Quote:
Originally Posted by Textcritic
Here's the thing. There are a number of posters who have been watching Gaudreau VERY CLOSELY since his first college season in 2011. Since he started playing elite level juniour hockey, he has not merely impressed, he has virtually smashed expectations and projections. He had his first actual taste of professional hockey that is approaching NHL levels in the 2014 WCs, and once again, he obliterated expectations. These are not guarantees by any stretch—and I don't believe anyone is claiming otherwise. However, the long and growing list of seriously impressive accomplishments in Gaudreau's relatively short hockey career to date are in fact good indications (I don't think you actually meant "inclination") that lead those of us who have been fixated on his exasperating upward trajectory over the course of the past three years to think that he absolutely can be an impact NHL player—size be damned.
On the surface of it, it would seem so. But I think the high prise is mostly a product of the well worn tendency that Gaudreau is developing for doing things at every level of hockey in which he plays that no one has ever seen before. Watching him at the WCs this year (just to offer one example) was a special treat—not just because he is a Flames prospect—but primarily because he was thinking and playing the game fairly consistently on another level that actually transformed it.
I'm not kidding. He is THAT good, and the Flames have never had a prospect like that. Not ever.
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We've yet to see Johnny play against elite NHLers (the WC this year comprised mostly KHL players and second tier NHL players, with a few exceptions). Still, I certainly wouldn't bet against Gaudreau excelling at the next level.