Need Some Help...RE:Latendresse
- Thread starter BLONG7
- Start date
that would be awesome. The only difference is nobody really knew about Prucha.
That is so very, very, wrong. Latendresse only led the habs in hits once in the preseason. I haven't seen stats for the game against the Sens out East, so that game doesn't count I guess. To the best of my knowledge, the most hits he's had recorded in a game in the preseason is 4, while for a guy like Begin that number is 7. 4 puts him on par with a guy like Maxwell or Ribeiro, who have both had 4-hit games this preseason.
Sure, Latendresse is a guy who hits, and hits pretty hard. But your whole post, particularly the part I quoted, was really just an example of the over-hyping that Latendresse is getting.
Objectively: Yes the medias in Montreal go way too much crazy about him... he even agrees with that. However, beside being able to score goals, is contribution to the game is very special for a Habs forward: he makes hits, creating opportunities for his linemates. Moreover, he is able to stand in front of a goaltender to hide is view. Latendresse isn't that tall, but he is large and therefore can make a good job in front of the net. If is name was Tender or Latendressov, I would be making the same comment. Latendresse's contribution to the games thus far as been better than 2001 draftee Perezoghin and 2003 draftee Kostitsyn.
Think of him for now has a large winger, nost nasty, but using is size well. The only thing we haven't seen yet is its play when a game becomes rought: apparently, in the juniors, he disapears in that situation. It would have been nice to see him play against TB after is hit on Dimaio.
No problem!... While you're busy with your hatred towards Latendresse, we will be busy loving our Latendresse more and more!
Get used to it! I have a strong feeling you'll be hearing about Latendresse for a loooooong, looooong time!!
LeMAD
Registered User
It's not about the stats, its about his game. Yes the press is overhyping him, but if you watched the games he was in (scouts don't look at stats, they whatch games), well he is very helpfull and would be a great asset even on a fourth line this season to change the momentum like Bégin and Murray are able to do.
12 months prior to the 2005 draft, Latendresse was listed third best prospect by the CBA; 6 months prior to the 2005 draft, Latendresse was still listed in the top 10... his stock fell because he was injuried about all season long. He should have been picked in the first round and the management took a good decision in trading up at that point.
If guys were looking at stats, Patrick roy wouldn't have made it to the NHL.
Dominator13
Registered User
about that... I read somwhere that Andre Savard was pissed cause he's the one that he wanted that 5th overall pick of ours, he was even higher on him then he was on Ryan. Timmins saw more potential in Price and Gainey chose him. After Savard kept going on and on how Gainey should try and trade for him, until it got real obvious when he was still available with the 45th pick that we got from the Rangers i think?
IMO you have never seen Latendresse play and you've never seen Bernier when he was playing in the Q. Latendresse had much more impact with Drumonville then Bernier ever had with Moncton. Maybe Bernier was out of shape when he got drafted, well so was Latendresse and he even took powerskating lessons this spring, he's now 2x the skater he was last year, you can even consider now him as a ''fast'' forward, not like Federov or Samsonov, but he moves... You can put the fact too that Bernier woudl not thbose kind of numbers he had last year if he wasn't playing on a line with Marleau and Mickalek, 2 already big, talented playmaking forwards. Latendresse would be on par with him
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AD
Registered User
Interesting to see the different opinions...Lats is really trying to stick in the NHL, and I would say he might stick for at least 9 games, some real judgement meaningful games, and then BG and Carbo will be more qualified to make a good and informed decision...BTW, he is being way over-hyped by the french media for sure, but he seems to be taking it all in stride, afterall this happened last year, and he was sent back to his Jr. team...
I don't care about Bernier's play in the Q. Latendresse very well could be better than that.
What I was responding to was the apparent notion that Latendresse is presently at Bernier's level, of which I disagree.
Lats is a nice prospect. Don't think I'm putting him down just because I think Steve Bernier is better than he is. Bernier is a fine player in his own right.
studley49
Registered User
I would agree about your opinion of Marleau, but Michalek already a "big, talented playmaking forward"? He was also a rookie last season, and IMO Bernier looked like the better of the two.
MXD
Original #4
- Oct 27, 2005
- 50,797
- 16,540
About french media...
I'm separatist. I'll make it CLEAR before I gotta say anything.
But you have "separatist" and "confusing politics, sociology, bad propaganda, and, well, sports". It seems to be a sports journalist in Quebec, you need to have the 1st and the 2nd points, or you go under the radar (Happily, Francois Gagnon is more and more bleeping, but he doesn't have a 3 + hour show on radio).
___________________________________________________________________
Latendresse really deserves to make the team this year, more than last year, and the only reason why he would not make it being...
1 st : Alex Perezhoghin do have a contract, and the Habs would not have been able to move him with, let's say, Bonk-Aebisher and a 2nd for Dion Phaneuf. (popular quote here in HABS space). 'cause, clearly, he WAS better than Perez throughout the camp and A.P. didn't play well enough to deserve something, no matter what, from the Brass for this year.
2 nd : It's really time for A.K. to get out of the AHL. He never dominated there, but he's more of a game-breaker than a game maker, and shown more in Montreal last year on a 4th line (10 games) than Perez the whole year... It's that bad, seriously for Perez. I'm afraid he's the guy who'll play an horrible game when paired with bad players (sort of) and play an awesome one when paired with good guys -- offensively speaking, or course. This year? Might spend time between those two extremities. I'd really like him to remain in Montreal, in fact, I'm nearly yearning for an injury to Samsonov to see this guy explode on a full-fledged offensive line. At the start, he's likely to play with either Pleks and Johnson ( at least he will not have to worry about defensive play...) or Begin-Bonk (at least he will have to go into corners, neither worry about defensive play, but he would be irrelevant on this line...) or be benched. So there's 1 good option, split unevenly between 3 options... Lats actually got 2, spent evenly, between 3 (in fact, 2, because we really need his rough and tumble style in the lineup....)
Bottom word : Keep Lats and Perez, show him, make him play with Kovalev and Ribs or Samsonov or heck, even Koivu and Higgins, on IT that he'll never get anywhere else, and send him packing for something that might be worth the 15-20 games lost by making play an inferior player to a superior (read, Kost) one.
I'm separatist. I'll make it CLEAR before I gotta say anything.
But you have "separatist" and "confusing politics, sociology, bad propaganda, and, well, sports". It seems to be a sports journalist in Quebec, you need to have the 1st and the 2nd points, or you go under the radar (Happily, Francois Gagnon is more and more bleeping, but he doesn't have a 3 + hour show on radio).
___________________________________________________________________
Latendresse really deserves to make the team this year, more than last year, and the only reason why he would not make it being...
1 st : Alex Perezhoghin do have a contract, and the Habs would not have been able to move him with, let's say, Bonk-Aebisher and a 2nd for Dion Phaneuf. (popular quote here in HABS space). 'cause, clearly, he WAS better than Perez throughout the camp and A.P. didn't play well enough to deserve something, no matter what, from the Brass for this year.
2 nd : It's really time for A.K. to get out of the AHL. He never dominated there, but he's more of a game-breaker than a game maker, and shown more in Montreal last year on a 4th line (10 games) than Perez the whole year... It's that bad, seriously for Perez. I'm afraid he's the guy who'll play an horrible game when paired with bad players (sort of) and play an awesome one when paired with good guys -- offensively speaking, or course. This year? Might spend time between those two extremities. I'd really like him to remain in Montreal, in fact, I'm nearly yearning for an injury to Samsonov to see this guy explode on a full-fledged offensive line. At the start, he's likely to play with either Pleks and Johnson ( at least he will not have to worry about defensive play...) or Begin-Bonk (at least he will have to go into corners, neither worry about defensive play, but he would be irrelevant on this line...) or be benched. So there's 1 good option, split unevenly between 3 options... Lats actually got 2, spent evenly, between 3 (in fact, 2, because we really need his rough and tumble style in the lineup....)
Bottom word : Keep Lats and Perez, show him, make him play with Kovalev and Ribs or Samsonov or heck, even Koivu and Higgins, on IT that he'll never get anywhere else, and send him packing for something that might be worth the 15-20 games lost by making play an inferior player to a superior (read, Kost) one.
MXD
Original #4
- Oct 27, 2005
- 50,797
- 16,540
Dominator13
Registered User
Sturminator
Love is a duel
I think Latendresse will be a good 2nd liner in the NHL and play a solid, nasty, all-around game. With the exception of Nicklas Bergfors, I think GL's stock has risen as much as any prospect from the first few rounds of the 2005 draft.
Comparing him to Steve Bernier is dumb for a couple of reasons, the first of which being that they play quite different games. For all this talk about how being Francophone doesn't matter in the Latendresse hype, the only reason he's even compared to Bernier in this thread is because both are French-Canadian. They're both "power forwards", I suppose, but other than that and their cultural backgrounds, they have little in common. Bernier is all hands. He dangles, passes and shoots as well as anyone in his age group outside of Stall and maybe Vanek and Horton. Bernier's hands were what the Sharks drafted and the rest has been developed through hard work.
Latendresse has good hands, but they're not like Bernier's. What he does have over Steve is better wheels, better defensive awareness and a reputation as a bigger energy guy. I think Latendresse's upside is maybe a bigger Brendan Morrow, while Bernier compares more to the slick, high-scoring power forwards like John Leclair, Keith Tkachuk, etc.
They're very different players.
Latendresse's Q stats are better than Bernier's were. But, of course, Moncton was a horrible team when Bernier was there and opposing teams checked him senseless. So what does that tell us? Nothing. Comparing their stats doesn't get us anywhere. Let's wait until Latendresse is a pro before comparing him to anybody who already is. Bernier turned it on last season - tearing up both the A and the NHL after his call-up. Can Latendresse be as good? Hard to say. Maybe he'll be better, but if he is, it will be a different kind of better because his game bears only the faintest resemblance to Bernier's.
As of today, however, I don't think you could find an NHL GM (including Bob Gainey) who would value Latendresse over Bernier, simply because the latter has proven a lot more. A power forward in the hand is worth two in the Q.
Comparing him to Steve Bernier is dumb for a couple of reasons, the first of which being that they play quite different games. For all this talk about how being Francophone doesn't matter in the Latendresse hype, the only reason he's even compared to Bernier in this thread is because both are French-Canadian. They're both "power forwards", I suppose, but other than that and their cultural backgrounds, they have little in common. Bernier is all hands. He dangles, passes and shoots as well as anyone in his age group outside of Stall and maybe Vanek and Horton. Bernier's hands were what the Sharks drafted and the rest has been developed through hard work.
Latendresse has good hands, but they're not like Bernier's. What he does have over Steve is better wheels, better defensive awareness and a reputation as a bigger energy guy. I think Latendresse's upside is maybe a bigger Brendan Morrow, while Bernier compares more to the slick, high-scoring power forwards like John Leclair, Keith Tkachuk, etc.
They're very different players.
Latendresse's Q stats are better than Bernier's were. But, of course, Moncton was a horrible team when Bernier was there and opposing teams checked him senseless. So what does that tell us? Nothing. Comparing their stats doesn't get us anywhere. Let's wait until Latendresse is a pro before comparing him to anybody who already is. Bernier turned it on last season - tearing up both the A and the NHL after his call-up. Can Latendresse be as good? Hard to say. Maybe he'll be better, but if he is, it will be a different kind of better because his game bears only the faintest resemblance to Bernier's.
As of today, however, I don't think you could find an NHL GM (including Bob Gainey) who would value Latendresse over Bernier, simply because the latter has proven a lot more. A power forward in the hand is worth two in the Q.
Word on the street is Lats will be under contract very soon and will be playing with the Habs this year. It was reported on a Montreal radio station that they are currently in contract talks.
First, nobody is trying to downgrade Bernier, most of us would want him in our team istead of Kostytsyn(2003 draft) and I agree that he has more skill than but a litle less grit than Lats.
But you're saying that Bernier is better right now, but of course, he's 21 and Lats 19, it's a huge difference at that age. Bernier has around 20 nhl goals and Lats 0. but my point is in 5 years, Lats will have the same kind of impact that Bernier will have on his team.
Well Latendresse has just made the team, and a pretty deep one at that, as a 19yo. I guess not all of it is hype after all, though the French media are really going nuts over this guy, it's quite a pathetic display if you ask me, but what else is new.
Regardless, with Carbo and Gainey in the driver's seat, you know the media hype had nothing to do with him staying, especially when you consider how historically this team has always been pretty reluctant to have prospects skip developmental steps. Latendresse forced their hand with his play on the ice, I saw it with my own eyes, so congrats to him.
Regardless, with Carbo and Gainey in the driver's seat, you know the media hype had nothing to do with him staying, especially when you consider how historically this team has always been pretty reluctant to have prospects skip developmental steps. Latendresse forced their hand with his play on the ice, I saw it with my own eyes, so congrats to him.
Beukeboom Fan
Registered User
Just wanted to say "congrats" to JL for working his way into at least a 9 game stint for the Habs. Always great to see a young guy work his arse off and round out the deficiencies in his game.
I like the "bigger Brendan Morrow" comparison. Awesome job drafting by the Habs if that comes to fruition. Here's hoping that JL can tune all the "noise" out and just continue to play his style of hockey.
I like the "bigger Brendan Morrow" comparison. Awesome job drafting by the Habs if that comes to fruition. Here's hoping that JL can tune all the "noise" out and just continue to play his style of hockey.
He's going to stay the whole year according to Carbonneau, and I agree with that, either he's a full-time member of this team or he's not.
I don't see the Morrow comparisons at all...maybe in the physical dept they are, they both hit hard and often. However, I think Latendresse is much more of a playmaker than Morrow is. This isn't to say that Latendresse will be a better player than Morrow though, so don't take that out of context.
The type of game Latendresse plays he's just as likely to bull his way through traffic for a scoring chance as he is deking a dman to feed a teamate a nice pass.
Beukeboom Fan
Registered User
Not sure if you got to see Morrow play last year - but he ended up w/ 40+ assists on a team that wasn't exactly loaded with offensive talent. Morrow's playmaking ability has improved substantially over the last couple of years.
And regardless of what Carbo says now - if Lat's looks overwhelmed when the games start to count for real - he should get sent back to the Q. I'm not saying it's going to happen, and I haven't seen any of the MON pre-season games, but the game changes A LOT when all of the prospects are back in the minors. Hopefully Lat's makes the transition w/ no problem, but I think it'd be a very poor decision to keep him around (and let him be a UFA a year sooner) if it becomes apparent that he's not ready.
I don't know if it was mentioned in this thread, but Carbonneau said that Latendresse won't be there just for 9 games. He will stick to the club all year long.
However, poolers, I wouldn't pick him in my pool. I expect him to get a max of 10-15 mins a game, with some PP time. He will mainly play on the third-fourth line, and his style makes him injurie prone.
However, poolers, I wouldn't pick him in my pool. I expect him to get a max of 10-15 mins a game, with some PP time. He will mainly play on the third-fourth line, and his style makes him injurie prone.
No I saw that with Morrow last year, but that's a part of his game that's he's developped throughout the years, I think that part of the game is already entrenched in Latendresse. Hopefully he'll be able to have the same kind of impact as Morrow, who's a great player IMO.
