Quote:
Originally Posted by Erick Estrada
Well for every Gaudreau this organization has seen there's been about 30 Ryan Howse's. You can understand how long time fans no longer get overly giddy about prospects until they actually become NHL producers. It's pretty sad when I look at the Flames prospects we used to talk and be excited about ten years ago. I don't have any problem with fans being excited about the potential of Jankowski, Baertschi, etc but until they do something in the NHL they haven't done or proven anything and potential can only take you so far and it turns to downright annoying when some fans start blaming coaching and management for the players failures so it can be a two way street.
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I agree with most of your statements here, but I'll be blunt: Baertschi was the first prospect I was excited about since Phaneuf. Before Monahan and Bennett, he was also the highest 1st round pick we'd had since Phaneuf. None of those other players drafted in that time were ever projected to be top 6 forwards or top 4 defensemen. He then went on to post unreal numbers in the WHL his next year and followed it up with a 5 game call up where he looked ready to contribute that day, at least offensively.
If anyone gave me unrealistic expectations for Sven, it was Sven. He performed at an incredibly high level and projected to be a 1st line player in the NHL. The fact that just a few years later, not only is he not a 1st line NHL player, but if he even makes it, which isn't a sure thing at all, it will be at best a 2nd line winger, well that's pretty disappointing. That's not getting overly excited about a prospect on my part, that's following his progression and his pedigree, and then putting realistic expectations on where he should be at certain points in his timeline.
If Baertschi has his detractors now, and I'm not necessarily even one of them, it's likely because he simply hasn't come close to living up to his potential, while some guys like Jooris, and to a lesser extent Bouma, kicked down the door to the NHL when they got their chances. I have a greater amount of respect for guys that make the most of the opportunities they're given.