2012-2013 World Junior Championships (part II)

[truck]

Everyone is jumping on Scheifele, but what about guys like Huberdeau and Strome?

Hubes hasn't looked great this whole tourney and finished this game as a -4, while Strome finished as a -3.

Strome created some offence, but yeah... he wasn't the best defensively.

Hubes was disappointing he only really flashed a couple times. I expected more.

 

[ps241]

I'm really excited for when Trouba plays for the Jets. The guy looks to be a solid dman and future captain. Does he have any history of dropping the gloves if challenged?

As for Canada losing, it wasn't't a huge shock for me. They just didn't come across as that dominating of a team (the very little that I managed to watch anyways).

Doubt he's ever fought, every league he's played in to date gives automatic game misconducts for dropping the gloves.

We will have to see if we can dig up the video of Trouba fighting that was floating around. I know he has come through non fighting leagues but the fight I saw him in would indicate he will be able to handle himself when called upon.

 

[puck stoppa]

This question is not intended to stir the pot but was Couturier eligible for this tourney?

 

[Holden Caulfield]

This question is not intended to stir the pot but was Couturier eligible for this tourney?

Nope. Late birthday draft pick, he was eligible for the AHL this year as well (had their been a season and Philly wanted to send him down), unlike Scheifele.

 

[truck]

This question is not intended to stir the pot but was Couturier eligible for this tourney?

Gosh dang their team would have been extra beastly if he was still eligible.

 

[puck stoppa]

Gosh dang their team would have been extra beastly if he was still eligible.

Ya, but Scheif would have been demoted to the fourth line tho

 

[Hank Chinaski]

That fight record thing won't open for me, but he did play in USHL where fighting is only 5 mins...only 22 games with USNTDP last year, but recorded 35 PIM's, so had to have at least one fight in there.

Heh, could've sworn USHL didn't allow fighting. Interesting.

 

[ps241]

Heh, could've sworn USHL didn't allow fighting. Interesting.

The fight I saw him in he was impressive but I have no idea how tough the kid was he fought. Like I said there is recent footage floating around on HFBoards I believe.

 

[Holden Caulfield]

Heh, could've sworn USHL didn't allow fighting. Interesting.

Yup, it's same rules as Junior A (BCHL, AJHL, SJHL, MJHL, etc) here in Canada pretty much. It's really odd actually, cause players generally go from cages/no fighting in high schoolmidget, to one/two years in USHL with visor/5 min fighting, to college where it's back to cages/suspended for fighting.

The fight I saw him in he was impressive but I have no idea how tough the kid was he fought. Like I said there is recent footage floating around on HFBoards I believe.

I believe that was Trouba - Girgensons (Latvian Buffalo first rounder, another fave of mine), as mentioned above. I found the thread, but the link was now dead to the video. Girgensons is not really a big a fighter , but is a big guy.

 

[truck]

Ya, but Scheif would have been demoted to the fourth line tho

Of the American team?

Stacked!!

 

[Bob E]

Still thinking Trouba will fill-out to 6'5 and 220+ lbs when he's in his mid-20's. I'm sure he'll be able to handle himself just fine, imo.

 

[truck]

Still thinking Trouba will fill-out to 6'5 and 220+ lbs when he's in his mid-20's. I'm sure he'll be able to handle himself just fine, imo.

Also possible that he is done growing.

He would be scary at that size though.

 

[Tintin's Ghost]

Just saw the game. What was the supposed Canadian strategy? We didn't really force the play once in that game. USA wanted gold medal more and they showed it. Congrats to Trouba.

Pretty happy with both Scheifele and Trouba. More so, Trouba as he was either dominant or making a regular impact each game. Hopefully playing wing to RNH provided Schief the opportunity to use a different skill set than he is used to and he can take that back with him to Barrie. I see some Eberle in Scheif so hopefully he continues to grow his game.

This game reinforced to me that speed/skill beats grinders 99.9% of the time in this type of tourney. Hope to see Hockey Canada wake up from the dream next year and no more MacKinnon in a checking role.

 

[puck stoppa]

The other thing I noticed is that the other teams had a few guys with big time top end speed and we don't seem to have a guy that can skate like Yakupov or some of the Americans. Russia sure comes out with some elite skaters every other year.

 

[Hank Chinaski]

Courtesy bud12 from the fights forum (and thanks ps241 for asking!), here's the Trouba fight:

http://www.dropyourgloves.com/Fights/GameEvents.aspx?Game=378627&Fight=358636#Fight358636

Starts at about the 1:00 mark, a one-punch KO for Jacob.

 

[jetkarma*]

Still thinking Trouba will fill-out to 6'5 and 220+ lbs when he's in his mid-20's. I'm sure he'll be able to handle himself just fine, imo.

I would like to know his real height at this moment. While it is possible he still grows (height wise )he should be very close to his full height. So while possible to be 6-5 (ish) in a few years , he more likely will be 6-2 / 6-3 . That is more than ok of course , but 3 or 4 inches after 19 would not be expected imo.

 

[Bob E]

I would like to know his real height at this moment. While it is possible he still grows (height wise )he should be very close to his full height. So while possible to be 6-5 (ish) in a few years , he more likely will be 6-2 / 6-3 . That is more than ok of course , but 3 or 4 inches after 19 would not be expected imo.

I likely didn't word that correctly. Based on the size of his father, grandfather, uncle, etc., he may have one more little growth spurt and gain 2-3 inches. I believe he's 6'2, but like Scheifele, his height seems to change all the time, depending on the source.

Not uncommon for guys to grow a bit after being drafted, Dougie Hamilton as an example, but i didn't mean to suggest he would continue to grow (height-wise) until he was mid-20. But even if he doesn't reach 6'5, he's plenty tall enough right now.

 

[ps241]

woops looks like Hank beat me to it

 

[Bob E]

Courtesy bud12 from the fights forum (and thanks ps241 for asking!), here's the Trouba fight:

http://www.dropyourgloves.com/Fights/GameEvents.aspx?Game=378627&Fight=358636#Fight358636

Starts at about the 1:00 mark, a one-punch KO for Jacob.

Seems to handle himself just fine.

 

[Huffer]

Re: Scheifele

Don't really know what else we would want from him to this point. The Jets asked him to get stronger this year, work on his 2 way play, as well as his skating. Last year in Barrie he did all three, AND has been near the top of the scoring race.

He joins the junior team and is asked to play out of position (and role as instead of being the distributor, is asked to play in front of the net and take Holmstrom like abuse) and he not only does that, but is player of the game in one of the games, has 2 gwg, and after 5 games is tied for 6th in scoring (tied for 3rd on Canada), and behind some guys who have played 6 games.

Pretty comical though that when Scheifele got the player of the game the anti-Scheifele crowd is silent. And now that Hamilton has had a pretty average to below average tournament, the "we should have drafted Hamilton" crowd is silent. But after a game in which the entire Canadian team played like crap, it's somehow anti-Scheifele time? lol.

Maybe he won't end up being the guy the team should have taken. Maybe he doesn't take any more steps forward and becomes a 2nd or 3rd line forward. Maybe Couturier becomes a dominant #1C. Maybe Hamilton becomes a stud D man. Maybe someone picked after all 3 becomes the best player in the draft. At this stage, NOBODY can determine if it was the best pick because we don't know how the future will unfold. All we know so far is that the guy the team picked has done exactly what the team has asked (added size, defense, increased scoring, world juniors, etc).

 

[Bob E]

Re: Scheifele

Don't really know what else we would want from him to this point. The Jets asked him to get stronger this year, work on his 2 way play, as well as his skating. Last year in Barrie he did all three, AND has been near the top of the scoring race.

He joins the junior team and is asked to play out of position (and role as instead of being the distributor, is asked to play in front of the net and take Holmstrom like abuse) and he not only does that, but is player of the game in one of the games, has 2 gwg, and after 5 games is tied for 6th in scoring (tied for 3rd on Canada), and behind some guys who have played 6 games.

Pretty comical though that when Scheifele got the player of the game the anti-Scheifele crowd is silent. And now that Hamilton has had a pretty average to below average tournament, the "we should have drafted Hamilton" crowd is silent. But after a game in which the entire Canadian team played like crap, it's somehow anti-Scheifele time? lol.

Maybe he won't end up being the guy the team should have taken. Maybe he doesn't take any more steps forward and becomes a 2nd or 3rd line forward. Maybe Couturier becomes a dominant #1C. Maybe Hamilton becomes a stud D man. Maybe someone picked after all 3 becomes the best player in the draft. At this stage, NOBODY can determine if it was the best pick because we don't know how the future will unfold. All we know so far is that the guy the team picked has done exactly what the team has asked (added size, defense, increased scoring, world juniors, etc).

Very well said, Huffer.

 

[jetkarma*]

Very well said, Huffer.

I also concur .

 

[truck]

I likely didn't word that correctly. Based on the size of his father, grandfather, uncle, etc., he may have one more little growth spurt and gain 2-3 inches. I believe he's 6'2, but like Scheifele, his height seems to change all the time, depending on the source.

Not uncommon for guys to grow a bit after being drafted, Dougie Hamilton as an example, but i didn't mean to suggest he would continue to grow (height-wise) until he was mid-20. But even if he doesn't reach 6'5, he's plenty tall enough right now.

Adam Lowry grew 2 or 3 inches too.

 

[Jaffray15]

I blame this loss mostly on the coaching staff. The team wasn't motivated at all and thought it was going to be a cakewalk like the first game the played against them

 

[Hank Chinaski]

Re: Scheifele

Don't really know what else we would want from him to this point. The Jets asked him to get stronger this year, work on his 2 way play, as well as his skating. Last year in Barrie he did all three, AND has been near the top of the scoring race.

He joins the junior team and is asked to play out of position (and role as instead of being the distributor, is asked to play in front of the net and take Holmstrom like abuse) and he not only does that, but is player of the game in one of the games, has 2 gwg, and after 5 games is tied for 6th in scoring (tied for 3rd on Canada), and behind some guys who have played 6 games.

Pretty comical though that when Scheifele got the player of the game the anti-Scheifele crowd is silent. And now that Hamilton has had a pretty average to below average tournament, the "we should have drafted Hamilton" crowd is silent. But after a game in which the entire Canadian team played like crap, it's somehow anti-Scheifele time? lol.

Maybe he won't end up being the guy the team should have taken. Maybe he doesn't take any more steps forward and becomes a 2nd or 3rd line forward. Maybe Couturier becomes a dominant #1C. Maybe Hamilton becomes a stud D man. Maybe someone picked after all 3 becomes the best player in the draft. At this stage, NOBODY can determine if it was the best pick because we don't know how the future will unfold. All we know so far is that the guy the team picked has done exactly what the team has asked (added size, defense, increased scoring, world juniors, etc).

Awesome post.

Seems like only yesterday that Scheifele was being lauded as one of the brightest stars of the WJC. Hey wait a sec, it was yesterday! One bad game and it's "we shoulda drafted Couturier" time.