Top 15? I don't think so sir. If he wouldn't have cracked the top 15 I think he would have been the steal of the draft.
C/LW Pavel Zacha - Sarnia Sting, OHL (2015, 6th, NJD)
- Thread starter Halfy
- Start date
-
Xenforo Cloud will be upgrading us to version 2.3.5 on March 3rd at 12 AM GMT. This version has increased stability and fixes several bugs. We expect downtime for the duration of the update. The admin team will continue to work on existing issues, templates and upgrade all necessary available addons to minimize impact of this new version. Click Here for Updates
- Status
Pavel Zacha will have a decent NHL career. I expect he will be like a watered down version of Dainus Zubrus. Lots of tools, a great guy to have on your team, but will never be an elite player in the NHL. But he will be a valuable member of the Devils in the next couple years. He has NHL size, but the offense just won't be there. But he will have a long career.
kelsier
Registered User
- Aug 17, 2013
- 4,280
- 1,741
Somehow I got a feeling that steal will be Rantanen. But thenagain, too early to tell. Wonder if Zacha and Rantanen would swap places should the draft be held today.
goonybird
Young boy expert
- Jul 9, 2015
- 4,859
- 3,365
He's the best offensive player on his team, and nobody comes remotely close.
http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leagues/seasons/teams/0008142016.html
Marner's team, for example, has like 5 players OVER a pt/game some with 2 ppg. Are we to believe Piccinich is better than Zacha?
I mean of course Marner is better, everyone knows that. Not even sure why we're suddenly pumping his tires now, but Zacha's production outpaces the rest of his team and that's fine.
I would agree with that, and that would make this Zacha pick a success.
Zubrus had a long career, and was really a two-way monster in his prime. The only reason he was not an elite player was the relatively limited offensive production but he was still good for 50 points a year with elite board/defensive play. And that's a real damn good player to have.
I can't comment on Zacha's development, but becoming Zubrus would not be a success for the Devils.
AfroThunder396
[citation needed]
"Watered down Zubrus" means Ponikarovsky. He'll be a massive disappointment if that's all he becomes.
Patmac40
BESTPOSTERINTHEGAME
I have made the comparison a couple of times but I feel like he's a Benoit Pouliot type of guy but I think he uses his size better than Pouliot does. Oozes skill, very shifty and fast for his size, has the ability to impose his will on games at times, but inconsistent production.
If he becomes watered down Zubrus it's huge, huge dissapointment. If he has a very similiar career to Zubrus's, it's somewhat acceptable, though I am sure all Devils fans want more from him. He is 6th overall in a very deep draft, expectations are top line power forward.
Regarding his production...It's weak, I expected more. But there's still a plenty of games to play and keep in mind Sarnia isn't really a stacked team. (They have Chychrun, but he's still only a defenseman.)
And comparing him to Marner is a joke, especially statistically. Marner has a much better team around him and even before the draft everyone knew Marner is better. If you use the excuse ''He was taken only two spots bellow Marner'' why not compare Marner to Eichel or Mcdavid? He was taken only two bellow Eichel. Everyone knew TOP 5 was pretty much a lock and TOP 10 could have gone otherways.
Regarding his production...It's weak, I expected more. But there's still a plenty of games to play and keep in mind Sarnia isn't really a stacked team. (They have Chychrun, but he's still only a defenseman.)
And comparing him to Marner is a joke, especially statistically. Marner has a much better team around him and even before the draft everyone knew Marner is better. If you use the excuse ''He was taken only two spots bellow Marner'' why not compare Marner to Eichel or Mcdavid? He was taken only two bellow Eichel. Everyone knew TOP 5 was pretty much a lock and TOP 10 could have gone otherways.
Kurt Cobain
Registered User
- Mar 30, 2004
- 5,947
- 259
Like you said he's on a weak scoring team. Their leading scorer has 15 points in 20 games which is weak in the ohl. Never said they were a bad team but it's obvious he has no elite forwards on the team to work with and that's always gonna effect overall point production. Still on pace for 40 goals and look how people talk about him. I'd love to revisit this thread later on.
kk87
Registered User
Leafs 7th round pick Korostelev isn't that far behind... 1 point ahead, 5 more games played. I know Zacha's the much better all around player at this point, but is he really that much better than Korostelev offensively?
Brooklyndevil
Registered User
The Devils don't need for Zacha to be their best player. Toronto and Phoenix are hopping that Marner and Strome are. We need his big body and goal scoring. Two current issues with the Devils. And with goal-tending equipment being slimmed down that should make him even more dangerous. If he turns out to be a top six power forward that pops 25 to 35 goals at his prime, I will be very happy. I know he's defensively responsible because I watched him with the Devils and to a fault. However, that's what he was told by Elias that he should concentrate on defense first. I believe he and Quennville will make the team next season and will be two positive additions.
BB88
Registered User
- Jan 19, 2015
- 41,753
- 22,237
Do you like him more than Rantanen?
Still taken 6th in this years draft puts a lot of expectations.
Korostolev?
I'm a Knights fan, but isn't Nikita considered to be a pretty strong offensive player for Sarnia? I thought he was sold as a player with high-end offense, but his poor defensive game and skating made him drop to the Leafs in the 7th round..
With regards to Zacha, he's the type of player who will translate his offence very well in my opinion. I wouldn't be surprised if he consistently puts up 40-50 points while being a horse for his team. That would be solid value for a 6th overall pick.
Brooklyndevil
Registered User
Feel free to come back to me in 3 years. Really, I cannot honestly say. They may have similar careers. Only time will tell. And whoever mentioned Zubrus, doesn't know what they're talking about. While Zub was a bull and a great possession player, he didn't have Zacha's speed or shot.
BB88
Registered User
- Jan 19, 2015
- 41,753
- 22,237
Just read your post and thought that was a Zacha vs Rantanen battle for the Devils and wanted to ask which one do you prefer.
Arcade Fire
Trash human being.
Last season there were 78 forwards who put up 50 points or more. I personally wouldn't call a player drafted 6th overall "solid value" if he has the point production of a 3rd liner over his whole career.
Brooklyndevil
Registered User
No, no. As for Rantanen, I believe the Devils where looking at him as well. I believe it was Barzal, Ratanen & Zacha. Down the line it could be interesting for Devil fans to kind of evaluate the three.
1) There's more to hockey than points. I also said I think he'll be a horse for the Devils, creating space for teammates and making life difficult for the opposition.
2) You state that 78 forwards scored 50 points last year, and then called this third line production. A first line has 3 players, there are 30 teams in the NHL.
3*30 = 90 players
If he was in the top 78 in forward scoring, that would qualify him as having first line production, don't you agree?3) Here's the last 10 6th overall picks:
Jake Virtanen
Sean Monahan
Hampus Lindholm
Mika Zibanejad
Brett Connolly
Oliver Ekman Larsson
Nikita Filatov
Sam Gagner
Derrick Brassard
Gilbert Brule
Sean Monahan
Hampus Lindholm
Mika Zibanejad
Brett Connolly
Oliver Ekman Larsson
Nikita Filatov
Sam Gagner
Derrick Brassard
Gilbert Brule
Only 1 of those 7 forwards have hit 50 points in their career.
Coaches Coroner
Member
- Mar 12, 2009
- 7,563
- 7,891
Have you seen him in the OHL? Considering so many posters on HF are from Ontario, I'd say at least some of the people commenting have seen him play in the OHL. He was good in the games I've seen of him (I get out to some live games and get a large number of OHL games on local tv) but he wasn't dominant the way you would expect a guy with that size, strength, skating and skill. Certainly not bad though and the potential is high, but I don't think it's crazy for people to be a bit disapointed with his lack of increased rate of production, but it is still very early.
Since when does HF have anything against Devil's prospects? I guess the persecution complex is alive and real in all fanbases. Half of the Devil's fans accusing other's of being stat watchers and not watching him, probably haven't seen him in the OHL this year either. Virtanen got the same treatment last year and Gauthier got similar if not worse treatment in his post draft year and he wasn't even a top 20 pick. Even Marner was drawing criticism as he had a slow start to the first 8 or so games. Maybe Zacha will really take off in the next month or so, but HF lives in the 'now'. It has nothing to do with being a devil's prospect.
You are also doing what you are accusing others of doing when bringing up Marner; you haven't seen him play but based on the stats of his teammates you are claiming they are the reason for that production and think Zacha would have similar numbers to Marner if he had those linemates, based on his play...despite not having seen him play in the OHL this year yourself.
Don't sell the Zubrusaurus short. He was a total force the Devils for a while and arguably one of the best forwards (if not the best) in the playoffs. The only reason Zubrus was not a star was the somewhat 2nd line production but make no mistake, in his prime he was a hell of a player. Total monster along the boards, huge two-way play and on top of that a magnificient leader for this team.
I think on HF people have way too high expectations for prospects. If Zacha becomes the same two-way monster Zubrus was and makes a 15 years old career with this team producing let's say 50 points a year, the pick will totally be a success. No question in my book.
Arcade Fire
Trash human being.
Holy ****, how did I **** up that badly?
Pardon my math skills/concentration.
Obviously there's more to the game than just poinst. The thing I do want to make, though, is that if 50 points is his ceiling (which is you stated) why not draft someone with a higher one? After all, it's not like there were no such players left when the Devils picked.
Brooklyndevil
Registered User
Holy ****, how did I **** up that badly?
Pardon my math skills/concentration.
Obviously there's more to the game than just poinst. The thing I do want to make, though, is that if 50 points is his ceiling (which is you stated) why not draft someone with a higher one? After all, it's not like there were no such players left when the Devils picked.
Because the draft isn't an exact science, it's a bit of gamble other than McD & Eichel. Also, the Devils needed to add size and hopefully goal scoring.
Holy ****, how did I **** up that badly?
Pardon my math skills/concentration.
Obviously there's more to the game than just poinst. The thing I do want to make, though, is that if 50 points is his ceiling (which is you stated) why not draft someone with a higher one? After all, it's not like there were no such players left when the Devils picked.
We all have those moments
I didn't mean to say that was his ceiling, I said I wouldn't be surprised if that's the player he becomes (so it was more like a realistic projection). I'm not even a devils fan, I'm just saying at this point it's unfair to call him a bad pick.
- Status
Latest posts
-
Player Discussion Patrik Laine: Part 2 - Healthy Living Edition- Latest: Farmboy Patty
-
