Prospect Info: Devils Development Camp 2014

[BrodeursCups]

Potential:

Top pairing: Merrill, Severson, Larsson
Top 4: Gelinas, Santini, Jacobs
Solid NHL D: Scarlett, Helgeson, Burlon, Gedig, McPherson

Getting ahead of myself, that's the potential for filling out our Top4 with 1-2 type defensemen and having Top4 quality Dmen on the bottom pair. ZBC, your objection is already noted.

I'd move Santini into the "top pairing" category. We'll find out more about Jacobs after this season...

 

[CerebralGenesis]

Potential:

Top pairing: Merrill, Severson, Larsson
Top 4: Gelinas, Santini, Jacobs
Solid NHL D: Scarlett, Helgeson, Burlon, Gedig, McPherson

Getting ahead of myself, that's the potential for filling out our Top4 with 1-2 type defensemen and having Top4 quality Dmen on the bottom pair. ZBC, your objection is already noted.

If anything, you're shorting Santini. We'll wait for Jacobs this season too. I really like the Santini-McDonut comparisons.

 

[MichaelJ]

If anything, you're shorting Santini. We'll wait for Jacobs this season too. I really like the Santini-McDonut comparisons.

I didn't think it was shorting a prospect to say he had 3-4 potential. I know he hits like a freight train, I thought there were questions about his offense.

 

[Devils Dominion]

I'm still at a wait & see, show me, attitude towards all of our prospects.
I've seen quite a few "can't miss" prospects in our system through the years never make it.

 

[Lou is God]

Some people are going to be shocked when 5 years down the road Santini is our best defenseman and one of the best defensive defenseman in the league.

 

[The 29th Pick]

Some people are going to be shocked when 5 years down the road Santini is our best defenseman and one of the best defensive defenseman in the league.

who knows..that a way's down the road, the way the league is changing a defensive defenseman might be like todays enforcer

 

[Lou is God]

The defensive defenseman will not only have a job always in the NHL but it will also always be considered one of the most valuable aspects of a winning team. Always.

 

[ScottyK]

Some people are going to be shocked when 5 years down the road Santini is our best defenseman and one of the best defensive defenseman in the league.

Here is hoping. Also if Severson becomes what we all expect a Santini - Severson top pairing would be poetry in motion.

 

[devilsblood]

The defensive defenseman will not only have a job always in the NHL but it will also always be considered one of the most valuable aspects of a winning team. Always.

But I think the notion of a defensive defensemen is changing a bit. Even these type players are expected to have decent puck skills, while not needing to be as gnarly in front of the net as they once were.

 

[NJDevs26]

But I think the notion of a defensive defensemen is changing a bit. Even these type players are expected to have decent puck skills, while not needing to be as gnarly in front of the net as they once were.

I think it's more important for them to have actual mobility than puckhandling skills. What's being weaned out of the game is the one-dimensional defensive d-man that can't move. With more skill and speed in the game now those guys get eaten alive.

Just like with fighters, it's not so much fighting being weaned out as it is the one-dimensional goon that does nothing but fight. You need to be a more well-rounded player.

 

[Lou is God]

But I think the notion of a defensive defensemen is changing a bit. Even these type players are expected to have decent puck skills, while not needing to be as gnarly in front of the net as they once were.

One of the most surprising aspects of Santini is going to be his skills, he's never going to have Doughty's skills but he will never be confused with Colin White either.

The last time I was this sold on a prospect it was Parise.

 

[The 29th Pick]

The league wants more offense, the league wants less fighting, the league wants less injuries, the league is getting softer every decade

http://nhlstatsandopinions.wordpres...valuation-of-defensive-defensemen-in-the-nhl/

 

[Lou is God]

The league wants more offense, the league wants less fighting, the league wants less injuries, the league is getting softer every decade

http://nhlstatsandopinions.wordpres...valuation-of-defensive-defensemen-in-the-nhl/

Serious question, have you watched Santini play?

 

[AfroThunder396]

A mobile defensive defenseman is an incredibly valuable player. I know we **** on him because he was bad here, but Ottawa Volchenkov was a gamechanger. He was a bad ass dude from 2003-2008. He nearly singlehandedly won Ottawa some series right after the lockout.

A guy like ME Vlasic is another example. Big, physical, skating defensive defensemen are premium players.

 

[JimEIV]

I'm still at a wait & see, show me, attitude towards all of our prospects.
I've seen quite a few "can't miss" prospects in our system through the years never make it.

We've had 1 "can't miss" prospect in the last 15 years and that was Parise...possibly add Larsson to that.

David Hale had some hype around him but for me personally it only took 2 live viewings while he was still in college to know he didn't have the skating ability or hockey sense to be what some people were saying he was.

As a general rule I'm hesitant of defense prospects whose core attribute is physicality but Santini seems to have a lot more going for him than just that. I'd like to see his offense increase this year with the Eagles, I'd like to see him receive some accolades and recognition for his play and if he really has the potential to be one of our best defensemen, he should have an outstanding sophomore year and consider the next step in his career. No need for a big strong physical player to beat up on students for 3 years.

 

[Rob Nieds work ethic]

The defensive defenseman will not only have a job always in the NHL but it will also always be considered one of the most valuable aspects of a winning team. Always.

Exactly. The 2014 Kings championship backend included Regehr, Mitchell and Greene. In 2012 they had Scuderi, Mitchell and Greene. Three pure defensive defensemen all playing regularly.

 

[The 29th Pick]

Serious question, have you watched Santini play?

not live in person, just video's on you tube etc, but all I hear about is how tough he is and how good he hits people
I'm not knocking him or the physical type D-men, but I do see the league changing down the road to a "softer" game
I'm old school and like old time hockey, not a big fan all these rule changes going on the last 10-20 years
if Santini turns into the next Scott Stevens...great
if he turns into the next Kenny Daneyko.....well I'm not sure he'll be as useful in 2020
as in 1995
I've been a fan since the Devils moved here and have heard so many times about our prospects becoming this or that

 

[devilsblood]

I think it's more important for them to have actual mobility than puckhandling skills. What's being weaned out of the game is the one-dimensional defensive d-man that can't move. With more skill and speed in the game now those guys get eaten alive.

Just like with fighters, it's not so much fighting being weaned out as it is the one-dimensional goon that does nothing but fight. You need to be a more well-rounded player.

Good call, didn't mean to say to say puck handling or passing skills were the only or major difference. My point was more that what is a "defensive defensemen" is changing. And skating is prob the biggest change.

One of the most surprising aspects of Santini is going to be his skills, he's never going to have Doughty's skills but he will never be confused with Colin White either.

The last time I was this sold on a prospect it was Parise.

Wasn't refuting it, some of the reports I've heard have said just that. And I kind of assumed it was part of the deal. If he is such a good prospect, he prob does have some level of those skills.

The league wants more offense, the league wants less fighting, the league wants less injuries, the league is getting softer every decade

http://nhlstatsandopinions.wordpres...valuation-of-defensive-defensemen-in-the-nhl/

I think this is a bit of a misconceived notion. Because the game gets faster the guys get bigger the hits get harder. And because of that we've seen all these concussions. So the league needs to adjust and in doing so they take away some of the snarl. But overall I don't see the game getting "softer".

I think it's the same with hits in the secondary of football. Everyone complains "oh you can't hit the receiver anymore" but you never saw hits back in the day like you see now on a game to game basis, and that extends into the college game and prob into HS as well. These guys get smashed out there. Way back I remember one guy(ronnie Lott) laying hits like you'll see from every SS in the league nowadays.

 

[Zippy316]

who knows..that a way's down the road, the way the league is changing a defensive defenseman might be like todays enforcer

No they are still valuable.

It's just now the emphasis is on defensive defensemen who can skate. The days of the Colin Whites and Anton Volchenkovs are over, now the defensive guys you see are superb skaters, like McDonough.

Even Helgeson and Gedig are supposedly very mobile, if I am correct.

 

[Devils Dominion]

not live in person, just video's on you tube etc, but all I hear about is how tough he is and how good he hits people
I'm not knocking him or the physical type D-men, but I do see the league changing down the road to a "softer" game
I'm old school and like old time hockey, not a big fan all these rule changes going on the last 10-20 years
if Santini turns into the next Scott Stevens...great
if he turns into the next Kenny Daneyko.....well I'm not sure he'll be as useful in 2020
as in 1995
I've been a fan since the Devils moved here and have heard so many times about our prospects becoming this or that

Yeah, lance ward was the next Stevens.

 

[JimEIV]

Yeah, lance ward was the next Stevens.

Not true at all...He wasn't even signed by the devils to a contract...the devils allowed him to re-enter the draft 2 years later...he was never highly touted and the entire draft year was crap

 

[Devils Dominion]

Not true at all...He wasn't even signed by the devils to a contract...the devils allowed him to re-enter the draft 2 years later...he was never highly touted and the entire draft year was crap

Certainly true. It's Why they drafted him.
Not to be the next Bob Hoffmeyer.

You are a revisionist history major.

 

[JimEIV]

Certainly true. It's Why they drafted him.
Not to be the next Bob Hoffmeyer.

You are a revisionist history major.

At no time was Lance Ward EVER highly touted. To say such is simply not true. That entire draft (Devils selections) was never even offered a contract... how can anyone claim Lance Ward was supposed to be the next Stevens when organization never even signed him to a minor league deal? Nothing at all, they preferred to let him walk away.

 

[The 29th Pick]

Look....our young D prospects look real good and I hope they all pan out into solid NHLers
one or two might disappoint a little, while another one or two will exceed our expectations
time will tell

 

[Lou is God]

Jimmy is basically right, when Ward was drafted there was talk about him being the next Stevens but that was mostly the press and it didn't last long.

Also I think a lot people are getting to wrapped up with the league getting soft hysteria, yes big hits are being watched much more closely but the style that Santini plays will not go away, hockey is still going to be a rough hitting sport, the purists will not let that disappear.