Post-Game Talk: Young Stars Classic - Canucks def. Sharks - 3-2 (Horvat, Jensen, Lolwho? (Johnston))

[NuxFan09]

The stream for this game was unwatchable for me so I didn't see most of it.

Loads of info in this thread, though, so thanks guys. Looking forward to the next game tonight!

 

[Burke's Evil Spirit]

Watching Gaunce reminded me of watching a much slower Kesler at the same age.

 

[arsmaster*]

The stream for this game was unwatchable for me so I didn't see most of it.

Loads of info in this thread, though, so thanks guys. Looking forward to the next game tonight!

I forget who, but someone posted the link for the actual video page, not the CDC front page and the stream was miles better.

 

[NuxFan09]

I forget who, but someone posted the link for the actual video page, not the CDC front page and the stream was miles better.

Thanks, I'll track that down.

 

[MS]

there's lots of room to build on 'fundamentally perfect' though. i liked that aspect

Gaunce's issues are being overstated in this thread.

People expect these guys to stick out like sore thumbs with flash and dash. Gaunce will never stick out like that. It's not his game or his style.

Disagree here - *absolutely* a #1 pick should stand out in some way offensively in games like this against terrible competition if they have any hope of being a top-6 player down the road.

Like I said previously, the guy is basically a robot. Skates in straight lines, wins faceoffs, is a bit plodding but keeps his feet moving and is in good position defensively. He looks like a plus version of Nathan Smith out there, to be brutally honest. Just nothing dynamic in his game at all. A fundamentally sound defensive big body.

If he can turn into a Jay McClement-type 20 point bottom-6 center that's not a bad result for a late #1 pick in a bad draft, but I'm not holding my breath for anything more than that. If it happens, it's a major bonus.

(and I'm not just basing this opinion on this game)

Guimond rushed the puck like I would have liked to see Tommernes and others rush it. People complain about a lack of puck rushing prospects, this guy could gain the offensive zone better than any dman on either team last night.

Yes, raw, yes risky, but he had the skills to get it there....the big wind up from the point for his shot needs to speed up. Should be at least decent in the AHL (a non lockout talent pool down there should help all our guys).

Agreed.

The fact that Tommernes and Andersson can blend into the woodwork in games like this and look decent defensively at age 22-23 is *NOT* a good thing. This was substantially sub-AHL competition.

Guimond looks raw as hell and has some substantial defensive issues, but he actually does some stuff that looks like it can translate to higher levels. Like you say, his puck carrying skills and outlet passing were the best of any defender on the ice last night.

For a guy who has had very little high-level experience, he's a guy worth putting some development into and seeing where he can go in 2-3 years.

 

[arsmaster*]

Disagree here - *absolutely* a #1 pick should stand out in some way offensively in games like this against terrible competition if they have any hope of being a top-6 player down the road.

Like I said previously, the guy is basically a robot. Skates in straight lines, wins faceoffs, is a bit plodding but keeps his feet moving and is in good position defensively. He looks like a plus version of Nathan Smith out there, to be brutally honest. Just nothing dynamic in his game at all. A fundamentally sound defensive big body.

If he can turn into a Jay McClement-type 20 point bottom-6 center that's not a bad result for a late #1 pick in a bad draft, but I'm not holding my breath for anything more than that. If it happens, it's a major bonus.

(and I'm not just basing this opinion on this game)



Agreed.

The fact that Tommernes and Andersson can blend into the woodwork in games like this and look decent defensively at age 22-23 is *NOT* a good thing. This was substantially sub-AHL competition.

Guimond looks raw as hell and has some substantial defensive issues, but he actually does some stuff that looks like it can translate to higher levels. Like you say, his puck carrying skills and outlet passing were the best of any defender on the ice last night.

For a guy who has had very little high-level experience, he's a guy worth putting some development into and seeing where he can go in 2-3 years.

Gaunce was playing a 3rd line role last night. He and Blomstrand created a goal chance offensively (it's even in thefeebster's video). I didn't think he was given a chance to show all he can offensively.

I agree he didn't stick out, but I disagree that he has too. He's also a good shooter and wasn't given good chances to use his shot. Hope he does by tournament end.

His strengths are simplicity and directness....not dynamic at all really, but that's ok (2012 draft was crap anyways, so getting a bottom 6 player at 26th overall is good. I still support the pick).

On Anderson, his game is to blend into the woodwork. Simple and effective....Tanev like. He looks better in the AHL IMO than he did last night.

Tommernes I hold a soft spot for because we share a birthday, at his size, he needs to drive the play more on offensive and create more chances. Haven't seen enough to have a great opinion. Seems to be able to handle good competition defensively, but needs to provide more spark at the other end.

 

[Lundface*]

Hutton and McNally are also quite good at carrying the puck up ice so it isn't like we lack those players in our system. I would love to see how Hutton would stack up in a game like this

 

[WetcoastOrca]

Gaunce was playing a 3rd line role last night. He and Blomstrand created a goal chance offensively (it's even in thefeebster's video). I didn't think he was given a chance to show all he can offensively.

I agree he didn't stick out, but I disagree that he has too. He's also a good shooter and wasn't given good chances to use his shot. Hope he does by tournament end.
QUOTE]

I thought Gaunce was OK. I'm not going to place too much stock in one game. The biggest issue seemed to be his speed at least to me. I'd like to see him stand out a bit more next game and then see what he can do at the main camp. Overall I think he needs to make more of an impact as many of the players he is playing against will never see the NHL. I'll be interested to see whether he can kick it up a notch next game.

 

[LickTheEnvelope]

Read the last pages, thanks for the thoughts guys as I missed this game.

Only question I had was on the faceoffs. Sounds like Gaunce was stellar but how did Horvat, Cassels and Mallet fair? (mostly asking how Mallet looked on the draw).

 

[HighAndTight]

Read the last pages, thanks for the thoughts guys as I missed this game.

Only question I had was on the faceoffs. Sounds like Gaunce was stellar but how did Horvat, Cassels and Mallet fair? (mostly asking how Mallet looked on the draw).

Horvat was great on the draw.

 

[Spamhuis]

Gaunce was playing a 3rd line role last night. He and Blomstrand created a goal chance offensively (it's even in thefeebster's video). I didn't think he was given a chance to show all he can offensively.

I agree he didn't stick out, but I disagree that he has too. He's also a good shooter and wasn't given good chances to use his shot. Hope he does by tournament end.

His strengths are simplicity and directness....not dynamic at all really, but that's ok (2012 draft was crap anyways, so getting a bottom 6 player at 26th overall is good. I still support the pick).

Guance can play left wing as well as center. At worst he will be a faceoff winning fourth line center, or a winger who can spot draws. I am comfortable with that. Not every pick's going to be a top sixer, I would love to see him succeed as a good bottom six center. Not going to hold my breath on that though.

It's absolutely hilarious that Canucks Army picked him as the number 1 canucks prospect. Way too much stat watching and reading other material rather than reviewing with their own eyes going on over there.

 

[leftwinglockdown]

Gaunce was playing a 3rd line role last night. He and Blomstrand created a goal chance offensively (it's even in thefeebster's video). I didn't think he was given a chance to show all he can offensively.

Can't forget the fact that they gave the Sharks like 7(?) PPs and Gaunce was on every single one of those PKs. I'd say that's a pretty grueling first game since the Team Canada Development Camp.

 

[arsmaster*]

Horvat was great on the draw.

Except for the one he lost clean that led directly to Albetshauser's goal.

 

[PhilMick]

Dumb question that probably has an answer in a really easy to locate spot but I can't find it: Is Liberati in Penticton, and if so, did he play last night?

 

[Pip]

Dumb question that probably has an answer in a really easy to locate spot but I can't find it: Is Liberati in Penticton, and if so, did he play last night?

99% sure I heard he was there, but scratched

 

[HighAndTight]

Except for the one he lost clean that led directly to Albetshauser's goal.

You aren't going to win them all

 

[PhilMick]

99% sure I heard he was there, but scratched

Ahh thanks. I also just found an update that says he's playing tonight.

 

[MS]

Gaunce was playing a 3rd line role last night. He and Blomstrand created a goal chance offensively (it's even in thefeebster's video). I didn't think he was given a chance to show all he can offensively.

I agree he didn't stick out, but I disagree that he has too. He's also a good shooter and wasn't given good chances to use his shot. Hope he does by tournament end.

His strengths are simplicity and directness....not dynamic at all really, but that's ok (2012 draft was crap anyways, so getting a bottom 6 player at 26th overall is good. I still support the pick).

On Anderson, his game is to blend into the woodwork. Simple and effective....Tanev like. He looks better in the AHL IMO than he did last night.

Tommernes I hold a soft spot for because we share a birthday, at his size, he needs to drive the play more on offensive and create more chances. Haven't seen enough to have a great opinion. Seems to be able to handle good competition defensively, but needs to provide more spark at the other end.

I agree that Gaunce doesn't have to stand out if you accept that fact that he's going to be a low-impact bottom-6 defensive player. However, that would not be the consensus expectation on this website right now, and I think people have to temper those expectations.

Was he poor? No. But against this level of competition the guys who are going to make real impact should look like they're playing pond hockey in the offensive zone. As Horvat/Shinkaruk/Jensen did for much of the night.

And when we're talking about a guy who has been mentioned as a potential NHL player this year, the fact that his skating looks sluggish in an ECHL-calibre game has to be an issue.

_____

As for Andersson/Tommernes - they're pretty much the oldest/most experienced guys out there. Playing in an ECHL game, they should look like studs if they're legitimate prospects, even if they're playing conservatively.

I agree Andersson can play better, but he wasn't very good last night - his passing and puck distribution was poor, and he was dangled on a couple occasions. He wasn't bad, but he sure as heck wasn't very good.

Tommernes just looks like an undersized guy with no discernible skills that will translate to be an NHL player. Small, non-physical, not great offensively, decent but not great skater. Looks like the definition of a minor-league player.

 

[Reverend Mayhem]

Hey if we nabbed a guy with the 26th pick in the 2012 draft, that looks like he can't do any offense at all but plays wicked defense, I'm all for inserting him on the roster THIS year and letting Kesler off defensively at some points during the weaker teams.

 

[orcasfan]

Some of you guys (MS especially!) are getting way too carried away in your assessment of the future of these prospects on the basis of just this one game! Expecting top prospects to dominate (just because that's what they're supposed to do!) is nuts. The most dominant feature of the game was the combination of nerves, rust and a total lack of practice time as a team! The most glaring problem manifested in the Canucks own end with crazy giveaways, poor passing, missed assignments and just overall sloppiness, especially in the first two periods.

It would be interesting to see the TOI figures. I imagine Gaunce aws on the ice for a big chunk of PK time, and was not put into an obvious offensive role (unlike Bo and Shinkaruk).

The value of these games is to give the recent draftees a taste of
possible futures as well as seeing if any invitees deserve a longer look.
It's also an opportunity for the Swedish guys to get more practice on the NHL-sized rink. That's about it though. The real testing will come at main camp and the pre-season for most of these guys, when they will be skating with NHL'ers!

 

[Bieksa#3]

Gaunce would get destroyed in the NHL if he were given a defensive role on the team. I know it's early so Ill hold judgment till all is said and done, but if Gaunce doesn't improve much from last night he's got no chance at making the NHL this year. Main camp will be too much for him. I don't need to see flash, but like MS said, he's got to make more of a impact in games other than face offs.

How would he be a good defensive player on the NHL roster for us? Someone who can't skate, stands around and watches the play a lot? Thats everything against what John torterella has preached in his press conference. That's just my opinion and I'm just not impressed, this is coming from someone who always thought gaunce was a bottom 6 player with little offensive upside. I'm not expecting him to produce points but I sure as hell want to see a more impactful game.

 

[settinguptheplay]

Nice to see we have all established the career's of most of our prospects based off the 1st game of the year. I don't understand why NHL teams bother to hire scouts when the HFBoards are full of them and working for free. All Gillis has to do is spend a couple hours browsing the boards and we should be Cup winners by season's end!

 

[Hielo Grande]

Think we're chomping at the bit much? Young stars game draws 1000 posts and some quite strong and emotional from seasoned posters. Gotta love Canuck fans' passion!

 

[Bieksa#3]

Nice to see we have all established the career's of most of our prospects based off the 1st game of the year. I don't understand why NHL teams bother to hire scouts when the HFBoards are full of them and working for free. All Gillis has to do is spend a couple hours browsing the boards and we should be Cup winners by season's end!

What's the point of a hockey forum? For discussions and opinions no?

None of us are proclaiming to be scouts and gm's, it's just our personal opinions and not sure why they can't be accepted?

 

[MS]

Some of you guys (MS especially!) are getting way too carried away in your assessment of the future of these prospects on the basis of just this one game! Expecting top prospects to dominate (just because that's what they're supposed to do!) is nuts. The most dominant feature of the game was the combination of nerves, rust and a total lack of practice time as a team! The most glaring problem manifested in the Canucks own end with crazy giveaways, poor passing, missed assignments and just overall sloppiness, especially in the first two periods.

It would be interesting to see the TOI figures. I imagine Gaunce aws on the ice for a big chunk of PK time, and was not put into an obvious offensive role (unlike Bo and Shinkaruk).

The value of these games is to give the recent draftees a taste of
possible futures as well as seeing if any invitees deserve a longer look.
It's also an opportunity for the Swedish guys to get more practice on the NHL-sized rink. That's about it though. The real testing will come at main camp and the pre-season for most of these guys, when they will be skating with NHL'ers!

None of my opinions are based on only one game.

But in any case, expecting top prospects to stand out against fringe prospects and nobodies is not an unreasonable expectation. And most of them did.