Production in the NCAA is never a bad sign but it is a far cry from a solid determinant of pro success.
As someone who has followed the NCAA for ages, you really have to look at the underlying characteristics of a player and try to see how they could mold and shape their game to fit at the NHL level. As I say so often, Smith, not McDonagh, was the big point producer for Wisconsin in the NCAA. But with the lack of time and space at this level, McDonagh ended up with more offense simply by the virtue of being able to use his mobility to earn space in a way Brendan Smith never was.
We look at Carl Hagelin- he used his speed in the NCAA and you could see he had it- but he was much more of a east-west possession player for Michigan. He didn't have the hands (or vision) for that in the NHL and so he used his best natural asset to reform his game and become a long term bottom 6 winger.
Kreider scored at a modest pace for most of his time in the NCAA, and did not do as much around the net work as he does now. He speed was his skill set, and the poor bastard couldn't find the puck when it was between his skates at the NHL level for years before he was able to redifine his game.
So when you look at Laba, it's great news that he's a top scorer and drawing attention. But the big thing you want to look at is what kind of player and role do we think with his skill set that her can carve out at this level. Because the number of mid round picks that have solid NCAA careers that become 70 point scoring wingers is pretty low. So with Laba, my biggest question is whether his defense can come along enough at this level to be much more than an Anthony Duclair clone.
