Around the NHL - (2024-25)
- Thread starter Leonardo87
- Start date
WhatTheDuck
9 - 20 - 8
SmokeyDuck
Registered User
Fantilli was already a physically mature beast while Carlsson was a tall lanky string bean. We all knew this. Plus yeah Columbus has a much improved roster. I think they have like 5 20 goal scorers or something. Even their enforcer has like 11-12 goals. They just score a shit ton more than us. I still take Carlsson over Fantilli.
Yeah the strength of roster/coaching is going unspoken here. We don't know yet if bulking up will help Leo catch up. Probably will but there's no hard guarantee.
I think it's premature to call it a bad pick or that we should've gone with Fantilli. Leo still has a lot of time and room to grow both physically and in his approach to the sport.
What gives me faith is I remember the ocean of difference from what Terry was before he packed on muscle (and mind you he did when he was like what, 23?) and what he was like after. When he started physically showing improvement in strength on the puck and withstanding physical challenges/pressure it opened his game up a lot and with that came the confidence he leveraged to be our most productive player.
We've seen how good Leo can look when he plays with confidence. If bulking up and cutting down on mistakes through experience can get his confidence back up, he should end up the first line center we're all hoping he can be.
My concern is they can coach proper tendencies and approaches to cut down on some of the mistakes now but we're focusing on defense first.
TheDarkWingThatDucks
Registered User
- Oct 30, 2024
- 372
- 327
Also key reason you had to tank that year, finishing last …. At worse we would have had Bedard / Leo / or Adamo ….. I obviously thought we were drafting Adamo, and fell in love with the kid. But Leo really just has that can’t teach frame and length, same with Sennecke. If they blossom, player development is key, then we are set for the next decade plus.
Honestly, I think if we had picked Fanta and CBJ ended up with Leo I don't know how much better Leo would be performing but I'd bet Fanta would struggle here too.
duckaroosky
So sayeth Duckthulu
Ekblad joined the 20-29 club...
Fantilli has Marchenko on RW, Leo has Killorn. That right there should basically end this debate. Lol. Plus the ice time factor.
Well. Leo does have Zegras to be fair. On paper that should count for something but Z has been struggling under Cronin too so. Not an ideal situation for anyone involved. At least Leo and Z seem to have decent enough chemistry but nothing I'd categorize as a special connection.
I still like the idea of the natural fit with Gauthier but you'd have to be on meth to break up that line with Mac and Colangelo right now. Maybe we get lucky and Sennecke becomes a natural fit with Leo. Can't really know until this fall though.
Fantilli only recently got moved up with Marchenko. Most of the year it's been Monahan centering Marchenko.
Yeah i wholeheartedly disagree with anyone who thought we shouldn't have tanked that year - The Ducks desperately needed to draft a future 1C.
Last year is kind of a different story, that team was disappointing IMO and we shouldn't have been right in the middle of the lotto conversation again.
All Mighty
Registered User
He has 22 points in 22 games since Monahan got hurt. Before that, he had 19 in 41, which is close to Leo’s current pace.
TheDarkWingThatDucks
Registered User
- Oct 30, 2024
- 372
- 327
I think the 6-8 rookies making the opening day roster / Leo plan / Zegras injuries / Killorn injuries / Minty injuries / mctavish injuries / all kinda helped us suck last year more than we should have. But we did get to take a big swing on Sennecke because of it, so maybe a blessing.
31-32-6 the last two years with Zegras in the lineup.
24-46-6 without Zegras in the lineup.
12-17-2 last year w Z / 19-15-4 this year with Z
15-33-3 last year without Z / 9-13-3 this year without Z
We have a 91 pt pace as a team with Zegras playing this season in 38 games (47% of the season). 69 pt pace without.
Don’t know what to say except Zegras is a very good hockey player.
duckaroosky
So sayeth Duckthulu
Hockey Duckie
Registered User
I think we were fortunate to finish last in the league, which guaranteed us one of Bedard, Fantilli, or Carlsson. I think all the teams that picked them are winners. Between Fantilli and Carlsson is just a matter of preference of player. I was quite surprised Fantilli wasn't picked by Verbeek b/c Fantilli fit all the Verbeek want checkboxes. I wanted Carlsson over Fantilli for a few reasons and was happy he was chosen to be a Duck.
Physically, Fantilli was a far more polished body than Carlsson at the draft. Carlsson needed more time to develop and the reason why I wanted him in the SHL with the fewer games set spread out over the same NHL time period. The other factor I wanted Carlsson in the SHL was b/c his SHL was a playoff team, they were adding prospect Lekkerimaki, and Carlsson was going to be their 1C. No rookie coaching staff to deal with, but the same coaching staff that helped Carlsson be selected #2 OA.
Dr Johnny Fever
RIP Grizzly 399
Seeing how well the BJs are doing this year saddens me to keep remembering Johnny Gaudreau is gone.
Life is short. Do your best to make the most of it.
Life is short. Do your best to make the most of it.
Leo has also only had Zegras for half the season at most? A struggling Gauthier, McTavish, I think Lundestrom was over there for a while too?
I just watched highlights of that game. The difference between Luukkonen and Skinner was vast. Like one knew how to play the position and the other was Stuart Skinner.
