What makes Alex DeBrincat so good?

[ello]

What exactly makes “the Cat” such a good hockey player? I’ve never been blown away by his speed or stick handling, and for a gifted young goal scorer his one-timer isn’t eye-popping. Yet he’s put up elite numbers everywhere he’s played, and with 6 goals in his first five games now it seems like he’s ready to take his game to the next level.

What exactly did scouts and fans, myself included, miss about this guy? And I guess more importantly, how can they avoid missing out on talent like this in the draft again?

Click to read more...

 

[Ainec]

re: how can they avoid missing out on talent like this in the draft again?

draft the dud that scored

60

51

50

101

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

in his draft season, preferably by pick #39



Sometimes the best way to scout is to ignore the games but study the spreadsheet

 

[LeafChief]

Great hands/vision.

Speedy.

He is what the new NHL is.

 

[MackAttack26]

Don't not draft a player because of his size.

 

[Sensators]

He is able to get his shots off incredibly quickly. He knows what to do before the puck arrives at his stick. Few other players are able to get the quality of shots he gets with so little time.

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

Habs could have gotten him if they hadnt trade that pick for shaw

 

[CallMeShaft]

Arguably the best wrister in the league. He's also fantastic at his positioning and practices a ton with shooting while his body is in different positions.

 

[DRW204]

Hockey iq

Don't think he's been particularly fast and obviously not big, but finds the open spots in the Ozone and makes himself in position for a pass in the scoring area... And evidently capitalizes.

 

[Scrantonicity 2]

He put puck in net

 

[GodEmperor]

Because he has the best smile in the nhl

 

[Kcb12345]

The fact that the Stars passed on him to take Riley Tufte. God I was so pissed. Everyone the Stars pass on becomes good it feels like.

Passed on Barzal to take Gurianov, passed on DeBrincat to take Tufte, passed on Tolvanen to take Oettinger

 

[Captain Creampuff]

Speed
Skating ability
Shot
Hands
Hockey IQ

He's a very good player who has 70 point peak potential.

 

[Boud]

IQ - always in the right spot
Effective plays around the ice
Knows where to put the puck

Not overly fast but his vision and understanding of the game is an asset.

Reminds me of Stone with bit more speed and less size/strenght.

 

[Future GOAT]

You mean Debrinkit?

 

[7even]

Smarts and an elite shot. All you need

 

[mw2noobbuster]

I hate him as a Blues fan but he's a hell of a player. Positioning, speed, IQ, fantastic wrister.

 

[OvermanKingGainer]

Haven't seen him this year but based on last year - he just waits at the right circle for Kane to pass him the puck and then he shoots the puck into the back of the net allowing him to add a point to his statline, which in turn allows him to be perceived as "good".

 

[Section88]

Haven't seen him this year but based on last year - he just waits at the right circle for Kane to pass him the puck and then he shoots the puck into the back of the net allowing him to add a point to his statline, which in turn allows him to be perceived as "good".

If it's that easy more players would do it. Also he and Kane have never played together much

 

[Artorius Horus T]

I could wright an whole essay about Brinksy and what makes him good
but i doubt there be lots of hfboarders who'd read that .

Ive analysed his game since his OHL rookie season. Shortly; DeBrincat is to hockey what Kasparov is to chess,
in a way, how he see's/think's the game, how he reads the game and how he strikes;quickly&deadly
before you even realize, what had happened.

 

[djeck42]

He has the awareness to find open ice and just a wicked quick shot. Last year had good numbers playing on the bottom 6 even. Tonights goal was another example; he got the pass from toews and got the wrister off quick and top corner. Im pretty pumped this season to see how much better he can do with good linemates... and hopefully coach q doesnt go all coach q here anytime soon putting him down with arty and kunitz.

 

[Man Bear Pig]

The fact that the Stars passed on him to take Riley Tufte. God I was so pissed. Everyone the Stars pass on becomes good it feels like.

Passed on Barzal to take Gurianov, passed on DeBrincat to take Tufte, passed on Tolvanen to take Oettinger

Meh, every team passes up on good players. That's just the reality of the draft.

 

[ijuka]

DeBrincat has:

1. An amazing shot
2. High hockey IQ

And that's enough to be a great 30+30 type sniper in NHL. I think DeBrincat will be better than that, though.

And while we're on the topic, this is (yet) another case where simple Eliteprospects-scouting outperforms professional NHL scouts.

 

[icekoob]

Haven't seen him this year but based on last year - he just waits at the right circle for Kane to pass him the puck and then he shoots the puck into the back of the net allowing him to add a point to his statline, which in turn allows him to be perceived as "good".

Not sure if joking but Cat doesn’t even play with Kane.

 

[nbwingsfan]

re: how can they avoid missing out on talent like this in the draft again?

draft the dud that scored

60

51

50

101

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

in his draft season, preferably by pick #39



Sometimes the best way to scout is to ignore the games but study the spreadsheet

Sometimes, but stats can be VERY deceiving. That season he was glued next to McDavid and as we be seen in the past, ESPECIALLY in Junior, some very bad players have put up elite numbers next to the league's best players.

Another example is that junior stats can be very misleading due to icetime/usage and often some players don't work on their game the way they should be.

Conor Garland put up a stat line of 35G-94A - 129Pts leading the league in scoring by 27pts. Despite that he was drafted in the 4th rd. Next year he puts up 128pts leading his own team in points by over 60 and the league by 20 again. All this points to one hell of a future star if looking at CHL stats.

His next season..... 14pts .... in the AHL.

Reason being is that once you actually watched him you realize that he would play the full 2mins of EVERY power play. His coach also allowed him to cheat defensively, and by that I mean he would never even cross his own blue line most nights.

This is why scouting exists. With that said, something was definitely missed with Debrincat.

 

[Hostile Offer]

The fact that the Stars passed on him to take Riley Tufte. God I was so pissed. Everyone the Stars pass on becomes good it feels like.

Passed on Barzal to take Gurianov, passed on DeBrincat to take Tufte, passed on Tolvanen to take Oettinger

Watch Ty Smith becoming an all star while Dellandrea fizzles out into oblivion somewhere in the minors.