W. Butcher

[0PucksGiven]

Is he the real deal? What's the story on this kid? Expectations and potential?

[kingpin_co]

Just came on here to look for Butcher threads... insight please! 3 ppp assists today.. he won't last long on my wire...

Dobber guide (Oct 4th edition) has him projected for 12 points...

[0PucksGiven]

Dobber guide (Oct 4th edition) has him projected for 12 points...

Well I have to say, he's a quarter the way there!

[Jouko-Pouko]

He's an offensive D-man who was a great college player and he was a highly coveted free agent because he didn't want to sign with the Avalanche who drafted him.

I think he can get 25-30 points this season but he needs to play the entire season and continue getting PP time for that. 35 points is possible for him but it might take a year or two.

His offensive skills were never really in doubt, it was more about his all-around game. But at least in that first game, he looked better than Mueller and maybe even better than Santini, so that's a good sign going forward. The Devils still have Lovejoy scratched and he has two years at $2.7M left, so they may want to use him. Butcher just needs to play well enough to force the Devils to keep him in the lineup and scratch Mueller or Santini instead. Besides Severson and Butcher, they don't have a lot of PP options on their 'D', so that also helps Butcher's chances to stay in the lineup.

[hockeymanG23]

He looked very comfortable out there, could be a good one.

[GinFizz]

^^^ Agreed. Hes going over 30 points

[Schneider]

He was used extensively on the PP today, though he only played about 13 minutes today. I think he's worth taking a flyer on, as the opportunity is there for a PP quarterback to emerge there in NJ. I think more than his defensive issues, it's his skating that needs work and at 5'10, that's not really a great thing. He looked smart though and that will be his calling card in the NHL.

[finnys_fanatsy]

Temper expectations as it was COL. They don't look as bad as I though they would but it's still not a great measuring stick.

I drafted Butch at 30pnts.

[hockeyrobot]

I just dropped Dumba for him. Feel like it might be risky given I own Hal and Palmieri...but hey if this PP works then I'm set!

[Luffy D Monkey]

Only NHL player whose name is also a prediction. Love this guy.

[butch]

kid has a great name

[larrylintz]

in 3 successive years we'vr had elite pp qbs emerge - kling, ghost, and werenski. This is the team that needs a qb. Hobey baker isn't nothing. Why wouldn't he have a crack at 40?

[newper114]

He was the bubble dman to make the team this season. The devils went with keeping 8 dmen not 7 like most teams. If they went the other way he probably would have been sent down. Don't get me wrong I have high hopes for him but for now severson is the pp QB. Severson had a minute more but butcher was able to convert. Don't forget that was his former team so I think they gave him the chance to succeed to rub it in their faces (probably not but would be funny).

Let's see how it goes but good chance he only gets a few games and then gets sent down

[rtstr]

good chance he only gets a few games and then gets sent down

0 chance

[Wonko]

Ok. The kid got lucky to get 3 PP assists, but sometimes that is what it takes, a little luck. Playing 12 sheltered minutes does not a NHL defenseman make, but he made his 12 minutes count. My best guess is he still gets sent back to the AHL, but if Severson doesn't generate a little action soon it is possible that Butcher sticks around. If Butcher continues to get lucky and Severson continues to get unlucky then those who bought the Butcher lottery ticket this season might get a 35-40 point D man on the cheap.