2016 IHFF World Championships

[Eleven]

Will you eat crow when Matthews becomes a very good/elite NHL player? Or will you pretend you never spent his draft year trashing him? And you've made some quite hyperbolic statements that make me think you don't even believe he'll be a solid, unspectacular player. What's your predicted path for his career?

 

Please do not let this result in another avatar bet.

[North Buffalo]

Please do not let this result in another avatar bet.

Agreed my eyes are further damaged each time I click on a thread PI participates in, kinda like radiation effect... is there a lifetime body allowance that gives you a warning to prevent further damage.

[WildCard]

 

Russian national team coach Oleg Znarok had some unkind things to say about Nail Yakupov followingRussia’s bronze-medal win over the U.S. on Sunday. Znarok called Yakupov’s absence from the national team “addition by subtraction,” according to Slava Malamud.

 

 

http://thehockeywriters.com/russian-coach-fight-nail-yakupov-russia-world-championship/

[pi2000]

Will you eat crow when Matthews becomes a very good/elite NHL player? Or will you pretend you never spent his draft year trashing him? And you've made some quite hyperbolic statements that make me think you don't even believe he'll be a solid, unspectacular player. What's your predicted path for his career?

 

I predict success for him in his first few years, peaking out at a top 10-15 scorer, a few All-Star games, etc...     However, I see his career taking a dive after he signs a long term deal.     I don't believe he has that inner drive to beat the guy lined up opposite him, that burning desire to win, which makes great players great over the entirety of their career.    Once he gets paid, I think he'll pack it in.   He chased the money to Europe, and he'll chase the money (not the Cup) in the NHL.    

[Randall Flagg]

I predict success for him in his first few years, peaking out at a top 10-15 scorer, a few All-Star games, etc... However, I see his career taking a dive after he signs a long term deal. I don't believe he has that inner drive to beat the guy lined up opposite him, that burning desire to win, which makes great players great over the entirety of their career. Once he gets paid, I think he'll pack it in. He chased the money to Europe, and he'll chase the money (not the Cup) in the NHL.

Interesting, and it all lies on your interpretation of his pre-draft-year decision? Edited May 23, 2016 by Randall Flagg

[TrueBlueGED]

Please do not let this result in another avatar bet.

Make avatars great again!

[ubkev]

Make avatars great again!

pi and his people have the best avatars. Just wait til you see them, they're beautiful. He has all the best people, making all the best avatars. They're truly great. You're going to love them! Trust me!

[pi2000]

Interesting, and it all lies on your interpretation of his pre-draft-year decision?

 

Yes, and he's already fully grown (he's been the same size since he was 16, and he missed last years draft by 2 days), so really how much upside is there?  

 

The fact he choose to get paid in Europe vs getting his high school diploma in time to play NCAA, raises the question about what's driving him to play.... what does he value.   What makes him push himself in training day in and day out, and will that same fire still burn after he gains lifetime financial security?  

 

Is he dreaming of hoisting the Cup?  Or being able to financially support his family for the rest of their lives?  Or both?    Time will tell, but IMO he has all the makings of a guy who is likely to pack it in (and make poor decisions) when his payday comes.    No doubt he is supremely talented, but it takes more than natural talent to have a hall-of-fame type career.    

 

That said, I don't hate the guy, I'm not hoping he fails... I hope I'm wrong and he has a fantastic career, it would be great for the NHL and USA Hockey if he does find success.    

[thewookie1]

I want Matthews to fail in Toronto, then head home to Arizona and turn into a superstar akin to Eichel and McDavid again. 

[WildCard]

I want Matthews to fail in Toronto, then head home to Arizona and turn into a superstar akin to Eichel and McDavid again.

Agreed. This is the perfect scenario. Toronto would be so bitter too

[qwksndmonster]

I think Mathews Austins is lazy European.

[millbank]

 

Ha ha ha ha ha ha

lol

i am so enjoying this   :angel:

Edited May 24, 2016 by millbank

[WildCard]

‎@usahockey

Jake McCabe (@McCabe19), Auston Matthews (@A_Matthews34) & Connor Murphy (@Cmurphy5) named the top-3 U.S. players at Men’s Worlds. #2016MWC

[That Aud Smell]

Good on ya, Jake.

[Neo]

pi and his people have the best avatars. Just wait til you see them, they're beautiful. He has all the best people, making all the best avatars. They're truly great. You're going to love them! Trust me!

UB and TBGED - awesome.

[K-9]

Yes, and he's already fully grown (he's been the same size since he was 16, and he missed last years draft by 2 days), so really how much upside is there?  

 

The fact he choose to get paid in Europe vs getting his high school diploma in time to play NCAA, raises the question about what's driving him to play.... what does he value.   What makes him push himself in training day in and day out, and will that same fire still burn after he gains lifetime financial security?  

 

Is he dreaming of hoisting the Cup?  Or being able to financially support his family for the rest of their lives?  Or both?    Time will tell, but IMO he has all the makings of a guy who is likely to pack it in (and make poor decisions) when his payday comes.    No doubt he is supremely talented, but it takes more than natural talent to have a hall-of-fame type career.    

 

That said, I don't hate the guy, I'm not hoping he fails... I hope I'm wrong and he has a fantastic career, it would be great for the NHL and USA Hockey if he does find success.

 

You keep focusing on the financial motivation for his decision to play in a top pro league in Europe. Did you ever consider he may have wanted the best chance to improve his game against better competition? Is there a better motivation for a player than wanting to improve? I will never understand your indictment of the kid and, by extension, his family who made selfless decisions to support his dream.

 

GO SABRES!!!

[LGR4GM]

You keep focusing on the financial motivation for his decision to play in a top pro league in Europe. Did you ever consider he may have wanted the best chance to improve his game against better competition? Is there a better motivation for a player than wanting to improve? I will never understand your indictment of the kid and, by extension, his family who made selfless decisions to support his dream.

 

GO SABRES!!!

You should just ignore it at this point. Pi is an Auston Matthews troll. Just ignore all his Matthews trolling and move on, it is much easier.

 

 

 

The Yakupov story is interesting. I think he either gets traded or heads back to Russia.  He IMPO is a mini-bust at this stage and never become the A rated sniper he was hailed as in his draft year. Just looking at his OHL numbers in his draft year, they are very nice but there just seems to be a terrible lack of translation for this kid from juniors to the NHL. I wonder if it has to do with being the best for so long and then being tossed into a league where you aren't in the top 100 players and just crumbling. I wonder if he had not gone to Edmonton though if he would have succeeded. 

[WildCard]

You should just ignore it at this point. Pi is an Auston Matthews troll. Just ignore all his Matthews trolling and move on, it is much easier.

 

 

 

The Yakupov story is interesting. I think he either gets traded or heads back to Russia.  He IMPO is a mini-bust at this stage and never become the A rated sniper he was hailed as in his draft year. Just looking at his OHL numbers in his draft year, they are very nice but there just seems to be a terrible lack of translation for this kid from juniors to the NHL. I wonder if it has to do with being the best for so long and then being tossed into a league where you aren't in the top 100 players and just crumbling. I wonder if he had not gone to Edmonton though if he would have succeeded. 

Yak is more than a mini-bust, he's full on at this point. Best case scenario for him is he find a nice spot on some team's second line and is a nice complementary scorer. Most likely case? He heads to the KHL