Jim Benning to speak to the media Thursday prior to draft

[MikeyD]

23 minutes ago, IBatch said:

I'd be sad if we took him.  Yet another LHD.   Yes a few lists have him ranked high so who knows.  For sure not a sexy pick even if he's available.    

Definitely agree. 

[MikeyD]

6 minutes ago, aGENT said:

Even if we passed on Hughes (which is silly IMO), Boqvist, Dobson, Smith or Miller would still have been better D picks than Bouchard (or Farabee at F) 

 

 

Bouchard is surprisingly not bad. He's always had a bit of a simple game but he's become a lot more efficient at the defensive side of the game. Deserved a lot more of a chance in Edmonton. He will likely get it this year, but they're really easing him in for no real reason. 2 seasons ago he looked out of place but this past season he did fine and was a good threat with his bomb of a shot on the blue line. 

[aGENT]

3 minutes ago, MikeyD said:

Bouchard is surprisingly not bad. He's always had a bit of a simple game but he's become a lot more efficient at the defensive side of the game. Deserved a lot more of a chance in Edmonton. He will likely get it this year, but they're really easing him in for no real reason. 2 seasons ago he looked out of place but this past season he did fine and was a good threat with his bomb of a shot on the blue line. 

He'll be a perfectly fine, middling, middle pairing guy with mediocre skating 

 

Would have rather had any of those guys I listed at the draft, still rather have them now.

Edited July 23, 2021 by aGENT

[IBatch]

16 minutes ago, aGENT said:

Even if we passed on Hughes (which is silly IMO), Boqvist, Dobson, Smith or Miller would still have been better D picks than Bouchard (or Farabee at F) 

 

 

I know but let me be absolutely sure first ... still early yet .. also i'm not sure Boqvist or QHs have the longevity that guys that aren't "that's a small body gentleman.  That's a small small small very small body gentleman"  (Burke doing his best not to puke on his necktie, barely holding back ... when he did the Myers free agency thing i thought he almost better go get a room with him, gushed great stuff while showing the highlights)... Burkie made sure the entire audience knew TWICE during QHs draft that skating was the easiest skill to improve ( and why) and that where he was GM it was way down the list of abilities.   

 

Growing up in an age where Jovo and even Ohlund were smallish D's i can't help but agree a little.   We won't know how these little PMDs do for years.   Ghost was one of the first...look at his career i still think it's too early to judge.   Watching Butcher, Babcyh, Diduck, Lumme (6'3"), et al and then monster sized D's for awhile (Hatcher's, Pronger plus a plethora of 3rd or middle enforcers) our D looks pretty puny .. even compared to our 2011 one.  

 

Right now the average NHler is back to 1989 standards and for sure it had something to do with small PMDs coming in ... McAvoy isn't six feet i've been face to face with them. sizes are still exaggerated.

 

Yes QHs is a great skater, puck handler and passer.   Not sure why he's a defenseman though.   Burns and Byfuglien changed positions.   Could see the same with QHs with a certain coach and if things go sideways still.    Scoured the all-time D's when we drafted him.   The only good-awesome sub-six ds i could find since expansion were Rafalski, Campbell, Reinhart, Housley and Chelios .   Maybe i missed a couple but they are the ones i'm familiar with.    Chelios was a monster in the gym and on the ice.  

 

Get the game has changed.  Of the above guys who's won a cup?   If Bouchard explodes next year on the number one PP can i say i told you so? 

Edited July 23, 2021 by IBatch

[MikeyD]

1 minute ago, aGENT said:

He'll be a perfectly fine, middling, middle pairing guy with mediocre skating 

 

Would have rather had any of those guys I listed at the draft, still rather have them now.

Zero disagreement there. For as high as he was projected in a decent draft, he lacked the potential to be a top end d-man which is why I was hoping we would opt out on him despite his numbers (playing on a great junior team padded his stats). I felt Juolevi was a victim of the same thing. He never looked like a high end dman, so grabbing him so early was a weird pick to me despite a real need for defense at the time. 

 

But we had absolutely zero stock for defensemen at the time and we were aging. It hamstringed some of the decision making at the time. 

[IBatch]

25 minutes ago, MikeyD said:

Zero disagreement there. For as high as he was projected in a decent draft, he lacked the potential to be a top end d-man which is why I was hoping we would opt out on him despite his numbers (playing on a great junior team padded his stats). I felt Juolevi was a victim of the same thing. He never looked like a high end dman, so grabbing him so early was a weird pick to me despite a real need for defense at the time. 

 

But we had absolutely zero stock for defensemen at the time and we were aging. It hamstringed some of the decision making at the time. 

Lol.   Unlike OJ who lost his spot and could barely score 40 points, Bouchard was the top CHL defenseman his draft year.  OJ stock went way up because of the Fins winning the WJC.   Bouchard did a little of everything right, and was considered the best passer of the entire draft, as well as the best backwards skater.   Not large really but still man sized as well.  I'd suggest going back and really looking at it.   Like i said earlier, there is a reason EDM didn't have a jersey ready for him, because they never thought he'd drop so far.  He's their Podz.   People still give OJ time to make it.  Bouchard has already passed him.   On the same team as well. He passed him in London basically lol.   6'3" ... and look at his AHL stats.  He's their best option now for their PP.   Won't put money on it (yet) but wouldn't be surprised if he has 50-60 points next year if he does either.   And won't be a minus 40-50 over a full season either.

 

Edit: And to really rub it in - he's a RHD.   Guess we will find out.  Same with Dobson.   I know a lot of folks love QHs and i do love him too, but we still don't know who was the best D that draft and won't know for another 2-3 years. 

Edited July 23, 2021 by IBatch

[IBatch]

37 minutes ago, aGENT said:

He'll be a perfectly fine, middling, middle pairing guy with mediocre skating 

 

Would have rather had any of those guys I listed at the draft, still rather have them now.

Challenge accepted .  Will re-visit over the course of the next decade.  Farabee? Did you really have him higher then Bouchard? 

 

Lol maybe i'm pumping the tires for the next great Jake Gardiner but on the R side.   We needed RHDs for ages and JB just won't draft any which is a problem.   Woo ... yeah. 

Edited July 23, 2021 by IBatch

[Nucksownyou]

6 hours ago, Timråfan said:

Tanev has played two seasons in a row without missing one single game. 

During the same two seasons Schmidt have missed 14 games.

So wich player have been most durable the last two seasons? 

Both seasons were also short. Also, Tanev got injured during the last game in the 2019-2020 season. He would have missed the rest of the season.

[MikeyD]

2 minutes ago, IBatch said:

Lol.   Unlike OJ who lost his spot and could barely score 40 points, Bouchard was the top CHL defenseman his draft year.  OJ stock went way up because of the Fins winning the WJC.   Bouchard did a little of everything right, and was considered the best passer of the entire draft, as well as the best backwards skater.   Not large really but still man sized as well.  I'd suggest going back and really looking at it.   Like i said earlier, there is a reason EDM didn't have a jersey ready for him, because they never thought he'd drop so far.  He's their Podz.   People still give OJ time to make it.  Bouchard has already passed him.   On the same team as well. He passed him in London basically lol.   6'3" ... and look at his AHL stats.  He's their best option now for their PP.   Won't put money on it (yet) but wouldn't be surprised if he has 50-60 points next year if he does either.   And won't be a minus 40-50 over a full season either. 

I can't see Boucher putting up 50 quite yet but I can see him making 40 points if he gets a substantial amount of powerplay time. 

[Timråfan]

49 minutes ago, Nucksownyou said:

Both seasons were also short. Also, Tanev got injured during the last game in the 2019-2020 season. He would have missed the rest of the season.

And?

Schmidt missed 14 games under the same period. 
Using statistics in this way isn’t good. 
Tanev was a really good RHD. Schmidt was not good as RHD. 

[IBatch]

28 minutes ago, MikeyD said:

I can't see Boucher putting up 50 quite yet but I can see him making 40 points if he gets a substantial amount of powerplay time. 

Me neither.   My point is i guess / i prefer all around D's to the knew breed of little PMDs that have made it and have done really well of late.    I'm 100% certain it's a sign of the times and they'd mostly get crushed even 10 years ago and for sure before the lockout.   Not about being right either i couldn't really care less about that.   Just trying to adapt and i'm a little slow.   QHs is a Canuck and because of that i'm always going to cheer for him and hope he scored 100 points.  And was excited for him in the bubble he's no wimp.  He's a tough little bastard.  Really he is.   

[IBatch]

27 minutes ago, Timråfan said:

And?

Schmidt missed 14 games under the same period. 
Using statistics in this way isn’t good. 
Tanev was a really good RHD. Schmidt was not good as RHD. 

Lol.  Tanev ... i love the guy.   A total warrior.    Odds are he will be injured every year of his current contract and come back and play injured if CAL makes the playoffs but nothing will come of it.   Let's be serious..  What's his average games played over an entire season and they just lost Gio. 

[Timråfan]

5 minutes ago, IBatch said:

Lol.  Tanev ... i love the guy.   A total warrior.    Odds are he will be injured every year of his current contract and come back and play injured if CAL makes the playoffs but nothing will come of it.   Let's be serious..  What's his average games played over an entire season and they just lost Gio. 

Do you want to be serious? 

If you want to be serious you don't joke about a player that takes hits many avoid. 

Hence warrior... 

Schmidt had a bit of luck playing with players like Theodore before.

Can you find one player in D on this team that is close to Theodore?

[aGENT]

3 hours ago, IBatch said:

Challenge accepted .  Will re-visit over the course of the next decade.  Farabee? Did you really have him higher then Bouchard? 

 

Lol maybe i'm pumping the tires for the next great Jake Gardiner but on the R side.   We needed RHDs for ages and JB just won't draft any which is a problem.   Woo ... yeah. 

Yeah, IIRC I had Farabee around 11+/-. Bouchard I had closer to the 18-20 range I think, with both Smith and Miller ahead of him.