Quote:
Originally Posted by Bingo
stay at home defensemen are the guys that are out of the top 4.
I don't know if OM is lumbering, but I certainly don't see him as a puck transitioner though some in camp said he's better at that than I thought.
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As someone who's critical of stay st home guys in general, I just want to say that during the WJC I caught Sweden / AOM a few times and watching him I felt as if I was watching Niklas Hjalmarsson. He was moving the puck forward better than Hickey was every time I caught him all year (who was Kris Russelling it often). I didn't catch dev camp but all those reports fit what he played like in Helsinki.
The only thing limiting AOM's potential is his mobility/skating. Hjalmarsson is a top pair D and AOM statistically has matched him in every season thus far and plays a similar game (maybe a bit more physical). Skills-wise I actually do think he's got an edge over Hickey, though Hickey's one-timer is somethin special.
Andersson and Kylington are however my top two D prospects in their own tier. Then a very short drop to a group of four going:
Kulak
AOM
Hickey
Fox