Quote:
Originally Posted by Zundo
In all fairness, I do see all of that and I still question whether he can utilize that raw talent and reach his potential. There is something in his game that suggests he will not, although I am not yet able to describe it. Then again, he is only 20, so he obviously still has time. Regardless, I love watching the kid play.
|
I think that's the case with pretty much every prospect. Some are riskier and some are more of a sure thing, but I think a lot of really good prospects get shoveled into the sure-thing-pile unwarranted.
As for Perron's risk, I think it's two things. One is his ability to crank up his speed and strength so he can make those moves pay off at a higher level. The other is what gets mistaken for selfish play, but is actually an odd combination of losing focus and trying too hard. A guy with Perron's skill and vision sees the potential for a play that even a lot of other hockey players don't see. So when he tries it and fails or backs out and tries to regroup, it looks like he's playing around. Sometimes I think that's true because he obviously loves playing the game - visibly moreso than most players. But most of the time he just wants to score and win at all costs.
I dunno. You're supposed to trust your teammates and just play your position and role. But if you were on a line with Janssen or Winchester, who
miss the puck more than half of the time that you whip the puck along the boards while cycling, I think you'd be right to choose some other low-percentage play rather than just giving it up when doing the play you're
supposed to make.
How often does he make the "selfish" play when he's playing with Oshie and Berglund? Not that often. That's because he sees making plays to those guys as high percentage. Same on the powerplay. He usually makes really nice decisions because he has high percentage options available.
I mean, seriously, at what point when you're playing with guys with hands of stone do you officially declare them as a lower percentage play? Is that
really being selfish, or is it just being honest? If you cough the puck up or if you give the puck to a guy who coughs it up, isn't the result the same?
I'm not defending Perron. Sometimes he clearly makes questionable decisions. However, I don't think he does so any more often than guys like Tkachuk or Kariya or the entire defense. But I do get what people see when they wonder if he'll reach his potential, and I think when you look at it in that light, it makes more sense and he seems less likely to plateau early. He just needs to become stronger and secure more icetime and always on scoring lines. Which will happen in time.
