No idea but given how excited the experts (The Flames) were to jump up from the table and get this guy at 16, I just expected more personally.
Falling in love with specific players as a team doesn't usually play out well. (Especially when a guy like Treliving was calling the shots - he had some interesting rumored targets...)
Honzek probably won't wind up being BPA at 16 but hopefully he's a pretty good one, nevertheless. The tools appear to be there, as is the frame.
I have a lot of time for Honzek and I think the guys who went after him, by and large, don't look as good. The lone exception is Sandin Pellikka, who has had an amazing year. We'll see how it all turns out.
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Oh I am well aware there is lots of time still and he’s only been back for a handful of games prior to the WJC. I’m talking about even before the injury in Penticton. I expected him to be a bit more assertive and I just haven’t seen it yet.
I don't know how many more times I need to say this:
KAKKO IS NOT A BUST!!!!! He's in the midst of a disastrous season, but he had 40 points last year as a 21 year-old! How many 21 year olds have that kind of production?
In regards to Honzek- he was, and still is, an excellent prospect. Ask anyone from the Giants how good a player he is...
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Yay. All I am saying is based on the eye test, he doesn’t seem as much of a play driver as I expected.
He scored the GWG against Switzerland and happened to score a goal to put Slovakia up 3-1 against the Czechs that ended up being the GWG…. He looked largely pedestrian a lot of that tournament, I don’t know how people can even argue that.
I know he is young and was just drafted, I just expected more given the hype. That is all I am saying.
Yay. All I am saying is based on the eye test, he doesn’t seem as much of a play driver as I expected.
He scored the GWG against Switzerland and happened to score a goal to put Slovakia up 3-1 against the Czechs that ended up being the GWG…. He looked largely pedestrian a lot of that tournament, I don’t know how people can even argue that.
I know he is young and was just drafted, I just expected more given the hype. That is all I am saying.
18 year olds, especially for non-NA teams, often do not have big roles in the WJHC. It doesn't change that he was ok at best at the tournament but I would have a lot more concern if he has a similar performance next season.
Not sure if it is the Bedard effect because he was so exceptional as a young guy but for the most part it is a 19 year old tournament.
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Due to injury's his development curve might be a little slower than expected but like Zary he should be fine.
He was always going to be a project.
Just look at Jankowski for example. Took him a long time to finally gain the weight for his big body. Honzek is far more skilled and imo has a much better ceiling, here’s to hoping he can do it. I hope he turns out to be a center prospect too.
2 game winning goals in the tourney… whatever I guess.
All goals are not created equal. Let's look at those goals.
"Game winner" against one of the tournament punching bags at 0:35 point of the video. First goal of the game, scored at the 8:32 mark of the 2nd period. Slovakia would win the game by three, but the 1st goal is the game winner as a result of the goose egg that the Swiss posted.
Of note, Honzek also had a penalty shot in this game (1:02 of the video) and generated a very Flamey result, making a low skill move and putting puck in the middle of the goaltender's chest.
"Game winner" against the Czechs in a 6-2 victory. Third goal of the games for the Slovaks. At the 1:50 mark of the video, scored at 1:22 of the 3rd period on the PP.
I'm with diehard on this. There has been a ton of hype created over this player so expectations were high. Thought he would be more involved and would display a lot more ability, which he clearly did not. Total distance of the puck traveled by the goals scored by Honzek might get you to the top of the crease from goal line. Not skill plays and a result of being the garbage man on other player's effort. This does not make him a bad pick or a bad player, as this is a tough tournament, it just means he did not live up to the hype. As I said earlier, this may be a result of his injury and not enough playing time leading up to the tournament, or as Enoch said, this is a 19 year old tournament, so he does get a lot of slack here. I'll wait until he hits the AHL to really start measuring him, but I was hoping for a better display of his talents in this tournament. He really didn't do much.
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At the draft, I thought Honzek was a good but not great pick. He’s a November, 2004 birthday, which puts him at the older end of the draft class. His draft-year NHLe was 32 in the WHL, which is good but not exceptional for this draft class and his draft position. For example, Musty (26th - SJS), Perreault (23rd - Rangers), Barlow (18th - Jets), and Cristall (2nd round - Capitals) are younger forwards, have higher draft-year NHLes, and were drafted later. However, I had not seen Honzek play. And I thought the combination of size and skating ability sounded intriguing. So, I thought it was a good but not great pick.
One factor is that Honzek is from the Flames’ back yard. I’m really not sure if it would’ve been wise to select Perreault. Perreault may want to play in the US.
Ultimately, I think Honzek’s gonna need some time to develop. However, I don’t think this pick is anything like the Jankowski pick! That pick was “off the board”, although not Feester’s board, apparently. This pick was entirely reasonable.
All goals are not created equal. Let's look at those goals.
"Game winner" against one of the tournament punching bags at 0:35 point of the video. First goal of the game, scored at the 8:32 mark of the 2nd period. Slovakia would win the game by three, but the 1st goal is the game winner as a result of the goose egg that the Swiss posted.
Of note, Honzek also had a penalty shot in this game (1:02 of the video) and generated a very Flamey result, making a low skill move and putting puck in the middle of the goaltender's chest.
"Game winner" against the Czechs in a 6-2 victory. Third goal of the games for the Slovaks. At the 1:50 mark of the video, scored at 1:22 of the 3rd period on the PP.
I'm with diehard on this. There has been a ton of hype created over this player so expectations were high. Thought he would be more involved and would display a lot more ability, which he clearly did not. Total distance of the puck traveled by the goals scored by Honzek might get you to the top of the crease from goal line. Not skill plays and a result of being the garbage man on other player's effort. This does not make him a bad pick or a bad player, as this is a tough tournament, it just means he did not live up to the hype. As I said earlier, this may be a result of his injury and not enough playing time leading up to the tournament, or as Enoch said, this is a 19 year old tournament, so he does get a lot of slack here. I'll wait until he hits the AHL to really start measuring him, but I was hoping for a better display of his talents in this tournament. He really didn't do much.
I guess. Danielson was non factor and he was drafted 9th overall. He is limping along in the dub this year. Did not see much myself from Yaegar in that tournament except his ability to get points while playing with Celebrini. Matthew Wood played a decent bottom six banger game but he is trying to be as good as Suniev in the NCAA this year and not quite there yet.
I’m not sure I’ve seen “a ton of hype” from anyone on Honzek… certainly nowhere near the majority of the fanbase.
Guy was a mid first rounder, and he’s contributing where he plays. Certainly happy about it. Don’t mistake that for jumping up and down like we’ve struck gold…
Wheeler's post-World Juniors write-up on Honzek from the Athletic:
Samuel Honzek (F, Calgary Flames): Assistant captain. On pucks. Tracking. Winning battles. Holding pucks. Going to the front of the net consistently. There are times when he’s holding it with his back turned to the defender inside the offensive zone where I’d like to see him keep his feet moving instead of coming to a glide with it. Excellent on the PK. Drew a penalty shot short-handed. Thought he was their best forward on the PK throughout. Good positioning/awareness. Because of his ability to hold pucks when he gets them, he can kill time against smaller opposition. Wanted more from him offensively late in the tournament, though (he was much better in the early games than against USA and Finland).
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18 year olds, especially for non-NA teams, often do not have big roles in the WJHC. It doesn't change that he was ok at best at the tournament but I would have a lot more concern if he has a similar performance next season.
Not sure if it is the Bedard effect because he was so exceptional as a young guy but for the most part it is a 19 year old tournament.
Honzek turned 19 in November, he won't be back next year.
As for him looking pedestrian, I thought he looked really solid, and the coach must have too, making him an A and keeping him on the top line all tournament.
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Wheeler's post-World Juniors write-up on Honzek from the Athletic:
Samuel Honzek (F, Calgary Flames): Assistant captain. On pucks. Tracking. Winning battles. Holding pucks. Going to the front of the net consistently. There are times when he’s holding it with his back turned to the defender inside the offensive zone where I’d like to see him keep his feet moving instead of coming to a glide with it. Excellent on the PK. Drew a penalty shot short-handed. Thought he was their best forward on the PK throughout. Good positioning/awareness. Because of his ability to hold pucks when he gets them, he can kill time against smaller opposition. Wanted more from him offensively late in the tournament, though (he was much better in the early games than against USA and Finland).
That is a really accurate write-up, IMO.
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