LW Johnny Gaudreau (2011, 104th overall, Calgary) IV

[nbwingsfan]

Yea, same things they said about Gretzky. And for those of you with reading comprehension challenges, I am not comparing his ability to 99's.

Gaudreau is no different than guys like Kariya or St Louis, tons of skill in smaller bodies. There's no reason to think he couldn't have a career like theirs.

Well.. he is noticably smaller than all of those players listed, I think that's the biggest reason for everyones doubts (including mine).

99 was 6 feet tall, Kariya was 5'11 and 180 pounds, St. Louis is small but very strong and stocky at 180. Gaurdreau is 5'7 and 150 pounds. That's a noticable difference.

One of the most skilled prospects in the game, thats undeniable, but IMO there is a limit on how small a player can be before he starts to really hurt him. Hope he proves me wrong though, NHL needs exciting players.

But him in a 6 foot frame and he would be the best prospect in hockey save for maybe McDavid.

 

[Beesfan]

So at this point in the season, Gaudreau leads all Calgary forwards in +/- with a very solid +5, and he is the 4th highest scoring forward. Calgary is also above .500 and currently sits in a playoff spot. I would say this has been a very sold start for JG. Definitely earned his roster spot and his ice time.

 

[Brooklanders*]

So at this point in the season, Gaudreau leads all Calgary forwards in +/- with a very solid +5, and he is the 4th highest scoring forward. Calgary is also above .500 and currently sits in a playoff spot. I would say this has been a very sold start for JG. Definitely earned his roster spot and his ice time.

Isn't this what a good hockey player does?
Superstars and star players which is what had been advertised do a lot more.
This may sound silly as JG is slightly more than a rookie however the hype before the season was just that.
If you can't take the heat leave the kitchen. Being fourth highest scoring player on your own team is nothing to brag about.
Don't forget the threads where JG can score 40 goals this year?
I believe in Johnny and he has all the skill you love but I am tired of all this attention. Prove yourself on the NHL ice first than you can talk all you want.
He did not score tonight but had a really nice assist and played very well.
I hope that is what we expect from this guy.

 

[jdatb]

But him in a 6 foot frame and he would be the best prospect in hockey save for maybe McDavid.

highly doubt that.

 

[Beesfan]

Isn't this what a good hockey player does?
Superstars and star players which is what had been advertised do a lot more.
This may sound silly as JG is slightly more than a rookie however the hype before the season was just that.
If you can't take the heat leave the kitchen. Being fourth highest scoring player on your own team is nothing to brag about.
Don't forget the threads where JG can score 40 goals this year?
I believe in Johnny and he has all the skill you love but I am tired of all this attention. Prove yourself on the NHL ice first than you can talk all you want.
He did not score tonight but had a really nice assist and played very well.
I hope that is what we expect from this guy.

Huh? I think if you read through this and other threads, the debate is mostly whether he is ready for the NHL now, and if he is--all things considered--a good player now. I don't think anyone ever said he would be a superstar this year. A lot of people thought he wouldn't be ready, or that he would be a complete bust. By the early results, they appear to be wrong.

 

[nbwingsfan]

highly doubt that.

Why? His skill and hockey IQ are off the charts.

 

[UvBnDatsyuked]

Isn't this what a good hockey player does?
Superstars and star players which is what had been advertised do a lot more.
This may sound silly as JG is slightly more than a rookie however the hype before the season was just that.
If you can't take the heat leave the kitchen. Being fourth highest scoring player on your own team is nothing to brag about.
Don't forget the threads where JG can score 40 goals this year?
I believe in Johnny and he has all the skill you love but I am tired of all this attention. Prove yourself on the NHL ice first than you can talk all you want.
He did not score tonight but had a really nice assist and played very well.
I hope that is what we expect from this guy.

Not sure how anyone can watch players like old timers like Datsyuk (there are so many who find fault in his game) or new comers like Gaudreau and Drouin and not just marvel at the crazy puck skills, creativity and vision they possess. They bring so much to the game that even their own peers put them at another level when the speak of them. (NHL peers speak highly because they know what kind of talent they are witnessing. Here though? Not so much unfortunately.)
If you watch any of those players and the first thing that comes to your mind is "too short" "too light" "only fourth highest scorer on the team" then you should stop going to those players threads making yourself look like a fool. This all reminds me too much of coaching youth hockey and having that one or two parents who want to nitpick all of the kids who are more skilled than their own kid.

 

[InfinityIggy]

How many people actually said he's a bust? I think most of it was "he's not living up to the hype"

This is a joke right?

 

[Reinhart]

He will never live up to the hype simply because he is to tiny....I wouldn't say he will be a bust...i have him down for 35-40 points....but the Flames fan base are way absurd in pumping him up.

His problem will forever be his lack of size...yes he can some neat tricks out there and dipsy doodle but he will never be remotely be close to some superstar that Flame fans have made him out to be....

If, and this is a big if, he can stand the rigors of the NHL style playing against big men, I could see him as a decent 2nd line player...in the 50-55 point range....but I simply cannot see him lasting with his size...

Again, once he starts getting plastered on a regular basis, I find it hard to believe his system will allow him to ever continue at a high level....simple physics really....

This is more or less what most Flames' fans are 'expecting', however. Sure, there may be one or two outliers, but from most of the Fans it is "Anywhere between 35-45 points, with the potential to do better, and maybe worse." Some fans think that if everything goes right, he can hit 50-55pts. Of course you are going to get some of the posters who hop on any hype train and proclaim a ppg rookie campaign, but once again, those are outliers, and I think there have been very few.

There is a lot of tongue-in-cheek hyperbole in this thread by many people, and there is definitely a lot of hype around this kid - most of it external as Burke and Treliving have been quick to lower everyone's expectations.

As for myself, the thing I am most impressed with is his defensive game. Following him in BC I knew this kid was fairly relentless after the puck, but always saw Arnold play a 'safer' game that allowed for Gaudreau (and Hayes) to play offence a bit more. Didn't expect this kid to be backchecking so hard and so regularly like I have seen him. A few big mistakes for sure (definitely shows at times he is a rookie), but he seems to know where to go on the in all 3 zones most of the time.

 

[Ice Cream Man]

Just saw the highlights.... damn, Gaudreau can make some sick moves. The kid can frickin' pass like no one's business. Stickhandling in a phone booth is an understatement for him.

 

[gretskidoo]

He's on pace for the greatest rookie season since Selanne.

Very impressive.

 

[HockeyGuy1975]

One thing that often gets lost about Gaudreau, which is incredibly impressive. He is a product of Philly-area hockey. It's not a region known for producing elite NHL players. It also explains why it took him longer to get on the NHL prospects map. Nobody believed a tiny kid from Philly/South Jersey could be this good and make it big.

It's absolutely incredible to think a few years ago he was playing high school hockey in South Jersey.

 

[Mickaleen]

what's the word on him about staying in NHL or going for a stint in the AHL ?

Is he good enough to stay in the nhl and learn or do cgy fans expect him to be sent down soon if he does not produce ?

As someone who lives 3 miles from the Glens Falls Civic Center, I would love to see him get sent down to Adirondack, for purely selfish reasons....

 

[CraigsList]

Man, I love his 2-way play. My most favorite stat from him is 12 takeaways, just 1 behind ROR (who is first in the league). Just shows he makes the best of his opportunities when it's his turn for a shift.

 

[Frank Drebin]

He was so dangerous out there last night. He's going to be awesome.

 

[madmike77]

He's on pace for the greatest rookie season since Selanne.

Very impressive.

His points may not be there, but at this point it's pretty clear he belongs in the NHL.

Given the lack of offense on the Flames in general he'll be lucky yo hit 40 points this season. That might still be enough to lead Flames forwards at this rate.

 

[tfong]

Just saw the highlights.... damn, Gaudreau can make some sick moves. The kid can frickin' pass like no one's business. Stickhandling in a phone booth is an understatement for him.

Well...considering you could fit like 20 of him in a phone booth

 

[Bank Shot]

This is more or less what most Flames' fans are 'expecting', however. Sure, there may be one or two outliers, but from most of the Fans it is "Anywhere between 35-45 points, with the potential to do better, and maybe worse." Some fans think that if everything goes right, he can hit 50-55pts. Of course you are going to get some of the posters who hop on any hype train and proclaim a ppg rookie campaign, but once again, those are outliers, and I think there have been very few.

I think the expectations on Gaudreau by Flames fans are higher then you suggest. I was attacked in the summer by Flames fans for comparing Gaudreau to Mike Cammalleri.

Flames fans were and are throwing around Kariya, St.Louis, and Kane as the Gaurdeau comps and balking at any comparison to lesser players.

When those 3 are the only comparisons that Flames fans will accept, it paints a pretty clear picture who they think Gaudreau is, and it's a higher level then what most other fans are predicting for him to achieve.

 

[Ice Cream Man]

Careful guys, this positivity observed through actual analysis means he's going to be a legendary superstar in the league for the next 20 years. Just ask most non-Flames fans. We better tone it down, positivity isn't really celebrated here.

 

[Ice Cream Man]

Well...considering you could fit like 20 of him in a phone booth

So 19 other players in the phone booth and he can still stickhandle? That's even more impressive than I originally thought.

 

[SaintMorose]

I think the expectations on Gaudreau by Flames fans are higher then you suggest. I was attacked in the summer by Flames fans for comparing Gaudreau to Mike Cammalleri.

Flames fans were and are throwing around Kariya, St.Louis, and Kane as the Gaurdeau comps and balking at any comparison to lesser players.

When those 3 are the only comparisons that Flames fans will accept, it paints a pretty clear picture who they think Gaudreau is, and it's a higher level then what most other fans are predicting for him to achieve.

Probably because Cammy is a poor comparison style-wise.
Cammy is a north-south player
He is a sniper with a rocket of a shot
He engages other players physically from time to time even if he isn't ae to make the big hits

Gaudreau plays East - West
He has a deceptive shot and it needs to get stronger
He becomes invisible to opposing players waiting to come out and steal a pass or force a turnover

 

[CraigsList]

One thing I do have the say is Gaudreau was given a lot of space in the Habs game. I think he's struggled with the Western teams because most limit that space. He probably would have had more points by now if he was on the East.

 

[SmellOfVictory]

One thing I do have the say is Gaudreau was given a lot of space in the Habs game. I think he's struggled with the Western teams because most limit that space. He probably would have had more points by now if he was on the East.

I think he's just learning how to make space at an NHL level. He certainly wasn't being crosschecked constantly or anything, but a lot of what he was given was a direct result of his actions, rather than guys just ignoring him.

 

[CraigsList]

I think he's just learning how to make space at an NHL level. He certainly wasn't being crosschecked constantly or anything, but a lot of what he was given was a direct result of his actions, rather than guys just ignoring him.

True, he is getting better every game. I am already excited for next game, since Hartley will most likely give him more minutes.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Well.. he is noticably smaller than all of those players listed, I think that's the biggest reason for everyones doubts (including mine).

99 was 6 feet tall, Kariya was 5'11 and 180 pounds, St. Louis is small but very strong and stocky at 180. Gaurdreau is 5'7 and 150 pounds. That's a noticable difference.

One of the most skilled prospects in the game, thats undeniable, but IMO there is a limit on how small a player can be before he starts to really hurt him. Hope he proves me wrong though, NHL needs exciting players.

But him in a 6 foot frame and he would be the best prospect in hockey save for maybe McDavid.

Wow I just checked and hockey db has 99 at 6' and Kariya at 5'11. If Kariya is 5'11 then I'm 7' lol. If he's 5'9 I'd be shocked. Talk about an overestimation.