Sorry to keep bringing the conversation back to Drysdale but I just don't get it at all.
-He's supposed to be an elite skater but some reports say Sanderson is actually the better skater.
-He put up a bunch of points but the OHL was historically awful in GA this year.
-People point to Erie's bad power play and say "Look he could have had even more points" but as the PP QB shouldn't he shoulder some responsibility for that underperformance?
-He's nowhere near as good as Makar, Hughes, etc. who are the only defensemen who should be going this high.
I hate to say this but the obvious comparison is Cam Fowler. I love Cam but Drysdale is looking at that same career trajectory where he always looks good out there because of his skating yet he always leaves you wanting more. And he's like Cam in that he seems like he would be good on the PP because he's perceived as an offensive defenseman but he never quite puts up the production. If you asked me right now if I'd take Drysdale knowing he'd have the exact same career as Cam I think I would say no.
And I like Sanderson but I don't know if I like him enough to use #6 on him.
At this point I say we just take whichever forward falls to us we like. Let someone else take those defensemen.
I re-watch Draft Dynasty's video scouting report on both, which provides more extensive evaluations. Some may not agree with it, but it is far more extensive than a blurb of five paragraphs as well as has video support to his opinion.
- Sanderson has great acceleration and his skating is one of his best attributes. Drysdale maybe on another level, especially when you include he loves skating backwards without any detriment.
- As for GA and points, this might be the Shea Theodore Twist. Theodore got bashed for his negative plus/minus rating, but if you looked at his whole team, then you'll notice just how abysmal that team was for two seasons.
Drysdale D-1 Stats: 63 games, 7 g, 40 pts, and - 24 plus/minus rating.
............................... Only one player had a positive plus/minus rating, but he only played in half the games for Drysdale's team.
Drysdale D Stats: 49 games, 9 g, 47 pts, and + 9 plus/minus rating. Half the team was in negative plus/minus rating.
............................... There were only two defensemen with a positive plus/minus rating on the team.
If you watched DD's video scouting report, DD cites how Drysdales always had to cover up his defensive partner because he's a slow skater.
- As for the PP, DD denoted the team just didn't have many finishers on the team. DD also cited how Drysdale league the league in first assists. Yet, DD also stated that Drysdale should be on the PP2 unit, not PP1 unit, but could be if needed. (Think Djoos.)
It's a bit unfair to pin the blame on one player for the lack of PP production when there's four other players on the ice, who are probably forwards. Look as us. Our PP sucks, but most of us will pin the blame that we have no finishers on the team. When fans ponder about finishers, no one is automatically thinking defensemen. You don't trot out a defenseman to be the first shooter in a shootout. If we don't have finishers on the team, then a defenseman can't get any assist points. Yet, DD notices Drysdale does set up his teammates often and they can't finish the deal for a score.
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Drysdale might be better than Cam. Both are puck moving defensemen, but Drysdale is probably better defensively as well as not rattled as much as Cam. We know Cam isn't a top pairing defenseman, but I can see Drysdale being a top-pairing defensemen. To be fair, though, we might have screwed Cam up because we pushed him onto the NHL as an 18-year old who really had no business being on the NHL save the fact the Ducks were lacking talent on the ice (which is why C Isac Lundestrom played as an 18-year old with the Ducks).
I don't think Drysdale is getting enough acclaim for his defensive game when compared to Sanderson, who's a big, fast shutdown defenseman who loves to dish out big hits! Drysdale plays his defense differently, but doesn't have that highlight reel hitting.
Jamie is a two-way defensemen with the potential to put up a lot of points. Sanderson is a shutdown defenseman with the potential to put up points. IMO, Sanderson reminds me a lot about Hampus. Drysdale projects better than Fowler. If we were to pick between the two defensemen, then I'm going with Drysdale because his offensive game becomes a valued asset to our lack of scoring.
We have a good defensive system if it's healthy. That's already established. We lack offense from the blue line. This is why we drafted LaCombe in the 2nd round over Thrun, who went in the 4th round. (Thrun went in the 4th round because of his lack of skating speed, iirc as per Pronman.) Also, we signed Kodie Curran over from across the pond to help with the lacking of offense.
Helge Grans was a player I was projecting to the Ducks before the season started because I assumed we'd be picking in the 20's for the 2020 NHL draft. A tall, offensive RHD player. When we were set to be 7 of the non-playoff teams, I was hoping that RHD Drysdale would fall to us. Once we settled 6th overall, then I started watching other scouting reports. RW Holtz just screamed like the donkey on Shrek, "oh oh oh. Pick me! Pick me!" We lack a proven finisher. We have no backup plan to Rakell. If you watch DD's video scouting report along with HockeyNews video biography of Holtz and Raymond, then you should come away with a better impression of Holtz than simply a one-trick pony sniper.
For me, I go RW Holtz before RHD Drysdale. Those are the two prospects I'm eyeballing to the Ducks. Again, those are just my preferences based upon where the Ducks are now and what they will need going forward.
