He’s having a slump playing on an awful team, his production has been very good aside from this. 40pt pace rookie season & 48pt pace sophomore season. If you look at his analytics he’s had horrible luck this season, I think it’s way too early to write him off. He has very high hockey IQ, incredible playmaking ability & great shot. He will be a very solid #2 RW behind Kravtsov.
I think that praise is overly-effusive. If you wrote those statements and asked me what young RW you were talking about, I'd guess someone elite like Rantanen, Marner, Pastrnak or Driasaitl. Especially the "incredible" playmaking ability. I mean I wouldn't describe any aspect of this guy's game as incredible. And the "very high" hockey IQ is also debatable. He's pretty smart out there, but that's as far as I'd take it.
I honestly feel that the strength and the motor are what is most lacking. And with regards to the motor, it's not me stereotyping him. When he was in the KHL the dude was ferocious, just flying around out there. I remember watching him and being really impressed how hard he played and the way he got back on defense, routinely making good plays in the defensive corners and just generally working his ass off.
I thought maybe, maybe the kid is just uncomfortable or lacking in confidence. And then came the reports of him having a difficult time, apparently, with AV. But he looks like exactly the same guy this year as he did last year. Literally. Carbon copy.
What he is, even if he never improved, is still valuable. But with his skills, which are pretty solid across the board, he should be more. And I feel like that missing motor I referenced--which I KNOW is there--is the biggest culprit. As well as being on the weaker side.