Player Discussion Jesse Ylonen #56

417

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Ylonen is a mystery for me. I don't know what he is good at. He doesn't seem to be an intense checking player, he does not stick handle much except in shootouts, I don't see him do great passes to teammates, he does not have many defensive responsabilities..... It may be why he doesn't play that much, MSL does not know where he would excel yet.
He's not a player who is going to stand out playing on a 4th line that’s for sure.
 

morhilane

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He's not a player who is going to stand out playing on a 4th line that’s for sure.
He had his chance a few times on the top 6 this season and he didn't stand out there either.

MSL took him off the PK (he haven't played on it since November 25th) which was supposed to be what he was working on this season. That should mean he's been asked to focus on something else and he's probably not improving that aspect at all, so he doesn't get more TOI.

MSL's meritocracy is based on self-development efforts.
 

417

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He had his chance a few times on the top 6 this season and he didn't stand out there either.
No player performs well when they've got an anvil hanging over their heads.

It's not like they stuck with it like they have with Josh Anderson, they've been patient for 31 games with him, which of course is understandable.

Anderson makes 5.5M and Ylonen doesn't...it's the easy fix when you need to change things around.
MSL took him off the PK (he haven't played on it since November 25th) which was supposed to be what he was working on this season. That should mean he's been asked to focus on something else and he's probably not improving that aspect at all, so he doesn't get more TOI.

MSL's meritocracy is based on self-development efforts.
Bof...not sure I agree with that, there's no such thing as meritocracy in a league where players have vastly different financial commitments.

I understand what MSL is trying to do with Ylonen and what he wants him to improve on, i'm just saying, it's going to be difficult for him to really stand out given the role he plays.
 

morhilane

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No player performs well when they've got an anvil hanging over their heads.
There is no anvil hanging over Ylonen's head that might impacting his performance. He has looked the same in Liiga, the AHL and now the NHL regardless of TOI given.
 

417

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There is no anvil hanging over Ylonen's head that might impacting his performance. He has looked the same in Liiga, the AHL and now the NHL regardless of TOI given.
Of course there is, you just referred to it...he had a couple of chances in the top 6, it lasted about 2 periods each time.
 

morhilane

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Of course there is, you just referred to it...he had a couple of chances in the top 6, it lasted about 2 periods each time.
There is zero anvil about showing efforts when given the chance.

And if you think that's Ylonen problem, then he's doesn't have the mental to be a top 6 players. Once you get established as a top 6, the pressure to perform all the time is even bigger than the pressure of making it.
 
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417

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There is zero anvil about showing efforts when given the chance.
Effort? meh...that's just a cop out. The issue wasn't effort, the whole team was playing like shit, he's just the easiest player to scratch or demote.

And if you think that's Ylonen problem, then he's doesn't have the mental to be a top 6 players. Once you get established as a top 6, the pressure to perform all the time is even bigger than the pressure of making it.
That's a cute story, but it's not how professional leagues work....see Josh Anderson.

Contracts typically determine playing time and right now, Ylonen isn't very high on the pecking order and that's fine.

But let's stop making up these meritocracy narratives like they're an actual thing.

It's not a big deal right now, he does have some things to work on so playing in the top 6 right now isn't going to happen and that's fine.

I just personally think there's more there and the coaching staff could be doing a better job of exploiting it.
 

Paddyjack

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Effort? meh...that's just a cop out. The issue wasn't effort, the whole team was playing like shit, he's just the easiest player to scratch or demote.


That's a cute story, but it's not how professional leagues work....see Josh Anderson.

Contracts typically determine playing time and right now, Ylonen isn't very high on the pecking order and that's fine.

But let's stop making up these meritocracy narratives like they're an actual thing.

It's not a big deal right now, he does have some things to work on so playing in the top 6 right now isn't going to happen and that's fine.

I just personally think there's more there and the coaching staff could be doing a better job of exploiting it.
Well, Anderson is not that good of an example. He was on the first line and got demoted too. If anything, the anvil is a lot more heavy on his shoulders than Ylonen. And Anderson is noticeable on every shift, he uses his speed and his body, even though it is not often effective.

I remember Danault on the fourth line when he first came here. He was noticeable, enough so that he got promoted. Ylonen needs to do the same thing if he can.
 

salbutera

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Sep 10, 2019
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No player performs well when they've got an anvil hanging over their heads.

It's not like they stuck with it like they have with Josh Anderson, they've been patient for 31 games with him, which of course is understandable.

Anderson makes 5.5M and Ylonen doesn't...it's the easy fix when you need to change things around.

Bof...not sure I agree with that, there's no such thing as meritocracy in a league where players have vastly different financial commitments.

I understand what MSL is trying to do with Ylonen and what he wants him to improve on, i'm just saying, it's going to be difficult for him to really stand out given the role he plays.
Disagree - they made a good point on that TSN690 link, Ylonen gets his shot off quickly in AHL.

IMO the concept of development is red herring humbug, however, one caveat, if development means fine tuning existing capabilities, I do believe in that. I.e can body/hand/feet positioning give Ylonen that extra 1/10th of a second to get his shot off?

With MSL and Nicholas he can get there, but it will take time creating that habit - and that’s what I think MSL meant when he said Ylonen “has a long way to go before he gets there”
 

417

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Well, Anderson is not that good of an example. He was on the first line and got demoted too. If anything, the anvil is a lot more heavy on his shoulders than Ylonen. And Anderson is noticeable on every shift, he uses his speed and his body, even though it is not often effective.
Yes...after weeks. It's not even comparable.

Anderson is more noticeable every shift because he plays a lot more. That's normal.

And for the record, i'm a huge Anderson fan. I really hope he's out of his slump.

Ylonen's season high in TOI was 14:16...and that was the 2nd game of the season.

He just doesn't play a lot, so i'm not quite sure what impact people expect a talented guy, playing mostly on a 4th line, will do playing 7-8-9 mins a game.

It's just not going to happen...Michael Pezzetta can make an impact playing 7 mins a game, but not Jesse Ylonen. Different players.
I remember Danault on the fourth line when he first came here. He was noticeable, enough so that he got promoted. Ylonen needs to do the same thing if he can.
Again, not the same type of players...Danault was noticeable because he could win faceoffs, play on the PK, things that you don't need a lot of ice time to do.
 

417

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Disagree - they made a good point on that TSN690 link, Ylonen gets his shot off quickly in AHL.
Not sure I understand the point here...he's not in the NHL and i'm not questioning his ability to get his shot off, he's got an excellent shot. He just doesn't get a lot of opportunity to use it.
IMO the concept of development is red herring humbug, however, one caveat, if development means fine tuning existing capabilities, I do believe in that. I.e can body/hand/feet positioning give Ylonen that extra 1/10th of a second to get his shot off?
Again, I really don't think he has difficult getting his shot off. He needs work away from the puck, but shooting is a big strength of his and one they should have been using on the PP a long time ago.

We saw it last game when he had that one-timer...he doesn't need a lot of time and space to shoot, He's got a heavy and accurate shot.
With MSL and Nicholas he can get there, but it will take time creating that habit - and that’s what I think MSL meant when he said Ylonen “has a long way to go before he gets there”
Sure I get it...MSL has stressed that he needs to improve away from the puck, which I would agree with.

But then when you're saying that and giving a guy like Josh Anderson (who again, i'm a big fan of) copious amounts of ice time despite him looking absolutely clueless away from the puck, it's a bit contradictory.

Though there are contractual obligations that are at play here.
 

jrom

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Mar 28, 2022
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There is no anvil hanging over Ylonen's head that might impacting his performance. He has looked the same in Liiga, the AHL and now the NHL regardless of TOI given.

He’s been playing better this year than last year. He gained size, he’s not physical but doesn’t shy away from board battles, makes smart plays (for a bottom 6 guy).

I think his anvils are the vets on this team that are getting ice time because of their contracts. He doesn’t belong on the top6 currently but not on the 4th either.
 

rik schau

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Mar 1, 2021
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lmao what a horrible post. see ya
Meow. lol. Guess you don't read many, any? at all then. Ooh I want to pinch your cheeks to see if you're real.lol

All seems kind of ironic now doesn't it.lmao

See ya? is this your way of saying you're coming downunder? good on ya! But give a chap fair warning as we're set to sail come the new year, so shake a leg. Still time to drop a line in a few billabongs and snag a heap of barramundi, and cross fingers the salties don't get em, nor the anglers. lol
 

Team_Spirit

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pth2

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I'm having trouble seeing him as anything more than filler at this point, he doesn't bring anything special to the table, and small wingers need to be dynamic to survive in this league. I wonder if he needs to reinvent himself and become a pure checker, like guys such as Frolik have done.... otherwise he'll be a top-line AHLer soon enough.
 

CHwest

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I think his biggest issue is confidence. He is purposefully keeping his game simple, not sure if he is being told to or it's a lack of confidence. You can readily see he has skill when he takes a shot in the shoot out. Seems bitten by the same bug as Armia, talent is there but not coming together.
 

Habssince89

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I think he's NHL calibre but he'd look better on a different kind of bottom six line. His shootout ability potential shouldn't be overlooked as an asset. Hell end up a third liner/top9 forward IMO
 

dcyhabs

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May 30, 2008
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Ylonen has had some great plays, very nice hands, and good shootout moves. He's not terrible defensively but he's definitely not hard to play against. Unfortunately the great plays aren't frequent enough to make up for his generally just OK play and low production. He'd need some pretty significant improvements to stick around once the team is good. The coaching staff should try to get that improvement from him, but it's more likely that he eventually leaves on waivers or goes back to the AHL.
 
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TT1

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May 31, 2013
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i think Ylonen has a lot of untapped potential but he's gonna need to play in the NHL, his biggest weakness now is consistency, if he can find a spot in the bottom 6 while being defensively responsible and chip in here and there he can also start to get a feel for the pace of the game and how much he needs to push himself etc.

that'll help a lot in his off season work, he needs to understand how playing in the NHL feels like and work on his conditioning in the off season (many young players have this problem, so does Slaf but he realized that quickly last year)
 

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