Calle Jarnkrok - The Enigma

[glenngineer]

http://alongtheboards.com/2015/10/enigma-calle-jarnkrok/

Calle isn't going to like what I have to say about him right now.

Click to read more...

 

[mikemcburn]

Ouch. Brutal assessment. A dismal future for a kid all laid out, nuttin' held back. If it's true that all he's got going for himself is IQ, I empathize (I'm awesome in my own mind, just can't actually do how I see the game, lol)

I'll be interested to read counter points on Jarnkrok's prospects as others chime in here...

 

[Pyrophorus]

Wings fans were sooo high on him.

 

[glenngineer]

Ouch. Brutal assessment. A dismal future for a kid all laid out, nuttin' held back. If it's true that all he's got going for himself is IQ, I empathize (I'm awesome in my own mind, just can't actually do how I see the game, lol)

I'll be interested to read counter points on Jarnkrok's prospects as others chime in here...

He's a tweener to me. Too good for the AHL and not quite good enough at this level. In baseball terms he's got a slider speed bat. Remember the play he read so well and picked the puck off at the blue line and came in and got an ok shot at net last night? That's him. Good enough to make the initial play but not good enough to finish.

 

[mikemcburn]

He's a tweener to me. Too good for the AHL and not quite good enough at this level. In baseball terms he's got a slider speed bat. Remember the play he read so well and picked the puck off at the blue line and came in and got an ok shot at net last night? That's him. Good enough to make the initial play but not good enough to finish.

If you're talking about the 3rd game (this season), dwindling seconds of the 2nd period, yup, I remember the play, commented on it several times that night too, for sure my fav Jarnkrok play thus far.

He kinda reminds me of a Mason Raymond who really really wants to do so much but somehow is missing a piece. Just dunno if you could water Jarnkrok and watch him grow or....?

 

[Byrddog]

This is right on, sadly the coaching staff is still trying to give him a chance. Calling him a tweener is also generous. At best he his a redundant 4th line winger of which we have scads. He is too small to be a center and battle for pucks and not talented enough as Glenn points out to be an effective wing. If he is not waived by the end of the season I will be surprised.

 

[glenngineer]

If you're talking about the 3rd game (this season), dwindling seconds of the 2nd period, yup, I remember the play, commented on it several times that night too, for sure my fav Jarnkrok play thus far.

He kinda reminds me of a Mason Raymond who really really wants to do so much but somehow is missing a piece. Just dunno if you could water Jarnkrok and watch him grow or....?

I was talking about last nights game.

 

[Pred303]

unfortunately Glenn, I'm afraid you're dead on target with these criticisms. Hope he finds his role and niche, but I worry he's exactly what you say, a tweener. The criticism of taking how slow he gets his shot off is very valid.

last year i just kept wondering how much more effective we would have been with even an aging legwand in that third line center role and being our main pk forward instead. I know we would have had a little more 3rd line production and a better kill without a doubt.

jarnkrok can still find an important role on this team, but I agree, his time is running out to prove it. I just hope it's there somewhere if we can find him the right linemates and he can gain confidence.

 

[Drake744]

My question is how exactly was he able to score 9 points in 12 games initially (and actually look pretty good in the process), then be so irrelevant since the start of last year? Like, what switch went off and turned everything dark?

 

[Pred303]

he was playing in a stress free environment on a top line that got red hot. 2 goals and 7 assists, several of which were cheap secondary assists because we were scoring 4-5 a game once we were eliminated.

 

[Pred303]

that year he scored 2 goals, had 3 primary assists and 4 secondary assists in the last 12 games. including a goal and two assists against MIN on last day of the season after they had already clinched a playoff spot and rested their regulars. he played well, but most of those points came against teams just playing out the string having either already clinched or eliminated.

for example, during that same 12 game stretch, bourque had 5 goals and 11 points, smith 6 goals, hornqvist 6 goals. gaustad had 3 goals. it was basically garbage time and the team got red hot goal scoring. during that stretch we scored 7 goals twice, 6 goals twice, 5 goals twice, 4 goals twice.

it's difficult to measure jarnkrok using that time period

 

[Bringer of Jollity]

Solid points Glenn. He needs to find himself a niche where he can add value to the team, and quickly. I had hoped he would be able to inherit the checking center role when Goose moves on, but he simply lacks the physical assets to be effective in that role. I hope that things will start clicking for him, but I anticipate him being waived and sent down before the new year.

 

[preds1]

Right on once again Glenn.

 

[deanwormer]

Smart is good for a 4th liner/PK guy, right? That should be his role - and if Arvy could play a little D or Watson steps up - it will be.

 

[BonMorrison]

Thing about Jarnkrok is that the ability is there, we saw it in the playoffs. I worry that it's not something he'll ever be able to do consistently though.

 

[mikemcburn]

Can some old time Preds fans shed some light on the how/why of Jarnkrok's value to the team?

Pre-season I was reading up on how he's such a "smart" player and there were even rumblings (ie: by that Adam fellow who follows/writes up on the Preds) about him seeing top 6 time this year. To start the season, the kid saw some top 6 shifts too, and of course he's been getting 3rd-ish PK unit duty. The thing of it is, I don't see what's "top 6" in him or what's special about his defensive game other than having some fans who talk him up as a "defensive specialist".

Other than generally (but not always) knowing his position and looking like he's trying hard, I just don't see anything remarkable about either his offensive or defensive game. His vision for the game seems okay but it's not exactly standout-ish, he's an average skater, he sure isn't physical, he's easy to play against, he doesn't even agitate or win more board battles than he should.

So what am I missing that the kid is a lock to the 3rd line with top 6 spotting?

 

[Byrddog]

Can some old time Preds fans shed some light on the how/why of Jarnkrok's value to the team?

Pre-season I was reading up on how he's such a "smart" player and there were even rumblings (ie: by that Adam fellow who follows/writes up on the Preds) about him seeing top 6 time this year. To start the season, the kid saw some top 6 shifts too, and of course he's been getting 3rd-ish PK unit duty. The thing of it is, I don't see what's "top 6" in him or what's special about his defensive game other than having some fans who talk him up as a "defensive specialist".

Other than generally (but not always) knowing his position and looking like he's trying hard, I just don't see anything remarkable about either his offensive or defensive game. His vision for the game seems okay but it's not exactly standout-ish, he's an average skater, he sure isn't physical, he's easy to play against, he doesn't even agitate or win more board battles than he should.

So what am I missing that the kid is a lock to the 3rd line with top 6 spotting?

Im with you, he came in here initially and had 9 points in 12 games and has been a complete disappointment since. He marshmellow soft, just gets destroyed along the boards. The lone bright spot in his game was his defense and even that thus far this season is exposed. Honestly he was not missed at all against the Pens and hopefully he stays in the pressbox until Poile can figure out what he can do with him. While we have no options for the 3rd line Jarnkrok is pretty much the worst of the options. If he were waived today there would be a few puckbunnies that would miss him but not many others. Many think that Nystrom is the worst player on the team but at least Nystrom fills his role. Jarnkrok has been moved up and down as a center last year and as a wing this season. Hes pretty much a complete bust at this point.

 

[Drake744]

Im with you, he came in here initially and had 9 points in 12 games and has been a complete disappointment since. He marshmellow soft, just gets destroyed along the boards. The lone bright spot in his game was his defense and even that thus far this season is exposed. Honestly he was not missed at all against the Pens and hopefully he stays in the pressbox until Poile can figure out what he can do with him. While we have no options for the 3rd line Jarnkrok is pretty much the worst of the options. If he were waived today there would be a few puckbunnies that would miss him but not many others. Many think that Nystrom is the worst player on the team but at least Nystrom fills his role. Jarnkrok has been moved up and down as a center last year and as a wing this season. Hes pretty much a complete bust at this point.

He's been pretty much stuck on that 3rd line, which we know can make anyone look like the least productive player in the league if that's your role on this team..............however............I had been holding out pretty decent expectations for him but those are fading quickly. I think he does a lot of things well. His positioning is good, his intelligence is high, he just has a lot of intangibles that could make him a decent NHL player. He just plays so small and with such a lack of physicality that none of those intangibles look like they can translate into NHL success for him right now.

To be completely honest I think part of why we overvalued him after the Legwand trade was because Wings fans were doing the same. They were so pissed off to get rid of him and (inaccurately) thought he was a surefire NHLer that we got overconfident about the guy we just traded for.

 

[mikemcburn]

Reading the comments here from you long term Preds fans pretty much solidifies my thinking that Jarnkrok may be the guy on the 3rd who needs to be shuffled off... Maybe a Jarnkrok/Watson swap for a few games to at least see if the 4th can be as effective without Watson's dgame/physicality, and if Watson can truly bring some offense to the table.

Clearly the team can do well for a stretch by running a top 6 + a "4th" line in that traditional shut down role + a "3rd" line which sees the ice 5-10mins a game just to add some variety I guess. But all it takes is Neal or Forsberg going cold (happens to the best of players, by routine), or a top 6 injury, and presto - there's nuttin' much up front to play mix 'n match... And seriously, what are the chances the Preds can really get out of the season without guys in the top 6 cold or injured?

Me, I'd be doing something sooner rather than later to ensure there was a bonafide 3rd line to fill in gaps, take some real minutes, etc. If a Watson/Jarnkrok swap might help release offense in Watson and keep Jarnkrok relevant, great. If Bourque isn't a real answer on the left (and he's just not as far as I can tell), then get a prospect in there for real and let the kid work out his bugs. If that's Arvidsson, okay. Moses, whoever, doesn't matter. I just figure that they should be working on building the 3rd line into something that truly contributes while the top 6 are going strong - not wait until cold/injuries come up and then look at prospects to suddenly be ready to fill bigger shoes.

 

[Drake744]

Reading the comments here from you long term Preds fans pretty much solidifies my thinking that Jarnkrok may be the guy on the 3rd who needs to be shuffled off... Maybe a Jarnkrok/Watson swap for a few games to at least see if the 4th can be as effective without Watson's dgame/physicality, and if Watson can truly bring some offense to the table.

Clearly the team can do well for a stretch by running a top 6 + a "4th" line in that traditional shut down role + a "3rd" line which sees the ice 5-10mins a game just to add some variety I guess. But all it takes is Neal or Forsberg going cold (happens to the best of players, by routine), or a top 6 injury, and presto - there's nuttin' much up front to play mix 'n match... And seriously, what are the chances the Preds can really get out of the season without guys in the top 6 cold or injured?

Me, I'd be doing something sooner rather than later to ensure there was a bonafide 3rd line to fill in gaps, take some real minutes, etc. If a Watson/Jarnkrok swap might help release offense in Watson and keep Jarnkrok relevant, great. If Bourque isn't a real answer on the left (and he's just not as far as I can tell), then get a prospect in there for real and let the kid work out his bugs. If that's Arvidsson, okay. Moses, whoever, doesn't matter. I just figure that they should be working on building the 3rd line into something that truly contributes while the top 6 are going strong - not wait until cold/injuries come up and then look at prospects to suddenly be ready to fill bigger shoes.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong on this, but last year didn't we put Neal down on the 3rd line for awhile after he came back from his injury or something to try and give it a boost? I don't know why I'm blanking on this but I thought we did, and I also thought it didn't really work all that well.

 

[Pred303]

we did... as well, as wilson and smith.. none of them worked well there, which is why we basically went back to two scoring lines, same as this year.

 

[mikemcburn]

Well I can't speak to last year of course, but Hodgson has 3 years of putting up top 6 results as a center with top 6 wings. Skilled offense was his bread 'n butter, but the kid still needs some quality wings to work with.

For this year, I think Wilson played Hodgson's left side for part of a game and Neal a different game. That's nothing to gauge where there might be a potential fit. But if the long term plan isn't to tinker with the top 6, then I dunno if there's a point in bothering to move them down for a few games to see what comes. Better to nail who mgmt wants to invest some real development time into and give it an honest go, 10-20 games min.

Kinda unfair to take a prospect/rookie, ala Arvidsson, plug him on a line with a newb center who just adjusting to the team himself and a gap-filler center who is adjusting to wing, and expect said prospect/rookie to be magical. He'll need more support than that. And more time, the individual and the line, to get used to each other. All the revolving linemate stuff just isn't helping anyone on the 3rd.

 

[Byrddog]

Of all the things tried last year on that 3rd line there was one thing consistent Jarnkrok was the center. Looking back if Roy had been given the chance to center that line things could have been better.

 

[utmfisher19]

VERY very well written article Glenn. I agree with every point you made (can't really dispute any of them). But I do believe that he has the skills to produce and will find the game slowing down for him to get off his shot quicker. Just how long will it take? I'm not sure. But we can pretty much bet on him not being a top line player (which is fine). But I don't see how players like Fiddler, Santorelli, etc can stay around in the league for so long and him not stick SOMEWHERE...

So in short, I like his game. I think he will be a solid player. But I think our expectations of him have to be lower until he learns to how refine a few skills.

 

[triggrman]

I think he read this and turned his game up....