Prospect Info: Jets Select Patrik Laine 2nd Overall

[Aavco Cup]

Geez, he had an height spurt from 6"3.75 to 6"5? If true, that'd be massive, literally! Wish there was a way to get a confirmation on that. That's a beast with some wheels! Just imagine when he grows into his body.

We'll see what the Jets list him at after his TC medical.

 

[ijuka]

He was measured precisely at the combine. That was in june.

In the afternoon =/= precise.

He is supposed to be 195cm which is 6 foot 4.8 in.


I at least am 2cm taller in the afternoon than morning according to my own testing. You should always measure in the morning after waking up.

It just would make little sense for me if he had 194cm running around for 2 years and then he ends up being 192cm. Did they really mistakenly measure him at 194 before that? He was 191 over 3 years ago.

192 puts him below Puljujärvi and if you actually use your eyes, he is NOT shorter or even as tall as Puljujärvi.

 

[YWGinYYZ]

In the afternoon =/= precise.

It is very precise. It just happens to be a precise afternoon measurement.

 

[Aavco Cup]

In the afternoon =/= precise.

He is supposed to be 195cm which is 6 foot 4.8 in.


I at least am 2cm taller in the afternoon than morning according to my own testing. You should always measure in the morning after waking up.

It just would make little sense for me if he had 194cm running around for 2 years and then he ends up being 192cm. Did they really mistakenly measure him at 194 before that? He was 191 over 3 years ago.

192 puts him below Puljujärvi and if you actually use your eyes, he is NOT shorter or even as tall as Puljujärvi.

192.5cm is roughly what he was measured at the combine. When I met him in person in late June, I would have guessed he was about 6' 4" based on relative eye height. Pretty much what they said at the combine.

 

[Conflicted Habs fan]

And he's still growing too. Keep him under the sunshine and water daily, play music as that helps too

 

[puck stoppa]

192.5cm is roughly what he was measured at the combine. When I met him in person in late June, I would have guessed he was about 6' 4" based on relative eye height. Pretty much what they said at the combine.

How dare you bring eye test into this

 

[acrobaticgoalie]

Leaf fan coming in peace. With Ladd gone, who do you guys see playing on the top line and finish with more points Laine or Ehlers?

 

[Thai jet*]

29

Leaf fan coming in peace. With Ladd gone, who do you guys see playing on the top line and finish with more points Laine or Ehlers?

Laine fits in the LW spot. Nic is a RW. Whoever plays with Schiefele & Wheeler so Laine gets the higher pt total.

 

[Jetlaggedoil]

Laine fits in the LW spot. Nic is a RW. Whoever plays with Schiefele & Wheeler so Laine gets the higher pt total.

I think ehlers gets a look, and quite possibly starts with chef and wheeler. I think he's more likely to go back to rw after laine has some seasoning (even if it's only half a season) and once Stafford is gone to leave the vacancy on the right side. Which hopefully also gets Conner or Dano ready to slide to 2lw

 

[ijuka]

The hope is that after Laine's world cup performance, he just forces his way into the first line LW while giving the coach no other choice.

 

[Zhamnov10]

Selanne offering gold advice. One of the best passers in the league happened to be Housley who in large part had allowed the Finnish flash to rack up all those goals. Who does Laine have? Myers?

Buff is really good at the quick stretch passes probably the best on our team.

 

[ps241]

Leaf fan coming in peace. With Ladd gone, who do you guys see playing on the top line and finish with more points Laine or Ehlers?

Very tough to say. Ehlers finished off last season on the top line (on his off wing) with Schiefele and Wheeler and they were lights out together. My guess is that Maurice will give them a try together again which would put Laine with Little on the second line. I think allot of this will depend on if Laine is on the first PP unit and if so how productive he is. We have never had that asset on the PP so he could put up decent points on the strength of That alone.

I think Laine has the better pedigree but Nik is special and in year two which will help him. Flip a coin.

 

[PhilJets]

How would that be if Laine got one last growth spurt and goes up to be 6.7" that wing span

 

[Aavco Cup]

Leaf fan coming in peace. With Ladd gone, who do you guys see playing on the top line and finish with more points Laine or Ehlers?

It's almost certain that the Jets will start the season with Ehlers Scheifele Wheeler (if all are healthy) This may change as the season goes along. Expect Ehlers and Laine to get a lot of top 6 minutes and PP time.

 

[Aavco Cup]

 

[SensibleGuy]

Y'know, a 2nd line with Little at C and Laine on the wing would not at all be a bad thing!

 

[ps241]

Y'know, a 2nd line with Little at C and Laine on the wing would not at all be a bad thing!

Worked pretty well for Wheeler for the better part of five seasons. A rookie could do allot worse.

 

[DRC]

I do agree with Teemu about Wheeler being an ideal line mate. Laine Scheif Wheeler is just too much to handle me thinks. Then when Connor scratches top 6 him Little Ehlers is insanely fast and skilled.

 

[Yukon Joe]

Y'know, a 2nd line with Little at C and Laine on the wing would not at all be a bad thing!

Indeed! I know we all expect the world from Laine, but he is only 18 and may take some adjusting to the North American game. Hell starting out on a sheltered third line wouldn't be terrible either (though I suspect he doesn't need it).

 

[ijuka]

I do agree with Teemu about Wheeler being an ideal line mate. Laine Scheif Wheeler is just too much to handle me thinks. Then when Connor scratches top 6 him Little Ehlers is insanely fast and skilled.

Wheeler is the only choice on the team, really. He needs a good right-hand shot for his RW and Wheeler is the only one that fits the bill. This will be even better than usual because Scheifele and Laine can both shoot. Wheeler will have the optimal handedness to pass one timers to both of them. Mostly because of this factor, I'd greatly prefer Scheifele here instead of Little. It's good to have 2 serious shooting threats so that one can't be watched too closely.

With everything considered, Laine-Scheifele-Wheeler is a no brainer.

 

[Whileee]

Wheeler is the only choice on the team, really. He needs a good right-hand shot for his RW and Wheeler is the only one that fits the bill. This will be even better than usual because Scheifele and Laine can both shoot. Wheeler will have the optimal handedness to pass one timers to both of them. Mostly because of this factor, I'd greatly prefer Scheifele here instead of Little. It's good to have 2 serious shooting threats so that one can't be watched too closely.

With everything considered, Laine-Scheifele-Wheeler is a no brainer.

I think you might be underestimating how good Ehlers is at passing and opening up space. He actually has better vision than Wheeler and is excellent at gaining the zone on the right side and then opening up to pass to his left wing. I think that with either Ehlers or Wheeler on RW with Laine, it's "pick your poison".

 

[ps241]

How would that be if Laine got one last growth spurt and goes up to be 6.7" that wing span

I prefer his current height its not basketball.

 

[ps241]

I think you might be underestimating how good Ehlers is at passing and opening up space. He actually has better vision than Wheeler and is excellent at gaining the zone on the right side and then opening up to pass to his left wing. I think that with either Ehlers or Wheeler on RW with Laine, it's "pick your poison".

Yea I agree. Ehlers is a game breaker and a dynamic offensive weapon. He seems to mesh so well with any of the top guys. I love watching Nik and Buff do their give and goes, it's a thing of beauty. If you put Little in the middle as the two way workhorse that combination could be pretty deadly. That being said Wheels is a beast so their are multiple options as I see it.

 

[ijuka]

I think you might be underestimating how good Ehlers is at passing and opening up space. He actually has better vision than Wheeler and is excellent at gaining the zone on the right side and then opening up to pass to his left wing. I think that with either Ehlers or Wheeler on RW with Laine, it's "pick your poison".

No, I'm not underestimating Ehlers at all. He just is a left-handed shot and that is all.

For a line like this, everything feeds to the shooter. You want Laine to always be able to one-time off a pass. Passing to the left is by far the most comfortable for right-handed shots. You want the center, the right winger, and the right defenseman to all be right-handed so that they all can comfortably give a quality pass to Laine for a green shot one-timer high quality chance that crosses the middle of the ice(Those have like a 30% chance to score(straight in or off a rebound) on average and that is going to be much, much higher for a shooter like Laine). When you have an asset like this and the chance to maximize its impact, you in my opinion should do so.

A player like Ehlers would of course be -possible- if there is no alternative, but when someone like Wheeler exists and gives you a perfect "everyone-feed-the-shooter"-setup, there is no reason at all to go out of your way to stick Ehlers in there. Especially as I just consider Wheeler straight up better and he'll be useful in a leadership role for the young Laine.


Now, saying Ehlers is a better passed than Wheeler is debatable at best. Nevertheless, even if that was true, the handedness would certainly tip it in Wheeler's favor. He just had over 50 assists. I doubt he's all that bad at passing.

Also, Wheeler is much better as a net front presence and just being big and strong, gain space and tap in rebounds. Someone needs to fight along the boards, do hard work and actually gain the puck and Wheelers is one of the best players at doing things like these in the entire world. Ehlers really doesn't fit, I'm not sure why so many are pushing it. Even if it was only about passing it'd still be Wheeler, but when you add everything else this is obvious.

 

[Aavco Cup]

Wheeler is the only choice on the team, really. He needs a good right-hand shot for his RW and Wheeler is the only one that fits the bill. This will be even better than usual because Scheifele and Laine can both shoot. Wheeler will have the optimal handedness to pass one timers to both of them. Mostly because of this factor, I'd greatly prefer Scheifele here instead of Little. It's good to have 2 serious shooting threats so that one can't be watched too closely.

With everything considered, Laine-Scheifele-Wheeler is a no brainer.

I can see that happening eventually but I don't see this team putting unnecessary pressure on Laine. There will come a time when he will be depended on in the way you suggest, but that is not how the Jets are approaching it this season. They are in the long game with him. I don't see Maurice having the same urgency. Laine will be given opportunities to shine, but he will not be rushed in any manner. He needs to develop more than he needs to play with Wheeler on day 1.