2021 World Juniors

[Neech]

Didn't seem like the American coach trusted Caufield in defensive situations.  He'll have to do a lot of work to not be viewed as a defensive liability in the pros.  He looks like a lethal powerplay threat with that shot and his passing, though.  

 

Guhle fumbled the puck a few times, but overall it was a solid performance from an 18-year-old defenseman.  

[Prime Minister Koivu]

Taking the whole thing into context Guhle played great. Caufield reminded me of Domi and if he can work on his defensive game he will have a great career 

[DON]

 Was it just me, or did Caufield fly the d-zone early and often looking for breakaway pass. A la Brett Hull, who couldnt even spell backcheck and proud of it.

Maybe was coaching for stretch pass, or on his own to do this?

[Prime Minister Koivu]

22 minutes ago, DON said:

 Was it just me, or did Caufield fly the d-zone early and often looking for breakaway pass. A la Brett Hull, who couldnt even spell backcheck and proud of it.

Maybe was coaching for stretch pass, or on his own to do this?

Good question Don. 
 

If Caufield is a defensive black hole then he probability won’t get along with our coach!

[alfredoh2009]

2 hours ago, Prime Minister Koivu said:

Good question Don. 
 

If Caufield is a defensive black hole then he probability won’t get along with our coach!

will Caufield be the next Hudon ?

[Prime Minister Koivu]

1 minute ago, alfredoh2009 said:

will Caufield be the next Hudon ?

No way

[alfredoh2009]

4 minutes ago, Prime Minister Koivu said:

No way

some of the comments after the loss seem to be implying Caufield s nothing more than a soft small player with a great shot but incapable of defending ... that will not score much in the NHL 

[DON]

6 minutes ago, alfredoh2009 said:

will Caufield be the next Hudon ?

If Hudon could skate 1/2 step quicker and had a different attitude (going by comment at some training camp, that Hudon came into camp in shape "this time") he might of had fine NHL career?

 

But, skills wise they are quite different, Caufield is likely average NHL speed and if he can simply handle 1/2 the abuse Gallagher has taken from bigger players, he should do fine.

 

And unlike a Desharnais, Caufield will put alot of pucks on net, just like Gallagher does.

[GHT120]

3 minutes ago, DON said:

If Hudon could skate 1/2 step quicker and had a different attitude (going by comment at some training camp, that Hudon came into camp in shape "this time") he might of had fine NHL career?

 

But, skills wise they are quite different, Caufield is likely average NHL speed and if he can simply handle 1/2 the abuse Gallagher has taken from bigger players, he should do fine.

 

And unlike a Desharnais, Caufield will put alot of pucks on net, just like Gallagher does.

 

Given that Caufield is unlikely to ever be a Gallagher-ish player ... might the better analogy be that CC could be Desharnais with a much better shot and the ability to get that shot on net far more often?

[alfredoh2009]

Let’s hope he develops to his potential

[Commandant]

Canada had 2 B2B situations in the tourney.

 

They played like shit against slovakia and didnt look good last night.

 

Part of being a team without the OHL/WHL playing and the Q being stop/start.  A real lack of game shape compared to the americans who have the NCAA and USHL.

[Commandant]

As for caufield and guhle... a 10 day tourney where they play with unfamiliar linemates.  Yeah there is a reason so little of my scouting reports rely on info from this tourney.

[DON]

4 hours ago, GHT120 said:

 

Given that Caufield is unlikely to ever be a Gallagher-ish player ... might the better analogy be that CC could be Desharnais with a much better shot and the ability to get that shot on net far more often?

Yes, but Gallagher always has ton of shots, even as junior in Vancouver he would fire from anywhere and scored 40+ goals every year. And Caufield seems similar that way.

[dlbalr]

A quick evaluation with my random thoughts on the Montreal prospects that played: https://www.habsworld.net/2021/01/evaluating-montreals-prospects-at-the-2021-world-juniors/

[GHT120]

10 hours ago, DON said:

Yes, but Gallagher always has ton of shots, even as junior in Vancouver he would fire from anywhere and scored 40+ goals every year. And Caufield seems similar that way.

Agreed ... but any Gallagher comparison really (IMO) has to start with the incredible physicality BG brings for his size ... from what I've seen/read, that just isn't part of CC's game ... maybe I should have added more "far"s to my post (... far, far, far, far more often) in relation to the difference between CC and DD's shooting.

[GHT120]

2 hours ago, dlbalr said:

A quick evaluation with my random thoughts on the Montreal prospects that played: https://www.habsworld.net/2021/01/evaluating-montreals-prospects-at-the-2021-world-juniors/

 

Great thoughts

 

Bet you take some heat for describing CC as "a player often deemed as a one-trick pony for his shot" ... I would only point out (without making it a comparison/projection) that Mike Bossy was often described that way.

 

I agree Guhle did well ... his "test" will be next year in Skelleftea (Sweden) where he should be expected to be one of the anchors on the blueline.

 

Myšák certainly looks like a positive ... think he suffered slightly from being the Czech's best option to "give it to <him> and let him figure it out from there" ... hard to be complementary when you are the best forward.

 

Any word of whether Myšák and Guhle may spend this season in Laval if the OHL/WHL don't return ... maybe on some special arrangement (AHL/PTO contracts) to not impact their NHL contract status?

[TurdBurglar]

I’ll start by saying I’m not on the Caufield bandwagon.  What I did see from him this year and last year in this tournament is that he definitely became more noticeable.  He really does have a good shot, possibly the best in the world juniors this year.  He didn’t score as much as anticipated, that could be a number of reasons, but it wasn’t because of lack of opportunity in usage or shots.  Commandant points out unfamiliarity with line mates and chemistry, which is a fair point, but as a shooter, he had the opportunities where that wasn’t a factor and didn’t bury them consistent enough.  
 

it was a short tournament and the goaltending he faced was better than what he faces at college.  I hope I am wrong about him and I hope he adapts to whatever it was that kept him from living up to the hype.  Montreal could really use an annual 30-40 goal threat, and the kid has the potential to do that.  I’ll hold off of the hype train until he gets a couple of seasons in some from of pro league to show everyone what he really is.

[Commandant]

I would NOT say that facing 19 year old goalies in the World Juniors is better than the goaltending (often 22 and 23 year old juniors and seniors) that Caufield faces in College Hockey.

[TurdBurglar]

3 hours ago, Commandant said:

I would NOT say that facing 19 year old goalies in the World Juniors is better than the goaltending (often 22 and 23 year old juniors and seniors) that Caufield faces in College Hockey.

I would point out the world juniors picks out the top 2-3 goalies available under 20 for each country, many of which from professional leagues at some level, and college hockey primarily consists of goalies that will never go pro.  

 

[hab29RETIRED]

9 hours ago, GHT120 said:

 

Great thoughts

 

Bet you take some heat for describing CC as "a player often deemed as a one-trick pony for his shot" ... I would only point out (without making it a comparison/projection) that Mike Bossy was often described that way.

 

I agree Guhle did well ... his "test" will be next year in Skelleftea (Sweden) where he should be expected to be one of the anchors on the blueline.

 

Myšák certainly looks like a positive ... think he suffered slightly from being the Czech's best option to "give it to <him> and let him figure it out from there" ... hard to be complementary when you are the best forward.

 

Any word of whether Myšák and Guhle may spend this season in Laval if the OHL/WHL don't return ... maybe on some special arrangement (AHL/PTO contracts) to not impact their NHL contract status?

Would Mike Bossy have gotten the he same shot in today’s NHL, under a Juilen or Torts type coach?  I doubt it!

[tomh009]

3 minutes ago, hab29RETIRED said:

Would Mike Bossy have gotten the he same shot in today’s NHL, under a Juilen or Torts type coach?  I doubt it!

 

Gretzky might not have, either!

[hab29RETIRED]

Just now, tomh009 said:

 

Gretzky might not have, either!

Agreed. Too skinny, can’t skate or back-check and hangs around the blue line too much would likely be the scouting report.  Not much different to smaller skilled players not in the late 80’s/90’s and early 2000’s. Fleury and St. Louis were probably about the only exceptions and it was a while nail St. Louis got a shot to establish himself (along with extra development to become a small but solid build).

[Commandant]

15 minutes ago, TurdBurglar said:

I would point out the world juniors picks out the top 2-3 goalies available under 20 for each country, many of which from professional leagues at some level, and college hockey primarily consists of goalies that will never go pro.  

 

 

That doesn't mean they are better at 18 and 19 years old than the 22-23 year olds are. 

 

This year they didnt because of Covid, but the Canadian WJC team plays a team of 22-24 year old CIS all-stars during training camp every year... and the 22-24 year olds (none of the players on those all-star teams have ever made the NHL), but they have won the vast majority of the games against the WJ team.

 

The size, strength, and development difference is huge... and its even bigger in goalies, most who aren't carey price or Carter Hart making it to the NHL at 20... it takes longer. 

 

I'd take the next 6 NCAA goalies he will face as a whole, in a battle vs the best 19 year old from Slovakia, Germany, Czech Republic, Canada, US, Russia in any given year.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

6 minutes ago, hab29RETIRED said:

Agreed. Too skinny, can’t skate or back-check and hangs around the blue line too much would likely be the scouting report.  Not much different to smaller skilled players not in the late 80’s/90’s and early 2000’s. Fleury and St. Louis were probably about the only exceptions and it was a while nail St. Louis got a shot to establish himself (along with extra development to become a small but solid build).

 

I've often said as much. Today's coaches would, as a rule, keep Gretzky way down the depth chart. That is an indictment of them, not Gretzky, who was a transcendent genius of a player despite being slow, small, and "incomplete." Coaches would rather have a 50-point guy who plays "the right way" that a 212-point guy who doesn't.

[Commandant]

I kinda think gretzky would force his way onto a roster and in a prime spot with the way some teams use analytics.  Even if the org he was in was old fashioned, not all 31 teams are today and someone would grab him as an undervalued asset whose analytics were.off.the charts.