It wasn’t. He has a bad start, like all of his team. They changed system, twice. And than it’s a top ten best season for his age in second best league. If you don’t watch his game, if you dont know the context of the season and you are trying to judge only by overall rates, even if his overall stats are good and his overall game was developed, how are you trying to compare prospects, their game, how they looked, their potential, the curve of their development, how are you trying to judge about steps back or forward? By saying that Holtz season with bad performance in NHL and meh game in AHL(may be mostly because illness) is better than what Gritsyuk showed? By rates only? Guadana scolded you.
I think the level of redflagness of Holtz performance is little overrated. Jump isn’t going easy, but it’s not like 2020 drafted players are already playing for their teams. I think Devils should not rush him, and if he needs to, they can give him one or even two years of development.
Where he was drafted isn’t effect on his game and on level of prospect, it’s only about Devils expectations in the draft day. People crazy overrated draft positions. This is a logical mistake of thinking. The selection in the draft in fact does not affect on anything at all. This is just an assessment of specific players at a time when they are 18. We can say that sometimes someone is better at 18, because he matured earlier, but Holtz improved his game and results over time.
Its just an argument for rankings prospects now - Gritsyuk developted his game and showing results in better league, cant show problems with NHL(may be yet). Both aren’t playing in nhl, so lack of bad transition from league to league is an argument.
Every player from 2020 like Greig or Peterka or even Evangelista who showed legit game and/or production in NHL, should be higher in rankings than Holtz, because of smoothness of transition. When people are trying to put Byfield over Mercer or Jarvis in redrafts, they are fooling yourself. It’s okay to play potential game with young players, but when some of them are showing legit nhl game level and result, and other still don’t, this players are in different categories. At least in the moment.
I don’t think that Devils fans should really worry about Holtz for now. He is 21 yo. Mercers development spoiled the picture of Holtz development, of course previous season was bad, but again the context - most part of this is on the management shoulders. If he will not start the season in the nhl because he isn’t 100% ready and Fitz will trade him for meh compensation right after that, I will not be happy about it, it would be stupid decision.
