RLR Top 10 for 2007

X-SHARKIE

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Can I assume, then, that you have never seen a live OHL game or a live bantam/midget game in Ontario, and don't expect to see one in the foreseeable future? If so, I will keep that in mind when I read your scouting reports and rankings of such players.

No disrespect, but if a viable evaluation could be made from videotape, then NHL scouts would be watching the OHL Action Pack on Rogers every night, rather than sitting in rinks. Not that video scouting is useless - it's better than nothing I guess.

Fair enough, and I totally understand. I don't say i'm some CHL expert or anything, but when I watch a guy like say Bobby Ryan not play like a power forward, then someone calls him one, i'll chime in and say that's not what i'm seeing.

Stuff like that....cause you can get some of that from tape.
 

Hiishawk

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Feb 28, 2002
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Some of this criticism of Sharkie is unfair. People complain that he writes about players that he doesn't know well- that he should admit his limitations.
So, when he does precisely that and says he doesn't know much about Hoeffel he gets criticized for admitting not knowing this particular prospect well. Damned if he does, damned if he doesn't.

I am involved in hockey and I like to think that I know the top prospects pretty well but, for example, recently in another thread some Swedish posters were raving about a guy named Lars Eller. Although I was familiar with the name, my knowledge of this player is very limited so I asked them some questions. All I need now is someone to start saying, "I thought you were supposed to know the European players big-shot! Not so high 'n mighty after all, huh!".
 

X-SHARKIE

Registered User
Some of this criticism of Sharkie is unfair. People complain that he writes about players that he doesn't know well- that he should admit his limitations.
So, when he does precisely that and says he doesn't know much about Hoeffel he gets criticized for admitting not knowing this particular prospect well. Damned if he does, damned if he doesn't.

I am involved in hockey and I like to think that I know the top prospects pretty well but, for example, recently in another thread some Swedish posters were raving about a guy named Lars Eller. Although I was familiar with the name, my knowledge of this player is very limited so I asked them some questions. All I need now is someone to start saying, "I thought you were supposed to know the European players big-shot! Not so high 'n mighty after all, huh!".

Amen! Well said and thanks.
 

Juan

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Apr 30, 2002
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Amen! Well said and thanks.

He said some of the criticism is unfair. I will never criticise you for admitting your lack of knowledge or asking questions about a player. Those who do are jackasses.

What I will criticise is when you offer up an opinion on the finer details of a player's game when, for the life of me, I can't imagine you've ever seen him play. When I ask when and where you have, I get no response.

The most recent example I can think of is Ontario-born, Ontario-situated 1990's recently drafted in the 2006 OHL draft.
 

#1GuinFan

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Apr 4, 2003
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Its really quite incredible how some can degrade the hard work of posters such as x-sharkie and are simply unable to appreciate his efforts to inform the majority of HF users. Informative threads such as these become washed out with such disrepect that it takes away from the quality of the forum.

Juan, congrats, u asked him a question he didn't answer, here's your medal! Do you really expect him to have that much time on his hands that he can read/respond to every message he recieves? Please tell me you haven't been sat there eagerly awaiting his response since asking the question!
What does it matter if he's seen games on tape. First of all, its better than nothing; and secondly, when your watching for one particular player, a tape is nearly as good as being at the game, unless of course seeing a players skill at climbing over the boards to get on and off the ice is that important to you, since you rarely catch that one tape...


Puckfan, so what! He didn't know the details of ONE prospect, god forbid! You do realize that even the pro scouts don't get to see every player available to be drafted right? When the Pens drafted Alex Goligoski, only 7 teams had allegedly seen him play, but i'm sure 30 know of him now! Thats how the business works, not every scout sees every prospect play.


In my dealings with X-sharkie, i have found him to be bang on with regards to prospect info. Its also not uncommon that he has provided additional insight that I was not aware of, or material that scouting services simply do not provide.
X, all i can say is thanks for your efforts, and please don't let trivial nuisances dissuade you from posting here.
 

Juan

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Its really quite incredible how some can degrade the hard work of posters such as x-sharkie and are simply unable to appreciate his efforts to inform the majority of HF users. Informative threads such as these become washed out with such disrepect that it takes away from the quality of the forum.

Juan, congrats, u asked him a question he didn't answer, here's your medal! Do you really expect him to have that much time on his hands that he can read/respond to every message he recieves? Please tell me you haven't been sat there eagerly awaiting his response since asking the question!
What does it matter if he's seen games on tape. First of all, its better than nothing; and secondly, when your watching for one particular player, a tape is nearly as good as being at the game, unless of course seeing a players skill at climbing over the boards to get on and off the ice is that important to you, since you rarely catch that one tape...


Puckfan, so what! He didn't know the details of ONE prospect, god forbid! You do realize that even the pro scouts don't get to see every player available to be drafted right? When the Pens drafted Alex Goligoski, only 7 teams had allegedly seen him play, but i'm sure 30 know of him now! Thats how the business works, not every scout sees every prospect play.


In my dealings with X-sharkie, i have found him to be bang on with regards to prospect info. Its also not uncommon that he has provided additional insight that I was not aware of, or material that scouting services simply do not provide.
X, all i can say is thanks for your efforts, and please don't let trivial nuisances dissuade you from posting here.

If insisting that someone see a player before offering an evaluation of his talent is simply a "trivial nuisance" in your mind, then let's just agree to disagree.

You're right: every scout doesn't see every prospect play. The point is that the smart ones don't wax eloquent as if they had.
 

hfboardsuser

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Nov 18, 2004
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You're right: every scout doesn't see every prospect play. The point is that the smart ones don't wax eloquent as if they had.

It's a failing a lot of younger/newer individuals have in fields all across the business world. They simply overextend themselves in an effort to sound impressive, and won't relate that they only have such and such information through second-hand sources.

Max is learning the business, for all the impressive work that he has done to this point. He might not even be aware he's doing it. It certainly does not help the situation to state right out that he "seems knowledgable about NCAA prospects". I can think of a number of more diplomatic and constructive ways to have this discussion, whether or not he's made erroneous claims of personal attacks in the past to innocent questions. If you are truly interested in reducing the number of 'uncredited reports', if you like, then being the more diplomatic individual is the way to do it. I think you're going about it the right way, insofar as beginning with a very popular member of this board. But it can be done with better language.
 

Juan

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I'll say it again, I'll take second and third hand info over no info at all. I'm a begger, not a chooser.

If that's the case, let me state for the record that Frank "One-Eyed" McGee from the old Ottawa Silver Sevens was somewhat overrated as a prospect. Although, I must admit, I'm only going by what my brother-in-law told me he saw on video.
 

Ban Hammered

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May 15, 2003
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If that's the case, let me state for the record that Frank "One-Eyed" McGee from the old Ottawa Silver Sevens was somewhat overrated as a prospect. Although, I must admit, I'm only going by what my brother-in-law told me he saw on video.

:shakehead

Must you continue to blast people for having opinons without showing any knowledge of your own about a player?

You were asked to give info on Hoeffel yet all you continue to do is blast on a poster who has the guts to actually evaluate players.

Put up, or shut up.
 

Hiishawk

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I think somewhere earlier in this thread Sharkie asked me about big DF Grundmanis from Latvia. I'd say he's very much like Keaton Ellerby, but with a bit better first step and sharper turns. Doesn't rush as much as Ellerby, but can. You can see him St. Mike's this year I believe. I really want to see how he does against CHL players as he held his own as the youngest player (?) in the WJCs last year.
 

rt

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May 13, 2004
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If that's the case, let me state for the record that Frank "One-Eyed" McGee from the old Ottawa Silver Sevens was somewhat overrated as a prospect. Although, I must admit, I'm only going by what my brother-in-law told me he saw on video.

Ah ******** I read that in McKeen's. That's an eerily similar report to Redline's, too. You are just a phony!!! My name is Jaun.:)
 

CaptCrunch

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Apr 25, 2006
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Use any excuse you want but the fact is he isn't just flying on the radar now. Your average NCAA hockey fan from the Midwest could easily tell you who Mike Hoeffel is even if they have never seen him play. If a kid is good enough to merit a roster spot offer from the USA team a year ago, there should be no valid excuse for a truly educated talent watcher in this part of the USA to not know who he is.

Considering the level of talent coming out of Minnesota, I would think some pseudo scout would be more knowledgeable on those types of players. Then again, I am talking to the same poster who didn't even know Sam Gagner made his decision to play in the OHL well over two months ago. But I guess since guys like Hoeffel haven’t yet been widely published by the Red Lines of the world, it makes your “job” tougher since you simply take a cue from their hard work.

The problem with people who post on here and make these mock drafts and talk like they think they are some scout is they don't truly have the breadth of knowledge it takes to judge the entire landscape. People on here may kiss butt to certain posters over the time and effort that is put into such things but a lot of the work I have seen is simply an incestuous effort in which people simply rip off the work of real scouts or compile the works of a variety of different publications and then pass it off as something original. If that is what garners praise from the masses on this board, I’d say that is pretty feeble.

Back off fanboy.

One one hand I see a poster who produced a solid, complete and well thought out document.

On the other hand I see a poster who takes potshots at other people without putting up any information of similar value.

I don't remember x-sharkie calling off other posters or acting like a jerk. He always came off as respectfull and considerate in his argument. I don't remember him trying to pass himself off as a scout either.

Lets face it, talk is cheap. Anyone can pass themselves off as a "serious insider" on these boards. Cred is gained through the info you post and your overall demeanor. Before acting up so high and lordly, you might consider stepping up to the plate and produce a draft preview of similar quality.

Until you do that, the only thing you succeed in doing is passing off as a guy with a Mike Hoeffel man crush who doesn't know any better than complain.
 

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