BUT BEAULIEU showed how good he was at the TOP PROSPECTS GAME-he really opened mny eyes there --I assume Central Scouting followed him closely after that --maybe he got even better in the 2nd half? BEAULIEU was the best D-man at the TOP PROSPECTS GAMe--yes you can't tell from just 1 night but from what i saw I immediately thought inmy own mind that this D-man was at least the next D-man after Siemens but with more offensive ability -yet his defense was not as iffy as some posters had led me to believe.. AT that time (TOP PROSPECTS GAME) --I had ZIBANEJAD and MCNEIIL ranked about mid-teens (ZIBANEJAD of course was not at that game being in Europe) but BEAULIEU impressed me more than did MCNEIIL --so I had BEAULIEU then ranked just out of the top ten at #11 (I had Siemens at #8) and I had PHILLIPS and STROME at #12 and #13....SINCE then STROME kept rising into the top ten, PHILLIPS slipped to the late teens and SEIMENS slipped to just out of the top ten...IT is very possible BEAULIEU justifies being ahead of SIEMENS in over-all potential so with COUTURIER falling on evryone's rankings (of the ranking orgs0 --WHY not Beaulieu rising ? NOw rising above COUTURIER ? WELL it seems hard to believe--BUT if the scouts see a guy improving in the 2nd half and others ranked higher earlier either not inmproving or just holding steady at below the expectstion bar the scouts hadset for them --then it is possible Beaulieu jumped ahead of Couturier.
THE problem with Couturier is not that he regressed but merely that he was expected to do more OR that his flaws seem to persist -he is stilla very good prospect--but to see no expected domination or to see the flaws stillbeing manifest, it forced themto drop him so much in their rankings.
I as a mere hockey fan --not ascout--cannot fault COUTURIER from not dominating as much as the scouts originally thought- perhaps they thought he'd be the 2nd coming of LECALALIER if not exactly LEMIEUX ....but I can faulkt his flaw wich when I see him play is a lack of anticipation -if he had that instead of mere reaction results from his size and talent THEN he's be the #1 overall -that he lacks it -his anticipation level is just average -it makes all te other stuff he does have a bit suspect in taking it to the next level..
ON the other hand --BEAULIEU exhibited great anticipation both offensively and defensively off what i saw at the Top Prospects Gamei--if scouts saw that too and followed him in the 2nd half to see if indeed he persisted in those instincts -then it could be they project great success for him at the NHl level as with those natural instincts a player can improve other areas of his game -but there is some innate instinctual qualities that cannot be taught or improved on --hockey sense --you ither have it or not --and if the scouts think he's got it -all the other parts of his game can be developed such that he projects really well ...
Now some teams willbe looking for D-help and after the top 3 forwards (I had HUBERDEAU ahead of COUTURIER aftr the TO PROSPECTS GAME anyway )---so after RNH and LANDESKOG and HUBERDEAU go and after LARSSON and HAMILTON go ---why not BEAULIEU as high as #6 overall --if a team wants a D-man and some see him ahead of SEIMENS ? IF a team wants a forward then COUTURIER or STROME will go next or both ahead of BEAULKIEU till a team wants D..
SO we are just inyer-changing names... the one guy I do not think is top ten is BARTSCHI -simply on size..
BEAULIEU is a legit #6-9 guy as much asanyone else deserves to be there...
The question is do you prefer 2-way ability + skill over SEIMENS physicality +fighting + some skills like skating +shot but not as good hockey sense?
IF BEAULIEU was "soft"--only a skill guy --then I don't think scouts would have him ranked this hight..He must have enough bumpbing and hitting in hius game to add to the other parts. He won't be a fighter like SEIMENS--but that is not the only aspect of being physical --- you just need enough pyhsical aspect -and in that Beaukieu probably has that level at least...
BEAULIEU gives you a bit of everything---he has size and thus strength, he will bum just enough, he can skate and carry the puck,can shoot and pass, and has the anticipation /hockey sense aspect better than maybe any D-man i the draft ....Some posters said he gets caught up ice too much-but maybe the scouts think he's improved that over the start of the year or that it can be improved with more development...but the hockey sense of reading the play to pass to the open guy or get to the right position spot to keep attacks going well ,or reading the play as it develops in your own zone -these are hings that he excels over other d-men at ...and so his high projection ranking.
COUTURIER is still a very good prospect--but like the great ANGELO ESPOSITO case--scouts followed him a long time,expected MORE,and never saw his flwas improving ..
I doubt COUTURIER willbe a total flop like ESPOSITO (which I predicted) ..but neither is he a LEMIEUX-like superstar CERTAINTY to dominate at the NHL level .. Maybe COUTURIER only develops to a #2 line NHL centre...
BEAULIEU though given his size,skating,puck ability and hockey sense cOULD develop into a top 2 NHL D-man for the team drafting him--reason enough to rank him that high...