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Originally Posted by flames_fan_down_under

If we can get Eichel that would be a major shift in the right direction.

I like Gaudreau as well. I think he is miscast as the teams top offensive threat as he is too easily shut down. Obviously the Kessel narrative has been brought up a lot, when he was put into a role that suited him better in Pitt he flourished. JG seems like a great supporting piece, but not the tip of the spear.

Using past performances in things like Memorial Cups, OHL championships, IIHF World Championships hold very little relevance, for me, when it comes to translating that into NHL success. Tkachuk was playing with Marner and Dvorak on that London Knights team with Olli Juolevi. Not a lot of playoff success with those players. Taylor Hall was a memorial cup winner. The NHL is a different beast.

I am with you regarding Tkachuk. Last season was not very reassuring. Who knows what player to expect this coming season. The one with the fiery intensity or the guy who was not as engaged as we are used to seeing.

Honestly, I'm not sure that Gaudreau isn't in the same tier or class as Draisatl. If Gaudreau played with McDavid, he might have the same production as Draisatl.