RLR: Couturier not quite living up to our expectations
- Thread starter Tormentor
- Start date
stubbadub
Registered User
He's trying to drop off the map so Montreal picks him. He doesn't want to leave Quebec. He's going to be the next huge thing. Book it! E8
He's from New Brunswick though not Quebec and if you want to get technical he was born in Phoenix.
stubbadub
Registered User
17Kurri
Registered User
- Apr 10, 2010
- 1,367
- 0
+1. For me, it's a toss up for 1st overall between Couturier and Larsson, but Couturier is certainly the best forward available, imo.
GlassesJacketShirt
Registered User
Let me think, RLR, RLR............oh yeah, the same publication that had Legwand go ahead of Lecavalier, when everyone at the time knew Lecavalier was going to be better. Yeah, that one, really a great source. >_>
We can all go on as much as we like about RLR and how much we love Couturier, but the fact of the matter is that Couturier is not just dropping on RLR, he's dropping everywhere. Clearly, this reflects that at the moment his stock is falling in the scouting community, at least realtive to the other top prospects. And cool consideration suggests that it might be of some interest to gain an understanding of why this is happening, regardless of whether you share their assessment or not. If you're happy with weak nonsense like "he's been under the spotlight too long", well, good luck to you. Does anybody seriously think it's that simple? That professional scouts automatically go into depreciation mode once they've watched a prospect for long enough, and that this is the basic reason Couturier is falling inthe rankings?
Is he really? Aside from Redline, and the Craig Button rankings, I haven't really seen Couturier outside the top-4 anywhere.
Landeskog is faster than Couturier...I wouldn't say Couturier is a weak skater--but there are 2 aspects in defining faster or slower: i) actual skating speed and ii) getting it going off the mark to "get to where you need to be early enough" ---in both categories the combination for Couturier is in my view "a tad slow" such that he doesn't quite get there fast enough (if he dd he would score more and get more helpers too than he currently does)...this means he still could be a good player but might not reach 'greatness" at the next level..
Now guys that are only slightly above average in straight speed can improve their fastness by anticipation -if they read the play in advance and get to the proper spot
early enough THEN they can make up for lack of top-end speed...The erception I have is that with only slightly above average speed Couturier needs to be better anticipatiing the play -else he reacts a tad late and so cannot make up the space he needs to get to fast enough just by his regular skating..
Now Huberdeau may not be a any faster than Coutturier as a skater -maybe even a bit slower--BUT he anticipates better and so gets there early enough to impact a play rather than squander what should be better scoring chance developments..
Thus I see Couturier as more of a 'reactor" than "anticipator" -and that affects the effectiveness of being fast enough or not...
Perhaps this is what the scouts are seeing too.
NOW having said that---Couturier at his size should domnate in the strength game --but perhaps scouts think he should be even more dominating than he's shown...Sometimes "BIG" guys take time to grow into their bodies -and so the strength game may yet come out to the fore for him as he matures..
One can also improve in straight skating speed..BUT to a larger extent- hockey sense/wareness/anticipation/re-action times are more innate --you have that ability or not...For Couturier-I see more not --which limits his upside in my view UNLESS he beomes a pure power strength guy to offset this "flaw" in his game of not good enough anticipation.
Now guys that are only slightly above average in straight speed can improve their fastness by anticipation -if they read the play in advance and get to the proper spot
early enough THEN they can make up for lack of top-end speed...The erception I have is that with only slightly above average speed Couturier needs to be better anticipatiing the play -else he reacts a tad late and so cannot make up the space he needs to get to fast enough just by his regular skating..
Now Huberdeau may not be a any faster than Coutturier as a skater -maybe even a bit slower--BUT he anticipates better and so gets there early enough to impact a play rather than squander what should be better scoring chance developments..
Thus I see Couturier as more of a 'reactor" than "anticipator" -and that affects the effectiveness of being fast enough or not...
Perhaps this is what the scouts are seeing too.
NOW having said that---Couturier at his size should domnate in the strength game --but perhaps scouts think he should be even more dominating than he's shown...Sometimes "BIG" guys take time to grow into their bodies -and so the strength game may yet come out to the fore for him as he matures..
One can also improve in straight skating speed..BUT to a larger extent- hockey sense/wareness/anticipation/re-action times are more innate --you have that ability or not...For Couturier-I see more not --which limits his upside in my view UNLESS he beomes a pure power strength guy to offset this "flaw" in his game of not good enough anticipation.
GlassesJacketShirt
Registered User
I believe this could be the case, especially when you take into account a very important factor: these lists from ISS, RLR, SCC and so on are from independent scouting services, and these guys, although not cat litter, don't work on NHL clubs for a reason. From what I've read in Future Greats and Heartbreaks, NHL scouts, although prone to mistakes, are the ultimate judge of how much a player is valued, and until the draft comes around, we have no idea who they value the most, which is why I don't put much weight into these lists.
From a psychological angle, one would generally get more excited with the high-flying Nugent-Hopkins or the grinding skill of Landeskog this year instead of Couturier's nuanced game, especially since those RNH and GL were further back than Couturier and made bigger strides in this current season. Scouting is an inexact science, and thus current trends and sudden excitement for an individual plays big parts into who one would draft, professional or not.
Another thing I'd like to mention: only RLR considered Couturier a disappointment this year. Although he has fallen a bit in the other rankings, although not by this much, the general consensus is that Couturier was still excellent, but the other guys (Nugent-Hopkins and Landeskog) simply made more impressive strides, especially offensively, and that's why they're ahead right now. One must also remember that Couturier is still considered a two-way player when all is said and done, and thus he plays a less exciting game, although that also makes him a flexible player to mend. Coaches will love this guy in the NHL.
For argument sake RLR didn't say Couturier is a disappointment, they said the other guys are just that good.
Are you saying his "flaw" is skating or hockey sense?
You dont often find draft eligible players having as polished of a two-way game as SC does. Draft eligible players that make Team Canada at the World Juniors are usually there to play offensive roles/pp specialists....very rarely does a draft eligible go there as THE shutdown center, on what is generally the best team in the tournament. Those two factors IMO speak to his hockey sense/anticipation.
6'4" 190lbs...his playing weight in his prime will likely be around 230lbs, that added strength will improve his skating power and all this doubting his legitimacy as a top prospect will be laughed at down the line.
projexns
Matchups Matter
With Ottawa sitting in the #2 slot at the moment, Couturier seems like the ideal guy to play behind Spezza. He has the size and defensive awareness that could see him in the NHL next year. If all he amounts to is good two-way #2 center, that would be fine in Ottawa. If there's more upside than that, all the better for the Sens.
Murray's trading of Fisher suggests to me that a center rather than Landeskog is going to be selected with their first pick (assuming the Oil draft Larsson.)
I wonder how much the fact that he had mono before the season started played into his progression thus far?
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