Quote:
Originally Posted by New Era
So it's okay to say that McKinnon is a lock to be a special player, or to use a high end comparison, but not the other players mentioned? I guess I just have to ask, what happened to this special player at the world juniors? I thought McKinnon was a massive disappointment at this tournament. Now before you trot out the pat "it's a 19 year olds tournament" why did players like Drouin, Barkov and others perform above expectation while McKinnon did not? I get the McKinnon love, I really do, but there are question marks about him just as there are about other players. Opportunity has a lot to do with it, but great players make their opportunities. A player like Gaudreau continues to make opportunities and force you to recognize him. That is why the Flames continue to field calls about his availability. McKinnon had me concerned until his Memorial Cup performance, but I still have concerns about his world junior performance. I'm not sold on him and would prefer we built on our prospect pool, not give a chunk of it away to get a player with a lot of hype and facing the same challenges as other draft picks.
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Well plenty of amazing NHLers couldn't even make that tournament at age 17. He was playing out of position on a grinding line. I think you are putting far too much stock into that tournament. I believe he had a hat trick in the U-18's the year before playing against players closer to his age.
I think the performance of Jones and Drouin and Barkov at the WJC's is a nice positive for them but I don't think MacKinnon's performance at the WJC is any reason to think less of him.
If you're not sold on him then I'd say you haven't seen him enough. Not many question marks on this kid at all.