Quote:
Originally Posted by Parallex
I'll take you up on that. Specific Player comment requests:
The pro rookie defensemen (Seabrook, Aulie, Negrin) along with Grantham (Since I hate having a otherwise useless goon I'm more interested in hearing about his actual hockey skills... whether he can play a decent checking/energy line role in addition to the pugilism).
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Seabrook- I was very impressed with the guy playoff performance with the hitmen last year. He finishes checks and could develop into a really mean defensman with offensive upside (he will never be as good as Dion, but he will need to follow in those footsteps to be successful). Having said that, last night he looked a little bit out of position and is still getting used to the system. It is obvious that he is one of the younger defensman on that team.
Aulie- The guy is mean. I really like him. He will not let a forward go without making sure he hits him and even an extra shot if the ref isn't looking. He didn't have the greatest game last night and personally I thought he looked better in Calgary. On one play he got burned really bad last night, but I think yesterday needs to be taken a bit with a grain of salt as it is pre-season AHL after just getting sent down by the Flames.
Negrin- He is slick and confident. The guy will cut to the inside, put a move on a forward and outskate him out of the defensive zone. His shot is not bad either. I think the biggest reason he looked worse this training camp than last is because he doesn't have the system down. You can see he has all the tools to be dominant, but is still out of position. I think the best comparisson for him is a player like Giordano. That is not to say that his ceiling is higher or lower, but his skating/speed, his skills with the puck and his playmaking make him look very comparable.
Grantham- I liked him in Kelowna's playoff run and in the memorial cup last year. In 1-0 games a couple of times it was Grantham with the only goal. There is no doubt he is a goon and got into a pretty good tilt last night after some pushing and shoving drawing a penalty (In fact it was this penalty that led to the tying goal for the heat IIRC). He tried to make a couple of behind the back passes that ended up going the other way, so I think he needs to simplify his game a little bit. He could definitely become a Prust-esque player with better fighting or a big game specialist, but he could also be a straight out goon with better skills than Godard, but worse fighting. Grantham is at least 2-3 years (if not 4) from the NHL, if he makes it. I really liked Prust's playmaking in the preseason so far and this will be the guy that Grantham has to outplay to make the team.
I got a little caried away and provided my analysis on everything I have seen from the player instead of just last night, but I hope I did answer your questions.