Jankowski is a sneaky good add at 4th line center - has some of the best underlying numbers of any 4th liner in the game this year. Also, he's not a rental - he is signed through next season at a dirt-cheap $800K cap hit.
I would say he has played more often at wing than center for the Preds, although sometimes he comes in for draws over younger guys (Novak, Svechkov, etc).
Whatever his underlying numbers, I'm just glad the Preds jettisoned at least one of these tweeners with term. Would have been nice to clean house and see McCarron and Smith move too, but getting Jankowski out the door is at least one more slot opened up for a younger player.
It's not that he's terrible per se... whatever the underlying numbers... he could be a serviceable hard-working depth forward. The problem for us in Nashville is that we've been employing way too many of these kinds of guys in place of the younger players we should have been devoting opportunity to instead. He'll be ok as a #12/13 forward, you just don't want to have 5 versions of the same guy in your lineup every night.
TBF in this draft, #1 was Nail Yakupov. Janko still playing in the league and Nail is not.Still remember Jay Feaster saying this guy was going to be the best player from that draft.
Or something like that wasn't it? lol
Flames placed undue pressure on him because of that. If he had went where projected (3rd round) he would be the exact player he is now.Best player in the draft? THAT Jankowski? Robbery
Most projections had him in the 2nd round and there have been multiple reports saying other teams were planning to take him in the 1st round. But Feaster 100% should have kept his yap shut.Flames placed undue pressure on him because of that. If he had went where projected (3rd round) he would be the exact player he is now.
Weird stat, but very cool at the same time.
It read like my disjointed brain thinks...it took me forever to understand what this meant... first player in NHL history to score on their 1st 4 sots with a team would have been a so much better way of saying it lol
Weird stat, but very cool at the same time.
What? His defensive metrics are the best part of his game. One of the best true bottom-6 centers in the league. Canes wouldn't trade for a bottom-6 player unless they were forecheckers.This guy has an unreal shot. Most other areas of his game are lacking in comparison to, say, an Ovechkin…but the shot is good.
Ha - sorry. I just meant offensively. I know he has pretty good underlying numbers and found his niche in his role now. If he could’ve ever parlayed skating like the wind and incredible hands or natural vision with that shot, I can begin to see the thought behind justifying his selection way back when.What? His defensive metrics are the best part of his game. One of the best true bottom-6 centers in the league. Canes wouldn't trade for a bottom-6 player unless they were forecheckers.