Time to revisit a take I got absolutely lit up for late last year—when I said some fans and amateur scouts can out-evaluate NHL professionals. In the 2024 draft thread, posters like Pepsifree, fotze2, Enochroot, and Wastedyouth dragged me for that as I was reflecting on Leshunov not being worthy of going #2 overall. I’m still holding to that. He’s a decent player, sure. But let’s be real - he never deserved that pick. One year later, as I mentioned in that thread a wave of prospects from the same class have already passed him by, with more to follow. Flames fans on CP would be calling for Craig Conroys head had made that choice and skipped Parekh. Guys like Dickinson, Buium, Catten or Demidov are just a few others that have surpassed him already too. It’s telling that Chicago reportedly tried to trade for Demidov during the 2024 draft—they knew they botched it.
Now on to Anton Frondell—another example that in time WILL prove that fans can sometimes evaluate talent better than the so-called experts (scouts, draft magazines, nhl media etc). I’ve said it again and again: Frondell is not Barkov 2.0. He’s not a point-per-game guy. He’s not elite-level. Unless he’s stapled to Bedard or potential McKenna, he’s not sniffing ppg production. His hands, vision, and defensive play just aren’t near elite. Scouts missed the mark, and a bunch of CP posters will too. Maybe he has one ppg season riding shotgun with Bedard and possibly McKenna but he’s closer to Nichushkin at best than Barkov. Is that #3 overall material? Not in my opinion. Chicago whiffed, time will tell and sad they could’ve had Demidov, Parekh or even this year Hagens and they passed on them all. Bedard must be wondering when he’s going to get some help.
|