Quote:
Originally Posted by Monahammer
Odd line of thinking for everyone:
I noticed Tyler Bertuzzi quite a bit last year, and he is flying to start the season this year with the Red wings. Looks like a real catch.
It is totally mistifying for me how the Grand Rapids Griffins are able to develop such talent- no shade on Stockton which has done a remarkable job in the last few years (particularly with D-men) but GR seems to be able to turn turds into gold routinely. I mean, Bertuzzi was always a hit or miss type of prospect, but his second AHL season he put up less than .5 ppg (71 12 18 30) then they brought him into the NHL and two seasons later he's smashing 50 points and over 20 goals. Kid has 6 points in 4 games to start this year, and his playstyle seems very sustainable.
To me it would be like Ryan Lomberg putting up 20 goals on the flames. When is the last time the flames have developed talent like that?!!
/rant but I guess my question is, what make GR so different and seemingly skilled at shaping NHL talent?
|
I mean there are certainly organizations out there that are able to develop talent at a higher levels than others, but Tyler Bertuzzi was a 2nd round draft pick for a reason - and was indeed a very productive junior player as well. In a similar light - there are reasons as to why Ryan Lomberg went undrafted and will never find the success that Bertuzzi has. It simply comes down to talent when comparing these two guys.
Calgary has generally struggled to develop talent in the AHL and a large part of that has to do with the limited amount of picks we have had in the mid rounds (specifically the 2nd round) over the past decade or two.
First and foremost it comes down to your scouting staff and ability to be able to identity players that are not only talented but willing to put in the work necessary for continued development. Calgary's far system has typically been very poor - but it has certainly been trending in a positive direction under Treliving.
It's a tough job - and luck definitely plays a role to a degree. I simply think Calgary's struggles have come down to the lack of quality picks we have had over the years. Todd Button is very good at evaluating talent in my opinion.