Reid Boucher in the NHL next year?

[Hockey Sports Fan]

At best, he should be a late season call up if were out of it (gulp) or fills in a few times after injuries hit but yea I agree with everyone saying that if he makes it out of camp or is getting extended minutes then were FUBAR. Probably would mean Lou had a horrific summer.

Disagree. The kid can score goals. What would be the big deal if Boucher's proves he can contribute and spends significant time on the 3rd line? Would he be that much worse than Ponikarovsky or Sullivan or D'agostini doing nothing?

 

[tsipka]

Lou has said that he wants to get younger. Give him 12 minutes a night with pp time and see what he can do. I dont think we will be in trouble just because he will be on the team. We will be in trouble if our current top 6 plays like they did last year. Boucher should have little impact on the record of this team

 

[Benedict Parisechuk]

Disagree. The kid can score goals. What would be the big deal if Boucher's proves he can contribute and spends significant time on the 3rd line? Would he be that much worse than Ponikarovsky or Sullivan or D'agostini doing nothing?

Lou has said that he wants to get younger. Give him 12 minutes a night with pp time and see what he can do. I dont think we will be in trouble just because he will be on the team. We will be in trouble if our current top 6 plays like they did last year. Boucher should have little impact on the record of this team

Everything I've heard about him sounds like he needs a full year in the A. He only played a few games there last year. He doesn't have the type of game that make him useful on the bottom 6. He would need top 6 minutes. I'm fine with him getting called up when someone's hurt but that's it. If he makes it out camp then Lou fumbled things during the summer or were so broke we can't even afford 1 legit UFA except our own.

 

[tsipka]

Giving him a chance to show what he can do is not a big deal and doesnt change based on how the offseason went. If he impresses he can stay and if he cant help the team then he goes down. What's the issue here? It is pretty standard practice.

 

[SeidoN]

I know how much everyone wants to see Boucher play and ould be great, but he needs that time in the AHL, at least for a year. if he was in Detroit he'd been in the farm for about 3 years probably

 

[SKNJD9]

He'll get a cup of coffee if injuries become a issue during the year that's about it.

 

[GrindNMuck]

Not a chance, (MAYBE THOUGH) he probably will play 10-15 games in the AHL first, if he is good there then yes.

 

[battlingBard56]

In my opinion, it doesn't matter if he impresses in camp, he will likely not see NHL time until he spends at least one season in Albany. The Devils CANNOT make the same mistake they made with Tedenby here.

 

[Balance]

How many people in this thread have actually watched Reid Boucher play?

 

[Unknown Caller]

In my opinion, it doesn't matter if he impresses in camp, he will likely not see NHL time until he spends at least one season in Albany. The Devils CANNOT make the same mistake they made with Tedenby here.

I don't think Tedenby's lack of success has anything to do with when they brought him up. That's an easy scapegoat when a prospect hasn't panned out. More often than not, a players lack of success is due to his own shortcomings. Bringing a player up too early or late may exacerbate the problem somewhat, but I firmly believe that a truly good player will succeed whether he is brought up at 21 or 24.

 

[MountainGoat]

How many people in this thread have actually watched Reid Boucher play?

the only team I watch other than the Devils is the Sting, seen maybe 70% of Reid's game with us the last two seasons here in Sarnia

it's obvious he's going to be a very special player

but like others have said he needs to work on his defensive awareness

 

[Bleedred]

I don't really care who gets called up, but please just no more Tim Sestito. Please stop calling him up every time a forward is injured. The one thing in common with Maclean, Lemaire, and Deboer is they all liked Sestito. He brings absolutely nothing.

Pesonen, Whitney, Boucher (Later in the season though if anything) I'd like to see those guys up as call ups, but I do think Boucher, as well as Matteau could use a season in the AHL.

 

[MountainGoat]

I don't think Tedenby's lack of success has anything to do with when they brought him up. That's an easy scapegoat when a prospect hasn't panned out. More often than not, a players lack of success is due to his own shortcomings. Bringing a player up too early or late may exacerbate the problem somewhat, but I firmly believe that a truly good player will succeed whether he is brought up at 21 or 24.

yea I don't like this "he was rushed" excuse, he played under Lemaire, one of the greatest hockey knowledgeable coaches ever and he still didn't learn much

 

[Classic Devil]

I don't really care who gets called up, but please just no more Tim Sestito. Please stop calling him up every time a forward is injured. The one thing in common with Maclean, Lemaire, and Deboer is they all liked Sestito. He brings absolutely nothing.

Pesonen, Whitney, Boucher (Later in the season though if anything) I'd like to see those guys up as call ups, but I do think Boucher, as well as Matteau could use a season in the AHL.

I'd like to see Pesonen get some more NHL time myself.

 

[kiwidevil]

I'd like to see Pesonen get some more NHL time myself.

Me too. Thought he looked good last year. Also looked good in pre-season scrimmage.

 

[Bleedred]

I'd like to see Pesonen get some more NHL time myself.

Yeah I just don't see the point in Sestito. He's like a Barch, but doesn't really fight. He really doesn't bring much to justify a call up everytime a forward goes down. He's just a body on the ice in my eyes. Still not sure why he's been a favorite of every coach we've had. I guess we kinda had to use him in 10-11, but other years I'm not sure what they saw in him.

Pesonen and Whitney should get a shot before him.

 

[manilaNJ]

The reasons for calling up Sestito are different than they are for calling up players like Pesonen.

Sestito is a short term band aid so other players can move up and plug in holes for a game or two.
Players like Pesonen & Matteau get called up for try outs and to earn roster spots.

 

[Bleedred]

The reasons for calling up Sestito are different than they are for calling up players like Pesonen.

Sestito is a short term band aid so other players can move up and plug in holes for a game or two.
Players like Pesonen & Matteau get called up for try outs and to earn roster spots.

Sestito played a significant amount of games in 10-11. Almost half the season, and 20 in 11-12. He played 6 this year which I thought was way more. I'm pretty sure both he and Pesonen were up at the same time.

 

[manilaNJ]

Sestito played a significant amount of games in 10-11. Almost half the season, and 20 in 11-12. He played 6 this year which I thought was way more. I'm pretty sure both he and Pesonen were up at the same time.

You look at both the AHL and the NHL roster at the times that Sestito was playing, and you understand why he stuck around as much as he did. Look at the roster from the first 20 or so games of the 11-12 season. It's amazing that 2 lines carried the scoring as much as they did.

We didn't have Pesonen in the system, Whitney didn't come into the system til 11-12 and was without an NHL contract, there was certainly nobody like Boucher available.

Any young player worth a damn was already in and out of the lineup (and IR). You basically had a choice between Sestito, Mills and Veilleux any time you needed a call up (long or short term).

Towards the end of 11-12, and even into 12-13 - his stints were 1 or 2 games as a quick fill in.

 

[Lenain22]

Why do you ask? If it's for a fantasy league, don't bother with him. If it's because you're friends with him, probably won't be in the NHL next year. If it's because you just want to know, that's just curious.

He a interesting prospect and i like to follow some prospects.

In 2011 i was hoping my habs drafted him.

 

[Desert Devil]

Unless he really impresses out of camp, probably not. He needs some fine tuning. I am excited for him once he does improve his overall game though.