Johnny Hockey on ESPN

[loosecannon3]

There's an article on Johnny Hockey at ESPN.com

http://espn.go.com/nhl/insider/story...ey-coming-next

You have to be an insider to read it, however (I am not an insider). If anyone is and feels like posting it, I'm sure many members of this forum would thank you.

[Erick Estrada]

I'm an insider. If it's confirmed I won't get in trouble I can post the article. It's a decent read.

[T@T]

ESPN sucks...insider crap is a pile of

Who do they think they are...Eklund?

[FBI]

I don't think mods will let you post the article. But you could quote some of the good parts.

[IgiTang]

Yup, don't post the whole thing... Copy right infringement...

I hate everything ESPN...

[Erick Estrada]

I don't know why so many people crap on ESPN. They still have quality hockey articles and IMO less fluff than the Canadian networks that overly focus on Canadian teams and the Leafs. If you are an NFL fan then the insider membership pays for itself. I took out some excerpts;

If you re-selected the 2011 draft, Gaudreau would move from 104th overall to the top 10. Depending on preference, he would likely be behind Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Gabriel Landeskog, and in the mix with other top-10 picks like Adam Larsson, Mika Zibanejad, Mark Scheifele, Sean Couturier and Jonas Brodin.

Yet, it is not a mystery why Gaudreau was picked in the fourth round after being ranked 193rd overall by NHL Central Scouting: He's short and skinny. One year after Gaudreau was picked, ESPN Insider's Corey Pronman -- then of Hockey Prospectus -- wrote:
"He's a high-end -- if not better -- puck-handler who can make highlight-level dekes. Gaudreau's hockey sense is along the same lines, as he has great patience and vision with the puck. His skill level makes scouts regularly go 'wow,' with one NHL executive saying he has a special 'swagger' he carries himself with."
Those were the positives. The only drawback?
"Look at his height-weight splits, and that says it all" Pronman continued. "He's small and needs a boatload of muscle. While Gaudreau is a fine skater who has a solid top gear and is agile, he isn't a high-end skater that you would normally want a 5-(foot)-7 player to be."

When asked about Johnny Hockey's success, one former NHL player said Gaudreau's lack of girth may actually help him.
"He's flexible enough to twist and turn and contort his body in all sorts of ways that allow him to do amazing things with his stick when he has the puck," the ex-player said. "He can also use that flexibility to spin and dodge big hits and sneak around opponents to get to the puck."

Gaudreau is so shifty and skilled that he has the rare ability to slow the game down when he enters the offensive zone with the puck. Like a slightly less rich man's version of Patrick Kane. If a defender attacks, he will make a move to dance away and find more space. If a defender backs off, he will make a pass to an open teammate.

As he grows into his body and possibly puts on the muscle to which Pronman referred, the Flames will be growing around Gaudreau, giving him a great chance to succeed as a major building block.
And while he has is no shoo-in to win the Calder Trophy, history speaks well of forwards who are great right away. Promising forwards Nathan MacKinnon, Jonathan Huberdeau and Landeskog are the last three winners. Other names in the 2000s include Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin and Kane.
In other words, the Flames' wonderful little outlier isn't going away any time soon.

[ForeverFlameFan]

That 2011 draft 1st round isn't looking so good. I'd easily take Palat, Kucherov and Gaudreau over those listed.

[Imported_Aussie]

Originally Posted by ForeverFlameFan

That 2011 draft 1st round isn't looking so good. I'd easily take Palat, Kucherov and Gaudreau over those listed.

I would put Jonas Brodin ahead still - he has been great in Minny

Gaudreau is such a unique player - that is why it was a gamble to take him. But he has paid off in spades

[heep223]

I like how the article calls him a "slightly less rich man's Pat Kane" as opposed to a "poor man's Pat Kane" lol.

[Displaced Flames fan]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I don't know why so many people crap on ESPN. They still have quality hockey articles and IMO less fluff than the Canadian networks that overly focus on Canadian teams and the Leafs. If you are an NFL fan then the insider membership pays for itself. I took out some excerpts;

When ESPN had the rights they did an outstanding job with them. They had guys calling the games that knew what they were doing and they had outstanding broadcasts.

The late Tom Mees, Gary Thorne, Jack Edwards (who now does PBP for NESN), Dave Strader....all hockey guys.

What I don't like is the lack of NHL content now, at least on the TV side. They trot out Barry Melrose for 5 minutes and he gives you a synopsis of an entire round of the playoffs. It's second class coverage.

[Property Manager DB]

If you re-selected the 2011 draft, Gaudreau would move from 104th overall to the top 10. Depending on preference, he would likely be behind Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

Completely Disagree

[SuperMatt18]

That point about him being small allowing him to do what he does is accurate.

There are times when I see him and go "How did he even do that?", and a lot of it has to do with just being so small that he can twist his way around d-men.

[Tyler]

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

What I don't like is the lack of NHL content now, at least on the TV side. They trot out Barry Melrose for 5 minutes and he gives you a synopsis of an entire round of the playoffs. It's second class coverage.

If the NHL spit in your face and didn't give you rights to any hockey, why wouldn't you give them second class coverage? Totally makes sense to me.

[FanIn80]

Arrrgh! I'm a pretty big advocate of writers being able to monetize their work, but at the same time, holy carp do I ever want to read the whole article...

[CroFlames]

I don't know why, but I love the Rich man/poor man analogies

Maybe it's because for years we've always had a poor man's #1 center. Now we got a rich man's #1 center and I'm simply ecstatic about it.

In fact, my wife thinks Johnny, Monny & Bennett are so cute, we figuratively adopted them and she refers to them as her sons when they score, and yells at the other players when they body check her sons.

You shoulda seen her lose her #### when Burrows hit Johnny from behind. Hell hath no fury...

[AcGold]

No way I take Nuge over Gaudreau. No injuries ever and a gamebreaker versus Beavis the dimwitted. Johhny might still be underrated, he's taken slashes hits from behind and sticks to the face and Johnny shrugs it off like he's Regehr.

ffs Johhny even hits people and pushes players around. He might break 100 points and lead the league he's that fcking good. He's got the compete and toughness of a much larger man with a skillset that nobody else has. Even Kane and Crosby can't do some of the things Johnny does.

[Texas Blueliner]

The St. Louis Blues/Datsyuk blurb led me to this article: http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index...._andersso.html

That Moscow deicing method sounds like fun.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Property Manager DB

Completely Disagree

Taking off my homer glasses I may lean to RNH if only because he plays a more influential position. Playing for the Oilers has devalued him to some point as he's still got solid skills and if he can fill out and get stronger he could have a pretty nice career. To me he looks like he could be an excellent 2nd line center that can step into the 1st line role if need be due to injuries. He's also a big winner with McDavid coming as he's not going to be miscast as their franchise 1st line center and will play 2nd line to which he is better suited.

[tvp2003]

Liked this part:

In other words, the Flames' wonderful little outlier isn't going away any time soon.

Johnny Outlier.

[FanIn80]

Outlier or Outscorer?