Can someone sum up what he says? Thanks!
It was a great interview, I recommend listening yourself. But here's a summary.
First of all, I loved this quote in response to molding a raw player into what you want him to be:
"That's an interesting phraseology you use about us 'turning him into something'. I think that's one of the biggest problems we have in the game right now. Everyone is trying to micromanage everything instead of allowing someone to creatively determine who they are, what they're comfortable being, and maximize their natural assets. And we need to encourage that instead of trying to control that. Clearly you have to point out the liabilities of their game, you have to work on this and you have to work on that, without having to suppress what's natural in them.
The game has become a little more robotic than I would like to see it be and not be as much fun as it used to be because it's so technical. And the truth is, the game is emotional and not as technical as people want to make it. Every game now is close so the margin for error is less, but the ability to compete, to show up, to use your natural flair, to seize the moment as it may be....that's really what I would like to encourage our players to do. To take responsibility for themselves rather than us saying 'do what I say and everything will be alright."
#shotsfired #suckitpete #youjustgottold
Santini: Loved his pedigree and family history, teammates love him, coaches love to trust him despite his age, fantastic positional D, uses his stick very intelligently, a guy they really don't want to rush.
Kujawinski: Struggling with injury, flashes of brilliance but needs to work on consistency, likes his work ethic, great instincts, quite raw but starting to hit his stride if he stays healthy.
Matteau: "Didn't do him any favors starting him in the NHL", almost too strong to play in juniors, he was a man playing in a boys league, very pleased with his WJC performance and AHL role so far, the light is really close to turning on in his brain, love his physical tool set, it's a matter of maturity for him right now.
Severson: Didn't look out of place in the AHL or at Devils training camp, his physical tools are already NHL ready, has no idea why he dropped at the draft, it's mostly just a matter of his mental game and mental toughness developing.
Coleman: Had to struggle finding his role going from a scorer in USHL to a checker his first few years in the NCAA but starting to find his offense now, nice frame and great defensive abilities, goes to the net and gets dirty goals, needs to get in a little better shape to keep up at the next level, a guy that's generally going to be playing against players better than him and how he keeps them in check will determine his success.
Boucher: Not surprised at how well he's adapted to the pro game, used his snub at the WJC last year to put a chip on his shoulder, phenomenal instincts, pure athlete, mentally resilient, he's clearly proven he can play at the NHL level and it's just a matter of opportunity costs where his lack of experience comes at a cost to the team.
Johnson: NHL size, NHL speed, NHL skill, NHL work ethic, just a question of seeing how he does at the next level, still a work in progress and it's up to him to take the next step.
Scarlett: "Exceptionally happy" with his transition to the pros, too good for juniors, holding his own against guys like Larsson/Gelinas/Merrill/Urbom, his performance this year has been out of this world and they're very excited about him.
Talked a bit about the salary cap, the influence of Jagr, Stevens, Marty etc on younger players, problems with the game nowadays, etc.
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