It's been a tough year for the Lions, but things did pick up in the second half (keep an eye on them in the playoffs - they've been finding ways to win lately). The weird thing with the Lions is that the 15 year-olds were terrific, generally it's the 16 year-olds who didn't do their part. From a scouting perspective, performing 15 year-olds are a God send, so the Lions were a popular destination this season.
With Halifax finishing last and the Maritimes supposedly producing one or two spectacular talents, I'll play along and say the Mooseheads will draft the local kid first overall. But sooner or later, someone will have to draft a Quebec player, and if the first Quebec player drafted isn't Dillon Fournier, that team will have a lot of explaining to do.
Fournier is really a terrific defenseman. A large framed, smooth skating, puck moving defenseman with the hockey sense to back it up. I actually like him better than I did Simon Desprès in his QMJHL draft year. Dillon is just that impressive. He competes very hard every shift, never shies away from physical play (but sadly doesn't initiate it often enough - because when he did, he truly flattened out some players) and what I like best about him, is that he simply kept getting better as the year went along. He went from a skilled defenseman to one who can take control of the play is his own end - truly impressive.
This consistant progress as they year went along also happened to be the undoing of Marc Biega. Playing as a 14 year-old last season, he started the year as an early favorite to go first overall. However, while still maintaining first round status, he has long fallen out of the race for first. With Biega, it isn't a question about tools, because his skill level is probably the highest of any Quebec AAA player, it isn't about hockey sense, because he actually makes smart decisions look easy. No, with Biega, it's all about hard work (or lack thereof). From the start of the year until Christmas, Biega was on the ice working only to make it seem like he was working. When he made a soft pass that became a turnover, you would see him smash his stick as if he was upset. But next shift, he would go back out there with the same indifference in his play, completely lacking intensity. And when he'd get burned, he'd go back to acting upset, with no response in his play to follow. He really was working to just make it seem as if he was working.
I heard a number of different theories over this -he's just bored with the caliber of play, he's hiding an injury, the new coach doesn't push him like the old one- but I don't buy any one of them. My feeling is he simply let his status go to his head. But, when the second half of the season started, his work ethic began to show progress. Playing on a team that dresses 7 defensemen (with one playing the wing), Biega found himself on some nights as the designated defenseman to go play the wing. And while it did little to spark his play in the first half of the season, the best hockey he played in the second half came with him playing the wing. Most notably, in one of the best games I saw this season pitting the Lions against Séminaire St-François, Biega was on the wing and setting the standart for hard work. While his hockey sense is definetely better suited for the blue line, that intensity with his skill on the back end equals one dominant defenseman. And for that reason, he will be a first round pick, but, by not competing, he sure missed out on a lot of development and even saw some players pass him by (most notably, Dillon Fournier).
The final Lion I want to touch on today (got to save something for next time) is Patrick Walsh. Simply put, this guy is money. Now I can already hear some of you telling me that 29 points in 37 games is nothing special, but that's because the numbers don't tell the whole story. Walsh is the best two-way player out there, bar none. I've seen him play with success at both center and left wing, and at 15, he's already a skilled penalty killer with good size and speed. Lost in the shuffle would be his skill set. Don't be fooled, this guy can finish, and I have seen him raise his game to dominant levels on some nights. He's got early first round pick written all over him, because the demand for a hard working, two-way player who can score is always there. He's not the offensive dynamo Quebec usually produces in top end players, but he's just so reliable. Plus, he's pretty sure to go early, because he's exactly the type of player Pascal Vincent wants to build the Montreal Juniors around, and if he's there when they pick, they'd be nuts not to grab him, and since they're picking no later than mid-first round ....
With Halifax finishing last and the Maritimes supposedly producing one or two spectacular talents, I'll play along and say the Mooseheads will draft the local kid first overall. But sooner or later, someone will have to draft a Quebec player, and if the first Quebec player drafted isn't Dillon Fournier, that team will have a lot of explaining to do.
Fournier is really a terrific defenseman. A large framed, smooth skating, puck moving defenseman with the hockey sense to back it up. I actually like him better than I did Simon Desprès in his QMJHL draft year. Dillon is just that impressive. He competes very hard every shift, never shies away from physical play (but sadly doesn't initiate it often enough - because when he did, he truly flattened out some players) and what I like best about him, is that he simply kept getting better as the year went along. He went from a skilled defenseman to one who can take control of the play is his own end - truly impressive.
This consistant progress as they year went along also happened to be the undoing of Marc Biega. Playing as a 14 year-old last season, he started the year as an early favorite to go first overall. However, while still maintaining first round status, he has long fallen out of the race for first. With Biega, it isn't a question about tools, because his skill level is probably the highest of any Quebec AAA player, it isn't about hockey sense, because he actually makes smart decisions look easy. No, with Biega, it's all about hard work (or lack thereof). From the start of the year until Christmas, Biega was on the ice working only to make it seem like he was working. When he made a soft pass that became a turnover, you would see him smash his stick as if he was upset. But next shift, he would go back out there with the same indifference in his play, completely lacking intensity. And when he'd get burned, he'd go back to acting upset, with no response in his play to follow. He really was working to just make it seem as if he was working.
I heard a number of different theories over this -he's just bored with the caliber of play, he's hiding an injury, the new coach doesn't push him like the old one- but I don't buy any one of them. My feeling is he simply let his status go to his head. But, when the second half of the season started, his work ethic began to show progress. Playing on a team that dresses 7 defensemen (with one playing the wing), Biega found himself on some nights as the designated defenseman to go play the wing. And while it did little to spark his play in the first half of the season, the best hockey he played in the second half came with him playing the wing. Most notably, in one of the best games I saw this season pitting the Lions against Séminaire St-François, Biega was on the wing and setting the standart for hard work. While his hockey sense is definetely better suited for the blue line, that intensity with his skill on the back end equals one dominant defenseman. And for that reason, he will be a first round pick, but, by not competing, he sure missed out on a lot of development and even saw some players pass him by (most notably, Dillon Fournier).
The final Lion I want to touch on today (got to save something for next time) is Patrick Walsh. Simply put, this guy is money. Now I can already hear some of you telling me that 29 points in 37 games is nothing special, but that's because the numbers don't tell the whole story. Walsh is the best two-way player out there, bar none. I've seen him play with success at both center and left wing, and at 15, he's already a skilled penalty killer with good size and speed. Lost in the shuffle would be his skill set. Don't be fooled, this guy can finish, and I have seen him raise his game to dominant levels on some nights. He's got early first round pick written all over him, because the demand for a hard working, two-way player who can score is always there. He's not the offensive dynamo Quebec usually produces in top end players, but he's just so reliable. Plus, he's pretty sure to go early, because he's exactly the type of player Pascal Vincent wants to build the Montreal Juniors around, and if he's there when they pick, they'd be nuts not to grab him, and since they're picking no later than mid-first round ....
I'll make sure to cover the rest of the prospects next time.
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire