GlitchMarner
Typical malevolent, devious & vile Maple Leafs fan
I don't know... I have a hard time imagining anyone would try to argue that defensive play is a meaningful advantage that Ovechkin or Patrick Kane has over McDavid.
ATD 2021 Draft Thread III
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I don't know... I have a hard time imagining anyone would try to argue that defensive play is a meaningful advantage that Ovechkin or Patrick Kane has over McDavid.
TheDevilMadeMe
Registered User
Early career Ovechkin was a possession monster by all the metrics.
Any time Ovechkin is a big time hitter, which has SOME value.
GlitchMarner
Typical malevolent, devious & vile Maple Leafs fan
Yeah, young Ovechkin was a completely different player. He titled the ice so much that his lack of defensive play didn't really matter.
But the last few years his advanced stats have been poor on the defensive side of things (same with Kane's and McDavid's). Not that it matters too much much since they're all scorers. I'm just saying McDavid isn't exactly in a League of his own when it comes to being weak defensively.
Hawkey Town 18
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Is there anything to back this up or are people just seeing that he was a regular Byng candidate with smaller size and jumping to conclusions?
FWIW Joe Pelletier described him as aggressive but very clean
VanIslander
A 19-year ATDer on HfBoards
Laprade was inducted 20 years before his death (no sympathy vote - we've seen a few of them).
Laprade was inducted without a Stanley Cup. In the O6 era, the Rags never won the cup.
HHOF induction MEANS a majority of voters thought him worthy of remembering... whatever the reason: his defensive play being REMARKABLE (I could list 10+ sources indicating such - he is beloved).
Laprade was inducted without a Stanley Cup. In the O6 era, the Rags never won the cup.
HHOF induction MEANS a majority of voters thought him worthy of remembering... whatever the reason: his defensive play being REMARKABLE (I could list 10+ sources indicating such - he is beloved).
TheDevilMadeMe
Registered User
I think his smaller size has a lot to do with it. Smaller centers generally struggle with larger physical ones. It's a reasonable "default" assumption.
There's definitely a premium on a defensive center who can handle both large and fast players, just like there is for defensemen.
Hawkey Town 18
Registered User
I read Laprade as a guy whose defensive game was forechecking and speed getting back to disrupt transition. Descriptions also mention his poke check. I’m fine with my D having to help him out with net front battles and whatnot.
TheDevilMadeMe
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Hawkey Town 18
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Whenever I think of Datsyuk I think transition monster but yeah now that I’m replaying highlights in my head I’m also seeing him forcing turnovers on the forecheck too.
tabness
be a playa
- Apr 4, 2014
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I'll take Bernie Nicholls
Wrote about him a bit here: ATD 2020 Draft Thread IV
Going on some of that, recently I read some of an undrafted player's book (probably won't be drafted but just to be sure), who played with Nicholls in the 1985 World Championships and he mentioned:
"We got along fine with Bernie. I had no idea he didn't drink, because he was always the life of the party. The stuff he did, you wouldn't have expected he'd be so disciplined. After the pre-game meal, he would sneak into one of the guys' rooms, get in the bathtub, pull the curtains and hide. One afternoon, I was sitting on the can - next thing he comes flying through the curtains screaming. I almost had a heart attack."
Wrote about him a bit here: ATD 2020 Draft Thread IV
Going on some of that, recently I read some of an undrafted player's book (probably won't be drafted but just to be sure), who played with Nicholls in the 1985 World Championships and he mentioned:
"We got along fine with Bernie. I had no idea he didn't drink, because he was always the life of the party. The stuff he did, you wouldn't have expected he'd be so disciplined. After the pre-game meal, he would sneak into one of the guys' rooms, get in the bathtub, pull the curtains and hide. One afternoon, I was sitting on the can - next thing he comes flying through the curtains screaming. I almost had a heart attack."
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tinyzombies
Registered User
Ken Hodge...
if only I had taken a winger instead of Thornton... ah well live and learn... positional value. Seemed like there was a mad run on wingers though. This is where I have a problem because the best players are usually put in the middle... so if you can't play guys out of position, you don't really have the best players in the thing, but alas. And what about Team Canada, they put guys on the wing all the time. However, if I had drafted properly I would be taking up the other argument no doubt lol. I understand this is about capturing what actually happened.
@Professor What is up
if only I had taken a winger instead of Thornton... ah well live and learn... positional value. Seemed like there was a mad run on wingers though. This is where I have a problem because the best players are usually put in the middle... so if you can't play guys out of position, you don't really have the best players in the thing, but alas. And what about Team Canada, they put guys on the wing all the time. However, if I had drafted properly I would be taking up the other argument no doubt lol. I understand this is about capturing what actually happened.
@Professor What is up
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MadArcand
Whaletarded
Sorry, was at doctor's office and had car stuck in snowdrift afterwards and had to have it towed out...
Whalers select Vyacheslav Starshinov, C
Whalers select Vyacheslav Starshinov, C
Johnny Engine
Moderator
- Jul 29, 2009
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Would have enjoyed Hodge to recreate budget version of the Espo line with Gillies and Pavelski.
You definitely wouldn't be the first GM to plug a hole in the second line with a depth guy, and I think Hodge looks fine in that role as long as everything else is in place.
tinyzombies
Registered User
If I had taken a winger instead of Thornton at that point my 2RW would likely be Recchi or Kucherov. Naslund-Forsberg-Kucherov would have been out of sight. (slaps forehead)
TheDevilMadeMe
Registered User
Sorry, was at doctor's office and had car stuck in snowdrift afterwards and had to have it towed out...
Whalers select Vyacheslav Starshinov, C
Best center since Keats.
I almost picked him last round, despite barely having a use for him
Professor What
Registered User
VanIslander
A 19-year ATDer on HfBoards
I considered him back when I went with Nieuwendyk. Thought Joe was a better fit. But Starshinov is great value here.
TheDevilMadeMe
Registered User
I know @rmartin65 and @Dirt 101 have both mentioned how fast this draft has gone, and I think martin mentioned the clocks being a little short if anything this year?
I think that perhaps in the future, we could lengthen the clocks a bit IF drafts remain at 24ish teams. Nothing radical; just maybe stay at 8 hours for longer, etc.
The original clock format was created for a 32ish team draft. I know when we first did a 40 team draft in 2011, we shortened the clocks a bit; I forget if we did it for last year's 40 team draft.
But the point is that in the future, it does make sense to have slightly longer clocks with smaller drafts and slightly shorter clocks with larger drafts.
I think that perhaps in the future, we could lengthen the clocks a bit IF drafts remain at 24ish teams. Nothing radical; just maybe stay at 8 hours for longer, etc.
The original clock format was created for a 32ish team draft. I know when we first did a 40 team draft in 2011, we shortened the clocks a bit; I forget if we did it for last year's 40 team draft.
But the point is that in the future, it does make sense to have slightly longer clocks with smaller drafts and slightly shorter clocks with larger drafts.
ChiTownPhilly
Not Too Soft
When I can't entirely be clear about what sort of Vernier Caliper can be used to measure the separation between Nový and (for instance) Larionov, I feel pretty comfortable with having Nový in-the-fold.
In the meantime, draft-momentum is saved by the fact that I have a work-from-home day today. [If I was On-Site, I would have left a list.]
When I picked my Coach last Round, I thought I'd be saying goodbye to this rear-guard. [Having said that, I did think he'd be more likely to last to my next pick than Gorman.]
The anticipated mini-run on coaches didn't entirely come to pass... but it's okay, as I can now add to my back-line and reinforce my Penalty Kill.
The fact that he's perhaps the most famous loser of fights in the late-60s/early 70s matters little to me. What matters is that he'll (potentially) buttress a Special Teams Unit and impose a price on Forwards attempting to crowd the net. And if he can goad skilled attackers into coincidental minors, so much the better.
Philadelphia adds thematic Defenceman Terry Harper.
And after one occluded evening we are now...
PM to @BenchBrawl
BenchBrawl
Registered User
- Jul 26, 2010
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Montreal picks Jerry Toppazzini, RW.
He and Mosdell should form a reliable 4th line combination at ES as well as a solid duo on the 1st PK unit.
He and Mosdell should form a reliable 4th line combination at ES as well as a solid duo on the 1st PK unit.
TheDevilMadeMe
Registered User
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Hawkey Town 18
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