Marioesque
Registered User
- Oct 7, 2021
- 2,179
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You know that level is franchise 1D?
Yes. I think Mateychuk is actually offensively better but he's smaller. Haven't seen reasons to doubt his progress either. The D depth is real.
You know that level is franchise 1D?
You know that level is franchise 1D?
Yes. I think Mateychuk is actually offensively better but he's smaller. Haven't seen reasons to doubt his progress either. The D depth is real.
Maybe I’m misremembering but I believe a comp of his at the time of last year’s draft was Adam Fox?
Which one was Toolsy?It's really tough to know with guys that aren't especially toolsy.
I love the player but it's exactly his progress that we haven't seen yet. I liked him more in his draft year. He just turned 19 though so the runway for him is very long.
I used Adam Fox because Mateychuk is a similarly active on the puck player who can drive play despite not having any high end tools. Maybe some other folks drew that parallel too. We have no idea if that's a practical upside for him though.
Fox wasn't considered an elite prospect, fwiw. In the HF poll before his rookie season, he was ranked 46th among prospects leaguewide. It's really tough to know with guys that aren't especially toolsy.
I think he's one of the schmelts between Yorky and Boomtown.Which one was Toolsy?
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Hes actually not even 19 yetI love the player but it's exactly his progress that we haven't seen yet. I liked him more in his draft year. He just turned 19 though so the runway for him is very long.
I used Adam Fox because Mateychuk is a similarly active on the puck player who can drive play despite not having any high end tools. Maybe some other folks drew that parallel too. We have no idea if that's a practical upside for him though.
Fox wasn't considered an elite prospect, fwiw. In the HF poll before his rookie season, he was ranked 46th among prospects leaguewide. It's really tough to know with guys that aren't especially toolsy.
Mateychuk easily see's the ice as well as Svozil and is better defensively from what I watched in the playoffs. They each were asked to play very different roles. Both saw major icetime with Svozil being offensive option 2 and Mateychuk being more of everything on the ice. Svozil put up the numbers but it doesnt mean he was much better, infact I think Mateychuk's postseason is underrated from the games I watched.Since folks have brought up Svozil, I'll say the case for Svozil is very simple. He had a better year. He was much better in the WHL playoffs. And he had an opportunity that Mateychuk didn't have at the World Juniors and in his pro debut and was a positive surprise in both. He was right there with Jiricek as best D in the whole WJ tournament.
I can foresee the path for Svozil more easily. Regular gains in strength and conditioning and I think this is a top 4 NHL D. The building blocks in terms of his tools and the way he thinks the game are already there. With Mateychuk I'm not sure. I didn't think he needed to get heavier, I'm more concerned with his speed.
Context: Was standing around some kids looking for autographs, Babcock emerges from one of the locker rooms. The kids noticed him, and called for him. Babcock waived and said “be out in a minute” and went into a different locker room. I assumed he was just flaking (not meant in a bad way). But about 5 minutes later he comes back (nobody noticed him coming), puts his hand on my shoulder so I could notice him and get out of his way so he could go talk to the kid. He taps him on the shoulder and says “heard you yapping for me. (Said smiling) How’re you doing Buddy?” So they talked for a second, and then he turned and asked me if there was any good players out there. I said “you tell me coach.” And he laughed and basically said we’ll see in main camp. Shook my hand and left. Was cool
I noticed this in a tiny clip of him with Brindley a few days ago. I was wondering if it was something he regularly does, cool. That could help a lot with a shooter like Laine to get more open lanes.For having question marks about his hockey IQ, Fantilli does a great job at creating picks/interference on defenders to give his teammates space with the puck. He does a good job of getting away with it with the “accidentally on purpose” slating routes he takes in the ozone.
It’s probably my blue colored glasses, but I have a hard time buying into the low IQ thing based on Fantilli’s production in NCAA. He was the most talented, most aggressive player who dictated the pace and action. He was a NASCAR car on a track full of Civics. I wouldn’t use finesse and let the game come to me, either.For having question marks about his hockey IQ, Fantilli does a great job at creating picks/interference on defenders to give his teammates space with the puck. He does a good job of getting away with it with the “accidentally on purpose” slating routes he takes in the ozone.
Yeah, I've watched the kid all year long and in person several times, that's a weird knock. I didn't see it in any scouting reports either ... in fact, most scouting reports raved about his hockey IQ.It’s probably my blue colored glasses, but I have a hard time buying into the low IQ thing based on Fantilli’s production in NCAA. He was the most talented, most aggressive player who dictated the pace and action. He was a NASCAR car on a track full of Civics. I wouldn’t use finesse and let the game come to me, either.
I think his IQ could end up being surprisingly high as he tailors his game to the NHL level.
The way I look at it, is I would never drink a non alcoholic beer, ever. I would drink a non alcoholic seltzer. I generally will go with bourbon, but it causes too much heartburn when eating hahaCan never drink enough beer ina lifetime, but to each their own. I’m happy to toast anyone enjoying a beverage of their choice, even one so vile and wretched as a hard seltzer.
On paper its a whole lotta nothing. I wish Ivanov could or would come to something like this. Hes the only really high upside guy we have at this timeSo it Fantilli that good, or our goalies this bad? Or yes to both haha
His speed, skill, and pace was above everyone except Hunter McKown. He was that good and goalie’s were overmatched.So it Fantilli that good, or our goalies this bad? Or yes to both haha
One video I watched talked about how Fantilli was a bit prone to forcing passes or sometimes making the wrong play with the puck in the offensive zone. But that’s a pretty small part of “hockey IQ”. His defensive zone/neutral zone/off-puck play in the offensive zone seemed to fare pretty well.Yeah, I've watched the kid all year long and in person several times, that's a weird knock. I didn't see it in any scouting reports either ... in fact, most scouting reports raved about his hockey IQ.