Player Discussion Patrik Laine: Part 2 - Healthy Living Edition

[Maliki2]

Not impressed with Laine. He looks slow and uninspired. But we heard that before.

 

[ps241]

Essentially MTL had a two yr audition for what Laine is at a cost of money

We have seen some very good and very bad

His current level of play there is no way you can extend him

His overall effectiveness is just not there

Will a training camp help that, i think its wait and see but feels like its going to be too much work to around his deficiencies

As a Jets fan I think I should warn you. Do not expect him to come back in great shape at the start of the season. The hopes would be his knee injury fully heels but he’s not a fitness guy. One of our top posters use to make it out to the fitness tests at the start of camp and report back every year. I use to always cross my fingers that this was the off season Laine would put in the work and come back to camp transformed but it never came together. He stood out as the least fit player gasping for air and dying during the tests/drills season after season.

 

[VT]

First, sorry my English I hope you will understand these words.

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I've been thinking about one thing. Dvorak, despite all his criticism, is better on offense than Evans. Also, Beck's style fits Evans and Armia, as he plays similarly (not the same) as Heineman, preferring vertical hockey. And yet Owen plays with Dvorak and Gallagher, and Patrik with Evans and Armia.

That's why I ask, doesn't Laine's play with them improve his defensive game, loan game at the boards, and overall battle in general?

---

There was something similar with Nichushkin when he left Dallas for CSKA Moscow (KHL) for two seasons. There, his coaches were Dmitri Kvartalnov (2016-17) and Igor Nikitin (2017-18).

Dmitri Kvartalnov prefers hard forechecking, playing defense and offense with the whole five, you have to fight, control the forechecking/backchecking. Simply, he is Russian Rod Brind'Amour.

Igor Nikitin is a master of defense, if a player wants to, he can learn excellent defending, use the body, stick, etc, and also proper positional play etc.

After coming back from CSKA Moscow Nichushkin was a different player, he learned to use his strengths, include his body, plus defend perfectly.

MSL is not Igor Nikitin, but playing with Evans and Armia can help Laine learn to defend better, including positional play, better for/back checking, play at the boards and also radically improve his chance creation, since he can't expect a pass from Armia and especially Evans (that's not a criticism of them, they play a ‘beat the run’ system of play without the puck and that's what's expected of them. ).

Btw to positional play. He doesn't have the explosive muscle like Heineman, Anderson etc, therefore he can't have good acceleration. That's why he has to use other things, for example proper positional play, quick decision making, skill.

Of course, I can be wrong.

 

[JianYang]

I know you're being a clown about it and that's alright but the truth is, that has always been his MO going back to New York. All the greats said Kovy was the most talented player they came across but he didn't love hockey, he was just great at it.

Enjoy your day.

When you hear old players talk about kovalev, it's clear that he was a unique talent, and someone who also had unique interests outside of hockey.

I don't buy that he didn't love hockey. If you hear his childhood story, it paints a much different story. He literally made dvds about hockey skills and went to coach the game in China of all places.

I think he has a certain mindset about how the game should be played and he often butted heads with coaches.

I see him more as a guy that marched to the beat of his own drum, rather than a guy who didn't love the game.

 

[HuGort]

Not impressed with Laine. He looks slow and uninspired. But we heard that before.

You knew that when you traded for him. He had issues.

 

[First Line]

Not impressed with Laine. He looks slow and uninspired. But we heard that before.

Thats what we heard after we got Kovalev too

 

[Victoire HuGo]

Thats what we heard after we got Kovalev too

Kovalev was miles better than Laine.

 

[VVV]

Kovalev was miles better than Laine.

The biggest difference is that Kovalev was better at driving the play and keeping puck possession. Laine does have a better shot though. His quick release is faster than Kovy

Two different players though. One is as close as a pure sniper as you can get while the other was more of a dangler. Laine was better at play driving in his Winnipeg days. Let's hope he find that touch again

 

[CoopersFalls]

First, sorry my English I hope you will understand these words.

---

I've been thinking about one thing. Dvorak, despite all his criticism, is better on offense than Evans. Also, Beck's style fits Evans and Armia, as he plays similarly (not the same) as Heineman, preferring vertical hockey. And yet Owen plays with Dvorak and Gallagher, and Patrik with Evans and Armia.

That's why I ask, doesn't Laine's play with them improve his defensive game, loan game at the boards, and overall battle in general?

---

There was something similar with Nichushkin when he left Dallas for CSKA Moscow (KHL) for two seasons. There, his coaches were Dmitri Kvartalnov (2016-17) and Igor Nikitin (2017-18).

Dmitri Kvartalnov prefers hard forechecking, playing defense and offense with the whole five, you have to fight, control the forechecking/backchecking. Simply, he is Russian Rod Brind'Amour.

Igor Nikitin is a master of defense, if a player wants to, he can learn excellent defending, use the body, stick, etc, and also proper positional play etc.

After coming back from CSKA Moscow Nichushkin was a different player, he learned to use his strengths, include his body, plus defend perfectly.

MSL is not Igor Nikitin, but playing with Evans and Armia can help Laine learn to defend better, including positional play, better for/back checking, play at the boards and also radically improve his chance creation, since he can't expect a pass from Armia and especially Evans (that's not a criticism of them, they play a ‘beat the run’ system of play without the puck and that's what's expected of them. ).

Btw to positional play. He doesn't have the explosive muscle like Heineman, Anderson etc, therefore he can't have good acceleration. That's why he has to use other things, for example proper positional play, quick decision making, skill.

Of course, I can be wrong.

You lost me at Dvorak is better at offense than Evans

 

[VT]

You lost me at Dvorak is better at offense than Evans

Evans plays vertical hockey, Dvorak can combine, play more horizontally. Note that Jake tries to shoot often, Dvorak is able to pass more often. In addition, he has an excellent FO.

 

[Victoire HuGo]

Good effort from him today.

 

[Rapala]

Lots of possession with nothing on the end of it. There are openings however.

 

[JianYang]

Kovalev was miles better than Laine.

In retrospect, yes. But in reality, when the habs got kovalev at the deadline, he was struggling big time, and it didn't turn around until Game 2 of the first round of playoffs. And that was Kovalev who not coming off some long layoff like Laine is.

 

[behemolari]

wtching Laine is saddest thing out there at the moment