How are the other top picks doing?

[devo22]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

To be able to get a player like that and pair him with the best goal scorer in the game who is still in his early 20's himself will pay off nicely for Tampa.

I thought so too, especially because Drouin could learn a thing or two from St Louis ... but IIRC Tampa really wants Drouin to play center. A 1-2 center combination of Stamkos and Drouin is crazy, but I really thought they drafted him to partner Stamkos when St Louis retires ... especially since they signed Filppula long-term. Will be interesting how this one plays out once Marty hangs them up.

Originally Posted by Vinny01

While I prefer MacKinnon to Monahan right now I am glad the Flames have Poirer and Klimchuck in the system

agree. MacKinnon is better than Monahan, but I believe than Monahan + Poirier + Klimchuk is better for the future of the Flames than just having MacKinnon. Especially since we wouldn't have had another pick between 1 and 67 in a deep draft then ...

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

I am not so sure. Drouin had the highest hockey IQ coming into that draft and is considered an elite playmaker. To be able to get a player like that and pair him with the best goal scorer in the game who is still in his early 20's himself will pay off nicely for Tampa.

With how good Monahan is playing there could be an arfument made the Avs should have taken the Flames offer for 6, 22, 28 to get the top pick? Personally I am happy that trade did not happen. While I prefer MacKinnon to Monahan right now I am glad the Flames have Poirer and Klimchuck in the system

I read all the scouting reports and realize that Drouin may have had the best hands in the draft but he's one of those guys that really rose quickly last season and wasn't picked apart like guys like Jones and MacKinnan that were top prospects before their draft season and have been watched closely for a longer period. At the end of the day I feel more confident that Jones could be the best player out of that draft than Druin as he's already logging big minutes in the NHL which is incredibly impressive as it's much harder for a defenseman to break in than a forward and as we've seen with Sven that gifted small players can take a while to hit their stride in the NHL and some never do.

[albertGQ]

Drouin is having a better season this year than last. At least statistically.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I read all the scouting reports and realize that Drouin may have had the best hands in the draft but he's one of those guys that really rose quickly last season and wasn't picked apart like guys like Jones and MacKinnan that were top prospects before their draft season and have been watched closely for a longer period. At the end of the day I feel more confident that Jones could be the best player out of that draft than Druin as he's already logging big minutes in the NHL which is incredibly impressive as it's much harder for a defenseman to break in than a forward and as we've seen with Sven that gifted small players can take a while to hit their stride in the NHL and some never do.

Playing early in the NHL is highly dependent on how young the player develops into a man.

Jones has NHL size and strength - great. But it's not like he is going to be a whole bunch bigger 4 years from now. Stronger, yes, but not a lot bigger. Jones is similar to Phaneuf in that regard (being a man at a young age - yes Jones is a much better player)

Drouin is not physically ready for the NHL. That's fine, in 3 years or so he will be a man.

Once they are on a level playing field for the rest of their careers, that's when we can see who's better.

Personally, I don't care who matures first. I think guys like Barkov get over-rated somewhat because they are able to dominate because of their size. That size advantage will not always be there.

Not saying Jones (or Barkov) isn't a great player, they are. Just saying, let's wait until everyone catches up physically before we anoint anyone as best player in the draft.

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by albertGQ

Drouin is having a better season this year than last. At least statistically.

He has 28 points in November. He's played 8 games in November... He's been held goalless once this month and has 3 or more points in 7 of the 8 games, the other one he only had 2 points. He's simply on fire.

[jg13]

Nichushkin just had 3 points in 62 seconds. That's gotta be a rookie record..

1 goal and 2 assist. Seguin also had 3 points in that time frame.

[TurdFerguson]

The way that Benn - seguin - nich line is starting to click I'd expect nich to be a player in the ROY conversation at the end of the season.

Scary line!

[Two Fivenagame]

If Nichushkin can put all those tools together then I think Dallas has quietly put together a nice little core.

[TurnedTheCorner]

Imagine how good Monahan's stat line would be if he had an all-star propping him up.

[H2SO4(aq)]

Originally Posted by Two Fivenagame

If Nichushkin can put all those tools together then I think Dallas has quietly put together a nice little core.

I still wish we had taken Monahan at six then traded up with our remaining picks to grab Nichushkin later in the draft. I think he'll be a real steal for Dallas going forward.

[cowtown75]

I'm not convinced yet that Monahan wasn't the best pick of the top 6. I know it's early yet to say so, but time will tell. Good leaders who do it all and play center with size doesn't happen all the time- I'm glad we got him.

[Psytic]

Originally Posted by cowtown75

I'm not convinced yet that Monahan wasn't the best pick of the top 6. I know it's early yet to say so, but time will tell. Good leaders who do it all and play center with size doesn't happen all the time- I'm glad we got him.

Yea he may not end up the biggest star of the bunch but he may just be the best "fit" for what the Flames want to accomplish with the way they are structuring the team as a whole. I like what i've seen so far.

[Ashasx]

Igor Eronko ‏@IgorEronko
Valeri Nichushkin to Rsport: I play against guys that will go to Sochi and i can't see they're much better than me in those minutes #Stars

Great head on this kid.

[squiggs96]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

Igor Eronko ‏@IgorEronko
Valeri Nichushkin to Rsport: I play against guys that will go to Sochi and i can't see they're much better than me in those minutes #Stars

Great head on this kid.

He's got a great head because he doesn't think the best players, that are going to Sochi, are much better than him? I understand he's confident and having a great year, but I don't see why saying that he's just as good as the Olympians means he has a good head on his shoulder.

[Ashasx]

I shouldn't need green text for that post.

[Saqe]

The kid didn't do pretty much anything at all until he started playing with Seguin and Benn and now he is saying this bs? Wow.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by TurnedTheCorner

Imagine how good Monahan's stat line would be if he had an all-star propping him up.

Jiri Hudler may not be Seguin and Benn but he has been pretty influential in how well Monahan has played so far.

[bax]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

Igor Eronko ‏@IgorEronko
Valeri Nichushkin to Rsport: I play against guys that will go to Sochi and i can't see they're much better than me in those minutes #Stars

Great head on this kid.

To be honest I think quotes like that come from young Russians mostly because of the language barrier.


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[Pointman]

Originally Posted by bax

To be honest I think quotes like that come from young Russians mostly because of the language barrier.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Nope. What he said (in russian) was "I'm playing against ops' top lines, that means I'm playing against guys who will play in Sochi" and then he said, litetally, "I don't think that I looked worse than someone I've played against". A bit awkward, but this is why it's literal translation.

[bubbsy]

Originally Posted by Saqe

The kid didn't do pretty much anything at all until he started playing with Seguin and Benn and now he is saying this bs? Wow.

i don't see how that's a negative against a high skill rookie. he's playing with high end skill and showing that he belongs with that class of players, as he can fit in and provide results.

i'd love to see how baertchi would do on the wing in place of this kid (playing with seguin/benn) or hertl (playing with thornton/burns).

not many high-skill rookies are able to achieve success playing on their own. having baertchi paired up with hudler on most nights is one of the positive decisions from the coaching staff this season. It is a bit troubling on the minimal results thus far of course, but that's another story.