Quote:
Originally Posted by djsFlames
Pat and Loubo on the fan now saying they're 100% sure he's an NHLer and should be on the team. Pat thinks he was the best player on the ice in Sylvan yesterday and that he's shown enough now. Loubo says his ability on the PP may be reason enough to keep him up. Both agree that he's proven again and again that he can take hits and not get phased by it. Loubo then added at the end that a short stint in the A couldn't hurt, but would be shocked if he's not on the roster opening night.
I agree. Thoughts?
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I'd probably lean closer to Loubardias' thoughts. Gaudreau is looking like a real gem and I'll openly admit I way undersold his potential at the point of draft. I think there's enough data to show that he'll make the NHL based on his ability to read plays so much better than other players. He finds open slots even when being pushed around against preseason squads and I think given his age, he'll find a way to improve that as he gets older to make this skill possible against full NHL teams.
Gaudreau absolutely is an NHLer on the PP. He already has NHL calibre skills when given time and space. And you can see flashes of brilliance in his game. There were plays in the Sylvan Lake game whee I was surprised that a Flame even saw the play develop. Almost every time it was Gaudreau just sneaking past a defender or moving to a spot which seemed intuitive to me. But, again, they were flashes. He isn't dominating, nor do I expect him to dominate at his age.
A stint in the AHL would let him hone his 5v5 skills via heavy minutes and adjust to the pro schedule intensity. But I also think it's quite possible he earns a spot on the starting roster and will, like Monahan, learn on the fly. If he learns the same way Monahan does and a player takes Gaudreau under his guidance (Hudler in Monahan's case), it might make sense.