I know it was preseason and doesn’t matter, so please don’t misinterpret any of my commentary as being a panic button reaction. Just a couple thoughts since it’s a slow day at work:
1) I’m not sure Ek is going to work as a 1C. I think he should start there and get a large sample size, but I’m not going to be surprised if he’s unable to keep up. He’s probably the best option until Rossi is ready, but I have some reservations.
2) Beckman deserves some NHL time. He has good instincts and is a shooter. I think he could slot in with Moose and Hartman. Made a few mistakes, but plays his game exactly as he knows how, which I respect.
3) Boldy was a bit underwhelming to me. I thought he was playing timid and looked scared to make mistakes. Not reading too much into it, at this time, but I’d like a bit more confidence in himself.
4) Duhaime seems like he’s making a case for himself to get 4th line time. Kept up just fine, and adds an extra element of toughness.
5) Addison seemed a wee bit overwhelmed. He’s pretty confident on PP and O Zone in general, but defense needs to tighten up. Kulikov looked solid, I thought. Merril is meh, but fine for what he is i suppose.
6) Freddy G. Had a few flashes. Didn’t seem to be a liability. Is he ultimately just a filler? Probably. But he’s at least seemingly an upgrade from what Fiala is used to, so there’s some optimism I guess.
Overall i thought it was a decent game. Saw plenty of positive things that I didn’t call out above.
For anyone that watched, lmk what criticisms you’d have with my game notes or any other thoughts.
McDavid, Connor
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