Evander Kane

[Halfy]

Kane needs to find better ways to work the puck into scoring areas. He takes far too many shots from areas on the ice where he has no chance to score. This is also why his shooting % gets skewed.

 

[Channelcat]

Pfft. Look at the dude, he's got love handles. Tippin' too many ales, methinks.



I don't think his hands are that bad, but certainly some skill based work wouldn't hurt. The problem is we have no idea what sort of skill drills he's been doing because those results won't show up like the physicality does in a picture. Maybe he has spent a good chunk of time working on puck handling.

As StronGeer points out, a lot of training now is not sport specific but contributes to the overall strength that can then be applied very efficiently. Flipping tires does nothing for hockey skill, but it's sure going to make someone strong. Quicker, stronger, faster all work for hockey, or any other sport for the most part.

I don't see how quicker, faster, stronger will help Evander at this point. He's already lightning fast and cant handle the puck at his current full speed. That being said....there arent very many players who can.

 

[buggs]

Kane needs to find better ways to work the puck into scoring areas. He takes far too many shots from areas on the ice where he has no chance to score. This is also why his shooting % gets skewed.

I think a lot of that gets resolved by giving him linemates that can actually skate with him. Seto/Olli/Wright/Thorbs were all 3-8 strides behind him. Therefore no one at all to pass the puck to, resulting in a shot from a bad angle on the left side of the ice. Rinse, lather, repeat = bad shooting percentage, decline in goal scoring.

 

[buggs]

I don't see how quicker, faster, stronger will help Evander at this point. He's already lightning fast and cant handle the puck at his current full speed. That being said....there arent very many players who can.

Fair statement.

Stronger maybe prevents injuries. Faster is always better, maybe not for controlling the puck, but for zone entry, backchecking I see no issues at all. Quicker is good everywhere, so long as he maintains control which seems to be the big issue.

As in my previous post, I think many of Kane's 'issues' disappear with solid linemates. He's far from perfect, but I think the Jets have rather badly misused his talents since they've been in Winnipeg. And for the record, I don't see him potting 40 goals. Thirty seems reasonable enough without much PP time. I think though his assists go up moreso than his goals.

 

[garret9]

Kane needs to find better ways to work the puck into scoring areas. He takes far too many shots from areas on the ice where he has no chance to score. This is also why his shooting % gets skewed.

Here's the thing though... his goals per minute are among top 30 in the NHL...

So you have to ask yourself, if he takes less shots, but from the inside more often, does this guarantee more goals?
You may hypothesize yes, but realize the answer may be no...
Especially when most evidence is that high shot volume driven g/60 is more sustainable than high sh% driven g/60...

 

[EpicGingy]

Kane will get past the 30 goal mark again and will hopefully crack 60 points, that's all I hope for this year with him.

 

[Aavco Cup]

Kane will get past the 30 goal mark again and will hopefully crack 60 points, that's all I hope for this year with him.

Will he finally get an NHL hat trick?

 

[Analyst365]

Nice interview with Kane on TSN 1290 yesterday.

...

Says he's training hard for camp, and has had a very good off-season of training. He's ready to "embrace the pain".

Good, 'cause in the past it's taken about half a period of squinting, shaking his head, and staring at his toes on the bench to embrace a stinger.

 

[EpicGingy]

Will he finally get an NHL hat trick?

Only if he gets traded.

I'm certain the Jets have a curse when it comes to hat tricks at this point. So many players with two goal games the last three years.

 

[StronGeer]

Here's the thing though... his goals per minute are among top 30 in the NHL...

So you have to ask yourself, if he takes less shots, but from the inside more often, does this guarantee more goals?
You may hypothesize yes, but realize the answer may be no...
Especially when most evidence is that high shot volume driven g/60 is more sustainable than high sh% driven g/60...

Top 15 Forwards ES shots/60 last 3 years (1500 min played):

E. Kane
Nash
Pacioretty
Hornqvist
Kennedy
Bergenheim
Skinner
Neal
Ovechkin
Sharp
Seguin
Williams
Gallagher
Carter
Atkinson

Those bolded are also top 30 in G/60. So yeah, pretty solid correlation.

 

[aj8000]

Lord he looks bigger and more ripped than ever.

Photoshop

 

[Bob E]

Can't score if you don't shoot. You could score more, if you shoot better.

Would be interesting to see # of quality scoring chances and goals for these players. Where does Kane fit there? And if he increased those chances, would he score more?

 

[Bob E]

One goal late in the season sticks out with me. Kane took a bad angle shot from the boards off the rush, against Anaheim, and Anderson gave a bad rebound that Hali popped in.

Strategic shot by Kane to Anderson's feet, that he couldn't handle cleanly, but Hali went hard to the net looking for the rebound. That can work from time to time, but I'd rather Kane also develop a sniper mentality, a la Stammer or OV or Brett Hull in the offensive zone and make himself available for better scoring chances. To do that, he also needs a guy that can get him the puck. Maybe that's Scheif, maybe that's Perreault. It sure wasn't Olli.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

One goal late in the season sticks out with me. Kane took a bad angle shot from the boards off the rush, against Anaheim, and Anderson gave a bad rebound that Hali popped in.

Strategic shot by Kane to Anderson's feet, that he couldn't handle cleanly, but Hali went hard to the net looking for the rebound. That can work from time to time, but I'd rather Kane also develop a sniper mentality, a la Stammer or OV or Brett Hull in the offensive zone and make himself available for better scoring chances. To do that, he also needs a guy that can get him the puck. Maybe that's Scheif, maybe that's Perreault. It sure wasn't Olli.

I'm pretty sure it was Burmi for a while. Unfortunately Noel didn't like it and broke them up. That is the biggest criticism of Noel that I have. I know other people have other issues but that was it for me. Then right after to say something about still needing to find the right combination for Kane made it very frustrating. Water under the bridge now.

 

[ihadtochangethename]

I think he'll be moved. Reads like his agent/management/ownership/newcoach got with him yet again before the start of the season to remind him how being smart benefits everyone, including himself.

I think he will have an excellent season, because he wants to be a star player, and the trade request will go more swiftly this way.

Still my fave, is it October yet?

 

[boanst]

One goal late in the season sticks out with me. Kane took a bad angle shot from the boards off the rush, against Anaheim, and Anderson gave a bad rebound that Hali popped in.

Strategic shot by Kane to Anderson's feet, that he couldn't handle cleanly, but Hali went hard to the net looking for the rebound. That can work from time to time, but I'd rather Kane also develop a sniper mentality, a la Stammer or OV or Brett Hull in the offensive zone and make himself available for better scoring chances. To do that, he also needs a guy that can get him the puck. Maybe that's Scheif, maybe that's Perreault. It sure wasn't Olli.

Wheeler and Little didnt have trouble getting him the the puck the last 3 games of the year. Surprise surprise Kane scored a couple.

I think Kane has been in a legit shooting slump the past season and a half. He rarely sniped any goals during that time like he did before that. Maybe the wrist injury plus the lack of offseason work he was able to do had something to do with that.

 

[Holden Caulfield]

This is what I'm thinking... I'm hoping I'm wrong and will give him the benefit of the doubt and that what he needs is to play a full season with decent linemates but, I'm thinking he has plat-toed in terms of hockey IQ. My thinking on that is that you either have it or you don't - and he doesn't seem to have it. Hope I'm wrong..

Agreed completely. Players just tend to have it or they don't hockey IQ is not like skating, shooting, positioning, etc it doesn't develop. Kane doesn't. He has rare physical skills still making him a valuable player but he's a complementary player that adds lots of individual 5v5 offense (worse than useless on PP) but doesn't make linemates better. Which is why he has been playing with nobodies, since he doesn't get better with linemates or make linemates better due to his individual lacking hockey IQ style of play.

 

[Mud Turtle]

Agreed completely. Players just tend to have it or they don't hockey IQ is not like skating, shooting, positioning, etc it doesn't develop. Kane doesn't. He has rare physical skills still making him a valuable player but he's a complementary player that adds lots of individual 5v5 offense (worse than useless on PP) but doesn't make linemates better. Which is why he has been playing with nobodies, since he doesn't get better with linemates or make linemates better due to his individual lacking hockey IQ style of play.

Holden, I don't always agree with you, however this time I'm in 100% agreement. Kane is one of those players that will decline quickly once his physical skills start to decline. When he loses a step he will be completely ineffective.

 

[garret9]

Agreed completely. Players just tend to have it or they don't hockey IQ is not like skating, shooting, positioning, etc it doesn't develop. Kane doesn't. He has rare physical skills still making him a valuable player but he's a complementary player that adds lots of individual 5v5 offense (worse than useless on PP) but doesn't make linemates better. Which is why he has been playing with nobodies, since he doesn't get better with linemates or make linemates better due to his individual lacking hockey IQ style of play.

Kane made Burmi better (and vice-versa)...

Not disagreeing with your overall premise, but saying Kane doesn't make linemates better is false. Saying "Kane doesn't intentionally make linemates better or use them to his full advantage" would be better...

 

[Halfy]

Here's the thing though... his goals per minute are among top 30 in the NHL...

So you have to ask yourself, if he takes less shots, but from the inside more often, does this guarantee more goals?
You may hypothesize yes, but realize the answer may be no...
Especially when most evidence is that high shot volume driven g/60 is more sustainable than high sh% driven g/60...

maybe linemates is the issue then.

 

[AlphaLackey]

I see Kane being used as the centrepiece of a line with players that can get him the puck. Put me down for 35g - 25a - 60pts in 75+ games.

 

[EpicGingy]

Agreed completely. Players just tend to have it or they don't hockey IQ is not like skating, shooting, positioning, etc it doesn't develop. Kane doesn't. He has rare physical skills still making him a valuable player but he's a complementary player that adds lots of individual 5v5 offense (worse than useless on PP) but doesn't make linemates better. Which is why he has been playing with nobodies, since he doesn't get better with linemates or make linemates better due to his individual lacking hockey IQ style of play.

Playing with linemates that are better at sustaining offensive pressure and getting the puck out of the defensive zone would make Kane better, wouldn't it.

I know what you're saying but there isn't a player that doesn't see any sort of improvement when playing with other players, it's just that Kane receives and gives off a little less than others.

Either way, having a player like Kane who can put up good stats while playing with such lesser players is damned useful.

 

[jetkarma*]

I see Kane being used as the centrepiece of a line with players that can get him the puck. Put me down for 35g - 25a - 60pts in 75+ games.

Those are the numbers I think he will hit this season. He isn't nearly as challenged in passing the puck , or making linemates more productive as some claim imo. He's a dynamic talent that produces and has with less than ideal linemates. I would play Kane with 55 personally and let them make it impossible ( hopefully ) to separate them. If he has a C that can make great passes , has that ice vision , is fast as well , he'll learn to trust his C more .

I anticipate Kane providing the biggest boost this year from last years game. I expect 35 goals and that with his other plusses , will make an impact on this team where it matters , wins and losses.

 

[Holden Caulfield]

Playing with linemates that are better at sustaining offensive pressure and getting the puck out of the defensive zone would make Kane better, wouldn't it.

This is a yes and no answer for me. Sustaining offensive pressure does NOT help Kane, IMO, since he is horrendous in reading the offensive zone and finding the soft areas of the ice. So sustained pressure makes absolutely no difference. However players that are able to help Kane get a quick break out of the defensive zone are useful which might help him somewhat. I don't feel that that difference is worth it compared to a player able to contribute overall to an offensive line with smart players therefore I find him more useful on a useless 3rd line where he makes everything himself which is where he excels. He creates HUGE problems for opposing teams by being the guy who is on the line nobody expects (ie taking easiest matchups) and making plays himself out of it. He does not play well with others.

And yes garret will give me his hard time with his shots and shot attempts (which Corsi pawns off as "possession") blah blah blah but Kane is one of the examples that skews the results with his useless shot attempts which he creates completely by himself.

I know what you're saying but there isn't a player that doesn't see any sort of improvement when playing with other players, it's just that Kane receives and gives off a little less than others.

Depends on what your talking. Are you talking "possession/shot attempt" improvement or actual team improvement. Yes in terms of shot improvement you will see it on THAT line (while the other line reduces MUCH more than this line improves) due to the linemates being better. So what is better? 50 SOG, 10 G 2nd line + 20 SOG 1 G 3rd line OR 40 SOG ,9 G 2nd line + 40 SOG, 5 G 3rd line.

Either way, having a player like Kane who can put up good stats while playing with such lesser players is damned useful.

No denying this. I've always stated that there's maybe 5 players in the entire NHL that can do what Evander Kane does offensively 5v5. His natural talents make him easily an elite talent offensively 5v5 in terms of goalscoring. He is hugely useful and a huge asset to the Jets and other teams if he were to be traded. But that does not excuse his huge limitations which included improving teammates, PP, hockey IQ, etc. His limting factors for sure make him a complementary type player. He is a GREAT complementary player but still a complementary player.

 

[allan5oh]

This is a yes and no answer for me. Sustaining offensive pressure does NOT help Kane, IMO, since he is horrendous in reading the offensive zone and finding the soft areas of the ice. So sustained pressure makes absolutely no difference. However players that are able to help Kane get a quick break out of the defensive zone are useful which might help him somewhat. I don't feel that that difference is worth it compared to a player able to contribute overall to an offensive line with smart players therefore I find him more useful on a useless 3rd line where he makes everything himself which is where he excels. He creates HUGE problems for opposing teams by being the guy who is on the line nobody expects (ie taking easiest matchups) and making plays himself out of it. He does not play well with others.

I couldn't agree more. He is not a possession player, which seems to counter his advanced stats. Too many times he has broken up plays when the "smart" play was to put it around the boards, etc. instead he takes a weak shot on goal and the other team is off to the races. This is part of the reason why he's better at 5v5 as opposed to the power play. His style is very effective on the PK because the PP team is scared ****less of what he can do, so they give him respect and that costs them offense.