Prospect Info: Quinn Hughes, Pt. III

[Frankie Blueberries]

I think he can be a Torey Krug with better defense. PPG d-man is extremely rare, its basic Karlsson who has done it in the las 10 years.

From what I've seen, Gostisbehere is a good comparable.

 

[Orca Smash]

What are your point expectations for Hughes this season? I expect him to dominate, be at least a PPG player, and hopefully if all goes well and his teammates bury the chances he creates for them be closer to a 2 PPG player.

I’m looking at Cale Makar as a barometer for how well he should be doing. Both smaller faster defense men with high end skills drafted high 1 year apart.

Being close to a 2 PPG player is some very high near impossible expectations, he is a D remember, even if he does put up points from the back end. I would say a PPG is a good goal given what he did last year and even that is impressive given D who have came out of the ncaa recently and now play in the nhl for a D+1 season. Very few off the top of my head have done that except maybe werenski recently, I dont believe players like krug, mcavoy gostisbhere nor makar were.

For makar as a comparable you would have to look at makar's production last season when he was the same age as quinn, which quinn already surpassed in his draft year.

I am a big makar fan and would have taken him over heiskanen in the draft due to his upside (still an unpopular opinion on here because heiskanen is going to be a good all around D) but its one of the reasons why I think quinn is trending better then makar given his production at comparable ages in the ncaa (although that does not always turn out to be true). Makar is off to a hot start this year while being a year older and avs fans will also blame makar's team last year.

 

[VancouverJagger]

Gaudette 0 points in 8 regular season games. 0 points in 3 preseason games.

Let's wait for his 1st nhl point before making anymore future predictions.

Have you watched Gaudette's 8 games? I probably have seen 6 or more of them. Since his debut (which he was chasing the puck a bit and not quite up to speed) he has steadily improved and despite not getting much ice time at all (he's definitely on rookie status) I feel like he's had a LOT of chances to get points and has been a bit unlucky not to have gotten any. He's got skill and with a little bit of seasoning he's going to be really good. He's gotten as far as he has (overcoming being a 5th round draft pick) based on large part due to his attitude and work ethic I think so that bodes well for him eventually figuring things out here as his base skill level is pretty good. If he ends up being our third line center our team is gonna be in a really good situation as him and EP and BO as our first 3 is pretty damn appealing. I personally think he's going to be a very valuable ingredient for us moving forward.

 

[Hodgy]

What are your point expectations for Hughes this season? I expect him to dominate, be at least a PPG player, and hopefully if all goes well and his teammates bury the chances he creates for them be closer to a 2 PPG player.

I’m looking at Cale Makar as a barometer for how well he should be doing. Both smaller faster defense men with high end skills drafted high 1 year apart.

This is pretty hilarious. You typically defend Canucks prospects that fail to meet reasonable expectations, but here, you have created totally unreasonable expectations for Hughes. Not one single player in the NCAA last year scored at two points per game, and no defensemen in the league hit one points per game. With that being said, I think expecting him to get close to or above the point per game mark is reasonable given his last season.

 

[82Ninety42011]

I don't really care about what he puts up PPG this season as we already know he's very offensively talented. I'm more hoping he improves his defense and has a growth spurt !! If he grows an inch or two and adds 20 lbs without losing speed I'd be over the moon.

 

[DL44]

This is pretty hilarious. You typically defend Canucks prospects that fail to meet reasonable expectations, but here, you have created totally unreasonable expectations for Hughes. Not one single player in the NCAA last year scored at two points per game, and no defensemen in the league hit one points per game. With that being said, I think expecting him to get close to or above the point per game mark is reasonable given his last season.

I'm trying figure out how reasonable your expectation is... is there a list of dmen that have scored over a PPG in the NCAA recently?

 

[Breakers]

I'm trying figure out how reasonable your expectation is... is there a list of dmen that have scored over a PPG in the NCAA recently?

Over.......As a U20 player since 2010
1) Adam Fox (CGY/CAR)
2) Jake Walman (STL)

--- Werenski was PPG exactly in his sophomore year when he played with Kyle Connor

That's it
Makar I'd put money on being PPG this year

 

[DL44]

Over.......As a U20 player since 2010
1) Adam Fox (CGY/CAR)
2) Jake Walman (STL)

--- Werenski was PPG exactly in his sophomore year when he played with Kyle Connor

That's it
Makar I'd put money on being PPG this year

So clearly not a reasonable "expectation" to have I would have to think...

More like.. you hope he's one of the rare Dman talents with a little supporting cast luck able to achieve the milestone...

 

[Breakers]

So clearly not a reasonable "expectation" to have I would have to think...

More like.. you hope he's one of the rare Dman talents with a little supporting cast luck able to achieve the milestone...

It's tough to score in the NCAA
Adam Fox feasts on Ivy league schools in ecac but still really really good numbers.

PPG is very difficult for a d-man

 

[Hodgy]

The top defensemen offensively score at around a point per gane in the NCAA. So yes, it is reasonable to expect an offensive defensemen, drafted in the top ten in the NHL, who scored near a point per game in his first NCAA season, to score around a point per game in the NCAA.

 

[DonnyNucker]

The top defensemen offensively score at around a point per gane in the NCAA. So yes, it is reasonable to expect an offensive defensemen, drafted in the top ten in the NHL, who scored near a point per game in his first NCAA season, to score around a point per game in the NCAA.

D + 1 defensman ?

 

[Motte and Bailey]

I don’t think it’s even a question that Hughes will score at a 1 points per game pace. What would really impress me is a big jump in production like maybe 1.4-1.6 PPG. If he scores at a 2 PPG which I believe he can then he will be likely to live up to the “generational” label some have given him.

 

[Motte and Bailey]

D + 1 defensman ?

https://www.eliteprospects.com/leag...position=d&age=u19&sort=tp&from=1998-1999&to=

There’s the list of top scoring NCAA defensemen 19 years old and under over the last 20 years. So as a D+1 defenseman only Adam Fox and Zach Werenski have scored at a ppg pace or better.

Notice Hughes in his draft year is already in the top 10 and ranked 7th in terms of ppg when you take away one of the guys who only played 4 games.

 

[Icebreakers]

Werenski numbers are actually more impressive. He put up ppg as an 18 year old. Quinn will be 19 all season long basically. Werenski accelerated his schooling and was one of the only player as a 97 to play in the NCAA in his draft year. That would be like the equivalent of jack hughes playing in the NCAA this year

 

[Motte and Bailey]

Werenski numbers are actually more impressive. He put up ppg as an 18 year old. Quinn will be 19 all season long basically. Werenski accelerated his schooling and was one of the only player as a 97 to play in the NCAA in his draft year. That would be like the equivalent of jack hughes playing in the NCAA this year

Werenski was a whole 9 months younger than Q was when they played their draft years in the NCAA. This is true. Werenski also had the benefit of playing on much better teams than Q. First year he had Hyman, Larkin, Motte, and Copp who are all playing in the NHL, next year Kyle Connor, JT Compher, and Tyler Motte. Q doesn’t quite have the same caliber of teammates.

 

[DL44]

Your previous comment implied Juolevi was a positive example, which he isn’t.

No it didn't...
Or rather.. that wasn't the intention to imply positive or negative... Simply stating a potential parallel after each of their D+1's...

I think the perception of whether it's positive or negative lies in the eye of the reader and how it meshes with their preconceived notions.

 

[Melvin]

No it didn't...
Or rather.. that wasn't the intention to imply positive or negative... Simply stating a potential parallel after each of their D+1's...

I think the perception of whether it's positive or negative lies in the eye of the reader and how it meshes with their preconceived notions.

You were trying to use it as an example of unjustified "hand wringing," when in fact it has proven to be entirely justified. Same as Virtanen. The people who were disappointed by the d+1 of these two players have only been proven correct thus far.

With Hughes its a bit different. The NCAA isn't the CHL and different patterns may apply.

 

[DL44]

You were trying to use it as an example of unjustified "hand wringing," when in fact it has proven to be entirely justified. Same as Virtanen. The people who were disappointed by the d+1 of these two players have only been proven correct thus far.

With Hughes its a bit different. The NCAA isn't the CHL and different patterns may apply.

No.. I never stated justified or not...
I stated what would happen...
You are choosing to perceive whether it would be justified or not.

 

[Melvin]

Now this thread makes no sense. Yay.

 

[Breakers]

If hughes went PPG it would be quite a bit more impressive than Werenski.

The Big 10 when werenski played in it was crazy weak, and Michigan was the only Big 10 team ranked in the top 10 @ 9. Same year Boeser was a rookie.
-----
This year 3 teams from the Big 10 are ranked in the top 5, and 4 teams are ranked in the Top 10. Michigan isnt even ranked in the top 10.

 

[Icebreakers]

If hughes went PPG it would be quite a bit more impressive than Werenski.

The Big 10 when werenski played in it was crazy weak, and Michigan was the only Big 10 team ranked in the top 10 @ 9. Same year Boeser was a rookie.
-----
This year 3 teams from the Big 10 are ranked in the top 5, and 4 teams are ranked in the Top 10. Michigan isnt even ranked in the top 10.

Werenski was almost a full year younger, so I dont agree with that. When Werenski was at Hughes age he was playing in the NHL. (19 years and 2 months, he was starting his rookie year with the BJ's and he ended up almost winning ROY). When Hughes is 19 years and 2 months old, he will be at the WJC.

 

[Breakers]

Werenski was almost a full year younger, so I dont agree with that. When Werenski was at Hughes age he was playing in the NHL. (19 years and 2 months, he was starting his rookie year with the BJ's and he ended up almost winning ROY). When Hughes is 19 years and 2 months old, he will be at the WJC.

I think Quality of competition is better determining factor than age.

I am comparing sophomore years to sophomore years, and it would be more impressive considering what he is playing against.

 

[GetFocht]

From what I've seen, Gostisbehere is a good comparable.

I don't think there is any real comparable of Hughes, his style of play is very unique and is constantly QBing the play. He doesn't just rush the puck up the ice, he skates laterally, dangles, holds on to the puck as much as possible until there is a scoring chance. In the offensive zone, he is constantly moving around to find an open space. Most puck rushing defenceman, skate the puck into the offensive zone and execute a pass or a shot. This isn't Hughes game, he likes the entire offence to flow through him.

 

[bossram]

I don’t think it’s even a question that Hughes will score at a 1 points per game pace. What would really impress me is a big jump in production like maybe 1.4-1.6 PPG. If he scores at a 2 PPG which I believe he can then he will be likely to live up to the “generational” label some have given him.

Umm....who is calling him generational? He's a 7th overall pick, not Connor McDavid.

Clearing 1 PPG would be very encouraging. I have no clue why you or anyone is throwing around 1.4+ PPG as an expectation because that is just completely ludicrous. It's nigh unheard of for defencemen to do that in the NCAA.

 

[Motte and Bailey]

Umm....who is calling him generational? He's a 7th overall pick, not Connor McDavid.

Clearing 1 PPG would be very encouraging. I have no clue why you or anyone is throwing around 1.4+ PPG as an expectation because that is just completely ludicrous. It's nigh unheard of for defencemen to do that in the NCAA.

How about...


.. His coach:

NHL Draft 2018: Quinn Hughes 'as valuable as anyone' playing a style his own

.. A Professional hockey analyst:

Quinn Hughes is a Generational Talent – Sportsology

.. and A Knowledgeable hockey fan:

https://hfboards.mandatory.com/posts/151101887/