yzerman19

So, we’re not at CBS 2016 team skill upfront, but our dcorps to me looks just as good as that team. They put 3 in NHL with LaDue, Stecher and Pooly. I think JBD, Pooly 2, and JTy are all NHL players. I want to see if Pinto and Mishmash can rise to the opportunity

So what’s the deal with the retro pic with Parise in a landcows hat...has to be a story. Zach is Sioux, he’s done cool stuff for my kid and been cool in my limited interactions with him

Next two weekends are going to go a LONG way come March/April

Anything less than a split is unacceptable.

My kid is in Jr Kings program...you are absolutely correct on Irvine. Great facilities and aspirations. Strong LA area hockey too will give fan base and quality players to kick it off.

For elite hockey on West Coast, we have kids flying in on weekends! Tier 1 elite this spring/summer my son had kids on his roster from: California, Arizona, Texas, and Colorado. Tryouts had kids from Nevada and Washington too. It’s really crazy.

No doubt a tougher schedule. It’s so hard, and as a parent of an elite player, it’s crazy hard. I haven’t seen him play, but if he’s ballpark his old man- whom I played against- he has a legit shot at NTDP, which might be what they are trying to prep for.

It’s hard to know what I’d actually do in that situation. Clearly it’s all about development, so they must figure he’ll learn more on the East side.

Why not just send him to Shattuck if you’re going to do that? Or send him to the classic lakes conference.

Haha...you got that right! There is high quality hockey down here, but only a couple AAA teams. It’s a different model. Costs a lot more. Competition is all great, but you travel.

It’s funny. Driving a little over an hour to Moorhead seems a bit daunting to GF folks. I live in southern CA. My drive to practice for my son is typically 1 hr 15 minutes. Can vary between 45 mins and 2 hrs, but generally 1 hr 15 mins....that’s each way. 2.5 hours in the car for 1 hour on the ice. There are closer options, but not for AAA skill level.

I hate to say it, but I’d send mine to Moorhead for Minny AA

My kid just was up in Toronto for an evaluation camp. I found it interesting how they evaluated players. Through a bunch of drills, and one scrimmage. They evaluated many aspects of skating, puck skills, and hockey sense (including work ethic and drive). They had like 6 or 7 specific elements under each of those buckets, then they had a five point scale, with the middle being "Average= no separation from peers" on the far end of success was "Elite= excels at a truly elite level", between those scores on the success side was "Very Good= point of strength relative to peers"...The other side was for gaps. When they evaluate players at the highest levels, the coach said they want to see mostly very goods, they can live with a couple averages, but they really want to see at least one ELITE and nothing below average. I thought this made sense and gave me a lens into Hockey Canada.

FULLY committed...orally...

Regarding some of the draft, gotta remember one of the huge differentiators at the top of the draft is about the competition they've played. The scouts love them some world junior competition and they love them some major junior competition. They are also looking for a single specific trait that will make them successful in the NHL. Boeser had the release, Schmaltz had the vision, Parise had the engine, Toews had the mind and compete, Osh had the "wow" factor. The fact Pinto rocketed up the draft says a ton about how the scouts started to see his upside. I'm excited about this year...I think we might actually see some Sioux hockey again!

Totally, why I put Smith in the complement category with them. I also like the thinking that Hain might be able to move to a different, more offensive role.

I like the thinking and positivity. I wouldn't split up Hain and Senden though. I think Blaisdel, Smith, and Caulfield are all potential candidates to complement them. i like putting Pinto up the depth chart and protecting him with Guch and Mishmash from an experience perspective.

So sorry to hear this. My family's thoughts and prayers are with you Ice Arena Man.

spot on...and what about the signing bonuses...not CHL $1500 to get an apartment, I'm talking about the NHL signing bonuses...first round picks in the CHL sign, they get the $300k and 99% go back to their CHL teams...those guys would obviously be ineligible for NCAA, so there goes all the first rounders... Having been close to both, I will advise my kid (if he develops all the way) to play college...even if people blow him telling him he's a first rounder for sure if he goes CHL at 16. Too big a risk...I think most people are savvy of this now. You're crazy to bet it all...and by the way, hey, Coxy, whyd ya want to play cawlidge hawkey

Just what I was thinking, and he knows the conference and actively watched film on our systems looking for ways to beat it.

Blasi is unemployed

We like to recruit out there, but Alberta is a bit of a haul

Yes and yes and yes... we have not landed one of the NHL stud prospects since Jost. Happens. It hurts. As I watched Makor play I kept thinking about Toews. Top 4 birth year talent. That's tough to land. There are what? 30 super studs by birth year 15-20 that are the real deal. Toews and Oshie and Nelson were Regional guys...like BU getting Eichel, we got Toews. Parise and Boeser were coups...unbelievable job by Blaiser and Hak/Berry. guys drafted after second round are marginally different than undrafted guys. Its not "skills" it's what role will you play. Even in NHL, after the Uber elite, it's really about how well you can do a couple tasks. we need an elite offensive player.

Maybe our disagreement is on the definition of skills. I'm thinking about skating and stick skills when I use that term. If you look at USA Hockey's windows of development, what you see at that age is really all about strength. Clearly you hone and refine your whole life, but you aren't really developing skill in the sense that I think about it. Yes, there are occasional late bloomers, but I contend that most of that is also a result of improved strength.

That 2 goal stat is glaring, and is the reason this is even a conversation. now to address your rationale- 1. Have we "missed" on blue chippas that are college bound? More than usual? I think we've missed on some guys that ended up 1 and done...mostly out East...wonder if post Jost, if Berry is asking guys to commit for at least 2 years. Building on top of a foundation, not starting from soil... 2. Lack of development- could be the case, but how? Physical? All I've ever heard is Pooly excels at that aspect. Skills? 18-20 year olds aren't developing skills anymore. 200 foot game? Maybe we are over-developing that aspect, which is leading to better all around hockey players, but sacrificing the offense of previously offensively dominant players... 3. Systems? The predominant system is puck control- it's also the predominant system in the NHL. Logic is if you have the puck, other team can't score. The system is working as intended with our CORSI and other advanced stats as evidence. Now, Powerplay is its own animal and has definitely been an issue, so I give that a thumbs up. 4. Possibly, but I ask develop into what? Scoring machines? You aren't going to manufacture that at this age. 5. Plan? I think the answer is yes. I do think we are getting guys. I think we'd do well to look at more guys with offensive upside rather than sick current offense.