firstemperor
Registered User
- May 25, 2011
- 8,755
- 1,445
The sample is quite small, its a virus that affects people differently and I would assume getting it very early in the year to the extent it causes you to miss training camp, is a big deal.
It can affect everyone differently in regards to their energy levels. Your body is essentially fighting off an active infection for a prolonged period of time.
Marner is also a possible example, although I'm unsure if it is a confirmed case. He didn't look like the same player in the playoffs, just didn't have the same zip in his game. He fought hard shift->shift, like he always does, but he didn't have anywhere near the same bounce or explosiveness. It could have been a LBI.
Take the Leafs Hype away and you realize no neither is up for blue chip status the way Charlie McAvoy is but both have a strong chance to be point producing #1 defensemen.
Depends what you define as a blue-chip but I have held Liljegren in high-enough regard that I am optimistic enough that he can track the same way McAvoy did in his D+1 (easily a top 5 drafted D prospect in the league and a player who completely leapfrogged against comparable prospects around draft-time- i.e. Bean, Fabbro at BU, Cholowski).
I'd much rather hear analysis on how well he is playing, not where he "should have" been drafted.
That should be the case in a idealized environment, but it's not. But there is meaningful discussion about his play/highlights at the WJSS, unfortunately, you have to sift through this thread for it.