Quote:
Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent
Im looking at ceiling over how quickly a player is adjusting to a new team and league.
Its foolish to looking too glowingly at guys in their 2nd-3rd chl season dominating somewhat while docking marks off the guy who is new to a tougher league of adult men.
If mckenna stayed in the whl he'd be on a Bedard pace and no one would question him.
But just because he took the leap and isnt slaughtering guys 2-6 years older than him at 170 lbs people are raising their eyebrows? Seems short sighted.
You cant convince any one else has near the ceiling and raw skill of mckenna.
Maybe he needs time to bulk up, but that will happen eventually, whereas superstar skill wont magically find these other candidates if they dont already have it.
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Other players have stepped in to the NCAA at the same age or younger and they continued dominate. He is always going to be small, at the NHL level the players he is going to play against aren’t going to get smaller and weaker.
Since 2000 his pace of 1.13 points would put him 7th amongst draft eligible U19 players. He is behind Fantili (1.81), Eichel (1.78), Celebrini (1.68), Kessel (1.31), Schroeder (1.29), and Zeev Buium (1.19). Not to mention Matthews who produced at 1.28 ppg in the Swiss League in his draft year.
So while he has been doing well, he is behind some other very good talents. On top of that he is a winger and wingers just aren’t that valuable.