Quote:
Originally Posted by Phanuthier
Yeah, wow did potential ever flop indeed. I still remember in the WJC where he was dynamite in between the goal line and the blue line. I thought he had fantastic hockey sense, but maybe it was just that he was physically dominant over his others. I still remember the game against the Russians where they were getting tired of getting hit when gaining the zone, so they dump the puck in and dog it so they wouldn't get hit. Even in juniors, out playing Woywitka/Lynch as a 17 yo and showing great hockey sense and mobility.
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I think (or thought at the time) that his hockey skills and shot were as dominant as his size.
However, your point is key. It is very difficult to separate the physical dominance that some players have at that age from a dominance in skill and ability.
This is a huge issue with respect to Jones as well, IMO. And since C is so important to building a championship team, my preference would still be MacKinnon, despite Jones' current dominance.