[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

I struggle with some of your definitions and word usage. I'm not sure how many teams would take Johnson over Saad given the choice of the two.

Most of the ones.

Saad has game breaking speed, nice size, 30 goal scorer. Who wouldn't want him? How is he a complimentary player?

Brandon Saad is a line driver? Well I mean, he drives play at times, but most would consider him a complimentary piece, not unlike Ryan Callahan or Brad Marchand, albeit a bit taller.

And how are Dubois and Puljujarvi questionable as game breakers but Keller is a game breaker? I don't understand that distinction at all. Puljujarvi has game breaking speed, playmaking and shooting. His puck handling isn't as good as Nylander/Keller's but overall he's a much, much more attractive prospect.

I never said Dubois and Pulju aren't more attractive prospects as they are two way monsters with strong offense, they are. But there are more concerns about them offensively than Keller.

I don't think Puljujarvi or Dubois have gamebreaking skill.
I do think Puljujarvi and Dubois have gamebreaking overall packages.
I do think Keller has gamebreaking skill.
I also think Matthews and Laine have gamebreaking overall packages AND skill.

Hudler - 2nd line winger with skill and hockey sense who had one crazy year with Gaudreau/Monahan but who lacks size and skating and seems to be on the decline because of that and his advancing age

He didn't have one crazy year. He had other years putting up similar numbers but played less minutes. You don't finish top 10 in scoring in the NHL as a 2nd line winger.

What he wasn't though was a play driver.

Johansen - 1st line centre in skill, but his foot speed could be better and he struggles with work ethic at times. I wouldn't call him a consistent driving player although he definitely drives the offence when he wants to

And yet on no line is he the third option. Unlike Saad, who is the third option on most lines. RyJo may be inconsistent, but let's not pretend Monahan is a model of consistency either. These are young centers.

Johnson - ideal 2nd line centre but can be your 1st liner in a pinch. Definitely drives play with his speed and tenacity

Ideal 2nd line center who as 1st line center took his team to the cup final where they were a goalie injury away from winning a Stanley Cup. And now Ideal 2nd line center who has his team be the first to enter into a conference final. While the team is without its Ideal 1st line center who is actually a functional 2nd line center that gets a lot of power play goals.

I guess we just don't see players quite the same in general.

No, no we don't. Because you have this constant "ideal" concept in your head that blinds you to "actual". Ask a Tampa fan if Tyler Johnson is an actual 1C or a 2C.