Alexei Emelin - Future # 1 Defenseman?

[CHarlie]

It means he can play the game of hockey within the rules. The rules say you can make body checks. The rules say you cannot fight. There is no penalty for giving a body check. There is a penalty for fighting.

Fighting is technically an unwanted behavior within the game. Body checking is not.

If you play hockey you should expect to get hit, sometimes very hard. And if it's clean, the guy who made the check shouldn't be forced to fight, metal plates or not.

not the game I like to watch

 

[Cole Caulifield]

not the game I like to watch

Fights have become more and more meaningless. 90% of the time it's a telegraphed fight between two goons with zero stake, zero emotion.. boring.

Plus it's such a small part of the game.. I don't understand the enthusiasm for fighting.

I like UFC and boxing, and I watch that when I want to see actual real fighters with real combat skills.

Are you really a habs fan ? You say stuff I'd expect to hear from a bruins fan.

 

[CHarlie]

Fights have become more and more meaningless. 90% of the time it's a telegraphed fight between two goons with zero stake, zero emotion.. boring.

Plus it's such a small part of the game.. I don't understand the enthusiasm for fighting.

I like UFC and boxing, and I watch that when I want to see actual real fighters with real combat skills.

Are you really a habs fan ? You say stuff I'd expect to hear from a bruins fan.

See what you say here is contradictory. You want Emelin to destroy his opponents (which by the way me being a huge habs fans since I was 9 love to see) but you dont want anyone to retaliate.......That is not going to happen in this fast paced hard hitting sport.

 

[Sined]

Clean hit...it's part of the game. Haven't you ever played sports bro?

I'm starting to question if you even lift...

HAHAHA

I was just about to say that.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Fighting after a clean body check is the equivalent to flipping over a chess-board after being check-mated.

An overreaction by an individual who can't stand being bettered within the context of the game.

 

[JAVO16]

Love the analogy.

 

[Cole Caulifield]

See what you say here is contradictory. You want Emelin to destroy his opponents (which by the way me being a huge habs fans since I was 9 love to see) but you dont want anyone to retaliate.......That is not going to happen in this fast paced hard hitting sport.

Destroy with good clean body checks. I have no problems with the other team retaliating. They can retaliate with good clean hits and/or goals. They can even fight habs players who want to fight. But Emelin shouldn't and doesn't have to fight if he can't or doesn't want to.

 

[Myron Gaines*]

Oh so metal plate in face = no me cant fight
metal plate in face = me can destroy yours though.

lol

Are you serious? How do you get through life with that kind of logic?

 

[CHarlie]

Destroy with good clean body checks. I have no problems with the other team retaliating. They can retaliate with good clean hits and/or goals. They can even fight habs players who want to fight. But Emelin shouldn't and doesn't have to fight if he can't or doesn't want to.

So now you are going back to the useless goon on goon that wasnt even involved in the bone shattering hit.
This is my point.
Hitter wants to hit hard, hitter either gets hit hard back, or like most hockey players, drops the gloves and settles the score.

 

[ECWHSWI]

These are grown men making millions and you hit and take out a player making millions. I think he might have to drop the gloves.

just like a guy like Kronwall have to drop every other game, right ?

 

[Boris Le Tigre]

I too prefer that players answer when they are challenged, provided it is a fair match-up. If a guy is throwing checks, finishing checks that have the potential to cause a head injury, or another severe injury then they should expect to be ran or challenged. Even if its a clean hit. Fact is, while entertaining, a forceful body check, a charge, a near-charge, is hardly ever the most efficient play. More often then not guys take themselves out of the play, when a more contained check or a stick check is the better play.

If you are on the opposite team, the running around, that is a form of intimidation and should be checked - strategy wise. Anyway ...matter of opinion and fighting is going the way of the dodo in time, regardless. Just pointing out that there are still a few cave-men around, other then charlie here.

 

[68*]

Oh so metal plate in face = no me cant fight
metal plate in face = me can destroy yours though.

lol

 

[CHarlie]

Back to topic.

Alexei Emelin - Future # 1 Defenseman?

No... but Future #1 enemy destroyer...

Lets get this season rockin.

 

[Et le But]

How does fighting "settle the score" after a clean hit anyway? Hitting is part of hockey, it gets players off the puck and makes them hesitate while skating. It's a fine line between clean and dirty hits and you have guys like Stevens who made careers out of making people question where that line is, but dropping the gloves after every single hit just destroys the pace of the game.

Fighting in hockey should be about genuine conflicts, not about personal ego because you didn't keep your head up and Emelin or whoever knocked you on your ass.

If Emelin brings some of the line crossing and trolling he's known for in international hockey over, then yeah, he might be asking for trouble.

Fights have become more and more meaningless. 90% of the time it's a telegraphed fight between two goons with zero stake, zero emotion.. boring.

Plus it's such a small part of the game.. I don't understand the enthusiasm for fighting.

I like UFC and boxing, and I watch that when I want to see actual real fighters with real combat skills.

Are you really a habs fan ? You say stuff I'd expect to hear from a bruins fan.

To each their own but I really don't understand the appeal of goonfests where every other stoppage of play leads to a premeditated shirt pulling contest. I like hockey fights when they are unexpected and filled with genuine malace (nothing beats a good old fashioned bench clearing brawl), but show fights to me just slow the game down and take away from the hockey.

 

[Hackett]

#1 is a stretch. I see more along the lines of top 4. How valuable he can be will depend on his consistency. I've seen him do flashes of just about everything. #2 at best imo

 

[Wats]

#4 upside perhaps if he improves his positioning and adds to some of those offensive flashes.

The maker of that video is awesome.

 

[LyricalLyricist]

#4 upside perhaps if he improves his positioning and adds to some of those offensive flashes.

The maker of that video is awesome.

Doubt it. Do you even know him/her?

 

[Lions999]

The most important thing they need to do is keep Emelin on his natural side,he wasnt the same hitting wise on the other side. The only D that can play both sides of the ice with no problem is Gorges.So when they are playing 5 on 5 i would go with Markov-Gorges and Subban-Emelin

 

[Wats]

Doubt it. Do you even know him/her?

I can guess from the way the video was put together. Odd choice of music though.

 

[FlyingKostitsyn]

No, Emelin is not a future no1 defensemen... At his age and with his skillset we can hope he'll become a solid second pairing defensemen. Kind of like Hamrlik in his later years.

 

[Cole Caulifield]

No, Emelin is not a future no1 defensemen... At his age and with his skillset we can hope he'll become a solid second pairing defensemen. Kind of like Hamrlik in his later years.

People say that but what do you guys make of Streit ?

He came to NA at even older age. And his first season was worse than Emelin's.

People are evaluating Emelin based on him playing his rookie season on his wrong side often with another rookie flanking him and on a bottom feeder team under a coach who did not appreciate what he brought to the table. I think he did amazing under the circumstances.

 

[Myron Gaines*]

LOL this.

 

[elsubz]

Really hoping he's gonna get some PP time this season.

 

[Habskrieg]

I think Emelin can become a Kronwall type player. At the moment, he obviously isn't at Niklas' level. But potentially can be. With Markov coming back and having a full healthy D. I think Emelin can take the opportunity to hone his skills in this fashion. If Emelin becomes the next Kronwall, I'll be very glad. If he becomes a 2nd or 3rd pairing kronwall type, I'll be glad as well.

At the start of the season, he had trouble adjusting. Often looking out of place, slow and inadequate. Overtime, in spite of having difficulties, mostly in D, Emelin clearly had a growth and showed great potential. In those circumstances, that says a lot.

With the D we have I don't see Emelin being a #1. But I think he can be top pairing potential if he keeps growing into a Kronwall type player.

 

[FlyingKostitsyn]

People say that but what do you guys make of Streit ?

He came to NA at even older age. And his first season was worse than Emelin's.

People are evaluating Emelin based on him playing his rookie season on his wrong side often with another rookie flanking him and on a bottom feeder team under a coach who did not appreciate what he brought to the table. I think he did amazing under the circumstances.

Streit is quite exceptional and is also a very different type of player. I don't think I'm underrating Emelin when I say he could be like Hamrlik, its quite a compliment in fact.