With the Columbus rumors, I decided to go back and watch some of their games this season in order to check out Ryan Murray and Gabriel Carlsson primarily.
It is interesting, as I have had a negative opinion regarding Murray and his development. I was particularly disturbed about his decline in advance stats this past season in relation to the rest of the team. I realize that some CBJ fans have characterized that decline to an uncertain role and Murray having to baby sit his defensive partner.
I have to say that I was impressed with Murray in the games that I viewed. I am not sure that I saw him make a defensive mistake in any game that I watched. His skating is strong, he is very smooth with strong edge work, pivots, lateral mobility, and above average speed. His first two to three stride acceleration may not be elite, but I would not characterize it as a weakness either.
He made quick, crisp passes and his puck skills appear strong, although he plays a conservative, defensive oriented game that is not geared toward offense. It is difficult to tell whether he has more offense in his game or whether he has settled into a defensive mindset. He did receive more power play time in the games that I viewed, primarily as Seth Jones was injured and out of the lineup. CBJ, as their fans have noted, utilize only one defenseman at a time on the PP, so if Werenski and Jones are in the lineup, Murray does not receive any minutes on the PP. JJ and Savard also do not receive minutes in that situation either.
I was not as impressed with JJ or Savard in my viewings, and I believe they may be overrated based on their shifts that I viewed. JJ's decision making is bizarre at times and Savard's mobility is a weakness. I personally liked Murray better than both and I can see coaches and scouts still really liking his game. He seems to have an exceptional defensive IQ and seemingly is always making the right play in his own zone in terms of positioning and puck movement. IMO, he would immediately have the highest defensive IQ on the Avs roster.
After having watched him more extensively, I think the biggest issue is his injury history. If he is not healthy, you can't rely on him, which is obviously a significant issue. I would say that given JJ's upcoming UFA status, I would think that Kekalainen and Davidson may lean toward keeping him as a long term replacement for JJ in their lineup.
I viewed Gabriel Carlsson as well and I was not as impressed. He is very raw and not NHL ready at this time IMO. He has some nice attributes, particularly his size and reach. His skating and mobility are not bad considering his size, but at the same time, he has some awkward choppiness to his skating at times.
I don't see the puck moving upside with him at this time, at least his puck skills are much more limited than Murray at this point. He is younger, so he can develop, but he lacks the smooth nature to his game that I see with Murray.
I also watched some of Boone Jenner, who some have mentioned as a possible component of a Duchene trade. I will say first off that I like Jenner's effort level, but his skating is really lacking IMO. He is a below average skater in terms of speed and acceleration at the NHL level (think ROR with less hockey IQ and anticipation to allow him to keep up with the flow of the play). He has strong balance on his skates, which is an underrated aspect IMO. His 30 goal campaign in 2015-2016 seems like a complete aberration. His skill level suggests to me that he is more likely to be a 15 goal, complimentary third line winger than a center, or a first or second line player. He apparently brings some positive leadership intangibles, which obviously has value.
I also watched Josh Anderson, who some have mentioned, and was not particularly impressed either. He has nice straight line speed and a big frame, but his skill level is lacking at times. I think he is unlikely to routinely duplicate his 17 goal output from last season and is a third or fourth line player.
Watched Milano a bit, but his number of games and shifts were limited. He was not really in a position to show off any of his skills, so it is difficult to comment on him. He skates well, but did not seem to be particularly engaged physically.
I plan to watch some of Maata next, although from what I observed in the playoffs, his skating is well below average (in terms of speed and quickness) and really limits him as a player.
