Anyone else notice how, despite the title, this has turned into a Bouwmeester vs. Pitkanen thread(again)?
Anyway, my take on Bouwmeester(since I have yet to see Johnson play):
It seems to me, that as the competition gets better, Bouwmeester tends to play better(he played better in the NHL than the AHL, and better at the World Championships/World Cup than in Florida). Of course, that could just mean that his mistakes and shortcomings don't stand out as much when he has world class teammates, but I believe he is capable of being among the best himself. I remember, in his draft year, a scout saying that he "plays down to his competition", meaning that, no matter what level he played at, he would look like that was exactly where he belonged. That statement seems to be right on the mark so far. I believe the only thing keeping him from being truly great is his mentality.
Another thing to remember about his performance in the AHL playoffs is that, since he pretty much started playing hockey, that was the first time he ever played on a playoff team in any league, including junior. That doesn't in anyway excuse his lack of offensive production, but his purpose there was mostly for the experience.
Anyway, my take on Bouwmeester(since I have yet to see Johnson play):
It seems to me, that as the competition gets better, Bouwmeester tends to play better(he played better in the NHL than the AHL, and better at the World Championships/World Cup than in Florida). Of course, that could just mean that his mistakes and shortcomings don't stand out as much when he has world class teammates, but I believe he is capable of being among the best himself. I remember, in his draft year, a scout saying that he "plays down to his competition", meaning that, no matter what level he played at, he would look like that was exactly where he belonged. That statement seems to be right on the mark so far. I believe the only thing keeping him from being truly great is his mentality.
Another thing to remember about his performance in the AHL playoffs is that, since he pretty much started playing hockey, that was the first time he ever played on a playoff team in any league, including junior. That doesn't in anyway excuse his lack of offensive production, but his purpose there was mostly for the experience.
