Some light reading while you're enjoying some WJC action.
Quote:
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Sarnia Sting standout Nail Yakupov has been relentless in keeping his title as the top prospect for the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, securing the position for the fifth consecutive month, edging out Canadian defenseman Ryan Murray and Team Russia teammate Mikhail Grigorenko.
Rank / Pos. / Name / Team / League / Ht / Wt /
1). RW Nail Yakupov, Sarnia, OHL, 5-10, 170
2). D Ryan Murray, Everett, WHL, 6-1, 195
3). C Mikhail Grigorenko, Quebec, QMJHL, 6-2, 190
4). D Matt Dumba, Red Deer, WHL, 6-0, 175
5). C Alex Galchenyuk, Sarnia, OHL, 6-1, 185
6). LW Filip Forsberg, Leksand, Swe., 6-1, 175
7). D Morgan Rielly, Moose Jaw, WHL, 6-0, 195
8). D Cody Ceci, Ottawa, OHL, 6-3, 210
9). D Jacob Trouba, USNTDP U18, USHL, 6-2, 185
10). D Slater Koekkoek, Peterborough, OHL, 6-2, 185
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Say what you want to about the team but Trouba did not play poorly at all.
That, and it's general knowledge that a player's performance (or lack thereof) in a tourney like the WJCs shouldn't help/hinder draft ranking too much.
Say what you want to about the team but Trouba did not play poorly at all.
Maybe not to you, but Trouba took a hit in my rankings this tournament that he will not likely be able to recover from before the draft. Something about stepping up your game when everything is on the line. He did the opposite, and won't have another chance on this big a stage to prove he can do it.
(And I speak only for myself here. I know some of my FC colleagues disagree)
Maybe not to you, but Trouba took a hit in my rankings this tournament that he will not likely be able to recover from before the draft. Something about stepping up your game when everything is on the line. He did the opposite, and won't have another chance on this big a stage to prove he can do it.
(And I speak only for myself here. I know some of my FC colleagues disagree)
I agree with your FC colleagues. Trouba was the only US defenseman to have played well this tournament, IMO. That he did it as a 17-year-old would actually make him rise in my rankings.
I agree with your FC colleagues. Trouba was the only US defenseman to have played well this tournament, IMO. That he did it as a 17-year-old would actually make him rise in my rankings.
I agree that he generally played well and I still have him top-15. For me, though, you only get a few <big game> moments where you either shine, don't stand out or drop the ball. The last 10 minutes of the 3rd against the Czechs was that all or nothing moment for the US. It'll probably be the highest pressure situation Trouba will face all year. To me, it looks like he dropped the ball there.
When I'm picking a player for my team, I don't just look for the usual things you can see in a game of shinny. I want a guy who will step up when it's time to compete for hardware, a guy who thrives in high-pressure situations.
This was just one game, yes. Just one period, even. But it's probably the most important period he will have played before the draft. It means something.
Maybe not to you, but Trouba took a hit in my rankings this tournament that he will not likely be able to recover from before the draft. Something about stepping up your game when everything is on the line. He did the opposite, and won't have another chance on this big a stage to prove he can do it.
(And I speak only for myself here. I know some of my FC colleagues disagree)
I, too, agree with your FC colleagues. I was very impressed with Trouba including how he recovered from some of his own errrors.
We all have our likes and dislikes when it comes to players. For my money, this player has developed very well from my initial observations of him with U16 Compuware. From what I saw from him last week I do believe that he stepped up his game in the WJC compared to his typical USHL effort. Efforts which at times have been underwhelming
The last 10 minutes of the 3rd against the Czechs was that all or nothing moment for the US.
With all due respect, I was not looking for Trouba to be the one to step up there and while I am not trying to be disputatious, I believe that it is somewhat unfair to have either expected him to have done so or faulted him for not doing so.
I agree that he generally played well and I still have him top-15. For me, though, you only get a few <big game> moments where you either shine, don't stand out or drop the ball. The last 10 minutes of the 3rd against the Czechs was that all or nothing moment for the US. It'll probably be the highest pressure situation Trouba will face all year. To me, it looks like he dropped the ball there.
When I'm picking a player for my team, I don't just look for the usual things you can see in a game of shinny. I want a guy who will step up when it's time to compete for hardware, a guy who thrives in high-pressure situations.
This was just one game, yes. Just one period, even. But it's probably the most important period he will have played before the draft. It means something.
.............and yet you still have Yakupov 1st overall even though he's been fairly quite this tournament. I mean, if you're going to cherry-pick based on expecations....
With all due respect, I was not looking for Trouba to be the one to step up there and while I am not trying to be disputatious, I believe that it is somewhat unfair to have either expected him to have done so or faulted him for not doing so.
That's fair. It's not that he didn't step up that bothers me as much as my perception that he dropped the ball. I'm of the opinion that he could've easily saved the game for the US. At 3-2, the game was still very much up for grabs. Then, the turnover. We can discuss if it was his fault or if he was put in a bad situation and all the details about the turnover at the blue line, I'm not 100% sure on where I stand there either. I think he should've made the simple play and chipped it off the board, but it's not that part of the play that bothers me, it's what happened after.
It pains me to watch Trouba casually skate back after giving the puck away with 3 minutes to go in a win-or-go-home hockey game when down by 1. Ok, so you gave the puck away. Don't stand there feeling sorry for yourself, go get the puck back. It seems like he just gave up on the play completely. Could've taken away the passing lane or at least made the pass more difficult. A good defender would've been able to skate back quickly and lift Filippi's stick, a play that I've seen the likes of Laughton, Maidens and Koekkoek pull off in the OHL this year. That was the most important shift of his season and he looked like Marc-Andre Bergeron on it.
I haven't seen Trouba at all, I'm stuck in OHL/QMJHL territory. I can say that he impressed me against Finland, Canada and Denmark; he's #13 on my list. But I'll always be wary of a player who looks like he cracks under pressure or like he doesn't care. Unfortunately for Trouba, he hasn't had very many high pressure situations yet, so I have to keep that play in consideration.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rabid Ranger
.............and yet you still have Yakupov 1st overall even though he's been fairly quite this tournament. I mean, if you're going to cherry-pick based on expecations....
How do you know who I have 1st overall? I just said a while ago, my posts are my opinions and not those of FC. (Yes, I have Yakupov first overall, but that's beside the point )
I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean as far as cherry-picking based on expectations. I didn't have any expectations of him going in, I'm judging solely on what I saw.
And yeah, I'm watching Yak closely tonight to see how he reacts to the pressure of a semi-final against Canada.
I agree that he generally played well and I still have him top-15. For me, though, you only get a few <big game> moments where you either shine, don't stand out or drop the ball. The last 10 minutes of the 3rd against the Czechs was that all or nothing moment for the US. It'll probably be the highest pressure situation Trouba will face all year. To me, it looks like he dropped the ball there.
When I'm picking a player for my team, I don't just look for the usual things you can see in a game of shinny. I want a guy who will step up when it's time to compete for hardware, a guy who thrives in high-pressure situations.
This was just one game, yes. Just one period, even. But it's probably the most important period he will have played before the draft. It means something.
Would you say that every player you have ranked ahead of Trouba has stepped up in high-pressure situations? I'm genuinely curious, not being snide.
That, and it's general knowledge that a player's performance (or lack thereof) in a tourney like the WJCs shouldn't help/hinder draft ranking too much.
I'll just assume that because you said shouldn't you are aware that it still does. Niedereitter cruised into top 10 to top 5 rankings almost purely on the back of an impressive WJC showing. That's just one example, but WJC performance weighs heavily on how a prospect is scouted. It isn't like, oh hey here's a chance for EVERYONE to see this draft eligible prospect, but we're not going to judge his performance one bit because he's not as far in his development as his teammates. No, you gauge how well the player is doing despite being behind in his development and trying to see what kind of potential he has.
I really liked what I saw from Trouba. The kind of kid you draft and let develop at his own pace and it will pay dividends big time when he is around 22 years old or so. He will be a rock some day for some team
No Hertl in the top forty, eh? This must be a fantastic draft. I will admit I've only seen him play at this tournament, but I've seen a ton of great signs and indicators from him. Plus its hard to hate what he's doing over in the Czech league.
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