John Frickin Gaudreau!

[StrykerSteve]

Originally Posted by GoodUncle

I hope you're wrong

I hope so too.

Not sure we'll ever see another 160-point player in this league, but if it does ever happen again, it would be tremendous if it was someone from the Flames.

[Hockey_Ninja]

I really hope that he turns into a St. Louis type player. Hope his era here doesn't end like St. Louis' did in Tampa.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Hockey_Ninja

I really hope that he turns into a St. Louis type player. Hope his era here doesn't end like St. Louis' did in Tampa.

With a Stanley Cup, Olympic Gold, Art Ross trophy and generally one of the best players of the last decade and then leaving when he's 38 as a bitter small-man?

I'll take it.

[Bandwagon In Flames]

Originally Posted by Hockey_Ninja

I really hope that he turns into a St. Louis type player. Hope his era here doesn't end like St. Louis' did in Tampa.

I'm just hoping Gaudreau's time here doesn't end up like St. Louis in Calgary. Traded for being too small and thrives once being traded.

If he ends up winning a cup and gets traded a decade later for another teams captain, 1st and 2nd round picks than I'd be more than happy if his era end's like St. Louis' did in Tampa.

[saillias]

Crazy how much the general public has been conditioned to hate short people.

A guy asks for a trade and it's because he has Napoleon or short man syndrome. **** off.

[Hockey_Ninja]

Originally Posted by MattyC

With a Stanley Cup, Olympic Gold, Art Ross trophy and generally one of the best players of the last decade and then leaving when he's 38 as a bitter small-man?

I'll take it.

Hahaha looking at it like that i'll take it.

[Nehkara]

I think Gaudreau has the talent to play in the NHL next year but I think he really needs the year in the AHL to adapt to a more physical game. He needs as much time as possible to put on as much muscle as possible before he gets to the NHL.

I think we will see him in preseason games in the fall, and then maybe towards the end of the season (after trade deadline) to give him a taste of the NHL.

I also have a feeling he will light it up with the Heat and PMM will be a very happy man.

[ForeverFlameFan]

I think he can get a PPG easily in Abby.

[Alberta_Beef]

Originally Posted by ForeverFlameFan

I think he can get a PPG easily in Abby.

I think you underestimate how difficult it is to be a point per game player in the AHL as a rookie. The list to accomplish this feat over the past decade is quite short.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Alberta_Beef

I think you underestimate how difficult it is to be a point per game player in the AHL as a rookie. The list to accomplish this feat over the past decade is quite short.

That may have more to do with the fact that a PPG player in the AHL would likely be playing in the NHL at least part time. If a player has NHL skill, but not NHL size and thus spends an entire season in the AHL, i could see it happeneing.

[Alberta_Beef]

Originally Posted by MattyC

That may have more to do with the fact that a PPG player in the AHL would likely be playing in the NHL at least part time. If a player has NHL skill, but not NHL size and thus spends an entire season in the AHL, i could see it happeneing.

Perhaps it does, but you have to think that if he was a point per game after 50 or so games he would get a chance too though.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Alberta_Beef

Perhaps it does, but you have to think that if he was a point per game after 50 or so games he would get a chance too though.

Yeah for sure that's kind of my point. If you're a PPG player in the AHL, you're probably not playing in the AHL. Unless your like 30.

[Alberta_Beef]

Originally Posted by MattyC

Yeah for sure that's kind of my point. If you're a PPG player in the AHL, you're probably not playing in the AHL. Unless your like 30.

Even then, the fact almost no one does it says alot about the competition in the AHL and how the person I was originally responding to was underrating the level of play.

[Day Tripper]

Originally Posted by Alberta_Beef

I think you underestimate how difficult it is to be a point per game player in the AHL as a rookie. The list to accomplish this feat over the past decade is quite short.

Well, Gaudreau definitely fits the bill then.

[Wood]

Originally Posted by Alberta_Beef

I think you underestimate how difficult it is to be a point per game player in the AHL as a rookie. The list to accomplish this feat over the past decade is quite short.

While I agree with you that it's pretty unlikely, the list of players to score at the pace Gaudreau has in college, as a junior, is even shorter

[djsFlames]

I'm willing to bet that Gaudreau starts in Abby, gets the call in Jan-Feb, and never sees the AHL again.

[Rhettzky]

Originally Posted by Alberta_Beef

Even then, the fact almost no one does it says alot about the competition in the AHL and how the person I was originally responding to was underrating the level of play.

3 rookies did it this year alone. And 2 (Ryan Murphy and Nikita Kucherov) are now up with their NHL teams. Plus there are still a few that could hit that mark yet.

[Alberta_Beef]

Originally Posted by Rhettzky

3 rookies did it this year alone. And 2 (Ryan Murphy and Nikita Kucherov) are now up with their NHL teams. Plus there are still a few that could hit that mark yet.

Kucherov played 17 games and Murphy 16 games, that is hardly a big enough sample size to call them point per game players. Ryan Strome is the only one that qualifies as he has done if over a much larger sample size

Unless you are suggesting Gaudreau will only be in the AHL for 5 weeks or so, but personally I think he will be down for the year and to be a point per game player as a rookie in the AHL over even 2/3 of a season is extremely difficult and is far from a guarantee

[TjRhythmic]

I think Johnny will start in the AHL... And IMO it has nothing to do with size or skill. It's to get accustomed to the schedule. Like Knight, and Hanowski, and the other college players it took them some adjustment to get used to playing so many games, and the thing I like about Ward is that he knows these kids will hit a wall around the 30-40 game mark.. they just aren't habitually ready to play so many games, and the back to backs, the travelling. The nutrition plan... learning to live on your own. Learning how to maintain your body over an 82 games season so you can play at a high level throughout the season, and when you do hit that "wall" how to work through it.

He has the game, the high end skill. He just needs to learn how to be a pro hockey player.. and that is why I think he'll spend the majority of next season in the AHL.

Unless he, like Monahan, blows everyone away at camp.

I guess that is the beauty of sport for me, you just never know what will happen till it happens.

[jg13]

Originally Posted by TjRhythmic

I think Johnny will start in the AHL... And IMO it has nothing to do with size or skill. It's to get accustomed to the schedule. Like Knight, and Hanowski, and the other college players it took them some adjustment to get used to playing so many games, and the thing I like about Ward is that he knows these kids will hit a wall around the 30-40 game mark.. they just aren't habitually ready to play so many games, and the back to backs, the travelling. The nutrition plan... learning to live on your own. Learning how to maintain your body over an 82 games season so you can play at a high level throughout the season, and when you do hit that "wall" how to work through it.

He has the game, the high end skill. He just needs to learn how to be a pro hockey player.. and that is why I think he'll spend the majority of next season in the AHL.

Unless he, like Monahan, blows everyone away at camp.

I guess that is the beauty of sport for me, you just never know what will happen till it happens.

I think he was better than Monahan at camp.

But I do think he starts in the AHL now for a short period of time