Prospect Info: HFStars 2023 Boy Rank [#4]
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Magic Mittens
Registered User
Really like what I've been reading about Bertucci, and the video clips of him. I have no problem with Kyrou here, but I feel like Bertucci is better all around, and also has the size
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506
Registered User
I really think Bertucci could suprise some of us - I like his all around game better than Kyrou. He also finished the season strong, 30 pts in his last 32 games.
Ghost of Kyiv
Wanted Dead and Alive
It was between Kyrou and Bertucci for me. I went with Kyrou because I think there's a bit more there offensively.
Christian has the hands, the dekes, the head fakes, the slippery body contortions. I think he's a level above in terms of natural offensive IQ. It looked like Bertucci's points came on a lot of tips and rebounds, which is fine I guess, those points count too. I also don't totally buy Bertucci's late season improvements/hot streak, the U18s capped off the year and he disappointed there by all accounts falling to the bottom pair and being held pointless in 7 games. I'm optimistic about him overall, but I think he's a project.
I have real concerns about Kyrou's underwhelming size and skating combination and whether that will make him a liability on the other side of the ice but whatever, I'm picking my poison.
Christian has the hands, the dekes, the head fakes, the slippery body contortions. I think he's a level above in terms of natural offensive IQ. It looked like Bertucci's points came on a lot of tips and rebounds, which is fine I guess, those points count too. I also don't totally buy Bertucci's late season improvements/hot streak, the U18s capped off the year and he disappointed there by all accounts falling to the bottom pair and being held pointless in 7 games. I'm optimistic about him overall, but I think he's a project.
I have real concerns about Kyrou's underwhelming size and skating combination and whether that will make him a liability on the other side of the ice but whatever, I'm picking my poison.
MrHeiskanen
Registered User
- Nov 12, 2017
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Johno
We deserve it
- Oct 30, 2013
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wild, D+4 season…. Might be a borderline NHLer. Top 5 prospect!?And Blumel doesnt?
Johno
We deserve it
- Oct 30, 2013
- 4,999
- 2,716
MrHeiskanen
Registered User
- Nov 12, 2017
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lmao - you should know by now that nepo bros at least get a cup of coffee. Even Jared Staal got his.
You knew these lists would be a mess before we started. Bertucci is the funniest to me
David Castillo
Registered User
That's a hot one but I respect it.
I want to say nice things about Kyrou, but not as long as Lane Hutson exists. I wouldn't at all be surprised if Bichsel and Minnetian are all that's left when all is said and done with the current crop.
It’s an oversimplification of my opinion obviously but it’s hard to track why anyone is this high on Bertucci for me. I get his point totals from last season are intriguing, but why does it propel him above Grushnikov and Gavin White? Grush is light years ahead of Bertucci defensively, and White is better all around the board (minus physicality). Is it draft position? Is it shiney new toy?
I’m legitimately willing to hear people out on this. Just want someone to give a rational reasoning behind it.
Ghost of Kyiv
Wanted Dead and Alive
I don't love Bertucci, I thought he was a bit of a reach at 61 but I did vote him at 5 so I'll give my reasoning for him over the other defensemen.
Grushnikov - Just the lack of passing, I don't know how you play 121 games on a very strong team and only manage 17 assists. Beyond that, tracking data is terrible. I just don't value that kind of defenseman very much. He also barely played when he joined Texas in April (about 5 minutes a night in both his games), which is fine he was mostly injury insurance. But, I'm not sure how close to pro ready he really is. I've honestly liked him in my viewings, but I'd be shocked if he ever becomes more then a bottom pairing guy.
Gavin White - His production this year as a 20 year old was worse then what Bertucci just put up at 17. I don't see upside, I think he's a nothing prospect. Next.
Minnetian - I'll admit I might be wrong on this one, I've gone back and forth. On draft day I definitely had a "Minnetian is better than Bertucci" take. I've flipped on that because I'm worried about Minnetian's defense, he played a good amount of forward growing up. And while the scouts that liked him tended to be more of the younger stat based type that liked his mobility, the older pros cautioned about his defending. Basically this is an appeal to authority take, and I don't feel great about it.
I consider Bertucci a project that requires a bit of imagination, but he's still really young. I think he seems like a good defender and I like his upside on that end of the ice but the offense might be a bit of a mirage and the transition skills might only be average. Regardless, I just want to see what he looks like at 22 with hopefully another 30lbs on him.
Grushnikov - Just the lack of passing, I don't know how you play 121 games on a very strong team and only manage 17 assists. Beyond that, tracking data is terrible. I just don't value that kind of defenseman very much. He also barely played when he joined Texas in April (about 5 minutes a night in both his games), which is fine he was mostly injury insurance. But, I'm not sure how close to pro ready he really is. I've honestly liked him in my viewings, but I'd be shocked if he ever becomes more then a bottom pairing guy.
Gavin White - His production this year as a 20 year old was worse then what Bertucci just put up at 17. I don't see upside, I think he's a nothing prospect. Next.
Minnetian - I'll admit I might be wrong on this one, I've gone back and forth. On draft day I definitely had a "Minnetian is better than Bertucci" take. I've flipped on that because I'm worried about Minnetian's defense, he played a good amount of forward growing up. And while the scouts that liked him tended to be more of the younger stat based type that liked his mobility, the older pros cautioned about his defending. Basically this is an appeal to authority take, and I don't feel great about it.
I consider Bertucci a project that requires a bit of imagination, but he's still really young. I think he seems like a good defender and I like his upside on that end of the ice but the offense might be a bit of a mirage and the transition skills might only be average. Regardless, I just want to see what he looks like at 22 with hopefully another 30lbs on him.
That wasn’t Grushnikov’s role to produce he was a shutdown physical defensemen for Hamilton.
Your take on Gavin White isn’t great either. They had identical point production and Bertucci didn’t get traded to a different team in the middle of the season. White had 41 points in 54 games between 2 teams. Bertucci had 50 points in 63 games.
I don’t mean to be rude but I don’t see anything in your post that isn’t just a “feeling” you have about Bertucci. “I consider Bertucci a project that requires a bit of imagination” is kind of a ridiculous way to advocate for a players projection. Imagination has never been used to project a draft prospect. Ever.
It’s kind of what I expected the consensus would be when it came to Bertucci’s ranking on here. I think you guys like the potential for his toolbox, but it’s way too early to rank him above established prospects.
White and Grushnikov won a memorial cup together and were the two best defensemen of the entire tournament. Then White won another with the Pete’s last season. Saying he’s a nothing prospect is uhh.. certainly interesting.
Ghost of Kyiv
Wanted Dead and Alive
I'm not sure if you're grasping what an important factor age is in junior hockey. You seem to have voted for Chase Wheatcroft at 4, which points further to that.
20 year olds with no NHL future regularly outproduce highly rated 17 year old draft eligibles. It means very little towards their NHL future. White is an offensive defenseman with defensive limitations at the next level who scored 5 points in his 20 game playoff run and 1 point in his 5 games at this past memorial cup. So no, White's production is not identical to Bertucci's it's slightly worse in the regular season and much worse in the playoffs.
Captain Awesome
Registered User
Not that I'm defending the pick (truthfully, outside of the top 3 or 4 guys I don't know much about them, so I'm not even voting), but I don't think most teams' 5th best prospect ever ends up being anything special regardless. I think your typical, non rebuilding team is lucky to have a single blue chipper, but might have no more than 2 or 3 nhl likely guys, with a bunch of longshots or low upside guys behind that.
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MrHeiskanen
Registered User
- Nov 12, 2017
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I know. I was being semi sarcastic. Im just not super hyped on Kyrou or Bertucci personally. They have upside and are younger, but to me Blumel has NHL scoring ability and is pretty close to being there. I understand why people are voting for the younger guys because they could still improve a lot especially Bertucci.
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