2011 NHL Entry Draft Watch

I honestly don't know a lot about Huberdeau other than the very, very limited showings I have seen. Based on what everyone has said, reports, and obviously personal opinion, he will be the first player drafted from The Q.

NEELY wrote:I honestly don't know a lot about Huberdeau other than the very, very limited showings I have seen. Based on what everyone has said, reports, and obviously personal opinion, he will be the first player drafted from The Q.

How can you say "I don't know a lot about him" then say "He will be the first player drafted from the Q based on my personal opinion"? seems like a contradiction lol

Couturier was also voted the top Q draft prospect for 2011 today by his peers and/or Q coaches/managers.

marakh wrote:

NEELY wrote:

I am not saying people are wrong here, I would like to know however what people are basing their opinion on other than a "bad feelings".

.

My opinion comes from the prospects' game + the WOrld under 18. Yeah, not a big sample at all, but he found a way to dominate in those, so it's enough to me to say he's not benefiting from playing against poor defense.

Also, Strome is not competing more than Huberdeau. Of the top 6-7 in this draft, Huberdeau competes more than anybody. Yes, even more than Landeskog.
Like Craig Button said, he is the combination of Skill and will.

Wonder why he didn't get recognized over Couturier for the Top draft prospect, then.

Big Ev wrote:

NEELY wrote:I honestly don't know a lot about Huberdeau other than the very, very limited showings I have seen. Based on what everyone has said, reports, and obviously personal opinion, he will be the first player drafted from The Q.

How can you say "I don't know a lot about him" then say "He will be the first player drafted from the Q based on my personal opinion"? seems like a contradiction lol

Couturier was also voted the top Q draft prospect for 2011 today by his peers and/or Q coaches/managers.

I think all those words in between the bits that you quoted actually explains your concern. Just sayin'.

spader wrote:

Big Ev wrote:

NEELY wrote:I honestly don't know a lot about Huberdeau other than the very, very limited showings I have seen. Based on what everyone has said, reports, and obviously personal opinion, he will be the first player drafted from The Q.

How can you say "I don't know a lot about him" then say "He will be the first player drafted from the Q based on my personal opinion"? seems like a contradiction lol

Couturier was also voted the top Q draft prospect for 2011 today by his peers and/or Q coaches/managers.

I think all those words in between the bits that you quoted actually explains your concern. Just sayin'.

Well based on what everyone said also should include the league itself, who just named him MVP and top prospect.

Big Ev wrote:

spader wrote:

Big Ev wrote:

NEELY wrote:I honestly don't know a lot about Huberdeau other than the very, very limited showings I have seen. Based on what everyone has said, reports, and obviously personal opinion, he will be the first player drafted from The Q.

How can you say "I don't know a lot about him" then say "He will be the first player drafted from the Q based on my personal opinion"? seems like a contradiction lol

Couturier was also voted the top Q draft prospect for 2011 today by his peers and/or Q coaches/managers.

I think all those words in between the bits that you quoted actually explains your concern. Just sayin'.

Well based on what everyone said also should include the league itself, who just named him MVP and top prospect.

Ah. I'm not arguing content, just the fact that he qualified his statement. Your selective quoting erased his qualification.

Oh ok I get what you mean now. Yeah I kind of misquoted him

Big Ev wrote:

marakh wrote:

NEELY wrote:

I am not saying people are wrong here, I would like to know however what people are basing their opinion on other than a "bad feelings".

.

My opinion comes from the prospects' game + the WOrld under 18. Yeah, not a big sample at all, but he found a way to dominate in those, so it's enough to me to say he's not benefiting from playing against poor defense.

Also, Strome is not competing more than Huberdeau. Of the top 6-7 in this draft, Huberdeau competes more than anybody. Yes, even more than Landeskog.
Like Craig Button said, he is the combination of Skill and will.

Wonder why he didn't get recognized over Couturier for the Top draft prospect, then.

Are you talking about the MVP title? Well, he is the only top prospect on his team and you know he is more valuable to Drummondville than Huberdeau is to St-john, it's just what it is, St John is a monster of a team. But that doesn't make him the better player.

Couturier IMO is soft, not a strong enough skater, and lacks drive but that's just my opinion of him. He gets away with it in the Q. Maybe some people prefer that kind of player, but I prefer the in your face more skilled playmaking hybrid center/winger.

Anyway, can't wait to see Bobby Mac's rankings tuesday. IF his last week's comments were any indication, Couturier is gonna be out of the top 5, and he's the only one out there that uses real NHL Scouts' rankings.

marakh wrote:

Big Ev wrote:

marakh wrote:

NEELY wrote:

I am not saying people are wrong here, I would like to know however what people are basing their opinion on other than a "bad feelings".

.

My opinion comes from the prospects' game + the WOrld under 18. Yeah, not a big sample at all, but he found a way to dominate in those, so it's enough to me to say he's not benefiting from playing against poor defense.

Also, Strome is not competing more than Huberdeau. Of the top 6-7 in this draft, Huberdeau competes more than anybody. Yes, even more than Landeskog.
Like Craig Button said, he is the combination of Skill and will.

Wonder why he didn't get recognized over Couturier for the Top draft prospect, then.

Are you talking about the MVP title? Well, he is the only top prospect on his team and you know he is more valuable to Drummondville than Huberdeau is to St-john, it's just what it is, St John is a monster of a team. But that doesn't make him the better player.

Couturier IMO is soft, not a strong enough skater, and lacks drive but that's just my opinion of him. He gets away with it in the Q. Maybe some people prefer that kind of player, but I prefer the in your face more skilled playmaking hybrid center/winger.

No, he was named MVP of the league, and was named Top 2011 draft prospect as well.

Based on what I've seen and read, Couturier competes and hits all the time. I don't know if Huberdeau is a hitter. But I don't really care to be honest...Spezza is pretty soft but I'll take him any day as a Top 5 pick. Joe Thornton is pretty soft but he was picked 1st overall.

I don't think it's black and white that Huberdeau has more skill, though. I think he does have more raw talent, but Couturier uses his size and shot effectively. His skating is not as good as Huberdeau but it sn't as bad as some people say. It's just his size that makes him look slow, like Spezza. He reminds me of Getzlaf and Toews a bit, so it would be like comparing Giroux (Huberdeau) to them.

Didn't know he was named top prospect as well. Nice for him, but I still prefer Huberdeau's style as a prospect.

Toughness to me is totally different from hitting. Thornton is not soft at all, he doesn't hit often, but he is far from soft. Toews is the same. Crosby rarely hits, he is one of the toughest guys in the game. The problem to me with COuturier is I have yet to see a play where the opposing team really struggles to knock him off. I want to see that in a top pick.
Huberdeau's toughness is kinda like how Butler's goal tonight. Never quits on a play and hard to knock off the puck. it's in the hips and the legs.
We'll see how Couturier will play in the coming weeks, it will tell a lot about his compete level. So far I haven't seen this killer instinct in him that makes me say: yeah, this guy is a top 3 pick.

He definitely won't be a Top 3 pick, that isn't being debated. I want him at 5. Or Huberdeau, I don't care.

but Joe Thornton is THE definition of soft. He is huge but does not use his size the way he should. If you wanna talk about being tough to knock off the puck, that's not toughness that's just balance and puck control. Don't know if I would call that being tough. From what I've seen of Huberdeau, he is not tough either. I'm not sure you're using the word in the right sense. I wouldn't call Crosby tough either, I would call him relentless and competitive.

To me I don't get how you would rather have Galchenyuk over Yakupov because he is better all-around but is less flashy (which is insane on anyone's part BTW, but I digress), but here you would rather have Huberdeau over Couturier because he is more flashy.

Yeah, not being knocked off the puck does not entail toughness, but strength and balance.

Bah, it's just a choice of words at this point. The point is if you can make a play with 2 defensemen trying to push you then it's good to me. Huberdeau can do that, Couturier I haven't seen it yet.
THe flash is not the reason why I prefer Galchenyuk, and I don't have a problem with flash btw. It's just in the playing style, it's kinda like I prefer having a Malkin type player (the consistant version) than an Ovechkin.
You can still have a killer instinct even if you don't show a lot of flash. Mike Richards is an example.

Big Ev wrote:He definitely won't be a Top 3 pick, that isn't being debated. I want him at 5. Or Huberdeau, I don't care.

but Joe Thornton is THE definition of soft. He is huge but does not use his size the way he should. If you wanna talk about being tough to knock off the puck, that's not toughness that's just balance and puck control. Don't know if I would call that being tough. From what I've seen of Huberdeau, he is not tough either. I'm not sure you're using the word in the right sense. I wouldn't call Crosby tough either, I would call him relentless and competitive.

To me I don't get how you would rather have Galchenyuk over Yakupov because he is better all-around but is less flashy (which is insane on anyone's part BTW, but I digress), but here you would rather have Huberdeau over Couturier because he is more flashy.

I don't see what any of this has to do with the claim that Couturier is soft. I've seen him a number of times and I 100% agree that he is soft and lacks a big time eliment in terms of how successful he will be at The NHL level.

As for next years draft, worry about it next year. Unless it's Taylor Hall or John Tavares who are going to be 100% the number 1 guys overall, players move up and down the rankings all the time. Players 17 year old years are a lot different than their 16 year old years where they are physically outmatched for the most part and are getting their first taste of CHL hockey. Couturier was and still is a big fish in a small pond and last year there were not a lot of comparibles... this year guys have surpassed him because scouts and people that watch him feel they will be better NHL players. Drafting the best player right now doesn't mean he is going to be the best player, not even close.

Is Couturier the best player out of this group of prospects right now? Maybe. Is he going to be the best player out of this draft, probably not as there are guys with a ton more potential, tangibles, and skill than he has. His size is an advantage in Jr, it won't be in The NHL when you don't use it.

BMac's rankings are basically the bible and I bet you Couturier is A) not in the top 5. B) Not the top prospect out of The Q.

Well I will lean towards the opinion of his actual league over an analyst like Bob Mckenzie.

Actually, no I won't. Bob Mckenzie is reliable. Like I said, I wouldn't care if we draft Huberdeau instead. I don't think we will get a shot at Couturier anyway.

Drummondville-Gatineau gets underway tonight.