Call Me Al
Registered User
- Aug 28, 2017
- 5,589
- 6,977
if clarkson could score 30 goals wood could score 30 honestly
I would caution against using that completely fluke season from Clarkson as any sort of point to base an argument on.
I think if everything falls perfectly 20 goals is a good ceiling for Wood.
Bold prediction: Wood has great chemistry with Zacha and possibly Bratt/Palmieri and scores 30 next season.
i really hope Santini will give us something a team would worry about on the ice. He is an above average good clean hitter, which disrupts the flow of head down skaters. I wish Boyle would participate, but does not. Yes this is now a small defensmans league. if its not Reaves, Hedman, Wilson, Myers, they are still required IMONot sure we have the same definition of 'gooning it up' but for me- stepping over the line of legality with questionable hits and spears causing injuries qualifies. Realize that we had beaten them repeatedly during the regular season (albeit with ridiculous luck) when they were playing a passive game...because we COULD skate with them.
...but nothing says that the same luck couldn't continue. So they initiated physical and borderline dirty play.
What they did was the exact thing the Rangers did to us in 1994 before how we learned how to play that game, and what they did to us in 1997 when Messier cross-checked Gilmour.
Tampa walked the line (in fact stepped over the line) of legality and didn't get called on it, and we had no answer.
In 1994 we should've been in the Cup finals except for the parade to the penalty box in retaliation penalties. In 1997 we had no real answer in part because we lost instigators like Claude Lemieux.
You're kidding yourself if you think Tampa won that series on superior skill. They just didn't have their A game going else it would've been more lopsided --- and they intimidated us, provoked us, and we had neither the personnel nor the power-play to take advantage of when the refs actually DID call a penalty. That was the difference.
Wood was at 2.01 ES points/60 this year
that was good for 78th in the NHL among forwards, and better then players such as:
Sidney Crosby
Jeff Skinner
Tyler Seguin
James Neal
Kevin Fiala
Patrick Laine
Mitch Marner
RNH
Anders Lee
to name a few
ES points/60 is a flawed indicator
I seriously disagree with this. What Wood does well he does really well like chasing down loose pucks, winning footraces, and battling in front of the net. But he's still pretty raw in a lot of aspects. Despite being really fast, I don't think he's a very balanced skater, he's not really a puck protection guy either since he doesn't handle the puck often, and I also don't think he has a ton of offensive vision. With the things he needs a lot of work on, he is really far behind, probably too far behind to ever be "good." Henrique IMO is way more skilled.I was pretty down on Wood just a year ago, thought he'd for sure need some AHL time before permanently making it in the NHL.
He improved astronomically and assuming last year wasn't the fluke or aberration, I think he can actually score 30 goals, although probably not perennially. He produced a very good amount for the minutes he played and only like 3 of his points came on the power play. His shooting percentage was a little high, but not Adam Henrique high. He also was able to generate shots on goal at a pretty good clip, especially for those little minutes he played.
I think he could potentially wind up being better than Adam Henrique and that's not the first time that I've said this.
Clarkson never had the skill that Wood does.
Henrique isn't even a perennial 50 point guy, so why can't Wood be a 50 point guy? That's better than Henrique.I seriously disagree with this. What Wood does well he does really well like chasing down loose pucks, winning footraces, and battling in front of the net. But he's still pretty raw in a lot of aspects. Despite being really fast, I don't think he's a very balanced skater, he's not really a puck protection guy either since he doesn't handle the puck often, and I also don't think he has a ton of offensive vision. With the things he needs a lot of work on, he is really far behind, probably too far behind to ever be "good." Henrique IMO is way more skilled.
I've always liked the Clarkson comparison actually. Clarkson was a good middle six to bottom six guy and that was his ceiling. I feel like that will be Wood's niche too.
Imo Woods doesnt have any hands at all. He gets into great scoring chances and cant finish. Dno if thats something you can teach/learn.
In my opinion...Henrique isn't even a perennial 50 point guy, so why can't Wood be a 50 point guy? That's better than Henrique.
The Wood Clarkson comparison is fine as long as you include that Wood is also one of the fastest guys in the league. So it's Clarkson with insane speed.I seriously disagree with this. What Wood does well he does really well like chasing down loose pucks, winning footraces, and battling in front of the net. But he's still pretty raw in a lot of aspects. Despite being really fast, I don't think he's a very balanced skater, he's not really a puck protection guy either since he doesn't handle the puck often, and I also don't think he has a ton of offensive vision. With the things he needs a lot of work on, he is really far behind, probably too far behind to ever be "good." Henrique IMO is way more skilled.
I've always liked the Clarkson comparison actually. Clarkson was a good middle six to bottom six guy and that was his ceiling. I feel like that will be Wood's niche too.