2013-14 Colorado Avalanche Prospects Thread

[Skip2myBordyloo]

Butcher is having a hell of a tournament on the stat line, Bigras not so much.

 

[S E P H]

You are a WHL scout and you don't understand why an extra year of development would make a difference?

Oh nooooo, Eichel is going to retire one season earlier than McDavid! Will someone please think of the children!

I was talking about how it concerns draft rankings, not development. If Nashville was 1st overall they would have selected Jones, that extra year really affects scouts way of thinking doesn't it?

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

Canada and United States will definitlyrics win gold this year, going to be fact.

@D2M: I don't understand the one year older stuff? I mean is it Eichel's fault that he was born out of be 2014 draft?!? I can definitely tell you that him versus McDavid is more along the lines of Taylor/Tyler than Crosby/Ryan.

It makes a big difference imo, he gets to play in the league earlier the coaches get his hands on him and irons out the kinks in his game.

I'm not saying who will be better or McDavid is the next Crosby ( you and RS have) it's just that I think it will be too much for Eichel to overcome the hype around McDavid. I've only seen both players in a handful of games but I wouldn't be surprised to see them both being close... like Tavares and Duchene.

Oh nooooo, Eichel is going to retire one season earlier than McDavid! Will someone please think of the children!

I was talking about how it concerns draft rankings, not development. If Nashville was 1st overall they would have selected Jones, that extra year really affects scouts way of thinking doesn't it?

Again it's not about retiring first for all we know Eichel could played until he's Bubba'S age.

I would bet a billion dollars they wouldn't draft Jones first. No matter what polie says.

 

[S E P H]

D2M I counter that billion dollars and bet you a Suarez bid of 1,000,000,001 they would!

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

Either way I'm a lot richer and the Canadian> American.

 

[S E P H]

I do cheer for the USA now, but that is until Germany and Poland get better in hockey!

 

[henchman21]

Butcher may have a better stat line, and is playing better than Bigras in this tournament, but they really can't be compared. Different styles develop differently and have different impacts at different ages. Offensive defensemen tend to have a large impact in juniors, but only a select few can have the same level impact as they move into the professional ranks.

Butcher is playing a very risky style in this tournament. Like SEPH said, he isn't playing that way with DU right now. It is probably coaching and the DU coaches want Butcher to play a more defensive style and work on his defensive game more... which that needs a lot of work. He is easily out muscled and isn't very good with his positioning in the defensive zone. He is a long ways off in those areas, and that is part of the reason that it will be well served for him and the Avs that he is going to college where he can get stronger and learn the game for 2-3 years (hopefully 3). That said his offensive skills are pretty damn good. He skates well, makes a great first pass, good shot that can get through traffic, and has a good feel for the game in the offensive zone. He has been really fun to watch this tournament.

As for the Eichel vs McDavid... I don't think anybody is beating out McDavid for the #1 pick. The hype is unreal on McDavid, and deservedly so. Still Eichel, Hanifin, Barzal, Strome, Konecny, etc are going to make for a hell of a top 10 in 2015. Hanifin and Eichel would be #1 picks in a number of drafts, they just happen to share one with McJesus.

 

[Nihiliste]

Like with every other #1 frontrunner I feel like people always try to find flaws or make out the race to be closer than it is. McJesus is good enough that the scrutiny is coming a year and a half in advance. Eichel is great but he's got a mountain to climb if he wants to go first.

I haven't got a chance to watch today's game yet but I heard Bigras didn't play. True?

 

[Cousin Eddie]

Oh nooooo, Eichel is going to retire one season earlier than McDavid! Will someone please think of the children!

I was talking about how it concerns draft rankings, not development. If Nashville was 1st overall they would have selected Jones, that extra year really affects scouts way of thinking doesn't it?

That's just what they said lol. I'm sure if a team lacking a franchise forward who is already loaded on the back end would want to take Mackinnon. Brian Burke also said that they would have taken Rielly if they had picked first overall in 2012. He didn't actually mean it but it makes management look like they got the player they wanted and it gives the kid some early confidence walking out of the draft.

 

[AvsfanJack]

Blandisi is quietly having himself a nice season. He's got a PPG pace, not bad for playing on one of the worst teams in the OHL. 2 goal game today. At 6" and 205, he has the build and skills to be a pretty decent winger should he continue to develop.

 

[henchman21]

Team USA lost to Russia and is eliminated. There will be a new WJC this year. IMO Butcher had a very good showing, and should be a force on next year's team.

 

[henchman21]

Blandisi is quietly having himself a nice season. He's got a PPG pace, not bad for playing on one of the worst teams in the OHL. 2 goal game today. At 6" and 205, he has the build and skills to be a pretty decent winger should he continue to develop.

I would be very surprised if he is actually 6' and 205. I have seen him up close off the ice and he is smaller than that. The Avs have him listed at 5'11" 182 and that seems much more accurate to me.

These are pictures of Blandisi, Van Stralen, Fielding. Van Stralen is listed at 6'3" Fielding at 6'1" looking at that Blandisi looks much closer to 5'10/11" than 6'.

 

[AvsfanJack]

Yeah I guess you're right. The OHL site must have it listed incorrectly. My bad.

Edit: Even the Ottawa 67s site has him listed at 6'. Maybe he grew haha.

 

[henchman21]

Yeah I guess you're right. The OHL site must have it listed incorrectly. My bad.

It isn't uncommon for junior teams to inflate players' size. When I played I was listed at 6' 195lbs and was really about 5'10" and 170lbs. No idea why junior teams consistently do that. That said, I could be wrong and he could have had a growth spurt in the last few months. So I wouldn't assume I am automatically right, just saying there should be some skepticism when it comes to their listed height and weight.

 

[AvsfanJack]

It isn't uncommon for junior teams to inflate players' size. When I played I was listed at 6' 195lbs and was really about 5'10" and 170lbs. No idea why junior teams consistently do that. That said, I could be wrong and he could have had a growth spurt in the last few months. So I wouldn't assume I am automatically right, just saying there should be some skepticism when it comes to their listed height and weight.

Either way, that dwarf is playing pretty good hockey haha

 

[tigervixxxen]

Hopefully Bourke and Blandisi add some scoring talent in Lake Erie next season.