What was Luc Robitaille's playing style?

[DRW204]

What was Luc Robitaille's playing style, best assets and most known for? Who would you compare him to today

 

[Deevo]

Maybe the most accurate shooter I've ever seen

 

[jimmythescot]

He's an old Brock Boeser.

jk

 

[kingdok]

His speed

lol

 

[Plante]

A slow skater who could shoot a dime off a hummingbird. Comparable: No one.

 

[Scrub*]

A slow skater who could shoot a dime off a hummingbird. Comparable: No one.

Am actually scratching my head thinking of one.

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

Am actually scratching my head thinking of one.

Dany Heatley?

 

[tarheelhockey]

The king of quietly racking up numbers. Very opportunistic, knew how to find open space in the offensive zone. Not a great skater, but he had a lightning quick release, soft hands, and he didn't mess around with the puck. Not that he didn't have the skills to do it, but there was no wasted motion when the puck was on his stick. As soon as he had the opportunity *bang* it was in your net.

If he were to come into the league today, I'd be worried about his ability to keep up in the skating aspect (then again, people said the same thing about his skating when he was drafted and he turned out OK) but his ability to find open spaces near the net and release the puck accurately within a split-second of receiving it would probably make him a very effective scorer in today's game. He was a percentages guy before people really thought about hockey in terms of percentages the way they do today.

 

[Vashanesh]

Dany Heatley?

Heatley was actually decently fast until his knees became an issue. Wasn't Robitaille realistically pretty slow (or at least not known for speed)? Maybe with regard to the pure shooter aspect, though, I can see that.

The game doesn't have many legit, pure snipers anymore. OV plays a much different game, so does Tarasenko. Almost all the other high scoring forwards these days do it with dirty goals, tips, deflections, cleaning up garbage around the net.

Maybe a slower, less physical, better passing OV?

Everything feels like a stretch to come up with a 1:1 comparison.

 

[MXD]

Very, very rich-man Michael Ryder.

That's probably paying a compliment to Ryder.

 

[tarheelhockey]

I've never really watched a lot of Mike Cammalleri but I've always had the impression he's a similar style of offensive player with perhaps slightly better skating.

 

[MXD]

I've never really watched a lot of Mike Cammalleri but I've always had the impression he's a similar style of offensive player with perhaps slightly better skating.

I saw lots of both and I consider Ryder as the better comparable. Cammalleri is more nimble (and probably a better skater, relatively speaking) but was/is a terrible boardplayer. Not that Robitaille was great, but he at least wasn't actively terrible.

Cammalleri is also significantly smaller than Robitaille.

 

[Plante]

I saw lots of both and I consider Ryder as the better comparable. Cammalleri is more nimble (and probably a better skater, relatively speaking) but was/is a terrible boardplayer. Not that Robitaille was great, but he at least wasn't actively terrible.

Cammalleri is also significantly smaller than Robitaille.

Only think thats stops me from comparing Irbe and Hasek

 

[VanIslander]

His speed

Yes. he was one of the fastest players from the boards to the net. No kidding.

His first seven seasons were incredible!

Of course, he had a long career, so some aspects of the veteran Luc's game have been exaggerated cartoonishly, especially by those who never saw the young Luc play. He was intense and reacted quickly to plays, often beating defensemen to the crease on a successful forecheck.

 

[VanIslander]

Pat Quinn remarks on his speed here: All-Time Draft bio

 

[VanIslander]

I'd compare him to Joe Pavelski.

 

[Canadiens1958]

Jamie Benn

Luc Robitaille today's Jamie Benn, roughly the same size, 9th round vs 5th round pick. Neither is/was a great skater, both great at finding open ice. Minimal defensive contribution in both instances. Benn is a slightly better playmaker, Robitaille a better pure shooter.

 

[HawksFan28]

I like the Benn comparison, I was going to say Glen Murray with Kane's hands and shot.

 

[KMart27]

I was kind of thinking James Neal.

 

[Joedaman55]

Heatley from the past is a good comparison. A player today that compares, maybe Tarasenko.

 

[AustonsNostrils]

A slow skater who could shoot a dime off a hummingbird. Comparable: No one.

Matt Moulson was a poor man's Robitaille.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Heatley from the past is a good comparison. A player today that compares, maybe Tarasenko.

Tarasenko doesn't remind me of Robitaille at all.

 

[The Panther]

I really liked Robitaille. His skating did look awkward, but I liked when his dad told him, "Son, you never get beat to the loose puck," which is kind of how it is with such scorers. He knew how to get to where he needed to be.

Tomas Sandstrom (his teammate circa 1990-1993) had a similar kind of shot and vaguely similar style (though a little rougher). The shot is that 1-foot wind-up that somehow flies off the stick like a bullet.

I think Pavelski and Cammallerri are reasonable comparisons, though Robitaille was more consistent and more of an elite scorer than either.

For a player who did take the odd hit and dish one out very occasionally, he was remarkably durable. He didn't miss more than 4 games in a season until he was 30 (sort of the anti-Crosby), and even into his late-30s was still playing 80-games a season.

Not remembered as a playmaker as such, but twice had over 60 assists in a season.

He was a battler, and very talented. Sometimes a little lost defensively, but improved with age.

 

[The Pale King]

Tough as nails, and fearless in the offensive zone. Took a ton of abuse going to the net, and rarely missed games as Panther mentioned.

World-class wrist shot as others have said, but he could bang in rebounds or hard passes from any angle. On his stomach, on his knees. Didn't matter.

Not a good fighter by any stretch, but he scrapped with Chelios a couple of times late in the regular season in 2001. That helped set the stage for the intensity when the Kings upset the Wings that spring. Quietely intense player.

 

[HawksFan28]

If Saad wasn't so fast I would say Saad for an active player.