Quote:
Originally Posted by Textcritic
I would say they are.
Something else to consider is the reciprocal impact of bias on the part of observers outside of the market. We have watched Fox closely precisely because he was Flames property and we are Flames fans. But he suddenly gained a tonne of additional outside-market attention when at first he 1) allegedly declined a contract offer from the Flames last year, and opted to return to College; 2) was then seemingly abruptly moved when it looked like the Flames would eventually lose him to UFA; 3) then again declined to sign with Carolina a year later, thus prompting another trade.
All of this activity dramatically increased Adam Fox's own visibility, and I think arguably contributed significantly to increasing his own stock elsewhere.
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Absolutely.
I can't think of any lists that Fox was high on before the trade. Part of that is because nobody is paying attention to Flames' prospects, but the minute there is a suggestion that he might not sign with the team that drafted him, everyone stops to pay attention as to why he might become a free agent, and lo and behold, they found out he was good!
However, they assume that because he's a college free agent that he's a very special player. I don't see that. A good NHLer is possible, but he has some noticeable holes in his skill set that may not let him achieve a regular NHL job. College hockey does not provide the same pressure on defensemen that the NHL or even the AHL does. Watch clips of Fox and you will see that he often has all day to make a pass and regularly walks into the slot unmolested. I don't think he'll be able to translate his offense to the next level as he is now. He doesn't have the mobility or speed to get away from checkers, and I suspect his skills make him average at best in his own zone, possibly a liability because he doesn't have the size or speed to stick with guys.
Now, I'm not trying to say he's not talented, he surely is, but I sincerely believe he will struggle to stick in the NHL because he's not well-rounded at all. Perhaps he can work on it and improve, but there are so many prospects that have a better chance of being a full-time NHLer. People get wowed by the numbers and the skills, but fail to realize that defense in the NHL is by far the hardest position to break into. So much is required to be an NHL defenseman, more than any other position IMO.
Time will tell with Fox, but having him ranked this high is about journalists getting caught up in the glitz rather than looking with a critical eye. They aren't scouts after all.