I hope Kings don't draft him and draft Stutzle. So Sens can draft Byfield and have him and Brown at C, two big overrated C.
Like the Canadiens passing on Brady Tkachuk for Kotkaniemi, who has more than double the amount of points and considerably more goals than the player the Habs selected 3rd overall?
More like Kotkaniemi going to be a real #1 C and Tkachuk just a top 6 player?
Good way to start off this thread...
Byfield would eat Kotkaniemi for breakfast and crap him out before lunchMore like Kotkaniemi going to be a real #1 C and Tkachuk just a top 6 player?
More like Kotkaniemi going to be a real #1 C and Tkachuk just a top 6 player?
I can't wait for a head to head playoff battle betwee Kotka and Chucky. I think it won't go well for KK lol
one day were going to ask the question why he of all players got dragged down and picked apart by so many people. And the answer could be an ugly one, but somehow not surprising in this sport.
I hear what you're saying and I think there's a lot of truth to that sad reality.
I hear what you're saying and I think there's a lot of truth to that sad reality.
Byfield would eat Kotkaniemi for breakfast and crap him out before lunch
Do they test this at combine?That's a hell of a metabolism, good sign
The reality is that a black player will be drafted in the top 3 for, I believe, the first time ever. The sad part, IMO, is that people would rather imagine it as an example of how "ugly" the sport is than celebrate how far it's come.
Players get criticized and even passed over often. The poster that you quoted said "he of all players" to make it look like an issue of race, but, if you take "all players" to mean ever, it's happened to many players regardless of race. Just last year, Arthur Kaliyev was expected to be drafted by the middle of the 1st round, yet he dropped all of the way to the 2nd because of a supposed "poor work ethic." Can you imagine if he had been black? People would've been convinced that he fell because of it and condemned the league for it.
No one questioned Byfield being the #2 pick until January. It's not that that's when he became black. That's just when he had a poor WJC and Stutzle surged into the conversation. He's faced extra scrutiny since because there's now a debate about whether he might slip to #3... and why. There's no mystery to it. The only mystery is why people assume that it's racism when he was the consensus #2 for a year and a half and will still make history by going in the top 3. There's a lot of reason to feel good about the progress represented here and not a lot of reason to see and feel the opposite, IMO.
Except when he has questionably and inexplicably been treated differently.
I'm on my phone, but long story short, there was one draft publication who talked about all the qualities and pros of the various prospects. Players ranked much lower than the No. 2/3 ranked Byfield.
When Lafreniére had an underwhelming 2019 WJC, the criticisms against him were "unfair" and scoring a goal was a huge redeeming moment. With Byfield this year, despite being the same age as Laf last year, all those same criticisms are more met with "you shouldn't judge based on one tournament" at best.
Except when he has questionably and inexplicably been treated differently.
I'm on my phone, but long story short, there was one draft publication who talked about all the qualities and pros of the various prospects. Players ranked much lower than the No. 2/3 ranked Byfield.
When Lafreniére had an underwhelming 2019 WJC, the criticisms against him were "unfair" and scoring a goal was a huge redeeming moment. With Byfield this year, despite being the same age as Laf last year, all those same criticisms are more met with "you shouldn't judge based on one tournament" at best.
I know - DY-1 vs DY, but he is getting treated and evaluated less fairly than others. And I will be happy at how far things have come, but we can still recognize how far we have to go.
I think you're half right.Except when he has questionably and inexplicably been treated differently.
I'm on my phone, but long story short, there was one draft publication who talked about all the qualities and pros of the various prospects. Players ranked much lower than the No. 2/3 ranked Byfield.
When Lafreniére had an underwhelming 2019 WJC, the criticisms against him were "unfair" and scoring a goal was a huge redeeming moment. With Byfield this year, despite being the same age as Laf last year, all those same criticisms are more met with "you shouldn't judge based on one tournament" at best.
I know - DY-1 vs DY, but he is getting treated and evaluated less fairly than others. And I will be happy at how far things have come, but we can still recognize how far we have to go.
The reality is that a black player will be drafted in the top 3 for, I believe, the first time ever. The sad part, IMO, is that people are imagining things as negative and "ugly" instead of seeing the actual positives and celebrating how far the sport has come.
Players get criticized and even passed over often. The poster that you quoted said "he of all players" to make it look like an issue of race, but, if you take "all players" to mean ever, it's happened to many players regardless of race. Just last year, Arthur Kaliyev was expected to be drafted by the middle of the 1st round, yet he dropped all of the way to the 2nd because of a supposed "poor work ethic." Can you imagine if he had been black? People would've been convinced that he fell because of it and condemned the league for it.
No one questioned Byfield being the #2 pick until January. It's not that that's when he became black. That's just when he had a poor WJC and Stutzle surged into the conversation. He's faced extra scrutiny since because there's now a debate about whether he might slip to #3... and why. There's no mystery to it. The only mystery is why people assume that it's racism when he was the consensus #2 for a year and a half and will still make history by going in the top 3. There's a lot of reason to feel good about the progress represented here and not a lot of reason to see and feel the opposite, IMO.
I mostly agree with you, just not at why Kaliyev fell. Kaliyev is a very flawed prospect, he's great with the puck but far below average when it's not on his stick. He's made some great advancement though this year.