CambieKev
Scout. Future Considerations, Dobber Prospects.
- Aug 26, 2019
- 189
- 694
Today brings us Episode 2 of our Legends Series where we look at the individual performances of players to garner a sense of their style of play. The subject of Episode 2: the talented but controversial Alexandre Daigle. He was, without question, a very gifted player. He was a superstar in the QMJHL, and the sheer amount of hype surrounding him resulted in the Ottawa Senators allegedly tanking to guarantee their first-overall draft position. The draft lottery system is the result of this.
He was expected to be another iconic hockey figure of the 1990s a la Steve Yzerman and Joe Sakic. He was to become Ottawa's superstar and the face of Senators hockey. Instead, he became known as the great disappointment, the most notorious letdown in recent draft history.
On a surface level, he looked as though he should have been a star based on his skill set. However, when one examines his tendencies, there are numerous flaws that one may identify as reasons for his lack of success in the NHL. There was the belief that he had lost interest in the game and played at a fraction of his capabilities. Many criticized his level of intensity.
When one watches this footage, though, the biggest takeaway is that his decision-making with the puck was far too slow at times. He sometimes exhibited tunnel vision, and he held on to the puck for far too long. He never created much with the puck on his stick.
Despite criticisms of his lack of intensity, he engaged along the boards regularly and fought for pucks. Many enigmatic, passive players tend to remain in the middle and shy away from the boards. Board work was a major element of Daigle's game. He was not particularly physical, though, as he preferred to use his stick. He played an aggressive, high-tempo style. This sometimes took him out of position and caused him to chase the play. He often looked fast with the puck. He was also less creative than he is given credit for.
Daigle was very talented, but multiple barriers prevented him from utilizing that skill set. I think scouts placed too much emphasis on his skill set and not enough on the red flags. He was aggressive but careless. He did not process the game as quickly as he moved.
