Opinions of McNeill/Pokulok?

[Biscuit Bullet]

McNeill clearly has his offensive game down, with 37 points in 26 games, but how is his defense? Also, how has Pokulok played on Cornell? I've heard he's either brilliant or miserable. Anyone he's seen either of them play, please give as in-depth analysis of their play as you can. Much appreciated by myself and other Caps fans.

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[xander]

Sasha's looked pretty miserable ever since getting DQ'd after the Yale game. He's looked indecisive, unconfident and unagressive. Right now I have very little confidence when he carries the puck. He's also been dropped from the top PP unit.
I've been trying to give him the benefit of the doubt for a while, but he just hasn't turned it around yet. Hopefully he finds himself over break.

 

[PSUhockey34]

Sasha's looked pretty miserable ever since getting DQ'd after the Yale game. He's looked indecisive, unconfident and unagressive. Right now I have very little confidence when he carries the puck. He's also been dropped from the top PP unit.
I've been trying to give him the benefit of the doubt for a while, but he just hasn't turned it around yet. Hopefully he finds himself over break.

Was Pokulok a reach at 14th overall by washington?

 

[Hunter Gathers]

Was Pokulok a reach at 14th overall by washington?

One of the biggest reaches since the Oilers took Jesse Niinimaki in 2002.

I had doubts before the draft whether or not he'd make it as an NHLer and I continue to have those doubts today. I was very against the Rangers even taking him in the 2nd round, let alone the 1st.

 

[xander]

Was Pokulok a reach at 14th overall by washington?

Right now it's looking like it.

He's still only a sophmore and it's not like he doesn't have talent. His problems are mental, not physical. If he ever puts it together I think he's got the talent to be a very good #2 defensemen.


However, if he keeps playing like he has over the last moneth and a half he'll never get a sniff of the NHL.

 

[Transported Upstater]

Was Pokulok a reach at 14th overall by washington?

That's the understatement of the century.

That made the Carey Price pick look as obvious as the Sidney Crosby pick by comparison.

 

[Freaky Habs Fan]

That's the understatement of the century.

That made the Carey Price pick look as obvious as the Sidney Crosby pick by comparison.

Price was a top 10 pic for sure so he wasn't a reach...

 

[Hunter Gathers]

Price was a top 10 pic for sure so he wasn't a reach...

Top 10 is a big difference from top 5.

Pokulok has looked dreadful dreadful.

 

[Rise from the Ashes]

top 10 is very different, but as we know it doesnt matter where you pick a guy as long as you know what your doing. To me Washington makes bad draft picks, they had many picks and waste all. The best pick they have made lately has been Schultz. If you really want a guy just take him, as San Jose did with Setoguchi. But obviously with luck of Latendresse dropping to the 2nd the Price pick was a good one. Just to make a note Ryan O'byrne has been much better than Pokulok and Montreal got him in the 3rd so it was DEFINITLY a reach, but taking risks could pay off and he is an impressive package.

 

[KH1]

One of the biggest reaches since the Oilers took Jesse Niinimaki in 2002.

I had doubts before the draft whether or not he'd make it as an NHLer and I continue to have those doubts today. I was very against the Rangers even taking him in the 2nd round, let alone the 1st.

Pokulok could turn out to be a quality NHL defenseman but I'll never understand the decision to draft him over O'Marra, Bourett, Parent, Lashoff or several others. Especially when they could have traded down to the second round and still grabbed him with the #28 or a second rounder.

 

[usiel]

Nah he would have gone later in the first. It is the worst kept secret that a couple of clubs were going to jump on him. An orange and black club at that, heh.

 

[Chimaera]

One of the biggest reaches since the Oilers took Jesse Niinimaki in 2002.

I had doubts before the draft whether or not he'd make it as an NHLer and I continue to have those doubts today. I was very against the Rangers even taking him in the 2nd round, let alone the 1st.

Blake Wheeler anyone?


come now.


I admit he was a reach, but with that many picks, they could afford to go out there and grab someone.

 

[Beatnik]

Pokulok could turn out to be a quality NHL defenseman but I'll never understand the decision to draft him over O'Marra, Bourett, Parent, Lashoff or several others. Especially when they could have traded down to the second round and still grabbed him with the #28 or a second rounder.

The scouting staff had a clear directive to go for d-men with the early choices. For them he was the best D available at the time so they simply took him-.

 

[spintheblackcircle]

What about McNeill?

 

[Eb0la11]

As a flames fan I know how I like to always think my Gm makes the right decisions with picks, but Montreal fans, give you head a shake. Price is a brutal pick at number 5, GL with him is all I gotta say. Goalies are terrible in the first, I dunno why NHL teams are picking them higher and higher all the time, there are not alot of high drafted goalies that panned out to be worth the pick. Ive seen Price play 6-7 times now and I think hes rather brutal. But I guess thats just my opinion. Please dont overhype him like every prospect you have Habs fans.

 

[Eb0la11]

Sorry, back to Pokulok. I havent ever seen him play but I think his overall "package," for lack of a better word, is rather impressive. Lots of size, decent mobility and has shown some good aggressive play along with some spurts of offence. He just might take a while to grow into his huge body, he probably is just going through growing pains and is fumbly with his large frame when he brain is used to being smaller.

 

[Atlas]

Just about every prospect not named Crosby had question marks going into the 2005 draft. Pokulok has the physical tools and if he puts it together he'll play. It looks like a weak draft year and in weak draft years we're lucky if 5-7 guys pan out as anything beyond fringe NHLers. Pokulok has the chance if he works hard.

 

[417]

As a flames fan I know how I like to always think my Gm makes the right decisions with picks, but Montreal fans, give you head a shake. Price is a brutal pick at number 5, GL with him is all I gotta say. Goalies are terrible in the first, I dunno why NHL teams are picking them higher and higher all the time, there are not alot of high drafted goalies that panned out to be worth the pick. Ive seen Price play 6-7 times now and I think hes rather brutal. But I guess thats just my opinion. Please dont overhype him like every prospect you have Habs fans.

Please...he's brutal well obviously, you need to watch him more...

Just because the Price pick suprised people doesn't mean it was a bad one...Carey Price has the potential to be a franchise goalie, I can understand the Habs drafting him if that's the case...it remains to be seen if he was worth the # 5 pick, but up to now, I can't argue with their decision, I went to go see Price at the rookie tournament and thought he looked great, he continued to play well in the NHL preseason...and take away the 1st 8 games of his season, and Price has been nearly unbeatable this year when you take into consideration who he plays for...

If Price gets picked 3 or 4 spots lower, no one says he's a bad pick...everyone has the allusion that the Habs are set in nets, so to them it means it's a bad pick I really don't see how a guy who would of never dropped out of the top 10, gets picked at # 5 and that's a reach? Doesn't make sense.

 

[Hunter Gathers]

Blake Wheeler anyone?


come now.


I admit he was a reach, but with that many picks, they could afford to go out there and grab someone.

Yeah, except I've seen Sasha play the past two years and I have thought sicne then that he would never be a good pro. It's not someone who no one had ever seen before like Wheeler.

 

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Goalies are terrible in the first, I dunno why NHL teams are picking them higher and higher all the time, there are not alot of high drafted goalies that panned out to be worth the pick.

What are you talking about? Luongo, Fleury, Brodeur, Lehtonen, Ward, Toivonen, and the list goes on.

I'm sure you'll try and point out how many goalie busts there have been. Well guess what, there's way more defensemen and forward busts taken in the 1st round. Turns out they look fairly proportional. It seems the standard is higher for goalies, fans expect everyone taken in the 1st round to be an NHL star. Guess what? You aren't guaranteed a good player if you take a defenseman or a forward either.

Some will argue that you can find good goalies later in the draft and therefore it's a waste to pick them early. Guess what? You cand find amazing defensemen and forwards late in the draft as well. So there goes that argument.

I think this goalie's not being worth a first rounder is the biggest myth amongst hockey prospect followers. Until somebody takes the time to do a comprehensive bust % by position and finds that goalies are significantly higher (which I highly doubt would be the case) it's just a dubious claim supported by a bunch of bandwagon fans. And considering it's the most important position in hockey, it makes the claim look even more dubious.

Bunch of BS if you ask me.

 

[Freaky Habs Fan]

In the recent years, most of the goaltender picked early in the first round are actually at least a decent #1 goaltender in the league. Many have bust but it's a HIGH reward pick when you draft a good goalie.

Can you guys imagine seeing goaltenders like Luongo, Fleury and Dipietro fall in the second round because they are in front of the net?

 

[scoutman1]

. Goalies are terrible in the first, I dunno why NHL teams are picking them higher and higher all the time, there are not alot of high drafted goalies that panned out to be worth the pick. Ive seen Price play 6-7 times now and I think hes rather brutal. But I guess thats just my opinion. Please dont overhype him like every prospect you have Habs fans.

How are goalies not good 1st round picks...there are alot of 1st rounders in forwards and defense who don't turn out as well. I would rather take Luongo, Toivonen, Dipietro, Fleury etc rather than a guy like Daniel Tkachuck or Jeff Heerema, and the list goes on of forwards who never turned out in the 1st round. Goalies are just as much as a crap shot as forwards and that...some take longer than others to be what they are but you just never know, you take the best talent at that time and if he keeps developing like he is than great but there are guys like Scott Scocias, Jason Bonsignor, Alexander Daigle (decent but never turned out to be the superstar), Jeff Ware, Jeff Brown, Kevin Grimes, Alexander Volchenkov, Pavel Brendle, etc the list keeps going on.

 

[Freaky Habs Fan]

Alexander Volchenkov

You have to take this one out of your list...he's a good defenceman.

 

[Rise from the Ashes]

terry ryan lol

 

[scoutman1]

You have to take this one out of your list...he's a good defenceman.

ah thats not the d-man who is Anton Volchenkov...this one was the sniper that played in the OHL, he was suppose to be a superstar sniper in the making (ala Brendl) but he maybe played 4 games in the NHL of Something...pretty bad.