It’s Not As Bad As People Thought It Would Be
There might not be a ton of stability right now off the ice in Bathurst, but the Titan are sure holding their own on it. The product on the ice isn’t as bad as people thought it would be and that has a lot to do with General Manager and Head Coach Gordie Dwyer.
Dwyer has done a phenomenal job with the asset management side of the things and has no doubt brought a developmental model that works for his players young and old.
If you look up and down the Titan lineup they have gotten production from all of their “go to players” which is hard to do, which points directly to the coaching staff and Dwyer’s ability to put players in the right situations for them and the team to experience success. His willingness to “play the kids” while insulating them with a great blend of veterans has certainly sped up the team’s trajectory.
The dreaded junior cycle is still in full effect and there might definitely be some long nights ahead, but the Acadie-Bathurst Titan will be better for it. It’s all about the long run for the Titan and that’s trending in a positive direction.
The Man in the Middle?
Eriks Mateiko is the man in the middle.
Photo Credit Saint John Sea Dogs
After the Sea Dogs brass moved all of their centers out during the trade period, it has put an added burden on a player that is certainly climbing up every NHL teams draft board. Mateiko had himself quite the week at the Top Prospects. As a late addition to the festivities, Mateiko definitely impressed showcasing what he brings to the table, but I’m not sure that will be the same when he returns to the Port City. Obviously, it’s great when young NHL draft eligible prospects know and are comfortable playing both forward positions, but let’s hope logging massive minutes through the middle in the second half won’t affect his draft stock.
Mateiko’s ability to distribute pucks and his vision from the wing position coupled with his offensive instincts and pro release are no doubt his strongest attributes. The Sea Dogs are in full rebuild mode right now and there’s no question they will definitely have some more long nights coming down the stretch. Let’s hope Mateiko and the Dogs can navigate and derive some success from the second half.
He’s had two goals and three assists since the Top Prospects Game so that’s good, but let’s see if that trend will continue, for now it’s “Mateiko in the Middle” in the Port City.
“I Wouldn’t Want to Play Them in the Playoffs”
The Sherbrooke Pheonix and the Cape Breton Eagles are teams I wouldn’t want to face in the postseason. You can look at all of the trends, stats and analytics, but teams that are well coached, and play together and play as a cohesive unit are always dangerous down the stretch and into the playoffs.
The Eagles have been playing some inspired hockey and the Pheonix are as well coached of a group that you will see. The Pheonix competed hard for every puck were connected in all three zones and generated a lot of transitional offensive opportunities versus the Wildcats last weekend.
It doesn’t take too long to realize what teams are playoff teams even in the regular season.
Teams that are well connected, move the puck, work hard to get it back, physical and are solid on the breakout and transitional game. Beware of good teams that have had a subpar regular season. Cape had their struggles, but have turned the corner and are starting to climb, that’s what makes them a very dangerous team.
The Omission that Shook the Q
Justin Poirier’s omission from the Top Prospects Game is old news. Everyone wanted to know why?
Why? Why? Why?
Well, that’s a question the NHL scouting world have the answer to and no one else.
“He’s a really good junior.”
You hear that a lot around the scouting community when it comes to certain players, especially undersized players. Justin Poirier’s omission doesn’t mean he won’t get drafted, that he isn’t on a team’s radar. It just means he was left off the list. When they announced the replacement players from the Q, it caused an even bigger stir or confusion about Poirier’s omission.
The real question everyone wants to know is why?…..But perhaps the question should be would you draft him? If your job was on the line, would you draft Justin Poirier?
Photo Credit Baie-Comeau Drakkar
I know my answer.
The next question would be in what round? Everyone knows he can shoot the puck. Everyone knows he can score a shit ton of goals, but what else does the eye test tell you about the player?
Well, during the playoff series versus the Wildcats, on several occasions he was the best player on the ice. He was the best player on the ice as a 16-year-old. He was their go to guy on the power play. He created energy and momentum and I don’t mean just offensively, I mean every time he stepped on the ice. He was fantastic in that series.
He’s a fantastic player, that was left off the roster of a showcase game. That omission isn’t going to derail his season, if anything it’s going to motivate or piss him off even more, and perhaps that’s exactly what some NHL teams want to see.
Now this is just my take or opinion on this, but the vast majority or consensus around the NHL scouting world when it comes to undersized players is can they hack it, at the next level and how can they handle adversity? You see everyone knows what he can do with the puck, it’s he play away from the puck that scouts are going to continue to monitor.
Again, I know my answer to that one as well. Justin Poirier competes and is a nasty gritty hard-nosed player that doesn’t back down and keeps coming and coming at his opponents.
There’s more questions than answers right now and why he didn’t make the Top Prospects game isn’t one of them, that’s old news.
If you were an NHL team that loved Poirier would you be upset that he was left off the list for the Top Prospects game?………..Hell NO, if anything, that would be just fine with them, less attention is a good thing when you’re targeting a player.
It only takes one team to believe in the player, one team to look past what everyone can see and that Justin Poirier is gifted goal scorer who just happens to be undersized.
The questions that remain are quite simple, would you put your job on the line to draft him? If so, what round? Can a player his size and stature score at the next level? Can he play away from the puck at the next level?
Is Justin Poirier just a “great junior” player or is he a pro?
Well, I know my answer to that question, it’s up to you to form your own.
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