Evgeny Kuznetsov: Part 3

[Langway]

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1257991

This time...gasp...with pondside appearance?

Click to read more...

 

[Brian23]

I worry fans will Griffin the kid. They'll expect him to be Wayne Gretzky incarnate and he won't be. He'll probably be, I say high end, 50 or 60 point scorer his first year or so as he adjust to the game. I don't see him coming here and being a PPG out the gate and that's what everyone is expecting.

 

[SimplySensational]

Who expects that?

50+ rookie and 70-80 ceiling with a possible 90+ not likely, but not hard to believe.

Kuznetsov will be a instant fan favorite.

 

[Zoidberg Jesus]

I worry fans will Griffin the kid. They'll expect him to be Wayne Gretzky incarnate and he won't be. He'll probably be, I say high end, 50 or 60 point scorer his first year or so as he adjust to the game. I don't see him coming here and being a PPG out the gate and that's what everyone is expecting.

Do the common folk know enough about Kuznetsov to get their hopes that high? I doubt it.

 

[Brian23]

Do the common folk know enough about Kuznetsov to get their hopes that high? I doubt it.

I feel like a majority on the boards will, and he'll be heralded in the press as the next coming and that's all they need to see.

 

[Zoidberg Jesus]

I feel like a majority on the boards will, and he'll be heralded in the press as the next coming and that's all they need to see.

Oh, you mean on these boards? Yeah, decent chance of that happening. He's Russian, so he's starting out in the hole.

 

[FloridaCap]

I don't care how many points he gets at this point... as long as he brings some flash, I'll love him.

This team has gotten so dull. The whole team is seemingly big, slow, soft, grinders with no finishing ability.

I hope he plays on the top line with 19 and 8 to give him a chance to shine. I'd rather him go through growing pains with the best we have rather than Jay Beagle or something. Kind of like Nicushkin in Dallas playing with Seguin and Benn.

 

[Brian23]

I think he'd do great on a line with Grabo personally, but not sure he should be played right away with Ovi.

Is he seen more as a play maker or a scorer? I thought he'd score a few more goals then he'd assist on.

 

[SimplySensational]

I think he'd do great on a line with Grabo personally, but not sure he should be played right away with Ovi.

Is he seen more as a play maker or a scorer? I thought he'd score a few more goals then he'd assist on.

Someone that goes to scoring areas with Ovechkin would be nice.

 

[SDBondra]

I think he'd do great on a line with Grabo personally, but not sure he should be played right away with Ovi.

Is he seen more as a play maker or a scorer? I thought he'd score a few more goals then he'd assist on.

Well yeah except Ovie and Grabo should be playing together. Those two with Fehr were awesome.

 

[Bananas]

Well he'll be hard pressed to be much worse than what we're rolling out there these days...

I will do my best to dim my expectations though.

 

[SchultzSquared*]

I don't care how many points he gets at this point... as long as he brings some flash, I'll love him.

This team has gotten so dull. The whole team is seemingly big, slow, soft, grinders with no finishing ability.

I hope he plays on the top line with 19 and 8 to give him a chance to shine. I'd rather him go through growing pains with the best we have rather than Jay Beagle or something. Kind of like Nicushkin in Dallas playing with Seguin and Benn.

Tell you what... we will trade you Yak for some stuff...

Johansson-Backstrom-Ovechkin
Burakovsky-Kuznetsov-Yakupov

Never bored again...

 

[FloridaCap]

Tell you what... we will trade you Yak for some stuff...

Johansson-Backstrom-Ovechkin
Burakovsky-Kuznetsov-Yakupov

Never bored again...

Nah, needs more Russians.

 

[InfernalDark*]

And less MoJo.

 

[Brian23]

Someone that goes to scoring areas with Ovechkin would be nice.

I think Ovi would do good with someone like Wilson on his line to crash the net, Kuznetsov won't do that. I'd expect him to be a perimeter player which Ovi handles himself.

 

[Brian23]

Well yeah except Ovie and Grabo should be playing together. Those two with Fehr were awesome.

True, though not sure I was as big a fan of Fehr on that line. However did like Ovi and Grabo together.

 

[aquablue]

If Kuz were to play 2C, that would give us extra cap space next year for a UFA scoring winger to play with him.

MoJo/Fehr - BK - OV
Scoring winger -- Kuz -- Brouwer

I'm not sold on Grabovski, and I'd prefer to see Kuz at center combined with someone like else on the wing. I hear kuz is more the playmaking sort.

 

[txpd]

the next coming of who? the caps have ovechkin and backstrom playing everynight. I know of no one that expects the kid to be as good as either of them much less as a rookie. if he turns out to be as good or better than Johansson, that would be nice.

 

[Raikkonen]

The guy is talented. I would say he is more talented than any Caps player, even Ovechkin. Yes, I said it.

The production is another question. Ovechkin is a freak of nature physically, lets be honest, that's why he is who he is. Kuz is not that physically gifted.

Also I think he should NOT play with Ovechkin for the first 1-2 years (excluding PP).

McPhee/newGM and Oates/newCoach should find a way to form a good 1st line with players suitable for OV, working for him and scoring goals of rebounds. Say NO to ****ing around with some rookie to ruin OV's last powerful years.

Kuz should find his way into the league on the 2nd line. Backstrom or Grabo - I think they both can play with Kuz effectively. Grabo can talk with him in russian which could help also.

Johansson should be 3C + PP + PK. End of story.

->

newKnuble - Grabo/NB - Ovechkin
?/Fehr? - Backstrom/Grabo - Kuznetsov
Chimera-Johansson-Ward
IDK-Latta-Wilson

I believe we have 3 more RWs than we need (Brouwer/Erat/Fehr). OV should/could be removed from that side perhaps.


PS:

McPhee: We decided to not extend Grabovski and promote Beagle in top-6. Jay is a good canadian boy.

PPS: Logically its Ovechkin-C-Ward for the first line. NewKnuble isn't easy to come by.

 

[Brian23]

Ovechkin is a generational, hall of fame talent, but Kuz is more talented?

I'm honestly not sure there are many prospects in history more talented and figted than Alexander Ovechkin. He literally has everything. Whether he uses it all is one thing, but I don't think there's anything he'd physically or even ability wise missing from his game. He just doesn't like to use it all.

 

[Raikkonen]

Ovechkin is a generational, hall of fame talent, but Kuz is more talented?

I think yes. Kuz is like Semin. Is Semin hall of fame player? No. Is he more talented than OV? I think yes.

 

[Liberati0n*]

I think yes. Kuz is like Semin. Is Semin hall of fame player? No. Is he more talented than OV? I think yes.

I've tended to agree (about Semin), but Ovechkin's athleticism is really a skill too. His combination of athleticism and "skill" is pretty unique and crazy.

 

[Raikkonen]

I've tended to agree (about Semin), but Ovechkin's athleticism is really a skill too. His combination of athleticism and "skill" is pretty unique and crazy.

That's why Ovechkin accomplished much already.

And I think the skill is to use his athleticism. His physicality is given by the nature, I'm sure. He is not even lifting much. Because he is a freak of nature.

Talent is another story.

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

I've tended to agree (about Semin), but Ovechkin's athleticism is really a skill too. His combination of athleticism and "skill" is pretty unique and crazy.

People also seem to ignore mental aspects of the game when considering talent, and they really shouldn't. There's not a better player in the world (and only Stamkos comes close) at finding shooting lanes and soft spots in the defense to set up for a shot than Ovechkin. He also reads the game at an elite level, at least offensively.

Hockey fans love to equate talent and stick skills, though.

I'd say Semin (and potentially Kuznetsov) is more skilled than Ovechkin, but not more talented when you take into consideration mental, physical, and technical ability.

 

[Langway]

I'd use the term elegance rather than skill in this context.