Player Discussion 2025 IIHF World Junior Championships: Helenius, Wahlberg, Kleber, Ziemer, Strbak, Panocha - Ottawa - December 26 - January 5, 2025

[Chainshot]

Would it be fair to describe Kleber's skating style as "lumbering"?

He's not terrible, but it's not smooth. He's still probably three college and one to one-and-a-half AHL years off.

 

[Chainshot]

If you want to see a team lean on a defenseman, Slovakia running Strbak out for 16:43 through 2 periods is nearly every other shift.

 

[Fjordy]

If you want to see a team lean on a defenseman, Slovakia running Strbak out for 16:43 through 2 periods is nearly every other shift.

That's cool, too bad we'll probably have to wait a while for him to come to Buffalo. We've been waiting and hoping for Johnson for so long, but he's almost 24 years old and he's not even a regular on the roster yet. I hope Strbak will come faster, although its development cannot be rushed either.

 

[Chainshot]

Strbak just coughed up the puck late in the third and had no legs left to get back... and it's going to OT because the Kazaks scored off that turnover.

 

[toddkaz]

Strbak just scored in OT. Wow.

 

[Chainshot]

Strbak makes amends, OT winner on a breakaway.

 

[Beerz]

Oh no.

Means he is going to turn into Risto

 

[Zman5778]

Oh no.

Means he is going to turn into Risto

....it wasn't a gold medal game though. So maybe there's still hope?

 

[Fjordy]

Good

 

[Forsbergaura21]

So what do Sabres fans think Strbak’s nhl upside is? Top 4 2-way who gets maybe 30-40 points?

 

[Zman5778]

So what do Sabres fans think Strbak’s nhl upside is? Top 4 2-way who gets maybe 30-40 points?

He's a right-handed version of Mattias Samuelsson, IMO. Not sure he keeps his offense once he hits the NHL. He'll be a very nice complement to either Power or Dahlin, IMO.

 

[Chainshot]

So what do Sabres fans think Strbak’s nhl upside is? Top 4 2-way who gets maybe 30-40 points?

More like a right shot Jake McCabe IMO - mid-pairing guy who provides more defending than attacking with some grit in his game. So that's a guy who tops out at his best in the 20 point range.

 

[SECRET SQUIRREL]

More like a right shot Jake McCabe IMO - mid-pairing guy who provides more defending than attacking with some grit in his game. So that's a guy who tops out at his best in the 20 point range.

Brett Pesce was who I thought of.

 

[Chainshot]

Brett Pesce was who I thought of.

That's a possibility, though Strbak does lean into violence more than Pesce does IMO which had me think of McCabe more. And there are the occasional gaffs too (like that turnover on the GTG) that also remind me of Jake. If he could be as much of an erasure as Pesce when fully rounded out, that would be tremendous.

 

[Chainshot]

That’s pretty impressive

 

[Chainshot]

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

So what do Sabres fans think Strbak’s nhl upside is? Top 4 2-way who gets maybe 30-40 points?

Upside? Fellow Slovak defensive hero Spacek

 

[Chainshot]

Well this is a choice -



Still think Stiga-Hagens-Ziemer is just sitting there for the USA to take advantage of.

 

[Chainshot]

Wahlberg with 1-1-2 tonight against the Czechs gets player of the game in as the Swedes clinch Group B.

 

[Ace]

Canada is going to finish third in their group.

 

[toddkaz]

Canada is going to finish third in their group.

First time in a while Canada doesn't have a dominating offensive player.

They dont even have a scorer in the top 30.

 

[NotABadPeriod]

First time in a while Canada doesn't have a dominating offensive player.

They dont even have a scorer in the top 30.

Canada has only scored 10 goals total. US has scored 22 for comparison in the same group.

 

[Chainshot]

First time in a while Canada doesn't have a dominating offensive player.

They dont even have a scorer in the top 30.

Bring all grinders and goal generation becomes a problem.

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

Bring all grinders and goal generation becomes a problem.

Never go full intangible

 

[Chainshot]

Upside? Fellow Slovak defensive hero Spacek

Spaco-man is Czech.