I figured this was enough of an off-shoot of the P-Bruins tracker to stand alone....

Jordan Caron's season stats in Providence this year after 26 games: 5-2-7, -8. 

Bad.  In terms of points per game, it's worse than his NHL scoring pace after 71 games playing limited minutes most nights.  It's even worse when you consider he had a hat trick early in the year, so in 25 other games, he's 2-2-4.  In the AHL.  Caron's now 4 years out from his draft year and, if not for the more favourable impression left by his NHL stints, we'd be saying he's worse than Zach Hamill.  In terms of scoring, you can't begin to argue the point.  (For the record, Hamill has a mere 17 points in 23 games with Hershey - no danger of him becoming Ovechkin's centre when the lockout ends.)

Worse, given the impression that Caron can be a two-way player, is that his -8 is only better than Camper and Krug, both at -9.  Hamill's +9 is the best on the Bears.

We need a spy in Providence to tell us if Caron is just staying in shape in Providence and so these results are anomalous, or is he really a guy who can't out-score Lane MacDermid in the AHL?

4 points in his last 21 games Yikes. When Cassidy was asked what is going on with his two Quebecors he quipped  "Can't score if you don't shoot". Speaking of Hershey on the flip side of someone that gets himself open for shots, 6 last night, Bourque was the offensive star last night.

Not just JC struggling with offensive output, though.

 

Cunningham: 26gp 4-4-8

Sauve: 21gp 4-5-9

Camper: 18gp 3-7-10

Spooner: 23gp 6-10-16

I haven't seen any games, but would production for these guys would be better.  That said, the team is only averaging 2.5 goals per game and is a -9 overall, despite being 14-10-0-2.  Jamie Tardif has accounted for 14 goals (4th in the AHL) or 21.5% of the team's goal scoring.  Yikes.

 

In response to Crowls2424's comment:

Yeah, but which of these guys were 1st round picks and are now in their 4th pro season?  Spooner has been fine, considering it's his first pro season.  Camper and Cunningham were undrafted/very late picks who hopefully are still developing, but mid-level AHL may be their ceiling.  Sauve has been disappointing too, but nobody has been as far below expectations than Caron.  I think he's done, unless he drastically turns around his season.  

I wonder if this goes back to my original claims that he has an attitude problem.  All of this is pure speculation, of course, but it's possible.  For those who were around years ago, I had stated that I got the impression that his ego was pretty large when he took over two minutes to make it to the stage after getting selected.  I think I counted 35 or so handshakes/hugs before he left his section.

It was my opinion that, after being selected, you kiss your mom, shake your dad's hand and get the heck up there.  Seriously, there were over 30 congrats he made time for before going to the stage to stand with Cam Neely.

Maybe he's sulking in Providence?  Maybe he's playing terribly because he wanted to be in the NHL this year, but instead he's riding the bus with scrubs?

Hey, it's possible.

I stick by my belief he's a gamer.  Get him into the playoffs with a team that's healthy and firing on all cyliners and he will shine on that 3rd line.

In response to bim09's comment:

Based upon what?

"Maybe he's sulking in Providence?  Maybe he's playing terribly because he wanted to be in the NHL this year, but instead he's riding the bus with scrubs?"

Posed the same question to people who see allot more Providence games and are around the media in that area. They all think Bruins management wants Cassidy to coach the same way Julien does, spreading the offense out, Caron's points have come when he's playing with Spooner or Bourque. Also they said the difference between Marchand, in the AHL, and Caron is better board work. Jordan hasn't responded to Cassidy asking him to "clean it up" in the corners.

The two games I saw live this year Caron looked totally disinterested, lost countless one on one battles in the corners. That doesn't translate to sulking for me. Chiarelli wants his non-top-five-studs to make their bones in the AHL, no other way around it. This is the last year of Caron's EL contract, keep that in mind or maybe he should.

What he did down the stretch last year.  I think of him more as a hybrid power forward - he's not gonna bang like Lucic, but he goes to the net and has scoring touch.

 

His biggest challenge has been his skating.  If he can improve that I think he'll be fine.

In response to Not-A-Shot's comment:

I'm SO reminded of comments I made about the other JC, Joe Colborne - that because he was independantly wealthy it could have an impact on his attitude as a player.  Now where are those people who thought it was a huge mistake to trade Joe?  Same place Joe is now - NOT tearing up professional hockey somewhere.

Boy, did I ever take heat for making those speculative comments.

In response to BadHabitude's comment:

Somebody on here thought Jumbo Joe Colborne would turn out to be a "BEAST". Maybe he meant "BUST", you never know around here as the spelling police sometimes miss a thing or two.

You'll still get ripped for that theory because there's no way to know if Colborne is 1-8-9 because he hasn't earned a move up the Marlie depth chart or because he doesn't really care because he piles into his Bugatti after games and drives home to his mansion in Richmond Hill.  In Caron's case, you would think he has the resume, as a guy pencilled into an NHL job, to warrant top six offensive opportunities including PP time.  No sign of life in him.

As for the attitude theory, who'd have thought that would fall under wishul thinking.  As in, boy I hope it's just an attitude problem and, once NHL camp opens, he'll get back on that development curve that made him look like a 2nd-3rd liner who could play a good two-way game and score 20 goals.  Otherwise, you go back to the Bruins first rounders in Chiarelli's tenure, and it looks like this:

Kessel - dealt for Seguin, Hamilton, Knight (good!)

Hamill - el busto

Colborne - dealt, looking like el busto

Caron - el busto

2010 - dealt

2011 - dealt

2012 - Subban

The dealt picks have paid huge dividends, even if you limit the value of the Kaberle deal.  Horton has been what they thought they were getting, they have a Cup, and the Kessel deal should give them at least two core players for the next half-decade or more. All of the made picks outside of Kessel have been a pure waste of assets.  I started questioning Chiarelli's team when they picked Colborne, and I still haven't seen anything from their picks that suggests they have a f--king clue what they're doing at the draft table.  I hold out hope that Spooner will prove an ingenious choice, that Ferlin's press is a sign he could pan out, and that Trotman and Khochlachev maximize their potential...and that Camara does continue to follow the Lucic path of making himself better than anyone thought.

But I'm grasping at straws....  

Only thing JC (drafted 25th)has going for him over Zach is that he wasn't drafted 8th over all.

In response to Bookboy007's comment:

To borrow a quote from Dennis Green, Horton is what we thought he was.

In response to Fletcher1's comment:

Agree Fletch, Caron brings more experience and carries higher expectations than the others that I mentioned.  Just pointing out that P-Bruin's offense has been pretty statistically woeful this year as well.

Now you're into chicken and egg territory, Crowls.  Is Caron struggling because the P-Bruin offense as a whole is weak or is the P-Bruin offense woeful because the one first-rounder in their line-up, the one prospect with real NHL experience, is scoring at roughly the same pace as Lane MacDermid?  Either way, you look at a lineup that is, outside of Spooner, Sauve and Cross (and Caron), mostly AHL lifers, late round picks and college free-agents and you hope the guy you took int he first round is a difference maker.  Right now, he's nothing.

I remember Bruin fans moaning about losing the 2010 1st rounder, most had forgotten about the two 2nd rounders Chiarelli had that year. Incidentally Lombardi likes Derek Forbort at #15 in 2010 so much he rings up Dale Tallon and gives up LAs 2010 1st and 2nd rounder. Still in college Forbort is going the Tommy Cross route. 

Yes drafts can leave you scratching your head. Not if you ask Dale Tallon though, he ended up with 6 of the 1st 50 picks in the 2010. It will be interesting to see how that strategy works out for Florida.

In response to Bookboy007's comment:

Agree.  I would feel much better if it was Caron with 14 goals instead of Tardif.

Was Jordan Caron a terrible pick by the scouts ? Is his ego the reason for his performance ?

I was just wondering if someone has taken into account that he's just not very good to go along with the players drafted after him. A handful of those players have more NHL points then him.

The teams who have these players must have felt they hit the jack pot considering few have done anything.

The Bruins scouts had little to choose from and certain theories are for those who believe in them.  

In response to Bookboy007's comment:

When did Hamill or Colborne ever score 7g-8a=15p total in 48 NHL games ... Have two multiple-point games with a 1-1=2 effort on Mar. 4 at NY Rangers and a 2-1=3 effort on Mar. 6 in Toronto ... Have a four-game point streak from Mar. 4-10 (3-4=7 totals) ... or play an NHL career-high 29 straight games from Feb. 5-Apr. 1?

 

I'm more concerned about Jared Knight who, after having a great rookie camp last year (and i was converted too), went on to have multiple groin and leg injuries over the next 12 months.

 

I really hope my original take on him is wrong.  But this is exactly the stuff I was worried about when they drafted him.

Btw, this is what the other guy is doing: 10g-9a=19p in 27gp

  

[/QUOTE]

When did Hamill or Colborne ever score 7g-8a=15p total in 48 NHL games ... Have two multiple-point games with a 1-1=2 effort on Mar. 4 at NY Rangers and a 2-1=3 effort on Mar. 6 in Toronto ... Have a four-game point streak from Mar. 4-10 (3-4=7 totals) ... or play an NHL career-high 29 straight games from Feb. 5-Apr. 1?

 

I'm more concerned about Jared Knight who, after having a great rookie camp last year (and i was converted too), went on to have multiple groin and leg injuries over the next 12 months.

 

I really hope my original take on him is wrong.  But this is exactly the stuff I was worried about when they drafted him.

Btw, this is what the other guy is doing: 10g-9a=19p in 27gp

[/QUOTE]

Before he was drafted he missed 6 games in 2 years. Why would there be a concern about him getting injured ? Did you know something others didn't ?

And if you're going to use the diabetes excuse .........there are other athletes who have had successful careers despite it.

In response to Chowdahkid-'s comment:

Why draft someone with a medical condition, which inherently increases risk, when there were healthy players on the board who have since proven to be better investments?

 

Trying to diminish my point by pointing out other players who have had success isn't really a valid argument.  Peter took a risk and for now hasn't bore fruit.  That fact is indisputable. 

 

At any rate, I hope he get's healthy and becomes an NHLer because I like the kid and think he's got talent.

Here's a guess, maybe just isn't very good.

In response to Chowdahkid-'s comment:

Does 'not very good' take into account that Caron got time as a fill-in on the Bruins second line?  And does the fact Caron is doing nothing in the AHL mean we can also compare his progression (if we can call it that) to players drafted within a round of him who've been developing like Tatar, Siflverberg, Panek and Palmieri?  Should we throw in the guys who aren't point-getters, but who looked to be in line for NHL jobs at the beginning of this season like Despres or Lehner?  Your version of this doesn't really answer how Caron goes from looking like he was about to stick in the NHL (as of the start of the lockout, the Bruins had 12 forwards under contract excluding Marc Savard) to a guy who could be sent to the ECHL, and the team (not just the scouts) had more choice than you're implying.