- Jun 10, 2014
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all of this would be relevant if the 8 players he had competition from were capable of playing hockey half-decent, but they aren't, at least not this year.
That's has more to do with his quality of competition for ice time then it does for his own play.
That being said, he LOOKS like a player. I don't see anything that appears to be "below top 9" level, except the quality of his linemates.
I get hesitancy but seriously, he's been better then everyone in the bottom six.
Thorburn, Peluso, Burmi, Lowry, Copp, Halischuk, Peluso, Lipon. This is his competition.
Armia would have to play so much worse then he has so far to lose his spot to one of those players.
The only person in that group who i would put close to him is Lowry. If regains his form from last year he could maybe deserve to be on that line instead of him, but he and burmi have both been shells of their former selves.
I'm still very much not sold on Copp. I think he'll "pass" as a 4th line center but I don't see him going anywhere else.
I get not pumping his tires. I'm not calling him a lock top be a top 6 player. I'm saying I see him as lock to be a 28-34 points player 3rd line winger.
when you compare A)his current play thus far and B) his pedigree/ceiling/potential he's easily the best player in our bottom six right now.
edit: i'm also willing to waive concerns about offense do to production this year. He isn't scoring nearly as much as i'd like, but he's had the misfortune of playing on a moose team that couldn't score (until the coach put him with decent line mates, then they started scoring, and then he was promptly recalled to the jets) and when it did, he got called up to a Jets team that has just as much trouble scoring.
It isn't his lack of scoring so far that concerns me. It is his lack of everything except looking promising. He just hasn't played enough games with competent linemates yet to call him a 'lock'. I guess a bunch of scoring would have helped to offset any concern but I can wait for that to come. Lets revisit this in 20-30 games.