Prospect Info: Jordan Kyrou (2016 Draft - 35 Overall)

[Dbrownss]

I guess pictures are worth a thousand words, but gifs are worth a million.

Seriously, subscribe to the Athletic. That piece on Kyrou was the best hockey analysis I’ve ever read.

Absolutely. I'm too lazy to go look but IIRC according to the writer, Kyrou's agility and edgework rivals McJesus. His skating really is that good. He may not have that extreme top gear but he doesn't need it.

I like the targets as far as trades but I don't see DA moving a top prospect this year

 

[Vincenzo Arelliti]

I would be shocked if we trade Kyrou, Thomas, Thompson, or even Kostin - although less so for Kostin.

Walman, Barbashev, Schmaltz, Blais, and the rest should be enough to add to our excess roster players for a top-6 RW. Prospects like Kyrou and Thomas just don’t get traded by competent management.

I also am making a vow to go out and watch all of our prospects from now on. Having only seen a few games of Kostin after we drafted him (archived), and a few games of Thompson, I thought they were our top guys until I read on here. It’s a pain to pay, but it was so much fun to witness the birth of guys like Dunn (AHL) and Parayko (Alaska Aces) after posters in here brought them up. I just had to see for myself. I missed on Kyrou and Thomas for so long for lots of reasons, and I don’t want to miss on the next guys. Paying for the OHL package sucks, but it’s been very rewarding. Getting to watch Kyrou is such a great, and I’m sure once Thomas adjusts to Hamilton, he will be, too.

 

[The Note in MI]

I would be shocked if we trade Kyrou, Thomas, Thompson, or even Kostin - although less so for Kostin.

Walman, Barbashev, Schmaltz, Blais, and the rest should be enough to add to our excess roster players for a top-6 RW. Prospects like Kyrou and Thomas just don’t get traded by competent management.

I also am making a vow to go out and watch all of our prospects from now on. Having only seen a few games of Kostin after we drafted him (archived), and a few games of Thompson, I thought they were our top guys until I read on here. It’s a pain to pay, but it was so much fun to witness the birth of guys like Dunn (AHL) and Parayko (Alaska Aces) after posters in here brought them up. I just had to see for myself. I missed on Kyrou and Thomas for so long for lots of reasons, and I don’t want to miss on the next guys. Paying for the OHL package sucks, but it’s been very rewarding. Getting to watch Kyrou is such a great, and I’m sure once Thomas adjusts to Hamilton, he will be, too.

Watching Thomas in London after the Raaymakers trade was a treat. I always chose to watch London over Sarnia if they played the same time. Was really considering traveling to Sarnia for their matchup over New Years but They both were at WJC at that time.

 

[MissouriMook]

Absolutely. I'm too lazy to go look but IIRC according to the writer, Kyrou's agility and edgework rivals McJesus. His skating really is that good. He may not have that extreme top gear but he doesn't need it.

I like the targets as far as trades but I don't see DA moving a top prospect this year

One of the biggest keys with that kind of speed is the ability to still make plays at that speed. As we've learned over the last couple of years with Paajarvi, speed alone only takes you so far. From what I've seen, Kyrou can make plays in the OHL at speed, but it remains to be seen if that will translate to the NHL level when so many players defending him are that much faster and more physical.

 

[Dbrownss]

One of the biggest keys with that kind of speed is the ability to still make plays at that speed. As we've learned over the last couple of years with Paajarvi, speed alone only takes you so far. From what I've seen, Kyrou can make plays in the OHL at speed, but it remains to be seen if that will translate to the NHL level when so many players defending him are that much faster and more physical.

That's the case with everyone though. Kyrou's game isnt dependant on fancy moves per say. I dont think he'll have a huge hurdle to climb given how gifted of a skater he is.

 

[MissouriMook]

That's the case with everyone though. Kyrou's game isnt dependant on fancy moves per say. I dont think he'll have a huge hurdle to climb given how gifted of a skater he is.

I guess I'm just saying that there is a "non-zero" chance that he turns into Paajarvi 2.0 and doesn't become anything resembling a game breaker. But speed disrupts, he has it in spades, and we don't really have anyone that can move like him on the current roster so (as I mentioned in the Trade Proposal thread) I really think we need to hold onto this kid, even if we end up holding on too long, to see what he can do against NHL players night in and night out.

 

[Dbrownss]

I guess I'm just saying that there is a "non-zero" chance that he turns into Paajarvi 2.0 and doesn't become anything resembling a game breaker. But speed disrupts, he has it in spades, and we don't really have anyone that can move like him on the current roster so (as I mentioned in the Trade Proposal thread) I really think we need to hold onto this kid, even if we end up holding on too long, to see what he can do against NHL players night in and night out.

Theres always a chance guys bust. With Paajarvi he could skate fast, and that was it. Poor IQ, poor edge work, poor shot. He's good at chasing pucks and nothing else. Kyrou has elite edge work, elite speed, he has high level IQ and a good accurate shot. His NHL ability should be much safer then Paajarvi.

 

[EastonBlues22]

One of the biggest keys with that kind of speed is the ability to still make plays at that speed. As we've learned over the last couple of years with Paajarvi, speed alone only takes you so far. From what I've seen, Kyrou can make plays in the OHL at speed, but it remains to be seen if that will translate to the NHL level when so many players defending him are that much faster and more physical.

He did it in the WJC as well against a bunch of talented peers, you might remember.

Physicality doesn't do a whole lot to help someone who's defending in transition or space...just like speed doesn't do a whole lot to help someone who is trying to win a battle along the boards or in front of the net.

His skill set is absolutely NHL viable and I'm not at all worried about his ability to make plays at speed translating to the NHL. The bigger questions are whether he can hold his own in the battle areas, how good his defensive game will be, whether he'll force too many plays (thus leading to too many turnovers), etc. He'll still need to be able to play a mature game to get the most out of what talents he has, and that's not always easy for a young player to learn to do.

 

[Vincenzo Arelliti]

For reference:

Canada’s golden hero is having a season for the ages

 

[BleedBlue14]

Heard on a Blues podcast Jamie Rivers compare Kyrou to Rattie. Is there any truth behind that? He said he saw a lot of similarities and isn't saying Kyrou cannot produce at the NHL level but he said he's a little worried that that's a prettt big possibility. I don't really remember Rattie as much as a prospect at this age that Kyrou is at.

I just feel with how dominant great skaters are now a days (Barzal,McDavid) I don't see Kyrou busting at all. Not comparing him to those two but he has a lot of jump in his steps that I've seen out of those guys.

 

[carter333167]

Heard on a Blues podcast Jamie Rivers compare Kyrou to Rattie. Is there any truth behind that? He said he saw a lot of similarities and isn't saying Kyrou cannot produce at the NHL level but he said he's a little worried that that's a prettt big possibility. I don't really remember Rattie as much as a prospect at this age that Kyrou is at.

I just feel with how dominant great skaters are now a days (Barzal,McDavid) I don't see Kyrou busting at all. Not comparing him to those two but he has a lot of jump in his steps that I've seen out of those guys.

I would bet a lot of money that Kyrou is not another Rattie. In fact, I would bet a lot of money that he will be better than a healthy Fabbri.

 

[Vincenzo Arelliti]

Heard on a Blues podcast Jamie Rivers compare Kyrou to Rattie. Is there any truth behind that? He said he saw a lot of similarities and isn't saying Kyrou cannot produce at the NHL level but he said he's a little worried that that's a prettt big possibility. I don't really remember Rattie as much as a prospect at this age that Kyrou is at.

I just feel with how dominant great skaters are now a days (Barzal,McDavid) I don't see Kyrou busting at all. Not comparing him to those two but he has a lot of jump in his steps that I've seen out of those guys.

Jamie Rivers is an idiot. There is nothing similar between the two. Rattie had a good shot, and had a knack for finding soft spots on the ice away from the puck. Kyrou does that and everything else, and he does it better. Rattie wasn’t that explosive by any means, and had no defensive game to speak of. Rattie also wasn’t fully devoted to hockey, and had none of the skills Kyrou has. The only thing Rattie has over Kyrou is his shot - but Kyrou can do all that and more at a high speed. The comparison is ridiculous.

 

[Dbrownss]

Heard on a Blues podcast Jamie Rivers compare Kyrou to Rattie. Is there any truth behind that? He said he saw a lot of similarities and isn't saying Kyrou cannot produce at the NHL level but he said he's a little worried that that's a prettt big possibility. I don't really remember Rattie as much as a prospect at this age that Kyrou is at.

I just feel with how dominant great skaters are now a days (Barzal,McDavid) I don't see Kyrou busting at all. Not comparing him to those two but he has a lot of jump in his steps that I've seen out of those guys.

Did he explain his position on that? I can only compare Junior Kyrou to what i saw of Rattie in the AHL.

Rattie couldn't skate and he didn't have much vision. He was your typical triggerman. Find the soft spots and rip shots.

Kyrou is going to be an elite skater in the NHL. He has very good vision and can score on his own. He's extemely dynamic in how he attacks the net.

These guys are polar opposites.

 

[Majorityof1]

Jamie Rivers is an idiot. There is nothing similar between the two. Rattle had a good shot, and had a knack for finding soft spots on the ice away from the puck. Kyrou does that and everything else, and he does it better. Rattie wasn’t that explosive by any means, and had no defensive game to speak of. Rattie also wasn’t fully devoted to hockey, and had none of the skills Kyrou has. The only thing Rattie has over Kyrou is his shot - but Kyrou can do all that and more at a high speed. The comparison is ridiculous.

How do you know how committed Rattie was to hockey? I don't recall ever hearing about his lack of commitment.

As for Kyrou, you way over-exaggerate. Kyrou does not have what would be considered a good shot by NHL standards. Nor can he play defense worth a lick. I'm not saying the comparison was apt, but Kyrou is not a lock for a regular NHL player much less a superstar. The comparison may have some truth despite differing skill sets because neither would be good bottom 6 players. If Kyrou does not figure out how to play without the puck, he either has to be a superstar or an AHL star. He won't carve out a utility role with his current skill-set. Like Rattie its all or nothing. Rattie was nothing. Kyrou, the jury is still out.

 

[BleedBlue14]

Did he explain his position on that? I can only compare Junior Kyrou to what i saw of Rattie in the AHL.

Rattie couldn't skate and he didn't have much vision. He was your typical triggerman. Find the soft spots and rip shots.

Kyrou is going to be an elite skater in the NHL. He has very good vision and can score on his own. He's extemely dynamic in how he attacks the net.

These guys are polar opposites.

That's where my thought process was. I didn't know if he was seeing something I wasn't considering he's pretty predominant with youth hockey in the area but it's him and Kimble and a college assistant coach on the podcast.

I honestly don't remember I can relisten to it and see but I think it was mainly about size or something along those lines and how smaller players who tear it up at that level have a track record of it not translating a lot of the time. I don't generally agree with hardly any views Rivers or Kimble have and honestly think they aren't very up to date with anything going on but seeing as how they played in the NHL and Rivers is generally still pretty big in the hockey scene I didn't know if they were seeing something I wasn't.

Read Mo1s post right above this. I think that was more along Rivers line of thinking

Just re listened. It was in sort of a comparable with Thomas and him saying Thomas is more NHL ready which I agree with but he went on to say something along the lines of paraphrase (to me Kyrous skills are comparable to Ty Rattie and I think he's a heck of a hockey player but the skills that make him successful at the juniors level didn't necessesarily translate to the NHL game. He didn't say it's going to happen to Kyrou but it's a possibility Thinks Thomas skill set is closer to an NHL skill set) end paraphrase

which makes sense, but I watched some of Rattie and didn't see the explosiveness or anything from Rattie that's why I was bringing about the question. I think it's more that Ratties skill set at the time woulsnt translate or something like that.

 

[Dbrownss]

That's the problem...what the hell did Rattie do that Kyrou can do? Ill admit i never watched him in juniors but from what ive seen. They are not comparable at all.

I get the sense that if Kyrou cant/doesn't want to play defense...he may be too much of a liabiliy. With that said....rattie couldnt skate to save his life which means he had to be very positionally sound. High IQ wasnt something I saw from him...so he just wasnt cut out to be a NHL player without alot of work.


I understand what he's trying to say but for FFS...not everyone has to be Patrice f***ing Bergeron. Tarasenko still sucks at defense at times, but he tries....most of the time. Hell Fabbri wasn't a selke guy either but he was an NHL'er.....All I'm saying is I dont see this being a huge issue with Kyrou.

 

[Vincenzo Arelliti]

How do you know how committed Rattie was to hockey? I don't recall ever hearing about his lack of commitment.

As for Kyrou, you way over-exaggerate. Kyrou does not have what would be considered a good shot by NHL standards. Nor can he play defense worth a lick. I'm not saying the comparison was apt, but Kyrou is not a lock for a regular NHL player much less a superstar. The comparison may have some truth despite differing skill sets because neither would be good bottom 5 players. If Kyrou does not figure out how to play without the puck, he either has to be a superstar or an AHL star. He won't carve out a utility role with his current skill-set. Like Rattie its all or nothing. Rattie was nothing. Kyrou, the jury is still out.

There was talk about Rattie being more into his baseball career than his hockey career. He even admitted to it when he first got his stint with the Blue, and he then recommitted himself to hockey after seeing what it would take.

Kyrou’s defense and play without the puck is good. He is good positionally, has an active stick, and causes turnovers often. He has been described by many, including his coach, as a good defensive player, and that was actually his strength pre-OHL before working on his offensive game. He’s not afraid to get involved along the boards, and his vision and awareness are much better than Rattie’s in the DZ and NZ, placing him in the right position to make a play often. They might be equal in the OZ.

Kyrou is currently at 2PPG in the OHL, and has been on a much worse team than Rattie ever was; Rattie never went 2PPG. Kyrou plays on a line with Adam Ruzicka, and, just after the trade deadline, Michael Pezzetta. Kyrou drives the offense. Rattie played with Baertschi and Ross who were amazing in the WHL. Rattie was largely seen as the secondary threat on that line, and not a driver of the offense by people that watched him. Rattie always had huge question marks about his game: skating, decision-making, defense. . . really anything outside his shot and ability to find the soft ice. Kyrou’s question marks early on was his offense, and I think he’s answered those.

I’ve watched Kyrou a lot. Defense is not an issue for him, and his skating, vision, passing, defense, hands at high speed, zone entries, and playmaking ability put him way above Rattie. Rattie had a better shot, but that’s really it. Rattie was a terrible skater, and couldn’t open up lanes for himself or his teammates, and he instead relied on the rest of the team to do that for him. Kyrou is the offense, transition, and possession in Sarnia. As for an “NHL-level shot”, Kyrou’s shot isn’t great, but it’s at least similar to Barzal’s.

Rattie has a lot of red flags that pointed to potential bust. I don't see those flags for Kyrou at all.

Edit: and as for size, Rattie was under 6ft, Kyrou is over 6ft. Some places have Rattie as small as 5’10”. Kyrou is occasionally listed at 6’1”.

 

[EastonBlues22]

Rattie and Kyrou play the games in very, very different ways and have extremely dissimilar skill sets.

 

[Majorityof1]

There was talk about Rattie being more into his baseball career than his hockey career. He even admitted to it when he first got his stint with the Blues Andy the national recommitted himself to hockey after seeing what it would take.

Kyrou’s defense and play without the puck is good. He is good positionally, has an active stick, and causes turnovers often. He has been described by many, including his coach, as a good defensive player, and that was actually his strength pre-OHL before working on his offensive game. He’s not afraid to get involved along the boards, and his vision and awareness are much better than Rattie’s in the DZ and NZ, placing him in the right position to make a play often. They might be equal in the OZ.

Kyrou is currently at 2PPG in the OHL, and has been on a much worse team than Rattie ever was; Rattie never went 2PPG. Kyrou plays on a line with Adam Ruzicka, and, just after the trade deadline, Michael Pezzetta. Kyrou drives the offense. Rattie played with Baertschi and Ross who were amazing in the WHL. Rattie was largely seen as the secondary threat on that line, and not a driver of the offense by people that watched him. Rattie always had huge question marks about his game: skating, decision-making, defense. . . really anything outside his shot and ability to find the soft ice. Kyrou’s question marks early on was his offense, and I think he’s answered those.

I’ve watched Kyrou a lot. Defense is not an issue for him, and his skating, vision, passing, defense, hands at high speed, zone entries, and playmaking ability put him way above Rattie. Rattie had a better shot, but that’s really it. Rattie was a terrible skater, and couldn’t open up lanes for himself or his teammates Andy instead relied on the rest to do that for him. Kyrou is the offense, transition, and possession in Sarnia. As for an “NHL-level shot”, Kyrou’s shot isn’t great, but it’s at least similar to Barzal’s.

Rattie has a lot of red flags that pointed to potential bust. I don't see those flags for Kyrou at all.

​

To me, you are just using words that sound good, none of which jive with my viewings of him. You may have watched a lot of him, but you have obviously drank the Kool-Aid (something you are prone to do). If someone cannot say one critical thing about a prospect, they are either that players agent, coach or fan who has lost all objectivity. Every major scouting report mentions defensive deficiencies. Maybe he has improved leaps and bounds recently. I'll admit, I don't have access to watch OHL near as much as I'd like. Time will tell. There are not enough stats to have an argument on the subject. I say he's lazy in the d zone and his speed covers poor positioning. You say he has great positioning. And we are at a stand still. I'll leave it at this: I will try to catch some recent games and be objective, but I'm skeptical.

As for Rattie, he played with Baertachi his draft+1. But Baertschi only played 40 some games. Ross was nothing special (82 points in 68 games), and Rattie had 40 more points than he did. In Rattie's draft+2 (Where Kyrou is now), both those players were gone and Rattie led his team and the WHL in points per game. Also he gave up baseball at 15 years old to play hockey when he chose to go to the WHL. I doubt that held him back in his development as he still managed to tear up the WHL. (Blues happy Rattie picked hockey instead of baseball). Sounds to me like you are painting a much worse picture of Rattie than was the case. He had question marks for sure (why he fell to the 2nd round), but Kyrou has different question marks too.

Again, I wasn't comparing Rattie or Kyrou's skill-sets. Kyrou is much more talented. Rattie relied on having a nose for the soft spots. Kyrou has speed, vision, good hands, creatity and a whole host of skills. Kyrou also, to my eye, doesn't work when he doesn't have the puck. He isn't strong on the boards, and really does not look like he wants to ever engage at all. He covers his defensive lapses with great skating, but that won't work as the level of skill rises. He is a man amongst boys right now and can skate circles around kids who will never play professional hockey against men. Let's see what he can do against men who also dominated juniors when they were there.

 

[Vincenzo Arelliti]

​

To me, you are just using words that sound good, none of which jive with my viewings of him. You may have watched a lot of him, but you have obviously drank the Kool-Aid (something you are prone to do). If someone cannot say one critical thing about a prospect, they are either that players agent, coach or fan who has lost all objectivity. Every major scouting report mentions defensive deficiencies. Maybe he has improved leaps and bounds recently. I'll admit, I don't have access to watch OHL near as much as I'd like. Time will tell. There are not enough stats to have an argument on the subject. I say he's lazy in the d zone and his speed covers poor positioning. You say he has great positioning. And we are at a stand still. I'll leave it at this: I will try to catch some recent games and be objective, but I'm skeptical.

As for Rattie, he played with Baertachi his draft+1. But Baertschi only played 40 some games. Ross was nothing special (82 points in 68 games), and Rattie had 40 more points than he did. In Rattie's draft+2 (Where Kyrou is now), both those players were gone and Rattie led his team and the WHL in points per game. Also he gave up baseball at 15 years old to play hockey when he chose to go to the WHL. I doubt that held him back in his development as he still managed to tear up the WHL. (Blues happy Rattie picked hockey instead of baseball). Sounds to me like you are painting a much worse picture of Rattie than was the case. He had question marks for sure (why he fell to the 2nd round), but Kyrou has different question marks too.

Again, I wasn't comparing Rattie or Kyrou's skill-sets. Kyrou is much more talented. Rattie relied on having a nose for the soft spots. Kyrou has speed, vision, good hands, creatity and a whole host of skills. Kyrou also, to my eye, doesn't work when he doesn't have the puck. He isn't strong on the boards, and really does not look like he wants to ever engage at all. He covers his defensive lapses with great skating, but that won't work as the level of skill rises. He is a man amongst boys right now and can skate circles around kids who will never play professional hockey against men. Let's see what he can do against men who also dominated juniors when they were there.

I’ve written up some complete games, shift by shift, of Kyrou recently. You can read those if you want more than adjectives that don’t line up with what you’ve seen (wherever and whenever that was). I think the adjectives I’m using are acceptable shorthand for what I’ve already written about. “Lazy” and “poor positionally” are interesting terms to derive from stats and however many games you’ve seen him play - especially from someone that accuses others of using other’s opinions to formulate their own. I watched the games, I made the notes, and I compared him to Barzal; I fail to see how that’s drinking kool-aid.

Rattie played for better teams, and in their same years, Kyrou is out-producing Rattie while playing (in mine, his coach, and apparently only-the-reports-you-haven’t-read’s opinion) good defense, and driving the offense. Nowhere have I read that Rattie was a driver of the offense, but despite having seen him at the AHL and NHL level, I did not watch him in the WHL, so I’m just going off of reports from those that have. Perhaps he did drive the offense in juniors (doubtful), and I’m reading horrible analysis, but even if that were true, I can’t possibly imagine a guy only known for his shot and what amounts to a positive phrase for floating (finding the open ice) was the catalyst for his team. Couple that with Kyrou’s ability to create turnovers, and his speed that is more than enough to be effective in the NHL, and I dont hesitate to restate that Kyrou is leagues better than Rattie - namely, one specific league: the NHL. The comparison to both skillset and likelihood to play in the NHL is absurd.

As for Kyrou’s speed making up for bad positioning on defense, that’s not at all the case from what I have seen. Kyrou puts himself in the right spot to intercept passing and shooting lanes often; he isn’t doing this by dashing to the right spot at the last second. He is not running around the ice just being faster than everyone else - or at the very least faster than he could in the NHL. But even if he was, his skating is elite and he will be able to run circles around most NHLers as well; claiming that his skating won’t cover for defensive lapses is silly. His skating alone would allow him to play poor positionally in the NHL and still be an effective player in two other zones (assuming he still wouldn’t be effective in all three). I’m not claiming him to be good enough to be great defensively in the NHL - because he doesn’t have to be to still be a highly effective player, but I do conclude that he is already playing well defensively in the WHL, and he has the toolset and mindset to be similarly effective in the NHL - even as a bottom-6er. Rattie could never do that, and that’s why “lazy” and “poor positionally” are terms better attributed to the argument that compares the two and their likelihood of making the NHL than they are to Kyrou’s game.

 

[EastonBlues22]

​

To me, you are just using words that sound good, none of which jive with my viewings of him. You may have watched a lot of him, but you have obviously drank the Kool-Aid (something you are prone to do). If someone cannot say one critical thing about a prospect, they are either that players agent, coach or fan who has lost all objectivity. Every major scouting report mentions defensive deficiencies. Maybe he has improved leaps and bounds recently. I'll admit, I don't have access to watch OHL near as much as I'd like. Time will tell. There are not enough stats to have an argument on the subject. I say he's lazy in the d zone and his speed covers poor positioning. You say he has great positioning. And we are at a stand still. I'll leave it at this: I will try to catch some recent games and be objective, but I'm skeptical.

As for Rattie, he played with Baertachi his draft+1. But Baertschi only played 40 some games. Ross was nothing special (82 points in 68 games), and Rattie had 40 more points than he did. In Rattie's draft+2 (Where Kyrou is now), both those players were gone and Rattie led his team and the WHL in points per game. Also he gave up baseball at 15 years old to play hockey when he chose to go to the WHL. I doubt that held him back in his development as he still managed to tear up the WHL. (Blues happy Rattie picked hockey instead of baseball). Sounds to me like you are painting a much worse picture of Rattie than was the case. He had question marks for sure (why he fell to the 2nd round), but Kyrou has different question marks too.

Again, I wasn't comparing Rattie or Kyrou's skill-sets. Kyrou is much more talented. Rattie relied on having a nose for the soft spots. Kyrou has speed, vision, good hands, creatity and a whole host of skills. Kyrou also, to my eye, doesn't work when he doesn't have the puck. He isn't strong on the boards, and really does not look like he wants to ever engage at all. He covers his defensive lapses with great skating, but that won't work as the level of skill rises. He is a man amongst boys right now and can skate circles around kids who will never play professional hockey against men. Let's see what he can do against men who also dominated juniors when they were there.

If you watched the World Juniors, you had a chance to do that very thing. Were you disappointed with his showing? Most didn't seem to be.

Kyrou isn't just a good skater relative to his current peers. He's a good skater relative to NHL quality skaters. It's not even that hard to see, just like it wasn't very hard to see that Tarasenko's shot was an elite shot relative to his NHL peers way before he ever actually hit the NHL. NHL skills can be identified as NHL skills regardless of what competition you're playing.

That's not to say that Kyrou won't need to adapt and round out his game at least somewhat as he moves up the ranks, which is a big chunk of the point you're making, but there's no reason to discard the potential impact of his best abilities out of hand, either. Kyrou doesn't need to reinvent himself defensively to stick in the NHL. He can't just ignore that side of the game as he develops, but he can absolutely leverage his skating ability to help compensate for other defensive deficiencies as he moves up levels. He would hardly be the first.

 

[wannabebluesplayer]

This is why I don't typically listen to podcasts or radio shows around St. Louis for hockey stuff. Too often, I feel like it's a former tough guy, bottom 6, or bottom pairing guy who tries to offer opinions on players that they had nothing in common with. You have the occasional one who is actually good and has a better understanding of the types of games each player has, like Chase, but it seems like more often than not, it's someone who is a little out of touch with the evolving game.

 

[Celtic Note]

I don’t see Kyrou and Rattie as similar.

But, there seems to be a bit of revisionist history with Rattie. In junior he was very much a catalyst. I watched a bunch of his games with the Winterhawks and the narrative that he was the beneficiary of Sven was incorrect. Later when Sven left, Rattie carried the torch. He never really sat there waiting for a pass, he made things happen.

When he went to the AHL, things changed a bit. He still was a catalyst at times, but his poor skating and lack of strength didn’t allow him to do the same things he did in juniors. He was still a good player in that league, but he clearly wasn’t what he looked like in junior. He seemed to work on changing his game as his time progressed. He started going to the dirty areas more (especially after Jaskin left) and he started looking for open space. He must have known that he wouldn’t drive the play at the next level.

In the NHL he further headed down that path of looking for space, as going to the dirty areas was much harder and he never put on the kind of strength he needed to do so. He also never really developed the defensive side of his game, which further diminished his chances.

Getting back to Kyrou, he shares a similarity with Rattie in that he needs to add strength and continue to develop his play away from the puck. The advantage Kyrou has (similar to Dunn) is his ability to recover defensively due to his speed. That alone makes a marked improvement over anything Rattie could do defensively.

 

[PiggySmalls]

This is why I don't typically listen to podcasts or radio shows around St. Louis for hockey stuff. Too often, I feel like it's a former tough guy, bottom 6, or bottom pairing guy who tries to offer opinions on players that they had nothing in common with. You have the occasional one who is actually good and has a better understanding of the types of games each player has, like Chase, but it seems like more often than not, it's someone who is a little out of touch with the evolving game.

Yeah Jamie Rivers to me was off base with the Kyrou and Rattie comparison. If you watch Junior highlights from the 2 it is obvious to see the differences between the 2. Especially when it comes to how each one creates space. Also another telling sign between the 2 was at WJC. in 6 games for Canada Rattie had 3 points on a TC that was STACKED at forward. Then you got Kyrou that led TC with 10 points in 7 games.

 

[Vincenzo Arelliti]

I don’t see Kyrou and Rattie as similar.

But, there seems to be a bit of revisionist history with Rattie. In junior he was very much a catalyst. I watched a bunch of his games with the Winterhawks and the narrative that he was the beneficiary of Sven was incorrect. Later when Sven left, Rattie carried the torch. He never really sat there waiting for a pass, he made things happen.

When he went to the AHL, things changed a bit. He still was a catalyst at times, but his poor skating and lack of strength didn’t allow him to do the same things he did in juniors. He was still a good player in that league, but he clearly wasn’t what he looked like in junior. He seemed to work on changing his game as his time progressed. He started going to the dirty areas more (especially after Jaskin left) and he started looking for open space. He must have known that he wouldn’t drive the play at the next level.

In the NHL he further headed down that path of looking for space, as going to the dirty areas was much harder and he never put on the kind of strength he needed to do so. He also never really developed the defensive side of his game, which further diminished his chances.

Getting back to Kyrou, he shares a similarity with Rattie in that he needs to add strength and continue to develop his play away from the puck. The advantage Kyrou has (similar to Dunn) is his ability to recover defensively due to his speed. That alone makes a marked improvement over anything Rattie could do defensively.

Interesting about Rattie in juniors. Do you mean that Rattie made things happen in the OZ, or did he push the play in all 3 zones? That's what I see from Kyrou, and that's really what I mean by "driving the offense". I suppose it's more apt to say "drove his line". Kyrou is a big part of the transition, and he's a big reason Sarnia gets the puck back, so he, to me, is more of a catalyst than what I know of Rattie (which is little in the WHL).

I keep hearing "play away from the puck" being used to describe where Kyrou needs to improve. What exactly do you mean by that?