Quote:
Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction
The lack of defense in his game now is the same thing critics pointed out in pretty much all of his scouting reports in junior. That's why when people say he has nothing left to learn in junior, I disagree. He wasn't the best or at the top of his peers is some aspects of the game at that level. It's not new to him, it carried over from junior.
I do agree that he can learn that in the NHL if he applies himself. Being that he just played his 9th game, the Flames need to consider whether learning that in the NHL in what is likely a lost season, is worth burning a year of his ELC. It's not like if he went back to junior he would forget how to play offensively.
I'm not saying they need to turn a thoroughbred into a workhorse. Being an offensive defenseman is what he is, and that's fine. But if he is ever going to be more than a specialist and wants big minutes at the NHL level, he needs to get better in other areas and learning on the fly at the NHL level isn't the normal path. This is why the whole AHL/CHL agreement is dumb. In a perfect world, he would be able to play in the AHL for a while which is the best league for preparing players for the NHL. A crash course in the NHL doesn't always produce the best results for a lot of prospects.
I am definitely not saying he isn't "turning out" as another post mentioned. He is a special prospect that needs patience and some development in order to progress.
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He’s also a student of the game. I read a while ago that he was studying video of how Makar and Quinn Hughes used their sticks when defending.