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Smashian Kassian

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Everything posted by Smashian Kassian

  1. Like when? When has the Russian factor caused a top Russian to fall & it ended up being good? 2010 was around the height of the "russian factor". Yet because Alex Burmistrov played in Barrie he was deemed fine & taken high. (I think Canucks had him at #3). Teams have for the most part moved past it now. Yakupov, Nuke & Guryanov were taken at or around where they were rated/projected. Were talking about the russian factor & players falling. Last year Kravstov & Deniseko went pretty high. Kravstov is looking like a great pick. I don't think the Russian factor is as much of a fear anymore. Podkolzin said its his dream to play in the NHL. He could fall because he's a winger, similar to Zadina last year, but I don't think he'll be a huge faller due to the Russian factor.
  2. Allowing Tarasenko & Kuznetsov to fall as far as they did in 2010 weren't smart hockey decisions.
  3. If Podkolzin falls I'd think you gotta take him. Might take 2 years to come over, but realistically most these guys in our range will prob take a few years to make an impact. If he plays in the KHL for 2 years & thrives, he could be ready to make an impact right away when he comes.
  4. Im not sold on Brobergs offense. Even that Hlinka video, hes trying to rush the puck in the last min of a tied game against Canada. He gets a nothing wrap round away giving up possession. Alot of the rushes look the same, great skating then get a nothing perimeter shot away. I agree hes an excellent skater, but not sure hes a smart player offensively & that could hinder his upside.
  5. I wouldnt go quite that far, but i agree this u18 might vault him into the late first round. And up until this tournament i would have been surprised if he was a 1st rounder.
  6. Korzack, Tracey & Newhook are really growing on me. Brayden Tracey has that 'it' factor, kind of like Caufield. He just makes plays. And he's been more engaged along the walls + in the Dzone than when I saw him earlier in the year too. Korzack doesn't have the upside that Thomas Harley has, but I really like his poise. Doesn't seem to panic with the puck when he's under pressure. He "puts out fires" as Weisbrod would say. Now here's a question for everyone; Newhook or Krebs? I go back & forth. Krebs is more industrious, but I think I might give the edge to Newhook. Better skater & better shot. Although in fairness to Krebs, they've been used differently.
  7. Tough for the Jets. Thought they had all the momentum after game 4, but the game 5 collapse just killed them. Disappointing they didn't show up until the 3rd period, but STL is full value, they outplayed them from start to finish.
  8. Thats fine, but were talking about after the Flames last game of the season. Right after they get eliminated. After the late game. It was likely past 1 am in Toronto. I can't imagine the Canucks getting eliminated from the playoffs as a #1 seed, & the panel talking about it for a few mins then switching to Leafs talk.
  9. I'm watching the SN/HNIC post game show. 5 mins after Canada's best regular season team being eliminated they shift to Leafs/Matthews talk. What a kick in the nuts. And MacLean tried to make it seem like Toronto is a 'bright side' for 'Canadian hockey fans'. Most Canadian fans outside Ontario want Toronto lose right now, or get destroyed against CBJ.
  10. NJ says no, and it makes no sense for us to pay the price it would cost. Take the player we get this year, & next year's draft will get us another really good player. (Even w/ a lower pick, we might get a better player than this yr). Jack Hughes won't put us over the top, so just stay the course. Don't risk anything.
  11. I'm interested but I wouldn't add to make that move. Loui has a year less on his deal. If Calgary is ready to give up on Neal, the extra year is a problem valuewise. For us I might gamble on Neal re-discovering his game & being more useful than Loui. But its still a risk that he doesn't & your stuck with the extra year.
  12. Really high on Caufield eh? I like the boldness. As time goes on I'm becoming less sold on Hughes, but there's no question with his exceptional skating that the huge upside is there. I wouldn't pass on him at #2 myself. This draft is really a mystery after 2 or 3. I wonder if Cozens & Turcotte could be fallers as you suggest here. But at the same time I wouldn't be surprised to see them go 3rd & 4th either. I would however, be shocked if Krebs goes 5. One thing I've thought is, am I crazy for thinking Boldy could jump ahead of Cozens?? Positional bias favours Cozens, but with this u18 I wouldn't be surprised if teams really fall in love with Boldy & he goes a bit higher than we are expecting.
  13. Dach for sure. Skating concerns are exaggerated IMO. I think he's actually a good skater, especially for his size. And TBH I've never thought about injury concerns with him either, he's not Nolan Patrick. (Who I really liked but did consider injuries with). He's raw but the upside is huge. Podkolzin would be a close 2nd. His commitment to stay in Russia is a concern, but if he's clearly the best player does it make sense to pass on him b/c of that?? These other guys likely aren't making an impact for (atleast) 2 years anyways. If he stays & thrives in the KHL, he could come over in 2 years & be an impact player on arrival. I think Dach & Podkolzin are the best players in this group you listed. The other guys; I'd probably favour Soderstrom, although I'm not totally confident in that. I'd probably be a coin flip between Soderstrom & whoever is determined the better of Zegras & Newhook.
  14. Im not watching HNIC but there excuses are irrelevant. Colorado dominated Calgary. Lames showed up for game 1 & went missing the rest of the series.
  15. Lmao! What did you say?? I got banned from that site really fast a few years back, haven't tried to make an account since. They aren't welcoming to non Lames lovers
  16. Looked offside to me TBH but I would've liked another look. Agree it was goaltender interference especially seeing the replay after the game. Bruins had their chances though as you say. Toronto deserved the win.
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