Quote:
Originally Posted by bubbsy
what you guys think of phillips this tournament? Seems like he's too small and though he's definitely quick, just not as elusive enough to be effective given his size.
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Well its early. I mean if you're asking if he's an NHLer soon then no, clearly not. If you're wondering if he's the next Gaudreau I'd say it's unlikely. It's a long road for the tiny kids. He has to add strength, probably add speed. He has to prove himself vs men, vs better defensemen. He'll have to learn new tricks. It's why I'm usually quite skeptical of small guys until they prove it at the pro level. Gaudreau was a bit different since we saw him dominate at the International stage in the WJC and because college is a step up from junior.
He's got lots of time. I'll take a wait and see approach. He'll dominate junior this year. A big thing for him would be to make the WJC and make an impact there. He'll need to bulk up and then prove himself in the AHL. Only time will tell, its far too early to figure out if he's an NHLer.
But as others have said the nice thing is that he isn't scared to go to the tough areas. That's a very good sign. But yeah he's still got a long road ahead before we can consider him a possible NHLer.
