HFAvs Prospect Ranking Polls #4

Who is the Avs #4 Prospect

  • LW - AJ Greer - 2015 #39 - (6)

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • LW - Ty Lewis - (Undrafted) - (New)

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • G - Justus Annunen - 2018 #64 - (New)

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    113
  • Poll closed .

Cousin Eddie

You Serious Clark?
Nov 3, 2006
40,142
37,285
Bowers. I'm late to the party on these threads but I would have voted for him in the previous thread too. Perhaps even at #2.
 

TatteredTornNFrayed

ocelot spleens, ...
Jan 15, 2008
717
238
I'm giving Kamenev slight edge for now, even though I have high hopes for Bowers, who would be next for me.

Add Weiss.
 

Perratrooper

Registered User
May 26, 2016
5,428
4,052
Alberta
I went with Meloche over Bowers for a couple reasons. Firstly I know Meloche a lot better as a prospect as we’ve had him longer and he has been making improvements every year. Second because he’s made the jump to pro and will likely be playing top pair minutes as a 21 year old in the AHL which leads me to believe barring a terrible camp/season he could be due for some NHL games. I personally believe he’s the closer prospect and think he has top pair potential while Bowers second line. The only argument I can understand why you’d put Bowers over Meloche is that he’s more likely to reach his top potential, but I would love to hear more on why most have Bowers higher?
 
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Tommy Shelby

Registered User
Feb 26, 2012
7,427
4,743
I went with Meloche over Bowers for a couple reasons. Firstly I know Meloche a lot better as a prospect as we’ve had him longer and he has been making improvements every year. Second because he’s made the jump to pro and will likely be playing top pair minutes as a 21 year old in the AHL which leads me to believe barring a terrible camp/season he could be due for some NHL games. I personally believe he’s the closer prospect and think he has top pair potential while Bowers second line. The only argument I can understand why you’d put Bowers over Meloche is that he’s more likely to reach his top potential, but I would love to hear more on why most have Bowers higher?

I don't think Meloche ever had to pair potential even when drafted. His ceiling is a #3 for me, with the most likely scenario being a reliable bottom pairing anchor.

Bowers does everything right. Can't really find many flaws in his game and his work ethic, versatility and coachability are ROR-esque. Not saying he's the next ROR, just that players in his mould always find a way to have long and successful NHL careers while surpassing expectations.
 

henchman21

Mr. Meeseeks
Sponsor
Feb 24, 2012
61,891
45,210
I’m positive there are several posters around here who would beg to differ

Yeah I'd fundamentally disagree. Meloche not only had top pairing potential, he still has it. The offense may never come around to the point where he can be a consistent offensive threat, but he shouldn't be a black hole either. That won't be his calling card though. How his shutdown ability translates will determine what pairing he ends up on. The potential is there for him to be a high-end shutdown guy with some offensive punch... I wouldn't be betting on it, but he could be a very good player if his development continues on the right path.
 

Perratrooper

Registered User
May 26, 2016
5,428
4,052
Alberta
Yeah I'd fundamentally disagree. Meloche not only had top pairing potential, he still has it. The offense may never come around to the point where he can be a consistent offensive threat, but he shouldn't be a black hole either. That won't be his calling card though. How his shutdown ability translates will determine what pairing he ends up on. The potential is there for him to be a high-end shutdown guy with some offensive punch... I wouldn't be betting on it, but he could be a very good player if his development continues on the right path.

Exactly, he has the “potential” which is they key word in all of this. I think he’ll turn out to be EJ 2.0 if his development continues the way it has. I don’t think he can be a number 1, but a solid number 2 defenseman is well within his range. Again I said it’s not as likely as Bowers being our second line center, but the potential is still there.

@Cullen Bohannon (or anyone) what would be the flaws in Meloche’s game that stick out to you? Does he not have the same ability to be coached or does he have a significantly worse work ethic?
 

henchman21

Mr. Meeseeks
Sponsor
Feb 24, 2012
61,891
45,210
Meloche's skating needs a good chunk of work still, and the offensive reads are significantly behind. I think the skating will come around to a workable level, to me the question will it be good enough to be effective for 18 minutes or 22 minutes. That will pretty much determine where he plays. The skill for more effective offense are certainly there, but he can be passive with his reads at times... then turn around and be too aggressive. He doesn't seem to know how to apply his skill set there. It may or may not come around and will change how his offensive game develops. If Meloche busts, it will be because of his reads and not managing the risk in his game.
 

Tweaky

Solid #2
Sponsor
Apr 5, 2009
5,548
1,801
Singapore/Thailand
I voted Bowers due to my opinion of his likelihood to reach his potential of an almost Toews clone. Not that I think it is super likely, just that I feel he has a better chance of reaching a higher percentage of Toews than Meloche does of reaching his comparable of neo-Hjmarlsson.

Add a Russian, lord knows we have enough of them.
 

Perratrooper

Registered User
May 26, 2016
5,428
4,052
Alberta
Meloche's skating needs a good chunk of work still, and the offensive reads are significantly behind. I think the skating will come around to a workable level, to me the question will it be good enough to be effective for 18 minutes or 22 minutes. That will pretty much determine where he plays. The skill for more effective offense are certainly there, but he can be passive with his reads at times... then turn around and be too aggressive. He doesn't seem to know how to apply his skill set there. It may or may not come around and will change how his offensive game develops. If Meloche busts, it will be because of his reads and not managing the risk in his game.

Thank you, I appreciate your insight. Based on what I’ve seen/read (which isn’t a ton) since we’ve drafted him, I’ve noticed improvements in all your listen weakness, but still a large room for improvement. I thought as this season went a long his ability to read plays improved and his over passive or over aggressive play started to balance a bit. That’s based on more what I’ve read and not my own eye test. In my opinion he’s essentially a poor skating EJ, that might have slightly better instincts, but not a sizable difference.
 

cgf

FireBednarsSuccessor
Oct 15, 2010
59,988
19,060
w/ Renly's Peach
Thank you, I appreciate your insight. Based on what I’ve seen/read (which isn’t a ton) since we’ve drafted him, I’ve noticed improvements in all your listen weakness, but still a large room for improvement. I thought as this season went a long his ability to read plays improved and his over passive or over aggressive play started to balance a bit. That’s based on more what I’ve read and not my own eye test. In my opinion he’s essentially a poor skating EJ, that might have slightly better instincts, but not a sizable difference.

...personally, I think his defensive instincts are a lot better than EJs. Though Henchy's totally right that he still needs to continue working on that balance with when to pinch/jump up into the play offensive. French Nic's already really f***ing good at reading the play in his own zone to figure out when he should go out & break shit up, versus when he needs to hang back & continue waiting for the right moment to beat some dude down to end the cycle. He doesn't wander as much as EJ, or daydream as much in his own zone.

Plus EJ's speed is a big part of his game, so I don't really think comparing them makes much sense. If Meloche continues making the progress he has been with his skating & offensive reads to become a successful NHLer, it'll be more in the mold of Manson or Foote.
 
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Perratrooper

Registered User
May 26, 2016
5,428
4,052
Alberta
...personally, I think his defensive instincts are a lot better than EJs. Though Henchy's totally right that he still needs to continue working on that balance with when to pinch/jump up into the play offensive. French Nic's already really ****ing good at reading the play in his own zone to figure out when he should go out & break **** up, versus when he needs to hang back & continue waiting for the right moment to beat some dude down to end the cycle. He doesn't wander as much as EJ, or daydream as much in his own zone.

Plus EJ's speed is a big part of his game, so I don't really think comparing them makes much sense. If Meloche continues making the progress he has been with his skating & offensive reads to become a successful NHLer, it'll be more in the mold of Manson or Foote.

I don’t know Manson well enough and I think he had better offensive skill/vision than Foote. I compare EJ and him because they have similar size and skill as well as me lacking a better comparable.
 

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