How in the world can anyone make a valid comparison between Fox and Valimaki? Fox playing against older players, less games, more practices.
Fox has had Gaudreau like success at the NCAA level. He has been the best player on any team he is on like Gaudreau. He had 40 pts in 35 games as an 18 year old rookie defenseman in the NCAA. Gaudreau had 44 pts in 44 games in Draft +1.
I do not buy the "likely won't sign with the Flames discount" that CP has granted management to treat Fox like a 3rd round pick. I am pretty sure that the Flames held their water when teams came around asking for Gaudreau as a sweetener in a trade deal after his first 2 years in the NCAA with the same sort of feelings that he would rather play on the east coast.
Fox has said that he will jump to the NHL when he is sure he will have an impact at the NHL level. If he has the Junior year jump that Gaudreau had he will be playing with Carolina next year. He will be faced with earning no money for another year or burning a year of his ELC by playing a game or 2 with the Canes and earning 1 M instead of playing a year for free.
Gaudreau made an extra 7-8 Million by not playing his 4th year at the NCAA.
Hanifin had 23 pts in 37 NCAA games as a freshman and played a full year in the NHL the next season.
At the very least Fox would have been the #2 Flame prospect had the Flames sweetened Hamilton/Ferland pot with a 3rd round pick or Kylington for instance.
There is a chance that Fox might be the best player in the Hamilton trade in 5 years.
|