Bobby Ryan vs Lauri Tukonen

[Frolov 6'3]

17 points in 27 AHL games doesn't necessarily project to being a first liner in the NHL. 27 points in 27 games would be more like it. I'd say he will be a solid two-way second liner.

It's 19 points in 28 games now.

Once again, people seem to forget he's born on 1 september 1986. There's No hurry at all. I don't really want to look at stats but give me one player of the same age who does better, statwise.

 

[WADEugottaBELAKthat]

It's 19 points in 28 games now.

Once again, people seem to forget he's born on 1 september 1986. There's No hurry at all. I don't really want to look at stats but give me one player of the same age who does better, statwise.

Exactly. The issue is weather Tukonen is suited to the 1st line in the NHL. IMO, I feel that he might not be a top-ten point producing player. But at the end of the day, in a 30 team league, there has to be 90 1st line forwards. Tukonen will be one of them because he's a locomotive. And if he's not scoring on the 1st line, he'll be the best-goddamn Mike Knuble you've ever seen.

Of course the potential exists that he might end up on the second line, but calling him out for ONLY having 17 points in 27 games as a 19 year old is short-sighted.

 

[The Mighty Duck Man]

It's 19 points in 28 games now.

Once again, people seem to forget he's born on 1 september 1986. There's No hurry at all. I don't really want to look at stats but give me one player of the same age who does better, statwise.

Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry are just barely a year older than Tukonen. If you reversed the games played and points stats for them, you wouldn't have enough points, and in Getzlaf's case, too many games played. I don't think that extra year in the CHL made that much of a difference.

 

[DJ Spinoza]

I think Ryan might have a higher ceiling, but I'd take Tukonen over him.

 

[clefty]

Bobby Ryan isn't the first top prospect to have a meagre World Juniors and he wont be the last. It isn't necessarily an accurate portrayal of his play, and the World Juniors aren't such a profound barometer of performance as most will lead you to believe. He could just as easilty destroy the competitionnext year (if he isn't in the NHL).

I don't know much about Tukonen, but its hard not to like a huge guy with velvet hands like Bobby Ryan. He's a workhorse off the ice, a freak for fitness and extremelyself-disciplined. I think he can overcome his skating issues because of how determined he is with his training. I think he could be one of the most explosive players in the league.

Of course the potential exists that he might end up on the second line, but calling him out for ONLY having 17 points in 27 games as a 19 year old is short-sighted.

Nobody called him out. One poster merely said that that rate of scoring doesn't necessarily translate to first line potential, which is fair enough.

 

[Randall Graves*]

Has it been pretty much agreed upon that Tukonen won't be a first liner? Like most North Americans, I only know what I've seen at WJC, and what I've read on various scouting reports.

He was very impressive during WJC, and his AHL numbers are decent. Is Tukonen billed as say, a poor man's Alexander Frolov?

Tukonen has a shot at being a first liner but most likely a good second liner. Ryan has more upside but obviously a bigger risk, people are piling on Ryan because of a pretty average wjc, but after the norway game he was team USA's leading scorer and wasn't getting heaps of ice time.

 

[Tadite]

Nobody called him out. One poster merely said that that rate of scoring doesn't necessarily translate to first line potential, which is fair enough.

People all to often downplay the talent of both Dustin Brown and Tukonen because some other player got 30 or 40 goals and 50 assits down in juniors or in college.

These two guys have been productive professional hockey players at the time that most prospects (including great prospects) were woried about their homework and if they could get a date for the prom. I think playing against the best and showing you belong is more important then gawdy stats against vastly lessor compitition.

 

[Frolov 6'3]

Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry are just barely a year older than Tukonen. If you reversed the games played and points stats for them, you wouldn't have enough points, and in Getzlaf's case, too many games played. I don't think that extra year in the CHL made that much of a difference.

1. Barely a year older ? You mean almost 1,5 year and that's quite a difference.

Tukonen still has another 1,5 year to reach the same level and you say that's a negligable factor ? C'mon now.

2. If I had to choose between Getzlaf and Tukonen than my choice is obvious. Getzlaf is an outstanding talent.

 

[clefty]

People all to often downplay the talent of both Dustin Brown and Tukonen because some other player got 30 or 40 goals and 50 assits down in juniors or in college.

I don't see that in this thread. Now what other people have said in other threads, I don't know. But I don't see it present here. Nobody's talking about Brown for starters.

These two guys have been productive professional hockey players at the time that most prospects (including great prospects) were woried about their homework and if they could get a date for the prom. I think playing against the best and showing you belong is more important then gawdy stats against vastly lessor compitition.

You're reading too much into a simple comment. No one said Tukonen doesn't have first line ability, just that scoring however many points in however many games doesn't necessarily portray that ability. Just like Ryan scoring 80 points in 40 games for Owen Sound doesn't necessarily make him a first line forward. What has been said is that Bobby Ryan has the higher upside, which to me is absolutely true.

And playing professionally before someone else really is totally irrelevant.

 

[Pothier]

I saw Ryan play yesterday afternoon, and he was the best player on the ice, even though O.S. lost 2-0. I can safely say he is one of, if not THE best player in the OHL this year. I have seen Pouliot, Bolland, Schremp et al, and there really is no comparison IMO. Great vision, nice hands, works well in the corners, just a great overall player. His skating has also improved since I last saw him play last year. He is going to be one great player.