Peat
Registered User
- Jun 14, 2016
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CHL defensemen have to compete with NCAA and European Pro route (both longer development curves) once they get to the A and then the NHL. With the longer development curves of the latter two, those routes have been producing more and more NHL defensemen, especially the defensive, shutdown types. Low producing CHL defensemen rarely seem to make it as quality full time NHLers now, and the jump from major junior to pro is quite steep, so the CHL D without high end offensive upside struggle even more once they reach the A.
Oh I am very down on taking CHL players these days as I think it's the worst of the three major development routes, and yet still the most overdrafted.
I just think we should set a reasonable line of what low producing looks like for a draft year CHL dman. They aren't getting PP1 production as a rule for reasons outside of their control. Brunicke's numbers are still low imo, just not stupidly low.