i see this phrase all the time, and i have to say i don't understand what it REALLY means, especially when it's referring to a player who's expected to be drafted in the first round.
- hammarby31

Virgin is always the first word that comes into my mind.

Edit: Two guys at a urinal deleted. Really?

ISS - Poised well rounded D-man. Good offensive upside w/ big shot. Effective on PP. Good open ice hitter.


- ob18

Is this the dude that can hit triple digits?

That'd be sweet....right handed shot too!

Is this the dude that can hit triple digits?

That'd be sweet....
- Giroux_Is_God

Yes but I will tell you he's only played D since he was drafted by the Wheat Kings which is 2 years, so in that aspect he's got some room to improve playing the position.

Good chat on nurse. I'd still take him at seven if he bottoms out at jackman or coburn type. He sounds very level headed and understands his shortcomings

Nichuskin.

Zadorov is a good case to me. Finland aside, he has already come over to North America and started to get used to the game/culture.

Coaches rave about his attitude, and even leadership with having limited english.
- flyer_nutter

Talent-wise, it would be pretty hard to pass on Nichushkin if he fell to the Flyers at 7-10. He should be in the conversation for top-pick, IMO.

Zadarov is a player I bet the Flyers covet. In a good program, huge, mean, skates well, not many flaws at all. Offensive upside is a concern (Dylan McIlrath has similar numbers his draft year and never improved), but he's a hell of a specimen.

so bill's on the tim thomas train too i see

Good chat on nurse. I'd still take him at seven if he bottoms out at jackman or coburn type.
- Just5

I'd probably go Ristolainen over Nurse & maybe even Pulock over him but that's more of a toss up.

fair enough
- 2Real

It's also the position. There's probably been as many first round goalies that flopped as have turned into very good NHLers.

Look at the 1995 draft. In the first round, Hartford took JS Giguere, Buffalo took Marty Biron and the Flyers took Boucher. Giggy bounced around from Hartford to Calgary to Anaheim before becoming a good goalie. Biron was a solid back-up/ tme splitter. Boucher more or less a solid back up.

In 1997, Luongo went top 4, but the other two 1st round goalies were journeymen Mika Noronen & JF Damphousse.

It's the same with defensemen. Positions that develop more slowly, in general, tend to have a higher fail rate

Yes but I will tell you he's only played D since he was drafted by the Wheat Kings which is 2 years, so in that aspect he's got some room to improve playing the position.
- ob18

Interesting...I'd think he'd be drafted and stay a defenseman, right?

Nothing a little patience can't solve. Seasoning in Juniors....I've seen his name dropped a lot around here. Have to say he seems like he'd be a good compliment to Luke Schenn in 5 years!

Any word about how that D game is progressing? Do scouts think he'll be adequate in his own end?

i really want the red wings to miss the playoffs. a lot.

That name gives me PTSD.
- Tomahawk

we're here for you bro

so bill's on the tim thomas train too i see
- FlyerMike18

If he keeps silent with the political BS I'd be cool.

Kind of seems like going from one drama queen to another though.

Interesting...I'd think he'd be drafted and stay a defenseman, right?

Nothing a little patience can't solve. Seasoning in Juniors....I've seen his name dropped a lot around here. Have to say he seems like he'd be a good compliment to Luke Schenn in 5 years!

Any word about how that D game is progressing? Do scouts think he'll be adequate in his own end?
- Giroux_Is_God

Yes, that's what he'll be going forward. I think what I've found is teams think he already is a well rounded defenseman. But some extra time in juniors can only help further his development.

i see this phrase all the time, and i have to say i don't understand what it REALLY means, especially when it's referring to a player who's expected to be drafted in the first round.
- hammarby31

It basically means that he's got a lot of tools, but hasn't developed them to the point where scouts feel they can safely say what he will end up as.

In Nurse's case, it means he's thrived by simply using his physical abilities, rather than hockey techniques.

It's also the position. There's probably been as many first round goalies that flopped as have turned into very good NHLers.

Look at the 1995 draft. In the first round, Hartford took JS Giguere, Buffalo took Marty Biron and the Flyers took Boucher. Giggy bounced around from Hartford to Calgary to Anaheim before becoming a good goalie. Biron was a solid back-up/ tme splitter. Boucher more or less a solid back up.

In 1997, Luongo went top 4, but the other two 1st round goalies were journeymen Mika Noronen & JF Damphousse.

It's the same with defensemen. Positions that develop more slowly, in general, tend to have a higher fail rate
- Jsaquella

are we in a position where we should draft risky or take the safe pick?

i see this phrase all the time, and i have to say i don't understand what it REALLY means, especially when it's referring to a player who's expected to be drafted in the first round.
- hammarby31

I take it to mean that there's something missing from an otherwise perfect physical package, be it hockey sense, or hands, or skating. I mostly see it used to describe budding power forwards and big-bodied Dmen. Sometimes for athletic goalies.

It basically means that he's got a lot of tools, but hasn't developed them to the point where scouts feel they can safely say what he will end up as.

In Nurse's case, it means he's thrived by simply using his physical abilities, rather than hockey techniques.
- Jsaquella

that is very risky then imo cause it will take him a long time to learn how to use hockey abilities in the NHL

are we in a position where we should draft risky or take the safe pick?
- 2Real

I think any time you are drafting it's a risk. You just never know. You just trust your scouts and what you've also watched and take the best calculated risk possible with all that knowledge.

Trenton Titans to cease operations for next season

http://www.trentonian.com...end-operations-for-a-year
- Jsaquella

A shame but not a surprise. When I was doing Titans stuff on HB during the lockout, the building was always nearly empty and even the modest announced attendances seemed to derived by multiplying the gate X 3.

If he keeps silent with the political BS I'd be cool.

Kind of seems like going from one drama queen to another though.
- flyer_nutter

It's more that his manner of expression became a distraction than his actual views. No, I don;t agree with his views, but if he's stopping the puck, I don't care who he votes for.

The trouble is, in Boston, he repeatedly put himself and expressing his views in front of the team and the other guys in the room admitted that it became an issue for them.

If he keeps silent with the political BS I'd be cool.

Kind of seems like going from one drama queen to another though.
- flyer_nutter

That's if he even decides to return... and if he does, a year away from the game must have some effect on his body/game.

It's almost as risky as going another year with Bryz, IMO.

that is very risky then imo cause it will take him a long time to learn how to use hockey abilities in the NHL
- 2Real

Even Ristolainen & Pulock will take time. They've only been playing defense for a couple years. If you want to develop defensemen, you do it with a sundial, not a stopwatch, unless it's a guy like OEL.

I take it to mean that there's something missing from an otherwise perfect physical package, be it hockey sense, or hands, or skating. I mostly see it used to describe budding power forwards and big-bodied Dmen. Sometimes for athletic goalies.
- Tomahawk

I seem to remember on more than one occasion this being used to describe bob when we first learned about him

Even Ristolainen & Pulock will take time. They've only been playing defense for a couple years. If you want to develop defensemen, you do it with a sundial, not a stopwatch, unless it's a guy like OEL.
- Jsaquella

That kid's something else, eh??

so bill's on the tim thomas train too i see
- FlyerMike18

I wasn't advocating for it. What I wrote was that it wouldn't surprise me if the Flyers did something like that because they always seem to pull something out of left field (or, I suppose in Thomas' case, right field).