Quoting: mhockey91
You have no idea what you’re talking about lol. Byfield has elite 1C potential. How can you base it off a world juniors tournament where he barely played. It will probably go:
Laf, Stuzle, Byfield
But that’s because LA has two top centre prospects in Turcotte+Vilardi+ they still have kopitar. Lots of teams would take Byfield at #2
your comment makes no sense.
Stutzle is a natural center, he's not a winger.
Yes he played there frequently in an adult league still learning to play away from the puck. Like most guys do, even when they enter the NHL.
But the ice there is also wider, more space, allowing him to use his speed more. That won't be the case in the NHL. Most people realize he's probably going to play C, because it's the best way to use his speed.
He's also a play maker. So putting him in the center of the ice is frankly the best decision. He's not a kane or a Panarin type player. He's much faster. Like a Barzal or McDavid level speed. You don't bury that on the wing.
As for Byfield having elite 1C potential...spare me. Every year they talk guys up.
But you can make judgement on guys based on competition level and how they play. The CHL is a joke competition wise. Yes there are a hand full of really good players there. But a lot of these guys are beating up on guys that don't even have AHL level talent, some are kids, 16 years old. Given they are the best of the 16 year olds, but they are still 16.
Mean while when you go to a WJC, you are looking at a nice jump. Most of those guys are going to be NHL bound. Have an opportunity.
Which is why people put so much weight on them. Like it matters when Byfield scores against 3rd and 4th line players in the CHL. Those guys aren't really good hockey players. More like bodies to fill out a team. But when you go to WJC and you look slow, don't play well, and struggle against the higher level competition. You have a problem. It's not like it was 1 game. It was 7.
There are realities. No one is saying Byfield won't be an NHL player, or a good player. But his ceiling is not what you keep making it out to be, and there is real bust potential there.
The NHL isn't the CHL. Where 80% of the players lack NHL level speed, 30% of it lacks NHL level size, and the vast majority of it lacks NHL level talent.
It's why guys go bust. So when you don't play well when you actually get on the ice with a whole bunch of other players who do. Everyone takes notice.