Prospect Info: NHL combine

[Hen Kolland]

2019 NHL Scouting Combine results: Top 10 at each drill

Feels like Cole Caufield May have been a beneficiary of his size on the bench press. 50% of his weight? A soon to be professional athlete was judged on his ability to bench press 80-85 pounds? Seems a little too favorable of a workout design.

 

[Henkka]

Feels like Cole Caufield May have been a beneficiary of his size on the bench press. 50% of his weight? A soon to be professional athlete was judged on his ability to bench press 80-85 pounds? Seems a little too favorable of a workout design.

People with short arms always succeed in bench press or pullups.

That means too, that guy is proably having a short wingspan. That could mean, smaller area to handle the puck = Teemu Pulkkinen.

 

[PuckMasterZero]

It's not the same. You don't hear it because he's the guy who you want Detroit to pick, same with all the other guys pretending not to hear it. Describing your play style is not the same as saying I'm a great this or that. Talking about what you believe helps you make the jump to the NHL is not like calling yourself a great something. We aren't allowed to see that though, because Dach is your favorite.

Dude this is so childish. Hang it up

 

[Hen Kolland]

People with short arms always succeed in bench press or pullups.

That means too, that guy is proably having a short wingspan. That could mean, smaller area to handle the puck = Teemu Pulkkinen.

Well that boils down to depth of a movement and time under tension which can impact everyone in the same manner. I just think when I’m looking at raw push strength, the NFL does it right. Set the weight at 225 and let all players go at it. Doesn’t matter if you’re a kicker or an offensive lineman, you use the same weight and we can see who has the strength and who has the muscular endurance.

In the NHL, using the 50% of body weight seems extra favorable. Dach’s bench press ends up being like 10 pounds heavier than Cozens’, but if I’m comparing the two, they both look like guys who will rely on a power game in their professional career. In a perfect world, I want to see them go toe to toe on a level playing field for every single test.

At the end of the day it doesn’t really matter because bench press is kind of an antiquated method of measuring useful strength, especially in a sport like hockey. I just chuckled because Caufield’s weight would be less than the weight I remember starting at when I was like 13.

 

[Winger98]

It's a center draft for us.

Broberg doing anything in combine won't change any things.

Yzerman is gonna trade for a proven defenceman (probably called Jacob Trouba) and is gonna draft forward talent at 1st round.

No reason to dream about anything else, which would be worse and stupid overall building.

Proven defence and young forward talent is the way to go. Short-term and Long-term.

I'm not sure the best move is to get zeroed in on the draft being a center draft, a wing draft, or a taco draft. It's a BPA draft. Most likely that'll be one of the many forwards. But I think it's wrong to look at a guy like Broberg and not think a team (even the wings) could view him as the BPA at that point.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

So I will want to break down more tape on Jayden Struble and Henry Thrun in terms of some second round potential. Really impressive athleticism displayed at the combine, dig in and see why the player has a second round value. But when you talk about the combine not meaning anything, those kind of performances would get me asking my scouting staff what didn't you like or what we can fix in terms of there seems to be some good strength and raw abilities here.

I am a lot more familiar with Thrun. But there are guys that catch your eye at this thing. Struble being as young as he is too, really makes me impressed by knocking that out of the park with a second round grade, I would expect him to be a riser.

 

[Hen Kolland]

So I will want to break down more tape on Jayden Struble and Henry Thrun in terms of some second round potential. Really impressive athleticism displayed at the combine, dig in and see why the player has a second round value. But when you talk about the combine not meaning anything, those kind of performances would get me asking my scouting staff what didn't you like or what we can fix in terms of there seems to be some good strength and raw abilities here.

I am a lot more familiar with Thrun. But there are guys that catch your eye at this thing. Struble being as young as he is too, really makes me impressed by knocking that out of the park with a second round grade, I would expect him to be a riser.

Super late birthday, probably the toughest league to scout, hardest skater position to predict.

He’s a guy that I could see someone with a ton of picks in the first two rounds taking a flyer on earlier than anticipated.

 

[DetroitRed]

Dude this is so childish. Hang it up

It's childish because you don't want to admit that teams do consider the maturity and personality of prospects who they interview? I mean, we all know that goes on and should. So why is it so unmentionable?

 

[vladdy16]

It's childish because you don't want to admit that teams do consider the maturity and personality of prospects?

There is no argument against that blatantly obvious fact.

The problem is, the blatantly obvious fact that you are pointing out that we all agree on, does absolutely nothing to support your initial argument.

All it does is prove that you are comfortable arguing in bad faith.

 

[Gniwder]

The irony is that all of these kids display more maturity than HF Board members, lol.

 

[DetroitRed]

There is no argument against that blatantly obvious fact.

The problem is, the blatantly obvious fact that you are pointing out that we all agree on, does absolutely nothing to support your initial argument.

All it does is prove that you are comfortable arguing in bad faith.

In other words, you think it's a perfectly normal way for a hockey player to handle himself? That would be absurd! I'm not saying that's what you're trying to say but if so, then it's an absurd position to take. It's also been addressed. Waay back near the start it was addressed. We don't hear players talk like that.

The greatest players in the history of the sport didn't talk that way. You don't need to. You let your play speak for you. Teams will judge your play by how you are on the ice anyway. Posturing in the interview is just that and it's also pretty transparent. If your ability is there, we'll all see it on the ice. The only thing the interview is about is getting a better sense of personality maybe talking about your philosophies, likes and dislikes in the game.

I would hope everyone was in agreement with that.

So, as you have admitted, teams do assess maturity and personality by the interview. If you also agree that this is not how hockey players tend to talk, and it's not even a culture that we want in hockey; if you agree that you should let your play on the ice speak for your abilities and that's the right attitude to look for, then how does it not support my argument to say so and for you to admit so, when that's all I've been saying all along?

You haven't really chanced an argument that I can tell. Unless all you are saying is there no evidence of Dach speaking this way. Which is obviously wrong. There's a video at the top of the thread.

 

[HisNoodliness]

In other words, you think it's a perfectly normal way for a hockey player to handle himself? That would be absurd! I'm not saying that's what you're trying to say but if so, then it's an absurd position to take. It's also been addressed. Waay back near the start it was addressed. We don't hear players talk like that.

The greatest players in the history of the sport didn't talk that way. You don't need to. You let your play speak for you. Teams will judge your play by how you are on the ice anyway. Posturing in the interview is just that and it's also pretty transparent. If your ability is there, we'll all see it on the ice. The only thing the interview is about is getting a better sense of personality maybe talking about your philosophies, likes and dislikes in the game.

I would hope everyone was in agreement with that.

So, as you have admitted, teams do assess maturity and personality by the interview. If you also agree that this is not how hockey players tend to talk, and it's not even a culture that we want in hockey; if you agree that you should let your play on the ice speak for your abilities and that's the right attitude to look for, then how does it not support my argument to say so and for you to admit so, when that's all I've been saying all along?

You haven't really chanced an argument that I can tell. Unless all you are saying is there no evidence of Dach speaking this way. Which is obviously wrong. There's a video at the top of the thread.

Dude here's the deal. The kid was asked to sell himself. He did, they're all doing it, that's the point. Maybe Dach's comments were a little more arrogant than the rest, but I wouldn't say much. We all know how you feel about what he's said. Anyone who you may convince, has already been convinced. At this point, you're beating a dead horse.

FYI: I like Dach; I'd be cool with taking him at 6, but I'm not a biased Dach fan or anything- in fact as a small, speedy player I'm usually biased against tall, slowish ones. I doubt he's who I would end up picking if I was Stevie Y, but this interview didn't change my opinion at all.

 

[HisNoodliness]

So the Wings posted interviews from Zegras, Turcotte, Cozens, Dach and Byram? Anyone else? Historically they seem to care a lot about how these interviews go (not the media scrum but the team interview) and I don't think Yzerman is any different. So with two of them guaranteed to be there at 6, I'd expect one of those guys will be the pick.

 

[Hen Kolland]

So the Wings posted interviews from Zegras, Turcotte, Cozens, Dach and Byram? Anyone else? Historically they seem to care a lot about how these interviews go (not the media scrum but the team interview) and I don't think Yzerman is any different. So with two of them guaranteed to be there at 6, I'd expect one of those guys will be the pick.

Also Spencer Knight, Marshall Warren, Victor Soderstrom, Cole Caufield

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

Dude here's the deal. The kid was asked to sell himself. He did, they're all doing it, that's the point. Maybe Dach's comments were a little more arrogant than the rest, but I wouldn't say much. We all know how you feel about what he's said. Anyone who you may convince, has already been convinced. At this point, you're beating a dead horse.

FYI: I like Dach; I'd be cool with taking him at 6, but I'm not a biased Dach fan or anything- in fact as a small, speedy player I'm usually biased against tall, slowish ones. I doubt he's who I would end up picking if I was Stevie Y, but this interview didn't change my opinion at all.

Dylan Larkin in any interview since his draft year. I want to be the best player in the world and I think I am going to be. Professional athletes are not lacking on confidence, frankly I don't want one that is. Most of your frustrating streak guys are ones that trade in moments of doubt and are more humble by nature in my experience.

I actually think his attitude is likely one of the reasons we have been hearing guys like Draper like him.

 

[PullHard]

I am admittedly pretty high on Dach

Watched that clip twice and tried my best to read into it

I can get a little cockiness/ overconfidence/ arrogance out of it, but ultimately I don't understand the debate that has occurred ITT

Also, in professional sports, if you're going to have to deal with either over or under confidence, I'd rather the team deal with overconfident guys and try to rein them in a bit

But again from that clip I am not willing to take this sky high dive of an assumption that Dach's personality is terrible for a team to take on and he has an irreparable ego

 

[DetroitRed]

Dude here's the deal. The kid was asked to sell himself. He did, they're all doing it, that's the point. Maybe Dach's comments were a little more arrogant than the rest, but I wouldn't say much. We all know how you feel about what he's said. Anyone who you may convince, has already been convinced. At this point, you're beating a dead horse.

FYI: I like Dach; I'd be cool with taking him at 6, but I'm not a biased Dach fan or anything- in fact as a small, speedy player I'm usually biased against tall, slowish ones. I doubt he's who I would end up picking if I was Stevie Y, but this interview didn't change my opinion at all.

I picked Dach when we voted and I have him ranked fourth pending the full results of the combine. The only reason I'm continuing is because people keep challenging me on it. I'm not driving the argument. One other person commented that he thought Dach sounded a bit arrogant. I simply agreed.

 

[HisNoodliness]

I picked Dach when we voted and I have him ranked fourth pending the full results of the combine. The only reason I'm continuing is because people keep challenging me on it.

Cool I'm glad that you haven't let it color your opinion of him too much. i gave you my 2 cents, so no more challenges here--I'll let you go about your day.

 

[Cyborg Yzerberg]

We are arguing over how kids are selling themselves, lmao.

 

[vladdy16]

In other words, you think it's a perfectly normal way for a hockey player to handle himself? That would be absurd! I'm not saying that's what you're trying to say but if so, then it's an absurd position to take. It's also been addressed. Waay back near the start it was addressed. We don't hear players talk like that.

The greatest players in the history of the sport didn't talk that way. You don't need to. You let your play speak for you. Teams will judge your play by how you are on the ice anyway. Posturing in the interview is just that and it's also pretty transparent. If your ability is there, we'll all see it on the ice. The only thing the interview is about is getting a better sense of personality maybe talking about your philosophies, likes and dislikes in the game.

I would hope everyone was in agreement with that.

So, as you have admitted, teams do assess maturity and personality by the interview. If you also agree that this is not how hockey players tend to talk, and it's not even a culture that we want in hockey; if you agree that you should let your play on the ice speak for your abilities and that's the right attitude to look for, then how does it not support my argument to say so and for you to admit so, when that's all I've been saying all along?

You haven't really chanced an argument that I can tell. Unless all you are saying is there no evidence of Dach speaking this way. Which is obviously wrong. There's a video at the top of the thread.

There is zero evidence that your interpretation of the way he is speaking is even remotely correct. You have had multiple chances to cite other sources or examples to back up your point, and instead you choose to deflect and argue against strawmen.

Your one post here, is 10x longer and contains 10x the information than the interview you are basing your entire argument around.

All of this, because one time, a teenager at a conference, didn't use a preface when you thought he should?

That's what your anylysis of prospects hinges on? Because Dach said "I can read the play well", instead of "I feel, I can read the play well", you are utterly convinced that he has a character flaw?

It's not absurd at all to think, "maybe he just omitted the preface on accident, or maybe he felt the preface was implied by the question."

Dont come back to me with more deflections about how we all agree that character is important. We do. Your premise is that Dachs character is flawed, and if you have no evidence beyond the video we've all seen, it would be quite arrogant to think that your interpretation of minor anecdotal evidence is gospel.

Dach might be a headcase, he might be a bad teammate. You might have a great sense and picked up on that intuitively while watching a stranger speak for 1 minute. That might all turn out to be true, but your arguments thus far have no legs to stand on.

 

[Ulysses31]

So the Wings posted interviews from Zegras, Turcotte, Cozens, Dach and Byram? Anyone else? Historically they seem to care a lot about how these interviews go (not the media scrum but the team interview) and I don't think Yzerman is any different. So with two of them guaranteed to be there at 6, I'd expect one of those guys will be the pick.

Byram>Turk>Zegras>Dach/podkolzin (tough choice)>Cozens is my board

 

[Gniwder]

We are arguing over how kids are selling themselves, lmao.

Yeah, god forbid an 18 year old kid shows a little cockiness. It's absolutely inexcusable for teenagers to act that way, lol. Watching the Cozens interview, it seems like it's a lack of self filtering than anything else. He gave an honest opinion about his own abilities. Quite frankly, I'd be more concerned if they were completely introverted, because they might have anxiety issues like Franzen. Other than that, I wouldn't read too much into these interviews.

I've already said it once, they show more maturity than the people on this board. Certainly a lot of maturity for their age.

So back to the subject, why don't they do any skating? That's like having an NFL combine with no 40 yard dash. Who cares how many times Caufield can bench 80 lbs?

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

Yeah, god forbid an 18 year old kid shows a little cockiness. It's absolutely inexcusable for teenagers to act that way, lol. Watching the Cozens interview, it seems like it's a lack of self filtering than anything else. He gave an honest opinion about his own abilities. Quite frankly, I'd be more concerned if they were completely introverted, because they might have anxiety issues like Franzen. Other than that, I wouldn't read too much into these interviews.

I've already said it once, they show more maturity than the people on this board. Certainly a lot of maturity for their age.

So back to the subject, why don't they do any skating? That's like having an NFL combine with no 40 yard dash. Who cares how many times Caufield can bench 80 lbs?

Agreed.

Some tests in the NHL combine do seem a little odd. I know Sam Bennett made a lot of headlines but is the pull up test really useful in analyzing a player? Or standing long jump? Or as you mentioned, bench press?

For example, Connor McDavid was middle of the pack on standing long jump, vertical jump, and bench press.

 

[DetroitRed]

There is zero evidence that your interpretation of the way he is speaking is even remotely correct. You have had multiple chances to cite other sources or examples to back up your point, and instead you choose to deflect and argue against strawmen.

Your one post here, is 10x longer and contains 10x the information than the interview you are basing your entire argument around.

All of this, because one time, a teenager at a conference, didn't use a preface when you thought he should?

That's what your anylysis of prospects hinges on? Because Dach said "I can read the play well", instead of "I feel, I can read the play well", you are utterly convinced that he has a character flaw?

It's not absurd at all to think, "maybe he just omitted the preface on accident, or maybe he felt the preface was implied by the question."

Dont come back to me with more deflections about how we all agree that character is important. We do. Your premise is that Dachs character is flawed, and if you have no evidence beyond the video we've all seen, it would be quite arrogant to think that your interpretation of minor anecdotal evidence is gospel.

Dach might be a headcase, he might be a bad teammate. You might have a great sense and picked up on that intuitively while watching a stranger speak for 1 minute. That might all turn out to be true, but your arguments thus far have no legs to stand on.

I love how you invent a position for someone that isn't theirs and then have an argument with it, on and on, instead of actually addressing what they are saying.

I mean, honestly, I tell you what I'm saying and you go nope, you're saying this. Is that what you do to pretend to have a point? You just make up in your head what the other person is saying and then try to convince them. That's the definition of a straw man.

I'm not going to oblige you regardless because of the way you've carried yourself from the outset. I don't know where you're from that acting like that gets you the reaction you want but I'm not into it.
That should be a given by now.

 

[PuckMasterZero]

In other words, you think it's a perfectly normal way for a hockey player to handle himself? That would be absurd! I'm not saying that's what you're trying to say but if so, then it's an absurd position to take. It's also been addressed. Waay back near the start it was addressed. We don't hear players talk like that.

The greatest players in the history of the sport didn't talk that way. You don't need to. You let your play speak for you. Teams will judge your play by how you are on the ice anyway. Posturing in the interview is just that and it's also pretty transparent. If your ability is there, we'll all see it on the ice. The only thing the interview is about is getting a better sense of personality maybe talking about your philosophies, likes and dislikes in the game.

I would hope everyone was in agreement with that.

So, as you have admitted, teams do assess maturity and personality by the interview. If you also agree that this is not how hockey players tend to talk, and it's not even a culture that we want in hockey; if you agree that you should let your play on the ice speak for your abilities and that's the right attitude to look for, then how does it not support my argument to say so and for you to admit so, when that's all I've been saying all along?

You haven't really chanced an argument that I can tell. Unless all you are saying is there no evidence of Dach speaking this way. Which is obviously wrong. There's a video at the top of the thread.

The problem is you are arguing to the death about some meaningless BS. Grow up and let it go. You are showing far less maturity than these kids at the combine with your obsessive bickering