Quote:
Originally Posted by JoelOtto29
I didn't realize people were so high on Culkin, care to elaborate?
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Before last season I wouldn't have rated him in our top 10 prospects, but he did have a solid junior career before going pro. He improved his point-per-game average every year and had a very good plus/minus in a league that is almost all offense and very little defense. Before his first season in the AHL was cut short with a wrist injury, he worked his way into top pairing minutes, and was used in all situations. This is on a team that had a lot of veteran players like Cundari, Acolatse, Yonkman, and a possible top defense prospect in Wotherspoon. The coach had a lot of praise for him, and he made a lot of strides as a first year pro. He wasn't highly touted when drafted, but he's made steady progress year after year with very little in terms of setbacks. I'm not saying he's got the high end skill to be a top pairing defenseman in the NHL, but I wouldn't be shocked if you see him fill a spot on the bottom 2 pairs within 2 years.
It's just my opinion of course, but I've really liked what I've seen from Culkin over the years.