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“He’s just imposing”: Grant McCagg takes a swipe at Brady Tkachuk

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“He’s just imposing”: Grant McCagg takes a swipe at Brady Tkachuk
Credit: Capture d'écran / Screenshot

Brady Tkachuk is a name that often gets people talking in Montreal. The Senators’ captain, drafted fourth overall in 2018, is a player many fans would have liked to see the Habs draft one spot earlier.

That pick was ultimately used to select Jesperi Kotkaniemi… who is eating his heart out in Carolina.

Of course, it goes without saying that Tkachuk would have been a better choice for the Habs than KK was. Objectively speaking, it’s impossible to argue that Kotkaniemi is a better player today than Tkachuk is…

But that doesn’t mean Tkachuk only has fans either.

On the most recent Recrutes Draftcast, the various guests engaged in the exercise of rehashing the 2018 draft, and during the episode, Grant McCagg allowed himself to milk the Senators forward while Tkachuk was placed first in the exercise by another panelist :

He’s overrated because he’s imposing and because he can sometimes bully an opponent solidly. – Grant McCagg

McCagg insists that Tkachuk scores fewer points per season than Quinn Hughes, who is a defenseman, and that he has consistently had a negative differential since the start of his career. He also adds that you don’t draft a player first just because he’s the most physical of the bunch.

It’s not like the 1990s, he says.

McCagg doesn’t say he’s an abominable player, but clearly, he’s not his biggest fan. And clearly, he doesn’t give him the benefit of the doubt for having played on some pretty ordinary teams.

I know that Hughes, a defenseman, has more points per season, but let’s not forget that he’s flat-out one of the best offensive defensemen of his generation. It’s not as if Hughes is just a celery stalk on the offensive end: that’s the nuance.

What makes Tkachuk special is his ability to combine physical play with a good offensive harvest. Last year, he scored 83 points in 82 games, and again this year, he’s doing quite well with 66 points in 74 games.

I don’t have a problem with anyone considering him overrated… but you still have to hit the right nails. Then, it’s up to you to decide who would have been a better choice between Tkachuk and Hughes.


In bursts

– Incredible.

– I love seeing this.

– Pardon?

– Quite a player.

– To be continued.

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