Guadana
Registered User
trajectories guadana!
i think its important to contextualize a couple things here:
-in their d-1 seasons, helenius was a near full time liiga player, chernyshov was an mhl staple with khl looks, and mbn was a j20 staple with allsvenskan looks. tij was buried in the bottom 6 of a loaded seattle roster. all 3 other players had far greater in-game developmental opportunity up to this year
Finally the interesting fight.
Let’s talk about trajectories. It was you who brought this up.
It’s not a problem of MBN, Chernyshov and Helenius who plays on adult(/more adult) level. All of them showed competent play. (MBN and Chernyshov showed skating too) they already did it.
Are you trully believe that Iginla showed best progression? Hage was 2ppg player in the final part of the season, Nygard has near historical numbers for his age in Allsvenskan playoff with teenagers on his line, Helenius wasnt far away to show historical numbers for his age in Liiga, Chernyshov wasn’t really productive in KHL but still he was veeeeery competent to play in KHL, win or outplay against KHLers as in puck battles, as with puck handling. He did it in a year+1 - still very hard thing to do for his age, with Tij skating and positioning it would be very hard to do the same because better players don’t do this more often.
Again not a problem of those two. It’s not habits - it’s skills and positional play where Tij is behind. Tij is slower and his skating isn’t on the level with them. Chernyshov and Nygard are really faster and we can’t close our eyes on this aspect. Of course Iginla can refine his habits next year, he still needs work on positioning. And it’s still the thing he needs to do, it’s still not the only thing he needs to do.
MBN is underrated in vision. He knows where he needs to be and always work positionally with his teammates. Always doing right decision - it’s description of decision making. Chernyshov is okay - in some parts he is very good, in other parts he needs to find idea - like in case of Iginla. Still better in neutral zone and in d zone without the puck, still understand where he should be in the cycling even if he isn’t conductor. Nygard showed something on world levels.
Like I said with the puck Iginla looks little better with the puck but again - easier level. He didn’t face harder pressure. Nygard was great in playoff under pressure from what I saw. Helenius was good in some games, made some mistakes in others. Chernyshov did some mistakes, but nothing critical overall, still much harder level. Nygard and Chernyshov especially played in much harder competitions. Iginla showed more tunnel vision in compare to Nygard, Iginla is going to partners space and create easier opportunities for opponents defensemen sometimes, he is outplaying opponents but it’s junior league - big part of it will not work in NHL And for now he doesn’t have skating to do so.
Iginla doesn’t bring elements of everything. Hage is doing it. Nygard is doing it without stick handling. Helenius is doing it without good starting speed and without great accuracy, may be with worser shot. Iginla isn’t good defensively when all four are good/very good or even great. Nygard, Chernyshov and Hage are faster. All of them are bigger (I forget about size, I will add it in the main post.
Small areas of? Defensive game? No. Breakaway game? No. Offensive game? Some parts yeah! Some parts no - Helenius is smarter, Chernyshov at least on the level in puck handling but with separation speed and better physics he can use it more productively, Nygard is better positionally, his skating helps him.
Yes it sounds bizarre, because Chernyshov and Nygard are doing what they should do on the harder level - right positioning on the ice in and against the cycling, right positioning in puck battles, they use skating - again we can’t deny the difference. It will be harder step for Iginla - he isn’t small but he is smaller and slower. And he doesn’t understand positional game in d zone. He isn’t Sennecke but he isn’t on the level with this guys. Even when and if he will develop his positioning, he still will be slower and smaller.
Overall I understand you like this huge step. You like his desire to play to the end. You like that he is doing it at the very young age. And like I said I’m good with him as a pick. I believe he will develop his positioning without the puck in o zone enough to be in the right place in cycling, I believe he will develop his positioning without the puck in d zone to play competent against the cycling. His passing and shooting are very good to play with talents and create chances. He will be hard worker and positive player.
But I see potential of two way player in Nygard who will be on the puck every second of the game because his positioning and skating. He is playing like center who is covering a lot of ice. Having this player on the wing is advantage. Chernyshov, if he will develop his game, will be very hard to play against because of his combo of skating, speed, physical play and puck handling - yes, he isn’t main playmaker, but one on one he has tools. Helenius is way too smart to not making positive impact no matter where he is playing on the ice. May be Iginla has higher ceiling than Helenius because of some skills but Helenius can develop some parts of his game too. Hage just good in everything.
And yes, I’m happy to debate about our pick. I don’t have them in tight erea. I have Nygard higher. Helenius, Chernyshov, Iginla, Hage - yeah they are closer on my taste. I understand arguments against other boys in compare to Iginla even I have more and better(he-he) arguments for other two or three.
But Nygard is rare player who is seeing partners, opponents and the puck, moving and changing the position in every moment with situation, he has skating, speed, vision, accurate pass and great shooting for that. Puck handling is great but it’s very small parts of the game if you are not Jack Hughes.
Sorry, sometimes I repeat myself.
