My thoughts on the Lias discussions:
- I saw all of his games from the WJSS last season. He started really well and then obviously became more and more tired during the tournament. One of my first comments on him was -- don't count on him making the NHL right away because he must add another gear to his skating. From there it was on to Frölunda's preseason to Traverse to NHL camp, no rest or time to build up his body. It wore on him.
-Early last season the kid was obviously worn out. We blew his development in that sense, we should have been able to figure out that his schedule had been over-full and basically have him return to Sweden or yank him from Traverse or something. Anyway, if you haven't been able to build up the body during the off-season you will get gassed when you hit the ice and when you are gassed you won't have much energy. It was so obvious, I commented on it multiple times. Sometimes he took 20 sec shifts. You could see how he conserved energy to not get caught on the ice defensively.
-This improved during the spring. He could take longer shifts and had more jump.
Ultimately, Lias challenge is two-folded. Firstly, he must have stamina and the physical resources to last all shifts of a hockey game. I think the challenge this pose easily is very very underrated. Hockey isn't digital or a video game. The product on the ice is the result of a bunch of things. Sometimes I see someone look at stats of a kid and draw conclusions of what that will amount to for the coming decades. How do you know what shape that kid is in? Can the kid bring it for 20 sec per shift for two periods before losing his legs or the full game? For many kids its an around the clock work for several years to get to any kind of pro skating shape. EliteProspects have Lias at 5'11 and 205 lbs. There is a reason for why so many of the kids doing well right now are 155-165 lbs instead of 205 lbs. Playing hockey is like running up for stairs. Put two guys next to each other, one fit kid 160 lbs and the other being a fit kid that is 205 lbs and put them on the first level of a big building in NY. I know who I would bet on to reach the top.
Secondly, Lias must improve his skating stride. I don't think this is as bad as some make it out to be. Many look at the two issues mentioned above and combine them and attribute to his stride alone. I think that is an incomplete observation.
We should have no illusions that its possible for a kid like Lias at 5'11 205 lbs to over night "get into shape" and fly on the ice for the duration of a 45 sec shift in the NHL night in and night out at the age of 20. Kids face different challenges, extremely few hockey players are ready to play in the NHL at the age of 19-20. This is part of the physical maturation process for kids. Why did a kid like Mark Schleife make the NHL when he was 22 years and 5 months and not 18-20? Or 21??? He wasn't physically mature enough. 7th overall pick in 2011. Had we drafted him 7th overall, many would have asked his second summer when he was 20 if he had not worked out since he wasn't NHL ready...
So I agree, improving his stride is important for Lias. But more so is giving him time and letting him develop. Its obviously that we are not used to developing kids around the NYR. Patience.
