LW Patrik Laine - Tappara, Liiga (2016 Draft) IX

[Halberdier]

Wow.. one question. Tell me how did Marios precis draft season went campared to Laines? And have in mind that Laine play modern hockey.. Not hockey like when lemieux scored goals on drunk "I exersise when ever I want" "I got small blockers and **** and my goal is so big" goalies.. No but seriously, have in mind that its a totaly new era and tell me how lemieux predraft season and the player he was when being 17-18 was that out of this world better then Laine?

Pretty please. Not that ****.

Lemieux was maybe the greatest hockey player ever. Period.


Around 10+ and counting current and former professional, among them top NHL players have stated it in public, that Laine reminds them of Lemieux. That's mostly stylistic comparison: their size, skating, glide, long stick and posture. You can see that with your very own eyes if you dare to watch their highlights. No, Laine won't score 5 goals in a single game, or score 6 assists. But his play is so enjoyable to watch.

But no single person on the earth have stated (AFAIK) that Laine would ever become a comparable player as Lemieux. I mean that insane point production for example that Lemieux has. Even era-adjusted.

Still, just fasten your seat belts and enjoy the ride. Laine is playing old time hockey, and he is one of the most enjoyable players to watch, scoring or not. He is incredibly young, and no sane person expects him some 30+ goal rookie season. He said himself that he needs 5 years to get ready.

 

[Boxscore]

You need to chill too. It's not my fault what they compare to Laine, i think they see him and Laine some similarities or similar type of player, not as skill wise or at least not to get that kind of point product and be a that amazing player in whole hockey era.

But like i said, you should ask them, not me.

Wow.. one question. Tell me how did Marios precis draft season went campared to Laines? And have in mind that Laine play modern hockey.. Not hockey like when lemieux scored goals on drunk "I exersise when ever I want" "I got small blockers and **** and my goal is so big" goalies.. No but seriously, have in mind that its a totaly new era and tell me how lemieux predraft season and the player he was when being 17-18 was that out of this world better then Laine?

Ummm



Fellas... we're talking about M-A-R-I-O-L-E-M-I-E-U-X here. Outside of Wayne Gretzky, the GREATEST offensive weapon the league has seen since 1917. Are you kidding me with this Laine stuff right now?

 

[Joe MacMillan]

Pat Lafontaine and Real Cloutier score much more points 17 years old than Lemieux.

Lemieux outscored LaFontaine in their respective draft years.

But yeah, the scoring was way up compared to the days Crosby played but Lemieux was the better prospect nonetheless.

 

[93LEAFS]

If you had watched and understood Laine's interviews when he was speaking his native language, you would not compare him to Zlatan.

In comparison to Zlatan, Laine is extremely humble, is not picking on his team mates, but actually praising them. When reporters were fishing "I'm the best" comments out of Laine, he always turned the discussion to his team (Tappara, Team Finland) and praised his team. That's quite opposite to what Zlatan is doing.

Though you have to understand that Zlatan is a brand. He absolutely has to be cocky, in a very selfish way. That's his brand, after all. Some 14-15-years-old Laine might have been close, but not this 17-18-years-old Laine.


When asked, Laine has stated that his goal is to be the best player in the world at some point. Like Barkov, Bure, Crosby & Co. have stated.

I don't know. For me Zlatan has always seemed like a character and he knows what to say to media to get the reaction he wants. Ronaldo has always been a little more awkward in the interviews but has always believed to be the best and isn't afraid to say it. To me it looks like Laine really believes in everything he says.

Young Ronaldo was kept fairly isolated and quite though. He was fairly unknown til the friendlies, which after Manchester United decided they had to buy him and give him the 7. Maybe how Ronaldo talked later on, but early on, he was kept fairly quite, partially due to language barrier and the other is, unless you were Eric Cantona or Roy Keane, you couldn't go off the reservation with those types of comments under SAF, and was under close supervision by Quiroz. Zlaten has become a bit of a parody of himself over the years, but I think Ronaldo had more of a quite confidence early on. Laine's confident and more willing to express, granted he doesn't have a crazy Scottish man willing to blow up on him if he says too much.

 

[ijuka]

In their draft years Lemieux scored almost twice as many points as Crosby in the same league, and pre-draft Sid was twice the prospect Laine is, at worst.

Lemieux was a year older than Crosby.

When they were the same age, Crosby scored 168p in 62 gp, Lemieux scored 184p in 66 gp.

 

[Ippenator]

In their draft years Lemieux scored almost twice as many points as Crosby in the same league, and pre-draft Sid was twice the prospect Laine is, at worst.

Seriously dude? Did you even follow hockey at those days? I mean junior leagues (especially QMJHL) were piss poor then, compared to the level of competition that there was already at Crosby's junior league. Just check at Lemieux's stats in competitions where he played against the best juniors in the world and his point production there was not anymore on that same level.

The truth is that the difference between the skill level of the best player and the worst player in QMJHL was really, really huge compared to how the same difference is in present top junior leagues. Lemieux was for sure a magnificent and legendary player, but even his skills and career are a bit colored up with the huge skill differences of those days. Pat LaFontaine was not horribly far away from Lemieux's point production in junior league at those days. Well ok, not very close but at least not as far away as nowadays top junior's point production is. Well, Patty was an excellent player too. I really loved his play!

Anyway times have changed. No need to idolize great players of older times so much over present stars. It's good to remember that the game and the competition have really become that much tougher.

 

[Joe MacMillan]

Lemieux was a year older than Crosby.

When they were the same age, Crosby scored 168p in 62 gp, Lemieux scored 184p in 66 gp.

So it seems. Never watched Mario in the juniors but people who has rave about his prospect status being the best ever surpassed by no one as of yet, so I take their word for it.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Here is a great column by Puck Daddy Greg Wyshynski just mins ago.

Patrik Laine oozes confidence, doesn’t care if some gets on you

https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/n...esn-t-care-if-some-gets-on-you-202606790.html

To me it sounds like a very confident young man, that is real who gives truthful and thoughtful answers to questions posed to him. And he does not care how people perceive what he thinks.

In a day of rehearsed sports replies from athletes. It is a breathe of fresh air.

“People can think what they want to think. I don’t care,” said Laine.

“People who know me know I’m a good guy, have lots of confidence, I play the right way. I don’t think it’s a bad thing, but people can think what they want to think.”

"I think I have the ability to someday become the best player in the NHL, Maybe other guys are good at many different things, but not really good at one thing. I think I am,” Laine said at the NHL Scouting Combine on Saturday. "Toronto has a tough decision to make.”

“I want to be No. 1 because I want to show people that I want to be the best player in this draft, and that’s the thing that I wanna be. The first one,” he said. “I would be lying if I said I couldn’t go first. That’s always been my goal. After this season, I think it’s really possible to go first.”

“I just want to come here and give good interviews. I don’t have to be nervous giving them. I know what I can and can’t say. That’s good to keep in your head during these interviews.”

So what can’t you say?

“I not gonna say those things,” said Laine.

Here's my favorite.

“I just wanted to be me in the interview. I didn’t have to pretend I was someone else,” he said. “I want to be like this. In an English interview or a Finnish interview. I have good confidence on the ice and off the ice.

 

[ijuka]

So it seems. Never watched Mario in the juniors but people who has rave about his prospect status being the best ever surpassed by no one as of yet, so I take their word for it.

That's interesting, because I for one find Crosby's rookie season(102p as 18-year-old in 2005-2006) far more impressive than Lemieux's rookie season(100p as 19-year-old in 1984-1985). I actually consider Sidney Crosby to never have reached his true potential.

Only McDavid's 18-year-old season has ever been comparable to Crosby's, as far as I'm concerned, and even that was cut short. However, he was 7 months older, still.

 

[93LEAFS]

That's interesting, because I for one find Crosby's rookie season(102p as 18-year-old in 2005-2006) far more impressive than Lemieux's rookie season(100p as 19-year-old in 1984-1985). I actually consider Sidney Crosby to never have reached his true potential.

Only McDavid's 18-year-old season has ever been comparable to Crosby's, as far as I'm concerned, and even that was cut short. However, he was 7 months older, still.

Umm, Gretzky's they didn't count it due to a loophole, but he was still 18. Tied for most points, and lost the Art Ross on the goal rule, even though he played less games than Dionne.

 

[ijuka]

Umm, Gretzky's they didn't count it due to a loophole, but he was still 18. Tied for most points, and lost the Art Ross on the goal rule, even though he played less games than Dionne.

That's true and a good point. I just was thinking about him in WHA so I didn't realize he actually was that age. It doesn't count as a rookie season officially, after all. Still, is 137p in 79-80 more impressive than 102p in 05-06? I guess it does clearly go ahead of Lemieux's.

Well, not like I'm expecting Laine to do nearly as well in his rookie season. Even if he gets like 60 points that'd be a ridiculously good one.

 

[93LEAFS]

That's true and a good point. I just was thinking about him in WHA so I didn't realize he actually was that age. It doesn't count as a rookie season officially, after all. Still, is 137p in 79-80 more impressive than 102p in 05-06? I guess it does clearly go ahead of Lemieux's.

Well, not like I'm expecting Laine to do nearly as well in his rookie season. Even if he gets like 60 points that'd be a ridiculously good one.

I'd say its more impressive because he led the league in points (well tied) whereas Crosby was about 20 points behind Joe and Jagr.

What Laine does will be interesting and depends how he is used. I can't see any way he isn't on the first PP, ES time will be probably a sheltered 2nd or 3rd line role. He also is most likely to play in a very tough division, with multiple elite defenders (Keith, Weber, Josi, Suter and Pietrangelo, plus elite shut down guys).

 

[ijuka]

I'd say its more impressive because he led the league in points (well tied) whereas Crosby was about 20 points behind Joe and Jagr.

What Laine does will be interesting and depends how he is used. I can't see any way he isn't on the first PP, ES time will be probably a sheltered 2nd or 3rd line role. He also is most likely to play in a very tough division, with multiple elite defenders (Keith, Weber, Josi, Suter and Pietrangelo, plus elite shut down guys).

Really? 137 points led the league in 79-80 when Thornton had I believe 125 in 05-06?

Man, I just assumed the scoring was much higher back then. Or maybe thornton was a beast.

You have a good point about the division. That's a tough one for a rookie to break into.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

That's true and a good point. I just was thinking about him in WHA so I didn't realize he actually was that age. It doesn't count as a rookie season officially, after all. Still, is 137p in 79-80 more impressive than 102p in 05-06? I guess it does clearly go ahead of Lemieux's.

Well, not like I'm expecting Laine to do nearly as well in his rookie season. Even if he gets like 60 points that'd be a ridiculously good one.

The game is also not as offensive as it was when Lemieux played. Mediocre players were even putting up what many would consider good numbers today.

Laine will be a 18 year old player in his 1st year in the NHL. His comparables should be players of the recent era, not ones that played 10, 20, 30 years ago.

Today's game is much different. Goals are much harder to come by.

 

[ijuka]

The game is also not as offensive as it was when Lemieux played. Mediocre players were even putting up what many would consider good numbers today.

Laine will be a 18 year old player in his 1st year in the NHL. His comparables should be players of the recent era, not ones that played 10, 20, 30 years ago.

Today's game is much different. Goals are much harder to come by.

According to some figures I saw, Laine's one timer is like 20% harder than Brett Hull's. I wonder how relevant that is.

 

[93LEAFS]

Really? 137 points led the league in 79-80 when Thornton had I believe 125 in 05-06?

Man, I just assumed the scoring was much higher back then. Or maybe thornton was a beast.

You have a good point about the division. That's a tough one for a rookie to break into.

Scoring was probably higher, but remember the 1st year post lockout had crazy numbers due to the amount of Penalties called and the massive obstruction crack down. Prior to 79-80 there had only been 3 seasons with more than 137 points, two by Esposito and one by Orr (both acheived over 137 in 1970-71). That was the start of the scoring explosion, but realize the only people with more points than that in a season during the entire 80's not named Mario or Gretzky were Stastny in 1981-82, Coffey in 1985-86, Nichols in 88-89, Bossy in 81-82 and Yzerman in 1988-89. So outside of Yzerman, Stasny and Bossy, the others were Gretzky teammates. Part of the reason the 80's numbers are so crazy is because of Gretzky and Mario. Here's a list of the all time seasons. There were a few more who broke it in the 90's (Jagr, Lafontaine, and Oates).

http://www.eliteprospects.com/league_total.php?leagueid=NHL&season=alltime

Yeah, if teams worry about Laine and Jets are on the road, he will see extremely tough match ups. Getting out of the bottom of that division will be very hard.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

According to some figures I saw, Laine's one timer is like 20% harder than Brett Hull's. I wonder how relevant that is.

Hockey evolves. With the improvements in equipment/technology it would not surprise me.

Selanne scored 76 goals a rookie. If he came in as a rookie next year, realistically in today's game how many goals would be score? And he did this as a 22 year old not 18 year old.

Though we want to compare offensive stats for players that played from other eras. I think it is more accurate to compare how Laine or any top rated prospect with ones that played recently. IE Kane, Stamkos, Tavares, Seguin, Hall, Mackinnon, Eichel...All had fairly modest goal totals in their rookie years for the type of talents they were considered before the draft.

 

[Legion34]

A poor teammate, you say?

So do you know why he was kicked off the team? Two years ago, by the way. Not one.


Because his team was trailing by one during the dying seconds of the game, with him being the best goal scorer in his team, and his coach not having him on the ice at that time. What does that signify to you? A poor teammate?

The kid said it himself. It has been quoted many times. He says he was a poor teammate and did things he regrets but matured.

Im sorry its not a good thing. You can choose not to believe it if you want. Thats fine. But to get to be a first overall pick. That is baggage.

How many players sit on the bench when their team is down by one? Do they all get kicked off a team? portraying this as somehow a good thing reeks of bias.

 

[Legion34]

Seriously dude? Did you even follow hockey at those days? I mean junior leagues (especially QMJHL) were piss poor then, compared to the level of competition that there was already at Crosby's junior league. Just check at Lemieux's stats in competitions where he played against the best juniors in the world and his point production there was not anymore on that same level.

The truth is that the difference between the skill level of the best player and the worst player in QMJHL was really, really huge compared to how the same difference is in present top junior leagues. Lemieux was for sure a magnificent and legendary player, but even his skills and career are a bit colored up with the huge skill differences of those days. Pat LaFontaine was not horribly far away from Lemieux's point production in junior league at those days. Well ok, not very close but at least not as far away as nowadays top junior's point production is. Well, Patty was an excellent player too. I really loved his play!

Anyway times have changed. No need to idolize great players of older times so much over present stars. It's good to remember that the game and the competition have really become that much tougher.

This is why people think this thread is nuts. Wow. You have a good prospect. Act like you have been there before.

Its like canadian basketball. We are developing good players. We have some first overall picks and a hall of famer. But comparing a player based on his Canadian University stats to an Hall of Famer or NCAA star is so beyond foolish....

 

[Ippenator]

This is why people think this thread is nuts. Wow. You have a good prospect. Act like you have been there before.

Its like canadian basketball. We are developing good players. We have some first overall picks and a hall of famer. But comparing a player based on his Canadian University stats to an Hall of Famer or NCAA star is so beyond foolish....

Sorry, but what are you babbling about? I was comparing Lemieux's days QMJHL to QMJHL at Crosby's junior days and also to present QMJHL and other North American top junior leagues. I don't know what the hell you are really talking about, but sure doesn't make any sense...

 

[Halberdier]

The kid said it himself. It has been quoted many times. He says he was a poor teammate and did things he regrets but matured.

Im sorry its not a good thing. You can choose not to believe it if you want. Thats fine. But to get to be a first overall pick. That is baggage.

How many players sit on the bench when their team is down by one? Do they all get kicked off a team? portraying this as somehow a good thing reeks of bias.

As always, you are again messing things up. Laine admitting he was not the best team mate back then when he was about 14 years old has nothing to do with that U-18 incident.

Laine was not kicked out of the team because he was "poor teammate". He was kicked out since he had flipped his finger against his coach (coach didn't know until much later), and that was found out by newspapers. After the media backfire, coach had to send Laine home.

 

[Riellyfan04]

This guy acts like he's the best thing..... Its a bit annoying....soild prospect but dam, chill!

 

[ijuka]

The kid said it himself. It has been quoted many times. He says he was a poor teammate and did things he regrets but matured.

Im sorry its not a good thing. You can choose not to believe it if you want. Thats fine. But to get to be a first overall pick. That is baggage.

How many players sit on the bench when their team is down by one? Do they all get kicked off a team? portraying this as somehow a good thing reeks of bias.

Of course he has said so himself, I've read those comments. He obviously was also immature at the time.

But why did he do what he did? Because he cares a lot! He wants to be the person to decide the games, he wants to be there to score the tying goal. I don't consider that to be a negative trait and even if it was reflected as selfishness at the time, it's not that difficult to channel it to doing it for your team, which he already has done.

 

[93LEAFS]

According to some figures I saw, Laine's one timer is like 20% harder than Brett Hull's. I wonder how relevant that is.

That probably has more to do with the evolution of sticks than Laine's actual shot.

 

[GretzkytoLemieux]

Do you mean those posts where they were arguing whose rookie season was the best: Crosby's, Gretzky's or Mario's?

Again, they weren't comparing Laine to those guys.

But yeah, this topic is not for talking about who had the greatest rookie season in the past.

And even if they were is it such a crime? I would take what anybody speculates on to the bank but even Jagr has said he feels like he is in the best shape of his career but the game has improved by that much. For what it's worth. People act like sports are so serious, like the greats of the past are somehow untouchable and they are in a sense but the new kids could be just as good. I look forward to league with maybe 5-10 "generational" talents tearing it up.