Interesting thought. Do certain players simply not need the ahl step? Like, maybe players characterized as top six players. I don’t have an opinion. Just an interesting thought. Maybe the ahl is where you send your middle and bottom six guys. But not the pure skill guys. I think the answer is, it’s different for every prospect. But worth thinking about.
i think it's fairly uncommon, but there are types i think simply fit better in the nhl. the ahl is more chaotic than the nhl, with less structure and less clean puck movement. it's a lot more chasing the puck, board battles, broken play style of hockey which don't really fit gabe's game. for most players, the physicality and pace are great introductions to pro hockey and they learn a lot about where they need to improve transitioning from juniors/ncaa to the pro game. in a guy like gabe's case though his iq is already at the high end of nhl players, and while there will be an adjustment in terms of acclimating to the nhl pace, it won't take long or be an issue. a lot of players turn pro having leaned extensively on one or two elite qualities whether it's speed, a shot, size and strength etc to dominate at lower levels where there were few or no other players on the ice capable of matching that. that almost inevitably changes at the pro level, and they need learn how they need to play when they don't have a differential ability. they have to round out their game to be effective for the team in a way that best positions them to be put in situations where the things they are best at are at an advantage, which is what they'll need to capitalize at the pro level. gabe's game isn't at all reliant on any dominant physical ability, it's his ability to think the game ahead of everyone else regardless of the situation.
like look at his first goal yesterday. he perfectly times his play on the puck and leverage to take the puck in the corner and move it low to high, then immediately heads to the net and makes a play on the puck around the blue with a guy on his back with the hands to pull it from behind the line and tuck it under the goalie at the post as quickly as he did. then you have the second goal more in the highlight real realm you associate with an offensive dynamo like perrault where he perfectly times his burst to split the d, provide a line, and stay onsides to walk in alone and flash the mitts. what it boils down to for me is his game is unconstrained by any reliance on any physical ability that overwhelms opponents, he's simply intellectually ahead of others and that isn't simply in his ability to read the game but how he recognizes situationally what to do to give himself the advantage with his technical abilities ie using leverage/what line to take into a puck battle/whether he should use his hands to challenge 1 on 1 or manipulate a defender into a position that gives him the passing lane he wants etc.
