Jeffrey tries, at times, to play above his skill level. He doesn't have the skill of a top 6 guy, but he tries to make the same plays as they do. This leads to what sil aptly described.
Crankshaft wrote:Bennett is going to be Hossa-lite. Can't wait for him to take his rightful spot on Crosby's RW.
I was kind of thinking of that comparison too. He's surprisingly good at winning battles along for the boards for a lankier, skilled guy; he's defensively conscientious; he's an excellent passer; he has a high overall hockey IQ. The only thing we haven't really seen from him is the goal scoring ability.
Crankshaft wrote:Bennett is going to be Hossa-lite. Can't wait for him to take his rightful spot on Crosby's RW.
I was kind of thinking of that comparison too. He's surprisingly good at winning battles along for the boards for a lankier, skilled guy; he's defensively conscientious; he's an excellent passer; he has a high overall hockey IQ. The only thing we haven't really seen from him is the goal scoring ability.
I'd say that's some good ability, especially the 1st and 3rd videos. 2nd one benefited from a bounce, but that was a goal scorer's move he made.
He's one we've got right on the forward side, that's for sure. I'm really looking forward to watching his game evolve this season with 2nd PP and 2nd/3rd line minutes. He really looks to develop into a solid top line forward.
sil wrote:Jeffrey is prone to some big turnovers in the defensive and neutral zones, and that's what scares me the most about him. I think he can be pressured fairly easily. Sort of the opposite of what makes Adams steady enough to play 4th line duty...smart enough to not panic when handling the puck. Jeffrey's looked good in two preseason games, but I'd want to see some major consistency when he has the puck before I'd declare him a regular in the lineup. If he can figure out that one aspect of his game that seems to still give him trouble, than I could easily see him as a regular contributer.
I do agree that Jeffrey appears uncertain of his role at times, and I believe that is part of his development. When he was first drafted and spent his first season at WBS, he was primarily a defensive-oriented forward. He was then tasked by the coaches to become a much more offensive-oriented forward and he was able to adapt and put up points at the lower levels. When he was first brought up to the pens, he was supposed to be more of a scorer and then got hurt.
It appears that he can be either offensive or defensive but struggles to be both in between. When he was filling in last season, he brought a good defensive effort but lacked any offense, and this certainly could be due to coaching and his early bad turnovers- which he had a lot of in his first few games playing bottom 6. I just think there is a better chance of him developing a complete game at wing instead of center. He's a smart player, but he is slow which is very noticeable in this offense when he was playing center.
Crankshaft wrote:That goal against the Islanders is pure sniper.
I feel we are going to see a lot of amazing stuff from Beau. He is a legit top-2-liner.
As for Jeffrey, I will not be surprised to see him let go after the camp. We have a clog in bottom six.
I completely agree on Jeffrey. I feel like a lot of people on this board over-estimate his talents. I have nothing personal against the guy but I just notice nothing when he is on the ice. To quote Sixteen Candles "he is like a void".