Player Discussion: Patrik Laine IVever: a new hope? (Laine out of PAP, trade request still stands)

[Ippenator]

I'm on team Tex for #1C, meaning I'd give him a long look there. The one part of playing center he struggled with was the transition game but that's Johnny Gaudreau's job. And none of our other centers have Tex's combination of strength, speed, and defensive acumen. Roslovic struggles defensively, and might be too much of a puck hog. Jenner doesn't have the quickness, and isn't as great defensively as is often said. Sillinger might get a bit quicker this summer but last I checked wasn't nearly quick enough and wasn't actually good defensively. He was good for an 18 year old and bad by any other standard. I would give them all a chance but Tex makes the most sense.

I have to say that I disagree very much. I don’t see Texier as a good center for the top 6, and definitely not for the 1st line - unless you want to desperately kill your offence. He is not a very talented player offensively unfortunately. He lacks way too much of offensive hockey IQ, vision and passing skills.

A player who is all about good skating and hanging on to the puck with blinders on. Pretty good hands and ok defensively too, but his strengths and weaknesses are screaming of a bottom 6 player in a team that wants to get into the playoffs in the NHL, let alone a team that wants to be a Stanley Cup contender in a few years.

Jenner is definitely a better fit for the 1st line as center right now. He is better both offensively and defensively than Texier, and first of all he has at least ok vision and passing skills. Not the best, but not bad either. Anyway clearly better with those than Texier, and unless you seriously want to kill your team’s offence, you don’t have such a center with quite bad vision and passing skills like Texier as your top 6 centers.

I think Sillinger or even Roslovic are way better centers for the top 6, if we want to still have at least some offence with the 2nd line too.

 

[majormajor]

You're forgetting one thing. Tex didn't join his partners.

I'm not quite sure what you mean by that. I don't think he's a greedy player and even if he was, I've seen it many times that greedy players suddenly figure out how to share when they get to play with superstars.

 

[majormajor]

I have to say that I disagree very much. I don’t see Texier as a good center for the top 6, and definitely not for the 1st line - unless you want to desperately kill your offence. He is not a very talented player offensively unfortunately. He lacks way too much of offensive hockey IQ, vision and passing skills.

A player who is all about good skating and hanging on to the puck with blinders on. Pretty good hands and ok defensively too, but his strengths and weaknesses are screaming of a bottom 6 player in a team that wants to get into the playoffs in the NHL, let alone a team that wants to be a Stanley Cup contender in a few years.

Jenner is definitely a better fit for the 1st line as center right now. He is better both offensively and defensively than Texier, and first of all he has at least ok vision and passing skills. Not the best, but not bad either. Anyway clearly better with those than Texier, and unless you seriously want to kill your team’s offence, you don’t have such a center with quite bad vision and passing skills like Texier as your top 6 centers.

I think Sillinger or even Roslovic are way better centers for the top 6, if we want to still have at least some offence with the 2nd line too.

If he's trying to be a one man show and just leaving Johnny Gaudreau standing there, then I'll have a problem with that too. I think he'll know who he's out there with. I like Tex's passing actually, he just needs to play with his head up a bit more.

 

[Ippenator]

I'm not quite sure what you mean by that. I don't think he's a greedy player and even if he was, I've seen it many times that greedy players suddenly figure out how to share when they get to play with superstars.

He probably isn’t really greedy, but in my opinion he just lacks too much vision for seeing the open players well enough and early enough. A common speedster problem, especially if the speedster doesn’t have very good offensive hockey IQ in general.

I saw him play already quite a lot in KalPa in the Finnish Liiga, and these same things were quite visible for me already then, although he produced a bit better there in his last season. But he has been showing pretty much the same blinders on play in the NHL as well. Could be an ideal 3rd or 4th line center, but I just can’t see him as a top 6 center. Or if he is, then Columbus has big problems.

 

[stevo61]

If he's trying to be a one man show and just leaving Johnny Gaudreau standing there, then I'll have a problem with that too. I think he'll know who he's out there with. I like Tex's passing actually, he just needs to play with his head up a bit more.

I have no idea what the other 2 posters are on about. His passing is pretty accurate, just have to be ready because half the time its harder than some dudes shoot. I think thats his area of improvement if he wants to be setting guys like Laine up, just learn when to take some heat of his passes when the play calls for it

 

[Ippenator]

If he's trying to be a one man show and just leaving Johnny Gaudreau standing there, then I'll have a problem with that too. I think he'll know who he's out there with. I like Tex's passing actually, he just needs to play with his head up a bit more.

Well, let’s see of course. I might be judging him still a bit too harshly before I see him play in that spot. But let’s say that I have still very big doubts of him working well as a top 6 center - especially at the NHL level. Probably he should get a chance to prove me wrong though.

 

[VT]

I'm not quite sure what you mean by that. I don't think he's a greedy player and even if he was, I've seen it many times that greedy players suddenly figure out how to share when they get to play with superstars.

I didn't say he was greedy, I said he couldn't connect Voracek and Laine. Larsen said it clearly, he was thinking too much.

 

[majormajor]

I didn't say he was greedy, I said he couldn't connect Voracek and Laine. Larsen said it clearly, he was thinking too much.

Imagine that, a kid thinking too much in his first chance to play with talent.

 

[Aurinko]

Why does nobody want to hear this?

Cause it is an annoying problem to have. Tex is now on a 1,5M contract and he really is a good player. If they put him to top line on a contract year... that's one year of happiness and 5-8 years of pain.

I suppose his logic was that a good Tex is going to cost the team a lot of money in a contract & thus we don't want to hear about it because we'll lose Tex? Just my speculation.

CBJ could use a top-6 center... but so could 30 other teams. As he is RFA, there is some protection, but not against value rise like playing full minutes in 1st line with Gaudreau.

Puljujärvi is a decent example. He had ok season with McD and is now with a 3M contract. His career shot% is severely under the average NHL forward at 7-8% (even while playing with McD). Texier has elite figures (>>12%) in his shot percentage... and last season he had 18,6% shot. It's not hard to see what can happen here.


edit: Obviously there is an easy solution to the problem; get Texier a long contract before feeding him any top line minutes.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

 

[CBJx614]

The biggest thing I took away from all of those was that Laine expects this team in the playoffs next season.

 

[DougKnowsBest]

Found this looking for pictures of players at the osu game

Posted by the guy we signed who everyone said was patty’s boy, I believe. Laine lookin pretty thick through the chest

 

[I3LI3]

Found this looking for pictures of players at the osu game

Posted by the guy we signed who everyone said was patty’s boy, I believe. Laine lookin pretty thick through the chest

View attachment 581617

If I had no idea who patty is/how old he is, I would immediately guess anywhere from 39-44.

 

[DoingItCoolKiwi]

If I had no idea who patty is/how old he is, I would immediately guess anywhere from 39-44.

Eh, I'd say 30-35. You can easily see from the skin that he's not on the 40s.

 

[gearmex]

Klassikkovideo: Patrik Laine dominoi kaukalossa 13-vuotiaana

Tapparan C-junnuissa pelannut Patrik Laine ei jättänyt vastustajille mitään jakoa, kun nuorukainen peippaili puolustajia miten tahtoi.

pallomeri.net

Patrick Laine dominating when he was 13y. (He is the nr.8)

 

[NotCommitted]

The other guy in the title, Otto Mäkinen was never drafted it seems, but plays in Finnish League and was part of a championship winning U-18 WJC team. According to wikipedia, he's a two-way center and The Hockey Writer at some point has said his strengths include skating, playmaking, face-offs and versatility.

Jarmo get on the phone!

 

[CBJx614]

 

[5th Line Fanatic]

View attachment 583758

Oh great, first chance he gets and it's off to Cincinnati. He must hate Columbus.

 

[thebus88]

Brad Larsen: “As hungry as you are to score, you have to be just as hungry to get it back” — “We have to block more shots, be more committed to the gritty side of the game”…



-insert reactions similar to Laine being told this on the bench-

 

[DougKnowsBest]

Laine definitely feels like more a bengals then browns guy

 

[VT]

If it's right, in this case...

 

[Keduzin]

Accroding to Werenski Laine is in better shape and faster than ever and has been dominating on ice. Can’t wait to see him and CBJ in action !

 

[Halberdier]

Accroding to Werenski Laine is in better shape and faster than ever and has been dominating on ice. Can’t wait to see him and CBJ in action !

Whoopsie, did I accidentally report you when intended to reply....

Exciting times that's for sure.

Also according to a newspaper, Larsen is indeed going to play Laine with Gaudreau right from the start of training camp. I guess Jenner is the center, but who knows if Sillinger, Roslovic or even Johnson do get a look there during the training camp.

Ps. @Viqsi thread limit is maybe exceeded, if they still matter on the new server / software.

 

[Viqsi]

Ps. @Viqsi thread limit is maybe exceeded, if they still matter on the new server / software.

They don't.

 

[Duffalufagus]

If playing with Gaudreau can’t motivate Laine, nothing can. Career year incoming.