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LW Patrik Laine - Tappara, FEL (2016 Draft)

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He does look awesome. Hopefully he can translate his skills to pro level and the skating won't hold him back. It doesn't look as if he's just dominating with his size at the U18 level.
 
Periwinkle said:
He does look awesome. Hopefully he can translate his skills to pro level and the skating won't hold him back. It doesn't look as if he's just dominating with his size at the U18 level.
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I kinda feel like he does. Often he has a defender trying to push him over, but he just dangles through it. I don't know if it would work against stronger defenders.
 
I didn't mean the size doesn't help, of course it does, but that it doesn't appear to be a case of all size, little other tools.

Future will tell, of course.
 
He has to learn to pass the puck in time. There's no chance he can hang on to the puck that long against stronger NHL defensemen.
 
Now tied with Matthews for U18 top goal scorer at 8 goals each and they're gonna settle it in the finals.
 
Next draft is gonna have a LOT of big skilled players at the top of the draft.

Matthews, Puljujarvi, Laine, Chychrun, Brown, Jones, Day(?), and more
 
As good as he has been so far this will be his real test in the final, he racked up some good numbers against weaker teams and had a goal against Canada but I want to see how he does against a faced pace team like the US. He looks like a force against Swiss even though they were midgets compared to him but his skating still doesn't look good at all.
 
wings5 said:
As good as he has been so far this will be his real test in the final, he racked up some good numbers against weaker teams and had a goal against Canada but I want to see how he does against a faced pace team like the US. He looks like a force against Swiss even though they were midgets compared to him but his skating still doesn't look good at all.
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I reaally really disagree with the skating. Will he have Ovehckin/Malkin-like skating? No effin way. Will the skating be an issue for him? No effin way.

Given the history (knee surgery, the guy is 6.4, still growing) his skating is just fine. And usually the big guys seem slower than they really are. To me his skating reminds me of Getzlaf/Perry. Do those guys need speed to dominate in NHL? Nope.

What I've been most impressed thus far is his decisions with the puck and stickhandling in traffic areas. Altough he may seem clumsy, his skill compensates rather well.

Also, scoring against weaker teams.. Laine has had goal in every game in the tourmanment thus far, so he has been very consistent.

USA is on their own level and the final could get really ugly. There's not much Laine or anyone else can do. It's a team game after all.

But even if Laine doesnt score a single goal, he will be a lock for tournament all star-team as an underager.
 
Usa is a depth team, But Finaldn certainly has better stars. We'll see...
 
Reikai said:
US have the best player in the tournament.
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Matthews has better team around him. USA has scored 44 goals in the tournament comparing to 22 goals for Finland. I wouldn't say that Matthews is clearly the best player in the tournament. Laine is challenging him for that.

If we talk about next draft year i think that Matthews have been better than other #1 candidate Puljujärvi. If Puljujärvi doesen't outplay Matthews at WJC i think Matthews will go ahead Puljujärvi. We have to throw Chychrun in the mix too but to me Matthews is favourite. Laine is playing himself to the top 10. If he can work on his skating and translate his game to pro game he is going to be top 5 player. He is most dynamic player of that draft class no doubt about that.
 
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Laine can't carry whole team if USA overpowers Finland too badly and gets all the momentum.

If the game is somewhat even, then we can talk about it.
 
FinProspects said:
I reaally really disagree with the skating. Will he have Ovehckin/Malkin-like skating? No effin way. Will the skating be an issue for him? No effin way.

Given the history (knee surgery, the guy is 6.4, still growing) his skating is just fine. And usually the big guys seem slower than they really are. To me his skating reminds me of Getzlaf/Perry. Do those guys need speed to dominate in NHL? Nope.
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While Getzlaf and Perry aren't speedsters, both can turn in small spaces quickly. Laine isn't even close to that level. But he's got time on his side. It's his activity or lack of when he doesn't have the puck. Tappara fans at Jatkoaika have mentioned it several times that his defense usually consists of standing in one place and I could actually see that several times yesterday. His first shift on the ot was a complete disaster, we were lucky the Swiss didn't capitalize during it. He really shouldn't have been on the ice during the Swiss equalizer.
 

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