GDT: 2019 Prospects Challenge Weekend

[OmNomNom]

The universe owes us a Larsson right?

is there another hall we can trade for?

 

[Hockey Man]

hey it’s finally over

 

[zharkenby]

Hughes definitely has the skill to play in the NHL next year, but there’s going to be some growing pains ...

 

[Ripshot 43]

Is this where I come to post overreactions?

 

[ninetyeight]

Not that three prospect games really means anything, but I can’t help to be disappointed. I expected much more from Hughes and Smith. I don’t think Smith is NHL ready yet. Hughes might be but I don’t expect him to score much. I don’t know if it’s bad luck or what but he lost the puck more than he made good plays and missed few good opportunities. Feels like he tries too much by himself, gets past one guy only to get stripped from the puck by the next. Doesn’t help that all the commentators and fans are super homers with him. ’He plays with half effort’ ’The ice is bad’ ’the puck rolled’ ’He was too long in the ice..’

Boqvist looks great though, best devil of the tournament for me.

 

[OmNomNom]

smith has nothing to prove in the CHL. i expect him to be this years' santini, but with hopefully more playing time and a longer leash

 

[My3Sons]

Hughes is at the point where he has to use high effort to make his game work. I guess this is the "against men" lesson. He clearly has the ability, but as noted, he's going through growing pains. Probably not much different than the WHC where he made the adjustment and improved. I expect he will do the same as training camp unfolds. As for Smith, I think he looked uneven, but he'll have all of training camp to make his point. Boquist looked very poised and you really saw what he can bring to the table. He'll have to up his game a bit more for the next level of physical play in camp but I expect he will make the adjustment. Before these three games I expected him to return to the SHL but now I'm cautiously optimistic he will make the big squad. Also, really impressed with how far Bastian has come. Once he got hurt in his draft +1 year he didn't seem to do much until he started to get it last season. He seems to be picking up where he left off and he looks like he has a future as a bottom six NHL player if he can develop a bit more.

 

[Hockey Man]

coming out of the tournament my thoughts are as follows in regards to the big 3 (smith, hughes, boqvist):

smith: he didnt perform at his best but im not really worried about what he did in this tournament as we all saw what he did last year in the preseason and main camp. i expect smith to make the team.

boqvist: he looked consistently the best of the three. not super impressed but he was alright. he has a shot at making the team it would seem.

hughes: probably the most underwhelming of the three. lots of fans are trying to cover up poor performance with “these games dont matter” or “hes not going 100%”. i dont like these excuses. if he isnt trying in these games that means that he feels entitled and inherently above the other players on the roster who are trying to make an impression which is obviously not good. if hughes had posted something like 3 ppg in the 3 games i feel like the tone would be pretty different and this 3 game stretch would be used to justify his draft position and hype. instead, because he performed below expectations people are using the “these games dont mean anything” line. as i said previously if these games were any indication of hughes’ current preparedness for the show, i would be wary about starting him in the NHL. he is still getting thrown around very easily, consistently blowing coverage in the d zone, plays a very loose and fluid style around the ice instead of being consistently conscious of good positioning. he is still playing a very junior hockey style. i really think hughes would benefit from playing a year in another league against tougher opponents with a more structured game. he needs to develop physically and be able to consistently produce in the offensive zone. the way he is currently playing, i do not believe he will translate well to the NHL. if he were to play this year i dont see him as a center.

i do believe taking hughes was the correct pick on the draft floor btw. he has just underperformed in regards to his expectations so far (this can change obviously)

 

[Blackjack]

coming out of the tournament my thoughts are as follows in regards to the big 3 (smith, hughes, boqvist):

smith: he didnt perform at his best but im not really worried about what he did in this tournament as we all saw what he did last year in the preseason and main camp. i expect smith to make the team.

boqvist: he looked consistently the best of the three. not super impressed but he was alright. he has a shot at making the team it would seem.

hughes: probably the most underwhelming of the three. lots of fans are trying to cover up poor performance with “these games dont matter” or “hes not going 100%”. i dont like these excuses. if he isnt trying in these games that means that he feels entitled and inherently above the other players on the roster who are trying to make an impression which is obviously not good. if hughes had posted something like 3 ppg in the 3 games i feel like the tone would be pretty different and this 3 game stretch would be used to justify his draft position and hype. instead, because he performed below expectations people are using the “these games dont mean anything” line. as i said previously if these games were any indication of hughes’ current preparedness for the show, i would be wary about starting him in the NHL. he is still getting thrown around very easily, consistently blowing coverage in the d zone, plays a very loose and fluid style around the ice instead of being consistently conscious of good positioning. he is still playing a very junior hockey style. i really think hughes would benefit from playing a year in college against tougher opponents with a more structured game. he needs to develop physically and be able to consistently produce in the offensive zone. the way he is currently playing, i do not believe he will translate well to the NHL. if he were to play this year i dont see him as a center.

i do believe taking hughes was the correct pick on the draft floor btw. he has just underperformed in regards to his expectations so far (this can change obviously)

Honestly I wouldn't worry too much about it. We'll see what happens in camp. If he's really truly not ready then I guess he'll go to Binhampton, but I'd be surprised.

 

[Triumph]

It's fun to guess at people's motives for posting some of the things they post. Why does someone think Hughes was bad when he was dominant in the offensive zone? Great question. Why do they think Hughes should play a year in college when at this point it isn't possible? A mystery to all.

There's some things Hughes is going to try that will not work. He's incredibly fast and incredibly shifty. He got pushed around a bit. He will be just fine in the NHL.

 

[Hockey Man]

It's fun to guess at people's motives for posting some of the things they post. Why does someone think Hughes was bad when he was dominant in the offensive zone? Great question. Why do they think Hughes should play a year in college when at this point it isn't possible? A mystery to all.

There's some things Hughes is going to try that will not work. He's incredibly fast and incredibly shifty. He got pushed around a bit. He will be just fine in the NHL.

how can you possibly watch hughes’ 2 games and come away saying that he was dominant in any facet of the those games. also hockey is a 3 zone game not 1 zone, which is part of my problem with hughes here. he didn’t dominate offensively and played below average in pretty much every other area. my motives are to say how i feel on a board where people say how they feel. people can shoulder shrug all they want but its been shown time and time again that rushing a player to the show is not a good idea. im interested in the long term development of jack hughes. i dont care if that means he doesnt play in the show this year. forcing a potential franchise player into the show just because of precedent or some other reason is dumb. and i misspoke when i said college, in my old account i had sad numerous times during hughes’ draft season that he may be better off playing his d1 in college so i had that in mind.

 

[Triumph]

how can you possibly watch hughes’ 2 games and come away saying that he was dominant in any facet of the those games. also hockey is a 3 zone game not 1 zone, which is part of my problem with hughes here. he didn’t dominate offensively and played below average in pretty much every other area. my motives are to say how i feel on a board where people say how they feel. people can shoulder shrug all they want but its been shown time and time again that rushing a player to the show is not a good idea. im interested in the long term development of jack hughes. i dont care if that means he doesnt play in the show this year. forcing a potential franchise player into the show just because of precedent or some other reason is dumb. and i misspoke when i said college, in my old account i had sad numerous times during hughes’ draft season that he may be better off playing his d1 in college so i had that in mind.

I mean, you just didn't watch game 1. Hughes controlled basically every shift he was on the ice. He was again controlling shifts today. He didn't finish a lot of his chances and the chances he set up weren't often finished. He played in 2 games and in 2 games that will happen.

He will play in the NHL this year and be an above average player.

 

[Hockey Man]

I mean, you just didn't watch game 1. Hughes controlled basically every shift he was on the ice. He was again controlling shifts today. He didn't finish a lot of his chances and the chances he set up weren't often finished. He played in 2 games and in 2 games that will happen.

He will play in the NHL this year and be an above average player.

i did watch game one. im not sure how you define dominance but i would not classify hughes’ performance in any area of these games as dominant. and my point still stands, hockey is a 3 zone sport especially as a center. he was atrocious defensively and turned the puck over way way way too much. he couldve caused multiple goals against single handedly.

 

[Call Me Al]

yeah i mean there are a few things that i would say are a certainty for hughes - he will play in the nhl this season, he will be able to create offense for his linemates and control the puck with above average ability, he will make plenty of mistakes and cough of the puck as he adapts to being on a more level playing field with the competition skill-wise, and he will get pushed off the puck and probably get hit really hard a few times

 

[Call Me Al]

i also suspect that he might not be a center to start, he did seem to struggle on the defensive side a little bit

 

[R8Devs]

i did watch game one. im not sure how you define dominance but i would not classify hughes’ performance in any area of these games as dominant. and my point still stands, hockey is a 3 zone sport especially as a center. he was atrocious defensively and turned the puck over way way way too much. he couldve caused multiple goals against single handedly.

he's going to turn the puck over a shit ton in the NHL too. Players that go for high level plays don't have a 100% success rate with everything they try. Hall turns the puck over a lot too. Subban does as well. That's just how hockey is

 

[Hockey Man]

he's going to turn the puck over a **** ton in the NHL too. Players that go for high level plays don't have a 100% success rate with everything they try. Hall turns the puck over a lot too. That's just how hockey is

turning the puck over is okay as long as most of the time you have it you make responsible plays, or are able to convert. the issue that i have is that he is basically nonexistent/below average in all parts of the game that do not involve offense or breaking the puck out or into a zone (in the nhl). this is not a recipe for success for an undersized player who plays an extremely junior style game, especially at center. if he plays in the nhl there is a 99% chance in my opinion he plays on the wing which could turn out to be a problem as there may be a log jam there and we dont know whats going to happen with zacha.

i need to clarify that i acknowledge he can improve these parts of his game. in no way am i saying he is a finished product, i am simply saying that he does not currently look prepared for the rigors and play style of the NHL.

 

[Blackjack]

turning the puck over is okay as long as most of the time you have it you make responsible plays, or are able to convert. the issue that i have is that he is basically nonexistent/below average in all parts of the game that do not involve offense or breaking the puck out or into a zone (in the nhl). this is not a recipe for success for an undersized player who plays an extremely junior style game, especially at center. if he plays in the nhl there is a 99% chance in my opinion he plays on the wing which could turn out to be a problem as there may be a log jam there and we dont know whats going to happen with zacha.

i need to clarify that i acknowledge he can improve these parts of his game. in no way am i saying he is a finished product, i am simply saying that he does not currently look prepared for the rigors and play style of the NHL.

I honestly don't understand why you're so alarmed. The Devils have 3 weeks to evaluate him playing in an actual system with NHL caliber linemates and defensemen to make a decision. If he played poorly in camp/preseason, and the Devils announced that he made the team anyway, I'd understand it, but for now, this is just premature. These prospect tournaments are a chance for someone like Ludvig Larsson to shine, but they're also chaotic and sometimes guys won't perform like they would in a more structured game.

 

[Triumph]

I want Hughes to be trying stuff out that doesn't work. He's exceptionally talented, so he will figure out what his limits are eventually, but if he's not testing NHL defenders with risky maneuvers then he won't reach his peak ability.

He's not going to arrive in the NHL as a finished product. I'm confident he will play center this year and that he will be an above-average player. I don't think he will be a star as an 18 year old.

 

[Hockey Man]

I honestly don't understand why you're so alarmed. The Devils have 3 weeks to evaluate him playing in an actual system with NHL caliber linemates and defensemen to make a decision. If he played poorly in camp/preseason, and the Devils announced that he made the team anyway, I'd understand it, but for now, this is just premature. These prospect tournaments are a chance for someone like Ludvig Larsson to shine, but they're also chaotic and sometimes guys won't perform like they would in a more structured game.

i wouldnt say that im “so alarmed”. im just pointing out what i see. i have already said that these things could all change and he could live up to the expectations come camp and preseason. but for now im pointing out that if this IS his current level of play, its simply not enough to warrant a spot on the NHL roster.

 

[Hockey Man]

I want Hughes to be trying stuff out that doesn't work. He's exceptionally talented, so he will figure out what his limits are eventually, but if he's not testing NHL defenders with risky maneuvers then he won't reach his peak ability.

He's not going to arrive in the NHL as a finished product. I'm confident he will play center this year and that he will be an above-average player. I don't think he will be a star as an 18 year old.

i want hughes to try stuff out too as long he is contributing positively in other aspects of the game. the issue is not him trying things and being unsuccessful, its trying things, failing, and then ALSO being a negative impact in other areas of the game.

 

[Spoiled Bratt]

I can't say I was really impressed by anyone outside of Boqvist from our top #3. I was happily surprised with the play of Bastian and to some degree, McLeod.

Let me point this out now, Hughes was the right choice at #1. With that said, he'll have to learn that the competition is now better and that he won't be able to dangle his way to the slot like he's been doing his entire career. His play away from the puck is something he'll have to work on because it's mediocre ATM. His speed gave him an advantage but now he'll have to play a more positional game because guys are much better and the game is much faster.

I can see him having some issues at the early stages of his NHL career but those are all things that can be learned pretty easily. The skills he does have can't be teaches and when he'll be able to mix both things, we'll have one of the best players in the league on our team.

 

[Blackjack]

I can't say I was really impressed by anyone outside of Boqvist from our top #3. I was happily surprised with the play of Bastian and to some degree, McLeod.

Let me point this out now, Hughes was the right choice at #1. With that said, he'll have to learn that the competition is now better and that he won't be able to dangle his way to the slot like he's been doing his entire career. His play away from the puck is something he'll have to work on because it's mediocre ATM. His speed gave him an advantage but now he'll have to play a more positional game because guys are much better and the game is much faster.

I can see him having some issues at the early stages of his NHL career but those are all things that can be learned pretty easily. The skills he does have can't be teaches and when he'll be able to mix both things, we'll have one of the best players in the league on our team.

His game is not dangling to the slot. It's a high speed zone entry followed by a cut to the inside and a pass to a streaking winger or defenseman. If the defenseman steps up he takes it to the outside and looks for a pass.

 

[ninetyeight]

It's fun to guess at people's motives for posting some of the things they post. Why does someone think Hughes was bad when he was dominant.

I guess my motive is that I’m just calling it how I see it, and hope someone like you can ease some of my concerns. Hoping for the best and preparing for the worst. Maybe my expectations are too high, but if he’s losing the puck this much at this level, whats gonna happen when he is facing guys like Doughty, Parayko, Ekholm etc..

I’ve been a devils fan for 25 years and always been envious of all the #1 draft picks other teams have had. Now we have three, but it all still feels very uncertain..

 

[Spoiled Bratt]

His game is not dangling to the slot. It's a high speed zone entry followed by a cut to the inside and a pass to a streaking winger or defenseman. If the defenseman steps up he takes it to the outside and looks for a pass.

He tries to stickhandle himself out of trouble at times and that's something he'll have to learn because the gaps at the next level aren't as big and the opposition closes up on you a lot faster.

I know his game is mostly around speed, that's not an issue. The issue is him "forcing" plays that he was able to do against weaker competition that won't be there at the next level. He made just that today when trying to pass the puck to Boqvist, while being at Boston's blueline. It got picked off which gave the B's a breakaway, causing Smith to take a penalty on the backcheck... 10 seconds later, the puck was in our net.

He's a smart player and he'll adjust to the pro game, I'm certain of that but it won't happen overnight. It'll be a progression and I'm fine with that but I just know that several posters are going to complain if he doesn't get 18+ minutes per night, every night.