At lower levels a lot of guys are a lot less physical. They need to show a willingness to engage. While yes Kasper relishes that element almost in a way that reminds me of Landeskog at a young age. He is one of the more physical guys to go in the top 10 with the talent and not a reach in a while so I love that element.
But a bunch of players, especially key players are often told not to engage in this aspect. The coach understands the significance of keeping them on ice. What you look for is compete in battles, a frame to build and a hockey sense that shows when they close the door or are physical. I think Danielson passes this test and I look forward as he tops 200lbs how much more physical he becomes. I firmly believe that is in there.
I do agree that most overtly physical guys show it very early on. In that sense I have little doubt Kasper is going to be a very physical guy. MBN also shows this upside. Not surprisingly both of them have grown up in men’s leagues where showing you’re physically capable wasn’t discouraged. It is one of the advantage to the European model especially as some of the more physical areas of North American hockey have been discouraged in the junior and youth ranks. A key indicator for me is the acceleration in physicality once you reach NCAA hockey as an example. Just my opinion.
Well that would certainly be a nice bonus if he can incorporate that element into his game on a consistent basis. I think highly enough of his overall hockey IQ to be confident that he would apply it appropriately, and that's where I can see merit in comparing him to Kesler in a physical sense should Danielson ultimately refine that element of his game.
Not all physicality is created equal, you have guys like Tom Wilson who will go headhunting and put their team in a precarious situation because he put himself completely out of position to deliver the hit. Kesler never struck me as the type of player who sacrifices the broader interests of the team for the sake of doing something physical. His physicality was complementary to his overall game and I imagine that's how it would be for Danielson too.
The best part of the debate is we are looking at winning 200 ft hockey. Yes these names are all very optimistic. The style of play though is what reliably lead to winning hockey. You can see elements that translate to the highest levels and most crucial elements of where games are decided.
Nice to talk high level hockey tendancies with zero personal attacks, the original purpose of this board. Great discussion guys/gals. Really excited we probably start seeing them as soon as this year.
I love how the team is shaping up to be an absolute nightmare to play against in a few years.
Down the middle we may have a PPG defensively responsible 1C in Larkin, a 60-70 point defensively responsible 2C in Danielson, and a 40-50 point defensively responsible agitator and pest in Kasper at 3C. Seems to be a lot of doom and gloom about the centre depth around here, but I'm loving what I'm seeing.
Then on the wings you have Raymond and MBN who will make other teams pay for their mistakes in various ways, MBN as the power forward and Raymond as the shifty puck hound with a nose for the net.
Then on the back end, one of Seider or Edvinsson will be patrolling for most of the game, assuming they're split up to each anchor their own pairing. And in specific situations, you can pair them together for maximum effect. And you'll have ASP to make teams pay for their penalties when the Wings send out their PP unit.