Great video, completely agree with your assessment of his skills and projection. I didn't see him as a first rounder in his draft year, and it seems he hasn't taken enormous strides (pun intended) to improve some of the areas that held him back. Still very reliant on his shot and his linemates being able to get him the puck in the O-zone. Despite his impressive point totals, I'd be shocked if the production translates without some major improvements to his game. Watching McGroarty play for Michigan really makes me appreciate how good Nazar is
I first came across this video when McGroarty was first traded to Pittsburgh. As a Penguins fan, I was pretty excited but I also felt like there were some pretty fair comparisons to his game. I don't often pay a lot of attention to develop of prospects and you seem like some that's super knowledgeable. However, I gotta say, you definitely approached this analysis from a place of bad faith - or you just don't know what you're talking about. Feels like more of the former but idk. You know all the buzzwords for sure. From the prospects tournament going into camp preseason, he showed brief flashes of the kind of player you described in this video but then was consistently a different kind of player, the kind he was drafted to be, consistently throughout. High offensive IQ, playmaking ability, and despite scoring one goal in the preseason, was always in the mix for high danger chances. Your analysis didn't even remotely allude to the fact that was even possible in his toolset. You just nitpicked the flashes of a young player prone to make some bad plays. This seemed like a cool channel and was stoked to find it, but idk.
Fair enough. I'm not going to convince anyone in the comments. I'll just say that in a prospects tournament and in the preseason, you're predominantly not playing NHLers. In the NHL regular season, you are. That's a big jump. Brandon Bochenski was routinely a preseason stud, for instance. We saw Jesse Puljujarvi spinning the puck on his finger in this preseason. Will it continue when they're playing against 20 NHLers, instead 10? The highlight clips can show what's possible. I'm just going shift by shift to see the tendencies. In other videos, you see players consistently stringing great shifts together. In some videos, it's more of a mixed bag. If you have a mixed bag, expect a mixed bag when he plays.
Honestly, I don't know that player very well. From what I saw, he looks like he could be a + bottom six guy. Smart, competitive in tough areas, finds a way to get to pucks. From what little I know, he looks like he could grind his way into being a player. But don't quote me, I've never sat down and focused on him.
@@two-linepass No worries thanks for the response and keep up the excellent videos! PS: I would be interested in a Will Smith video if you ever get the chance, I am curious if you think his game can translate to the NHL
Damn, incredibly harsh critique. I do get where you're coming from with a lot of things you mentioned, but it was almost like you didn't compliment any part of his game other than his shot. I'll be curious to see what they do with him to start the year, I also agree he should start in the AHL, and think fans who want him with Sid straight away are bananas, but I am more bullish on him than you!
I don't mean it to be "harsh", but I also want to be realistic about what his game looks like on the ice relative to expectations of him playing in the NHL in a few weeks...there are definitely pieces there, there are scalable parts to his game...but I don't think he's ready now and he doesn't have to be. That's where Pittsburgh's development staff will be instrumental in how this goes. He's more of a B prospect than an A prospect for me, I'll concede that much. And that's basically how he's been for me since his draft year.
When he's ready, I'm quite sure he will. Not many coaches in the NHL give young players a shot in big spots like Sullivan. He hasn't had any young players worth playing in a number of years now (as we can see, a lot of guys that folks pined for can't make worse teams). Playing undrafted players with Crosby in the playoffs ("Cros and the Kids" w/Guentzel), Maatta playing 20 minutes as a youth - he hasn't really gotten back to that usage, Murray over legacy Fleury, Dominik Simon got plenty of time here and nowhere else, Marino played a ton right away, ZAR's entire NHL career was thanks to Sully, etc. - the Penguins are one of the flagship development teams in the NHL and probably the worst at drafting. Pittsburgh gets more games out of undrafted players than drafted players over the last 10 years. That may never be duplicated. It certainly isn't on Sully. None of those guys do anything in other organizations either - Calen Addison wasn't qualified by league-worst San Jose last month, he was the bell cow of the games played and points of the last ~10 draft classes haha
@@two-linepass idk... maatta was already good--kinda...you know what i mean--well before mike. tho he was the wbs coach after all. brought in sheary, kuhnackl, rust, wilson...but on the other hand JSD, hallander, corrado, hell even biggs and pouliot if you remember (1st rounders!!! and i didn't even mention nylander! well now i did) didn't work out with the pens. lafferty turned it way around so it's not like they're schmucks. but yeah...i still recall how far we fell when ron hextall was all like josh archibald is gonna be a real difference maker and i thought.... wait, THAT josh archibald?? i don't really think sully gave young players a shot after rutherford stepped down. he loved that guy. i coulda sworn he called him the best gm in the world once
I don't want to stand in the way of a "sick burn", but isn't the insult here -- "you must BE involved with pens scouting..." given that they've only gotten ~200 combined NHL skater games since 2016 - most of which are currently-unemployed Calen Addison's from Min & SJ. Right? Ya see...if I stink, then you don't want me near something good...because I'll get my stink all over it.
Fair and insightful evaluation.
Great video, completely agree with your assessment of his skills and projection. I didn't see him as a first rounder in his draft year, and it seems he hasn't taken enormous strides (pun intended) to improve some of the areas that held him back. Still very reliant on his shot and his linemates being able to get him the puck in the O-zone. Despite his impressive point totals, I'd be shocked if the production translates without some major improvements to his game. Watching McGroarty play for Michigan really makes me appreciate how good Nazar is
I was a big fan of Nazar in his draft year. I don't have my notes in front of me, but I think he might have been my 2nd ranked American...
I first came across this video when McGroarty was first traded to Pittsburgh. As a Penguins fan, I was pretty excited but I also felt like there were some pretty fair comparisons to his game. I don't often pay a lot of attention to develop of prospects and you seem like some that's super knowledgeable.
However, I gotta say, you definitely approached this analysis from a place of bad faith - or you just don't know what you're talking about. Feels like more of the former but idk. You know all the buzzwords for sure.
From the prospects tournament going into camp preseason, he showed brief flashes of the kind of player you described in this video but then was consistently a different kind of player, the kind he was drafted to be, consistently throughout. High offensive IQ, playmaking ability, and despite scoring one goal in the preseason, was always in the mix for high danger chances. Your analysis didn't even remotely allude to the fact that was even possible in his toolset. You just nitpicked the flashes of a young player prone to make some bad plays. This seemed like a cool channel and was stoked to find it, but idk.
Fair enough. I'm not going to convince anyone in the comments. I'll just say that in a prospects tournament and in the preseason, you're predominantly not playing NHLers. In the NHL regular season, you are. That's a big jump. Brandon Bochenski was routinely a preseason stud, for instance. We saw Jesse Puljujarvi spinning the puck on his finger in this preseason. Will it continue when they're playing against 20 NHLers, instead 10?
The highlight clips can show what's possible. I'm just going shift by shift to see the tendencies. In other videos, you see players consistently stringing great shifts together. In some videos, it's more of a mixed bag. If you have a mixed bag, expect a mixed bag when he plays.
Great insightful video! Do you have any quick thoughts on David Edstrom and the Askarov trade?
Honestly, I don't know that player very well. From what I saw, he looks like he could be a + bottom six guy. Smart, competitive in tough areas, finds a way to get to pucks. From what little I know, he looks like he could grind his way into being a player. But don't quote me, I've never sat down and focused on him.
@@two-linepass No worries thanks for the response and keep up the excellent videos! PS: I would be interested in a Will Smith video if you ever get the chance, I am curious if you think his game can translate to the NHL
Can't wait for your Tarik Parascak analysis. Seems like a tough long-term guide to project.
I’m sure Crosby Malkin and rust will teach him a few things and it’ll be up to him to implement those things
great analysis, harsh but fair. Have you looked at Jaeger and if so what are your thoughts on the swap?
He’s making the team 100% in a top 6 role
Damn, incredibly harsh critique. I do get where you're coming from with a lot of things you mentioned, but it was almost like you didn't compliment any part of his game other than his shot. I'll be curious to see what they do with him to start the year, I also agree he should start in the AHL, and think fans who want him with Sid straight away are bananas, but I am more bullish on him than you!
I don't mean it to be "harsh", but I also want to be realistic about what his game looks like on the ice relative to expectations of him playing in the NHL in a few weeks...there are definitely pieces there, there are scalable parts to his game...but I don't think he's ready now and he doesn't have to be. That's where Pittsburgh's development staff will be instrumental in how this goes. He's more of a B prospect than an A prospect for me, I'll concede that much. And that's basically how he's been for me since his draft year.
I really hope the pens dont have another toxic string of bad comtracts
Andrew Copp with a better shot.
Okay but real question. Will Sullivan use him at all? Probably not
When he's ready, I'm quite sure he will. Not many coaches in the NHL give young players a shot in big spots like Sullivan. He hasn't had any young players worth playing in a number of years now (as we can see, a lot of guys that folks pined for can't make worse teams). Playing undrafted players with Crosby in the playoffs ("Cros and the Kids" w/Guentzel), Maatta playing 20 minutes as a youth - he hasn't really gotten back to that usage, Murray over legacy Fleury, Dominik Simon got plenty of time here and nowhere else, Marino played a ton right away, ZAR's entire NHL career was thanks to Sully, etc. - the Penguins are one of the flagship development teams in the NHL and probably the worst at drafting. Pittsburgh gets more games out of undrafted players than drafted players over the last 10 years. That may never be duplicated. It certainly isn't on Sully. None of those guys do anything in other organizations either - Calen Addison wasn't qualified by league-worst San Jose last month, he was the bell cow of the games played and points of the last ~10 draft classes haha
@@two-linepass idk... maatta was already good--kinda...you know what i mean--well before mike. tho he was the wbs coach after all. brought in sheary, kuhnackl, rust, wilson...but on the other hand JSD, hallander, corrado, hell even biggs and pouliot if you remember (1st rounders!!! and i didn't even mention nylander! well now i did) didn't work out with the pens. lafferty turned it way around so it's not like they're schmucks. but yeah...i still recall how far we fell when ron hextall was all like josh archibald is gonna be a real difference maker and i thought.... wait, THAT josh archibald??
i don't really think sully gave young players a shot after rutherford stepped down. he loved that guy. i coulda sworn he called him the best gm in the world once
Thank god you have nothing to do with pens scouting, worse analysis of a prospect i ever heard
I don't want to stand in the way of a "sick burn", but isn't the insult here -- "you must BE involved with pens scouting..." given that they've only gotten ~200 combined NHL skater games since 2016 - most of which are currently-unemployed Calen Addison's from Min & SJ. Right?
Ya see...if I stink, then you don't want me near something good...because I'll get my stink all over it.
Nothing would be better than AHL for this slug of a skater. Rutger has been very vocal about playing in the Pro leagues asap 😊