When Zub didn't play the first 10 games and then came in and was a revelation, that's pretty much exactly what I said about him. The type of player that makes all the simple plays but doesn't do anything fancy. There's a lot of use for that in the NHL
Watching him early last season I was baffled at the lack of production. Ostapchuk and Lysell just couldn’t seem to get on the same page. I am expecting a huge year from him this season.
Agreed. I had him 5th behind Sanderson, Pinto, Greig and Sogaard.
I don't really see much of a distinction between top line and 2nd line wingers. To me, the same players tend to be used in both those roles, though there are some exceptional wingers that are clearly a tier above, if you're a 2nd line winger, odds are you'd fit in fine on a top line too.
I consider a guy who can anchor a 1st or 2nd pair to be top pairing. My rationale is that a guy anchoring a 2nd pair is generally there due to another top pair D on the team. A complementary player on top pair like Methot is a 2nd pair D to me. I base it on ability rather than a coaches deployment.
That's an absurdly high standard for top line winger, there were only about 30 pt per game wingers last year and that's stretching the definition of pt per game to include everyone above .9 pts per game. I'd also take any of those guys you mentioned ahead of the vast majority of 2nd line centers in the league. I mean, who is the average 2nd line center, guys like Stastny, Reinhardt, Trocheck, Horvat, maybe Tavares?
Prospect pools are often judged based on the top end, with Boucher not having an impressive post draft year, and no 1st this year, paired with us graduating Stutzle, things thin out quick at the top.
You could generalize that way as it is subjective. I just don’t really value wingers as highly as other positions unless they are game changers like Kane and the others. Maybe I’m out of touch with todays game but give me Centres and a top pairing D and I can find away to build a winner.
I am familiar with the prospects we currently have, there is nothing wrong with admitting that most of them will not be anything more than 4th line grinders.
I think it's a bit odd to call this draft poor already, unless all you mean is we didn't draft in the first ~60 picks (fair enough if that's what you mean). Time will tell, but the 2019 draft was initially panned as a poor to average at best draft by the team, we now have 5 of the 6 picks having played in the NHL, and not a single one is considered a bust as of yet. Pinto looks like a very good pick, Lodin could be a hidden gem, Thomson looks to be providing about what can be expected after a slow start. Give it time before writing off a draft as poor.
You mean some sort of hybrid Boustapchuk? I agree, Boustapchuk would be a formidable force.
He was the top defensive Dman on Belleville by the end of the year (top D outright in the last couple months and playoffs according to Dorion), Mann could have utilized him in more of an offensive role, we'd have seen him put up closer to 20-30 pts and people probably would be more excited about him right now but they are developing him for the role they expect him to play at the next level.
