Connor Mcdavid Watch

[The_People1]

Sigh....

 

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=183442

 

Connor McDavid's World Junior performance, definitely an important benchmark for the "next one" debate...

 

Result:   CrzyDrvr wins.

 

Freaking amazing performance for his age.  Not quite as good as Crosby, Gretzky, etc.etc, comparatively.

 

I still want him here!  He is gonna be amazing!   But at This point in his career, he has fallen off the "Next One" track. 

 

He might not be the "Next One" as once thought but there's still very good potential to be a franchise player like a Tavares, Hall, Stamkos, who the Flames can build around for a decade. 

 

Very good chance the Flames draft him next year the way the Flames are setup for next season.

[geos]

After seeing him in a bigger sample set, I've got to say this kid is overhyped. He's a fairly skilled player, but his work ethic isn't even in the same book as Crosby or other elite players. He's very lazy away from the puck and makes a lot of careless errors. Yes, he's young. But I expected a lot more from the next Great One. Maybe the World Junior's is below him to try hard, but hey, the history books are full of players with attitude standing between them and greatness.

 

I expected him to make mistakes, which is fine at that age. But to not give 100%? That's not an attitude from a great player.

 

Probably a top liner player in the NHL or a quality second liner, but he's no Crosby level generational talent. I wouldn't be that excited for him. Meh. Good player. That's all.

[tmac70]

I am with Geos on this. I wasn't overly impressed. Young or not he should be giving an unbelievable effort every time he hits the ice simply on the excitement of being at the worlds.

 

Even Crosby and Gretzky stood out when even for there age. Greatness really shine regardless of age or situation. It may not dominate a game when their young but the potential should ozze out, didn't see that with McDavid or frankly Reinhart or Eckblad. 

 

I would take Ekblad in this years draft or use him get a establish player in a package. With Mc David we should be in the running next year, i would take him, but from what I seen very over hyped.

[s4xon]

Ask yourself this, would you rather have Drouin or McDavid 5 years from now?  Based on projection from the samples I've seen, I would take Drouin in a heartbeat.  Tampa practically stole the best talent in last years draft.

[The_People1]

But to not give 100%? That's not an attitude from a great player.

 

Not sure if effort was missing but from what I saw, he played scared.   He was one touch passing everything and afraid to carry the puck and hang onto the puck.  He therefore did not create things, rather, he played the role of a side kick rather than the main character on his lines. Not impressive because he showed very little confidence in his game.   He relegated himself into nothing more than a 4th line player.

 

But there's hope because he's young.

 

 

Ask yourself this, would you rather have Drouin or McDavid 5 years from now?  Based on projection from the samples I've seen, I would take Drouin in a heartbeat.  Tampa practically stole the best talent in last years draft.

 

Drouin reminds me of a young Paul Kariya (pre-concussion).  I think he's going to be dynamite and a great fit with Stamkos.

 

But that said, it's not fair to compare an 18-year-old Drouin to a 16-year-old McDavid.  McDavid is further ahead in development than Drouin at the same age.

[s4xon]

Drouin reminds me of a young Paul Kariya (pre-concussion).  I think he's going to be dynamite and a great fit with Stamkos.

 

But that said, it's not fair to compare an 18-year-old Drouin to a 16-year-old McDavid.  McDavid is further ahead in development than Drouin at the same age.

 

Your argument is a bit of a double standard.  If he's been granted exceptional status, then he's considered to be on an even playing field with Drouin.  Age shouldn't matter if he's been allowed to play with older kids.  Plus...it's 2 years.  Not much of a difference as both have only played at the CHL level, and the WJC u20 level.

 

McDavid isn't more developed either.  Scoring lots of goals isn't development.  He's been granted exceptional status because he's offensively gifted, thats about it.

[jjgallow]

I dunno, the way I see it, when Drouin was McDavid's age:

 

He wasn't nearly good enough to even be in the WJC

 

He was not nearly as good of a junior player, not even managing a point per game in the QMJHL

 

He was generally worse at all aspects of his game.  Defense, Physical, Speed, Shot, ....All aspects were worse.

 

We can see McDavid's shortcomings, but he is still miles ahead of his peers.   But it's not like Drouin is known for being any more well-rounded.  He Definitely wasn't at that age.  Drouin was nowhere near this level.  

 

 

I'm not saying I know who will be better, I'm just saying they're not comparable at this stage.

 

Certainly, if McDavid plateaus and his development stagnates, for like....a whole Year, then at that point they might start to be comparable.

[cross16]

I actually liked Jack Eichel from the US as much, and actually a bit more, than Mcdavid. I found the skill level pretty close but I liked that I found Eichel was always moving and engaged and I found Mcdavid was floating a fair bit. This is just one tournament so I don't want to read too much into it and at the end of the day this is not typically a 17 year old tourney especially as a Canadian. I'm not overly shocked as IMO Mcdavid was never at Crosby level Mcdavid reminds me more of a Tavares/ brad Richards type player. Very good but not the next one IMO.

[JTech780]

Ask yourself this, would you rather have Drouin or McDavid 5 years from now?  Based on projection from the samples I've seen, I would take Drouin in a heartbeat.  Tampa practically stole the best talent in last years draft.

 

I would go with McDavid. Out of all the Canadian players at the WJC I was the least impressed and most disappointed with Drouin. Drouin showed good puck skills but didn't use his teammates effectively, took bad selfish penalty after penalty, turned over the puck way too much by holding onto too long. He needed to be Canada's best player and he was far from it.

 

I never thought McDavid was at Crosby's level, but I like his speed and his vision. He was a bit over matched in the fact that he wasn't quite mature enough to be in that tournament.

[cross16]

I would go with McDavid. Out of all the Canadian players at the WJC I was the least impressed and most disappointed with Drouin. Drouin showed good puck skills but didn't use his teammates effectively, took bad selfish penalty after penalty, turned over the puck way too much by holding onto too long. He needed to be Canada's best player and he was far from it.

 

.

I agree and in fact I thought,and still do, that out of the big four in last years draft Drouin has the biggest bust potential. I think he is good but I believe he is being really overhyped.

[Flyerfan52]

jj, are you disappointed McDavid wasn't named to the 2014 Olympic team?

 

[geos]

I dunno, the way I see it, when Drouin was McDavid's age:

 

He wasn't nearly good enough to even be in the WJC

 

McDavid wasn't good enough to be at the WJC this year either, he was just selected. He certainly didn't contribute positively.

[Crzydrvr]

I still think McDavid is the best prospect in next year's draft by a fair margin. Which says a lot about the quality of the player and the draft when you look at that top group of prospects. He performed about as well as I expected from a 17-year old. Against better overall competition, he's clearly less effective in all zones. His defense, while good for his age, still needs work in order to be an effective NHL player. Not to mention his scoring abilities and strength.

 

Eichel was effective in a top line opportunity for the Americans, but I didn't like the lack of effort on the backcheck. Dynamic offensive talent but a guy who needs work in all facets of the game. It's even more glaring considering his effort on the puck; the best players push themselves regardless of whether they have the disc or not.

 

Overall, pretty solid tourney from both guys. I expect them to be front line guys next year regardless so I'm not worried about their relatively lacklustre play.

 

Reinhart met expectations for me. He played his role well. Made the smart decision almost every play regardless of whether he had the puck or not. He's never going to be an 80+ point player, but there's a lot to be said for a guy who you'll never notice without a microscope.

 

Ekblad was caught a number of times due to his skating, but otherwise showcased his smarts and savvy. Pretty sure he surprised some people who thought he was a physical in-your-face type of player, because he plays more like Alex Pietrangelo than Chris Pronger. Both the 2014 Canadians were solid players in their roles, the wheels just happened to fall off the bus a bit towards the end as a team effort.

[jjgallow]

So.....a month and a half in.....

 

Do we start bringing up "next one" talk again?

 

I was rightfully shot down when I first brought it up.  

 

But I gotta say, he's had one heck of a start to the season.

[CheersMan]

If your on the Connor McDavid watch you best start watching the Eastern Conference.  Hartley is not finishing anywhere near the bottom, even if he has to play the season with primarily rookies from Addy.    

 

 

So.....a month and a half in.....

 

Do we start bringing up "next one" talk again?

 

I was rightfully shot down when I first brought it up.  

 

But I gotta say, he's had one heck of a start to the season.

[travel_dude]

So.....a month and a half in.....

 

Do we start bringing up "next one" talk again?

 

I was rightfully shot down when I first brought it up.  

 

But I gotta say, he's had one heck of a start to the season.

How about that Dylan Strome kid. 31 points in 12 games. Plays with Connor only on the PP it seems.

Only his second season.

I find it hard to project a kid playing in junior to be Sydney Crosby-ish, because goals seem to be easy to come by these days. Sven had a 2.0 PPG in his last season with Portland, but hasn't made a real dent in the NHL. QMJHL is even easier to score in.

As you say, great start to the season, but why not see how he looks by Christmas first.

[DL44]

This thread was Hilarious to read through.

[jjgallow]

If your on the Connor McDavid watch you best start watching the Eastern Conference.  Hartley is not finishing anywhere near the bottom, even if he has to play the season with primarily rookies from Addy.    

 

I read this a few times tryng to figure out how I'd be able to follow Connor McDavid by watching the Eastern conference lol.

 

I'm primary interested in McDavid himself as a hockey player, and his development.

 

 

Secondarilly, it would be great to see him as a Flame, but that's not my focus.  

 

Lastly....Calgary already is near the bottom...?   When adjusting for games in hand, our 12 points in 11 games projects us to roughly the bottom 10.   And...to be completely honest, I think we've been over-achieving a bit.  As you say, we are just a few key injuries away from relying mostly on AHL rookies.   Is that supposed to improve our rank?

This thread was Hilarious to read through.

 

....

 

Was it a.....Riot...by chance, DL?

 

How about that Dylan Strome kid. 31 points in 12 games. Plays with Connor only on the PP it seems.

Only his second season.

I find it hard to project a kid playing in junior to be Sydney Crosby-ish, because goals seem to be easy to come by these days. Sven had a 2.0 PPG in his last season with Portland, but hasn't made a real dent in the NHL. QMJHL is even easier to score in.

As you say, great start to the season, but why not see how he looks by Christmas first.

 

I agree with most of the above.   I have to get excited whenever anyone even comes close, though.  Especially in a Flames rebuilding year.     On Ryan Strome:  Probably about 10 times harder to predict than McDavid himself.

 

How do you forecast a guy that, before the season started, we could have predicted would produce almost as much as, but still not as much, as McDavid?   A McDavid linemate is a huge wildcard, even if it is PP-focused.   I will be interested to see where Crzydrvr ranks him.

 

My take:  I tend to give them some benefit of the doubt.  The biggest reason for this is that these are key development years, and I believe that playing with McDavid can potentially MAKE Strome that much better.  In order to be on the same line, or PP with him that much, you Have to learn to see the ice in a way you never would have otherwise.

[travel_dude]

 

I read this a few times tryng to figure out how I'd be able to follow Connor McDavid by watching the Eastern conference lol.

 

I'm primary interested in McDavid himself as a hockey player, and his development.

 

 

Secondarilly, it would be great to see him as a Flame, but that's not my focus.  

 

Lastly....Calgary already is near the bottom...?   When adjusting for games in hand, our 12 points in 11 games projects us to roughly the bottom 10.   And...to be completely honest, I think we've been over-achieving a bit.  As you say, we are just a few key injuries away from relying mostly on AHL rookies.   Is that supposed to improve our rank?

 

....

 

Was it a.....Riot...by chance, DL?

 

 

I agree with most of the above.   I have to get excited whenever anyone even comes close, though.  Especially in a Flames rebuilding year.     On Ryan Strome:  Probably about 10 times harder to predict than McDavid himself.

 

How do you forecast a guy that, before the season started, we could have predicted would produce almost as much as, but still not as much, as McDavid?   A McDavid linemate is a huge wildcard, even if it is PP-focused.   I will be interested to see where Crzydrvr ranks him.

 

My take:  I tend to give them some benefit of the doubt.  The biggest reason for this is that these are key development years, and I believe that playing with McDavid can potentially MAKE Strome that much better.  In order to be on the same line, or PP with him that much, you Have to learn to see the ice in a way you never would have otherwise.

I said Dylan Strome, brother of Ryan (NYI), but I think you knew who I was talking about. He doesn't play much of the time with Connor; he their #2 C. Not a bad start for him in his second season. 

[Flyerfan52]

It seems that every year there's @ least 1 player that comes out of nowhere.

 

An example is last year's #17 pick Travis Sanheim. Went from unranked to #167 among NA by midterm & #53 by draft time in NHL Central Scouting rankings. Others had him higher (Craig Button put him #8) but he was a virtual unknown only a year before. What happened is the summer before he had a growth spurt (height & weight) so started the 2013-14 season with a new body (his twin brother hasn't had that yet & is still a smurf).

He's a Manitoba boy so there was a fair bit about him in the local papers in the week before the draft. Some of you may reacall me talking about him when we were discussing who'd be a good pick with our 2nd or 3rd pick.

 

Rather than pin our hopes on tanking for a kid that's been touted as "The Next 1" for a few years & is 50/50 to bring junior #s to the NHL I prefer to compete & have the scouts look for the late bloomer that keeps improving but could be available where we draft. Shea Weber was that kind of late bloomer & was a steal in the 2nd round.

[travel_dude]

 

It seems that every year there's @ least 1 player that comes out of nowhere.

 

An example is last year's #17 pick Travis Sanheim. Went from unranked to #167 among NA by midterm & #53 by draft time in NHL Central Scouting rankings. Others had him higher (Craig Button put him #8) but he was a virtual unknown only a year before. What happened is the summer before he had a growth spurt (height & weight) so started the 2013-14 season with a new body (his twin brother hasn't had that yet & is still a smurf).

He's a Manitoba boy so there was a fair bit about him in the local papers in the week before the draft. Some of you may reacall me talking about him when we were discussing who'd be a good pick with our 2nd or 3rd pick.

 

Rather than pin our hopes on tanking for a kid that's been touted as "The Next 1" for a few years & is 50/50 to bring junior #s to the NHL I prefer to compete & have the scouts look for the late bloomer that keeps improving but could be available where we draft. Shea Weber was that kind of late bloomer & was a steal in the 2nd round.

In my mind, Eichel is a less risky pick because he will be in the NCAA for a few years anyway. Not that we are in that conversation. Whatever team picks McDavid will play him as soon as they can. If it's the Oilers, he will be another ruined player. If Bufflao, they never seem to be getting any better, so he will likely be played too soon as well.

The last two years, we haven't tanked and have tried up to the end. We still got 2 of the better picks in the 1st round. I also have some faith in our scouts. Janko could still be a standout. Bennett is the kind of player we need. Poirier and Klimchuk should add two very different pieces we need; gritty, sniping power forward and a two-way LW. We have neglected D over the last 5 years, but have a few pieces that may eventually play.

[frozenwanderer]

 In my mind, Eichel is a less risky pick because he will be in the NCAA for a few years anyway. Not that we are in that conversation. Whatever team picks McDavid will play him as soon as they can. If it's the Oilers, he will be another ruined player. If Bufflao, they never seem to be getting any better, so he will likely be played too soon as well.The last two years, we haven't tanked and have tried up to the end. We still got 2 of the better picks in the 1st round. I also have some faith in our scouts. Janko could still be a standout. Bennett is the kind of player we need. Poirier and Klimchuk should add two very different pieces we need; gritty, sniping power forward and a two-way LW. We have neglected D over the last 5 years, but have a few pieces that may eventually play.

Maybe the 9 or so D prospects we drafted will turn out like Brodie.

[kehatch]

It seems that every year there's @ least 1 player that comes out of nowhere.

An example is last year's #17 pick Travis Sanheim. Went from unranked to #167 among NA by midterm & #53 by draft time in NHL Central Scouting rankings. Others had him higher (Craig Button put him #8) but he was a virtual unknown only a year before. What happened is the summer before he had a growth spurt (height & weight) so started the 2013-14 season with a new body (his twin brother hasn't had that yet & is still a smurf).

He's a Manitoba boy so there was a fair bit about him in the local papers in the week before the draft. Some of you may reacall me talking about him when we were discussing who'd be a good pick with our 2nd or 3rd pick.

Rather than pin our hopes on tanking for a kid that's been touted as "The Next 1" for a few years & is 50/50 to bring junior #s to the NHL I prefer to compete & have the scouts look for the late bloomer that keeps improving but could be available where we draft. Shea Weber was that kind of late bloomer & was a steal in the 2nd round.

I don't support the Flames intentionally trying to be as bad as Buffalo. I think it's disgusting that obvious tanking like this is allowed. Time will tell if Buffalo can overcome the losing culture they have introduced, but they certainly have done a good job in stockpiling future assets. I am cheering against them out of principle.

But it is what it is. We have a better chance (by far) of winning the lottery this draft (even from the 17 spot) then we do of finding a player like McDavid outside of the top 5. Wishing it were different and being morally opposed to tanking doesn't change that.

Personally I am just not overthinking it. The Flames are fun to watch and we have prospects worth getting excited over. Wishing we were worse isn't any fun. And if it isn't fun then what's the point?

[travel_dude]

 

Maybe the 9 or so D prospects we drafted will turn out like Brodie.

Ollas Mattsson could become a stud shutdown defender. Rafikov may become something, but it's hard to tell with the league he is in. Wotherspoon doesn't get a lot of love here, but may still become something if handled like Brodie. Ramage, no so much. Seilof, maybe a Regher-lite down the road.

[kehatch]

Ollas Mattsson could become a stud shutdown defender. Rafikov may become something, but it's hard to tell with the league he is in. Wotherspoon doesn't get a lot of love here, but may still become something if handled like Brodie. Ramage, no so much. Seilof, maybe a Regher-lite down the road.

Brodie looked like something special right from his first camp. I haven't seen that from any of our existing D. That said, D often mature late and our entire top 4 are examples of D coming out of unexpected places. So you never know. Though I would be much happier with an Ekblad, Jones, or even Nurse in the system.