Checkers IV: Insert Witty Title Here

[A Star is Burns]

Anybody else in the Central PA area in the mood to check out Charlotte v Hershey tomorrow night at Giant Center? Please know in advance that if I find out Darling is playing, I'm canceling on you.

My wife and I were going to go to this game, but I stupidly forgot and bought her a ticket to the Caps game tomorrow night for Christmas.

 

[Unsustainable]

 

[Ole Gil]

Bean is interesting, because he's a mid first, has been great, and somehow has no hype. I assume this is Ryan Murphy's fault. It's just interesting to see a guy checking boxes, and being thought of mostly as an okay trade chip rather than a solid top 4 NHL'r.

 

[raynman]

Bean also didn’t get his brains scrambled in juniors like Ryan Murphy. Murphy looked like a guy playing scared a lot of the time after that hit.

 

[A Star is Burns]

I was a fan of the pick from the beginning and defended it. Glad he's doing so well, and he should be hyped more, but still a ways to go.

 

[My Special Purpose]

Bean is interesting, because he's a mid first, has been great, and somehow has no hype. I assume this is Ryan Murphy's fault. It's just interesting to see a guy checking boxes, and being thought of mostly as an okay trade chip rather than a solid top 4 NHL'r.

He isn't getting hype because he's not a Leafs or Flyers prospect. There's also a stigma attached to a player who doesn't light the world on fire right away. I mean, Bean was just drafted in 2016. Granted, some guys at the top of that class -- Matthews and Laine -- are already household names, and some others (Dubois, Sergachev, Tkachuk, Keller, DeBrincat, Carter Hart) are solid NHL citizens, but for the most part, these guys are just getting started in pro hockey. Of the 217 guys drafted, only 15 have played more than 50 games in the NHL. Some fans have even soured on some top picks already, like Puljujarvi and Tyson Jost.

I hate to sound like Ron Francis here, but this is what happens when you can be patient with kids and not rush them to the NHL before they're ready. They get better, and they have a better chance of sticking when they do get here.

Hell, Adam Fox is a 2016 draftee and he's still in college. The No. 5 pick in that draft, Olli Juolevi, hasn't even had Bean's two games in the NHL yet. Bean's path is the "normal" path for a prospect, even a good one. I think we tend to forget that guys like Matthews and Laine, and even the second group that's played a full season in the NHL at age 20, are the exception, not the rule.

I mean, the Canes have been mining the 2010 draft class for players this season. Niederreiter and Ferland are just starting to establish themselves as top-tier players. Skinner was on the other, much more rare, path.

 

[HisIceness]

Lost in shootout tonight.

 

[HisIceness]

4-1 victory tonight in Springfield

 

[Cardiac Jerks]

McAvoy starting out so hot with the bruins made it a bit frustrating at first. Sure looks like he’s trending in the right direction, though. Could the rich keep getting richer?

 

[Wolfpuck]

Lose Darling, win games

 

[A Star is Burns]

McAvoy starting out so hot with the bruins made it a bit frustrating at first. Sure looks like he’s trending in the right direction, though. Could the rich keep getting richer?

It certainly wasn't fun watching McAvoy start out well, but Bean was always a long term project, and projected to bring a dynamic we didn't have at a potentially very high level. We still don't have it and could very much use it, especially on the PP.

 

[The Jerk Store]

Lose Darling, win games

No Darling, know wins.

 

[Lempo]

No Darling, know wins.

Yeah okay, let's listen to reggae inside my head for the rest of the day, I didn't have anything else to do anyway.

 

[FreshSeabass]

Very svechnikovesque goal by the goat

 

[Unsustainable]

 

[PG Canuck]

Hiya, I'd like to join the upvote party

 

[Cardiac Jerks]

Hiya, I'd like to join the upvote party

What will you be bringing to the table?

 

[PG Canuck]

What will you be bringing to the table?

I'll wipe your account clean if you don't.

 

[Cardiac Jerks]

I'll wipe your account clean if you don't.

That’s ok - I can always get more.

 

[HisIceness]

Another victory in the books

 

[PG Canuck]

Niederreiter.

 

[Cardiac Jerks]

Niederreiter.

So beastly for the checkers right now.

 

[emptyNedder]

Saarela scored on power play. Definitely an NHL-ready shot.

 

[WreckingCrew]

Saarela scored on power play. Definitely an NHL-ready shot.

From a 3-1 lead, now losing 5-3 with 8 min left...wtf happend Baby Canes?

 

[spockBokk]

Necas sure does fall down a lot.