Zadina probably starting out in GR

[ChrisReevesLegs]

Jurco used to flash a lot more skill as a junior.

I'm sure some will say "Babcock"

 

[ChrisReevesLegs]

I truly with all my heart believe that Jurco "could" have turned into Hossa-lite if not for Babcock. It seemed like Jurco would go out, make five creative plays that worked, one that failed and get benched immediately. That kind of treatment will scare anyone into playing hot potato. But that's off-topic so don't let me derail this thread.

If that was the case you would expect him to flourish in Chicago under a new coach. He didn't. I don't think he even plays hockey anymore.

 

[Nut Upstrom]

What happened to the Hossa comparisons for this kid?
Unfortunately I haven't been able to see him play since pre-season, but I'm confused by likening him or his game to Happy Hudler's.

 

[HisNoodliness]

If that was the case you would expect him to flourish in Chicago under a new coach. He didn't. I don't think he even plays hockey anymore.

By then the damage was done. It's hard to unlearn "If I have the puck I'm going to get benched." But like I said, Jurco talk will just derail the thread so that's the last I think I'll say. We've beaten to death the "Babs ruins creative prospects" argument.

 

[TheMule93]

Im still convinced Jurco could have been a great NHLer with a team that could properly develop prospects. By the time he was offloaded to Chicago he was damaged goods.

 

[ChrisReevesLegs]

By then the damage was done. It's hard to unlearn "If I have the puck I'm going to get benched." But like I said, Jurco talk will just derail the thread so that's the last I think I'll say. We've beaten to death the "Babs ruins creative prospects" argument.

Im still convinced Jurco could have been a great NHLer with a team that could properly develop prospects. By the time he was offloaded to Chicago he was damaged goods.

So the unemployed 25 year old would have been a Hossa-esque player if he simply had a different coach? I'm not buying it

 

[SCD]

Im still convinced Jurco could have been a great NHLer with a team that could properly develop prospects. By the time he was offloaded to Chicago he was damaged goods.

Fischer is out of that role, Horcoff is now in-charge. From the write-ups, sounds like he has made a lot of changes.

 

[TheMule93]

So the unemployed 25 year old would have been a Hossa-esque player if he simply had a different coach? I'm not buying it

I dont buy that either. Which is why I didnt say that.

 

[TCNorthstars]

Im still convinced Jurco could have been a great NHLer with a team that could properly develop prospects. By the time he was offloaded to Chicago he was damaged goods.

Wings do just fine developing forwards. It is defence where the problem lies.

 

[haulinbass]

Jurco would have been an amazing player to watch had he panned out. Anyone know why he didn't go to the KHL and keep playing?

 

[ArGarBarGar]

I'm sorry but if you have NHL talent that can be utilized effectively you (Jurco) figure your shit out and make something of yourself to where you can actually have a career that lasts longer than 6 seasons and roughly 200 games.

I dont buy that either. Which is why I didnt say that.

I'm curious what your barometer for "great" is. His shootout attempt in early 2014 is a great representation of what his best contribution to the NHL was in hindsight.

 

[ChrisReevesLegs]

Jurco was garbage. Anyone who claims Babs ruined him doesn't know good hockey when they see it.

 

[lomekian]

As pointed out, the curious thing is why Jur I isn't playing anywhere now. For a player who hasn't cut it at the NHL, he was largely dominant at AHL level, so could easily earn good money elsewhere or at least a decent stack in the AHL if he chose to stay in NA.

Did his back finally pack in for good?

He was a player who when he first came up showed some real flashes and looked like a likely 40 point middle sixer, and was too good for GR. but a combo of Babs screwing with him and much more importantly his developing significant back problems undid him in Detroit. His confidence evaporated and then his mobility was diminished and his interviews made it seem his priorities were not where they needed to be for a player whose progress had been derailed by usage, a lack of progress and then injury.

A shame, given how good he was in GR, but we got almost as much trading him as we spent in the draft to acquire him, so meh.

His shot was never close to Zadina's though. One top draw aspect to a player can be enough to thrive if they can round the rest out. Jurco was good at quite a few things, but none as good as Zadina's shot.

 

[Jon Cusack]

Last I heard, Jurco was injured which is why he’s not playing.

 

[Filppula]

Last I heard, Jurco was injured which is why he’s not playing.

Exactly, nice to seee some people keep up to date. He’s had a bad back for years, and had off season surgery on discs in his back. Guys had rotten luck. He said he’s feeling great now. Probably damaged goods by now but the talent was there, a combination of poor use and injury really derailed him.

 

[KJoe88]

Jurco was garbage. Anyone who claims Babs ruined him doesn't know good hockey when they see it.

I’m sorry, but Babcock is an overrated coach.

He DID ruin Jurco somewhat. Who knows what would’ve happened to Jurco under a different circumstance. He may have been a better player, he may not have. But to blindly say that Babcock didn’t hinder Jurco is absurd.

 

[Oddbob]

If that was the case you would expect him to flourish in Chicago under a new coach. He didn't. I don't think he even plays hockey anymore.

Not defending Jurco as I don't think he was anything special, but Q hates creative players, unless they are Patrick Kane, Artemi Panarin level good. He and Babcock are much the same in this area.

 

[Oddbob]

Wings do just fine developing forwards. It is defence where the problem lies.

Do we have trouble with developing D though? We haven't drafted a D in the top 15 of a draft in my time as a Wings fan, that I can recall, which is nearly 30 years. Many teams have bad D draft records, because unless you get lucky, getting an awesome blueliner in the 2nd and beyond rounds is very hard. Being good for so long is a much overlooked reason why it looks like we can't develop D. Smith and Kindl are it, are they not, for 1st rounders and so we went 0 for 2 in the past many years, and that is par for the course when drafting players. Don't know the numbers, but most drafted players do not become awesome players, so getting really good ones is hard.

Drafting and developing is mostly luck, like we had getting Z and Pavs in ridiculous low rounds of 6 and 7, and sometimes you get a bunch of it, and sometimes you don't. Obviously some scouts are indeed better than others, as are coaches, but players developing into something prominent, is so much about luck. When developing, did the get hurt, have a coach that wrecked their confidence, have something bad happen in their family that affected performance, and so many other things that can affect how a player grows into anything of prominence.

 

[Oddbob]

Jurco would have been an amazing player to watch had he panned out. Anyone know why he didn't go to the KHL and keep playing?

Apparently he wants to make it in the NHL, and is willing to play in the AHL to make it happen. I read it on here somewhere, don't remember where. He wants the NHL, not the KHL.

 

[TheMule93]

oh wow, people on this board took an argument (Jurco could/would have turned out great in a better development system) and altered it to some ridiculous extreme that nobody would ever argue for (Different coach = Jurco would be hossa 2.0) in order to refute the argument. Never have I seen that done before on here!

 

[Zetterberg4Captain]

Give me a break

Babcock did not ruin Jurco.

Jurco simply
-wasn't good enough
-wasn't smart enough
-didn't have enough drive
-didnt have enough heart

These are the factors that determine weather a player, heck anyone, "makes" it or not and its up to them.

Do not blame anyone else

 

[Zetterberg4Captain]

Now how is ZADINA doing?

Are the points starting to come along?
Are the goals starting to add up?
Is he getting a good amount of ice time?
Is he being used in all situations?
Is he improving from one game to the next?
Is he working hard in and staying late after practice?
Is he showing signs of maturity and leadership?

These are the questions we should be talking about un this thread, not Jurco or Hudler.

 

[izlez]

"Pressured him from this angle, beat you with a toe drag, tried this, beat the triangle on you. Tried this, never seen that move before. Tried completely taking the body? It was on his teammate's stick behind you before you knew he was there. Decided the only option is to back off? He scored with his shot that coach warned you about before the game. Why'd you give him that space?! That's the 'one' thing you can never do."

Is this an actual quote?

 

[HisNoodliness]

Is this an actual quote?

Nah I made that up. Just trying to demonstrate my view of how it would feel from the Ds perspective. Man that would have been an awesome quote if real though.

 

[izlez]

Nah I made that up. Just trying to demonstrate my view of how it would feel from the Ds perspective. Man that would have been an awesome quote if real though.

Haha, I really wasn't sure. I'm a bit more skeptical of Zadina than most, but having a quote like THAT from an opponent could help to sway me. Oh well.