Player Discussion Brady Tkachuk: Episode 4 - A new hope

[DueDiligence]

I'd love to see him become like Stone but I doubt it. I don't see the same awareness for the game in Brady. I don't see the same awareness in Brady's game that Matthew Tkachuck has either.

Both those guys are line drivers and you could see they were line drivers in juniors and in their early pro careers.

I don't see that in Brady.

What crap! Stone wasn't even an NHL regular until he was 22 years old. I remember in 2013-14 where they tried playing him with Spezza and he just wasn't ready so they took him off JS's line. Stone was no line driver until a couple of years later.

 

[Agent Zuuuub]

What crap! Stone wasn't even an NHL regular until he was 22 years old. I remember in 2013-14 where they tried playing him with Spezza and he just wasn't ready so they took him off JS's line. Stone was no line driver until a couple of years later.

It's called projecting players.

Batherson isn't an nhler at this point but if he works on skating and strength I project him to be a lot more of a line driver than Brady despite being the worse (+ older) nhler right now.

 

[DueDiligence]

Now people will compare him with Mark Stone, yet again. Like there is a divine revelation that Tkachuk will be the next Mark Stone. Not realizing that Mark Stone skill-set and IQ level is very rare and unique

No offense but Mark Stone isn't even an all star. This year he will finally surpass 30 goals and is barely a point a game player. Yes he is a very good player but he is not an elite player. To say BT won't reach his level is laughable.

 

[Agent Zuuuub]

Exactly. You can argue that the type of player described by you has the biggest impact in a playoff series, save for maybe a hot goaltender. Ottawa has been craving for a powerforward for two decades and we finally have a player that can develop into one. Is BT in the same tier as Jack Hughes skillwise? Hell no, but you can certainly make the argument that what he brings is a rarer combination and that package is harder to get than Jack Hughes. We've had multiple #1 centers in our history, we've never had a powerforward in 26 years. Ultimately I see both roles (#1 center, and a top 6 powerfoward) as prerequisite slots on a cup winning roster. With that in mind, I have absolutely no problem with keeping the pick last year. We got the powerfoward, let's get the franchise center next draft.

Naa just because one is rarer doesn't mean you take them over a better player.

Besides Kuznetsov was the real and clear mvp for the Caps last year.

Wilson was great last year but you take him off the team and the Caps are still a great cup caliber team.

You take Kuznetsov/Backstrom off the team and the Caps fall quite a bit.

 

[Agent Zuuuub]

No offense but Mark Stone isn't even an all star. This year he will finally surpass 30 goals and is barely a point a game player. Yes he is a very good player but he is not an elite player. To say BT won't reach his level is laughable.

Mark Stone is like 99th percentile for hockey IQ in the league. Brady doesn't come close to that.

 

[h2]

Naa just because one is rarer doesn't mean you take them over a better player.

To be honest, it's a valid debate. Let's not discount the effect of powerfowards in the playoffs. Gary Roberts was the most effective player in our battles with Toronto, he's certainly not the best player.

Here's the thing, we didn't take Tkachuk over the skilled player. It was a complete roll of the dice of Tkachuk vs a pick anywhere from 1-9 this year. I'll take Tkachuk in that situation. Especially taking in considering how rare it is to draft a legit top 6 powerfoward (again, it's the rarest piece in hockey) I'll repeat, both roles of powerforward and a #1 center are prerequisite roles on most cup winning rosters. There's been championship rosters without powerforwards, but I feel it certainly increases your chances when you have one. I stand by stating that it's easier to acquire a #1 center over a true powerforward. We got a big piece of the puzzle last year with BT, we'll get that center in the next draft.

Besides Kuznetsov was the real and clear mvp for the Caps last year.

Wilson was great last year but you take him off the team and the Caps are still a great cup caliber team.

You take Kuznetsov/Backstrom off the team and the Caps fall quite a bit.

I don't consider Wilson a powerforward, he's not a top 6 winger, so your analysis of the Caps is irrelevant (he's having a good year this season though).

 

[DJB]

I am trying to imagine a scenario where Tkachuk would have his own thread and Brannstrom his own. Pretty novel concept I realize.

And isn't this the Brannstrom thread? Lol

 

[h2]

I am trying to imagine a scenario where Tkachuk would have his own thread and Brannstrom his own. Pretty novel concept I realize.

I've been reading hfboards for around 20 years, I'd say off topic points is a common occurrence.

As long as the discussion is civil and valid points are exchanged, I don't see the harm.

 

[Cloud]

Mark Stone is like 99th percentile for hockey IQ in the league. Brady doesn't come close to that.

I wouldn't be so sure about that. Brady didn't make it to the nhl out of camp based on his skating or passing/shooting ability. The kids got a pretty high IQ already.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

The last two pages are pure insanity.

 

[Burrowsaurus]

I don’t see the comparison. Tkachuk and Stone have known each other for six months.

Right and they he heard the stories of karlsson. Alfie.

Melnyk acting like an idiot isn’t an isolated incident.

 

[FormentonTheFuture]

Right and they he heard the stories of karlsson. Alfie.

Melnyk acting like an idiot isn’t an isolated incident.

Sure but the Tkachuks already knew that going in. He could have not signed if he really wanted to...he’ll be fine.

 

[Countdown0]

Help us Brady-wan Kenobi, you're our only hope!

But watch out for Darth Melnyk. He's gonna try to cut off your hand so that he can pay you less because no one will give a crippled player a full price AAV.

 

[Burrowsaurus]

No offense but Mark Stone isn't even an all star. This year he will finally surpass 30 goals and is barely a point a game player. Yes he is a very good player but he is not an elite player. To say BT won't reach his level is laughable.

thing is putting the word "barely" in front of point per game player doesn't make him anything less..

im a tkatchuk a fan but I will be PLEAAASENTLY shocked if he is ever a ppg player and dominant around the ice like stone

 

[Burrowsaurus]

Matthew Tkachuk can skate and shoot better than Brady. Other skill-sets are pretty similar. With that said, he is not PPG player, his stats are inflated by his line-mates

Just like that Brady's stats are inflated by playing significant minutes with Mark Stone for the entire year. I won't put any stock on his "more points that Matthew's rookie season".

Both seem like a 60-point players at best (only if they are playing with skilled line-mates). Neither will carry a line, if they are the best player on their line.

I will say, brady has looked really good without mark past few games

 

[danielpalfredsson]

No offense but Mark Stone isn't even an all star. This year he will finally surpass 30 goals and is barely a point a game player. Yes he is a very good player but he is not an elite player. To say BT won't reach his level is laughable.

Listen to all that has been said about Stone by people like Lebrun and McKenzie leading up to the deadline. Insights given to them from rival team execs.

Stone is perceived to be one of the best wingers in the league because he is a first line producer who also drives his line, makes those around him better, and is elite in terms of neutral and defensive zone play.

He is never going to win the art Ross, but he'll always be in that 2nd/3rd tier of producers league wide. 60-70+ points every season.

Putting expectations on Tkachuk for him to become as valuable as Stone is unfair to Tkachuk. If you stack Stone up against guys taken 4th in the draft, there won't be many who have reached Stone's level of play.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

How 'bout that Brannstrom kid?

 

[scallionjj11]

How 'bout that Brannstrom kid?

Is he any good?

 

[Answer]

No offense but Mark Stone isn't even an all star. This year he will finally surpass 30 goals and is barely a point a game player. Yes he is a very good player but he is not an elite player. To say BT won't reach his level is laughable.

In my estimation Stone is an elite player (excluding skating). The reason he has only cracked 60+ points once or twice is because if we tract down his career, majority of his career he hasn't had great line-mates, for the most part, except in brief spurts.

If you switch Stone and Kucherov situation, I am pretty sure we will be seeing a very different point totals year-by-year for both of them. Not saying Stone is better than Kucherov, just making a point that points total is very dependable on the quality of line-mates you have.

The game is played on the ice, not on paper

 

[Korpse]

It's called projecting players.

Batherson isn't an nhler at this point but if he works on skating and strength I project him to be a lot more of a line driver than Brady despite being the worse (+ older) nhler right now.

What exactly about Batherson make's you believe that? Everything I've seen from the two between the NHL and AHL Tkachuk looks more like a player who can drive a line. He will be the type of player who will get the puck and once he has it you are gonna have a tough time getting it back. On top of that he see's the ice really well and gets to open ice and can make a pass through defenders. I watch Batherson and I like him but I see more of a Turris type player in him. There's nothing wrong with that but he's not going to be a player who can shake defenders and hold on to the puck like Tkachuk. He's going to be a player who is really good on the rush because he thinks so quickly and makes smart plays but at times he is going to have trouble engaging in the offensive zone.

 

[Agent Zuuuub]

What exactly about Batherson make's you believe that? Everything I've seen from the two between the NHL and AHL Tkachuk looks more like a player who can drive a line. He will be the type of player who will get the puck and once he has it you are gonna have a tough time getting it back. On top of that he see's the ice really well and gets to open ice and can make a pass through defenders. I watch Batherson and I like him but I see more of a Turris type player in him. There's nothing wrong with that but he's not going to be a player who can shake defenders and hold on to the puck like Tkachuk. He's going to be a player who is really good on the rush because he thinks so quickly and makes smart plays but at times he is going to have trouble engaging in the offensive zone.

well that's why i said if Batherson gets stronger and faster. other than that, Bathersons vision, hands, hockey iq and creativity are all better than Bradys.

which isn't to say Brady is bad at those things. they are just not NHL 1st line star caliber.

 

[Korpse]

well that's why i said if Batherson gets stronger and faster. other than that, Bathersons vision, hands, hockey iq and creativity are all better than Bradys.

which isn't to say Brady is bad at those things. they are just not NHL 1st line star caliber.

Brady needs to and will get stronger and faster too but he has no trouble engaging in the offensive zone.

 

[Agent Zuuuub]

Brady needs to and will get stronger and faster too but he has no trouble engaging in the offensive zone.

yea brady needs to as well but hes also like 6 ft 3 and 200 pounds. hes still quite clearly more physically ready for the nhl than Drake.

 

[Masked]

yea brady needs to as well but hes also like 6 ft 3 and 200 pounds. hes still quite clearly more physically ready for the nhl than Drake.

They're both listed at 6'3"197lbs. But why let something like the facts get in the way of your argument?

 

[Agent Zuuuub]

They're both listed at 6'3"197lbs. But why let something like the facts get in the way of your argument?

drake looks visibly weaker/slower. but yea height/weight is a pretty bad measure when just watching them is sufficient.

they both need to develop the physical components but more so Drake.