Kane 5 points in Game 7

hawksfan50

Registered User
Feb 27, 2002
13,984
1,965
Yes he had 5 points in game 7--but really this wasn't even his "A" game-he was not "spectacular" ...the points simply came as a result of London's overall talent AND the Sault goalie not having his "A" game after 3 really god ones before...

Kane actually looked "off" in the last 4 games --now I see that it was due to shaking off the efeects of pulling tose wisdom teeth--so that explains why he did not look his best...

YET--it still brings up the point--Kane piles up points ,BUT he is with such a talented London offensive supportingcast...the question is : Will his game translate to success at the NHL level going to a bottom feeder team that won't havew sauch talent surrounding him or won't be able to hide or cover up his woeful defensive flaws as has been the case in Jrs ..Kane will NEVER be much defensively or physically,so whether a team can live with that at the pro level,or can cover for him with good defensive linemates is the key question..

Best hands in the draft? Definitely. Best agility and puck control in the draft? Definitely? Great vision and passing ability at full speed? Definitely.
But--woeful back-checker? Certainly. "Watcher" while teams cycle with control in his own end? Absolutely. In London (except when playing a top opposition that can give them competition) the Knights mostly play 70% of the time in the opposition zone,so Kane's defensive flaws are masked --and the excellence of goalie Mason usually bails them out of trouble anyway...also because they can,coah Dale Hunter does not mind winning games 7-5 or 8-4...so who cares about Kane playing good defense? You trde the flaws for offensive brilliance and look the other way..BUT it won't be so easy to ignore those flaws in the pros........

IF Chicago takes him-- and unless their other young kids dramatically improve their abilty to control the ice,the Hawks spend 70% of the time defendng their own zone--thus a "one-way" attacker like Kane will not be getting opportunities to shine as much offensively (also the Hawks take many more penalties than they get,so Kane won't be constantly getting the myriads of PP time he gets in London to stack up points)....true he should help the woeful Hawks PP,BUT since trhese are so infrequent compared to the # they have to kill off--it is QUESTIONABLE if a guy like Kane can ever be the right "fit" for that team...

The biggest advantage Kane has,is that if you just admit he will never be anything even "average" defensively,and plan to live with that flaw,he also has nothng more to learn offensively in Jrs--he is already too good for the OHL on offense to learn anything more down there--THUS of all the top prospects for this draft,he is actually the most pro-ready to step in offensively right away (but as I said you must admit to having to accept hs defensive short-comings).
The woeful Blackhawks have stated that the player they take #1 could hopefully step in right away--this tells me Kane or perhaps Voracek are at the top of their list--because none of the other top forwards will step in right away...
Is such a "panic" (we are so bad we need an immediate "saviour") way of thinking
detrimental to possibly making a big mistake instead of taking a longer term structural and deelopmental view on a prospect? I hope not--but I fear the worst.


It is too bad (for the Blackhawks) that this was not the 2008 draft and they had the #1 pick...there would be zero argument about Stamkos becoming the "saviour"...
IF you take Kane or to a lesser extent Voracek --you expect them to step in immediately and damn the consequences if they are not ready defensively ...if you
can wait 2 more years of development for him to bulk up and fill out in Wisconsin,then you take Turris because his already has a 2-way game...
I don't know how the Hawks ultimately decide,but I sure hope panic for an immediate impact player doesn't lead to disappointment should that fail to materialize next season..


The other fear I have about Kane is that in jrs. he seems to avoid somehow taking many hits (not true for Sam gagner who seems to get hit all the time)---whether such avoidance is some innate/instinct Kane has,or whether OHL'ers just avoid hitting him for fear of refs protecting the "little" guy -I don;t know---however I just fear some big NHL'ers taking runs at Kane and concussing him--and the much criticized "soft" hawks not doing much about it...

In other words--Kane may dominate on the scoresheet in Jrs.--but there are lots of questions if he can translate this to the NHL level (or even survive there) --especially if he is trying to fit on the wrong team (for him).

Don't get me wrong--he probably is the most talented player in this draft--BUT that doesn't mean he is the right player for certain teams to take first ...

Somehow--I see him thriving in PHI --but not in CHI...

Voracek might be a bit better fit in CHI--a bigger body with talent--but he too needs to work on his defensive responsibilities and perhaps 1 more year in Halifax is the wiser thing to do for his development..

If the Hawks can wait at least 2 years--then Turris should be the pick...normally the Hawks take longer to develop prospects--but given the panic mode to make the playoffs again that will be (an almost unrealistic goal) for next year-I fear the Hawks will swing for the fence on the immediate saviour bandwagon--but if Kane or Voracek then flop to -10 in the fist 9 games then are sent down again to Jr.,the 2nd guessers will come out in full force to criticize the pick...

Damn the hockey gods for giving the Blackhawks this "opportunity" to make the wrong decision...as I said if it was 2008,STAMKOS =can't miss...but in 2007 that is not the case--so a wrong choice is just as imagineable as getting it right...the hockey gods are thus laughhing that the Hawks will muck it up one more time...
 

fighterflea1*

Guest
"
YET--it still brings up the point--Kane piles up points ,BUT he is with such a talented London offensive supportingcast...the question is : Will his game translate to success at the NHL level going to a bottom feeder team that won't havew sauch talent surrounding him or won't be able to hide or cover up his woeful defensive flaws as has been the case in Jrs ..Kane will NEVER be much defensively or physically,so whether a team can live with that at the pro level,or can cover for him with good defensive linemates is the key question..

Best hands in the draft? Definitely. Best agility and puck control in the draft? Definitely? Great vision and passing ability at full speed? Definitely.
But--woeful back-checker? Certainly. "Watcher" while teams cycle with control in his own end? Absolutely. In London (except when playing a top opposition that can give them competition) the Knights mostly play 70% of the time in the opposition zone,so Kane's defensive flaws are masked --and the excellence of goalie Mason usually bails them out of trouble anyway...also because they can,coah Dale Hunter does not mind winning games 7-5 or 8-4...so who cares about Kane playing good defense? You trde the flaws for offensive brilliance and look the other way..BUT it won't be so easy to ignore those flaws in the pros........

IF Chicago takes him-- and unless their other young kids dramatically improve their abilty to control the ice,the Hawks spend 70% of the time defendng their own zone--thus a "one-way" attacker like Kane will not be getting opportunities to shine as much offensively (also the Hawks take many more penalties than they get,so Kane won't be constantly getting the myriads of PP time he gets in London to stack up points)....true he should help the woeful Hawks PP,BUT since trhese are so infrequent compared to the # they have to kill off--it is QUESTIONABLE if a guy like Kane can ever be the right "fit" for that team...

The biggest advantage Kane has,is that if you just admit he will never be anything even "average" defensively,and plan to live with that flaw,he also has nothng more to learn offensively in Jrs--he is already too good for the OHL on offense to learn anything more down there--THUS of all the top prospects for this draft,he is actually the most pro-ready to step in offensively right away (but as I said you must admit to having to accept hs defensive short-comings).
The woeful Blackhawks have stated that the player they take #1 could hopefully step in right away--this tells me Kane or perhaps Voracek are at the top of their list--because none of the other top forwards will step in right away...
Is such a "panic" (we are so bad we need an immediate "saviour") way of thinking
detrimental to possibly making a big mistake instead of taking a longer term structural and deelopmental view on a prospect? I hope not--but I fear the worst.


It is too bad (for the Blackhawks) that this was not the 2008 draft and they had the #1 pick...there would be zero argument about Stamkos becoming the "saviour"...
IF you take Kane or to a lesser extent Voracek --you expect them to step in immediately and damn the consequences if they are not ready defensively ...if you
can wait 2 more years of development for him to bulk up and fill out in Wisconsin,then you take Turris because his already has a 2-way game...
I don't know how the Hawks ultimately decide,but I sure hope panic for an immediate impact player doesn't lead to disappointment should that fail to materialize next season..

In other words--Kane may dominate on the scoresheet in Jrs.--but there are lots of questions if he can translate this to the NHL level (or even survive there) --especially if he is trying to fit on the wrong team (for him).

Don't get me wrong--he probably is the most talented player in this draft--BUT that doesn't mean he is the right player for certain teams to take first ...

Somehow--I see him thriving in PHI --but not in CHI..."

I'm curious on this last comment and why you think Kane would thrive in Philly. Among the things the Flyers didn't do well this year (particularly after Forsberg left) was to cycle in the offensive zone. Plus the Flyers gave up the most goals in the NHL which was a problem to which forwards, dmen and goalies (less Biron) contributed.

I buy your comments on Kane (a player I admit I've never seen play except on YouTube). But it seems to me that what would make him suspect in Chicago would make him a bit suspect for Philly as well. Agree?
 

Debrincat93

Registered User
Dec 4, 2002
22,669
468
Michigan
Nhl.com
any chance this kid makes his NHL club out of camp (assuming hes picked by chicago or philadelphia) or do we wait a year to see this great talent?
 

slade

Registered User
Jan 4, 2007
2,515
2
18 Winspear Ltd.
im actually waiting to see what he does as well- he has nothing to prove at the junior level- but will be too young for the AHL....
 

Transported Upstater

Guest
im actually waiting to see what he does as well- he has nothing to prove at the junior level- but will be too young for the AHL....

I think Kane plays one more in London, personally. But it depends on who drafts him and (obviously) how he plays in camp.
 

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