CalderKing21
Darth Calder
I think people are scared to jinx it. They want to enjoy his play and see him continue to improve.
I love how much chaos he creates along with the rest of that checking line. They are responsible defensively, but when they get into the offensive zone they just hem people in with constant pressure.
Since his 1st goal. 7G 4A 15gms +10 37 shots
Joe, have you found a free top-6 winger?
Since his 1st goal. 7G 4A 15gms +10 37 shots
Joe, have you found a free top-6 winger?
The funny part is Bednar just keeps him on the third line as a secret weapon. I don't think the league has caught onto how hes been playing.
I think it was TMV who mentioned that Nuke has pretty much been precisely the player they were looking for and never really got when they acquired Colin Wilson.
Personally if they want to try him a little higher in the lineup, that's fine. In fact I'm pretty sure he has spent an odd shift here and there with MacKinnon or Kadri in the past few games that wasn't just the result of an on-the-fly change. But I think he's at his best on the 3rd line where he provides solid defense and an extra scoring weapon in the event the top line or Kadri aren't delivering.
He could easily have 3-5 more goals as well. He’s producing, but he’s still snake bit.Since his 1st goal. 7G 4A 15gms +10 37 shots
Joe, have you found a free top-6 winger?
He lost his second season due to injuryAny idea what went wrong with him in Dallas? They were very high on him after this first season.
Any idea what went wrong with him in Dallas? They were very high on him after this first season.
Any idea what went wrong with him in Dallas? They were very high on him after this first season.
Imo, it's conflict of identity as a hockey player.
He was an east-west player as a prospect. This was very impressive to scouts, east-west player with impressive physical attributes.
The problem with being an east-west player is that everything (skating, vision, hockey IQ, shot, etc) needs to be on elite level. And this isn't even limited to NHL, it's not like Nichushkin dominated KHL.
I think he realized this and made a change in his game. The transition hasn't been a very smooth one, but it seems to be a successful one (more time is probably needed to truly have a verdict).
I believe that you are seeing a player who has finally made a full transition and has finally become comfortable with his new style.
I think you might've made a mistake here, before he was drafted and even after he is an extremely north to south player that had a bad degree of blinder mode. Now I don't think his offensive skill-set is entirely useless, he's a solid playmaker, but his vision won't ever come to the overall he was picked at. He's limited at the amount of playmaking he can conduct compared to someone like Backstrom.The problem with being an east-west player is that everything (skating, vision, hockey IQ, shot, etc) needs to be on elite level. And this isn't even limited to NHL, it's not like Nichushkin dominated KHL.
I think you might've made a mistake here, before he was drafted and even after he is an extremely north to south player that had a bad degree of blinder mode. Now I don't think his offensive skill-set is entirely useless, he's a solid playmaker, but his vision won't ever come to the overall he was picked at. He's limited at the amount of playmaking he can conduct compared to someone like Backstrom.
Lol, spot on cgf!!! That's pretty much how he played; get the puck and take it to the net that even Don Cherry would be proud. I didn't really mind him because he carried a certain amount of risk and that risk was certainly noticeable. I respect the Stars FO for having the balls to draft him that high, but in the end it was a bad pick even though he's finally found himself as an NHL player. However, I don't think he would be as effective if he wasn't in Bednar's heavy north to south system with strong forecheque characteristics, which fits Nuke perfectly like a glove. I just don't like seeing some Star fans hoping he fails because he wasn't good in Dallas, he's as good of a lad you want to cheer for.Glad I'm not the only one who remembered it that way lol. My memory of watching Nuke in his draft year is that he was a lot of fun to watch because no matter where he got the puck, he would charge straight towards the goal 99% of the time, regardless of the specifics. But because he was such a physical monster & had decent hands, he could simply blow through/past everyone that got caught in his way until he was promoted to the KHL.
In hindsight, the flaws should've been clear, but I didn't prioritize skill or creativity nearly as much back then.