GDT: YST G2 | Oilers vs. Flames | 8:30PM MST | Streamed

[AUAIOMRN]

Caleb Jones I noticed a few times, he's got some pretty slick stickhandling.

 

[DisgruntledGoat*]

Nurse is going to be hell to play against but I still don't see the poise to be a top dman in this league.

I tend to agree, and that's not a knock on Nurse. I think expectations are maybe a little high. I wince when I see the Pronger comparison thrown around. He'll never be Pronger. Pronger wasn't great because he was big and mean. He was great because he had incredible skills and great hockey sense. AND he was big and mean.

Having said all that. . . when I see Nurse play, the guy who keeps coming to my mind is Adam Foote. Big, snarly, quick feet, natural leader.

Even Foote is lofty expectations, though. I'd be more than happy with Jason Smith 2.0.

 

[McDeathbyCheerios*]

So are we expecting him to be winning Norris trophies here?

Everybody knows he is crazy athletic and has a mean streak. If you guys are telling me has the poise and puck skills to go along with it, you are kind of describing the perfect dman. You should all be comfortable anointing him a future Norris trophy winner if that is the case.

He has the recipe for a Norris dman for sure. Doesn't mean it will turn out that way. He definitely is the type of dman who if he puts it all together well will be that top guy.

 

[ChaoticOrange]

Caleb Jones I noticed a few times, he's got some pretty slick stickhandling.

Jones had a pretty tough night in his own zone, but he's young and needs a lot of seasoning.

 

[Spawn]

Yeah, Laleggia is simply too small. I really don't see the point with this guy. Reasonable player on the farm but theres nothing in his stature that says NHL player. Even at a peak he would remind me of a Bergeron type. I just don't see it. You gotta have incredible skills as a D to overcome being a runt. He has no physical compete and just gets beat on pucks around the net.

The bolded is likely the point with him as a 5th round pick. You can't really expect more. You hope he can maximize his assets and minimize his negatives and if he tops out as a player as who can be your #6 d-man and contribute on the powerplay that's a pretty big success for a 5th round pick. Chances are he probably carves out a decent career in the minors/Europe (basically what Hunt is now) and doesn't get much more than a cup of coffee in the NHL. But he's got some offensive skills that this organization doesn't have a lot of on the backend. There are worse things to do than give a kid with some obvious puck skills time to develop in the organization.

 

[tinfish]

So are we expecting him to be winning Norris trophies here?

Everybody knows he is crazy athletic and has a mean streak. If you guys are telling me has the poise and puck skills to go along with it, you are kind of describing the perfect dman. You should all be comfortable anointing him a future Norris trophy winner if that is the case.

Again, he has a lot to learn, but he wouldn't have gone 7th overall if the potential wasn't there for a top pairing defensemen. That's what people are hoping for, not the next pronger.

 

[McDoused]

What? Is this a DnD 101 thread now?

Where is my +5 Mace of Might. And my Vorpal blade for that matter.

Clearly Nurse would be some variation of a cleric. He's running around out there with persisted buffs like Divine Power and Bulls Strength.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Leon kinda coasted on that penalty shot...

How has LaLeggia looked? Really liked his game at DU.

Very good, pretty much what I expected after watching him play for DU.

I'm the opposite. I think it is something you either have or don't.

When Nurse gets to wind up, he is great. When he is under a heavy forecheck and has to made a quick read, he isn't so impressive.

To a degree, that said Nurse looked much more poised against Erie so I'll chalk it up to a new team, players and coach.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

So are we expecting him to be winning Norris trophies here?

Everybody knows he is crazy athletic and has a mean streak. If you guys are telling me has the poise and puck skills to go along with it, you are kind of describing the perfect dman. You should all be comfortable anointing him a future Norris trophy winner if that is the case.

I agree on puck skills and offensive IQ, but I think that he will be more poised when he settles in with the team, system, etc. That said he's young enough to grow his game in every area so the honest answer is I don't know what his ceiling is yet.