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Sean Couturier


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Good Call on the Ron Francis comparison. He might smile like Clarke but it is going to be tough for anybody to match the mean streak he had when he was on the ice.

He just needs some woman do to him wrong to help salt that mean streak.

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That being said, they both became excellent players here in Philly, but the problem is that they were coddled and seemed to have some sort of sense of entitlement.

I agree 100% agree they felt some sort of entitlement. When a player starts down this path the little intangibles that define their game begin to disappear and the get lost in the mix. Like you said, they did what was asked of them, but to stand out and continue to grow in this league they have to be willing to do more.

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I agree 100% agree they felt some sort of entitlement. When a player starts down this path the little intangibles that define their game begin to disappear and the get lost in the mix. Like you said, they did what was asked of them, but to stand out and continue to grow in this league they have to be willing to do more.

I know, and it's a total shame because I love the way Richards plays the game *when* he plays it the way we all know he can. He can flat out dominate with hits and cycling and even make nice plays once in a while.

I don't know what the real story is behind all the rumours of substance abuse, but something was definitely wrong with Richards in Philly over the last year. He was completely unhappy and it showed on and off the ice. It was time to go.

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I don't know what the real story is behind all the rumours of substance abuse, but something was definitely wrong with Richards in Philly over the last year. He was completely unhappy and it showed on and off the ice. It was time to go.

QFT

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Between Clarke and Homer, both have been down that path (substance abuse)and probably went to great lengths to separate them and give them both a chance to get their **** together. They gave them the message to get it together when they shipped off Lupul and Upshall to break up the crew. I think that both Carter and Richards scoffed at that due to the length of the contracts they signed. That was a big mistake on their part. They should have realized that Homer only had a short window to move them before the NMC clauses kicked in.The best part so far is that it looks like the return for sending them away has been tremendous. I really hope those two will get their heads screwed on right and thank Homer for giving them a second chance. Probably won't happen anytime soon but you never know.

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It's funny how in the 70's those who had substance abuse problems were probably 90% of the league :)

But anyway, Richards wasn't the same player, in my opinion after the Booth hit and the league looked more closely at those kinds of hits. He is a great player, but I think Cout's will make this all a little easier to swallow in a couple of years. The kid has great vision and I think has the potential to be a much better player than Richards. Time will tell though

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It's funny how in the 70's those who had substance abuse problems were probably 90% of the league :)

But anyway, Richards wasn't the same player, in my opinion after the Booth hit and the league looked more closely at those kinds of hits. He is a great player, but I think Cout's will make this all a little easier to swallow in a couple of years. The kid has great vision and I think has the potential to be a much better player than Richards. Time will tell though

Richards had a mean streak, which I liked. I can't say I noticed if the Booth hit really affected his game over time the way that Randy Jones wasn't the same after the Bergeron hit, but maybe that's the case.

Didn't Richards have double shoulder surgery after the Cup run?

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I think he did.

Maybe I'm just seeing it differently. I do remember seeing a few games where he didn't look like himself after that hit, but maybe he was injured. I think he lost a little of that mean streak last year that made him so popular. Was it because of the the nagging injury....maybe....

I'm not ripping on Richards by any means. I like the guy. I'm hoping Cout's can become a bigger version of Richards. So far I like what I see in the kid.

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If he could play like Ron Francis then the Flyers have a very good player on their hands. Looking a few years down the road the Flyers will have Giroux, Couturier and Schenn down the middle, not bad. He's very mature as a 18 year old playing in the NHL, he's playing well on the penalty kill and chipping in with a few goals, hopefully he plays consistently all year.

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If he could play like Ron Francis then the Flyers have a very good player on their hands. Looking a few years down the road the Flyers will have Giroux, Couturier and Schenn down the middle, not bad. He's very mature as a 18 year old playing in the NHL, he's playing well on the penalty kill and chipping in with a few goals, hopefully he plays consistently all year.

I thought I read somewhere that Couturier was being compared to Primeau.

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I actually don't think Couturier lacks speed, at least not once he gets going. He's just not a very pretty skater like Kessel. As one scout said of Cooter, it doesn't really matter as long he gets there

Ha, good quote. It's possible I'm looking for it, being extra critical after reading how "skating is his 'weakness'"... but ... I have seen him take a pass in stride - a few times - where he's 4, 5 steps out in front of everybody - and he's caught from behind. There could be any number of reasons why he was caught on those plays, none of them necessarily meaning he's a bad skater. But it looks like it might be an area he can improve.

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It's true, he slows down with the puck. But most players not named Giroux do a little bit. He makes up for it with the rest of his game. I don't think it's a huge liability and you know that they've got him working on his foot speed and pwoer skating...

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I thought I read somewhere that Couturier was being compared to Primeau.

You mean like "as much of a disappointment as Primeau was coming out of junior, Couturier has been the polar opposite, a surprise most of us didn't see coming at this stage of his career"?

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First off, I think the comparison to Clarke is not the most appropriate one. These are two completely different players.

Secondly, it's way too early. Yes, the kid is making many heads turn, but we were that path before. We can't know what the future holds for him. Yes, so far... SO FAR... he's been great. He uses the space very smartly and he's been opportunistic. And what I like about him the most is that he doesn't shy away from contact. For a rookie player, who is expected to mainly provide scoring, I like an element of toughness. And he knows how to protect himself in tight spots so he doesn't get buried or injured. And that, to me, shows that he is more mature than most of his peers. Scoring comes and goes, but instincts and using your body is something that you either have or you don't. Like someone said, looks like he's been coached well in the juniors.

Finally, there is one thing to consider here. Thanks to the Flyers' depth at forward, Couturier is not relied on like Patrick Kane or Tavares were, to lead the way. I think if he was looked at like a next Messiah, he would compare very well with those guys. And who knows, maybe one day he *will* be put in a position where he would play an extremely prominent role on this team. Based on what I’ve seen so far, he seems to have what it takes to become an absolute star in this league, but so does JVR… Know what I mean?

Edited by Mad Dog
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You sure bre? I mean I can whip up another one np...

Here's his talent analysis from hockeysfuture.com:

Talent Analysis

A combination of size and skill, Couturier is a solid and safe contributor at both ends of the ice. Perhaps his on-ice vision is his greatest asset, with a knack for finding an open teammate and threading a pass across the rink. Although he needs to continue to add strength to his frame and he is not known for being a punishing physical player, he uses his body well to protect the puck and make a play. Compared to the rest of the package, his skating is only average with the first few steps needing some extra work.

Future

Couturier will attend Flyers camp with his sights set on securing a roster spot in 2011-12 but with the Flyers' depth at forward, particularly at the center position, he may be headed back to Drummondville for one more season of juniors. Should he return to juniors, Couturier would likely once again play for Canada's entry in the 2012 World Junior U-20 championships. One of the players in consideration for the first overall pick headed into the 2011 NHL Draft, Couturier projects to being a top level two-way forward and a gifted offensive player that makes those around him better. While Flyers fans may have to wait until 2012-13 to see him at the NHL level, he should be a fixture in the Philadelphia lineup once he arrives.

Edited by brelic
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Here's his talent analysis from hockeysfuture.com:

Talent Analysis

A combination of size and skill, Couturier is a solid and safe contributor at both ends of the ice. Perhaps his on-ice vision is his greatest asset, with a knack for finding an open teammate and threading a pass across the rink. Although he needs to continue to add strength to his frame and he is not known for being a punishing physical player, he uses his body well to protect the puck and make a play. Compared to the rest of the package, his skating is only average with the first few steps needing some extra work.

Future

Couturier will attend Flyers camp with his sights set on securing a roster spot in 2011-12 but with the Flyers' depth at forward, particularly at the center position, he may be headed back to Drummondville for one more season of juniors. Should he return to juniors, Couturier would likely once again play for Canada's entry in the 2012 World Junior U-20 championships. One of the players in consideration for the first overall pick headed into the 2011 NHL Draft, Couturier projects to being a top level two-way forward and a gifted offensive player that makes those around him better. While Flyers fans may have to wait until 2012-13 to see him at the NHL level, he should be a fixture in the Philadelphia lineup once he arrives.

Was that article written by Victor French? ;)

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