Player Discussion: Conor Geekie

[OffBy1]

His shot definitely says higher than 20 goals to me.

 

[LordStanlersCup]

He has also been incredibly unlucky, he could easily be at 0.5ppg right now

 

[BowB4Bolts]

He has also been incredibly unlucky, he could easily be at 0.5ppg right now

Yeah, I can easily see Geekie being a 25g - 30a player.

 

[DFC]

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.

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.

 

[Rschmitz]

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

 

[DFC]

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.

 

[Rschmitz]

Geekie warmup routine

 

[Rschmitz]

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 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.

 

[OffBy1]

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.

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.

Geekie warmup routine

Looks like he's got "warm up" and "cool down" confused.

 

[Rschmitz]

Looks like he's got "warm up" and "cool down" confused.

Shock treatment

 

[Rschmitz]

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.

Everyone seems to have their best game when they play with those two

 

[DFC]

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.

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.

 

[DFC]

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.

He's probably been better with them because they can find him at opportune moments. And he can also find them.

I'm not saying he has bad IQ or anything. I don't think you can make a Jon Cooper team with low IQ, especially at age 20. I just mean, I think he's going to be a good complementary goal scorer but I don't see him with the kind of vision needed to be a good playmaker. Which is why I think he's gonna land in the 40-50 point range most years. But if he gets expensive time on a good PP line that will obviously go up. And with his size he might make himself a good option.

I mean, realistically, we have no idea what this team will look like when Geekie is in his prime. Like Hedman will almost certainly be wrapping it up, if he's even still playing. That's how far out we are talking (5-8 years).

 

[Rschmitz]

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.

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.

 

[DFC]

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.

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 think Nichushkin was listed at like 190 around 19/20, but it never seemed to matter. He was always a tank. When we played Colorado in the finals, IMO, he was the scariest guy on either side.

 

[These Are The Days]

Geekie needs to learn how to create open space for himself, skate into open ice and make plays in it. If he did that he would be unstoppable. I am not trying to criticize him. He has bad luck and broken plays because the guy never does anything unless he has a 200 player on his back. Kid hurries straight into the nearest player and can't untangle himself to do anything

When he doesn't, he is legitimately Maroon lite and I see prime 25 goal candidate

 

[DFC]

Ironically he is playing tonight like a young Nichushkin. Lol

 

[RussianGuyovich]

Ironically he is playing tonight like a young Nichushkin. Lol

Badly? Didn’t nichushkin go like two seasons without a goal?

 

[DFC]

Badly? Didn’t nichushkin go like two seasons without a goal?

Yeah, but he still imposed his will. Geekie looks more aggro tonight. More willing to just go through people.

 

[Stammertime91]

Agree with most takes from both DFC and RSchmitz, but i don't see Nichushkin or Rantanen in Geekie at all.

He's like a NIB (new in box) 20 year old Pat Maroon, number and all, that skipped the extra burger and decided he'd work on his puckhandling skills instead. I can't unsee Maroon because of the hair, frame and number. In all seriousness, his play style doesn't really stand out to me if I'm trying to compare him to another established NHLer.