Hey wiz - serious question ... How much do you factor in opinions of others in raising/lowering players on your board?
- EbonyRaptor
Very fair question
I try to ignore the outside forces. I really don't go looking for the "others'" but when they hit me in the face on the Athletic or because someone does an interview on the hawks podcast, I, of course get sucked in.
I really do this SO WELL most of the season even up to the CHL playoffs.
I have always thought of the different Canadien major junior leagues AS SEPARATE entities, not equal.
And the "other leagues as in US junior USHL, NAHL and all other Euro leagues I lump together and view them different.
I decide which of the Chl leagues is the best each year and never overlook powerhouse clubs and games are not equal.
But I can't overlook scoring totals (from non prominent prospects) if they start getting racked up. Did I miss something?
But once I see a bandwagon developing as in Byram Bowen I say wait, see the offense, but he is neglecting the position so many times I saw him. Is he better than the smaller Swedish kid Victor Söderström in defensive end. )He is in the SHL and not necessarily struggling but not a dominant d-zone but he knows when to stay home and how to play these men.) Is he better than big Broberg who looks to be a pro, and there is no denying there is a clear cut upward spiral for him whether he is Bobby Orr or not.
Then out of the ranks the OHL Mississauga, this tall skinny kid won't go away and I spent months saying he is not that good in his he is product of a good team and then they trade the good team from around him and he showed me yes he was a strong two way player and the earlier months he was running and gunning with Owen Tippett (Panthers) and speedy Ryan McLeod (oilers maybe as an eventual wing?).
So I raise him.
With Bowen Bryam I saw lots all year and didn't ignore the totals but my feeling about the dub (WHL for the rooks) is there are a lot of teams and not as many good solid teams versus equal matched competition so I think of washed out the totals because I don't think that free wheel is going too be there through the middle zone, there won't be a easy entry point and he will get closed on when he starts galloping on his long possessions.
DraftSite is kinda nice in that you see the last couple spots from past versions where I had the guy...just don't count Oct-November b/c I am building the board and don't have the luxury of hiding it in buildings mode.
I stayed really true to the kids for most of March little tweaks, and when people are loving the redhead York I still see what is there now, not what the future holds.
The Russian sat there up at #3 for months b/c I just didn't think anyone was gonna be the Brad Marchand until the chip on his shoulder angry young man seemed to lose steam, and the reality of HIM now became BIASED after the hawks got to three.
You know this really affected me prejudiced me further and made me seek out every thought word and action involving that low end.
and I still hadn't started trying to BPA and best fit with this needy clubs in the top 12....I still am not there but if you read through seven rounds there is no mistake Pittsburgh, Detroit Washington have lots of Russians in their slots, or the francophones next to the Habs...
I guess with Byram I was influenced to loosen my grip on the negatives I think exist there, factor in the one thing that maybe I was holding back on...when he is in the attack zone, he reads things so well and delivers pucks and shots like a surgeon. (he is NOT the only player in the draft who does this.)
(
back to influence...the Central Scouting Service rank kicked me in the teeth...it made me more obstinate in my objections to allowing myself to elevate this guy who to me is/was making me shutter with his play in his end, like it was not only didn't he not see is job, he just wanted to forgo duties to be off as an attacker. )
As I said I felt he crapped the bed in the CHL against peers, in December so I wasn't going to give him high props against "ordinaries" on Dub competition.
I guess it wasn't until I listened to Bowen speak, that I though, maybe he is less unbridled colt and more team than I let myself think.
I watched and thought he feels a responsibility to carry the flag and is down there because he was given the go-ahead.
And I decided I was wrong to not place the unbalanced ledger of offense as a bigger strength b/c I see this is a problem for me as a hawk fan.
(Now let's just run back to Boqvist, who I had most of all of his draft year as 7 through 11 slotting, based on the very same reasons...I refused to let be seduced by the offensive side (An an aside: there was a time when that very same Craig Button had Boqvist as the second best player in the draft class over all others too!)
He usual was in slot seven (which was one slot before the Blackahwks picked)
I only loweedr him afterecthe concussion reveals.
My point is at this time of year I will start making the top guys jumping beans b/c I AM TRYING TO do like the NHL teams do build a board.
If I haven't answered or you need more PM and I will try to be more transparent
