Grabner

STA

Registered User
Jul 25, 2006
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Vancouver
I think he could become a good sniper who will notch around 50 points a year, and who will have more goals than assists...

Maybe a mix of Prucha and Svatos???
A ceiling of 50 points a season?

that's pretty bad for a one-diminsional 1st round pick.
 

Granlund2Pulkkinen*

Guest
I don't see alot in this guy.

I think he may be an elite 2nd liner or a decent first liner

70 point max.
 

Sore Loser

Sorest of them all
Dec 9, 2006
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Spokane, WA.
I've been watching Grabner for 3 seasons in the WHL, and I'll consider myself unbiased since I don't care for him all that much.

He's a project player to say the least, he has as much raw goal scoring talent as any other prospect out there, but he doesn't play physical in the least, is unwilling to challenge anyone on the ice and only shows up with his "A" game half the time. When he does bring his "A" game, he was as strong a goal scorer as I've ever seen in the WHL, his blazing speed was by far the fastest I saw all season, and when he puts mustard on his wrist shot it's almost un-stoppable, especially when he's picking the corners.

If Vancouver is patient with him and can get him to adjust to a physical game, and bring his style of play hard every shift, he could be a 40 goal man in the NHL, but he would max out at around 75 points.

Otherwise...he will bust, and bust hard.
 

Tact

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Jul 9, 2006
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I can see him being a Milan Hejduk clone. He will put up huge numbers if he has a playmaking centerman. He can definately score, he just needs someone to feed him the puck.
 

Red

Registered User
Dec 14, 2002
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VanCity
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I don't see alot in this guy.

I think he may be an elite 2nd liner or a decent first liner

70 point max.

I'd be thrilled with that as a Canucks fan. Not every first round pick has to be a superstar, picking up a decent first liner would be a huge success for an organization that has no young forward talent.
 

Granlund2Pulkkinen*

Guest
I'd be thrilled with that as a Canucks fan. Not every first round pick has to be a superstar, picking up a decent first liner would be a huge success for an organization that has no young forward talent.

From what I hear, he can put pucks in nets.

Put him on a line with a feeder and then you've got chemistry.


He has had the potential to become a star, but I don't think that's realistic for him anymore.
 

Sore Loser

Sorest of them all
Dec 9, 2006
7,622
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Spokane, WA.
He seemed to be at his best when he was on a line with a kid here named Blackwater. He's a playmaking LW who has very good hockey sense, not the best of skaters, but can make the pass. Another thing about Blackwater is he was always the first guy to step in between Grabner and whoever was challenging him, always chirping and sticking up for him. Those 2 things are crucial for Grabner's success IMO.
 

Snatcher Demko

High-End Intangibles
Oct 8, 2006
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I've been watching Grabner for 3 seasons in the WHL, and I'll consider myself unbiased since I don't care for him all that much.

He's a project player to say the least, he has as much raw goal scoring talent as any other prospect out there, but he doesn't play physical in the least, is unwilling to challenge anyone on the ice and only shows up with his "A" game half the time. When he does bring his "A" game, he was as strong a goal scorer as I've ever seen in the WHL, his blazing speed was by far the fastest I saw all season, and when he puts mustard on his wrist shot it's almost un-stoppable, especially when he's picking the corners.

If Vancouver is patient with him and can get him to adjust to a physical game, and bring his style of play hard every shift, he could be a 40 goal man in the NHL, but he would max out at around 75 points.

Otherwise...he will bust, and bust hard.

This is my read on Grabner too. But if he's wussing out of it in the juniors, what the hell is he ever going to do in the playoffs? That's my worry.

If he becomes a 30 goal man in the NHL, that's fine, but playoffs are a different game.
 

Brownie

Registered User
Aug 16, 2006
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Richmond
This is my read on Grabner too. But if he's wussing out of it in the juniors, what the hell is he ever going to do in the playoffs? That's my worry.

If he becomes a 30 goal man in the NHL, that's fine, but playoffs are a different game.

I agree. If he can't handle the WHL playoffs, how is he going to fare in the NHL playoffs? I'm most worried about that. His upside could be very good though.

Markus Naslund was comparing him to Martin Havlat in training camp this past year.
 

AgentNaslund*

Guest
2nd line winger. and Slapshot, and whats with questioning yet again another Canuck property?
 

sandwichbird2023

Registered User
Aug 4, 2004
3,835
1,901
I've been watching Grabner for 3 seasons in the WHL, and I'll consider myself unbiased since I don't care for him all that much.

He's a project player to say the least, he has as much raw goal scoring talent as any other prospect out there, but he doesn't play physical in the least, is unwilling to challenge anyone on the ice and only shows up with his "A" game half the time. When he does bring his "A" game, he was as strong a goal scorer as I've ever seen in the WHL, his blazing speed was by far the fastest I saw all season, and when he puts mustard on his wrist shot it's almost un-stoppable, especially when he's picking the corners.

If Vancouver is patient with him and can get him to adjust to a physical game, and bring his style of play hard every shift, he could be a 40 goal man in the NHL, but he would max out at around 75 points.

Otherwise...he will bust, and bust hard.

this sounds alot like afinogenov, except grabner excel at goal scoring rather than playmaking. would this be accurate or am i way off?
 

Jimmypop316

Registered User
Jun 21, 2005
386
1
he needs to learn to back check.

He also can get rattled very easy and will totally get him off his game. If the defenseman play him hard he will not forecheck, will not play hard whatsoever, and will be invisible out there.

Streaky, which I think has been pointed out, but that happens a lot in young goal-scorers.

Grabby knows that he has to work on these things and hopefully he can make the changes/strengthen his game because he has no shot at all if he doesn't get rid of his lack of physical play/shaky confidence.

God damn he has the speed and the moves, he just needs to work on his game a bit and he can do well in the big leagues.
 

Sore Loser

Sorest of them all
Dec 9, 2006
7,622
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Spokane, WA.
he needs to learn to back check.

He also can get rattled very easy and will totally get him off his game. If the defenseman play him hard he will not forecheck, will not play hard whatsoever, and will be invisible out there.

Streaky, which I think has been pointed out, but that happens a lot in young goal-scorers.

Grabby knows that he has to work on these things and hopefully he can make the changes/strengthen his game because he has no shot at all if he doesn't get rid of his lack of physical play/shaky confidence.

God damn he has the speed and the moves, he just needs to work on his game a bit and he can do well in the big leagues.

Nice assessment, especially on the backchecking/forechecking thing, the only exception to that was the time in Seattle where Meidl tried to murder him...he seemed to wake up after that and go on a scoring tear. That's the kind of stuff that seperates the good prospects from the great, is their willingness to compete every shift and bounce back when they get their heads knocked around.
 

Cerebral

Registered User
Aug 4, 2003
23,262
565
Calgary, Alberta
From what I've seen of Grabner (granted I've only seen him play 3 or 4 times), he might put up a few points in the NHL but I don't think he'll ever really help a team win. He reminds me a bit of Valeri Bure in this regard.
 

Jimmypop316

Registered User
Jun 21, 2005
386
1
Nice assessment, especially on the backchecking/forechecking thing, the only exception to that was the time in Seattle where Meidl tried to murder him...he seemed to wake up after that and go on a scoring tear. That's the kind of stuff that seperates the good prospects from the great, is their willingness to compete every shift and bounce back when they get their heads knocked around.

Yea... also when he was absolutely reemed by Peters and called out after the Everett game.

The sad thing is he fell into the same funk in the playoffs against them. As much as I hate to say it, hating Everett as much as I do, but after that first game he scored the hatty they did an amazing job of containing him and making him play some awful hockey.
 

Judas Tavares

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Feb 9, 2007
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I remembered in older threads in comparison to Tlusty, they said Grabner would become the better of the two. Is that still accurate?
 

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