F Aito Iguchi - Saitama Warriors, Japan (2021 Draft) Part 2

[ru4reals]

Honestly he's a nice youtube story but I'm surprised Aito is still a topic. I'm all for the game of hockey having more diversity and having players come from non traditional countries but Iguchi is really not a legit prospect.

 

[TorontoMedia]

Weren’t his USHL combine highlights also pretty nasty? Idk why he’s not in North America but if my team used a 4th-7th rounder on him I’d be totally cool with it

 

[hypereconomist]

Weren’t his USHL combine highlights also pretty nasty? Idk why he’s not in North America but if my team used a 4th-7th rounder on him I’d be totally cool with it

You'd be okay with using a 4th round pick on a tiny kid that isn't even willing to come to NA/Europe to improve his game by playing against the best players in his age group...lol

 

[TorontoMedia]

You'd be okay with using a 4th round pick on a tiny kid that isn't even willing to come to NA/Europe to improve his game by playing against the best players in his age group...lol

Sure why not, especially if my team had 2 of them. Total wildcard. The one time he did play NA competition (USHL Combine) he was one of the better players there. I’m sure he’s grown/continued to improve.

 

[Kranix]

At 5'3 If he gets hit hard in the NHL by a players like Josh Manson his career is over as he'll be getting so many injuries he'll call it quits and he leaves to play in a softer league.

Not claiming Aito is legit, but people were saying the same trash about Johnny Gaudreau before he entered the league. You don't know for sure. Little guys are elusive on the ice

 

[BagHead]

Sure why not, especially if my team had 2 of them. Total wildcard. The one time he did play NA competition (USHL Combine) he was one of the better players there. I’m sure he’s grown/continued to improve.

Improve? Absolutely. "Relative to his peers" is what we need to know, though, and we just don't have an answer for it because he isn't playing in NA or Europe. That obviously adds risk into drafting him, but then, that's what late round picks are for, right? I think I'd personally hold off until the 5th round, but I wouldn't be losing my mind over it if a 4th was used.

 

[bigdog16]

Some team with multiple late picks might take a flyer on him in the 7th as an attempt to grow the game in Japan - and Pavel Barber will be doing front flips acting like he produced an NHL pick while being unable to read the writing on the wall

At this point I have no idea how he would even be picked based on merit. He hasn't done anything. A u15 combine 2-3 years ago means literally nothing. Half the kids at that combine won't even be playing hockey past u18

 

[CutOnDime97]

His highlights were fun to watch. Shame he never played in NA at any level.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Yeah, we are basically on part 2 of this myth created by a couple of people hyping him up. Also, if someone wants to "grow the game" you have at least 2 better options in Sato and Ando from Japan alone.

Love the doubters.

Maybe you (and all "believers" for that matter) should have watched his U20 D1A performance before even starting to talk about NHL potential... As it stands now, he is unlikely to reach even mid-tier European pro potential. You wrote a book of trivial conjectural bullcrap on height completely ignoring his actual performance. Which is just not good, nowhere near the NHL-talent level no matter how you slice it. Like I said, Japan alone quite clearly has 2 better prospects than him and even those are very unlikely to be drafted.

 

[kudla]

Everyone talking about what his potential might be, but I'm not that sure he wants to become a pro player

 

[3 Minute Minor]

I don't know why people act like he's a riskier pick than any late round projection out of the CHL, USHL, or European junior league.

Just look at Henrik Samuelsson (1st round pick 2012). He played in the USHL, Sweden, and the CHL. Last year he put up 12 points in 31 games in the EIHL... Look at Ross Venus who's the same age, he had more points in the EIHL when he was 16. In 2012 people would have mocked the idea of picking Ross Venus in round 7 and yet they would have confidently put Samuelsson in the 1st round of a mock draft. Now obviously in this example, Venus isn't an NHL player. But the point is, they ended up in the same place despite their junior start.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Everyone talking about what his potential might be, but I'm not that sure he wants to become a pro player

Also "potential" isn't something you can bottle up. He might have had potential 5 years ago, that's ancient history now.

 

[SoundAndFury]

I don't know why people act like he's a riskier pick than any late round projection out of the CHL, USHL, or European junior league.

Just look at Henrik Samuelsson (1st round pick 2012). He played in the USHL, Sweden, and the CHL. Last year he put up 12 points in 31 games in the EIHL... Look at Ross Venus who's the same age, he had more points in the EIHL when he was 16. In 2012 people would have mocked the idea of picking Ross Venus in round 7 and yet they would have confidently put Samuelsson in the 1st round of a mock draft. Now obviously in this example, Venus isn't an NHL player. But the point is, they ended up in the same place despite their junior start.

Because many kids bust but they have potential to begin with. Iguchi clearly doesn't at this point. It wouldn't be a risky pick, it would be a wasted one.

 

[The Devilish Buffoon]

I don't know why people act like he's a riskier pick than any late round projection out of the CHL, USHL, or European junior league.

Just look at Henrik Samuelsson (1st round pick 2012). He played in the USHL, Sweden, and the CHL. Last year he put up 12 points in 31 games in the EIHL... Look at Ross Venus who's the same age, he had more points in the EIHL when he was 16. In 2012 people would have mocked the idea of picking Ross Venus in round 7 and yet they would have confidently put Samuelsson in the 1st round of a mock draft. Now obviously in this example, Venus isn't an NHL player. But the point is, they ended up in the same place despite their junior start.

I dont follow the player so not commenting on Iguchi specifically, but if you want to make a case for why a guy might be getting overlooked, you need to point to an example of a guy who succeeded, not an example of a guy who failed less or equal to a guy who failed massively.

Is Iguchi even playing?

 

[3 Minute Minor]

I dont follow the player so not commenting on Iguchi specifically, but if you want to make a case for why a guy might be getting overlooked, you need to point to an example of a guy who succeeded, not an example of a guy who failed less or equal to a guy who failed massively.

Is Iguchi even playing?

I'm not making a case for why a guy might be getting overlooked? I'm saying it's silly to act like there's such thing as a safe 7th round pick. There are barely any safe 1st round picks ffs.

If you want an example of a guy who succeeded, look at Pierre-Éduoard Bellemare. He was playing juniors in France in his draft year, 11 games in the senior league but barely touched the ice. He didn't leave France until he was 21 and didn't score a U20 point internationally until he was 19.

Meanwhile you have SoundAndFury saying Iguchi has no potential because he only had 5 points as a quadruple underage at the U20s. But Yu Sato, ye he deserves a look! He was awful at that tournament, awful in Quebec, and continues his awfulness in Lincoln.

 

[S E P H]

but if my team used a 4th-7th rounder on him I’d be totally cool with it

Waterloo Blackhawks drafted him in 2019 in 7th round, then Covid happened making it harder for non-American skaters to come from overseas. Also, he was always going to be a long-term project, it will not mean anything if he doesn't get drafted because very talented players always find themselves in the NHL regardless of the path taken or how long it could. If he's talented enough, he will be in the NHL.

 

[ijuka]

I'm not making a case for why a guy might be getting overlooked? I'm saying it's silly to act like there's such thing as a safe 7th round pick. There are barely any safe 1st round picks ffs.

If you want an example of a guy who succeeded, look at Pierre-Éduoard Bellemare. He was playing juniors in France in his draft year, 11 games in the senior league but barely touched the ice. He didn't leave France until he was 21 and didn't score a U20 point internationally until he was 19.

Meanwhile you have SoundAndFury saying Iguchi has no potential because he only had 5 points as a quadruple underage at the U20s. But Yu Sato, ye he deserves a look! He was awful at that tournament, awful in Quebec, and continues his awfulness in Lincoln.

France is a far more respectable hockey country than Japan.

Bellemare wasn't and isn't 5'3".

u-20 D2 is literally a non-achievement against countries that barely play hockey. I doubt that's much stronger than Finnish u-20 mestis.

Iguchi's done nothing at all against any real competition. Yu Sato or Yusaku Ando have neither done much, and neither should IMO be drafted, but at least they've played in reasonable leagues.


Well, as I said like 4 years ago, Aito Iguchi is a non-prospect for NHL, as he's always been.

 

[S E P H]

France is a far more respectable hockey country than Japan.

Bellemare wasn't and isn't 5'3".

u-20 D2 is literally a non-achievement against countries that barely play hockey. I doubt that's much stronger than Finnish u-20 mestis.

Iguchi's done nothing at all against any real competition. Yu Sato or Yusaku Ando have neither done much, and neither should IMO be drafted, but at least they've played in reasonable leagues.

Japan has more registered players than Slovakia...

 

[bigdog16]

Not claiming Aito is legit, but people were saying the same trash about Johnny Gaudreau before he entered the league. You don't know for sure. Little guys are elusive on the ice

But there were a lot more Gaudreau believers, and there was a basis for it. Gaudreau had 72 points in 60 games in the USHL in his draft year. And he was lighting up Tier 1 AAA leagues before that

There is literally zero reason to pick Aito in the draft this year other than an attempt to grow the game in non traditional countries. Which is fine

 

[TorontoMedia]

So do we have any updates on the kid? is he even playing? Is he even going to enter the draft?

I find it weird that he went from Prodigy to nothing... can someone just ask Pavel Barber?

Still again, wouldnt mind using a late round pick. most of them don't make it anyway.

 

[TorontoMedia]

But there were a lot more Gaudreau believers, and there was a basis for it. Gaudreau had 72 points in 60 games in the USHL in his draft year. And he was lighting up Tier 1 AAA leagues before that

There is literally zero reason to pick Aito in the draft this year other than an attempt to grow the game in non traditional countries. Which is fine

again, the answer to why he isn't playing in NA is unclear... but who knows what his USHL numbers could have been. at the combine he looked like one of the better players there, just has been off the grid since which i find odd.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Like literally the most evident display of his level was U20 D2A. Where he did nothing special, 6-8th in team scoring, not even above PPG. Yet every "believer" seems to ignore it and talk about *something something USHL much talent smol size something something*.

By the way, every game of that tournament is available to watch to everyone: https://www.youtube.com/c/HockeyLietuva/search?query=japan

Meanwhile you have SoundAndFury saying Iguchi has no potential because he only had 5 points as a quadruple underage at the U20s. But Yu Sato, ye he deserves a look! He was awful at that tournament, awful in Quebec, and continues his awfulness in Lincoln.

Where have I said Sato "deserves a look"? I said he is legitimately better than Iguchi. If you think he was "awful in that tournament" you either didn't watch it or are talking out of your ass. If you hate Sato that much it just tells how bad Iguchi actually is. And as a Lithuanian who has seen countless "quadruple underagers" score well above PPG at that level yeah, the guy isn't even close to the NHL level.

 

[nbwingsfan]

I'm not making a case for why a guy might be getting overlooked? I'm saying it's silly to act like there's such thing as a safe 7th round pick. There are barely any safe 1st round picks ffs.

If you want an example of a guy who succeeded, look at Pierre-Éduoard Bellemare. He was playing juniors in France in his draft year, 11 games in the senior league but barely touched the ice. He didn't leave France until he was 21 and didn't score a U20 point internationally until he was 19.

Meanwhile you have SoundAndFury saying Iguchi has no potential because he only had 5 points as a quadruple underage at the U20s. But Yu Sato, ye he deserves a look! He was awful at that tournament, awful in Quebec, and continues his awfulness in Lincoln.

So because guys in the CHL can bust that means teams should look into drafting players playing in leagues equivalent to high school hockey? What kind of logic is this?

This guy isn't even good enough to play in the CHL, he isnt coming anywhere close to the NHL. Zero chance and that's a certainty.

Any player picked in the 4th rd + have little chance of making the NHL but at least they have a small chance and show some type of NHL skill. This guy would be a complete waste of a pick and will be lucky to make a second tier euro league

 

[nbwingsfan]

Japan has more registered players than Slovakia...

That's pretty irrelevant when non of those registered players are actually good at hockey...

 

[BondraTime]

So do we have any updates on the kid? is he even playing? Is he even going to enter the draft?

I find it weird that he went from Prodigy to nothing... can someone just ask Pavel Barber?

Still again, wouldnt mind using a late round pick. most of them don't make it anyway.

He was never a prodigy. He was a very technically skilled kid that got youtube famous based on practice moves and scrimmages against house league players.

He very likely doesn't make any CHL rosters, let alone have NHL teams looking at him