[Cali Panthers Fan]

I don't know how this became a Kanzig thread since he was chosen last round, but let me add my 2 cents.

I see both sides of this argument as valid, but I have to say that it does concern me that he has so few points. He should be dominating the level of competition at least physically and forcing some turnovers, making guys cough up the puck etc. He also should be getting a few more secondary assists by virtue of being on the ice. The only way he doesn't is if the entire offense is a dump and chase followed by a low cycle while never passing the puck back to the point. Being that it's a Lowry coached team, I can see how that scenario would keep him from getting some secondary assists. But realistically, it could speak to his inability to make a first pass or skate a puck out of the zone, and that spells trouble at the NHL level as every defenseman needs to be able to do at least that much to be effective.

I will say this, he did score 26 points in 33 games in AAA midget before joining the WHL. It's possible that his growth spurt threw off his physical abilities for a period of time, and he's just now figuring out how to do things again. He was pretty poor in his first year in junior, not a whole lot better in his second year, and has now progressed steadily to being a dependable top pairing defender. The only other thing that's been positive in terms of progression is his +/-, and that is more of a team stat anyway. This is the year that he should have some offensive increase with bigger minutes. If he doesn't get at least 20 points, I have serious doubts about him as an NHL player for the reasons described above.