devilsblood
Registered User
- Mar 10, 2010
- 29,569
- 11,842
I don't think 'best defenseman in the WHL' is an indicator of future NHL success, full stop. Many of the people who've won this award in the modern era (post 1995) have not gone on to NHL success. It's not just that he won this award. It's that he has been very clearly excellent in the WHL for 2 years running now and almost made the Devils coming out of camp last year. He is presumably better now than he was last year, good enough to make the NHL team.
Furthermore, the fact that you put a guy who couldn't possibly go to the NHL on this list is either disingenuousness or ignorance. You'll never admit the latter, so it has to be the former.
Since you need everything spelled out for you - it's the same allocation issue. If the Devils send Smith down to the WHL, he's done for the year in New Jersey. If they send Davies down to the AHL, they will still be able to call him back up. It makes the decision pretty easy if it's even close.
Smith is probably better this year then he was last year, but this upcoming season he could have stiffer competition.
As per Phaneuf I will plead ignorance. Doesn't mean he would have made the NHL though, and there were still 3 other guys that I mentioned. Only guy in the past 20 or so years that went NHL in his draft 2 year after winning the award was Provorov. And I do find it interesting that you all of sudden don't care about precedence.
As for me needing everything spelled out? Please guy, we both know why you get so testy in regards to my posts, and it's not because I need things spelled out.