Quote:
Originally Posted by RyZ
Im surprised there is such a difference in voting between Gawdin and Phillips. They had essentially the same AHL rookie season and have birthdays just under 1 calendar year apart. I can see a small gap for that, but for Phillips to go at #7 and Gawdin much further behind that, I'm not sure what the CP brain trust is doing this year.
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The difference here is that Phillips has a higher pedigree. He was over a point per game in the WHL in his 18, 19, and 20 year old season. He is a small, shifty, skilled guy in the same style as Gaudreau. He struggled with consistency during his first season as a pro, but he had stretches where he looked like a dynamic offensive talent, despite not getting a lot of top 6 ice time. If he has a good start to the season he could flirt with 0.8-1.0 PPG next season.
Gawdin on the other hand is a big guy that was never signed by the team that drafted him. He didn't really pop in the WHL until his 20/21 year old season where he played on a stacked Broncos team. He is still a good prospect, but he is more of a "dime a dozen" type of player.
That's not to say he can't carve out a career in the NHL. I think most people just view Phillips as having a much higher ceiling. Gawdin is a better bet to be a 3rd or 4th liner in the NHL, but it's hard to see him becoming a top 6 forward whereas Phillips still has that potential.