Prospect Info: NHL combine

[DInTheB]

Anything on Bobby Brink?

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

How is what he said different than anyone else? When you’re on a job interview and the interviewer asks the question word for word: “Why should I hire you?” or “Why do you feel you would be a good fit for this position?” do you think the best approach is to not talk about what you feel are your strengths and what you bring to the table?

Being confident in their abilities is not a knock against them. The thing that you want to see is confidence, but clear understanding of work needing to be done. I think all of them understand that from their comments.

Agreed.

I frankly can't believe that people would watch that interview and think he's cocky from that. He's very well spoken for an 18 year old being surrounded by people asking him questions.

If he were screwing around with reporters like Pronger or Tortorella, that'd be a different story.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

I agree. That's also the second interview where he seemed cocky to me. The other one I watched months ago and thought, we may already have two big egos with contract holdout Athanasiou and "fill your net with pucks" rookie Zadina. Which is probably already two too many. Can we afford a third?

We never heard Lidstrom or Yzerman talking about how "great" they are.

You're taking the answers from an 18 year old being asked specifically about his abilities at the NHL combine and comparing it to the general behavior of well established elite NHL players.

Not exactly apples to apples.

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

Ouch. That's pretty short for his skating ability.

 

[Richard Gibson]

Rumor: NJ Devils have settled on their #1 pick selection

Part of the worry from the Devils is their arch nemesis New York Rangers pick #2, so they better get the pick right. If they don't they will be paying for it for years.

 

[Hen Kolland]

I wonder how far behind in physical development Zegras is in his skating compared to Turcotte. Turcotte is slightly shorter and has 10 pounds on Zegras, yet moves as quick and smooth as I’d expect to see the longer and lighter player move.

I know Zegras said he felt his skating was his most improved skill this year, so maybe he can pair his IQ with stronger skating and really be a nightmare.

 

[Richard Gibson]

Part of the worry from the Devils is their arch nemesis New York Rangers pick #2, so they better get the pick right. If they don't they will be paying for it for years.

Rumor: NJ Devils have settled on their #1 pick selection

 

[DInTheB]

 

[Winger98]

Broberg is going to be such a monster, if we do reach for him, I will be pretty excited.

I will get those that will be worried, but I really do think he can be a #1 in this league.

It's a move that really wouldn't surprise me. A bit of a homerun pick, but if he pans out...Broberg-Trouba top pairing, Cholo-Hronek second pairing...

 

[GBFP]

It's a move that really wouldn't surprise me. A bit of a homerun pick, but if he pans out...Broberg-Trouba top pairing, Cholo-Hronek second pairing...

And Yzerman saw Hedman up close all those years in TB...

 

[DetroitRed]

You're taking the answers from an 18 year old being asked specifically about his abilities at the NHL combine and comparing it to the general behavior of well established elite NHL players.

Not exactly apples to apples.

No. Sorry. It doesn't matter the age. You let your actions speak. If somebody asks you about your game, you don't talk about how great you are. You might say I like setting up my teammates, you might say you try to do this or that. That's normal. Nobody is going to draft you because you think you're great and it does nothing to talk to the press that way. That was the second interview where I've heard him talk like that.

You know, it's normal for a guy who has a game winning goal or who posts a shutout to credit his teammates. Even at a young age.

Not even guys who are great talk that way, and that was my point.

 

[Hen Kolland]

No. Sorry. It doesn't matter the age. You let your actions speak. If somebody asks you about your game, you don't talk about how great you are. You might say I like setting up my teammates, you might say you try to do this or that. That's normal. Nobody is going to draft you because you think you're great and it does nothing to talk to the press that way. That was the second interview where I've heard him talk like that.

You know, it's normal for a guy who has a game winning goal or who posts a shutout to credit his teammates. Even at a young age.

Not even guys who are great talk that way, and that was my point.

“Why do you deserve to be employed here?”

“Well I have to be honest, my coworkers do most of the work. I try to put myself in the best position to succeed, but there’s no way I get stuff done without my coworkers”

This is a job interview, not a fantasy of how you handle scoring the OT winner. He handled that interview fantastically.

 

[DetroitRed]

“Why do you deserve to be employed here?”

“Well I have to be honest, my coworkers do most of the work. I try to put myself in the best position to succeed, but there’s no way I get stuff done without my coworkers”

This is a job interview, not a fantasy of how you handle scoring the OT winner. He handled that interview fantastically.

Nobody would ever put it they way you suggest.

It's just like I said. The normal thing to do, what happens everyday a million times a day, is talking about what you like to do, what you try to do, what your philosophy is. That's the kind of thing that happens in hockey all the time, and that's why he stands out.

That's the norm. You're trying to turn it around and make what happens all the time seem bizarre.

If someone came to me wanting a job talking about how great they are, I would immediately consider them a jackass. I don't care who they say they are. I'm looking at what their accomplishments are. Actions, not words.

Moreover, probably, I would take the second most accomplished candidate over the most accomplished candidate, if I felt like the most accomplished person was full of themselves. Who would want to work with that?

 

[Frk It]

Ouch. That's pretty short for his skating ability.

Eh if people aren’t worried about Caufield and his size/skating where he’s projected, then they shouldn’t be worried about it.

I had seen him listed at 5’8 and 5’10, so I was hoping he would come in at the latter. But I’m a big, big fan of Brink. Incredibly skilled and he’s one of the youngest in this draft too.

 

[Hen Kolland]

Nobody would ever put it they way you suggest.

It's just like I said. The normal thing to do, what happens everyday a million times a day, is talking about what you like to do, what you try to do, what your philosophy is. That's the kind of thing that happens in hockey all the time, and that's why he stands out.

That's the norm. You're trying to turn it around and make what happens all the time seem bizarre.

If someone came to me wanting a job talking about how great they are, I would immediately consider them a jackass. I don't care who they say you are. I'm looking at what their accomplishments are. Actions, not words.

Moreover, probably, I would take the second most accomplished candidate over the most accomplished candidate, if I felt like the most accomplished person was full of themselves.

Don’t get offended by a draft prospect selling himself and his abilities to the media and to executives. They want confidence in their players. He was very aware that he has work to be done, but at the same time knows why he is a top prospect, what got him to this point, and how he can help an NHL team.

Nothing he said or did seemed full of himself in the slightest.

 

[Dotter]

I think I need to read up more on Podkolzin because I think that's who Yzerman is picking if available.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

I think I need to read up more on Podkolzin because I think that's who Yzerman is picking if available.

I see a lot of Gabriel Landeskog.

 

[DetroitRed]

Don’t get offended by a draft prospect selling himself and his abilities to the media and to executives. They want confidence in their players. He was very aware that he has work to be done, but at the same time knows why he is a top prospect, what got him to this point, and how he can help an NHL team.

Nothing he said or did seemed full of himself in the slightest.

Sounds like he didn't sell himself too well, doesn't it?

 

[Hen Kolland]

Sounds like he didn't sell himself too well, doesn't it?

No? It sounds like you have a personal issue with Dach.

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

Kind of odd that only 19 teams interviewed Podkolzin, which is a lot fewer than the guys projected to be drafted around him. I mean, teams interview like 80 kids or something. To have Podkolzin not be one of them is weird. You might want to trade for him or sign him later. Russian bias, maybe?

 

[DetroitRed]

No? It sounds like you have a personal issue with Dach.

No. Sounds like a stated my case and I'm not the only one. Maybe you're biased for Dach.

 

[Hen Kolland]

No. Sounds like a stated my case and I'm not the only one. Maybe you're biased for Dach.

Your case is “his words rubbed me the wrong way,” so excuse me if I don’t put a lot of stick into it. For what it’s worth, outside the top 2, Dach is behind three or four players on my list.

I’m not biased for anyone, I just don’t understand why someone would attack 18 year old’s character over a 60 second clip of audio where he is discussing what skills he thinks he brings to the table.

 

[HisNoodliness]

And Yzerman saw Hedman up close all those years in TB...

And look at the D he assembled. Tall D that skate well is Yzerman's MO.

 

[DetroitRed]

Your case is “his words rubbed me the wrong way,” so excuse me if I don’t put a lot of stick into it. For what it’s worth, outside the top 2, Dach is behind three or four players on my list.

I’m not biased for anyone, I just don’t understand why someone would attack 18 year old’s character over a 60 second clip of audio where he is discussing what skills he thinks he brings to the table.

Not even Gretzky talked that way as a prospect. How many young prospects do come along talking that way? It makes you sound like you have an ego problem and indeed it could indicate an ego problem. You can't see that?

You already tried to make an argument in which you referenced only fantasy in order to try to make normal behavior into something bizarre instead of just going, yeah, that's not the way he should be talking. Players don't talk like that.

I mean, your argument is what, that we can't hold all prospects to the same standard? Or that we shouldn't be looking for maturity in an interview? OR level-headed doesn't matter? What are you saying? If we see multiple interviews of a prospect talking like this, which is the case with me (I've seen it more than once from him), I can't point it out?

All these prospects come along, some of them become great players for real, almost none of them talk that way, but it doesn't stand out to you?

 

[lilidk]

No. Sounds like a stated my case and I'm not the only one. Maybe you're biased for Dach.

What is it you don't like about Dach?