Is it better to avoid CHL prospects?
Posted 6:57 PM ET | Comments 2
As a Canucks fan I've been looking forward to this years entry draft a fair amount and keep thinking how much better off the Canucks would be if Jared McCann and Jake Virtanen could be learning in the Ahl but alas they played junior hockey in the Chl and aren't allowed to make that jump yet. So they are stuck playing 8-10 min a night in the NHL because they aren't quite ready to be full time nhlers and are way too good to be playing in the Chl.
Then you look at William Nylander who was taken in the same draft as McCann and Virtanen and is getting a chance to play in and dominate the Ahl or Colorado's Mikko Rantanen who was drafted 10th overall in June and is playing 20min a night against men and learning how to play in all situations. The only major difference between these prospects is where they played Junior which is ridiculous. Why do players who grew up playing in Canada have less opportunity to play professional hockey as teenagers than players who grew up in Sweden or Finland?
The 2016 draft is an interesting one to me. If I were an Nhl gm I would go after players like Auston Matthews, Jesse Puljujarvi, Patrik Laine, Olli Juolevi and Alexander Nylander because even if they aren't Nhl ready in the next 2 years, the Nhl team that takes them will be able to control every aspect of their development by playing them in the Ahl. Where Matthew Tkachuk, Jakob Chychrun, Julien Gauthier and Michael McLeod who may not be Nhl ready for a couple seasons will be stuck playing in the CHL against boys rather than playing in the Ahl against men.
Even a player like Dante Fabbro who is playing tier 2 jr is better off to me because he will go to College next year and be Ahl eligible when he's 19 a full year earlier than his Chl playing draftmates.
The Chl is a great hockey league but they are definitely holding its players back with forcing them to stay when they've obviously outgrown the league.
Then you look at William Nylander who was taken in the same draft as McCann and Virtanen and is getting a chance to play in and dominate the Ahl or Colorado's Mikko Rantanen who was drafted 10th overall in June and is playing 20min a night against men and learning how to play in all situations. The only major difference between these prospects is where they played Junior which is ridiculous. Why do players who grew up playing in Canada have less opportunity to play professional hockey as teenagers than players who grew up in Sweden or Finland?
The 2016 draft is an interesting one to me. If I were an Nhl gm I would go after players like Auston Matthews, Jesse Puljujarvi, Patrik Laine, Olli Juolevi and Alexander Nylander because even if they aren't Nhl ready in the next 2 years, the Nhl team that takes them will be able to control every aspect of their development by playing them in the Ahl. Where Matthew Tkachuk, Jakob Chychrun, Julien Gauthier and Michael McLeod who may not be Nhl ready for a couple seasons will be stuck playing in the CHL against boys rather than playing in the Ahl against men.
Even a player like Dante Fabbro who is playing tier 2 jr is better off to me because he will go to College next year and be Ahl eligible when he's 19 a full year earlier than his Chl playing draftmates.
The Chl is a great hockey league but they are definitely holding its players back with forcing them to stay when they've obviously outgrown the league.
Alexander Nylander plays in the OHL, same with Juolevi
more just canucks mismanaging talent. nothing wrong with another year of chl play to sharpen defensive skills, and leadership.