Entry Draft and Prospects DiscussionNHL Draft Forum. Each year the NHL Draft makes dreams come true for hundreds of junior players. Discuss prospects for the upcoming draft, or some of the best selections of the current or past years.
It's not that. Tavares is ineligible for the '08 draft by like 5 days.
By the time the season roles around, he'll be 18. That's why I think it's stupid that they're not making him eligible. Look at Crosby, he came into the NHL at 18 and he did just fine. An extra year in the OHL will do nothing for Tavares' development. He'll be able to score at will, he won't be challenged.
Tavares is a weird player. You can watch a game he's playing in and hardly notice him but by the end of the night he has 3 goals. He scores on almost every chance he gets. He isn't a very flashy player, he just scores goals like crazy. He still needs to work on his defensive game, but that will come with time.
Those of you saying things like "I've been watching the Super Series and he's done nothing!", the guys playing against guys that are two years older than him. He barely played in game 1 because Sutter wanted to prove a point about his defensive play. He'll get better as the series goes on.
And for those of you expecting him to dazzle you, he isn't that type of player.
Agreed about Tavares in reference to Super Series. I've been watching interviews and his favorite player is Mike Bossy, and he plays a lot like him.
The problem with letting Tavares in now is that if we bend the rules for one player, then we will have too for others. In 6 years from now a young guy might emerge who is better than Crosby and Tavares and if we bent the rules for Tavares we will for him.
An idea is to let him play in the AHL ( with Marlies because of his location) without any team owning his rights. ( This idea nearly happened with Crosby).
And he still certainly hasn't. Being not played because of his defensive game? Who's fault is that, Sutter's? When people say "he's too good" I think of a player who puts up very high numbers while being able to play defense at the same time. Tavares can put up the points, but he really does need to improve his defensive game before I'll consider him "too good". Tavares has put up numbers in a league where the age level is higher than this little series so age has no effect at all.
There's always things and ways to improve on that you can no matter what league or level your playing.
I agree with you, his defensive game needs work. That's why he sat in game 1. I think this series will be a real learning experience for Tavares. He's learning the hard way that you have to take care of your own end first, then the goals will come.
I agree with you, his defensive game needs work. That's why he sat in game 1. I think this series will be a real learning experience for Tavares. He's learning the hard way that you have to take care of your own end first, then the goals will come.
Exactly.
Think how good he could be if he had a coach like Sutter coaching him back in junoirs. I mean, look what Sutter has done for his son Brandon, he was nailing everyone in Game 2, although he does come from that famous bloodline who has been known for that style. Tavares has the size, if his defensive game and physicality improved to compliment his offensive, I doubt there would be anyone anywheres who could touch him. He could be a pre-concussion Lindros without having his head down, how scary would that be?
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I believe that Tavares is a special player, however so was Sidney Crosby and we made him wait before he got drafted. I dont think its right for a player to have the chance to move up his draft year. If he wants to play with men, he can go play in Europe.
The thing with Tavares is that his birthdate misses the cut by 5 days. Apparently what they want to do, and there are supposedly other people than just him and his agent that support this, is to make the draft based on the player's birth year instead of a somewhat arbitrary cutoff date.
Also, they already let him into the OHL draft early.
The thing with Tavares is that his birthdate misses the cut by 5 days. Apparently what they want to do, and there are supposedly other people than just him and his agent that support this, is to make the draft based on the player's birth year instead of a somewhat arbitrary cutoff date.
December 31 is just as arbitrary as any other day of the year. If he missed the military draft by 5 days would he want the rules changed for him?
I've always disliked it when certain players put pressure on sports leagues to change rules just for them. They think that the world revolves around them and this is why we have people like Barry Bonds.
i think that he should wait and work on his defence. If he can play offence AND defense he could be ready to start off as a top 6 player the year whatever team drafts him.