Final guess on Zibanejad: SEL or NHL/AHL?

NHL.

Flo The Action wrote:i'd say SEL as well. just look what it did for Silf. Maybe he's gotta find his scoring touch over there and then come over to win in a more physical NA style. his experience here might help him succeed back across the pond. as long as he remembers how he played. I find he looks a little lost on the ice over here.

I said SEL as well, but we don't know what it has done for Silfverberg. He has not yet stepped foot on NHL ice.

NHL

The Sens will lose all control of his development in the SEL. Djursgarden (sp?) can promise all the ice time they want but it's no guarantee.

Zibby is big enough to play in the NHL. The game in the SEL is completely different than the NHL. If he goes back, he will have the same issues next year when he returns... the smaller ice surface, faster pace and more physical. Not sure more development in the SEL helps in any way to his NHL game.

The Sens are re-building. Let the young guys play and grow together.

You can't compare Zibby to Courturier, Landeskog, Skinner, Seguin... He did not grow up on the smaller ice surface so will take him longer to adjust. Landeskog came from Sweden.. but he has been playing on the smaller ice for the past several years.

Not only does Zibby have to basically learn a new style of hockey.. he has to adapt to a new culture.

NHL as well. Once he gets a goal I think we'll see him loosen up a bit.

Not too mention that without Regin, we're pretty much lacking a second line center. Da Costa needs time in the A and Smith/Winchester/Konopka aren't even options for that role.

No he doesn't have to adopt to a new culture. Sweden is basically North America, and he has family from the US.

Should have been SEL a while back, but its going to be NHL. But the advantage will be sending him to the AHL. KK will improve him AND I think if at the time he's still in the AHL, they could still send him to the World Jrs. (a la Lehner)

EDIT: Caps also did that with Carlson. Its not a bad idea even though you gotta burn year 1 of the ELC

Big Ev wrote:Sweden is basically North America,

Jesus. Christ.

Big Ev wrote:No he doesn't have to adopt to a new culture. Sweden is basically North America, and he has family from the US.

Have you ever been outside of Ottawa?

tim1_2 wrote:

Big Ev wrote:Sweden is basically North America, and he has family from the US.

Jesus. Christ.

Yah, that was my first thought as well.

I've been over to Finland and Sweden, it's nothing like Canada or NA other than the landscape.

tim1_2 wrote:

Big Ev wrote:That article today by Brennan was so bad. Zibanejad is not close to Tyler Seguin in terms of style. What a dumb comparison.

I have recently started to make a conscious effort NOT to read anything by Brennan or Garrioch. My life has become much better (less rage). I recommend everyone try the same.

+1

Ask Swedes about it. I'm not saying it's exactly like North America TO A TEE, but they learn English as a child, they follow North American sports, media, movies, video games etc. They eat fast food like North Americans. Obviously it can't be exactly the same, but it's close. Sweden is very very similar to North America today.

This same discussion was brought up before on another site, and the resident Swede said that it does not take long to acclimatize yourself to North American culture because of that.

NEELY wrote:

tim1_2 wrote:

Big Ev wrote:Sweden is basically North America, and he has family from the US.

Jesus. Christ.

Yah, that was my first thought as well.

I've been over to Finland and Sweden, it's nothing like Canada or NA other than the landscape.

You're forgetting the language. Almost every Swede knows English.

Big Ev wrote:

NEELY wrote:

tim1_2 wrote:

Big Ev wrote:Sweden is basically North America, and he has family from the US.

Jesus. Christ.

Yah, that was my first thought as well.

I've been over to Finland and Sweden, it's nothing like Canada or NA other than the landscape.

You're forgetting the language. Almost every Swede knows English.

They speak English in New Zealand... so, is New Zealand basically North America too?

I think they're playing with fire, I'm not sure how well he'll develop at 18y old on a team that's going to get blown out and embarrassed on most nights. Not to mention having him deal with the media all year and their loaded questions ( whether he should have gone back etc.)

Just because the team sucks and has no #2C doesn't mean they should stick him in.

It's not like the SEL is some bush league, didn't hurt Alfie to stay there til he was 24, nor Silfverberg nor any of the countless Swedish prospects who stayed in Sweden for a while.

Having him play in the WJC would be good too.

shabbs wrote:

Big Ev wrote:

NEELY wrote:

tim1_2 wrote:

Big Ev wrote:Sweden is basically North America, and he has family from the US.

Jesus. Christ.

Yah, that was my first thought as well.

I've been over to Finland and Sweden, it's nothing like Canada or NA other than the landscape.

You're forgetting the language. Almost every Swede knows English.

They speak English in New Zealand... so, is New Zealand basically North America too?

Is Britain not close to Canada in terms of culture? Yes.

Michallica wrote:Should have been SEL a while back, but its going to be NHL. But the advantage will be sending him to the AHL. KK will improve him AND I think if at the time he's still in the AHL, they could still send him to the World Jrs. (a la Lehner)

EDIT: Caps also did that with Carlson. Its not a bad idea even though you gotta burn year 1 of the ELC

Yeah, this is something I can buy into in a big way. So what if we burn a year in the grand scheme of things, we're trying to put together a team here, and Z-Bad will be an integral part of that team.

If he goes back to the SEL, it's certainly not the end of the world, he's worked here on small surfaces, he's gotten a taste of the league, the speed, the physicality needed etc., so he can go down to the SEL and focus on being creative with the puck, something he's not at all right now.

If he stays here, he can stay in Ottawa until January, go down to the AHL with a list of things to work on, work on them with one of the very best coaches for developing talent and come back towards the end of the year or even next year and be even more prepared to start his NHL career.

I see this as a win-win, because we've seen a glimpse of what he has to offer - and it's very exciting.

Hoags wrote:I think they're playing with fire, I'm not sure how well he'll develop at 18y old on a team that's going to get blown out and embarrassed on most nights. Not to mention having him deal with the media all year and their loaded questions ( whether he should have gone back etc.)

Just because the team sucks and has no #2C doesn't mean they should stick him in.

It's not like the SEL is some bush league, didn't hurt Alfie to stay there til he was 24, nor Silfverberg nor any of the countless Swedish prospects who stayed in Sweden for a while.

Having him play in the WJC would be good too.

He can still play in the WJC. And we're not gonna be embarrassed most nights, we're probably going to lose, but why do you think we'll be embarrassed while doing it? Mac seems to have an idea of what he wants, we need to be patient with the system and players.

Let him play first line minutes with Djurgarden, then he can be the #2 C next year when there are not other options.