GDT: 2019 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships

[Vaslof]

was that jumping hit to the head? kinda hilarious if it was and got the same penalty as the clean hit earlier

 

[UncleRisto]

 

[Murzu]

They fixed it already

 

[UncleRisto]

What an awful game by the Finns.

 

[S E P H]

What an awful game by the Finns.

That was pretty much them trying not to lose the game instead of trying to win it. Kakko and Lundell are the real deal though.

 

[Brett44]

Bowers have 1 assist.

 

[Piestany88]

Ty Smith is the best defenceman in this tournament. That is all

 

[BobRossColton]

Bowers have 1 assist.

Not sure how in a 14 goal game.

 

[Iceberg]

Not sure how in a 14 goal game.

Bust.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

Ty Smith is the best defenceman in this tournament. That is all

Hughes and Bouchy are pretty crazy too but yeah I think I probably agree with you overall. Every time I see him play I just see a modern day Duncan Keith.

I like Kaut and I think we have ourselves a player but I’m going to have a hard time watching Ty Smith play for another team for the next 10-15 years. I just don’t understand how he went so late. He’s an outstanding defenseman.

 

[Eltuna]

Hughes and Bouchy are pretty crazy too but yeah I think I probably agree with you overall. Every time I see him play I just see a modern day Duncan Keith.

I like Kaut and I think we have ourselves a player but I’m going to have a hard time watching Ty Smith play for another team for the next 10-15 years. I just don’t understand how he went so late. He’s an outstanding defenseman.

I really badly wanted him in last years draft, and was ecstatic to see him still there at 16. I argued that if you wanted an impact forward, drafting Smith was the best way to get one as he was guaranteed to put up big points in junior this year and have large trade value in today’s nhl. We all would have loved a Smith like dman in the Duchene saga, and the next time a high impact forward becomes available (Stone, or whoever else), Smith would have probably been the best piece offered which would get us that forward. He really would have been an awesome trade piece and I assume is more valued league wide than Kaut (I admit I only saw Kaut in the juniors last year however so it’s not like I knew a lot about him), especially since most teams trading a forward are looking for a dman in return.

 

[Piestany88]

Hughes and Bouchy are pretty crazy too but yeah I think I probably agree with you overall. Every time I see him play I just see a modern day Duncan Keith.

I like Kaut and I think we have ourselves a player but I’m going to have a hard time watching Ty Smith play for another team for the next 10-15 years. I just don’t understand how he went so late. He’s an outstanding defenseman.

That's exactly who I see is Duncan Keith . Yeah Brannstrom and Boquist will have some say as well .

Watched the US game and neither Hughes did much . Quinn is a great skater but Smith skates well is good 2 way and high IQ ,very impressive player.

Enjoy the games today

 

[S E P H]

I am quite ecstatic we still passed on Smith. Don't get me wrong because he has some decent talent like his passing game and decision making with the puck, but the lad is stuck in a junior body frame without possessing any unique talent that at least Quinn has. One huge hit in the chel and the bloke is going to be done for.

E: I wonder how much Don Cherry is going to praise Canada for running up the score.

 

[NOTENOUGHJTCGOALS]

Are guys like Bowers and Kaut expected to play big roles?

 

[UncleRisto]

Are guys like Bowers and Kaut expected to play big roles?

Kaut is. Bowers, maybe defensively at most.

 

[Avalanche]

Are guys like Bowers and Kaut expected to play big roles?

Kaut is on the top line

Bowers is 4th, I believe but on 1st PK

 

[NOTENOUGHJTCGOALS]

Even Rants wasn't even on the top line in his +1 year.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

I am quite ecstatic we still passed on Smith. Don't get me wrong because he has some decent talent like his passing game and decision making with the puck, but the lad is stuck in a junior body frame without possessing any unique talent that at least Quinn has. One huge hit in the chel and the bloke is going to be done for.

E: I wonder how much Don Cherry is going to praise Canada for running up the score.

Chirps Smith for having a junior body frame and then throws shade at Don Cherry in the exact same post.

The game has changed a lot. Smith’s size isn’t going to be an issue. Especially with his skating ability. He’s able to get out of the way of contact very easily. Then on the defensive side he has one of the better defensive sticks I’ve seen in junior. He reads the play so well. He won’t need to rely on physicality when he plays every single play the way he is.

Ty Smith is incredible at everything with the exception of skating and defensive positioning/stick work where “incredible” doesn’t do him justice because I think those attributes are elite.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Was not impressed by Smith last night either. Outside of a good 1st pass he didn't have much puck skills I thought, and his skating for his size left quite a bit to desire as well.


Really dont think that's a pick we'll be regretting at all.

 

[UncleRisto]

Even Rants wasn't even on the top line in his +1 year.

The scoring depth on that gold-winning team was much much much better than the Czech team this year. And Rantanen captained in a defensive role and had a bad tournament.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

Was not impressed by Smith last night either. Outside of a good 1st pass he didn't have much puck skills I thought, and his skating for his size left quite a bit to desire as well.


Really dont think that's a pick we'll be regretting at all.

I mean I could see why people wouldn’t be impressed with his puck skill because he simply always makes the easy play and doesn’t do enough with the puck to ever be overwhelmed, but what could you possibly not like about his skating?

His skating reminds me of a slightly better version of Morrissey at the same age. In fact a lot of his game does. So fast, so effortless, so ridiculous on his edges. What about his skating don’t you like?

 

[NOTENOUGHJTCGOALS]

This Smith sounds like an upgraded Girard.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

It's not that his skating is bad... it's just that for a 5'11" Undersized Defender you need elite skating. It's what separates him from being in the Makar/Hughes tier really(That and his offensive instincts in general being not on the same level).


The biggest thing I thought he lacked was that ability to quickly separate himself from attacking forwards. I didn't see anything in that regard and with his size I think he'll need that quick first step to create separation in order to have success in the NHL. Girard IMO doesn't have elite top end speed either, but he has a great first step and combined with his quick agility makes him effective in the NHL.


Maybe that's something Smith can eventually work on adding to his game. But at least last night I didn't see a 1st step that really stood out.


On a somewhat related note I was extremely impressed with Studnickas skating. Explosive first step that really carried over into his full speed as well. Kid should have an NHL future just on that speed alone. Bowers skating wasn't all that impressive either, but he was constantly moving his feet and that combined with his stick always being in the right spot made him effective at both ends of the ice.

 

[henchman21]

I'm pretty curious to how Smith translates as it will teach me something regardless. There is a mature, well rounded game there, but there isn't a stand out skill. I see good skating, but I don't see elite skating.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

If Smith indeed doesn’t have the agility and edgework to make quick movements he probably would have trouble playing at the NHL level. I personally think he’s great in those areas though.

Still the player I was most impressed with in my day of junior hockey watching yesterday is Tyler Madden. If that kid gets even a glimpse of his old mans two way ability added to his skill set he’s going to be a force.