Confirmed with Link: Clendening traded for Gustav Forsling

[zac]

He is a great pincher (know how to pick his spots), great at keeping the zone, and is a good passer. His shot is his weakness.

What are you watching man? Keith is absolutely atrocious at keeping the zone. His hands are not particularly adept at receiving passes, which is problematic when on the blue line. It's also a problem when the puck rings around the boards; the regularity in which it hops over his stick is ridiculous. Keith has decent vision, but the problem is he NEVER HANDLES THE PUCK cleanly. I can't emphasize this enough. He's always a day late and a dollar short when trying to get off a pass.

His hands and his shot are what really hold him back. If he's able to settle the puck, which isn't very often, he CAN make some good passes. But his hands are so ****ing poor that he can never execute a touch pass or a one-timer. Why do you think he hits so many shin pads? One is he doesn't handle the puck cleanly, two is makes bad decisions when shooting, and 3 is his shot is an errant piece of garbage.

I wish I still had gamecenter or HS so I could compile a video of Keith's blunders in the Ozone. It would be a 2 hour video.

 

[TLEH]

I agree with everything but him being poor at keeping the zone, he's quite good at it (Teuvo goal game 1 SCF comes to mind) but I agree he isn't a great handler of the puck, is a poor decision maker with the puck in the o zone, and defers way too much passing up solid scoring opportunities that any one else is hammering at the net

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

He is a great pincher (know how to pick his spots), great at keeping the zone, and is a good passer. His shot is his weakness.

By keeping the zone I'm assuming you mean using his speed to get to loose pucks because he's pretty bad at holding the blue line on any pass/clear with even a moderate degree of difficulty. He can pass the puck from the blue line to the half boards just fine and he's got the hockey sense and wheels to jump into the play at the right time but he doesn't have the hands to cleanly receive the pass and his shot just isn't a threat if he does get a chance off.

He might be the best defenseman on the planet in the defensive and neutral zones but on the PP it just isn't his skill set.

 

[BK]

By keeping the zone I'm assuming you mean using his speed to get to loose pucks because he's pretty bad at holding the blue line on any pass/clear with even a moderate degree of difficulty. He can pass the puck from the blue line to the half boards just fine and he's got the hockey sense and wheels to jump into the play at the right time but he doesn't have the hands to cleanly receive the pass and his shot just isn't a threat if he does get a chance off.

He might be the best defenseman on the planet in the defensive and neutral zones but on the PP it just isn't his skill set.

I think 42 should be with the first unit.

I disagree with your assesmnt on him holding the zone. He is not the best or cleanest but he keeps the puck in the zone.

 

[BK]

What are you watching man? Keith is absolutely atrocious at keeping the zone. His hands are not particularly adept at receiving passes, which is problematic when on the blue line. It's also a problem when the puck rings around the boards; the regularity in which it hops over his stick is ridiculous. Keith has decent vision, but the problem is he NEVER HANDLES THE PUCK cleanly. I can't emphasize this enough. He's always a day late and a dollar short when trying to get off a pass.

His hands and his shot are what really hold him back. If he's able to settle the puck, which isn't very often, he CAN make some good passes. But his hands are so ****ing poor that he can never execute a touch pass or a one-timer. Why do you think he hits so many shin pads? One is he doesn't handle the puck cleanly, two is makes bad decisions when shooting, and 3 is his shot is an errant piece of garbage.

I wish I still had gamecenter or HS so I could compile a video of Keith's blunders in the Ozone. It would be a 2 hour video.

I agree that his hands are not great but he makes most passes well. He is not Kane and never will be.

If you don't think he is good at keeping the zone you are out of your mind. Handled cleanly or not it stays in the zone. He also does not bail early which is crucial.

He hits shin pads because he puts his head down too often when he shoots and not the reasons you listed. This makes it easy to block his shot.

Different topic: What do you think about Seabrook so far?

 

[BobbyJet]

I agree that his hands are not great but he makes most passes well. He is not Kane and never will be.

If you don't think he is good at keeping the zone you are out of your mind. Handled cleanly or not it stays in the zone. He also does not bail early which is crucial.

He hits shin pads because he puts his head down too often when he shoots and not the reasons you listed. This makes it easy to block his shot.

Keith had at least 4 real good looks from 30-35 feet and didn't get the puck on the net once. It was one of the low lights of the game for Hawks.

 

[BK]

Keith had at least 4 real good looks from 30-35 feet and didn't get the puck on the net once. It was one of the low lights of the game for Hawks.

And that is because his head is down when he shoots.

 

[Nordic*]

This thread isn't about Forsling anymore, haha...

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

Been happy with Forsling thus far

Does simple plays and looks like solid out there

At this point I am comfortable with Stanley shopping TVR to keep Forsling with team all year

 

[Hawkaholic]

What's he good at in the offensive zone? His skating can create lanes and chances but he's got no faith in his shot and for good reason. He's great at stretching defenses in transition but as soon as the zones established he's average.

He has a crappy shot selection, that is his major weakness. His shot isn't that bad, he just can't seem to get it through. He is pretty much elite at everything else in the offensive zone. Elite passer, keeps a lot of pucks in that would normally leave the zone with most Dmen. He knows how to get loose in coverage, picks his spots correctly most of the time, and can become a fourth forward in the offensive zone when he jumps up.

The only thing he sucks at in the offensive zone, is getting his shot through, and on net. That's why Seabrook is there, to take the big slappers.

 

[Marotte Marauder]

And that is because his head is down when he shoots.

I can't pick a spot but can hit the net (with an open lane) with my head down from 40' all day long. Not that hard when using reference markers on the ice.

 

[CourtneyDagger50]

Good at keeping the zone?! I don't think there is a player on this team who has the puck hop over their stick and out of the O-zone more than Keith.

 

[Toews2Bickell]

Hitchcock said that Keith "has a lot of Lidstrom in him" re: keeping pucks in the zone.

 

[BK]

Good at keeping the zone?! I don't think there is a player on this team who has the puck hop over their stick and out of the O-zone more than Keith.

This is all you need to read from this.

 

[BK]

Hitchcock said that Keith "has a lot of Lidstrom in him" re: keeping pucks in the zone.

That is pretty high praise and yes Hitch is posturing a little but Keith is really good at keeping the puck in the zone.

 

[CourtneyDagger50]

This is all you need to read from this.

I don't follow. Are passes only bad when they're directed at Duncs? Rather than other players on this team or around the league? lol.
Duncs is a great player and I will take him over pretty much every D-man in the league. But come on man lol something is off.

 

[CallMeShaft]

Ah, the good ole Duncan Keith thread. Yep, the one that's all about Keith. Not about anyone else....................

 

[BK]

I don't follow. Are passes only bad when they're directed at Duncs? Rather than other players on this team or around the league? lol.
Duncs is a great player and I will take him over pretty much every D-man in the league. But come on man lol something is off.

A puck that hops over you stick is close to impossible to predict so when it happens it has nothing to do with the players abilty to hold the blue line. When you use your feet there is a good chance you are caught flat footed on a bad bounce (this happens to Seabs a decent amount).


Keith is not a good shooter from the point because his head is down constantly. Seabs, Campbell, Forsling, and Kempny get shots thru because the keep their head up looking at the net and the situation unfolding. This is one of Keith biggest issues as a player and has been since he was at State.

 

[Toews2Bickell]

What's more frustrating to me than Keith having shots blocked is when they decide to put him in the high slot on the PP. Like who thinks that is a good idea? He provides nothing of value there. Either let him QB it or get him off the unit.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Having Keith run a PP with Kane on the ice would be a huge waste.

 

[BK]

Having Keith run a PP with Kane on the ice would be a huge waste.

Schmaltz would be good in that role.

 

[BreadKick]

I can't pick a spot but can hit the net (with an open lane) with my head down from 40' all day long. Not that hard when using reference markers on the ice.

Yes, he marked wrong the red dot :

... and the passing lane is curved....

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

4th most minutes last night among D

Continues to provide steady play

 

[Hawkaholic]

What a great trade by Stanley.

 

[plank]

What a horrible trade by Vancouver. Clendening has played in the first three Rangers games averaging 17 min. and is plus 3, and the Rangers board have really liked his performance so far.