12-15 minutes in MTL (I mean, seriously he's gonna be great, but he still can't crack our top 2 lines) or 20+ minutes playing in all situations in the AHL, leading that team, for a few weeks at least?
Well the good thing about Max is he can play every style of play. The important thing is if he stays he plays and get's ice time. No pressbox and 4th line stuff. 4th line would be ok if their idea is to evaluate him a bit more and then decide if they move someone.
12-15 minutes in MTL (I mean, seriously he's gonna be great, but he still can't crack our top 2 lines) or 20+ minutes playing in all situations in the AHL, leading that team, for a few weeks at least?
Although I do agree with you 100%, I thought the same last year with Price.
I figured, send him down, play everyday, improove and call him up mid year for a few games.
Watched the game today, and you know what? Pierre McGuire is right, Pacioretty is good enough to play in the NHL. I think he can be the Sergei Kostitsyn of this season.
Meh, who cares what the media thinks. What's most amazing in Max Pac's case is that we got him and Gorges for... Craig Rivet!
This trade could turn out to be better than Courtnall-Kordic. Bob has made some stanky trades in his management career, but at this moment in time the Rivet trade looks like a once-in-a-decade fleecing.
Be interesting to see Rivet in Buffalo this year. I expect he'll show his best against the Habs.
Pacioretty was great, but one great preseason game doesn't make him an NHLer to start the year. Maguire was gushing over him, but Gainey doesn't care. I do expect Max to be up with the team by the end of the year though...
12-15 minutes in MTL (I mean, seriously he's gonna be great, but he still can't crack our top 2 lines) or 20+ minutes playing in all situations in the AHL, leading that team, for a few weeks at least?
He'll go down for sure, just like Sergei did. He's still raw. His offensive skills are not there yet. But he's physically NHL ready.
Although I do agree with you 100%, I thought the same last year with Price.
I figured, send him down, play everyday, improove and call him up mid year for a few games.
Expect the unexpected with BG
Price already had that AHL experience though. The Habs said it a few times that 1 playoff game = 4 regular season games in terms of experience, so Price was experienced at the AHL level in their minds. Plus, Huet was a UFA-to-be and I am sure BG didn't want our 100th year to be Price's ''rookie'' year.
Latendresse has a rocket actually. Not on the AK level, but he has a great shot that is deadly accurate. We haven't seen it much as he hasn't been put in good positions for most of his career playing in the bottom 6 with mostly bums...
Latendresse has a rocket actually. Not on the AK level, but he has a great shot that is deadly accurate. We haven't seen it much as he hasn't been put in good positions for most of his career playing in the bottom 6 with mostly bums...
Lats has skills.
AK? Kovalev or Kostitsyn, be specific (he doesn't have the shot of either, so, i guess it doesn't matter)
Lats looked good tonight, I still want Patch to start the season in the AHL, but he *needs* to be our callup guy incase of injury... He just brings so many intangibles.
He'll go down for sure, just like Sergei did. He's still raw. His offensive skills are not there yet. But he's physically NHL ready.
You're right. He's close, but he needs to work on a few things. He needs to work on his balance that's for sure. He also needs to play on a more consistent basis. It's hard for a NCAA player to adapt to the AHL because there's a lot more games, and not only on weekends. Higgins and O'Byrne already commented on that.
Anyways, he's a player, that's for sure. He'll be in Montreal in no time...
AK? Kovalev or Kostitsyn, be specific (he doesn't have the shot of either, so, i guess it doesn't matter)
Lats looked good tonight, I still want Patch to start the season in the AHL, but he *needs* to be our callup guy incase of injury... He just brings so many intangibles.
Is it usual for american (NCAA) players to make it directly to the nhl? If so, did those players showed consistency all year long? I mean, there's a difference between 36 and 102 games (to make it to the SC ) I'm just curious here...which good NHL rookies last year were in the NCAA the year before?
I for one think that your assessment of Pacioretty is justified.
Although it's only pre-season and the veterans are not playing their A game, I think that he is out playing a lot of the current roster players this pre-season...and especially Latendresse.
Actually, if I was Latendresse, I would be real nervous right about now. If it weren't for the waiver rules...
Latendresse is fine... S-Kost has been playing uninspired hockey.
passing: Lats>Patches
shot: Lats>Patches
strength: Lats>Patches
puck skills: close but edge goes to lats imo.
But forget all this.
They are different players, and for my money aren't even competing. The player that needs to worry is Higgins in my opinion...
Instead of saying Patches is a faster Lats, how about Patches is a bigger and stronger Higgins?
Higgins doesn't have to worry about his spot at all...
I think the guy that should be worried would be a guy like Sergei Kostitsyn. Obviously there is probably little chance of Sergei getting sent down but he seems to be taking his spot very lightly, his effort has been very low in the pre-season and he has been taking many bad penalties. Not saying I want Sergei sent down but seeing Max playing excellent out there you'd think that it might want to wake Sergei up...
Is it usual for american (NCAA) players to make it directly to the nhl? If so, did those players showed consistency all year long? I mean, there's a difference between 36 and 102 games (to make it to the SC ) I'm just curious here...which good NHL rookies last year were in the NCAA the year before?
Toews did it last year, but Max is not nearly as refined. My guess for Max this year is he plays a handful of games as a callup, and by next year starts the season as a top 9 forward. In for either Tanguay or Higgins.
) I'm just curious here...which good NHL rookies last year were in the NCAA the year before?
