Player Discussion Mika Zibanejad

[WojtekWolski86]

Mika is the obvious weak link on the PP. Everyone else serves a purpose... Even Tro, with the faceoffs and gaining possession.

He's been horrible on the left wall. Either take him off the unit or move him to the bumper, force him to use his wrist shot. I remember all the shit I got saying his One-Timer is over-rated last pre-season.

Tro is the lunch pail guy that takes a ton Abuse in the slot and tries to cause havoc to free up the cross seam. His downside is he's a bit streaky goal scoring wise.

Anyways back to Mika. Look Stamkos and Ovi are force fed obvious 1Ters and it still works (mostly). But that's because their shot speed and accuracy are HOF level. Come playoff team teams have neutered Ovi because the rest of the unit couldn't manage a 4 on 3.

When the PP is rotating and not trying obvious Mika 1Ts they are more successful. Joe keeps saying Mika needs to shoot more to open other things and I just don't that's true. He's lost so much accuracy that if the shit isn't landing square in the logo it's rimming off the glass and out.

Hard conversation needs to be had with Mika. This isn't a today revelation. Sit down with him and say let's focus on the defensive side of the game. Dial back some of his minutes. Time for him to figure out what kind of player he's going to be in the back 9. He doesn't look like a 40 goal scorer.


Additionally, if he keeps making business decisions and avoiding hard work along the boards then his A needs to be taken. When this team mails it in, Mika and Kreider are the biggest culprits.

 

[McRanger92]

How does it look to the rest of the team that when Laviolette throws the lines into a blender, the only combo he keeps together are Mika and Kreider? How does it look to the rest of the team that a guy wearing and A and 2nd longest tenured player on the team won't ever get his hands dirty? Mika has played absolutely gutless hockey consistently since the the start of the 23 season. That's 2+ years.