Parise who? Is Clarkson becoming a legit first line winger?

[Richer's Ghost]

I miss that whole damn line. Crash line was like a birthday present every shift - you never knew what you were going to get but it was usually something good.

 

[aboriginal]

For the mustache alone.

well yeah.

 

[lboogie42*]

Now all the people who said clarkys 30 goal season was a fluke are gonna be loving him. Hypocritical. But yes I've been impressed with clarkson this year. Idk I he'll be our leading point scorer but he will be up there in goals this year.

 

[AfroThunder396]

His career arc, much like his on-ice play, defies all logic. He literally willed himself into a legitimate 2nd line power forward.

 

[Classic Devil]

Clarkson reminds me a little of Randy McKay in his prime. Average skater (at best!), not real fast, tough guy, gets himself in the right place at the the right time, 20-25 goal man. An ideal 3rd liner who can fill in on the 1st & 2nd in a pinch and not look like a disaster.

Clarkson is better than McKay was in his prime.

I loved Randy McKay to death. Clarkson is better than McKay in his prime.

 

[JackHughes86]

clarkson should teach kovalchuk how to put the puck in the back of the net

 

[Techno Devil*]

hes not a first liner for the fact that he really cant create offense by himself; however, the benefit of having him in the top 6 and finishing outweighs the benefit of having a guy that will score 20 goals whether he is on the first or 3rd line in his spot. see holmstrom clowe knuble brouwer in the thesaurus.

 

[Jiri Bicek]

No

He's a right place at the right time kind of guy who gets in in the proper areas to score the ugly goals

 

[KohoDonuts88]

End of the day, Clarkson is the one putting the puck in the net, can't take that away from him. But he gets way more scoring opportunities playing with Patty. Elias probably adds 10 goals a year or more to what he'd get on another line. His overall talent level may be 3rd liner, but he needs to stay right where he is.

 

[JimEIV]

No

He's a right place at the right time kind of guy who gets in in the proper areas to score the ugly goals

Are you talking about Parise?

 

[Jiri Bicek]

Are you talking about Parise?

I guess that could very well describe both players

 

[Wingman77]

Clarkson has more skill than McKay did...McKay was an incredible skater Clarkson is not.

McKay was barely a 20 goal scorer.. in fact he only cracked 20 goals twice in his 16 year career.

Besides the fact that they are both tough and emerged from what looked like a predetermined grinding role they really weren''t much alike

Points wise Clarkson was pretty similar to McKay and that is much in part due to McKay putting a few more assists on the board and Clarkson putting a few more pucks in the net

Both have great shots, are great along the boards and were great in the dirty areas areas of the ice that not many players go into - you stick them around the front and back of the net and you know the opponent is going to get worn down trying to defend them, and then the physical game to go with that

You don't come across many players like McKay and Clarkson that can put pts on the board and play that physical, dirty area game

Clarkson is more of a classic agitator, McKay was more of a classic enforcer (especially pre 96)...You look at McKay's fight card in his early days he was fighting people like Dave Brown, Marty McSorely and Stu Grimson....That's not Clarkson's game

You never saw McKay chirping the opponent. That is sort of Clarkson's game.

At the begining of Clarkson's year when we were more stacked with forward depth and he was in a bottom 6 role, he was fighting a lot of the big guys also (Konopka, Neil, Gill, McCarty, Phaneuf, Lucic) and while some of those guys are not nearly as tough as the guys you mentioned, they are still among the toughest/biggest size wise in the game today

Now with our depth becoming more depleted, and Clarkson showing he can handle a bigger role, he's needed on the ice more often and in a top 6 role, not dropping the gloves as frequently

The chirping is one thing I've never cared for about Clarkson, but it is what it is

 

[DevilsTilIDie]

Let him prove himself. Thats all.. then the haters will see.

 

[CerebralGenesis]

Let him prove himself. Thats all.. then the haters will see.

Did I accidentally enter the Tedenby thread?

 

[Blender]

Top line winger? No. I could see him on the second line no problem if he can continue to score at a decent pace, he won't maintain his current pace though.

Remember, the guy scored 30 goals last year when he spent most of the season playing with less than stellar line mates. He also averaged the least amount of ice time for anyone with 30+ goals. So far this season he has been playing with better talent, and is showing he can do well with it.

 

[Czech Trio]

Legit? I don't know about that. I mean with the spot he has he is getting it done in terms of putting up points. He isn't a defensive disaster either so in the present moment he is doing fine.

On a side not I though the Elias/Henrique/Clarkson line played great last night. Just an awesome blend of skills on that line.

 

[Bleedred]

Clarkson may not be a first line winger, but let's be serious here. Is Zubrus really a first line winger? I don't think so. Though he is better than the other crap we had on that first line for those handful of games.

 

[apice3*]

The term "1st liner" has so many interpretations.

Does it mean playing on the top line? Zubrus is a 1st liner by those standards.

Does it mean finishing top 3 on your team in scoring? Clarkson is a 1st liner by those standard.

Does it mean having a perceived skillset of a typical top NHL player? Neither Zubrus nor Clarkson are 1st liners by those standards.

30 goals is 30 goals no matter what line you're on. Clarkson plays the style of a 3rd liner, but seems to be capable of scoring like a top line winger. He's okay in my book.

 

[Saugus]

Clarkson is not a top line winger. He ideally belongs on the third line, but he does well on the second line. He's a legitimate power forward, but not a legitimate top liner.

 

[Richer's Ghost]

When the thread title says Parise replacement, there is only one way to interpret legit 1st liner IMO.

 

[devilsblood]

Clarkson is not a top line winger. He ideally belongs on the third line, but he does well on the second line. He's a legitimate power forward, but not a legitimate top liner.

Don't mean to single u out because a lot of guys are saying the same, but what is this ****? Dude scored 30 last year and is off to a torrid start. Guy has easily been our best offensive player this year. And I don't mean just the goals.

OK, u don't want to give him 1st line status? All right, I can deal with that. but he is a legit 2nd line fwd one. A good one at that.

 

[Bleedred]

I think he's a proven 2nd line winger at this point. It would be nice to have the depth to throw someone like him back on our 3rd line though.

 

[devilsblood]

Elias leads the team in assists this year. Guess who is 2nd on the team.

Clarksons game is growing in big ways. The set up on Henrique's first goal this year was an eye opener for me.

 

[RANDOMH3RO]

He's a beauty playing with Elias. A player that really knows how to bang pucks in and Elias can get it too him. I like them with henrique too.

 

[TheUnseenHand]

Lololol. Clarkson is not and never will be a 1st line winger. He's not even close to Zach as far as the impact he makes on the ice. He's off to a nice start but he will never ever be a Parise replacement.