Follow Colin on Twitter! Follow @ColinDJD I don’t know about you, but I felt that it may be a good time to have the birds and the bees talk. If you’re wondering what the hell I’m talking about – it’s Johnny “Hockey… Gaudreau.
So far this training camp and preseason, this kid has been anything but average. He’s looked fantastic out there, has made a few TSN highlight reels (I guess theScore highlight reels now), and has not looked out of place the least bit.
That being said, what can we, or what should we expect from this particular rookie? Given that it’s still the preseason, I fully understand that it’s likely a little too early to judge anyone’s play, be it a rookie or veteran player. However, and I say this sparingly, I feel this player could have quite the impact on this Flames roster.
Gaudreau’s biggest hurdle coming into preseason was his size. We all knew it, the coaches knew it, and the opposing teams certainly knew it when they stood shoulder to shoulder with this guy waiting for the puck to drop. His “official… size, according to the Flames website is 5’9 150lbs, though it seems he would stand closer to 5’8 and perhaps weighing closer to 155lbs...not a big difference, I know.
Anyways, his size was always a big concern for most who tried to analyze what it is that this player could offer the Calgary Flames and the NHL as a whole. And let me say this – there are a ton of fantasy league owners who have drafted this player already; that’s saying something.
With respect to this discussion, Gaudreau’s challenge will officially begin upon the start of the regular season. Less rookies are present, the speed and intensity of the game increases, and…well…shit gets real. With that established, and as his name becomes apparent to that of the opposing teams defensive strategies, he will be pressured and tested.
For smaller players like Johnny, most often than not it can be rather easy to remove from the puck and possibly their game altogether. In watching his game so far, I’m not sure that this will be the case for Gaudreau. He seems to find ways to roll off hits, stay out of dangerous areas, and still challenge the body for the puck. Unlike perhaps William Nylander of the Toronto Maple Leafs who also has a ton of elite level talent, Gaudreau doesn’t seem to necessarily shy away from the play and is often right in the middle of things.
His success and whether he plays the majority of the year with the Flames or not will by and large come from the coaching staff and how they prepare the rookie. There is no question that he has the speed, skill, and hockey sense required to play in the NHL, however when the season starts to pick up and full sized NHL bodies come flying his way, he will need to learn how to protect himself and, just as importantly, the puck.
Rookies often make the mistake of trying to do too much with little room. More than often they either find themselves picking up their jock up off the ice after being leveled by a veteran defenseman, or they cough up the pick which in turn creates an odd man rush. See: Kadri, Nazem.
Moving into this regular season, Hartley and his coaching staff will need spend time with Gaudreau and help him learn the game at the NHL level in order to try and avoid the above. Frankly, Hartley could just offer his knee to the young lad and walk him through the systems, but I guess the nice thing for Gaudreau this year will be having guys like Brian McGrattan on his side which may help in the long run...because as Darren Hayes put it - "McGrattan has tattoos the size of Gaudreau".
All things considered, however, those around him feel pretty confident about the rookies abilities and chances coming into the year...especially President of Hockey Operations who isn't shy when it comes to his opinion on players.
“I don’t really look at him as a small player, his size doesn’t let him affect the things he does… said Sam Bennett of Gaudreau.
“If any player his size is going to make it, it’s going to be Johnny Gaudreau… said Brian Burke. So just as I asked the other day on twitter, has the NHL game shifted enough toward skill and moved away from pure “truculence…, as it were, where a player as small and gifted as Johnny Gaudreau can really succeed beyond expectations right off the bat?
What do you think?
Thanks for reading!