So how many guys here actually can assess prospects and also have an unbiased view of the team? There's clearly lots of guys that start from the view point of "Dorion is an idiot, therefore ... " Should those views be counted? That theme, the Dorion is an idiot theme, has played out for years. Reality is that it is a competitive business, you both win and lose trades and you both hit and miss on picks. But if that's your starting point...is your view relevant?
I've read in this thread that Boucher is an average skater. There's an interview with Mann in Belleville referencing him as a powerful skater. Which is true? Who has more credentials? I'll post the link to the audio if anyone wants to hear it. It's on TSN.
Same clip Mann says he can really shoot. When Dorion drafted him, he actually said we like that he can score from outside the dots. That's a quote. That's two professionals stating this kid can shoot. All I've seen is clips that guys like
@RAFI BOMB post, and ya I've seen him wire a few. I've asked several times on this board about that statement from Dorion. Guys just gloss over it.
So if the professionals say he can skate, shoot and hit...that kinda covers a lot of hockey.
I've never seen the kid play live. But I do remember what I read. I made a post about building blocks the other day. A guy like Sokolov needs to figure out how to skate at an NHL level. Boucher seems to have the critical building blocks. He's had a shitty year and there's no disputing that.
But if guys want to say he's not going to be an NHL player, how about talking about what he's missing because our guys are talking about him having some solid building blocks.
He’s going to be an NHL player. Very easily. His skating and phtsicality combo basically make that a certainty.
What he isn’t able to do, yet at the very least, is use those tools he has to effect the game outside of his hitting.
His hitting, absolutely top of the ladder in the CHL, likely is nobody better at hitting in any of the league’s. that’s a valuable player at the NHL level, usually a lower line guy, but a valuable player.
His skating is very good for a 200 pound forward for sure, he’s able to get around out there. He isn’t able to, in any of the games I’ve watched in the OHL or NCAA, find any soft areas on the ice, or get to the dead zones where he’d be able to use his shot.
His shot? It’s a decent shot, but much better or worse than any other drafted guy playing in the CHL right now? If you have an extremely good shot even compared to NHL drafted prospects, you’re going to score at the CHL level on 17 year old goalies who may never even get to the CIS. If his shot is good, which I think it is, he needs to find a way to actually use it effectively, because right now he isn’t getting any use out of it at the CHL level. I can name a lot of guys taken immediately after who I think has a much better shot.
He may have these tools, if he isn’t able to use them against 16-20 year old kids, majority of whom won’t get further than the CIS, I don’t see how he’s going to be able to develop those tools to use in the NHL at a high level.
His 19 year old season needs to be a huge breakout, not even the production which almost needs to triple, but his ability to use his tools to effect the game. Skating fast and hard is one thing, but if you’re skating fast and hard and not getting things done on either the offensive or defensive side, what’s the point of those tools?
I was perfectly fine with the choice of Boucher at the time of the draft, and said so in the thread a few times. It was a Covid year, teams may have been higher in certain guys, some guys may have been underscouted etc. and I hadn’t watched or paid attention to Boucher enough to be able to actually state one way or another what he was. After watching him play this year and able to actually evaluate why I see, it is honestly baffling to me how he was taken that high. He’s a long, long term project, who doesn’t have high end abilities other than hitting.
