He has also been incredibly unlucky, he could easily be at 0.5ppg right now
With PP1 time I can see 60 at some point. I think 20+20 consistently and then maybe 60 in his best year when everything goes right. I'm just not seeing him as a guy we can count on for 60 per, year in, year out. (Kind of what we have in Hagel -- looks like 80+ this year, but we can COUNT on 60 at this point).If Dylan Strome can be a 60 point player than Geekie can be too. They're similar sized players with similar skills and limitations. Geekie is probably the better skater at his age so if he improves like Strome has then 60 is easy. He's got probably a better shot, or release, than Strome but maybe not as good vision and playmaking. While Strome is more a 25-40 guy Geekie can be a 30-30. If they increase his minutes as the season goes on he can get 30 this year. He's on pace for 27 right now and Coop is still figuring out how to use him.
I just don't think he sees the ice nearly as well. Or at least he hasn't shown a lot of evidence of that.I watched a ton of 16/17 Av's. He's literally 20 year old Rantanen, he's not 28 year old Rantanen who's 30 pounds heavier with 600 NHL games under his belt, who gets 23 minutes a night playing with Mackinnon, but play style and talent are eerily similar.
In my opinion
I just don't think he sees the ice nearly as well. Or at least he hasn't shown a lot of evidence of that.
With PP1 time I can see 60 at some point. I think 20+20 consistently and then maybe 60 in his best year when everything goes right. I'm just not seeing him as a guy we can count on for 60 per, year in, year out. (Kind of what we have in Hagel -- looks like 80+ this year, but we can COUNT on 60 at this point).
I'm seeing a better version of Nick Paul. More of a shooter. Good hands. I'd like to see him use his size more but I'll need to see a bit of that before I believe it's just gonna magically happen when he fills out more. Most players who don't have that instinct never develop it. That said, I think he's decent at imposing himself physically, but not... not like a Tkachuck. Or even a Tkachuk Lite. Or, again, like a Nick Paul--we know the size and strength is there, but it's not like he builds his game around it.
I think it does come down to vision, on why I'm not seeing stardom here. Maybe I'll see it more if he and Hagel click, because to me Geekie looks like a guy who's gonna need a playmaker stapled to him. His got good hands but, as of now, doesn't look quick enough to create space to get his shot off consistently. Hagel is great at creating that space, so I could be proven wrong on my point projection.
I don't see any Nichushkin in his game at all. Nichushkin, even when he struggled, played like a bull who couldn't quite dial it in. I don't see much Rantenan either. Maybe numbers-wise if he ends up with Point and Kucherov, which honestly might not be a bad idea. Because it would leave us with one of the better 2nd lines in the league.
Geekie warmup routine
Shock treatmentLooks like he's got "warm up" and "cool down" confused.
The early thing that worries me about Geekie is that he seems to need to play with two high motor guys in Cirelli and Hagel to have his best games. I'm not sure what that means. Maybe it's because they play a simpler, straightforward game, or simply that he's better on wing at the moment.
I haven't seen it either, but Geekie was actually praised extensively for his vision on his draft scouting reports, which I am sure is one of the reasons he was compared to Getzlaf. More upside to his game once he's gotten comfortable at this level, hopefully.
Good points, but I think he must have something - vision, hockey sense - because some nights he's repeatedly getting chances, in the right place, at a high rate. And he's also one of our best at skating the puck into the zone even though speed isn't his best asset.
The early thing that worries me about Geekie is that he seems to need to play with two high motor guys in Cirelli and Hagel to have his best games. I'm not sure what that means. Maybe it's because they play a simpler, straightforward game, or simply that he's better on wing at the moment.
Looks like he's got "warm up" and "cool down" confused.
Yeah, I mean, I get the comparison in terms of size and skill. I just don't see it in terms of how he plays. I do see more of a goal scoring getzlaf, but I don't see him as an elite shooter.
I think the hope is he will learn to use his body like a rantenan to get himself into scoring positions. I don't see him ever just driving through people like a Nichushkin, but I would love to be surprised, because I think it's what we've always needed. Basically a guy who attacks like Brayden Point, but twice his size.
I do see him using his body for positioning. I just mean I think Rantanen has always had a better ability to see the ice around him and the play developing.Yeah I don't think he's like Nichushkin at all, nor could he be with the lack of size, Nichushkin is a tank.
Watch for Geekie a little more closely tonight to see if he's not doing those things you say he should do to be more like Rantanen. 20 year old Rantanen anyways.