NHL Combine

[Rzombo4 prez]

It probably doesn't mean anything personality wise; that's what the interviews are for. I think, if anything, it can hurt or help him because it doesn't give an official test to be referenced by the scouts and management team. Maybe his performance would be terrible, well then it plays into his favor because it forces teams to look only at his film, which is supposed to be his strong suit. Maybe it hurts him because a team can't decide based on film alone, but they have the other players' combine performances and know for a fact what kind of athlete they are getting, so they decide to pass on him.

If a team NEEDS to get his measurements and physical performance to be willing to draft him, I'm sure they have a different source to get the information they need. But it rightly makes fans concerned, because we are the greatest critics of everything this team does, this is what we love.

Let me ask the question this way: have any NHL executives or scouts publically expressed disappointment with Hughes for either: (a) not partaking in the fitness tests, or (b) "refusing" to be measured (I am very skeptical that he was not measured at all this weekend). Again, I get that his actions rub people the wrong way. I am more interested in what the industry makes of this (even if only reported through tweets from public scouting services).

 

[Hen Kolland]

Let me ask the question this way: have any NHL executives or scouts publically expressed disappointment with Hughes for either: (a) not partaking in the fitness tests, or (b) "refusing" to be measured (I am very skeptical that he was not measured at all this weekend). Again, I get that his actions rub people the wrong way. I am more interested in what the industry makes of this (even if only reported through tweets from public scouting services).

You could try to tweet at HSJ or Khan to get an answer for the Wings specifically, or someone like McKenzie or Dreger for a league wide perspective. You aren't going to find any insiders on this site, so everything is just going to be speculation and gut reaction. I tend to agree with you that it probably doesn't matter to the league, but it might have a minor value as a tiebreaker if everything else is equal, which is very unlikely.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

Wonder if Blashill and Larkin could have told Hughes not to test at the combine while at the World Championships because they assured him he will be drafted no later than #6.

The Wings once informed Lidstrom not to show up to the draft because they didn't want people to see how much he had grown. A different time, but we have heard of them telling guys we are going to draft you and doing just that. A lot of smoke Vancouver caught on to an Edler promise along these lines and snapped him up as a result.

 

[SCD]

I think the combine is more to get into a players head, then to evaluate physical ability.

In the way of physical evaluation, it is more important to determine where the player is on his growth curve. Is he physically mature or is there still growth potential. Bouchard with his full beard, may add some muscle mass, but his frame has finished growing.

Does Hughes have the potential to add an inch or two?

It makes the NHL draft more of a crap shoot than the NFL. Since so few 18 year old make the NHL, changing the age to 19 would solve some of these issues.

 

[Zetterberg4Captain]

The combine is a physical fitness test as compared to your peers

Is it the best or only tool? Of course not but for players some of whom will be playing against men in a physical sport next year or the year after it is a measure if their readiness(physically).

It' simply another tool of evaluation

 

[SCD]

That is the problem, it is not a consistent peer group. You can not compare someone who is physically mature to someone who has three years left of growth. Muscle strength curves and endurance are much different.

 

[FMichael]

The fact that Dahlin is only in one of these, shows how meaningless they really are to how good a player will be. To me this stuff is so blown of out proportion to players potential. If you are good at hockey, I don't give a rip if you can long jump 50 feet, or ride an exercise bike at 90 mph.

If I remember correctly - Drew Doughty didn't score well too.

 

[waltdetroit]

I think the combine is more to get into a players head, then to evaluate physical ability.

In the way of physical evaluation, it is more important to determine where the player is on his growth curve. Is he physically mature or is there still growth potential. Bouchard with his full beard, may add some muscle mass, but his frame has finished growing.

Does Hughes have the potential to add an inch or two?

It makes the NHL draft more of a crap shoot than the NFL. Since so few 18 year old make the NHL, changing the age to 19 would solve some of these issues.

To add to your point, I believe Brady Tkachuk was only 5'9" when he started with the USNDP 2-3 years ago, now 6' 3" and some say he isn't fully developed yet. I don't kow what Hughes potential is but I hope it's better than Almquist.

 

[Oddbob]

If I remember correctly - Drew Doughty didn't score well too.

Yeah, but he isn't all that good though!

 

[Zetterberg4Captain]

So why evaluate prospects at all?

If they can grow and get stronger, cant they learn to shoot harder/more accurately, learn to play defence/offence better, study game tape and learn to anticipate the game better, become a better and more accurate passer, learn to skate faster and more proficiently.

All those things can change for the better from age 18-28

Do forget evaluation altogether

 

[SCD]

Some can, but it depends where they are on their growth curve.

Unfortunately, character doesn't change. Ask Hunter about AA.

 

[FMichael]

Yeah, but he isn't all that good though!

 

[10robinho10]

Dalibor Dvorsky confirmed he got an invitation to NHL Combine. Here is the full version of an interview.

 

[DamonDRW]

So basically draft combine is a bunch of physical exercises, right? What's the reason for it if some players are not fully physically developed? I mean it is logical to draft the one having best production on ice and worst results on the combine, no?

 

[Murmansk16A]

So basically draft combine is a bunch of physical exercises, right? What's the reason for it if some players are not fully physically developed? I mean it is logical to draft the one having best production on ice and worst results on the combine, no?

Kasper did very well at the combine last year. I have to think that influenced the Wings in taking him.

 

[Killerjas]

Hope Dvorsky can do a pull up (Mittelstadt couldnt)

 

[norrisnick]

So basically draft combine is a bunch of physical exercises, right? What's the reason for it if some players are not fully physically developed? I mean it is logical to draft the one having best production on ice and worst results on the combine, no?

It confirms physical dimensions. Aerobic and anaerobic performance. Medical evaluation. But the biggest might actually be the interviews. Edit and to add effort and a show of the amount of work a kid has put in to this point. If a guy's been able to get by on talent but is lazy AF, that is often hard to fix. See Cleary, Daniel.

 

[lilidk]

Kasper did very well at the combine last year. I have to think that influenced the Wings in taking him.

Cossa also did very well, you know who was not good at combine ? It's Zadina, so I believe this thing is important

 

[DamonDRW]

It confirms physical dimensions. Aerobic and anaerobic performance. Medical evaluation. But the biggest might actually be the interviews. Edit and to add effort and a show of the amount of work a kid has put in to this point. If a guy's been able to get by on talent but is lazy AF, that is often hard to fix. See Cleary, Daniel.

What was wrong with Danny? He was the most hardworking forward in 2007-2012.

 

[GoBoltz56]

Hope Dvorsky can do a pull up (Mittelstadt couldnt)

Wasn't McDavid another who couldn't do a pull up?

 

[Frk It]

Wasn't McDavid another who couldn't do a pull up?

Sam Bennett did 0

McDavid did 6

 

[norrisnick]

What was wrong with Danny? He was the most hardworking forward in 2007-2012.

10 years and 3 teams later.

He was the prototypical lazy kid floating on talent as a teenager early 20s.

 

[DamonDRW]

10 years and 3 teams later.

He was the prototypical lazy kid floating on talent as a teenager early 20s.

Baseless speculations. Red Wings was the first team in his career having competent coaching stuff. I believe we see something similar with Rangers with Laf and Kakko.

 

[norrisnick]

Baseless speculations. Red Wings was the first team in his career having competent coaching stuff. I believe we see something similar with Rangers with Laf and Kakko.

Que?

For Cleary, long road to success

www.chicagotribune.com

"I wasn't physically mature enough to handle the NHL and the rigors of the season," he said. "On-ice, off-ice, I wasn't NHL-ready. My game just never translated into what they wanted offensively."

 

[Reddwit]

Baseless speculations. Red Wings was the first team in his career having competent coaching stuff. I believe we see something similar with Rangers with Laf and Kakko.

I mean, Cleary’s pre-Detroit struggles were an open secret. Clearly acknowledged them, Ken and Mickey acknowledged them - hell, it was part of the mythos of Dan Cleary that he was essentially a lazy brat to the point of almost losing his career who turned it around by reinventing himself as the revered grinding 20 goal scorer. Weird take that this is somehow speculation.