GDT: 2015 London Rookie Tournament

[Mr Jiggyfly]

SO do you still feel this way after watching him play with NHL talent??

He's looked a lot better the last two games, much more in control. I'm not sure what playing with NHL talent has to do with anything though. At the rookie tourney he was constantly losing the puck and letting it roll off his stick, making passes to the wrong team, and skating himself into trouble. That really had little to do with the guys around him.

He seems to have made the corrections to his game since then, and I wouldn't credit playing with NHLers for that. I do feel worlds better about him now that he's playing under control and has done it agt NHLers.

 

[66-30-33]

He's earned a 9 games look, then goes back to his league and knows what he needs to do to make it to the NHL and be great. I hope we got another Kessel on our hands.

 

[Coastal Kev]

He's looked a lot better the last two games, much more in control. I'm not sure what playing with NHL talent has to do with anything though. At the rookie tourney he was constantly losing the puck and letting it roll off his stick, making passes to the wrong team, and skating himself into trouble. That really had little to do with the guys around him.

He seems to have made the corrections to his game since then, and I wouldn't credit playing with NHLers for that. I do feel worlds better about him now that he's playing under control and has done it agt NHLers.

You stated that any talk of Sprong being nearly NHL ready was "misguided". Turns out, it wasn't was it?

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

You stated that any talk of Sprong being nearly NHL ready was "misguided". Turns out, it wasn't was it?

Ya your agenda is pretty clear and lame. If you still believe he looked NHL ready in that tournament, I'll continue to disagree with your assessment.

Just because he has had monumental improvement the last two games, doesn't mean he ever looked NHL ready in that tournament. As MJ said, he has improved by leaps and bounds since coming into camp.

Give him his due for working on the problems he had in the prospects tourney instead of trying to pound your own chest.

 

[Coastal Kev]

Ya your agenda is pretty clear and lame. If you still believe he looked NHL ready in that tournament, I'll continue to disagree with your assessment.

Just because he has had monumental improvement the last two games, doesn't mean he ever looked NHL ready in that tournament. As MJ said, he has improved by leaps and bounds since coming into camp.

Give him his due for working on the problems he had in the prospects tourney instead of trying to pound your own chest.

I'm not pounding anything, I just have a personal distaste when someone not only disagrees with my opinion, which is absolutely fair game, but also belittles it.

You expressed your opinion that Sprong wasn't ready and gave reason to support it and I respect that. But for you then to walk away with a parting shot suggesting that my opinion is somehow misguided (definition -having or showing faulty judgment or reasoning) is where I have a big problem.

Turns out, it just took you a bit longer to come up with the same conclusion that I had.

 

[Fordy]

it's good to make wildly incorrect assessments of players and later when circumstances change act like you saw the future

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

I'm not pounding anything, I just have a personal distaste when someone not only disagrees with my opinion, which is absolutely fair game, but also belittles it.

You expressed your opinion that Sprong wasn't ready and gave reason to support it and I respect that. But for you then to walk away with a parting shot suggesting that my opinion is somehow misguided (definition -having or showing faulty judgment or reasoning) is where I have a big problem.

Turns out, it just took you a bit longer to come up with the same conclusion that I had.

How many second round picks have made the NHL out of their draft year?

Like every fan, you saw a young kid and got excited and made a wild claim. I've seen it happen countless times after rookie tournaments.

If you want to act like you know so much, break down his game and walk the walk. Tell me exactly what you saw besides a fast kid with a great shot, that suggested he was NHL ready. Don't try and pretend that he was showing great poise and seeing the ice at an NHL level, but do go on if you want.

And no, I didn't come up with the same conclusion as you. I'm not sure if he is NHL ready yet. I think he deserves a look, then we can see how he holds up. There is no way anyone can know if he is NHL ready yet.

The fact you watched a kid play in a three game rookie tourney and thought you had some foresight to see he is NHL ready is comical as hell. Not even the Pens scouts or mgmt knew he would look like this after that tourney and MJ said as much. In fact, he didn't even impress them much at the Pens rookie camp.

Yet somehow you are the only one who saw this? It's amazing how only you see things and try to tell us all about this special vision non stop.

 

[Coastal Kev]

How many second round picks have made the NHL out of their draft year?

Like every fan, you saw a young kid and got excited and made a wild claim. I've seen it happen countless times after rookie tournaments.

If you want to act like you know so much, break down his game and walk the walk. Tell me exactly what you saw besides a fast kid with a great shot, that suggested he was NHL ready. Don't try and pretend that he was showing great poise and seeing the ice at an NHL level, but do go on if you want.

And no, I didn't come up with the same conclusion as you. I'm not sure if he is NHL ready yet. I think he deserves a look, then we can see how he holds up. There is no way anyone can know if he is NHL ready yet.

The fact you watched a kid play in a three game rookie tourney and thought you had some foresight to see he is NHL ready is comical as hell. Not even the Pens scouts or mgmt knew he would look like this after that tourney and MJ said as much. In fact, he didn't even impress them much at the Pens rookie camp.

Yet somehow you are the only one who saw this? It's amazing how only you see things and try to tell us all about this special vision non stop.

Belittle it all you want, but I played the game. I have watched nearly a thousand games. And yes, sometimes it is as simple as watching someone play a couple of games to make a call on a player. I can give you countless instances where initial impression of a player have turned out to be correct. Now is that impression sometimes wrong, of course. But I have been right a lot more than I have been wrong.

Having this gift gets me no further in my life nor do I expect you to agree with my opinions. But for to belittle someone else's opinion because you differ with the conclusion is a YP, not an MP.

 

[Shady Machine]

Belittle it all you want, but I played the game. I have watched nearly a thousand games. And yes, sometimes it is as simple as watching someone play a couple of games to make a call on a player. I can give you countless instances where initial impression of a player have turned out to be correct. Now is that impression sometimes wrong, of course. But I have been right a lot more than I have been wrong.

Having this gift gets me no further in my life nor do I expect you to agree with my opinions. But for to belittle someone else's opinion because you differ with the conclusion is a YP, not an MP.

How do you feel about trading Hornqvist for Yak? Was that based on watching them play too?

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Belittle it all you want, but I played the game. I have watched nearly a thousand games. And yes, sometimes it is as simple as watching someone play a couple of games to make a call on a player. I can give you countless instances where initial impression of a player have turned out to be correct. Now is that impression sometimes wrong, of course. But I have been right a lot more than I have been wrong.

Having this gift gets me no further in my life nor do I expect you to agree with my opinions. But for to belittle someone else's opinion because you differ with the conclusion is a YP, not an MP.

Belittling you saying that Sprong looked NHL ready would have included the words "stupid" and "idiotic", not "misguided". So it isn't my fault you have thin skin. Anyone who knew the odds of a second round pick making an NHL roster and saw Sprong play so unevenly wasn't going to expect him to come into camp and completely elevate his game like he has. Your words were simply coming from an enthusiastic fan and you are trying to make it into some "gift". Ok...

You have yet to break down anything he did that made him look NHL ready to you. Skating fast and shooting hard doesn't mean a kid is NHL ready, sorry.

Also, there is literally not a soul in this world that can watch a kid play three times and know if he is NHL ready or not. 29 other teams passed on Sprong. Then half of those teams passed on him again. These teams employ the best scouts in the world and have access to tape and information we never will. If any of these org thought he was NHL ready, there is no way he lasted until the middle of round two.

Somehow only you could see he was NHL ready through the rough stick handling, missed passes and general lack of awareness he showed at the rookie tournament? Only you could see what all of these scouts missed... and all it took was three games agt other rookies.

I mean, it was your gift that told you. Not seeing a kid who could really skate and shoot and you got excited... Totally not the case, right?

 

[Jag68Sid87]

Recent history, I seem to remember 3 second round picks who made the NHL right away...Patrice Bergeron and Dan Fritsche from the 2003 draft, and then Ryan O'Reilly from the 2009 draft. There may be more over the years, but I can't recall.

Sprong would be in rather select company if it happened. Pretty cool if it did.

 

[Coastal Kev]

Belittling you saying that Sprong looked NHL ready would have included the words "stupid" and "idiotic", not "misguided". So it isn't my fault you have thin skin. Anyone who knew the odds of a second round pick making an NHL roster and saw Sprong play so unevenly wasn't going to expect him to come into camp and completely elevate his game like he has. Your words were simply coming from an enthusiastic fan and you are trying to make it into some "gift". Ok...

You have yet to break down anything he did that made him look NHL ready to you. Skating fast and shooting hard doesn't mean a kid is NHL ready, sorry.

Also, there is literally not a soul in this world that can watch a kid play three times and know if he is NHL ready or not. 29 other teams passed on Sprong. Then half of those teams passed on him again. These teams employ the best scouts in the world and have access to tape and information we never will. If any of these org thought he was NHL ready, there is no way he lasted until the middle of round two.

Somehow only you could see he was NHL ready through the rough stick handling, missed passes and general lack of awareness he showed at the rookie tournament? Only you could see what all of these scouts missed... and all it took was three games agt other rookies.

I mean, it was your gift that told you. Not seeing a kid who could really skate and shoot and you got excited... Totally not the case, right?

The first thing an 18 year old must have is the physical stature to withstand NHL punishment. Sprong looked strong on his skates and very hard to move off of the puck.

Second thing is can the kid handle the speed of the game. Obviously Sprong had straight line speed, but what really blew me away was his patience at times when other youngsters would rush, Sprong would slow the pace.

Third thing is instincts/awareness. Sprong not only showed he was adequate in these areas, he looks like he is already at near above NHL average.

Will his body hold up to the NHL grind,? That is the unknown. But if the Pens are smart, lol, they should target 60 games max to keep him fresh and healthy.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

The first thing an 18 year old must have is the physical stature to withstand NHL punishment. Sprong looked strong on his skates and very hard to move off of the puck.

Second thing is can the kid handle the speed of the game. Obviously Sprong had straight line speed, but what really blew me away was his patience at times when other youngsters would rush, Sprong would slow the pace.

Third thing is instincts/awareness. Sprong not only showed he was adequate in these areas, he looks like he is already at near above NHL average.

Will his body hold up to the NHL grind,? That is the unknown. But if the Pens are smart, lol, they should target 60 games max to keep him fresh and healthy.

He was playing agt mostly junior age kids, so I'm not sure how you could have evaluated his strength agt NHLers in that tourney.

Sprong wasn't slowing the game down then either. That was my main criticism of him in the tourney... That he rushed the play and took his own time and space away. The only time he impressed me was on the breakaway OT winner to find that seam, and when he took that pass clean down RW and sniped it from inside the circle.

Nylander played with the most poise and looked exceptional in that tourney and I still wasn't sure if he was NHL ready. So I'm not sure how anyone could have seen anything in that tourney that suggested Sprong was ready. I could see being excited about his potential, sure.

I'm stoked he is rapidly improving and playing under control now. Maybe he was nervous in the rookie tournament and the Pens rookie camp. It happens with young guys obviously. He came to camp and just found his mojo and looks like a completely different guy.

 

[Coastal Kev]

He was playing agt mostly junior age kids, so I'm not sure how you could have evaluated his strength agt NHLers in that tourney.

Sprong wasn't slowing the game down then either. That was my main criticism of him in the tourney... That he rushed the play and took his own time and space away. The only time he impressed me was on the breakaway OT winner to find that seam, and when he took that pass clean down RW and sniped it from inside the circle.

Nylander played with the most poise and looked exceptional in that tourney and I still wasn't sure if he was NHL ready. So I'm not sure how anyone could have seen anything in that tourney that suggested Sprong was ready. I could see being excited about his potential, sure.

I'm stoked he is rapidly improving and playing under control now. Maybe he was nervous in the rookie tournament and the Pens rookie camp. It happens with young guys obviously. He came to camp and just found his mojo and looks like a completely different guy.

I can't answer this post without being a little bit snarky. I tried several times and failed.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

I can't answer this post without being a little bit snarky. I tried several times and failed.

It's ok to admit you saw a fast kid with unreal speed and a killer shot and got excited.

Or stick with your story that you have a gift, somehow saw something the best scouts in the world didn't see, and it only took three games, even though the kid played about as uneven a tournament as any big name there.

There have been about 450 prospects picked in the second round the last 15 years and only three of them have made the NHL their draft year.

If he does get sent back at some point, no worries. I won't be bumping the thread, because that's not my thing. I don't have a gift, I just love hockey. I've also learned that people who always think they are right have selective memories.

 

[Coastal Kev]

It's ok to admit you saw a fast kid with unreal speed and a killer shot and got excited.

Or stick with your story that you have a gift, somehow saw something the best scouts in the world didn't see, and it only took three games, even though the kid played about as uneven a tournament as any big name there.

There have been about 450 prospects picked in the second round the last 15 years and only three of them have made the NHL their draft year.

If he does get sent back at some point, no worries. I won't be bumping the thread, because that's not my thing. I don't have a gift, I just love hockey. I've also learned that people who always think they are right have selective memories.

I'm one of the few on this board to ever admit when they have been proven to be wrong.

Your last post basically said that Sprong didn't show what I saw until the preseason. Unbelievable that a guy can grow that much in a week.

Or the better answer is you missed seeing what I saw in the tournament. You tell me which is the more likely explaination.

Maybe, just maybe I saw something before you did. That is possiblibilty isn't it?

And I love message boards because wa can revisit any major discussion and see who ended up on the right side. Only then you see who on this board are the informed opinions.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

I'm one of the few on this board to ever admit when they have been proven to be wrong.

Oh please that's such horse ****. You just rambled on about having a "gift" and thinking you are right way more than wrong.

You sound just like my know it all bro who also has a selective memory.

Your last post basically said that Sprong didn't show what I saw until the preseason. Unbelievable that a guy can grow that much in a week.

Or the better answer is you missed seeing what I saw in the tournament. You tell me which is the more likely explaination.

Maybe, just maybe I saw something before you did. That is possiblibilty isn't it?

When you had to actually break his game down, you spit out generic references and none of that really applied to Sprong in the prospects game. He was rushing plays, losing the puck, and he wasn't playing agt NHL players so how you magically evaluated his strength agt pros is basically BS.

And ya, he did get better over the last couple of weeks. MJ came right out and said that. It's called confidence.

Once again, all you saw was a fast kid with a good shot and got excited, blurted out the same thing most fans do when they see a talented kid, and now you are trying to play it off as some "gift" you have.

You sound ridiculous.

And I love message boards because wa can revisit any major discussion and see who ended up on the right side. Only then you see who on this board are the informed opinions.

That's because you need some kind of validation. That's your own issue.

I don't care about being right or wrong and pounding my chest when I am. When I got the whole village stoning about my opinion on Malkin after losing the lottery, I never went back and threw it in certain posters faces. I guarantee you no one on this board ever got insulted and grilled as hard as I did over their opinion. It's all a quick search away. Go do a little light reading and then come back and try and tell me how your opinion was "belittled" vs the garbage said to me in that thread.

 

[plaidchuck]

Lol so the board didn't want malkin? Who did they want? Radulov? Lol

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Lol so the board didn't want malkin? Who did they want? Radulov? Lol

Nah, I just said Malkin was as talented as AO. Said he was the all around better player, pointed out that David Conte agreed with me, blah blah.

Took a huge beating, even though most of the posters back then never even saw the two play.