derrick pouliot

[guiner]

I watched a lot of team canada games in world jrs. This kid is like Letang, both good and bad.

First the good.
- Fearless in the offensive zone. His head is always up. Slips through point pressure. Highly skilled. He was on canada's #1 unit through tourney. Creates lots of chances, then fails to score.

The bad.
Gets beat wide, fishes for pucks in front of crease, got burned more than a few times. He seems very disinterested in the defensive zone. He does not have letangs wheels to get back.

[Crankshaft]

So, you're saying he's trade bait.

[pens_CT]

Should have drafted Trouba instead.

[mikey287]

From my view, personally, this is a fairly grim take on it...at their respective ages, Pouliot seems more composed and better defensively...he's grown a lot as a player in the last 12 months...I've been impressed with him in this tournament, so have Team Canada officials...played his worst game immediately before this post, but did any Canadian play well against the Finns? Bleh, not really...

[lemieuxReturns]

From my view, personally, this is a fairly grim take on it...at their respective ages, Pouliot seems more composed and better defensively...he's grown a lot as a player in the last 12 months...I've been impressed with him in this tournament, so have Team Canada officials...played his worst game immediately before this post, but did any Canadian play well against the Finns? Bleh, not really...

I agree that he did not look real good today.

[guiner]

From my view, personally, this is a fairly grim take on it...at their respective ages, Pouliot seems more composed and better defensively...he's grown a lot as a player in the last 12 months...I've been impressed with him in this tournament, so have Team Canada officials...played his worst game immediately before this post, but did any Canadian play well against the Finns? Bleh, not really...

This has nothing to do with today, other than more of the same. BTW, Letang was captain of his final Jr. team and named tourney all-star.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kris_Letan ... ional_play

No way is pouliot today regarded higher than Letang was.

A selection of Pouliot gaffs from prior games. These were ones of consequence. There were plenty of other 'lowlights' where Fucale or another player covered for him. No doubt he got top minutes because of his vision and poise in the offensive zone, but in his own end, he sucked.

Beaten 2 on 1, with ill taken poke attempt. Takes penalty which they were scored upon.
http://youtu.be/stjeDU97Dek?t=3m25s

First lets player make it to front of net, then spins around like a top as Czecks pass around him in front of net. This is brutal.
http://youtu.be/qJasa5u6yOA?t=26s

Outworked on PK faceoff where he has stick on puck but its taken away. Leads to goal.
http://youtu.be/qJasa5u6yOA?t=5m7s

EDIT - here is worst gaff from today. He could have also made a play on second goal, but got outworked. He hauled the man down for penalty shot leading to the 4th goal.

PK, lets man get in behind him, then spins to nowhere land as player just beats him, more desire and focus by opposition.
http://www.tsn.ca/videohub/?collection=72&show=269287

[Odd Man Rush]

Wait a second: Team Canada's officials named him the player of the game today. I didn't necessarily agree with that choice but I will defer to their judgment. Also, the tournament's officials named Pouliot one of Canada's top three players for the tournament. That's not my opinion, those are facts. What is my opinion - and which borders on fact - is that a lot of Penguins fans are completely nuts and nearly impossible to please.

[the wicked child]

What is my opinion - and which borders on fact - is that a lot of Penguins fans are completely nuts and nearly impossible to please.

This.

[Idoit40fans]

He makes mistakes you expect a junior defender whose focus is offense to make. Based on what people have said, it sounds like the Pens told him to work on his own zone work and he has. Nothing wrong with him going pro to te AHL and tuning it up more. Who is to say he doesnt end up a goligoski? That would be fine.

[guiner]

Wait a second: Team Canada's officials named him the player of the game today. I didn't necessarily agree with that choice but I will defer to their judgment. Also, the tournament's officials named Pouliot one of Canada's top three players for the tournament. That's not my opinion, those are facts. What is my opinion - and which borders on fact - is that a lot of Penguins fans are completely nuts and nearly impossible to please.

First the good.
- Fearless in the offensive zone. His head is always up. Slips through point pressure. Highly skilled. He was on canada's #1 unit through tourney. Creates lots of chances, then fails to score.

Perhaps you are the one who only noticed the negatives and are hard to please.

[no name]

He was terrible defensively last year in the WJC. I haven't watched much this year.

[Odd Man Rush]

He was terrible defensively last year in the WJC. I haven't watched much this year.

I disagree with that too but only on the grounds of Pouliot didn't play in last year's WJC. He was cut early in their camp (for poor defensive play).

[no name]

He was terrible defensively last year in the WJC. I haven't watched much this year.

I disagree with that too but only on the grounds of Pouliot didn't play in last year's WJC. He was cut early in their camp (for poor defensive play).

TI am not doubting you, but then what did I watch him in last year that he played terrible in??? It was some kind of tourney.

[Odd Man Rush]

Wait a second: Team Canada's officials named him the player of the game today. I didn't necessarily agree with that choice but I will defer to their judgment. Also, the tournament's officials named Pouliot one of Canada's top three players for the tournament. That's not my opinion, those are facts. What is my opinion - and which borders on fact - is that a lot of Penguins fans are completely nuts and nearly impossible to please.

First the good.
- Fearless in the offensive zone. His head is always up. Slips through point pressure. Highly skilled. He was on canada's #1 unit through tourney. Creates lots of chances, then fails to score.

Perhaps you are the one who only noticed the negatives and are hard to please.

I suppose that could be true. I'm sure my wife and son would likely agree.

I'm just trying to provide context to the discussion and make the point that the people who get paid well to evaluate such things, and who have carefully evaluated every single player very carefully, have basically named Pouliot Canada's very best player in this tournament based on all of the same things you have watched and upon which you have based your observations.

Just think about that for a second before you get angry with me. Again, not my opinion. Those are facts.

Doesn't that give you pause? It would certainly give me pause.

[Odd Man Rush]

He was terrible defensively last year in the WJC. I haven't watched much this year.

I disagree with that too but only on the grounds of Pouliot didn't play in last year's WJC. He was cut early in their camp (for poor defensive play).

TI am not doubting you, but then what did I watch him in last year that he played terrible in??? It was some kind of tourney.

It was probably the Memorial Cup. Pouliot was up and down for Portland in that tournament and was quiet offensively at some very crucial times. He has played much better in Sweden.

For the record, I agree with the OP that Pouliot is far from a finished product. I'm particularly worried about his ability to handle big forwards down low in his own zone. That is a must for any aspiring NHL D and Letang is superb at that skill for a guy his size. Letang has enormous lower body strength and always has whereas Pouliot does not appear to be as strong in his lower body at the same age. Also, Letang plays with a mean streak that is currently absent from Pouliot's game (at least based on what I have seen).

However, I think it's imperative to remind everyone that it is EXTREMELY rare to find young defensemen who can control the pace of the game and who can consistently gain the zone without surrendering possession of the puck. When you find one of those guys you grab him with both hands and thank your lucky stars. Then you teach him the technical elements of the defensive side of the game and hope like hell he takes to those lessons.

In this tournament, basically all of Canada's scoring chances were generated by Jonathan Drouin (No. 3 overall pick - TB), Anthony Mantha (No. 20 overall pick - DET) or Derrick Pouliot (No. 8 overall pick - PIT). It is impossible for me to fathom that any fan of the Lightning, Red Wings or Penguins could watch this year's WJC and come away anything other than extremely excited about their brilliant young prospects.

[Idoit40fans]

Why dont you post more?

[Shaky Walton]

Wait a second: Team Canada's officials named him the player of the game today. I didn't necessarily agree with that choice but I will defer to their judgment. Also, the tournament's officials named Pouliot one of Canada's top three players for the tournament. That's not my opinion, those are facts. What is my opinion - and which borders on fact - is that a lot of Penguins fans are completely nuts and nearly impossible to please.

You hit the nail on the head. He logged more than 26 min per game and was on the top pairing for the whole tourney. Every time someone makes a mistake they are a bum. Hockey is a game of mistakes. Chill out people. Derrick is very composed and does not get caught running around all over the ice ala letang. His skating is his best asset and he is smooth with the puck. Not his fault that the forwards for Canada in the tourney were, for the most part invisible. High draft choices just did not perform for Canada. Cannot blame Derrick for that.

[Shaky Walton]

On the other side of the coin was Oscar Sunquist He was very impressive today Had some great chances today before scoring the winning goal. I was impressive with his skating and his desire. Nice game winning goal on a breakaway from the blueline.

[The Snapshot]

Great player. Amongst his age group, he is a star at his position. Nobody is a finished product in that role at his age. You cannot guarantee anything yet, because he has to progress every year or that synopsis changes, but you also would be hard pressed to ask that he be any better than he is just now.

[JoseCuervo]

For the record, I agree with the OP that Pouliot is far from a finished product. I'm particularly worried about his ability to handle big forwards down low in his own zone. That is a must for any aspiring NHL D and Letang is superb at that skill for a guy his size. Letang has enormous lower body strength and always has whereas Pouliot does not appear to be as strong in his lower body at the same age. Also, Letang plays with a mean streak that is currently absent from Pouliot's game (at least based on what I have seen).

I agree on his size, but luckily that is something that can be fixed easier than pure talent and hockey sense. I'm sure he knows that he needs to gain some weight to play in the NHL.

However, Pouliot definitely has a mean streak in him. It's likely that you don't see as much of it during international competitions because you get suspended for those incidents. The past two years in the WHL he's had 79 and 60 penalty minutes and already has 29 this year- 3, 4, and 1 fights and can hold his own. He's not someone who is intimidated or backs down which is great.

[guiner]

pouliots article on NHL.com today.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=701452

Kinda odd couldn't find it liked on Pens site

[Take the Body Shoot the Puck]

Thanks for that article Guiner.

[no name]

Should have drafted Trouba instead.

Agree, i was saying that on draft day!!!!!

I watched a lot of team canada games in world jrs. This kid is like Letang, both good and bad.

Befor i opened this post i said the same thing. He is just like Letang in both ways.

[columbia]

Alternately, we could wait to see how well he is performing after he has two to three hundred NHL games on his resume.
It seems odd to declare that he was a bad pick, while he's still playing junior hockey.

[meecrofilm]

pouliots article on NHL.com today.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=701452

Kinda odd couldn't find it liked on Pens site

I like how he's able to to recognize that his strength issues aren't necessarily weight-related. It's all about how that weight is distributed throughout your body -- by all accounts, his current weight should be good, considering his height, so it's good he's aware he can still do better in that regard.

Also, two ways he's not like Letang:

1) He's an excellent passer
2) He has great poise with the puck, especially on the PP.

Obviously he doesn't possess similar physical gifts to that of Letang, but few do.