I've watched him play in both games as well as in juniors. When Johansen was here he was a 1C and played great, don't act like you didn't love him when he was leading our team to the playoffs. You had this to say on him too "I've been critical of Joey. He has really taken a step lately. He has been far more aggressive. He's playing with a purpose. His faceoff skills are excellent. He can do a lot of things to make a difference in a game. I don't care if he ends up being a 1C or a hybrid all around beast. He has the potential to be a good player here for a long time."
Something went wrong and he had a bad season became a scapegoat and was traded for Jones who at the time was not playing at the level he is now. I like the trade now and Jones has become a great dman for us.
It's funny bc I thought PLD in these two games reminded me of Johansen from last season. I want him to be successful but I expect much much more out of a 3OA pick.
WJC don't tell anything about future success in the NHL, however having an average performance thus far in the tournament combined with a slow start in juniors, combined with a meltdown on the ice (when we were told he is a character guy) is giving me doubts on why we picked him instead of someone else.
He has time to turn it around but for all the praise he gets from people I expect more results. Still time left In The tourney to impress.
If you want to play that card I will take everything you say with a grain of salt considering you only have 10 posts from 2014-2015 way to stick with your team through the tough times.
Haha. Funny stuff.
I gave up my year two full season PSL's a couple of years ago because my partner bailed on me. How many posts I have made and when I have made them have nothing to do with my allegiance to this team. I post when I want to and I respond to posts that I agree with and disagree with. Just like you do.
I haven't seen much of PLD except for part of a pre-tournament game and training camp. I don't claim to know anything about his play other than what I have read or witnessed in person. I refer to posts from people like you who watch our prospects and are how they are doing.
When you use the terms "floating and lazy" and after reading several other posters reviewing the same player (good and bad) it makes me question what you are seeing.
Remember your guy Johansen (the perennial 80 pt. guy you posted about), he was drafted 4OA, not much lower than PLD. If you think Joey has taken a step this year and is far more aggressive than he has been in the past, then I need to hear no more. We have different thoughts of what we see in players.
I have questioned Jarmo and Co.'s selection of PLD over Jesse Puljujarvi like everyone else. But the final evaluation will come in many years if/when PLD makes the team and shows what he can do in the NHL. It may turn out to be the worse selection ever. And it may not.
Jarmo has stated that he has talked to PLD, that he is doing the things they want him to do and that they don't care about his statistics. Statistics don't always translate to the NHL from juniors whether you're a 2 PPG player or what PLD has done in juniors or in this tournament.
Maybe you think our team should have drafted a different player and maybe your analysis is out of bitterness. Maybe not. You just seem to have some sort of agenda against PLD by calling him a floater and lazy.
Edit: Sorry I don't want to turn this into a Johansen thread but you mentioned above one comment that I made in some thread at the time I thought he was playing well and had made some progress. I could find many more where I said he disappoints me because he plays like he doesn't care. I continue to believe that he could be an elite player if he only had the drive to do so. He doesn't.