I can see the similarities in terms of hands, hockey IQ, flawless finish on breakaways, PP dominance, size and skating. What I'm not really seeing is the edge/physicality, does Drouin show this at times and I've just missed it? Also, in every game I've seen him play he's been on the wing, has he played much centre in the Q, or in midget AAA? Do Moosehead fans think he could play both positions (like Giroux), or is he more likely to be a pure winger at the NHL level?
Some games he will take face-offs on the right-hand side, in the Ozone, to get the backhand draw advantage. I don't think it's too farfetched to say that he could play centre at the next level
Jonathan Drouin entered the 2012/2013 season in a position that would be envied by any draft eligible prospect this year. He would be a go-to player on a powerhouse team with several high profile players, allowing him to fly under the radar while playing alongside superstar teammate and potential 1st overall pick, Nathan MacKinnon.
Well, Jonathan had other ideas.
Drouin opened the season with 15 pts in his first 7 games, exceeding the output of MacKinnon before a shoulder injury sidelined him for 6 games in October. Since returning from injury, Drouin has 14 points in 7 games and while he certainly hasn’t stolen the spotlight from MacKinnon just yet, they’re definitely sharing it now.
I saw Drouins goal from when they played Gatineau I believe, he shot it from the top of the circle or the dot and just sniped it top cheddar. The game was on NHLN so it was the first I have seen from Drouin or (Mackinnon) and I was impressed. I cant wait for the draft.
For those who know, is Drouin more of a goal scorer, playmaker, or a blend of both? I get the feeling hes a mix of the two.
I saw Drouins goal from when they played Gatineau I believe, he shot it from the top of the circle or the dot and just sniped it top cheddar. The game was on NHLN so it was the first I have seen from Drouin or (Mackinnon) and I was impressed. I cant wait for the draft.
For those who know, is Drouin more of a goal scorer, playmaker, or a blend of both? I get the feeling hes a mix of the two.
Playmaker. That's what he'll be in the NHL, and it's mostly what he id in junior... He can score, but with his IQ and hands he'll be a playmaker.
For those who know, is Drouin more of a goal scorer, playmaker, or a blend of both? I get the feeling hes a mix of the two.
He's most certainly a mix of both. It's all about his ability to find open ice. As long as he's finding open ice and pouncing on loose pucks, he's able to get shots off and take advantage of his quick, accurate shot. Right now in junior, he's having no trouble getting open ice and finding loose pucks, and hence his almost GPG pace so far this year. If he can find his way to the dirty areas around the net, and find those loose pucks at the next level, his hands and release will serve him best scoring goals. If he can't find as much open ice at the next level, though, he may be forced to look to distribute the puck more, but he's more than capable of playing that part of a scoring line as well.
Drouin reminds me of a hockey version of the Harlem Globetrotters. This kid has INSANE puck skills. Like off the charts for his age and will one day be one of the world's best with the puck on his stick. He's also really adept at picking pockets and stick checking. Loves to strip the puck and move it down the ice the other direction. It's an amazing skillset all around. Great package of ability.
That said, he's a cherry picking son of a *****. Never ventures beyond the hash marks in his own zone. Loves to just hang out around the blueline, standing there and waiting around. Similarly, on the forecheck he's not exactly about to cycle. He's content to chill put and find good shooting lanes or QB from the half wall. There really isn't anything wrong with any of this. I definitely feel he will be wildly effective inspite of (or because of) these qualities.
I think this is a pretty good description of Drouin. I watched him pretty closer during last Friday's game against Gatineau. It was only one game, but more than once when the puck went deep into the defensive zone and was being fought for by both teams he just cycled or stopped inside his own blueline and paid no attention to an attacking player entering the zone near him. On at least one occasion a guy he could have pick up skated right by him and got the puck uncovered in what led to a scoring opportunity.
Maybe he can get away with that in junior, but whenever not picking up a man in the defensive zone helps leads to a goal in the NHL then a lot of people will know about it.
The guy does have amazing skills though and he really is a treat to watch. Hopefully he has a good attitude as far as willingness to learn the parts of the game that contribute to preventing the other team from scoring when he's on the ice.
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Originally Posted by rt
HOWEVER, MacKinnon will almost certainly be the higher pick because of his assertiveness all over the ice. He's like Jeremy Roenick. That makes you a first overall pick. It just does.
Agree with this too. I'd say that, given a choice, MacKinnon will take the shortest route to the net or puck; Drouin will take the route of least resistance.
Is it possible if they both maintain that ppg for most of the season that Drouin could go before MacKinnon in the draft? i mean i get how dynamic McKinnon is but over 68 game thats 141pts for Drouin and 109pts for McKinnon, is he so much better that scout would forget about such a ppg difference and still pick McKinnon first?
Btw im not saying both will keep their respective PPG, Drouin could go down and McKinnon up but im still curious about what would happen if it stayed like that.
Is it possible if they both maintain that ppg for most of the season that Drouin could go before MacKinnon in the draft? i mean i get how dynamic McKinnon is but over 68 game thats 141pts for Drouin and 109pts for McKinnon, is he so much better that scout would forget about such a ppg difference and still pick McKinnon first?
Btw im not saying both will keep their respective PPG, Drouin could go down and McKinnon up but im still curious about what would happen if it stayed like that.
I still think MacKinnon goes before Drouin regardless if he outscores him or by how much. MacKinnon's all round game is simply stronger and more easily translated to the next level. I just don't of Drouin as THAT piece you build a team around like I do MacKinnon.
Similar situation sort of to a guy like Phil Kessel - incredible player, puts up big numbers, top 10 in scoring but still regarded as more of a supplemental piece then a franchise player.
Similar situation sort of to a guy like Phil Kessel - incredible player, puts up big numbers, top 10 in scoring but still regarded as more of a supplemental piece then a franchise player.
I can definitely jive with this. Before thinking about it a bit more, Kessel could be one of the better comparisons drawn to date.
Not at all. Kessel is a sniper, Jo is a playmaker.
Drouin is as much of a "playmaker" as Kessel was in college, lol. But besides having heard/read other people making such statements, why is it that you think Drouin is a "playmaker" and not a "sniper"? Drouin might have the talent to be better/more proficient than Kessel in the passing department if he has to focus primarily on that at the next level, but it won't be the best application of his skills, imo. If he's dishing more pucks to other people, instead of the other way around, there better be a very deserving trigger man on the other end, that's all I'll say.
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Originally Posted by maplehawk
Not really. I was in no way, shape or form comparing Drouin to Kessel as a player, just their situations.
Their situations, and the skills that set them apart from their peers, are incredibly similar, actually. Approach to the defensive/neutral zone, also similar. The aspects of his game that will attract scouts on draft day, also similar. Size and skating, also similar (better edge work goes to Drouin though, imo, and a bit less choppy starts, I suppose). I'm tempted to say that there are more similarities than differences between them, that's for sure.
But besides having heard/read other people making such statements, why is it that you think Drouin is a "playmaker" and not a "sniper"? Drouin might have the talent to be better/more proficient than Kessel in the passing department if he has to focus primarily on that at the next level, but it won't be the best application of his skills, imo. If he's dishing more pucks to other people, instead of the other way around, there better be a very deserving trigger man on the other end, that's all I'll say.
What are you talking about? Drouin's shot is nothing to write home about. Most of his goals are not snipes. Kessel's shot is his bread and butter. Drouin best skill is his passing and vision. He does not look to shoot nearly as much as Kessel. It's really not hard to understand why Drouin does not compare well to Kessel.
If we're looking for a Kessel comparison, Shinkaruk is much, much better. As has been mentioned by other people.
If you don't consider release and accuracy/finding holes to be key components of shooting, and don't recognize those skills relative to Drouin's peers, and furthermore don't remember those as two of Kessel's main assets from his "junior" days (among others previously elaborated upon), then I don't even really know where to go from here.
Obviously there are plenty of much better comparables out there. Kessel's just not such a bad one, imo, all things considered, and depends on what you're focusing on.
Is it possible if they both maintain that ppg for most of the season that Drouin could go before MacKinnon in the draft? i mean i get how dynamic McKinnon is but over 68 game thats 141pts for Drouin and 109pts for McKinnon, is he so much better that scout would forget about such a ppg difference and still pick McKinnon first?
Btw im not saying both will keep their respective PPG, Drouin could go down and McKinnon up but im still curious about what would happen if it stayed like that.
Scouts don't look at points in Junior as much as their translatable tools. Look at 2002 for instance, Pierre Marc-Bouchard Put up 140 points in 69 games and led the Q in scoring, but went 8th overall. In the same draft Rick Nash put up 72 points in 54 games in the OHL and went 1st. Nash was obviously the more translatable player and scouts saw that.
Scouts don't look at points in Junior as much as their translatable tools. Look at 2002 for instance, Pierre Marc-Bouchard Put up 140 points in 69 games and led the Q in scoring, but went 8th overall. In the same draft Rick Nash put up 72 points in 54 games in the OHL and went 1st. Nash was obviously the more translatable player and scouts saw that.
