2024-25: Phantoms (AHL), Reading Royals (ECHL), NCAA, Jrs., Int'l, etc.

[BigToe]

I thought he couldn't shoot?
Maybe he's been practicing?

Who said he can't shoot? I swear it feels like you're the main person that says he needs to work on his shot.

 

[deadhead]

Who said he can't shoot? I swear it feels like you're the main person that says he needs to work on his shot.

That's been the primary criticism even before he was drafted.
He has size (5'11 187 before turning 18), speed, good passer (saw that in camp), good instincts, can PK (top PK for Canada).
The concern has always been without a credible shot teams would play him to pass and neutralize on offense.

 

[freakydallas13]

That's been the primary criticism even before he was drafted.
He has size (5'11 187 before turning 18), speed, good passer (saw that in camp), good instincts, can PK (top PK for Canada).
The concern has always been without a credible shot teams would play him to pass and neutralize on offense.

The the consensus primary concern seems to be his limited offensive upside in general, not specific to his shot. Things like speed while playmaking or carrying the puck, and on ice vision/playmaking in general.

 

[freakydallas13]

I will.

Great! Glad we agree it's a waste of time discussing anything related to him for 3 years.

 

[BigToe]

That's been the primary criticism even before he was drafted.

From who?

 

[MacDonald4MVP]

Well I just realized Luchanko is righty, that's how little attention I actually pay to flyers.these days

 

[deadhead]

The the consensus primary concern seems to be his limited offensive upside in general, not specific to his shot. Things like speed while playmaking or carrying the puck, and on ice vision/playmaking in general.

It's more he hasn't had a chance to develop as a playmaker, was only top 6 for one season in the CHL (at 17), even at the WJC he was relegated to a defensive/PK role.

His skill package says he has a high ceiling, his lack of production says he's high risk.
Watching him in camp and a few games, the raw skills are there, how far will he develop with experience?
He's not going to look as good as Michkov, who is almost 2 years older with almost 80 KHL games under his belt before hitting the NHL.

Guelph doesn't help, the only other top player is a 17 year old center, Katzin.
Top forwards - ES scoring
Paquette 38g 10-12 22 -16
Namestnikov 37g 10-12 22 -17
Jett 18g 6-13 19 0
Katzin 14g 5-8 13 +3 [USHL last season, headed to Penn State next year]
Stevens 37g 4-5 9 -10
Snelgrove 38g 7-9 16 -8
McLean 31g 5-6 11 -13
McFadden 33g 3-9 12 -3

 

[freakydallas13]

It's more he hasn't had a chance to develop as a playmaker, was only top 6 for one season in the CHL (at 17), even at the WJC he was relegated to a defensive/PK role.

His skill package says he has a high ceiling, his lack of production says he's high risk.
Watching him in camp and a few games, the raw skills are there, how far will he develop with experience?
He's not going to look as good as Michkov, who is almost 2 years older with almost 80 KHL games under his belt before hitting the NHL.

Guelph doesn't help, the only other top player is a 17 year old center, Katzin.
Top forwards - ES scoring
Paquette 38g 10-12 22 -16
Namestnikov 37g 10-12 22 -17
Jett 18g 6-13 19 0
Katzin 14g 5-8 13 +3 [USHL last season, headed to Penn State next year]
Stevens 37g 4-5 9 -10
Snelgrove 38g 7-9 16 -8
McLean 31g 5-6 11 -13
McFadden 33g 3-9 12 -3

He isn't slow at making plays with the puck on his stick because of lack of development, he's slow at making plays with the puck on his stick because that is who he is as a player.

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but playmaking and hockey IQ are rarely things players lack and develop later. I guess he could learn to be faster making plays with the puck, but even that seems highly unlikely. Most players do not develop that talent when they already lack it.

 

[FLYguy3911]

You will rarely find a top 6 forward in the NHL that didn’t have multiple seasons of high level production before getting to the NHL.

This team is riding their hopes on an outlier.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

 

[deadhead]

That's why I was hoping he'd get traded to a real team.
Averaging over a PPG at ES with that slop at wing? Ain't bad.
OHL
Martone 28g 17-26 43 1.54
Rehkopf 28g 16-21 37 1.32
Misa, M 35g 22-22 44 1.26
Greentree 38g 21-26 47 1.24
Ritchie 19g 7-16 23 1.21
Protas 36g 18-23 41 1.14
Misa, L 37g 16-25 41 1.11
Sennecke 33g 18-18 36 1.09
Jett 18g 6-13 19 0 1.06
Roobroeck 39g 20-18 38 0.97
Walton 37g 14-21 35 0.95
He 37g 19-16 35 0.95

Barkey 30g 6-17 23 0.77
Cowen 20g 10-5 15 0.75

 

[Magua]

His skill package says he has a high ceiling, his lack of production says he's high risk.
Watching him in camp and a few games, the raw skills are there, how far will he develop with experience?

In preseason he mostly skated backdoor for some tappy taps and barely played on the puck. We all watched the same games. The lack of raw skill plays was the issue. And it’s always been the issue because nothing about his skill package says high ceiling. You can pretend he’s a high risk-reward player, but it just isn’t true. Then again, you PROUDLY claim to have never seen him play a second in the OHL, so I’ll defer to you.

 

[MacDonald4MVP]

He isn't slow at making plays with the puck on his stick because of lack of development, he's slow at making plays with the puck on his stick because that is who he is as a player.

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but playmaking and hockey IQ are rarely things players lack and develop later. I guess he could learn to be faster making plays with the puck, but even that seems highly unlikely. Most players do not develop that talent when they already lack it.

Talented players may lean on playmaking more once they get older to compensate for declining shoot and speed and that's pretty much it.

Although there are always outliers. Chara somehow developed a solid outlet pass, but then again who knows what kind of coaching he got in his early days. After all he started his NHL career in mike millbury era of Islanders.