Quote:
Originally Posted by AlbertaOiler72
Bear won the WHL defenseman of the year, Jones played the most minutes for the US at the WJHC, Yamamoto had the most goals as an 18 year old in the 'dub
not exactly bums
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What a stretch. This exactly why I say you have to wait for these kids to get to the pros to see what their potential really is.
Bear winning WHL defenseman of the year is no great accomplishment. In fact, Bear's numbers are strikingly similar to that other future Norris winner, Brenden Kichton. Interestingly, they are also similar is size and style of play. I wouldn't hold that trophy up as anything of note as there are as many failures as there are successes who have won the trophy. Consider the following: Brenden Kichton, Stefan Elliott, Tyson Barrie, Kris Russell (twice!), Jeff Woywitka, Christian Chartier, and Micki Dupont have all been winners since the 2000. There have been winners like Provorov, Theodore, Alzner, and Phaneuf (twice!) that have won as well, but those guys were all 1st rounders, not a guy drafted in the 5th round.
I also wouldn't get all excited about someone getting the most ice time in a hockey tournament. What a horrible metric to measure potential by.
Yamamoto is going to be an interesting player to watch develop. He's got skill, but he's has he got elite skills. His size is going to make his game hard to translate to the pros. If he were an elite level skater who could slip and slide past defenders like Gaudreau, I'd be a little more excited about him. Size is a massive detractor until he steps up and proved he can play against men. He's got a very long way to go. Kailer was a swing for the fences by the Oilers. We'll see if it carries out of the park or is just a pop up to the infield.