:

-Maybe Fucale is overated
-Maybe Fucale is better when you watch him live than on paper
-Maybe Fucale is one of the reason why Halifax were great
-Even if Halifax were dominating the CHL, they weren't the best defensive team
-There is a reason why Fucale fell to the 34th spot if he was ranked way higher

I don't know what to think. Somebody told me he looked like a stud goalie when he's in the net, etc. But when I look at other goalies stats drafted in the first 2 rounds last couples of years, most of them are better than Fucale on paper.

So, I just want to know what you guys expect from him, what you say that makes him special, am I right or wrong about something, etc.?

I'm not hating on him. I want him to be good or great for ys, but I find it weird that we passed on guys like Zykov for such a dangerous gamble.
Tell me more about him. I red a lot of things about him but I still can't tell why he's supposed to be a future no. 1.

Thanks for your help.

EDIT: Do you guys expect him to make team Canada junior? (as a starter or backup) and how strong his next season will be with a different Mooseheads team?

first of all Zykov is Russian and with the gamble with the KHL it was foolish to take him , too much risk and with the extra picks in this solid draft I am not gambling

secondly your logic is totally flawed

goalies can either stop a puck or cant , regardless where they are drafted

he fell to 34th cause the draft was so deep , and picking goalies is not an exact science , many of the better ones were not first round picks , not drafed at all or later on picks

luckily Price has panned out cause how many goalies in the first round in the last 15 years have ? not many at all

but at 34 take the best ranked player on the board , he wont be ready for 3 years
he could be trade bait or maybe our #1 if Price doesnt gte the job done

this was a great pick at 34 for us witrh extra picks , we could afford to go for a home run

many goalies had horrible junior GAA and made it

but your stats are truthfully useless in rating him when they take 3-4 years to be NHL ready most times and many times its based on opportunity and being in the right situation

 

[onemorecup*]

Great post...as if written by a pro scout!

This thread has quickly become a Fucale appreciation thread! (and love mostly reading that Fucale was ''clutch'' and one of the important MVPs for a junior powerhouse team).

I've never seen Fucale, Drouin, or MacKinnon play live, so reading all this is so helpful. Cheers!

So happy we have Fucale! (surprised he wasn't drafted in the top 15-20 from everything I've read about him...I guess we got lucky with other teams' goalie needs).

good answer , we had 4 solid picks in the first 2 rounds

lets see what happens b4 we call them bums

none of them will be ready for 2-3 years at least so lets follow thier development

 

[hogtownhabsfan*]

I find goalies outside the NHL difficult to evaluate, even though I'm a goalie myself, but I really like Fucale.


I know this is crazy but he reminds me of Patrick Roy. He's just got that je ne sais quoi, that confidence and style, and he just has a winners mentality. He's got that special-ness to him.

Who knows. My only concern with him is that he's a little small by today's standards, especially if he doesn't grow. If he can add an inch or two, he could be dynamite.

 

[Habaneros]

Lots of goalies can get you to the playoffs...but can't preform in them...

the ONLY STAT that matters is this one=PLAYOFFS
reg season stats mean jack......Fucale preforms in playoffs....

Fucale 26-6-2 in the playoffs.

 

[25get]

This myth that the Mooseheads didn't have a good defense is garage. Purely based upon peoples knowledge of how good the offense was so it's assumed they were just throwing 6 guys out there on the blue line and outscoring everyone.

So false. The group was very functional, under rated I would say because of just how good the offense was. Credit also needs to be given to the forward group for their defensive play, and Dominic Ducharme for how well the plays bought into his system all year. Halifax played great team defense, from the goalie out.

I don't know how good Fucale will end up being in the NHL, but based off of what I've seen so far, I'm sure he'll be pretty solid.

The scouts did not saw in Moose d-men as very good.
On Halifax's defense, one D was picked in 6th (Weegar) and another one in 7th (Abeltshauser).
All other d-men from Halifax were not drafted.

Just to compare, the Knights had two d-men picked in first and one in second.
Portland also had two d-men picked in first round, a second round and a fifth round.
Even the Blades, who entered in Memorial cup by the back door, had a first rounder, a second rounder and a 5th rounder.

So I guess that team defense is a must and as you say, the system they were applying must have been good.

 

[Teufelsdreck]

It's implausible that Fucale is overrated when no other goaltender was drafted before #34. It implies (but doesn't necessarily prove) that no goaltender in the CHL, the NCAA, or the European leagues looked more attractive. Were all 33 forwards and Dmen taken before Fucale worthy of being selected where they were drafted? I doubt it.

 

[NewHabsEra*]

I said it and will say it again, it has to be the worst draft ever for goaltenders.. Im not a Fucale fan, I think thats a wasted pick while we could have drafted Zykov..

 

[FrontierPsyCHiatrist*]

What do you expect?

Hey ya fool, how many times will I need to say I just want some ****ing answers and I'm not here trying to tell everybody he sucks.

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

Hey ya fool, how many times will I need to say I just want some ****ing answers and I'm not here trying to tell everybody he sucks.

I think you've done a good job qualifying that but you really really didn't do yourself any favours by using the word 'skeptical' in the thread title and then immediately saying you've never seen him play.

Unfortunately, you'll probably have to deal with posts like this. I wouldn't take it personally. Nature of the beast.

 

[Tyson]

I was excited when we drafted him. I am more excited now than I was then. This kid is a blue chip prospect and we got him in the second round. He is at least 3-4 years away. Lets see how he develops. I think he will one day be the starter in Montreal!

 

[FrontierPsyCHiatrist*]

I think you've done a good job qualifying that but you really really didn't do yourself any favours by using the word 'skeptical' in the thread title and then immediately saying you've never seen him play.

Unfortunately, you'll probably have to deal with posts like this. I wouldn't take it personally. Nature of the beast.

Well I was honest and now with the great answers that you guys gave me, I'm very less skeptical!

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

Well I was honest and now with the great answers that you guys gave me, I'm very less skeptical!

I thought at first WeThreeKings was dead set against us not drafting him and he had me thinking the same way cuz I knew he was a die hard Halifax fan. Plus I really didn't want a goalie but I think we got a very decent haul of forwards so from what I'm hearing now, I'm really excited about the pick.

 

[Kobe Armstrong]

He's French, right?

 

[Price My Man Crush]

He's French, right?

Ya but he doesn't sound like one. Neither his name.

 

[Teufelsdreck]

I said it and will say it again, it has to be the worst draft ever for goaltenders.. Im not a Fucale fan, I think thats a wasted pick while we could have drafted Zykov..

Why should we take your word for it that Zykov would have been a better pick than Fucale? For one thing the Habs need more depth at goaltending.

 

[bsl]

First of all, I will admit that I never watched Zach Fucale play, ever! (And please don't come with unoriginal comments such as '/thread')

So I was looking at his juniors stats with Halifax like his save % and GAA and the first thing that crossed my mind was: 'Is this guy really considered as a steal?'

Don't get me wrong, his stats aren't bad at all. I just find them average for a potentially 'best goalie of the draft' or 'future no. 1 goalie in the NHL'. or a franchise goalie like Craig Button said.

Zach Fucale
16 years old: 0.892% - 3.16 - 58gp
17 years old: 0.909% - 2.35 - 55gp

Some good stats when we look at it, but he couldn't do better with a monster team last season???

If we look at other top prospects goalies

Tristan Jarry
16 years old: 0.894% - 2.93 - 14gp
17 years old: 0.936% - 1.61 - 27gp

He was drafted 8 spots after Fucale. He played less games and he had some better stats with a western powerhouse like the Edmonton Oil Kings. Could he be way better than Fucale?

Malcolm Subban
16 years old: 0.900% - 3.16 - 32gp
17 years old: 0.923% - 2.50 - 39gp
18 years old: 0.934% - 2.14 - 46gp (after draft)

Better stats for Subban at 16 and 17 by far, but in a poll on this threadhttp://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1464575, Fucale won by a small margin, even with the stats I showed you.

My hypotheses:

-Maybe Fucale is overated
-Maybe Fucale is better when you watch him live than on paper
-Maybe Fucale is one of the reason why Halifax were great
-Even if Halifax were dominating the CHL, they weren't the best defensive team
-There is a reason why Fucale fell to the 34th spot if he was ranked way higher

I don't know what to think. Somebody told me he looked like a stud goalie when he's in the net, etc. But when I look at other goalies stats drafted in the first 2 rounds last couples of years, most of them are better than Fucale on paper.

So, I just want to know what you guys expect from him, what you say that makes him special, am I right or wrong about something, etc.?

I'm not hating on him. I want him to be good or great for ys, but I find it weird that we passed on guys like Zykov for such a dangerous gamble.
Tell me more about him. I red a lot of things about him but I still can't tell why he's supposed to be a future no. 1.

Thanks for your help.

EDIT: Do you guys expect him to make team Canada junior? (as a starter or backup) and how strong his next season will be with a different Mooseheads team?

I played nets for 10 years. The thing about goalies is not technique, which can be learned. It's really about doing anything possible to keep the ****ing puck out of your net. Anything. Great goalies are 50% technique, and 50% **** you you will not score. Stop it with your foot. Stop it with your head. Your ass. Does not matter. That's what great goalies do.

And from what I hear so far, Zach has this attitude. Very very happy we picked him. Fantastic pick.

 

[bsl]

But can he fight?

Go to bed DA.

 

[NewHabsEra*]

Why should we take your word for it that Zykov would have been a better pick than Fucale? For one thing the Habs need more depth at goaltending.

Well thats only my personal opinion..I think Fucale is at the very best a poor man Price and while I know there is no guarentee, I really believe Price will have a wonderful carreer in the bleu blanc and rouge.. Its only a matter of time before he gets the recognition he deserves.. We drafted Fucale to fill a need in the prospects pool but we missed the chance to add another great skilled prospect in Zykov, a guy who never should have slipped that low and easily the best player avalaible IMO.. Hopefully Im wrong and that Fucale has a wonderful progression and that Zykov dont become that good but thats unfortunately not the feel I have..

 

[Ohashi_Jouzu*]

Well thats only my personal opinion..I think Fucale is at the very best a poor man Price and while I know there is no guarentee, I really believe Price will have a wonderful carreer in the bleu blanc and rouge.. Its only a matter of time before he gets the recognition he deserves.. We drafted Fucale to fill a need in the prospects pool but we missed the chance to add another great skilled prospect in Zykov, a guy who never should have slipped that low and easily the best player avalaible IMO.. Hopefully Im wrong and that Fucale has a wonderful progression and that Zykov dont become that good but thats unfortunately not the feel I have..

If Zykov was such a no-brainer, they would have picked him instead of DLR just two picks before. As it stands, the Habs picked up the best prospect as his position and didn't even have to use a 1st round pick to do it - they used one of 3 second round picks...

 

[No More Subban]

What I love about the fucale pick is that when Price finally becomes the dominant goalie we all want him to be, we can easily trade fucale for a legit top 6 forward or a top 4 dman, if lets say we're going for a serious cup run.

If price is still inconsistent for the next 2-3 years, thats when fucale comes in and save the day.

Cant really go wrong with goalie depth.

As for Zykov, habs dont need him. We already have Sebastian Collberg and Brendan Gallagher.