Lowetide talks about the latest scouting report on Tavares - and ain't pretty.
In a nutshell - he's a one dimensional gunner who doesn't help his team 5v5, and who apparently possesses an attitude of 'entitlement'. Gosh I wonder why with everyone salivating over him since he was 15 he might develop something like that.
For me the decision to deal him was reached after the WJC when I'd had a chance to see him play extensively ('seen him good' - so to speak) and to decide for myself whether I thought there were flaws in his game.
And I think there are. He just isn't an elite skater. No question about it - and that is frankly a scary thing. Rob Schremp went from highlight reel junior ace to AHL bum all because his balance and compete level weren't up to snuff. What works at mid-speed against junior D-men won't work against elite NHL defenders. Ever. So that was alarm bell one - and it was enough to convince me I could move him to try and win a cup - and not regret it for the rest of my life.
Alarm bell two is his playoff performance this year. Instead of stepping it up a notch against the best competition (see Hall, Taylor of the Windsor Spitfires) he has been decidedly average. Tighter checking, increased tempo, or just burnout - whatever the reason, it should be a klaxon going off to NHL Gms that Tavares playoff stats are so underwhelming.
That all said, I still project him as a potential Bret Hull type (especially if he converts to the wing where his lack of elite footspeed won't be as great a hindrance), who can light the lamp with ridiculous ease given a playmaker who get him the puck in position. The thing is I just don't think that is a sure thing anymore.
I'm also convinced now that if I'm Garth Snow, I take Hedman.
4 comments:
What are you more afraid of than that? T-Bay or Colorado draft him?
The best description of him I have heard is that of Kovalev. Not that his game is the same but rather that his attention and focus waiver. Sometimes he is "on" and the best player on the ice; sometimes he is disinterested.
Dan - maybe you should trade him back to Cam for a bag of pucks? ;-) BTW, there used to be some dude named Gretzky who was highly touted but never had elite speed. I think Cam's point about attitude though is the big factor nad not any lack of skill or speed.
I guess the Daigle comment is a bit harsh given that I do think Tavares will be a higher quality NHL forward, but I no longer have him in the Crosby/Ovechkin/Malkin stratosphere, but more likely falling in the Lecavalier/Gaborik/Nash range.
Which is still pretty darned good - just not awesome.
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