C Auston Matthews - ZSC Lions, NLA (2016 Draft) III

[The Winter Soldier]

A big skilled, #1 Center, that may be a franchise player. Too hard for me to pass up on a big skilled, winger(s). I don't even have to think about it. Matthews will go number 1 if I a betting man.

You build a team up the middle. I have always been a believer of this. Teams strong up the middle are usually contenders for years to come.

 

[scipio]

The game just started, here a link.

 

[lawrence]

The game just started, here a link.

how do we watch this game?

 

[Beukeboom]

how do we watch this game?

He wasn't in it.

 

[scipio]

He wasn't in it.

Sorry, my bad. Forgot that he is not back yet

 

[BB88]

I was highly disappointed at his compete level in this tournament, glad that the scouts saw that too.

 

[BusQuets]

The finnish commentator, former player Kimmo Kuhta said during the semifinal game that Matthews looked like a wet mitten and told that from the games he saw Matthews shouldn't even be in the same conversation as the finns. He tried to talk to himself to believe Matthews had some kind of injury.

 

[The Sweetness]

The finnish commentator, former player Kimmo Kuhta said during the semifinal game that Matthews looked like a wet mitten and told that from the games he saw Matthews shouldn't even be in the same conversation as the finns. He tried to talk to himself to believe Matthews had some kind of injury.

Matthews wasn't at his best in the semi-final. But that's why it's foolish to make sweeping judgements based on such a small sample size and why scouts will take everything into account when deciding who will be most valuable for their franchise.

Chat sounds like a biased fool if he doesn't think Matthews is in the same league as the Finns. He's still the front runner to go #1.

 

[BB88]

Matthews wasn't at his best in the semi-final. But that's why it's foolish to make sweeping judgements based on such a small sample size and why scouts will take everything into account when deciding who will be most valuable for their franchise.

Chat sounds like a biased fool if he doesn't think Matthews is in the same league as the Finns. He's still the front runner to go #1.

I know he'll go 1st overall but you still would like to see effort in his game, playing with heart and drive, there's no excuse for lack of that.

You could see that with Laine and Pulju throughout the tournament, everything they did they did with heart and you could see how much they wanted to win and stepped up when it mattered.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Matthews isn't all that demonstrative so it wouldn't surprise me if people-even scouts mistake that for lack of "fire." He's just a very efficient hockey player/individual in the Crosby mode. I'm sure there's no bias from the Finnish contingency though....

 

[BB88]

Matthews isn't all that demonstrative so it wouldn't surprise me if people-even scouts mistake that for lack of "fire." He's just a very efficient hockey player/individual in the Crosby mode. I'm sure there's no bias from the Finnish contingency though....

So just us Finns can be bias?

 

[BusQuets]

Matthews wasn't at his best in the semi-final. But that's why it's foolish to make sweeping judgements based on such a small sample size and why scouts will take everything into account when deciding who will be most valuable for their franchise.

Chat sounds like a biased fool if he doesn't think Matthews is in the same league as the Finns. He's still the front runner to go #1.

He specifically said that based on the 3 wjc games he saw. He just was disappointed because he had his expectations through the roof because how good he heard Matthews was. He didn't say that Finns should go before Matthews in the draft or that Matthews as a player isn't on the same league than them. He just commented on those 3 games.

 

[Oan]

Are the Finns the only ones who are biased then? If it wasn't for a measly few days, Finns would have their surefire first #1 overall in their history this year.

As it stands now, they still have an outside chance, but it still seems that the hivemind that is HFboards says that anyone who even thinks of drafting anyone other than Matthews at #1 is out of their mind. Why is that? Especially Laine reeks of pure potential, even moreso than Matthews, but at this point Matthews is the "safe" pick...and also he is a center.

 

[BusQuets]

Are the Finns the only ones who are biased then? If it wasn't for a measly few days, Finns would have their surefire first #1 overall in their history this year.

As it stands now, they still have an outside chance, but it still seems that the hivemind that is HFboards says that anyone who even thinks of drafting anyone other than Matthews at #1 is out of their mind. Why is that? Especially Laine reeks of pure potential, even moreso than Matthews, but at this point Matthews is the "safe" pick...and also he is a center.

Well it's not that easy. I'm sure Barkov seemed like a boring "safe" center pick against offensively gifted Drouin. When the skill level is about the same you just have to pick center. It's much easier as a center to make his wingers better than they are, than winger to do the same.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

So just us Finns can be bias?

Of course not.

 

[Beukeboom]

Are the Finns the only ones who are biased then? If it wasn't for a measly few days, Finns would have their surefire first #1 overall in their history this year.

As it stands now, they still have an outside chance, but it still seems that the hivemind that is HFboards says that anyone who even thinks of drafting anyone other than Matthews at #1 is out of their mind. Why is that? Especially Laine reeks of pure potential, even moreso than Matthews, but at this point Matthews is the "safe" pick...and also he is a center.

So an apparently slow and motivationless Matthews could get 11 points and be top 5 in the tournament. The finns played on big ice and in their home country. Don't you think you get some extra fire when you play before 15000 crazy home fans?

My point is, there are other factors that might explain a certain difference in their performance. Matthews was top 5 and that is good enough? Sidney Crosby had 9 points in 6 games in his last WJC and that was good for a 7th place in the scoring race that year. Ratislav Olez, Jeff carter and Bergeron are amongst the players that had more. Bergeron 4 points more. Don't you get that WJC is a very small sample size for scouts and unless you totally mess up nothing changes. Matthews was great in all but one or two games and had 11 points.

Crosby wasn't in the All star team and Bergeron was player of the tournament. People back then complained about him as a draft choice and after at 100+ point rookie year everyone was quiet.

 

[JAVO16]

Talking about no fire in his game. Matthews makes me think of Big Joe Thornton. Great size, good skating for that size, smooth hands with a deft passing touch, very cerebral and deliberate, but not as dynamic as you would like. He seems to have a better shot than Joe at this level, but Joe did score 30+ a few times in the NHL and has a pretty decent shot despite the fact that he doesn't use it as much as he should

 

[lawrence]

how dare they slam a future Canuck prospect@!!!!

 

[wings5]

Talking about no fire in his game. Matthews makes me think of Big Joe Thornton. Great size, good skating for that size, smooth hands with a deft passing touch, very cerebral and deliberate, but not as dynamic as you would like. He seems to have a better shot than Joe at this level, but Joe did score 30+ a few times in the NHL and has a pretty decent shot despite the fact that he doesn't use it as much as he should

Same player he reminded me of too, maybe a lil Spezza. With all the skating praise though I can't remember him once flying the zone with speed.

 

[lawrence]

I was highly disappointed at his compete level in this tournament, glad that the scouts saw that too.

so he decided to walk around to talk to some scouts and asked about his play? sounds b.s to me. does he even know who the scouts are? does he even have no connection? At least bob Mckenzie is more reputable. Sounds like a pimp his own countrymen type of b.s.

"yo man, I'm the finnish commentator, so what do you think Mathews play ?"

"hey i'm just doing a survey, what did you think of Mathews game"

I highly doubt all of them said "he had no fire"
no way a few scouts gave the exact same opinion.


sounds total bull *****.

 

[BB88]

so he decided to walk around to talk to some scouts and asked about his play? sounds b.s to me. does he even know who the scouts are? does he even have no connection? At least bob Mckenzie is more reputable. Sounds like a pimp his own countrymen type of b.s.

"yo man, I'm the finnish commentator, so what do you think Mathews play ?"

"hey i'm just doing a survey, what did you think of Mathews game"

I highly doubt all of them said "he had no fire"
no way a few scouts gave the exact same opinion.


sounds total bull *****.

Juha knows the guys and he was in NA for years around NHL, just returned to home this year(he also knows Bob).

You can also see it saying most of them and ofcourse he's not going to write a novel on that and made it short, but go on.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

The finnish commentator, former player Kimmo Kuhta said during the semifinal game that Matthews looked like a wet mitten and told that from the games he saw Matthews shouldn't even be in the same conversation as the finns. He tried to talk to himself to believe Matthews had some kind of injury.

There's your sign. . . I was at the tournament. He was excellent in all games except vs the Russians, who trapped the neutral zone. Without the benefit of scouting (thanks Ron Wilson), the entire team struggled to carry the puck into the offensive zone.

 

[The Sweetness]

I know he'll go 1st overall but you still would like to see effort in his game, playing with heart and drive, there's no excuse for lack of that.

You could see that with Laine and Pulju throughout the tournament, everything they did they did with heart and you could see how much they wanted to win and stepped up when it mattered.

I absolutely agree about his compete level. To me that is the main question mark from this tournament going forward.

To a certain extent it is his playing style as he looks a bit disengaged at times like Rick Nash because he has that long stick and glides so well and is good at reading the play. He's also very cerebral and rarely forces the play as he has such good vision. I agree however I'd like to see another gear from Matthews and more drive with the game on the line.

That being said, it's a very small sample size so those that watch Matthews more probably have a better idea of his compete level. In the Russia game I think he was likely a bit gassed as he took a number of really long shifts. I'm not sure if that's on him or Wilson or both of them.

 

[Lonny Bohonos]

Matthews isn't all that demonstrative so it wouldn't surprise me if people-even scouts mistake that for lack of "fire." He's just a very efficient hockey player/individual in the Crosby mode. I'm sure there's no bias from the Finnish contingency though....

Weird. Was just thinking the same thing when I was reading through the Laine thread.

People seem to get caught up in the flash.

 

[Lonny Bohonos]

So an apparently slow and motivationless Matthews could get 11 points and be top 5 in the tournament. The finns played on big ice and in their home country. Don't you think you get some extra fire when you play before 15000 crazy home fans?

My point is, there are other factors that might explain a certain difference in their performance. Matthews was top 5 and that is good enough? Sidney Crosby had 9 points in 6 games in his last WJC and that was good for a 7th place in the scoring race that year. Ratislav Olez, Jeff carter and Bergeron are amongst the players that had more. Bergeron 4 points more. Don't you get that WJC is a very small sample size for scouts and unless you totally mess up nothing changes. Matthews was great in all but one or two games and had 11 points.

Crosby wasn't in the All star team and Bergeron was player of the tournament. People back then complained about him as a draft choice and after at 100+ point rookie year everyone was quiet.

Dont forget. Crosby also sucked in the Sochi olympics.