I'm not sure if I asked this already but what is Thomas's potential? Can he be a first liner?
He can, but he can also be just an AHL scorer. He has boom or bust potential, he needs to be worked with carefully. He has the tools, he just needs to use all of his tools and strengthen his defensive game.
St. Croix continues the insanity: already up to 2-2-4 through 2 periods tonight.
Dayum.
It would be really nice if this kid isn't the next Corey Locke. He's been impressing for a couple of years now but I can't help but be skeptical due to his draft position.
It would be really nice if this kid isn't the next Corey Locke. He's been impressing for a couple of years now but I can't help but be skeptical due to his draft position.
Just to be clear, Jefferek Stepaninner was commenting on Thomas, who was drafted in the 2nd round, but I hear you.
It would be really nice if this kid isn't the next Corey Locke. He's been impressing for a couple of years now but I can't help but be skeptical due to his draft position.
It's less his draft position that worries me and more his lack of speed and strength/grittiness. Without those two factors right now, it's anyone's bet how he adapts to higher levels of play.
He can, but he can also be just an AHL scorer. He has boom or bust potential, he needs to be worked with carefully. He has the tools, he just needs to use all of his tools and strengthen his defensive game.
He can be Brian Gionta or he can be Corey Locke.
He isn't Gionta small. He is the same size as Mike Cammeleri. That is the closest comparison I can make to his style of play. It will take him a couple of years, IMO to gain the strength necessary but I think he can be a NHL player. And a top-6 one at that.
He is tenacious away from the puck and he is quick and a decent forechecker.
Thomas, St. Croix and McColgan are, IMO the Boom-or-Bust prospects that the organization has right now.
He isn't Gionta small. He is the same size as Mike Cammeleri. That is the closest comparison I can make to his style of play. It will take him a couple of years, IMO to gain the strength necessary but I think he can be a NHL player. And a top-6 one at that.
He is tenacious away from the puck and he is quick and a decent forechecker.
Thomas, St. Croix and McColgan are, IMO the Boom-or-Bust prospects that the organization has right now.
I understand he isn't Gionta small, but I feel he's a bit closer to Gionta than Cammalleri, but both are fine comparisons. Thomas, while tenacious, isn't nearly good enough defensively. He seems more willing to wait at the blue line for a breakout then provide support in his defensive zone and is slow to defend. While that can be fixed and he probably won't be required to do much defensive work, it worries me that he might be a defensive liability.
He isn't Gionta small. He is the same size as Mike Cammeleri. That is the closest comparison I can make to his style of play. It will take him a couple of years, IMO to gain the strength necessary but I think he can be a NHL player. And a top-6 one at that.
He is tenacious away from the puck and he is quick and a decent forechecker.
Thomas, St. Croix and McColgan are, IMO the Boom-or-Bust prospects that the organization has right now.
St. Croix continues the insanity: already up to 2-2-4 through 2 periods tonight.
Dayum.
9G9A 18PTS last 6gp in that span 5ptgame two 4pt games and a 3pt game kid is tearing up the league right now on pace for 101 pts and this is starting out with 2pts in his first 7
Thomas with 4 primary assists through 2 periods tonight, Oshawa up 7-0.
9 points in the last 5 periods
6 game point streak (6G/8A)
Looks like those few games off were good for him. Allowed him to clear his mind. He was no longer thinking about how he didn't make the Rangers, instead focusing on how mad he is that he's not playing hockey. He then returned with a new mindset and began scoring.
I hope he can keep it up. There's nothing wrong with a 19 year old not cracking the NHL. Even if he doesn't make it next season and has to spend a year in the AHL, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. It's a normal development curse that can still lead him to bea 30-40 goal scorer if he keeps improving.
McIlrath apparently beat some dude's ass tonight. He was given an instigator, 5 for fighting, and a 10-minute misconduct. The other guy just received a misconduct.
"I used to pray for good things . I used to ask the Hockey Gods for puck luck for the NYR .
Now all I want is Torts the smug stupid goatee clown to be fired , . I hate Torts . Please hockey gods make him get fired. Please Sean punch him in face" -- Dorado
Thomas, St. Croix and McColgan are, IMO the Boom-or-Bust prospects that the organization has right now.
I see no reason why McColgan is limited to the top-6. He can play the bottom-6. He can be like Callahan today or he can be like Callahan in 2007-08 when he had 13 points in 52 games (20.5 point pace), but was still a very useful player. If McColgan is just a 10-10 guy, he can still play in the NHL once he gains strength and learns more of the basics.
Let's be honest, we'd all rather be McIlrath than the other guy, and we didn't even have to see that fight.
Did anyone ever see a McIlrath fight, against kids or NHLers in preseason, where he didn't subjugate the other guy? What McIlrath is doing out there more closely resembles a father spanking his 6 year old than a fight between two grown men.
McIlrath apparently beat some dude's ass tonight. He was given an instigator, 5 for fighting, and a 10-minute misconduct. The other guy just received a misconduct.
That's great and all but I like to see him on the ice developing his hockey skills. Who knows if fighting will even be in the game three or four years from now.
Kreider - Miller - MZA (Make my day)
JAM (not signed though) - Bourque - St Croix (French Connection II)
Thuresson - Lindberg - Fasth (Absolut Sweden)
McColgan - Fogarty - Thomas (Not a 4th line line)
Yogan - McNaught
