RW Patrik Laine - Tappara, Liiga (2016 Draft) III

[BondraTime]

I wouldn't be surprised at all if he was the best winger in the NHL for a period of time. His skillset is out of this world.

 

[Loffer]

Quite right. It's no coincidence Laine has shades of Lemieux while Pulju comes across like some Paajarvi's rural cousin.

 

[monster_bertuzzi]

I mean Laine is obviously a very talented guy. But saying he's the most promising winger since Ovechkin seems like getting ahead of yourself. If my team (the Canucks) ends up picking him, i will obviously be pretty ecstatic. But let's just agree that he's as good a (winger)prospect as you're gonna get. I agree that his skillset is very intriguing though, but hard to rank him higher than guys like Kane, Hall and even MacKinnon.

Easily a higher quality prospect than Hall and Mackinnon were.

 

[AppsSyl]

Quite right. It's no coincidence Laine has shades of Lemieux while Pulju comes across like some Paajarvi's rural cousin.

I assume you are being sarcastic. Laine is a very good prospect, but putting him the same breath as Lemieux (whether you are talking about shades or not) at this point is just hilarious. Mario Lemieux is one of the greatest players of all-time and had GP 70 G 133 A 149 PTS 282 in his draft year. Puljujarvi like Laine is also a very good prospect who has in many eyes been the better player at and since the WJC. To call him Paajarvi's rural cousin is ridiculous.

 

[teravaineSAROS]

I assume you are being sarcastic. Laine is a very good prospect, but putting him the same breath as Lemieux (whether you are talking about shades or not) at this point is just hilarious. Mario Lemieux is one of the greatest players of all-time and had GP 70 G 133 A 149 PTS 282 in his draft year. Puljujarvi like Laine is also a very good prospect who has in many eyes been the better player at and since the WJC. To call him Paajarvi's rural cousin is ridiculous.

JESUS. Nobody said he's the next Lemieux, why do people read into things too much on purpose.
.. He clearly said SHADES OF.

I was watching the WJC on Swedish television, and even the Swedish (I repeat: Swedish) expert commentator said Laine shows shades of Lemieux.

But what do experts who used to be professional hockey players know...

 

[kelsier]

Kane was as close to "sure fire" first overall as it gets. There was no one challenging him for first overall.

And I love how you use those adjectives on Laine as if they wouldn't describe Kane as well (aside from physical). They are all relative anyway, and I would definitely argue Kane was "fast", "lethal" and "super gifted" even more so than Laine.

Not quite sure wether your living in a fantasy world or the real world.
Crosby was a surefire #1 pick, McDavid was a surefire #1 pick, Ovechkin, Stamkos and the list goes on. Kane was not. This has been discussed in various topics around the boards. Tallon even admitted himself that he needed to do the homework before making that pick.

http://www.nationalpost.com/m/wp/bl...-already-challenging-process-that-much-harder

You could use the same adjectives to plenty of prospects nowdays that are small, for example Ehlers and Nylander. They are lacking size and natural strenght that comes along with a huge frame. Laine may not achieve what Kane has but he sure as hell is a more promising prospect that Kane was at that age.

 

[Reddawg]

Not quite sure wether your living in a fantasy world or the real world.
Crosby was a surefire #1 pick, McDavid was a surefire #1 pick, Ovechkin, Stamkos and the list goes on. Kane was not. This has been discussed in various topics around the boards. Tallon even admitted himself that he needed to do the homework before making that pick.

This is accurate, Kane definitely wasn't the consensus or definite 1st overall on draft day. There was a lot of speculation leading up to the day and before the pick was announced that it could be any one of the top three guys available (Kane, JVR or Turris). My buddy is a rabid Blackhawks fan and I remember sitting in the bar with him watching the draft, both of us hoping that Chicago would do what we considered to be the "smart" thing by taking Kane, and thankfully they did and the rest is history.

 

[Joe MacMillan]

Not quite sure wether your living in a fantasy world or the real world.
Crosby was a surefire #1 pick, McDavid was a surefire #1 pick, Ovechkin, Stamkos and the list goes on. Kane was not. This has been discussed in various topics around the boards. Tallon even admitted himself that he needed to do the homework before making that pick.

http://www.nationalpost.com/m/wp/bl...-already-challenging-process-that-much-harder

You could use the same adjectives to plenty of prospects nowdays that are small, for example Ehlers and Nylander. They are lacking size and natural strenght that comes along with a huge frame. Laine may not achieve what Kane has but he sure as hell is a more promising prospect that Kane was at that age.

Not "sure fire" as in the level of Crosby or McDavid, but I remember there being a consensus of Kane being the top player of the draft class.

Either way the point is moot, as Laine is pretty much cemented at 2/3 at this point so your argument of him being a better prospect than Kane was is not supported by Kane's prior draft status.

 

[rt]

What's the comparison? Kovalchuk? Better skating Heatley? Rick Nash?

 

[teravaineSAROS]

What's the comparison? Kovalchuk? Better skating Heatley? Rick Nash?

Patrik Laine

 

[JA]

You can be compared to Mario Lemieux and not be Mario Lemieux.






Petr Nedved was compared to Gretzky; that's all we heard when the Canucks were looking to draft him in 1990. He idolized Gretzky, and even imitated him on the ice with the jersey tuck.

Nedved's big gamble comes up aces at Vancouver draft day: Canucks pass on 'sure' for potential: [1* Edition]
Jamieson, Jim. The Province [Vancouver, B.C] 17 June 1990: 70.

Petr Nedved's big gamble paid off yesterday.

For the Vancouver Canucks, the dice are still rolling.

Picking second overall at the NHL Entry Draft at B.C. Place Stadium, the Canucks bypassed sure-fire NHLers Keith Primeau and Mike Ricci to take the potential-oozing centre whose style of play has been compared favorably to Wayne Gretzky's. But at 6'3" and 178 pounds, the 18-year-old native of Liberec, Czech., may need another year of junior to physically mature for the rigors of the NHL.

...

Nedved won't wait for fame: Canucks' top pick knew he had to defect to NHL: [5* Edition]
The Vancouver Sun [Vancouver, B.C] 16 June 1990: E1.

...

Nedved has soft brown curls and angelic features and looks similar to Canucks' Trevor Linden, Vancouver's first pick two years ago. He hardly looks the part of a superstar, but many scouts have compared him to Wayne Gretzky, at least in playing style.

...

GRETZKY SPIRIT ENTERS NEDVED: [1* Edition]
Banks, David. The Province [Vancouver, B.C] 14 June 1990: 88.

...

Twenty dour scouts duly note the physical - and metaphysical - facts: that for about 10 seconds, the stride and hands and mind of Wayne Gretzky somehow materialized inside Seattle uniform No. 17.

The spirit of Gretzky seems to flit through Nedved often enough to make it unsettling.

You see the same joy for the game in the way Nedved jumps to the puck and then shares it with teammates; the way he ignores the elbows and sticks of the hard workers and cheapshots of the angry outclassed. Off-ice, he displays a genuine aw-shucks naturalness, an easy smile.

At 17, the future Great One left Brampton, Ont., for the World Hockey Association. At 17, the future Petr the Great left Litvinov for the western world.

If the Vancouver Canucks take Nedved in Saturday's NHL Entry Draft, they'll get nothing less than an apprentice to Gretzky's genius. Considering the kinship of upbringing, philosophy and talent, he might come close.

...

Nedved celebrates with Gretzky-like dance: [4* Edition]
The Vancouver Sun [Vancouver, B.C] 29 Oct 1990: C2.

HARTFORD - Petr Nedved has managed comparisons with Wayne Gretzky, right down to his victory dance.

It was a while in coming, but when Nedved scored his first NHL goal and point Saturday night in a 4-2 against the Whalers, the kid went into a jig that could have been choreographed by the Great One. Nedved punched the air, then did the Gretzky Drag by sliding his knee along the ice. The point placed the Canuck rookie 1,999 behind No. 99.

...

Nedved definitely was not Gretzky, but his style of play certainly was reminiscent to that of his idol.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was also compared to Wayne Gretzky from a style perspective many times.

Style and projection are two different things.

Works Cited

Banks, David. "GRETZKY SPIRIT ENTERS NEDVED." The Province: 88. Jun 14 1990. ProQuest. Web. 24 Mar. 2016 .

Jamieson, Jim. "Nedved's Big Gamble Comes Up Aces at Vancouver Draft Day: Canucks Pass on 'Sure' for Potential." The Province: 70. Jun 17 1990. ProQuest. Web. 24 Mar. 2016 .

"Nedved Celebrates with Gretzky-Like Dance." The Vancouver Sun: C2. Oct 29 1990. ProQuest. Web. 24 Mar. 2016 .

"Nedved Won't Wait for Fame: Canucks' Top Pick Knew He had to Defect to NHL." The Vancouver Sun: E1. Jun 16 1990. ProQuest. Web. 24 Mar. 2016 .

 

[AuraSphere]

What's the comparison? Kovalchuk? Better skating Heatley? Rick Nash?

I'd compare him to a Perry type guy with a hint of ovi

 

[JA]

I'd compare him to a Perry type guy with a hint of ovi

Perry scores garbage goals and lurks around the net. That's not Laine's game.

Of the Big Three, the player with the most Perry-like offense is Auston Matthews. Matthews scores most of his goals in the crease and at the side of the net. Matthews is a better skater than Perry; nevertheless, Laine's game is even further from Perry's game than Matthews' is.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Players like Perry and Nash don't really play like Laine. Laine is a sniper who will have a top 5 shot in the NHL his first shift in the league, those guys do not have a shot anywhere near as good. I can't even remember the last time Nash beat a goalie with a perimeter wrist shot.

 

[monster_bertuzzi]

Laine's quick shot off the rush on LW is just like Sundin's. He's also 6'4'' and a RHS like Mats.

 

[Virtanen2Horvat]

I want this guy so bad.

 

[LV*]

When EDM takes Matthews, I hope TOR gets Laine.

 

[Loffer]

I want this guy so bad.

I have this precognition Canucks will snag the kid; and I am usually rite in these matter. So, be relieved and sleep tight until the draft day since Laine will be a Canuck con 95 % certainty. Be assured.

 

[Esko6]

This thread is becoming unbearable, they hype makes me cringe. Some of you are setting yourself up for a major disappointment and ridicule.

 

[JA]

This thread is becoming unbearable, they hype makes me cringe. Some of you are setting yourself up for a major disappointment and ridicule.

Do you consider a 40-goal season in the NHL to be out of his reach? As a player who has challenged Matthews for the top position on a number of scouts' lists, he should be a rather good player in the NHL.

Matthews has been touted to be on the level of last year's top two selections as an exceptional player; if Laine is seriously capable of challenging Matthews, then it isn't troublesome at all to project that he will have a strong NHL career, notwithstanding any unfortunate circumstances.

 

[Joe MacMillan]

Do you consider a 40-goal season in the NHL to be out of his reach? As a player who has challenged Matthews for the top position on a number of scouts' lists, he should be a rather good player in the NHL.

Matthews has been touted to be on the level of last year's top two selections as an exceptional player; if Laine is seriously capable of challenging Matthews, then it isn't troublesome at all to project that he will have a strong NHL career, notwithstanding any unfortunate circumstances.

A number of scouts also have him at #3 behind Pulju (3 out of 10 in lists gathered by TSN recently), plus Button's most recent rankings. He's probably solidified himself at #2 at this point, but it seems the odd list ranks him at #3 more often than #1 ahead of Matthews.

IMO he's been vastly overrated with this "best winger prospect since OV" hype, Ovechkin was much better prospect and I have him a notch below Kane as well.

 

[Hagged]

Laine's quick shot off the rush on LW is just like Sundin's. He's also 6'4'' and a RHS like Mats.

I'd go as far and say I see more offensive flair in Laine's game. That's not to say he would be more effective. Just that I don't think Nordic countries have produced a good comparable. Jagrlike puck protection less of a playmaker but with world class shot and hands. Mean SOB. And 6'4.

 

[JA]

A number of scouts also have him at #3 behind Pulju (3 out of 10 in lists gathered by TSN recently), plus Button's most recent rankings. He's probably solidified himself at #2 at this point, but it seems the odd list ranks him at #3 more often than #1 ahead of Matthews.

IMO he's been vastly overrated with this "best winger prospect since OV" hype, Ovechkin was much better prospect and I have him a notch below Kane as well.

I don't know if he's the best winger prospect since Ovechkin. That's a very difficult assessment to make.

I certainly think he has the potential be a 40-goal scorer in the current NHL, though; goal scorers such as Vladimir Tarasenko are a luxury to have in the league right now, and it's certainly debatable where Tarasenko ranks among the current NHL elite. It's quite realistic to think that the top-tier prospects in any given draft class have the potential to be elite NHL players.

Laine certainly has an opportunity to be in the top tier of NHL goal scorers for some stretch of his career.

Vancouver has not had a top-tier goal scorer since Markus Naslund. Before that, it was Pavel Bure. The organization and its followers would love to have a player who possesses the potential to elevate his game to that level. Somebody who can be in the top tier of goal scorers among his peers is what many here hope for. How he factors into future goal scoring races in the NHL is unknown at this point; you can't project right now whether or not he'll win the Rocket Richard Trophy and surpass all of his peers. We will have a better idea of what he is capable of after his first NHL season. On draft day, however, the only expectation should be for him to become a high level scorer at some point in his career and to be one of the leading scorers, if not the leading scorer, on his own team.






Craig Button, for the record, has Laine tied with Puljujärvi. For months, he has not been able to decide which one he prefers.

January 2016:

http://www.tsn.ca/craig-s-list-can-t-go-wrong-with-puljujarvi-laine-1.421415

As for Puljujarvi and Laine, both currently skating in the Finnish Liiga, it’s a coin flip for me. Puljujarvi may have a more well-rounded game, whereas Laine may have more flair. I don’t know who is the better prospect at this time and may never know with any real confidence, but it’s safe to say you can’t go wrong with either one of them.

March 2016:

http://www.tsn.ca/craig-s-list-canadian-teams-will-fare-well-with-this-class-1.457738

Fantastic Finns Patrick Laine and Jesse Puljujarvi remain in the next two spots on the list, even though I’m not sure if Laine or Puljujarvi is the better player. I am confident in saying that a team can’t go wrong with either one of them. Elite offensive wingers with size and skill are not commonplace, and the two Finns will bring excitement for the teams drafting them.

I offered this assessment in another thread:

Laine and Puljujärvi are both excellent players. Jesse has a more endearing personality, which might come into play in terms of leadership. Laine is also mature, but he also comes across as a little colder. Both offer different skill sets; Jesse is a more explosive, dynamic skater and seems to shoot more than deke, while Patrik has a better shot and appears to be craftier with the puck. In that regard, Laine seems to be a more slippery player with good speed and strength, while Puljujärvi is more about full throttle, aggressive play in spite of his lankier frame. Laine is stronger than Puljujärvi and has a more imposing presence, although Jesse's skating allows him to be more of an aggressive forechecker (and backchecker). They create their opportunities in different ways, although Laine is equipped with better tools in the goal scoring department.

I'll just be happy if Vancouver picks either of them. From a goal scoring perspective, Laine is the player to go with. I can see Puljujärvi blazing around the ice more and being a greater puck hound. Laine has good speed to rush the puck too, but he will need to use a little bit more strength and savvy stick handling. That said, when the puck is on his stick, I can see it being a challenge to get it off of him. He also has a better cannon than Jesse.

These are my impressions based on what I've seen so far.

During the World Junior Championship, I saw Puljujärvi carry the puck out a lot, which drew the opposing defensemen. He would then pass the puck to Laine, who would barrel through the neutral zone with less coverage on him. Both are good passers.

 

[Joe MacMillan]

Forgot about them sharing the #2 position in Button's list, Pulju being second from top to bottom fooled me.

 

[QnebO]

Dont know where to put this really, but lets put it here:

http://www.nhl.com/ice/fi/news.htm?id=875232&navid=DL|NHL-fi|home

Good coffee read for finns, Kurri talks about three subjects: World Cup, Laine and Puljujärvi.

Kurri thinks Laine is next very skilled "net-finder" since Selänne. I hope Kurri, as an 600 goal scorer, knows what he is talking about.