2019 Draft

[Wheelchairsuperhero 1,453]

21 minutes ago, ChristopherReevesLegs said:

Also Pronman's ranking are out on the Athletic. This guy ranks his prospects purely on what he believes to be their absolute ceiling.

1. Hughes
2. Kakko
3. Turcotte
4. Byram
5. Caufield
6. Zegras
7. Cozens
8. Boldy
9. Broberg
10. Dach

Is Podkolzin the most volatile prospect? One minute he's top 5 in the minds of the hockey world, the next he's approaching a high 2nd rounder.

Saw this earlier. I'm becoming more and more interested in Zegras personally.

I remember talk about it not being a top 2, but a top 3 with Podkolzin. Boy has he fallen. I feel like I haven't watched him play enough to formulate my own opinion on him, so with his recent lack of production and that whole thing about him being under contract for the next 2 years, it's pretty discouraging. 

13 minutes ago, Dabura said:

Fair.

My counterargument isn't that he's young and +/- is stupid. It's that he had a rough transition from the QMJHL to the AHL. He got shredded early on, but he made some adjustments and grew as a player and improved as the season went on. I think holding up the -17 as a serious red flag about his two-way prowess is misguided/dishonest. We've seen some young Wings' +/- ratings fluctuate wildly over the past few years. Did anyone expect Bertuzzi to finish this season +11?

I feel like we're just abandoning what we all know about the ins and outs and ups and downs of development. I feel like we're getting nerdy and leaning too heavily on numbers. I might be more swayed if I felt like people had really watched him this season -- often and very closely.

There was a breakaway goal he scored late in the season. I vaguely remember a few of us talking about it on LGW.com. If memory serves, Mackel said Zadina was cherry-picking and that this is exactly the sort of thing he won't get away with at the NHL level. In fact, he was not cherry-picking. He didn't fly the zone early. He didn't start running until he saw that his team had full possession of the puck in their zone and that he'd be able to catch the men at the point flat-footed. He played it exactly the way he should have played it.

Subtle things like that. I love that about him. If someone wants to put together a highlights package that shows all the ways Zadina is terrible defensively, I'd gladly watch it.

It's not an excuse. And there's nothing I'd need to excuse; he produced pretty well as a teenaged AHL rookie. He spent a lot of time with mostly career AHLers (the Griffin's top-six was basically career AHLers and Zadina) and I think it's possible that playing with more talented, "skillsy" players might've resulted in better production, even if he was playing against much tougher competition (AHL versus NHL).

What are we even debating here? This is all so dumb.

Same.

Edited May 21, 2019 by Wheelchairsuperhero

[ChristopherReevesLegs 7,022]

9 minutes ago, Dabura said:

I feel like we're just abandoning what we all know about the ins and outs and ups and downs of development. I feel like we're getting nerdy and leaning too heavily on numbers. I might be more swayed if I felt like people had really watched him this season -- often and very closely.

I'm using numbers to quantify my POV. Unfortunately that's all we have some times. Defensive acumen is particularly difficult to quantify. I'd love to see some numbers to quantify the opposite POV, but they don't seem to exist. Of course you can give me your own personal qualitative scouting report, but I'll just have to take your word on that. Mine is, I like his commitment to defense and effort on the back check. I think he's good at stealing the puck with his stick. However he seems to get scored on an awful lot. I dunno if that's positioning or systems or what though.

18 minutes ago, Dabura said:

It's not an excuse. And there's nothing I'd need to excuse, as I feel he produced pretty well for a teenaged AHL rookie. He spent a lot of time with mostly career AHLers (the Griffin's top-six was basically career AHLers and Zadina) and I think it's possible that playing with more talented, "skillsy" players might've resulted in better production, even if he was playing against much tougher competition (AHL versus NHL).

What are we even debating here? This is all so dumb.

Just disagreed in general. I think he played with pretty decent AHLers who are consistently in the top of the AHL in scoring, that should've helped him if anything.

13 minutes ago, Wheelchairsuperhero said:

Saw this earlier. I'm becoming more and more interested in Zegras personally.

I remember talk about it not being a top 2, but a top 3 with Podkolzin. Boy has he fallen. I feel like I haven't watched him play enough to formulate my own opinion on him, so with his recent lack of production and that whole thing about him being under contract for the next 2 years, it's pretty discouraging. 

Same.

I dunno much about his lack of production. He plays in the VHL and MHL, which from my understanding are pretty garbage leagues, so he probably should have been lighting them up if he's sucha great player.

His highlight reel goals are pretty dope. Watch him be the next Jurco.

[Dabura 12,207]

12 minutes ago, ChristopherReevesLegs said:

I'm using numbers to quantify my POV. Unfortunately that's all we have some times. Defensive acumen is particularly difficult to quantify. I'd love to see some numbers to quantify the opposite POV, but they don't seem to exist. Of course you can give me your own personal qualitative scouting report, but I'll just have to take your word on that. Mine is, I like his commitment to defense and effort on the back check. I think he's good at stealing the puck with his stick. However he seems to get scored on an awful lot. I dunno if that's positioning or systems or what though.

Fair.

I don't think we're *too* far apart on all this stuff. I can understand why someone would fear he's just another Tatar. It's entirely possible he is. But, personally, I've seen enough of him that I feel he has very real "better-than-Tatar" potential.

Anything can happen, but I'm optimistic about Filip Zadina.

12 minutes ago, ChristopherReevesLegs said:

Just disagreed in general. I think he played with pretty decent AHLers who are consistently in the top of the AHL in scoring, that should've helped him if anything.

I mean, like I said, I would've liked to have seen him produce at a higher clip. I'm not necessarily saying his teammates were holding him back, because I know how stupid that sounds. I'm just saying it felt to me like things weren't quite clicking, weren't quite gelling. I thought he looked more in-his-element when he was playing on Red Wings scoring lines.

Edited May 21, 2019 by Dabura

[Dabura 12,207]

Podkolzin is a really good player. I never really bought the "ACKSHUALLY, it's a big three: Hughes, Kakko, Podkolzin" talk tho.

The club production is a bit concerning, as is his underwhelming WJC. Feels like people have concerns about his hockey IQ. He's a complete player, an extremely hard worker, a leader's leader...but maybe he just isn't an especially high-level processor. Not sure I'd go that far, but I suppose it's a valid criticism.

[ChristopherReevesLegs 7,022]

1 minute ago, Dabura said:

I don't think we're *too* far apart on all this stuff. I can understand why someone would fear he's just another Tatar. It's entirely possible he is. But, personally, I've seen enough of him that I feel he has very real "better-than-Tatar" potential.

Anything can happen, but I'm optimistic about Filip Zadina.

Let me change my comparison from Tatar to Hudler. I mostly only used Tatar because he's a 50-60 pt player and he's fresh in our minds.

I choose Hudler because that would be my worry of what Zadina would become. A player who is extremely offensively gifted, but off the puck is completely forgettable. A player who you pair with Nielsen and he gets you 40-50 pts, but when you pair him with Larkin he gets you 70+ pts.

To be fair, I think Zadina is faster than Hudler, more engaged than Hudler, and has better hands than Hudler. So more like Hudler+. I just want to see him clean up his defense and grab the reigns to generate offense on his own unlike Hudler ever did.

Tatar on the otherhand I think is actually a super well-rounded winger. He just tops out at like 60 pts a season, whereas a player like Huds could garner 70+ in the right position and with the right linemates.

 

[Dabura 12,207]

Just now, ChristopherReevesLegs said:

Let me change my comparison from Tatar to Hudler. I mostly only used Tatar because he's a 50-60 pt player and he's fresh in our minds.

I choose Hudler because that would be my worry of what Zadina would become. A player who is extremely offensively gifted, but off the puck is completely forgettable. A player who you pair with Nielsen and he gets you 40-50 pts, but when you pair him with Larkin he gets you 70+ pts.

To be fair, I think Zadina is faster than Hudler, more engaged than Hudler, and has better hands than Hudler. So more like Hudler+. I just want to see him clean up his defense and grab the reigns to generate offense on his own unlike Hudler ever did.

Tatar on the otherhand I think is actually a super well-rounded winger. He just tops out at like 60 pts a season, whereas a player like Huds could garner 70+ in the right position and with the right linemates.

I miss the Hoods.

[kipwinger 8,521]

I think Zadina's struggles have less to do with age,  though he does have maturing to do physically,  and more to so with the fact that prior to this year he had only played 57 games of North American hockey.   He came over from Europe,  played in the Q where he dominated a bunch of kids who weren't on his level skill wise,  but learned very little about playing "correctly" because the Q is a garbage league.   

His first real exposure to North American systems was this season,  against a bunch of guys who are more physically developed and who know the NA game intuitively.   So the learning curve was very steep.   Reminds me a lot of Mantha, who also came from the Q and therefore had no idea how to play right.  He struggled just as badly,  and he was 20 instead of 18.  

Edited May 21, 2019 by kipwinger

[mackel 679]

2 hours ago, kipwinger said:

I think Zadina's struggles have less to do with age,  though he does have maturing to do physically,  and more to so with the fact that prior to this year he had only played 57 games of North American hockey.   He came over from Europe,  played in the Q where he dominated a bunch of kids who weren't on his level skill wise,  but learned very little about playing "correctly" because the Q is a garbage league.   

His first real exposure to North American systems was this season,  against a bunch of guys who are more physically developed and who know the NA game intuitively.   So the learning curve was very steep.   Reminds me a lot of Mantha, who also came from the Q and therefore had no idea how to play right.  He struggled just as badly,  and he was 20 instead of 18.  

Quebec and its league are in NA when last I checked.  Which makes the Mantha comparison baffling. 

[Dabura 12,207]

1 minute ago, mackel said:

Quebec and its league are in NA when last I checked.  Which makes the Mantha comparison baffling. 

Are you a real person? Honest question.

[ChristopherReevesLegs 7,022]

2 hours ago, kipwinger said:

I think Zadina's struggles have less to do with age,  though he does have maturing to do physically,  and more to so with the fact that prior to this year he had only played 57 games of North American hockey.   He came over from Europe,  played in the Q where he dominated a bunch of kids who weren't on his level skill wise,  but learned very little about playing "correctly" because the Q is a garbage league.   

His first real exposure to North American systems was this season,  against a bunch of guys who are more physically developed and who know the NA game intuitively.   So the learning curve was very steep.   Reminds me a lot of Mantha, who also came from the Q and therefore had no idea how to play right.  He struggled just as badly,  and he was 20 instead of 18.  

Sure, 57 games of North American hockey I guess is an excuse.

"The Q is garbage" really isn't that much of a thing anymore though. I assume you're making that statement based on the old axiom that the Q is super high-scoring and doesn't play physical hockey. That may have still been true in the 90s and 00's, but it's not the same league where every team hits 200+ goals every season anymore though. Scoring among the OHL, WHL, and QMJHL has mostly equalized.

I watch OHL and WHL games more than anything, but I'd say anecdotally, over the past 20-25 years, physicality in the OHL and WHL has greatly declined.

I honestly don't notice a huge difference between CHL leagues anymore.

Also, sure Zadina was a very dominant player in the Q, but it's not like he ran away with the league or anything. He wasn't even in top 5 in league wide scoring, and wasn't even the scoring leader on his team in his draft year.

It's a nice narrative, but I'm not sure I buy it. That said, obviously I do think he'll get better with time. I said in November when Zadina was struggling that he needs to adjust to the faster timing in the AHL if he's gonna unload his shot. He still needs to work on that IMO. I don't think that's a product of the Q though, I think that's just a player who failed to adjust early on and struggled because of it. 

[ChristopherReevesLegs 7,022]

3 hours ago, Dabura said:

I miss the Hoods.

If I could pick a Red Wing to go out and have a beer with they'd be in this order:

1. Jiri Hudler
2. Sean Avery
3. Chris Chelios
4. Tomas Holmstrom
5. Todd Bertuzzi

I get the feeling the Zetterberg's and Lidstrom's of the world would be incredibly boring after the initial star shock subsides

[mackel 679]

36 minutes ago, Dabura said:

Are you a real person? Honest question.

Yes and if you read Kips post its makes no sense... Quebec is in NA, Mantha played in NA his whole life including the Q league... but somehow doesn't know the NA game?

Edited May 21, 2019 by mackel

[Dabura 12,207]

3 minutes ago, mackel said:

Yes and if you read Kips post its makes no sense... Quebec is in NA, Mantha played in NA his whole life including the Q league... but somehow doesn't know the NA game?

It's pretty clear what Kip is saying. Which is that the Q is a weak league and Zadina was about as unprepared for the AHL as Mantha was. (How true those claims are is up for debate.)

28 minutes ago, ChristopherReevesLegs said:

If I could pick a Red Wing to go out and have a beer with they'd be in this order:

1. Jiri Hudler
2. Sean Avery
3. Chris Chelios
4. Tomas Holmstrom
5. Todd Bertuzzi

I get the feeling the Zetterberg's and Lidstrom's of the world would be incredibly boring after the initial star shock subsides

Hudler was a ray of sunshine and debauchery in an ocean of boring good bois.

Hudler did nothing wrong.

Free Hudler.

[Prolix 65]

5 hours ago, mackel said:

50% likelyhood of being a run of the mill NHL winger. Bust relative to hype and expectations.

It seems to me that "hype and expectations" are a very bad metric by which to assess the success/failure of young players.

The pick is gone. The only thing that matters at this point is obtaining maximum return out of the player who is now in the system. In some cases that might mean getting a trade return while the player is still overvalued based on the hype!, but other than that it makes no difference where a player was "projected" to play. You turn them into the best player they can become, because that is what is best for the team. 

Draftees not reaching their projected potential is in most cases pure chaos and beyond that an issue with scouting/recruitment, not the individual. The only way a player can truly "bust", imo, is if they never make it to the NHL level - which I believe is a point only you are making ("30% chance"). 

This is the same argument people have about AA: "we thought he would be X and he's Y!" Who cares? You have Y player. Use him. If he's not useful, get rid of him. But until you do that's still a playing asset. 

(Players getting fat contracts based solely on hype! is the other possible negative outcome, but again that's an institutional issue, not a player issue.)

(Edit: Also, player output at the ages of 18/19 is almost certainly not a reliable indicator of where they will be in 1, 3, 5, 8, etc. years.)

Edited May 21, 2019 by Prolix

[ChristopherReevesLegs 7,022]

7 minutes ago, Dabura said:

It's pretty clear what Kip is saying. Which is that the Q is a weak league and Zadina was about as unprepared for the AHL as Mantha was. (How true those claims are is up for debate.)

Hudler was a ray of sunshine and debauchery in an ocean of boring good bois.

Hudler did nothing wrong.

Free Hudler.

I forget who said it, but I remember hearing on some podcast that Huds would show up to almost every game with a new chick on his arm and they were always gorgeous. Coulda been hookers, but still, Huds was lowkey the man.

[ChristopherReevesLegs 7,022]

3 minutes ago, Prolix said:

It seems to me that "hype and expectations" are a very bad metric by which to assess the success/failure of young players.

The pick is gone. The only thing that matters at this point is obtaining maximum return out of the player who is now in the system. In some cases that might mean getting a trade return while the player is still overvalued based on the hype!, but other than that it makes no difference where a player was "projected" to play. You turn them into the best player they can become, because that is what is best for the team. 

Draftees not reaching their projected potential is in most cases pure chaos and beyond that an issue with scouting/recruitment, not the individual. The only way a player can truly "bust", imo, is if they never make it to the NHL level - which I believe is a point only you are making ("30% chance"). 

This is the same argument people have about AA: "we thought he would be X and he's Y!" Who cares? You have Y player. Use him. If he's not useful, get rid of him. But until you do that's still a playing asset. 

(Players getting fat contracts based solely on hype! is the other possible negative outcome, but again that's an institutional issue, not a player issue.)

Either Zadina becomes Marian Hossa by game one of 2019/20 season or I'm gonna freakout and break stuff

[Jonas Mahonas 1,872]

Johanthony Frantha

[krsmith17 7,191]

7 hours ago, mackel said:

50% likelyhood of being a run of the mill NHL winger. Bust relative to hype and expectations.

30% likelyhood of being a complete bust ie. out of the league by his late 20s with no significant accomplishments.

20% likelyhood of being "the next Kucherov at 21"

I hope this clears things up so people don't feel the need to comment on my behalf @krsmith17.

I have no idea what that means.

3% - Bust (less than 200 NHL games)

12% - Middle six winger (25-40 points)

25% - Top six winger (45-60 points)

50% - Top line winger (65-80 points)

10% - Elite top line winger (85+ points)

[Dabura 12,207]

6 hours ago, Wheelchairsuperhero said:

I'm becoming more and more interested in Zegras personally.

Same.

It's tough because I truly don't know how much of the appeal he holds for me is more siren call than actual honest-to-goodness substance. I watch him, I see the second coming of Pavel Datsyuk on a few sequences, and I see not much worth writing home about on other shifts. He teases. But then, that's the case with all but two or three or these players. You're not getting a sure-thing superstar at 6th overall. You never are.

That being said, I dare say it's pretty rare that a guy who can do stuff like this is available at 6th overall:

A player who can make plays like that is a player who owns many of the unteachable, God-given qualities that today's NHL amateur scouts lust after, including but not limited to 1) the ability to process and execute at top speed/on a dime and 2) outstanding skating ability (particularly his edges). This profile nails it:

https://www.diebytheblade.com/2019/5/1/18525289/draft-profile-trevor-zegras

Quote

Zegras possesses an uncanny knack for understanding space, creating it, and using it to his advantage. Misdirection is one of the most important weapons in his arsenal. Uses a variety of fakes, look offs, and changes of direction to distract opponents while putting sauce right on the tape of his linemates. Even on simple plays, he will throw in a small flourish – a change of pace, or a look-away, to freeze a defender for a half-second. He’s almost over-confident with the puck, as he’ll make behind-the-back passes, between his legs, no-look or try to saucer a pass through a half-dozen sticks when he sees an opening, and more often than not can put the puck into areas of the ice where only his teammates can reach it and turn it into a positive play. Very smart player who reads the defense instantly and finds a counter. Wizard-like hands are always in motion, and he’s equally good on his fore- or back-hand. Can dangle you to death with his incredible stick-handling.

One of the top skaters in the Class, he’s super quick and can explode out of a dead stop or changes in direction. He moves laterally with both ease and sharpness, and every stride seems designed to get him an advantage. Using his lateral mobility he can protect the puck by driving off defenders with speed or stepping around them. Will walk a defender to the outside, but Zegras prefers to threaten to go by a defender, get them on their heels, and then pull up to open up all kinds of space for himself to find a teammate. Thanks to his ridiculous handle and that skating, he can create clean zone entries at will. He’s particularly dangerous running the Power Play off the half-wall or at the point, with his NTDP coach pointing out that Zegras will be the best special teams player on whatever college team he goes to right out of the box (FYI – he’ll be at Boston University next season). High praise. You can check out some of his game (without Hughes) HERE.

A feature to his game he shares with Eichel is his ability to think the game at high speed. He recognizes openings and defenses even when skating full steam and has the presence of mind always try making a play rather than play it safe.

If you're a Wings fan, this part of the above passage should have you salivating:

Quote

Thanks to his ridiculous handle and that skating, he can create clean zone entries at will. He’s particularly dangerous running the Power Play off the half-wall or at the point, with his NTDP coach pointing out that Zegras will be the best special teams player on whatever college team he goes to right out of the box

If he's a couple inches taller (like Elias Pettersson) and a lethal shooter (like Elias Pettersson), I think he probably goes 3rd overall in this draft.

[ChristopherReevesLegs 7,022]

5% - Petr Sykora
10% - Martin Frk
25% - Jiri Hudler
35% - Tomas Tatar
20% - Martin Havlat
15% - Milan Hejduk
0% - Jaromir Jagr

 

[Jonas Mahonas 1,872]

Zegras doesnt impress me at all.  People get on AA here for his 200 ft game.  Zegras doesnt even have a 75 ft game.  Watch where AA starts all his highlights.  Most that arent power play are well within his own end.  Zegras' highlight reel is not even past center ice.  No thanks.  That guy is a bust waiting to happen.

 

 

[Wheelchairsuperhero 1,453]

25 minutes ago, Jonas Mahonas said:

Zegras doesnt impress me at all.  People get on AA here for his 200 ft game.  Zegras doesnt even have a 75 ft game.  Watch where AA starts all his highlights.  Most that arent power play are well within his own end.  Zegras' highlight reel is not even past center ice.  No thanks.  That guy is a bust waiting to happen.

 

 

I'm not saying you're wrong, as I haven't been able to watch him play much, but what makes you think this? I'm assuming (hoping) it's not just his highlight reel.

The few scouting reports I've read about him have praised his defensive ability, and I feel like that kind of goes along with everyone speaking so highly about his hockey sense, which is something I value extremely highly. Pronman ranked his hockey sense above everyone else in the top 10 in that article he posted earlier. 

Even if there were issues with his defensive game, which I haven't heard yet, I don't think It'd scare me off. I think the Wings could really use a bonafide playmaker.  

Link for those interested, though behind a paywall: https://theathletic.com/970746/2019/05/21/pronmans-2019-nhl-draft-board-top-107-prospects/

Skating: 50
Puck Skills: 60
Physical Game: 45
Hockey Sense: 75

Zegras was fantastic all season for the USNTDP and was a go-to guy for the program when they needed a goal. In terms of pure offensive skill, he’s the best in the draft class. He’s a special playmaker and one of the best passers I’ve seen as a first-year draft-eligible in recent years. It’s not just that he sees the options, it’s also the fact his timing is elite in terms of when to execute plays, and he has the high-end skill to feather pucks into the right spots. His imagination gets the highest praise from me. He’s made some very creative one-touch plays where he’s knocking pucks that were behind him onto the sticks of teammates or firing a bullet pass while spinning with the puck on his backhand. He’s known as a playmaker but has a sneaky good shot and can pick a corner if you give him time. Zegras has fine speed, very good edge work and hands to evade checks. He can push the pace when he wants to, but for a small, slight forward, he slows it down a bit too much for me. He’s not the biggest or bulkiest pivot and has at times played wing this season, but he’s gotten steadily better in the physical parts of the game and will push back when opponents get physical with him. Zegras isn’t a guy who you pick to run over guys, though; you’re drafting him to slot onto the half-wall of your first power play and get the puck to the scorers on his wing for a decade.

USNTDP center Jack Hughes on Zegras: “He’s the most creative player on our team. He thinks outside the box, he’s really smart and super crafty with his hands and movements. He’s really slippery. He’s an easy guy to play with knowing he’ll always give you great passes.”

[Dabura 12,207]

8 hours ago, Jonas Mahonas said:

Zegras doesnt impress me at all.  People get on AA here for his 200 ft game.  Zegras doesnt even have a 75 ft game.  Watch where AA starts all his highlights.  Most that arent power play are well within his own end.  Zegras' highlight reel is not even past center ice.  No thanks.  That guy is a bust waiting to happen.

AA 4 Selke

[Jonas Mahonas 1,872]

1 minute ago, Dabura said:

AA 4 Selke

Not saying this.  Just commenting on what Ive seen of Zegras.  I want guys who are all over the ice.  Guys whom the puck seems to follow.  The more explosiveness, the better.  Thats why im high on Cozens and Broberg.  These USNDP guys are power play specialists.  All their higlight reels are full of power play passes.  Not impressed by that.  I want burners that shift the 5 on 5 play in our favor.  Need that first so we can get on the power play.

 

8 hours ago, Wheelchairsuperhero said:

I'm not saying you're wrong, as I haven't been able to watch him play much, but what makes you think this? I'm assuming (hoping) it's not just his highlight reel.

The few scouting reports I've read about him have praised his defensive ability, and I feel like that kind of goes along with everyone speaking so highly about his hockey sense, which is something I value extremely highly. Pronman ranked his hockey sense above everyone else in the top 10 in that article he posted earlier. 

Even if there were issues with his defensive game, which I haven't heard yet, I don't think It'd scare me off. I think the Wings could really use a bonafide playmaker.  

Link for those interested, though behind a paywall: https://theathletic.com/970746/2019/05/21/pronmans-2019-nhl-draft-board-top-107-prospects/

Skating: 50
Puck Skills: 60
Physical Game: 45
Hockey Sense: 75

Zegras was fantastic all season for the USNTDP and was a go-to guy for the program when they needed a goal. In terms of pure offensive skill, he’s the best in the draft class. He’s a special playmaker and one of the best passers I’ve seen as a first-year draft-eligible in recent years. It’s not just that he sees the options, it’s also the fact his timing is elite in terms of when to execute plays, and he has the high-end skill to feather pucks into the right spots. His imagination gets the highest praise from me. He’s made some very creative one-touch plays where he’s knocking pucks that were behind him onto the sticks of teammates or firing a bullet pass while spinning with the puck on his backhand. He’s known as a playmaker but has a sneaky good shot and can pick a corner if you give him time. Zegras has fine speed, very good edge work and hands to evade checks. He can push the pace when he wants to, but for a small, slight forward, he slows it down a bit too much for me. He’s not the biggest or bulkiest pivot and has at times played wing this season, but he’s gotten steadily better in the physical parts of the game and will push back when opponents get physical with him. Zegras isn’t a guy who you pick to run over guys, though; you’re drafting him to slot onto the half-wall of your first power play and get the puck to the scorers on his wing for a decade.

USNTDP center Jack Hughes on Zegras: “He’s the most creative player on our team. He thinks outside the box, he’s really smart and super crafty with his hands and movements. He’s really slippery. He’s an easy guy to play with knowing he’ll always give you great passes.”

Good points, but this has to come with bulldog / workhorse praise too.  Datsyuk and Zetterberg had both.  To me, Zegras just has the hands.  And that wont make him a good NHLer by itself.

[Dabura 12,207]

24 minutes ago, Jonas Mahonas said:

I want guys who are all over the ice.

Zegras.

24 minutes ago, Jonas Mahonas said:

Guys whom the puck seems to follow.

Zegras.

25 minutes ago, Jonas Mahonas said:

The more explosiveness, the better.

Zegras.

25 minutes ago, Jonas Mahonas said:

These USNDP guys are power play specialists.  All their higlight reels are full of power play passes.  Not impressed by that.  I want burners that shift the 5 on 5 play in our favor.  Need that first so we can get on the power play.

"USDP are just power play specialists" is the new "lazy and sucks."