2024-25: Phantoms (AHL), Reading Royals (ECHL), NCAA, Jrs., Int'l, etc.

[deadhead]

My recollection may be hazy, but I don't ever recall him being an offense-first pick. I even remember him playing in the WJC on the 3rd line as the captain and was there to provide defense -- the talking points at the time were that would be his role in the NHL. I don't have a problem with Laughton, pre 2022. Last year, he was one of the worst regular forwards in the league, and so far, is projecting the same way this year.

Laughton started at age 21, put up 21 ES points, then spent 22 in the AHL b/c his defense was so bad.
At his best between 24-28.

 

[JojoTheWhale]

Laughton started at age 21, put up 21 ES points, then spent 22 in the AHL b/c his defense was so bad.
At his best between 24-28.

His draft profile was that of a Checking Line Center who may be able to score a bit due to effort. In no way was he an offense first pick, which is what you said.

 

[deadhead]

His draft profile was that of a Checking Line Center who may be able to score a bit due to effort. In no way was he an offense first pick, which is what you said.

He has a good shot, but never was a defense center.
Hathaway is a great forechecker who scores due to effort (not those hands).
Laughton actually has offensive skills, but not as a center.

So yeah, if you want to describe him as a forechecker who can score that would be on mark.
But I'd say it's more than "effort."
Which is why I've thought for years he was better suited to LW.

 

[JojoTheWhale]

He has a good shot, but never was a defense center.
Hathaway is a great forechecker who scores due to effort (not those hands).
Laughton actually has offensive skills, but not as a center.

So yeah, if you want to describe him as a forechecker who can score that would be on mark.
But I'd say it's more than "effort."
Which is why I've thought for years he was better suited to LW.

His draft profile was a defensive and/or two-way Center. That's what he was drafted to do. It's not what I want to say. It's what you said. The complaint at the time was that they didn't go for the offensive pick in Brendan Gaunce. Turns out they got that one right!

This is weird. It's ok to just say you misspoke and that's the end of the discussion. Everyone makes mistakes.

 

[Fight4yourRight]

His draft profile was a defensive and/or two-way Center. That's what he was drafted to do. It's not what I want to say. It's what you said. The complaint at the time was that they didn't go for the offensive pick in Brendan Gaunce. Turns out they got that one right!

This is weird. It's ok to just say you misspoke and that's the end of the discussion. Everyone makes mistakes.

Good luck.

 

[Magua]

His draft profile was that of a Checking Line Center who may be able to score a bit due to effort. In no way was he an offense first pick, which is what you said.

I don’t think he realizes the larger self-defeating point he’s making with regard to discussing/projecting the skill-sets of teenagers.

Laughton at the pro level, at his best, has skewed more to being a scorer than a shutdown play-driver, whatever the narrative or amateur evaluation. Frost has skewed more defensive in his impacts. No one knows how players’ skills manifest up. It’s a fool’s errand to talk about amateurs and determinatively state, “This girthy player will be a defensive defenseman! That roadkill will be a one-way scorer! This historically high scoring NTDP defenseman will be a dynamo!” It’s a lesson in humility and, yet again, why drafting for fit is multi-level stupid.

 

[deadhead]

I don’t think he realizes the larger self-defeating point he’s making with regard to discussing/projecting the skill-sets of teenagers.

Laughton at the pro level, at his best, has skewed more to being a scorer than a shutdown play-driver, whatever the narrative or amateur evaluation. Frost has skewed more defensive in his impacts. No one knows how players’ skills manifest up. It’s a fool’s errand to talk about amateurs and determinatively state, “This girthy player will be a defensive defenseman! That roadkill will be a one-way scorer! This historically high scoring NTDP defenseman will be a dynamo!” It’s a lesson in humility and, yet again, why drafting for fit is multi-level stupid.

Yet people here project CHL and NCAA scorers to be NHL scorers around here all the time!

I don't think you can draft for fit, but you can draft for skills.
That is, when putting together a draft board, and judging players, you should have an idea of what qualities you value.

It's not that you want one skill over another, rather, if you've done your homework, you know what intangibles are conducive to success (IQ, work ethic, etc.) and what skills fit your team building approach. So you might put a higher weight on size/speed relative to shooting, for example. It's not either/or, but more a subtle balancing.

And how you value skills may depend where you're drafting.

After the second round, you might discount offensive skills b/c you don't want an organization full of undersized, mediocre scorers who can't contribute on the PK, for example. You might prefer big D-men who can skate later in the draft than smaller D-men who are mediocre across the board. Smaller guys don't get bigger (for the most part) but bigger guys sometimes get more skillful.

 

[Beef Invictus]

Why bother when we have you on the board?

I praise them when they do good things. I slam them when they do bad things.

You praise everything they do, including obviously bad moves