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Prospect Info: Cliff Pu (2016, 69th) – '18-19: Traded to Carolina

Ethan Edwards

Ethan Edwards

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SharkInABoloTie said:
How did, and this is for anyone who watched, Pu look throughout the series? Same question regarding svech as well.
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I didn't watch the entire series (missed Game...3, I believe, and only caught glimpses of Game 6), but I thought Pu was strong throughout, mostly in his 2-way play, as we've come to expect. The kid is big (some have commented he doesn't use his size as much as he should), he has speed and is a very good skater, and once again he was dominant in the face-off circle. I thought, just from general impressions, Kingston was overwhelming at the dot in the series. I didn't look that up, but I did look up Pu's stats and so far in the playoffs he's at a 63% clip. Pu takes a lot of heat and people seem to be overly pessimistic (not unusual around here), but clearly he's not going to lose his skating prowess. If he can continue his face-off prowess as he moves up, then right there you have a really good 4C/PKer. If other parts of his game translate, such as his 2-way play and scoring, you have a really good 3C/PKer/possibly 2nd unit PP guy. If his game continues to grow (he's shown an ability to adapt and thrive, even after some down times, line-up changes, and trades), he could even be a possible candidate as one of those jack-of-all-trades forwards who can slot in at various positions, while also being your go-to, all-situations guy. In London and Kingston he is the guy you throw out there when the game is on the line, either way, starting with his face-off acumen. And he earned that role in London, it wasn't handed to him, and it's why the Fronts picked him up. A lot of the flash and scoring was done by familiar names like Vilardi, Nyman, etc., but Pu was that solid 2-way guy for them and he's an understated reason why they're going to the finals.

I thought all of the stars for both teams were on fire the first four games. Whether scoring or not, or filling their own role, they were really good. At times, Svech was flying and putting a lot of pressure on the Fronts' D, but the entire team seemed to melt in Game 5. I suspect it carried over a bit to Game 6, though that was a pretty close affair throughout. I would've like to have seen Svech do a little more to take over a few of those games, especially Game 6. In the glimpses I caught, Luchuk was the better player, not just because of the goal. He was probably also better overall in the series. Sokolov was dangerous at times. Can't be too down on them since it was a pretty close affair and Barrie was at times dominant, especially in the first two. But in the end, guys like Vilardi and Nyman (and Pu) and others were better and more consistent, and Kingston caught a few breaks. I still come away with a firm conviction Svechnikov is by himself as the #2 prospect this year, but I would've liked to see more from him as the series went on. If not offensive domination/game control, then maybe just a bit more consistency. But he wasn't bad. It was a good series between two good teams.
 
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Chainshot

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I had an odd thought - it might be the sleep deprivation due to the end of semester happenings but hey, roll with it - of what Pu might look like as Hecht to Eichel's Briere. We know he can play in the middle and on the wing. He's got the skating chops and he can make plays and generally set the table for a trigger-man on his line... might he be a possible candidate to be one of high-octane squirrels on Jack's line? (Not saying he's going to be right out of camp or anything, just thinking potentially down the line.)
 
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sabres4ever

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Chainshot said:
I had an odd thought - it might be the sleep deprivation due to the end of semester happenings but hey, roll with it - of what Pu might look like as Hecht to Eichel's Briere. We know he can play in the middle and on the wing. He's got the skating chops and he can make plays and generally set the table for a trigger-man on his line... might he be a possible candidate to be one of high-octane squirrels on Jack's line? (Not saying he's going to be right out of camp or anything, just thinking potentially down the line.)
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If PH is still coach anything's possible, right? Pretty sure everyone except 4th liners have been plugged in on Jack's wing for a trial. When they click with him, they are immediately moved off that line.
 
Chainshot

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sabres4ever said:
If PH is still coach anything's possible, right? Pretty sure everyone except 4th liners have been plugged in on Jack's wing for a trial. When they click with him, they are immediately moved off that line.
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Eh, Phil aside, I'm sort of intrigued by what Pu can bring and what Jack's line could use. Given his shot and skating, getting someone who can not only keep up but can find him in dangerous locations would be awesome. Especially if that person also has some detail to shutting people down in his own zone.
 
sabres4ever

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Chainshot said:
Eh, Phil aside, I'm sort of intrigued by what Pu can bring and what Jack's line could use. Given his shot and skating, getting someone who can not only keep up but can find him in dangerous locations would be awesome. Especially if that person also has some detail to shutting people down in his own zone.
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I understand your point. So many what-if's though. So many things wrong with this organization though.

I have to believe to some extent, that many of PH's tinkerings were to try and build more than one scoring line through chemistry. Most, but not all, players put on Jack's wing added scoring. Rather than finding the best two for his wing, he constantly moves people around, trying to create more than just one scoring line.

I truly believe JB will fix this mess....but it's going to take a while. Whether or not Pegula will buy into that remains to be seen. How long until they announce an increase in STH prices?

Back to your original point, there are so many possibilities thought coming in the pipeline. Pu, Asplund, maybe even CJ Smith.
 

flashsabre

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Pu and Villardi have played together quite a bit in these playoffs. Pu could definitely be groomed for that type of role. He is quite deadly in the face off dot. I see Pu being plugged in all over the lineup and being quite effective.
 
Dingo44

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flashsabre said:
Pu and Villardi have played together quite a bit in these playoffs. Pu could definitely be groomed for that type of role. He is quite deadly in the face off dot. I see Pu being plugged in all over the lineup and being quite effective.
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Pu on Eichel's wing, but also taking a lot of the faceoffs like Kane used to do? I'm intrigued by the idea, but as far as the faceoffs are concerned Pu and Eichel both shoot right.
 

LaxSabre

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Cliff Pu Stats - 0 Goals - 0 Assists - 0 +/- (was on the ice for none of the eight goals that were scored)
- 2 Shots On Goal - 4 For 6 On Face-Offs.

Game #2 - Friday, April 20 - 7:00 pm ET - FirstOntario Centre - Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
 
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Ethan Edwards

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Interesting discussion had by all here. I never thought of Pu in "Hecht" terms. Kinda makes sense, especially if you slap on some whistling T-Blades and have him do his best Helmut Kohl impression. Ahhh Buffalo, das ist ja hundewetter heute!

Can Pu's offense translate enough to provide that Hecht level of flexibility at the NHL level? That's the question for me, though he's a great Eichel match (no more German jokes!) with his defense and skating chops.

I think starting him out in Rochester is the clear choice, for several reasons. I suspect he'll start slow and pick it up as he becomes more acclimated to the pro game. He's shown an ability to adjust and thrive everywhere he's been so far, which leads me to believe he has hockey smarts to go along with his skill set. I'm curious to see how he does next year, but clearly in Roch to start and with a healthy dose of patience from us all. And Schnitzel!
 
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