Josh Bailey

[mm11]

After watching him as an 18 year old under developed teenager on the 30th best NHL team last year I cam away thinking this kid may become something special one day.
You notice right away his real soft hands with the puck, he is always looking up, his hockey intelligence seemed off the charts for someone so young. I noticed alot of kids the Isles bring up always seemed to be going the wrong way with the play but Bailey always seemed to be going in the same direction. Just a subtle observation.
He made great plays setting up teammates all year and had a real hard accurate shot that surprised the heck out of me. After seeing all this I noticed something that really jumped at me. For such a humble and nice kid he played in all the dangerous areas and was not afraid of the lumber that came his away. He was always in the slot taking a beating. Again, he seemed to know where to be and paid the price.
Then came this off season, us Isles fans get to see a jacked up Josh Bailey looking real strong putting on atleast 20 lbs of muscle to his 6 '1 frame. No doubt be looked over 200lbs already. With his above mentioned skills listed this kid Bailey may be something special real soon as his dedication to building his body and mind to compete at the NHL level is evident as such a early age. Maybe this is what the Isles saw all along.
My question to you all "prospect heads" what kind of year would Bailey put up if he stayed in the OHL and played along Hall and the rest of the Spits and their Memorial cup season. Would he have had a fighting chance to lead the entire OHL in scoring and maybe make a run at Memorial cup MVP along with CHL player of the year attached with a WJC gold medal? HE did put 96 points up his last year in the OHL. More curious than anything as it looks either way Josh Bailey may be a name folks will remember for his play rather than for kid Garth Snow traded up to acquire bypassing some legit blue chippers and we all know the names...

The prospect I see Bailey resembling would be Niklas Backstrom. Both are left handed play making centers, both have snipers to grow with, JT and the great #8, great passers, great vision, great hockey IQ's and both seem to have good size already....

thanks in advance and have a great rest of the summer

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[roc1091]

I rly am high on the kid, at first lik most isles fans I was skeptical when the pick was made but bailey is the type of player that grows on u. Very excited to see him combine his skills and hockey sense with his newly added size

 

[YogiCanucks]

Josh Bailey is a wonderful talent, it's just unfortunate for him that the guys drafted around him were the likes of Stamkos, Doughty, Bogosian, Schenn, Filatov, PA, Wilson, Boedker, and Hodgson.

 

[Kevin Malone]

After watching him as an 18 year old under developed teenager on the 30th best NHL team last year I cam away thinking this kid may become something special one day.
You notice right away his real soft hands with the puck, he is always looking up, his hockey intelligence seemed off the charts for someone so young. I noticed alot of kids the Isles bring up always seemed to be going the wrong way with the play but Bailey always seemed to be going in the same direction. Just a subtle observation.
He made great plays setting up teammates all year and had a real hard accurate shot that surprised the heck out of me. After seeing all this I noticed something that really jumped at me. For such a humble and nice kid he played in all the dangerous areas and was not afraid of the lumber that came his away. He was always in the slot taking a beating. Again, he seemed to know where to be and paid the price.
Then came this off season, us Isles fans get to see a jacked up Josh Bailey looking real strong putting on atleast 20 lbs of muscle to his 6 '1 frame. No doubt be looked over 200lbs already. With his above mentioned skills listed this kid Bailey may be something special real soon as his dedication to building his body and mind to compete at the NHL level is evident as such a early age. Maybe this is what the Isles saw all along.
My question to you all "prospect heads" what kind of year would Bailey put up if he stayed in the OHL and played along Hall and the rest of the Spits and their Memorial cup season. Would he have had a fighting chance to lead the entire OHL in scoring and maybe make a run at Memorial cup MVP along with CHL player of the year attached with a WJC gold medal? HE did put 96 points up his last year in the OHL. More curious than anything as it looks either way Josh Bailey may be a name folks will remember for his play rather than for kid Garth Snow traded up to acquire bypassing some legit blue chippers and we all know the names...

The prospect I see Bailey resembling would be Niklas Backstrom. Both are left handed play making centers, both have snipers to grow with, JT and the great #8, great passers, great vision, great hockey IQ's and both seem to have good size already....

thanks in advance and have a great rest of the summer

The answer to all of the above is more than likely yes.

My guess is Bailey would have put up around 110-115pts this year with Taylor Hall on his wing, which would have been more than enough to lead the league in scoring. With his attitude and acedemics he would have been a heavy favorite for CHL player of the year. He also no doubt makes the WJ's with Canada and wins gold.

I am really high on Bailey and think he is one of the most under rated prospects in the game at this point. I haven't seen Bailey too much with the Isles but watched almost all of his games in Junior. He reminds me quite a bit of Doug Gilmour in how he always knows where his teammates are, and dishing the puck to them when nobody is expecting it. I think this kid will have a long productive career.

 

[Space Herpe]

Josh Bailey is gonna be Doug Weight part 2.
...and there is nothing wrong with that...

The kid does need to learn to shoot more.

 

[YogiCanucks]

He's more of a Tavares than a Duchene. More one way than complete game. But that can be a good thing.

 

[nrf83]

us Isles fans get to see a jacked up Josh Bailey looking real strong putting on atleast 20 lbs of muscle to his 6 '1 frame. /COLOR]


I like Josh Bailey, I think he is a wonderful addition to NYI. I am always leary when I see statements like "he put on 20lbs muscle" 1st, in the era of PDA's I get nervous for him, and 2nd, I don't think he can operate the way he would prefer with the extra weight, 10 lbs would be plenty. He wasn't a stringbean when he started, just young; as he develops he can add the extra weight. I hope that Curtis was just exagerating and that Josh is looking good, just not 20lbs good

 

[Kevin Malone]

He's more of a Tavares than a Duchene. More one way than complete game. But that can be a good thing.

???...He's unlike either. Tavares is more of a shoot first guy, which is deffinately not the case with Bailey. Bailey usually averages 2 assists for atleast every goal he scores. The other two have more sniper tendencies.

I wouldn't be suprised at all if Tavares is moved to wing and Bailey is his centre, especially on the powerplay. Tavares likes to set up near the top of the circle on his off side and have the pucked dished over to him. Kind of similar to the way Brett Hull was.

 

[Felix Unger]

Josh Bailey is a wonderful talent, it's just unfortunate for him that the guys drafted around him were the likes of Stamkos, Doughty, Bogosian, Schenn, Filatov, PA, Wilson, Boedker, and Hodgson.

He's more of a Tavares than a Duchene. More one way than complete game. But that can be a good thing.

1. While Doughty and Stamkos certainly are much better talents, Bogosian, Pietrangelo, and Filatov are likely better talents (still not enough evidence), there is *no* evidence that Wilson, Boedker, Hodgson are better talents. And I'm not bashing Hodgson, but save these remarks for after the season, when - as you're so confident - Hodgson outplays Bailey in the NHL. Admit that you, like me, and everyone else, have absolutely no idea.

2. By all accounts, Bailey is nothing like Tavares offensively. I have not seen Tavares enough. But Bailey is not the pounce and release type player everyone describes Tavares as being.

3. Bailey is committed to a 2-way game, and playing a 2-way game was a condition on his ice-time last year.

Bailey seems to me part Doug Weight, part Chris Drury. I doubt he will have the creativity (and therefore score) like Savard, Backstrom, or other elite playmakers. But I think he'll be more physical than those guys and play in high-traffic areas (hence the Drury comparison). Like Drury and Weight, he seems to be well-liked by his coach and teammates.

Cheers,

Dan-o

 

[indczn]

1. While Doughty and Stamkos certainly are much better talents, Bogosian, Pietrangelo, and Filatov are likely better talents (still not enough evidence), there is *no* evidence that Wilson, Boedker, Hodgson are better talents. And I'm not bashing Hodgson, but save these remarks for after the season, when - as you're so confident - Hodgson outplays Bailey in the NHL. Admit that you, like me, and everyone else, have absolutely no idea.

2. By all accounts, Bailey is nothing like Tavares offensively. I have not seen Tavares enough. But Bailey is not the pounce and release type player everyone describes Tavares as being.

3. Bailey is committed to a 2-way game, and playing a 2-way game was a condition on his ice-time last year.

Bailey seems to me part Doug Weight, part Chris Drury. I doubt he will have the creativity (and therefore score) like Savard, Backstrom, or other elite playmakers. But I think he'll be more physical than those guys and play in high-traffic areas (hence the Drury comparison). Like Drury and Weight, he seems to be well-liked by his coach and teammates.

Cheers,

Dan-o

Boedker played in the NHL and had a comparable season to Bailey. Theres not much evidence saying Bailey is better either. There seasons were close enough that they should be considered comparable for now. Including boedker with Wilson and Hodgson given your "save these remarks for after the season" comment is not consistent.

 

[Devil Dancer]

I didn't get to see too many Isles games last year. How is his defensive game?

 

[Kevin Malone]

Josh Bailey is a wonderful talent, it's just unfortunate for him that the guys drafted around him were the likes of Stamkos, Doughty, Bogosian, Schenn, Filatov, PA, Wilson, Boedker, and Hodgson.

So was it unfortunate for Cowen to be drafted around Taveres, Hedman, Duchene, Kane, Schenn, OEL, Kadri, Glennie and MPS. No one has any clue as to who the best players will end up being.

I love how you assume that Hodgson will be a better player than Bailey.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

He's more of a Tavares than a Duchene. More one way than complete game. But that can be a good thing.

Unless he's changed his game at the NHL level, Bailey is actually quite adept at the two-way game.

He's actually closer (though I still wouldn't say they're similar players) to Duchene than he is Tavares.

 

[BennyBST]

apparently Bailey has added 10 lbs of muscle to his frame in the offseason and has been working out 3 or 4 times with a personal trainer in ontario. that in my opinion is what is going to make him a more effective player next season. I expect good things next year from him, some where around 45 pts, which would be a nice improvement.

 

[#66]

Unless he's changed his game at the NHL level, Bailey is actually quite adept at the two-way game.

He's actually closer (though I still wouldn't say they're similar players) to Duchene than he is Tavares.

Yeah I didn't get that quote at all. He's young and makes mistakes but his defensive effort is really good. IMO he reminds me of Kirk Muller.

 

[Felix Unger]

Boedker played in the NHL and had a comparable season to Bailey. Theres not much evidence saying Bailey is better either. There seasons were close enough that they should be considered comparable for now. Including boedker with Wilson and Hodgson given your "save these remarks for after the season" comment is not consistent.

I agree completely with the bolded sentence. So, I can only suppose that I didn't express myself clearly. I apologize.

Cheers,

Dan-o

 

[Flannelman]

Bailey seems to me part Doug Weight, part Chris Drury. I doubt he will have the creativity (and therefore score) like Savard, Backstrom, or other elite playmakers. But I think he'll be more physical than those guys and play in high-traffic areas (hence the Drury comparison). Like Drury and Weight, he seems to be well-liked by his coach and teammates.

Cheers,

Dan-o

Perhaps a healthy Patrice Bergeron ?

 

[Felix Unger]

Perhaps a healthy Patrice Bergeron ?

If we're lucky.

Cheers,

Dan-o

 

[SLAPSHOT723]

Perhaps a healthy Patrice Bergeron ?

Josh doesn't shoot enough to be the goal scorer Bergeron is. I can see Bailey becoming similar to Marc Savard.

 

[AgentNaslund*]

Isles shoulda sent him back to the OHL. But oh well. Not our decision.

 

[Felix Unger]

Josh doesn't shoot enough to be the goal scorer Bergeron is. I can see Bailey becoming similar to Marc Savard.

I respectfully disagree. I think he'll score 20+ goals by driving the net - Drury style goals. He started shooting more late last season. I remember hearing the Rose/Jaffe say the staff is working with him on that.

Cheers,

Dan-o

 

[mm11]

Isles shoulda sent him back to the OHL. But oh well. Not our decision.

well what can you do, The young Isles have themselves a budding #1 centre in the making. I don't know what it is but whatever the decision the Isles made it seemed like it would of been correct either way and that is a testiment (sp) to the mental make up of Josh Bailey.

If he plays in the OHL he competes with Hall, JT, Hodgson and company for all the awards, if he stays with the Isles he grows with his young team, learn what it takes to become a NHler's from VETS like Dougie Weight, Witt, PARK, Hunter and company. Hence the reason why he came into mini camp with added muscle and a great attitude. He did lose a year of contract status and that to me is the only draw back I see from the Isles's decision. While alot of his 2008 counter parts may we overwhelmed with the NHL this JB will most likely not.

Personally I am looking forward to seeing JB work his magic on the side boards looking for Okposo on the other side or JT on the right post or he can look to the point for Streit. To me, this is staring to sound like a legit offensive team soon enough on Long Island and atleast our PP should be solid with these youngens. Just have to close our eyes in regards to our defense and lack of true enforcer in 2009. The Isles management have some time to fix this I hope

have a great rest of the summer

 

[YogiCanucks]

Isles shoulda sent him back to the OHL. But oh well. Not our decision.

Yeah I agree, his development would have been better had he been sent back to the OHL.

 

[Hunter Gathers]

Josh doesn't shoot enough to be the goal scorer Bergeron is. I can see Bailey becoming similar to Marc Savard.

I don't see that at all. He's better defensively than Savard is and he doesn't have that elite offensive vision that Savard does. I don't think he's ever going to be a near 100 point player. I think he will be a 70-80 point player at his peak, though.

 

[Mr Lahey*]

Vancouver fans sure like to weigh in negatively on other teams prospects!

I've always thought Bailey was a great choice, and I still think he was a better pick then the guys who came after him. He stepped onto the worst team playing in the best league in the world and held his own.

It reminds me of a kid who played on my high school hockey team. People thought he was great. He came and played on the varsity team instead of trying out for the senior team. He was younger and smaller than everyone. The team was horrible, but he always played a good game. People started to knock him saying he is nothing. He ended up playing Junior B the next year and was ineligible to play on the senior team.

Turns out the kid just was too good, and had to do too much to really play his game. I think Bailey was in a similar situation. Once he doesn't have to carry his team, we will see how good he really is.

Players like Hodgson, Subban and Kadri all were able to shine because they were free to play their game on an all around good team (comparatively)