No, he shouldn't. Gourde is great. Might end up being a finalist. Barzal is an elite player.
Barzal is like the 4th best transition player in the NHL already. He's being held back by the islanders defense who can't get him the puck.
Yeah I was expecting him to look notquiteasgood this season, but... he looks the same. I'd easily trade Miller for him, but I don't know how feasible it is.
Gourde has average overall talent but he takes that average talent and squeezes every last bit of utility out of it, which is why he is not an average player. And luck definitely had/has nothing to do with it.
I’d argue he’s an above average to very good passer and good defensive stick work combined with great speed, but yeah it’s his effort that sets him apart and makes him one of the most valuable forwards on Tampa bay
I am not being critical at all because your points are fair, but it is interesting the different perceptions of things. I think Gourde is a very good offensive zone passer, but he is downright scary in the D zone or coming out of it.
Scary in a good or bad way? I think he’s very good defensively and his stick work is phenomenal. He’s quick in transition and moves the puck up well through both carrying and dump and chase.
There is just definitely no way we resign gourde Callahan for sure has to move this offseason and probably another contract with Callahan! Probably killorn ? Or maybe even miller ? I get the feeling we will resign stralman to a 2-3 year deal and pretty much let the kid forwards replace gourde and killorn probably .
A bad way. And, again, to be clear, I am speaking only of his defensive zone passes which are more than occasionally ill-advised. To me, it's the only real weakness in his game. In every other respect I agree with you.
I haven’t noticed that with him. I’ll have to look out for it.
I think drew us in to a bit of a semantic argument and I didn't mean to. Sorry about that. What I was trying to say from the beginning is that as an NHL player, Gourde is by definition an exceptional hockey player with tremendous skills, but in the NHL that is the norm, or, the "average". What sets him apart is his desire and fearlessness, which again, most players who make it to the NHL have, but Gourde's is next level.
I don't know I want to see if gourde can do it again this year right now i'd keep miller over him. Miller has proved he can get 50 to 60 points a year. Gourde we have only seen one full year so far.
