LW/C Liam Kirk - Litvinov, Extraliga (2018, 189th, ARI released)

[Ovechkin962]

Liam Kirk at eliteprospects.com

This kid from England is playing against men at 16 years old and got 25 points in 21 games. Has anyone seen him play?

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Sheffield Steeldogs (EPHIL) -> Peterborough Petes (OHL)

Click to read more...

 

[3 Minute Minor]

watched him with GB U20s

Coned some Slovenians
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M28Qs3g043k&t=7m37s

 

[Appleyard]

This is what I wrote the other week:

Liam Kirk is having a great season at only 16... http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=230605

scoring at a better rate than ex-Slovakian u20 captain Milan Kolena... who is six years older with KHL experience.

His 1.2 PPG is the best for anyone his age over the last 10 years in that league by some way... future national team players have generally put up ~0.4-0.7 if they play there at the same age.

And just put up 4 pts in 3 WJC-20 D1B games... at 16.

Has silky hands and a really nice release.

He should be in the EIHL full-time next year... or go abroad.

He is 18 months younger than Sam Duggan and already better tbh.

He can skate too. Not amazingly, relative to guys his age from 'big' hockey countries, but well enough it is not going to be a problem.

I have actually seen him twice in person as well. Though it was last year in the EPIHL where he was 15 playing against men in limited minutes!

He definitely has a chance to be drafted.

I imagine he might go to Sweden next year. Sheffield have heavy links with Sweden and some Swedish agents.

Pure speculation but they have a Swedish assistant coach, a few Swedish players and Swedish agent Gunnar Svensson has spent quite a bit of time in Sheffield recently... especially for a legit agent. He is Pääjärvi-Svensson's Dad and Zetterberg, Bäckström and Strålman's agent.

 

[Newfoundland]

Late rounder next year if he goes to Sweden?

 

[Appleyard]

Late rounder next year if he goes to Sweden?

Depends on how he does there ofc if he goes.

But going off Duggan in J20 I think Kirk could probably realistically be at ~0.75+ or so PPG in his draft year in SuperElit if his game transfers.

Which is a level that means someone could be drafted... if he went there and got ~PPG he would certainly be.


Though there is the option to play EIHL in bigger role if he gets bigger and stronger. The league is ~ECHL level statistically looking at guys coming over.

If he could force way into a full-time ~3rd line role for Sheffield and produce some points could be drafted out of EIHL.

Though no idea what kind of production he would need at that age... as it is completely unprecedented. No-one has really ever played a top 9/top 4 role in the EIHL under the age of 18. And his EPIHL production is similar this year to a heap of ~25-30 year olds who already played top 9 roles in the EIHL. (Hewitt, Campbell, Silverthorn & Clarkson)

He already has 2 goals for the senior team... and is the only under 17 year old to ever score in the Challenge Cup. (both goals came in that tournament.)

 

[3 Minute Minor]

Just came across this on twitter

 

[Appleyard]

His first pro goal is on youtube too:



2 ex-AHLers and 2 ex-ECHLer on the other team were on ice when he scored:

Garrett Klotz
Liam Stewart
Marc Cantin
Shawn Boutin

the other guy was GB International Ross Venus.


Shows his decent skating, not going to hold him back for sure.

 

[Kingpin794]

Wonder if he'd go for the CHL route? Slight plus: wouldn't have to deal with a language barrier.

 

[3 Minute Minor]

http://www.eliteprospects.com/leagu...ueteam=&teamname=&nation=&nationname=&age=u17

when this updates, it's going to show he's now first among U17 point getters in EPL history

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

Reminds me of Tarasenko.

 

[93LEAFS]

Wonder if he'd go for the CHL route? Slight plus: wouldn't have to deal with a language barrier.

Say this now, and watch him get drafted to Baie-Comeau

 

[SoundAndFury]

Most Swedes probably have less of a language barrier than someone from South Yorkshire

 

[canuckfan75]

So is he going anywhere to play for his draft year?

 

[Hammer Slammer]

 

[ihaveyuidonttouchme]

hey those highlights looks interesting. sorry but im just refraining myself with the captain kirk joke..

 

[nadera78]

He's a good player, the best we've produced in a long time, but he needs to move on next season. Whether that's Sweden or the CHL doesn't really matter tbh, he just needs to be pushed.

 

[Newfoundland]

Playing in the EIHL next season it appears.

 

[Siamese Dream]

A few short clips from the U18 worlds

 

[3 Minute Minor]

Playing in the EIHL next season it appears.

It's simply the 2nd year of his 2 year contract with Sheffield. He could easily be in the newly formed PIHL to start the season on the same 2-way as last year.

 

[Appleyard]

1g, 1a, 2p through 3 games of the EIHL season.

Season is young... but best ever PPG for a player with 30+ games in an EIHL season at under 18 is 0.28... though only 18 players have ever played that many in a season at that age.

 

[Stive Morgan]

Will staying in the EIHL hurt his draft stock? Texier stayed in France and still ended up a 2nd rounder. But I'm assuming that's a more competitive league.

 

[Appleyard]

Will staying in the EIHL hurt his draft stock? Texier stayed in France and still ended up a 2nd rounder. But I'm assuming that's a more competitive league.

Probably not - so long as he performs in junior international tournaments (and maybe gets a shot at senior level too).

The EIHL and Ligue Magnus are arguably a similar level, maybe EIHL marginally, marginally better... though not a big difference and hard to gauge. Especially when you compare how guys did who have played in both and the North American imports respective performance in the ECHL/AHL.

 

[ChaiTiefling]

Assist vs Braehead tonight. 5th point on the season.

 

[3 Minute Minor]

He's not getting near the buzz Alexandre Texier received while playing in France. I guess it helped that Texier was playing at D1A U18 & U20 with France while Kirk will be stuck in D2A with GB

 

[Appleyard]

He has been ridiculous so far in D2A as a 17 year old.

6g-6a-12p in 4 games. Just looks like scoring every time he is on ice and is quite frankly too good for that level.

Playing Japan tomorrow to see who gets promoted.


Been very solid in the EIHL too.