THN Futurewatch Flames ranking

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by MarkGio

I can respect your opinion, reasons for caution and even your skepticism. I won't, however, pay attention to poorly cited ancedotes of fan opinion. You blatantly selected two posts that best fit your argument, ignoring what is or could be the general consensus among shark fans. I highly doubt that "Shark fans" are withholding their optimism, as you say they are. I went and looked at two threads at the Sharks HF page and saw posters saying things that suggest they have a "prospect boner". Did you honestly think that was a reasonable argument, just like you thought Cameron/Shiminim was a reasonable comparison?

Perhaps we should wait until HF Sharks does their end of season prospect rankings to see exacyl exactly how level-headed they will be about Leblanc -- who, by the way, is a fantastic performer for someone selected in the 6th round and shouldn't be discredited for his accomplishments just because he hasn't made the NHL yet. He's had an excellent career for his age and that in itself is a success.

Poorly cited anecdotes from Sharks fans when talking about Sharks fans and their perspective on their prospects? You mean those direct quotes from the other board? Here, I'll give you some more poorly cited anecdotes. Here's every Labanc related post, that does not report just his points, from the first 10 pages of their prospect thread. The last few are basically the exact same with the quotes I presented earlier.

"Yep, Labanc is no longer eligible for juniors. Sadowy will likely start with the Cuda as well. That's assuming they both get signed, of course. It's a little worrying that we've heard nothing so far."

"I haven't watched either player extensively, but my impression is that Sadowy is a safer player who could theoretically play in a bottom-6 role, whereas LaBanc is more of a scoring type of player, but his game might not translate to the NHL."

"Peak? Labanc 2nd line, Sadowy 3rd line. Likely? Sadowy 4th line, Labanc 3rd/4th line. I think Labanc is crafty and resourceful enough to mold his game to fit the NHL in some capacity."

"Kevin Labanc is 1st in the entire OHL in scoring with 90 points in 47 games. How is this guy not a more hyped prospect? I've said it before but I really think he has a legit chance to be the next Tyler Johnson for us."

"Nobody outside of our boards ever talks about our prospects on the Prospects board. Labanc, Roy, Meier, Sadowy, Chartier, etc. are never mentioned there.

I am really hoping that Labanc pans out. I get a Pavs vibe from him. Hopefully he can kill at the AHL level and then get some more hype."

"Kevin LaBanc is not hyped because he is one of the oldest players in the CHL, is below average in size, and has a playstyle that isn't a sure bet to translate to pro hockey. How many 20 year olds have dominated the CHL and gone on to do nothing in the NHL? LaBanc is a good prospect but no one should be surprised if he amounts to absolutely nothing."

"Since Lebanc did it at 19 that means he's good tho, right? Obviously there's no way to tell what he will become, but its nice to see a guy improve on his deficiencies. My hope is that since he is small, his age isn't contributing as much to physical dominance. So maybe he is actually refining a projectable toolbox that will make him successful in the Bigs. Pure hope, but you never know."

"So I'll be honest, I'm not really good with our prospects aside from the big names like Goldobin, Meier, Roy, and Mueller. But one guy I totally forgot about and just remembered we have in our system is Kevin Labanc and I see that he's shredding the OHL apart with 112 points in 56 games. What's the low down on this kid? What are his strengths? What's his style of play? Anyone think he can maybe make the team in September? I also noticed Meier is doing really well on the Huskies now too which is definitely exciting. Many of you have also said Roy is doing really good too with Sherbrooke which is good to hear since we need a good young defenseman for our future. What are the chances any of these kids can make the team next season? Just wanted to get the scoop on our top prospects"

"The only prospects who have a decent chance to make the team next year are Goldobin and Meier. More Goldobin than Meier. Labanc will need to play atleast a few games in the AHL to get a better idea on how his skill transfers to the pros"

"Labanc is an incredibly skilled player, but some of the moves and passes he do won't work at 5v5 in anything above the ECHL. I like his game, I really do, but I'd be cautiously optimistic at this point."

They are taking a very guarded stance on LaBanc, even acknowledging a similar I have, that the prospect isn't even signed yet. Don't see much excitement that isn't quickly put into perspective. Since you didn't like the other comparisons, how about Marty Murray? Remember the hype around him?