Where's your proof on the managements position back then?
Fleury alludes to it in his book. I think Cliff Fletcher (the real one) told him as much after he was drafted. It was MacNeil who really pushed for the Flames to pick him with their last pick that year, and his way of convincing Fletch was using the argument that Theo would at the very least be a star on the farm.
Also, very good point that it was a totally different era then; IIRC Theo was in Salt Lake City of the IHL for his first pro season (until he was called up to the Flames and won the cup in the same season). Don't think the AHL was nearly as big a farm system for the NHL until the '90s.
With regards to the +/- argument, I think that top line for BC is very responsible defensively. Gaudreau is probably the least effective defensive presence, but he does do a good job at breaking up passes and does backcheck decently. Arnold is the real 'gem' on that line defensively. He breaks up a lot of plays, and Hayes has been very good defensively too.
Even in some of the gifs that have been posted, you can often see the play starting with Arnold or Hayes either blocking or intercepting a pass, and moving it up the ice. I believe it was one of the outdoor games that had Arnold blocking a shot, the rebound came close to Hayes and it was immediately sent to Gaudreau, who had already started skating hard as soon as that block was made (if I am recalling that sequence correctly).
With regards to the +/- argument, I think that top line for BC is very responsible defensively. Gaudreau is probably the least effective defensive presence, but he does do a good job at breaking up passes and does backcheck decently. Arnold is the real 'gem' on that line defensively. He breaks up a lot of plays, and Hayes has been very good defensively too.
Even in some of the gifs that have been posted, you can often see the play starting with Arnold or Hayes either blocking or intercepting a pass, and moving it up the ice. I believe it was one of the outdoor games that had Arnold blocking a shot, the rebound came close to Hayes and it was immediately sent to Gaudreau, who had already started skating hard as soon as that block was made (if I am recalling that sequence correctly).
The last goal near the end of the clip.
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Johnny Hockey didn't look very engaged in last night's game. I wonder if the grind is getting to him. 8 games left in the season and then his last charge for another national championship begins, then he signs with Flames. I now remember what it was like as a kid waiting for Christmas.
I believe Gaudreau will at minimum be the next Nathan Gerbe. Both racked up points at Boston College and are similar in size. Gerbe was able to produce in the AHL but struggled early on in his the NHL career. At the moment he looks like a 40 point player at the age of 26. Gerbe still has time to take it to the next level. St. Louis didn't start producing at a heavy clip until he was 27.
I think the Flames and fans will have to be patient with Gaudreau and not give up on him early in his career if/when he struggles to adapt to the NHL game.
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I believe Gaudreau will at minimum be the next Nathan Gerbe. Both racked up points at Boston College and are similar in size. Gerbe was able to produce in the AHL but struggled early on in his the NHL career. At the moment he looks like a 40 point player at the age of 26. Gerbe still has time to take it to the next level. St. Louis didn't start producing at a heavy clip until he was 27.
I think the Flames and fans will have to be patient with Gaudreau and not give up on him early in his career if/when he struggles to adapt to the NHL game.
I've been convinced for a while now that Johnny is truly one of those "special" players that will prove to be an exception to the historical size vs. struggle norm. His transition won't be seamless, but his hockey IQ is through the roof, not to mention his hands and quickness, and that'll allow his offense to carry over to the big league. It'll be fun when he proves the doubters wrong.
Look at it this way, if Byron (5'9?) can come in, stand out and produce through his speed and finesse, and manage not get run over by larger players, then I'm sure that a much (much!) more talented Gaudreau can do at least as well.
Junior
Gerbe 1.58 PPG
Gaudreau 1.96 PPG Kariya (NHL) 0.82 PPG
A pretty large gap between the two guys.
I use Gerbe as a bottom end to temper people's expectations of him. I use Kariya as a potential ceiling. It's also a large gap, but I think he's going to land somewhere in this spectrum.
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Death by 4th round picks.
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I almost don't like watching clips of JG simply out of fear he doesn't sign....
I would be more worried if this was his senior year. In order to become a free agent, Johnny would have to wait until August of next year. At this point, it seems very unlikely that he would want to return for another year of school, especially if he wins the Hobey and/or the NCAA title (again). Worst case, Johnny chooses to go back for his senior year, putting up massive red flags. Gaudreau seems like a stand-up guy, and would likely let the Flames know if he was going to wait to become a free agent. At that point, Burke would be able to trade him for a pretty good return. So, again at worst, Johnny is upping his trade value by his continued dominance of the entire NCAA.
I use Gerbe as a bottom end to temper people's expectations of him. I use Kariya as a potential ceiling. It's also a large gap, but I think he's going to land somewhere in this spectrum.
interesting comparison. Haven't watched a ton of Gaudreau, but does he have the wheels (as per your comparison to a guy like kariya)?
So I think I have this figured out on a number of assumptions:
-BC has 7 games remaining?
-The top 8 teams make the playoffs
-Top 4 teams clinch home ice
Boston college needs to win 4 more games (assuming everyone below them wins all of their remaining games) to clinch home ice.
Edit: got some outside help to figure this out
Quote:
BC has 25 points and has 6 games remaining. They hold the tiebreaker on UNH, so all they need to do is tie them in points -- so they need 3 points, or 1 conference win plus a tie to clinch a top 4 spot.
__________________ "In brightest day, in blackest night / No evil shall escape my sight / Let those who worship evil's might / Beware my power, Green Lantern's light!"
Last edited by GreenLantern; 02-05-2014 at 09:48 AM.
I'm not too worried Johnny Hockey won't sign with Calgary, but I must say, I'll be really disappointed if that actually did happen. It's been a long time since Calgary has hit a home run in a draft, I really feel this has the potential to be one. Come on Hockey Gods, Calgary is more than due for one!
Is there a way to see the all-time points per game per season leaders. We know Kariya was ridiculous. Imagine Lafontaine had some good numbers as well. Would be curious to see how Johnny's season ranks.
Something seems to have started changing about the College game in the mid-late 90s. No one has had a 2.0PPG average in a season since 1999.
Dead Puck Era also happened in the NCAA I wager. It happened in the NHL at the same time so makes sense that changes in the game carried over to the NCAA. I think if you adjust rates to correspond with the goal environment Gaudreau compares favorably with St. Louis.
