NYC Wings Fanatic

SCOUTING REPORT From The Hockey News Scouting Report section:: Assets: Has great straight-ahead skating ability and work ethic. Hits anything that moves. Plays a gritty, in-your-face style and owns solid scoring instincts. Leads by example on the ice. Flaws: Over time, his body has broken down due to the punishment that comes with playing a power forward's role. His abrasiveness will continue to be a concern moving forward. Career Potential: Quality veteran power forward. Did we already have anyone we could have described as "Hits anything that moves"? Cole sounds refreshingly gritty to me!

Doesn't it look like Brendan is continuing to significantly grow more and more during these playoff games? He is now almost always joining the rush whenever the opportunity presents, and his stickhandling and speed make him look pretty darn good in hauling it out of the defensive zone, dishing it off or shooting himself, or simply giving the offense another look that they typically don't have from a defenseman. Babs must have given him the green light to do this whenever possible, as they certainly haven't reeled him in, and must be encouraging this big time. Krug does this same stuff consistently for the Bruins. Smith's defense also looks a world better, even though he still gambles big time on occasion, but has made some genuinely high level def. plays that he hadn't done much of previously. A dose of Kronwall sure does wonders! (Now if only Kronner could be cloned, and then paired with Kindl, Quincy, and Lashoff!)

That is funny (and sad) - we are all so used to having so much repeated news about a setback or new injury that it feels weird to have any stretch of a few games without one (or two or three)!!!!

After watching Helm against the Blues, doesn't it finally seem like he has shaken a lot or all of the rust off from his injury string and is skating and moving like he did before all the health issues? He had shown me some glimpses and stretches of his old skills at times up till now, but it finally looks to me that he is hitting that high gear for most each and every shift, without any of the tentativeness that he sometimes had when he just returned. It is a heck of a good time for him to round back into tip-top game shape, with the Bruins' "weakness" in defending against pure speed!

Ouch! Thank you for the update. 3rd round picks with promise do not always pan out, as we all know.

I've always had the Stars as my second favorite team. Being an old timer, I remember the days of Bobby Smith, Bill Goldsworthy, Dino Ciccarelli, Cesare Maniago, Danny Grant, Derian Hatcher, etc., and rolled over my fandom (distinctly second to the Wings) when they moved to Dallas. Having Jim Nill over there hasn't hurt the connection, either.

Has Max Nicastro fallen off the face of the earth? I am in New York, and haven't seen any talk of him on these boards or anywhere for awhile. Wasn't he thought of as a skilled, physical prospect once upon a time?

Aside from the so-called "past" diving and whining, the thing that always sticks with me is the instance a few years ago in the playoffs of his repeatedly chopping hard at the back of Z's legs with his stick on the way to their respective benches long after the particular play was whistled dead, and he thought that no one was looking (except he forgot - the broadcast cameras). I have seen him do this repeatedly over the years, and if he has stopped this lately, then fine and good, but can anyone honestly say that Datsyuk, Zetterberg, or Lidstrom would ever have done this?

Hilarious!!!!!!!!!!

There is absolutely no denying that his hockey skill are genuinely off the charts, but on the other hand, in terms of class and sportsmanship, he sets equally low levels in the other direction. In other words, the phrase - "He is a total d*ck" fits him to a tee!

Like I had said earlier in this thread, he is starting to look more like a Duncan Keith-type defenseman every game he plays alongside Kronner, with a very similar skill set. Tonight's goal was just another example of his ability to contribute, on both ends of the ice!

Smith blocking Filppula's shot in the last minute - he's stepping up to the plate more and more, in a big way, at critical times, as time goes on, is he not? Kronwall's steadying influence seems to be working wonders for him!

Smith sweeping that puck right off the goal line behind Howard at the very last second tonight against the Leafs was truly a thing of beauty!!! That kind of heady move is what he is so capable of at his best, and I just hope that he keeps building on that level of play into his habits!

I personally didn't say that he had a bad game in general - I said that he took an ill-advised chance at an inopportune time, and that this tendency needs some fine tuning, without killing his overall game. For the record, I really like Smith and his huge potential, and I think that with time and coaching, he has the chance to be a Duncan Keith type of offensive/defensive hybrid defenseman. Here is the Hockey News' scouting report on Keith, which sounds like it could eventually be true of Smith, too: SCOUTING Assets: Is as good a skater as you can find from the back end. Can log ridiculous amounts of ice time effortlessly. Excels at using his mobility to shut down opposing forwards. Has above-average two-way instincts for the blueline position. Plays a very cerebral game, too. Flaws: Is a little undersized to play against giant-sized NHL forwards. May not be capable of taking his offensive game to the next level, as he's not a natural power-play quarterback. Could also stand to improve his shot from the point. Career Potential: Elite all-round defenseman. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Just for comparison, here is Brendan's Hockey News scouting report: SCOUTING REPORT Assets: Skates extremely well and is adept at rushing up ice with the puck. Has offensive upside, an aggressive nature and a projectable frame. Has the puck skills and hockey sense required to help out on the scoresheet. Flaws: Will need to continue bulking up in order to handle bigger National Hockey League forwards. Has a mean streak, but must also learn to pick his spots in the hitting department. Career Potential: Talented all-round defenseman with good upside.