buttman*
Guest
then they aren't scoring well, because on one shift i saw him have two give aways within about 20 seconds
you aren't watching well. try again.
then they aren't scoring well, because on one shift i saw him have two give aways within about 20 seconds
I wouldn't. Wouldn't you be expecting a top-4 defenseman with a late 1st round pick? If he becomes a top-pairing guy it would be a steal, but top-4 is what I'd expect.
Thought this guy would max out as a #3-4 but he's already there based on these three games.
I haven't had much of a chance to watch the full games.
He's obviously a high IQ heady D-man... how has he looked from a physicality perspective? How is his shot?
The physicality will definitely come with age I'm sure - he's only 21 - but any thoughts on whether or not these may be potential pitfalls for him?
I haven't had much of a chance to watch the full games.
He's obviously a high IQ heady D-man... how has he looked from a physicality perspective? How is his shot?
The physicality will definitely come with age I'm sure - he's only 21 - but any thoughts on whether or not these may be potential pitfalls for him?
His shot is average, not really good or bad. His strengths offensively are excellent composure with the puck, really high hockey IQ, very good passing and good puck handling. Defensively it's all positioning, patience and stickwork. He's a pretty good skater in general, too.I haven't had much of a chance to watch the full games.
He's obviously a high IQ heady D-man... how has he looked from a physicality perspective? How is his shot?
The physicality will definitely come with age I'm sure - he's only 21 - but any thoughts on whether or not these may be potential pitfalls for him?
His shot is average, not really good or bad. His strengths offensively are excellent composure with the puck, really high hockey IQ, very good passing and good puck handling. Defensively it's all positioning, patience and stickwork. He's a pretty good skater in general, too.
I'd say his main weakness is physical traits in general. Not a particularly explosive athlete, average height, and definitely on the skinnier side. Suffered a bunch of injuries (including a couple concussions) the year after his draft, though has been healthy since. I do get nervous when I see him taking big hits, and I definitely think size/strength will be the #1 thing for him to work on. Not just for winning physical battles, but for simple longevity.
I used to think his upside was a solid 2nd pairing dman, but with him looking so solid in the NHL right away, I'm upping my hopes. Quite frankly, "solid 2nd pairing dman" looks possible for him within the next couple years, and he's only 21. I'm now thinking his upside is a Paul Martin level player, especially if he can pack on another 10-15 lbs, while a solid 2nd pairing dman would be more of an average/expected outcome.
His shot is average, not really good or bad. His strengths offensively are excellent composure with the puck, really high hockey IQ, very good passing and good puck handling. Defensively it's all positioning, patience and stickwork. He's a pretty good skater in general, too.
I'd say his main weakness is physical traits in general. Not a particularly explosive athlete, average height, and definitely on the skinnier side. Suffered a bunch of injuries (including a couple concussions) the year after his draft, though has been healthy since. I do get nervous when I see him taking big hits, and I definitely think size/strength will be the #1 thing for him to work on. Not just for winning physical battles, but for simple longevity.
I used to think his upside was a solid 2nd pairing dman, but with him looking so solid in the NHL right away, I'm upping my hopes. Quite frankly, "solid 2nd pairing dman" looks possible for him within the next couple years, and he's only 21. I'm now thinking his upside is a Paul Martin level player, especially if he can pack on another 10-15 lbs, while a solid 2nd pairing dman would be more of an average/expected outcome.
That play in the 3rd period where he poke checked Duchene coming full speed at him, recovered the puck, dangled around a forechecker, and then sprung Kessel on a partial break was godly.