Quote:
Originally Posted by TheDebaser
Does anyone who does watch BC regularly care to comment on this?
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I don't really think that's a fair assessment. Johnny is a great back-checker. Sneaky stripping the puck from players backsides, and he plays (up until York switched up the top PP) mostly 5v5, which requires defensive responsibility.
They don't shelter Johnny, quite the opposite. They play him against tough lines, start him in the defensive end and let him move the puck north, and he hasn't had nearly as much powerplay time as his points total would suggest.
IMHO, he is the best player in college hockey, and he doesn't need to spend a second in the AHL.
He could, perhaps to get used to the thicker schedule, as we are finding out right now that guys like Hanowski and Jooris and Knight have slowed right now after the half way mark. College players just aren't used to playing 80 games+ a year.
That being said, Johnny is what you'd call 'exceptional'. Whatever the rule/guideline might be for moving players from colleges to the NHL, Johnny is likely an exception to that rule.