I'm a Caps fan but we're fairly tentative in our own prospects thread. I once pitched a Landeskog upside and got the same tentative response because we're not ready to hope that there are actual bridge prospects on the horizon.
Care to build this out a little so I can get a vibe from someone who is watching for it?
Stepping away from the tools, I love how multi dimensional his offensive game is. He's a guy who is just as dangerous on the rush as he is at creating off of the walls which makes him a bit of a unicorn. He carries the transition load for his line. Now he isn't a guy who is going to take it coast to coast and be a terror through the NZ like McDavid, MacK or Barzal but he can carry the puck up ice and get it into the OZ with control.
When you hear about people creating space for their teammates its usually with them mucking it up and putting a body on someone and he's certainly got that, but he is just so instinctual at how he's routing himself through the OZ with out the puck on his stick and occupying a lane which allows a teammate to have a little bit of extra space to operate from an opposition defender with out even making contact with anyone. He's even better at getting his stick available when he's crashing the net, he almost never gets tied up.
And of course, his shot is very good.
All in all you have a guy who is -
- Good at carrying the puck through the NZ and entering the OZ with control, is more than capable of chipping, chasing and retrieving when necessary.
- Can create off the rush or off of the cycle.
- Creates space in a multidue of ways, both for himself and his teammates
- Scores from in tight and from a distance. The only thing I haven't seen from him is hunting for deflections/tips and I think thats more of a product of how his line plays. Even if this isn't a skill that he has, its one that he profiles pretty well to develop.
He reminds me of Filip Forsberg but with that edge. So a Foresberg/Landeskog hybrid if you will.
Great prospect who will be a great pro. I hate that the Caps have him.