RW Tyler Boucher - Belleville Senators, AHL (2021, 10th, OTT)

[Senator Stanley]

He's so sensitive to criticism and is insulated by his fanboys. I got piled on a while back (not on here) for suggesting that there's no way he watches all the guys that he comments on closely - and I based that on common sense and comments like this, where its clear he wasn't watching very closely.

He would be more palatable if he wasn't so absurdly over-defensive

He clearly watches games. It's the conclusions he draws from them that's the problem. This being an extreme example.

 

[Dion TheFluff]

bust

 

[Korpse]

He clearly watches games. It's the conclusions he draws from them that's the problem. This being an extreme example.

Pretty tough argument to go with when he is saying he paid close attention to a player who didn't even play. He is just saying what he thinks he should say.

 

[Peasy]

 

[William H Bonney]

This kind of reporting probably gets you a promotion at The Athletic, though. That podcast is already insufferable, so evaluations made out of whole cloth will fit right in.

 

[Senator Stanley]

Pretty tough argument to go with when he is saying he paid close attention to a player who didn't even play. He is just saying what he thinks he should say.

Obviously this is a funny example of him not watching, but just in general I think it's not worthwhile to argue with someone like Wheeler about whether he's watching, how much he's watching, etc. It's a distraction from the fact that his conclusions - when he actually is watching - are so bad.

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

This kind of reporting probably gets you a promotion at The Athletic, though. That podcast is already insufferable, so evaluations made out of whole cloth will fit right in.

100%.

I thought it was just Montreal media that was kinda dumb, but it seems hockey media in general is kinda slow at comprehending hockey.

 

[Breakers]

So just recapping

He said he watched him play in this ottawa prospect tournament
&
It came out said prospect didn’t even play?

Is that right?

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

So just recapping

He said he watched him play in this ottawa prospect tournament
&
It came out said prospect didn’t even play?

Is that right?

Yup.

Boucher seems to he struggling, or hurt anytime this thread is brought up.

 

[Mrb1p]

100%.

I thought it was just Montreal media that was kinda dumb, but it seems hockey media in general is kinda slow at comprehending hockey.

Its not just medias, its literally in every level of hockey. Its probably the sport with the highest levels of nepotism and worst levels of competency.

 

[BondraTime]

Wheeler is an absolute tit

2020 draft reaction was an all-timer

 

[Herby]

It's an impossibility to watch all the players, that is why these full draft lists people working for sites or posting here come up with have to be taken with a massive grain of salt.

That is why I prefer to just form strong opinions and enter into discussions/threads on the players I've been able to see play at least a couple times in person (Caufield, Hughes brothers, Beniers, Turcotte, Power, Faber, Fantilli, Spirit players etc.) than to try and go off reports and form a list of dozens or even hundreds of players. And these are the types people who I most prefer to read on here too.

It would be great if sites like the Athletic had it in their budget to have multiple regional prospect evaluators, but they obviously don't, so the best we get is Wheeler and Pronman and their evaluations which are heavily based on WJC play (way more than it should be), pre-season tournaments and word of mouth. It's still better than nothing though.

 

[Peasy]

It's an impossibility to watch all the players, that is why these full draft lists people working for sites or posting here come up with have to be taken with a massive grain of salt.

That is why I prefer to just form strong opinions and enter into discussions/threads on the players I've been able to see play at least a couple times in person (Caufield, Hughes brothers, Beniers, Turcotte, Power, Faber, Fantilli, Spirit players etc.) than to try and go off reports and form a list of dozens or even hundreds of players. And these are the types people who I most prefer to read on here too.

It would be great if sites like the Athletic had it in their budget to have multiple regional prospect evaluators, but they obviously don't, so the best we get is Wheeler and Pronman and their evaluations which are heavily based on WJC play (way more than it should be), pre-season tournaments and word of mouth. It's still better than nothing though.

You would really think with The Athletic having 2 "prospect guys" they would try and split up the regions, like one focuses more on NA and the other Europe. But no, for some reason they just have them do the same thing with zero corroboration.

 

[The Devilish Buffoon]

He clearly watches games. It's the conclusions he draws from them that's the problem. This being an extreme example.

He watches games, but he doesnt watch all the prospects he ranks nearly enough to draw strong conclusions from them

 

[Senator Stanley]

You would really think with The Athletic having 2 "prospect guys" they would try and split up the regions, like one focuses more on NA and the other Europe. But no, for some reason they just have them do the same thing with zero corroboration.

Probably because Pronman doesn't want his work and reputation lumped in with Wheeler's, as is happening in this thread.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I think he’s wrong about Boucher, but this is being taken too far. He said he made a mistake. Probably telling the truth. Why wouldn’t he say so otherwise? No one would fault him for saying he didn’t see Boucher at the rookie tournament. You don’t need to go after his work due to making a mistake. Do you never make a mistake at your job? This isn’t even a mistake that reflects poorly on his ability to do his job. He mistook Boucher for someone else. Happens all the time when you attend sporting events compared to watching on TV.

 

[Wallet Inspector]

I hate how Dorion and Mann caused a young guy like Boucher to face so much backlash because they decided to be cute and draft him 10th overall.

 

[Korpse]

I think he’s wrong about Boucher, but this is being taken too far. He said he made a mistake. Probably telling the truth. Why wouldn’t he say so otherwise? No one would fault him for saying he didn’t see Boucher at the rookie tournament. You don’t need to go after his work due to making a mistake. Do you never make a mistake at your job? This isn’t even a mistake that reflects poorly on his ability to do his job. He mistook Boucher for someone else. Happens all the time when you attend sporting events compared to watching on TV.

I don’t know. Identifying the wrong number and giving feedback for the wrong player seems like a pretty egregious mistake. If you didn’t pay enough attention, try answering the question in a different manner. Pretending you having an answer is just bad work.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I don’t know. Identifying the wrong number and giving feedback for the wrong player seems like a pretty egregious mistake. If you didn’t pay enough attention, try answering the question in a different manner. Pretending you having an answer is just bad work.

I suspect he thought he was paying enough attention and mistook Boucher for another player.

 

[William H Bonney]

It's pretty egregious. At worst he just made up shit up; at best his misidentified a player for an entire game, which isn't excusable. He's a prospect reporter for one of the preeminent sports outlets and it's not an honest mistake to be so unprepared for your job that you're unaware of available information that Boucher wasn't playing. It's negligence.

 

[Nabrules]

Main point being Boucher has been awful as a top 10 pick, whether than be injuries or just poor play.

 

[LeProspector]

There is alot of prospect “Experts“ out there exactly like this sadly. Scott Wheeler, Larry Fisher and Steven Ellis are some of the worst for it.

 

[Sticktape]

Eh, we've all just mailed it in at some point or another. Doesn't bother me.

 

[gifted88]

If I make a mistake at work I would face backlash. I don't see how this is any different.

 

[Coaches Coroner]

I think Wheeler did Boucher a big favor. Now the focus is completely off of him, where he was picked, where he's at and how he's struggling, and all on Wheeler making a doofus of himself.