Player Discussion: Laine (Mod warning OP)

[bennylundholm]

Sure, but since then he has not failed to make it to atleast the second round and has won a cup.

Seems like a coach who learned and grew as his career has progressed and the results the last 5 to 6 years have been pretty darn consistently great. Its what I was saying earlier, Trotz seems to be able sustain his results year to year whereas Maurice doesn't.

Bingo!

 

[LowLefty]

Its hard for him to mive around much when the puck is coming to him from one location. In our set up all he can do is move in a 10 to 15 foot radius depending on where Wheeler is on the opposite side of the ice. He moves to far and there is no passing lane for Wheeler to use. He essentially has to mive with Wheeler to keep cross seam lane open. It's the same reason why Scheifele barely moves as well in the slot, he needs to move with Wheeler to keep that lane open.

Our PP would likely see much more movement and switches if there was more then one qb using multiple points of attack.

Laine moves as much as he needs to keep the seam pass open. Blaming him for not moving enough is quite comical based on the PP design.

As comical as you may think it is, he's the reason it doesn't move much - he's a stationary target and everything revolves around getting him the puck.
Maybe Laine could drive to the net once in a while, take it behind the net, feed the guy in the slot or KC down low, - all of these things would get the whole thing moving. He's the target out there - he's the guy that can get things moving by simply providing everyone with more options.

 

[bennylundholm]

As comical as you may think it is, he's the reason it doesn't move much - he's a stationary target and everything revolves around getting him the puck.
Maybe Laine could drive to the net once in a while, take it behind the net, feed the guy in the slot or KC down low, - all of these things would get the whole thing moving. He's the target out there - he's the guy that can get things moving by simply providing everyone with more options.

Okay, pretty much all of that makes no sense.

 

[surixon]

As comical as you may think it is, he's the reason it doesn't move much - he's a stationary target and everything revolves around getting him the puck.
Maybe Laine could drive to the net once in a while, take it behind the net, feed the guy in the slot or KC down low, - all of these things would get the whole thing moving. He's the target out there - he's the guy that can get things moving by simply providing everyone with more options.

I would have no issue with him moving more with the puck on the PP, as I have said I would like to see him get the puck walk it into the low slot and shoot with a screen much more often ala Mackinnon. I would like to see him go to the net if they open up the down low play more to create cross crease and rebound opportunities. But can you say given how most players operate on the PP and given how static it has been for years that Maurice isn't asking our players to adhere fairly closely to their positions? Quite frankly I want a more dynamic PP where there is much more motion from everyone. The issue with ours is that one player has the puck 90% of the time and Laine even if they take the cross crease pass it providing a distraction for the PKers which should allow other options to open up. To me the biggest issue is the fact that it seems that everyone has been instructed to get the puck to Wheeler on the PP and that is our weak link. The best PPs operate through more then one player. Tampa (Kuch, Point, Stamkos and Hedman), Pitts (Crosby, Malkin, Letang), Washington (Ovie, Backstrom, Caralson, Kuznetsov) etc.

Our PP has been static for years, do you really think if the coach wanted more motion that we wouldn't have it? I still remember Kompton having free reign on it in training camp with Maurice at the World Cup of Hockey, it looked markedly different with a tonne of motion and exchanges. Maurice comes back and it becomes more rigid and static.

 

[Psych0dad]

Laine's shot is quite a bit better than Ovechkin? I can see I'm not dealing with someone who is objective when it comes to Laine.

What's not objective about it? Ovechkin can't beat goalies from the distance Laine does with any consistency, both slapper and wrister are weaker and less accurate. Just breaking down the shot, not what the players do with them. Ovechkin is the better overall goal scorer so far but that doesn't mean his shot is on par or better.

 

[LowLefty]

I would have no issue with him moving more with the puck on the PP, as I have said I would like to see him get the puck walk it into the low slot and shoot with a screen much more often ala Mackinnon. I would like to see him go to the net if they open up the down low play more to create cross crease and rebound opportunities. But can you say given how most players opporate on the PP and given how static it has been for years that Maurice isn't asking our players Quite frankly I want a more dynamic PP where there is much more motion from everyone. The issue with ours is that one player has the puck 90% of the time and Laine even if they take the cross crease pass it providing a distraction for the PKers which should allow other options to open up. To me the biggest issue is the fact that it seems that everyone has been instructed to get the puck to Wheeler on the PP and that is our weak link.

Our PP has been static for years, do you really think if the coach wanted more motion that we wouldn't have it? I still remember Kompton having free reign on it in training camp with Maurice at the World Cup of Hockey, it looked markedly different with a tonne of motion and exchanges. Maurice comes back and it becomes more rigid and static.

Everyone is being asked to get the puck to Laine on the PP - unfortunately, if he's not moving, the only real options are the seam or from the point. You don't see everyone standing around on PP2 - do you really think Moe is telling one PP to stand still while the other gets to free wheel?

I'd like to see Laine create a little on his own - and then it doesn't have to go through Wheels / Pionk. Why does he always throw it back to the point when he can't get his shot off? Because he wants it back so that he can take anther crack at the one timer. He's not looking for another play and he's not taking it to the net for another angle with his shot - why?

The other option is to change it all up and stop making Laine the prime target - but that would mean less Laine - that won't go over well.

 

[10Ducky10]

I think he would be excellent on the point. Not sure what you mean by bobbles the puck too much.
They'd have to respect the shot and he is one of the best passers on the team. He can move in and draw players toward him and pass off to an open man if there is no shot or pass.
i think it is worth a try at least because what we have has become stagnant.

 

[Mud Turtle]

Why are changes to our power play even being discussed?
Did Paul Maurice get fired?

 

[bennylundholm]

Why are changes to our power play even being discussed?
Did Paul Maurice get fired?

Ain't that the truth.

 

[NotCommitted]

I see there's a lot of talk about the PP so I will give the One True Take(tm)

Laine won't replicate his 2017-2018 PP sh% without drastic PP changes. 2017-2018 was the first season he was used properly on the PP and was playing in the first unit. While teams cheated, or started cheating towards him quite soon, they didn't cheat near as much as they do nowadays. Opposing teams still had some respect left for Wheeler's muffin and then there was Buff on the point. Since then that seam pass from Wheels to Laine has become very stale - every PK knows that's the play ('the play' as in about the only play...) they are going for, they also know they can pretty safely let Wheeler shoot the puck and the goalie will have no problem, so the PKs do a lot better job of blocking that Wheels to Laine lane than they used to. For the current setup to have any chance of working again, there should be a better shot at Wheeler's place - if the PK had to respect that shot, they couldn't cheat so much towards Laine.

I don't think Laine has any issue moving or finding open lanes, he's been pretty good at it until he became the sole focus of every PK unit. I mean you can always do better, but I don't think it would help with this setup and personnel, unless he moved all over the ice and then did a perfectly timed Selänne-type movement to his spot, but that would be a completely different PP setup (and Selänne perfected those on-the-sly movements). Something he could improve is his shot, the times he does get it off, it doesn't look as good as it used to - less accurate and softer. Wheels is good at dishing those puck, but I see no reason why Ehlers or Connor for example couldn't do it just as well with some practice. I think Wheeler's spot really needs a player who can shoot the puck. Also I'd like to see more Pionk to Laine and Connor to Laine passes for shots, but Connor to Laine for a shot almost never happens, and for some reason Pionk only does granma passes, which are useless. It's almost as if someone told him he needs to play it very very safe with those passes - some have speculated Laine likes granma passes, but I call 100% BS on that. Anyway, with Connor to Laine and Pionk to Laine they could improve shooting volume a lot and even Pionk to Laine would create some lateral movement and even if Laine didn't score, he could shoot for rebounds.

And as for shot, of course Laine has a better shot than Ovechkin, or at least used to have, he's a new generation shooter who has played with these modern sticks since 2 years old probably. His technique is very different to Ovechkin's. There shouldn't be anything ridiculous about stating that, but there's more to scoring goals than your shot. Ovechkin has a very hard and accurate shot but I don't think he has the kind of shifty release some of these young kids have, Laine one of them. If you gave them both wooden sticks, I'm pretty sure Ovechkin would still have a very hard and good shot, because he's a more old school shooter with a lot of raw power behind - Laine on the other hand I'm not sure would do well with granpa's old Koho.

 

[tbcwpg]

Corey Pronman (young player guru) has Laine as the 7th best player under 23 in the NHL or NHL prospect pool.

 

[DRW204]

Corey Pronman (young player guru) has Laine as the 7th best player under 23 in the NHL or NHL prospect pool.

who did he have ahead?

 

[PhilJets]

Our boy needs to keep pace.

He was top 3 under 21 before.
( i'm a homer but Laine has an argument with #4 ,5,6 hopefully he go beast mode this season)

Lets go Laine more training!

While the rest of team is enjoying their holidays

Perfetti at 19? Nice

 

[PhilJets]

Is Laine already practicing in (with team) Finland

Can some of our friends from that side confirm? Thanks

 

[untouchable21]

No, last year he didn't even take his gaming system on road trips with him.

He isn't the only kid gaming in the league, a good many do. I don't know why people care what these guys do in their down time. It's their own time and they can do what they want.

Werenski is a big time gamer as well. Better cross him off the list of hopefuls to acquire in a potential Laine trade.

 

[tbcwpg]

who did he have ahead?

Out of order off the top of my head, he had Matthews at #1, Lafreniere, Matthew Tkachuk, Dahlin, Pettersson, Svechnikov.

 

[untouchable21]

There would be nothing wrong with a first line of Laine - Scheifele - Wheeler, but of course Maurice will be too stubborn to stick to that. Ehlers can play RW with Stastny and Connor. That second line can still be very effective.

If Wheeler/Scheifele are not professional enough to be good with that then this team has far more problems then they think and should just BLOW it up down to the bare bones, Senators/Red Wings style.

 

[DRW204]

Out of order off the top of my head, he had Matthews at #1, Lafreniere, Matthew Tkachuk, Dahlin, Pettersson, Svechnikov.

i hate intermingling D vs Fwd in these rankings. Don't see how Dahlin is clearly ahead of Makar or Hieskanen or Hughes. I think i'd agree with Laine's fwd ranking though. Aho also must've just missed the cut off.

 

[Neuf]

Out of order off the top of my head, he had Matthews at #1, Lafreniere, Matthew Tkachuk, Dahlin, Pettersson, Svechnikov.

I wish players had to be in the NHL to rank against guys who've proven themselves

 

[Halberdier]

i hate intermingling D vs Fwd in these rankings. Don't see how Dahlin is clearly ahead of Makar or Hieskanen or Hughes. I think i'd agree with Laine's fwd ranking though. Aho also must've just missed the cut off.

Both Lafnerniere and Dahlin are there for their estimated sky-high potential, not that they would already be over the other guys.

Aho is too old and actually Matthews is also 23 years and 1 months old, but the cut is at draft cut, I guess. Aho is not much older than Matthews if I remember it correctly, but he is drafted 2015 anyway.

 

[tbcwpg]

I wish players had to be in the NHL to rank against guys who've proven themselves

Keep in mind this is players under 23 - I don't doubt that Crosby, or McDavid would've been in the top 5 here so Laf at 4 (where he ended up) isn't all that unusual. Byfield ended up at 10 here. Perfetti is 19th.

i hate intermingling D vs Fwd in these rankings. Don't see how Dahlin is clearly ahead of Makar or Hieskanen or Hughes. I think i'd agree with Laine's fwd ranking though. Aho also must've just missed the cut off.

This was a top 155 so I just listed the ones above Laine. Quinn Hughes was 11, Makar was 13, Heiskanen 14. Aho missed the cutoff by about 3 months.

 

[surixon]

Corey Pronman (young player guru) has Laine as the 7th best player under 23 in the NHL or NHL prospect pool.

Perfetti finished 19th and Samberg at 139.

For whatever reason Pronman isn't a van of Heinola, I would have had him somewhere in the 70 to 100 range myself.

 

[DRW204]

Keep in mind this is players under 23 - I don't doubt that Crosby, or McDavid would've been in the top 5 here so Laf at 4 (where he ended up) isn't all that unusual. Byfield ended up at 10 here. Perfetti is 19th.



This was a top 155 so I just listed the ones above Laine. Quinn Hughes was 11, Makar was 13, Heiskanen 14. Aho missed the cutoff by about 3 months.

Yeha I know. Just was commenting on dhalins ranking haha but as far as fwds ahead of Laine I don't disagree with that. Tkachuk is a bit of a toss up but I don't think one is clearly ahead of the other.

 

[Whileee]

Perfetti finished 19th and Samberg at 139.

For whatever reason Pronman isn't a van of Heinola, I would have had him somewhere in the 70 to 100 range myself.

I think Heinola and Samberg are underrated by a number of prospect pundits, perhaps because their box-score numbers don't jump off the page. Heinola had very good underlying stats last year, despite not putting up as many points. Clearly, the Jets see something pretty good if they kept him to start the season. Maurice / Chevy are not inclined to rush young D prospects.

I also think Samberg is really flying below the radar of a lot of pundits. His point production was actually very solid, though not flashy. His profile compares very well to other defensive D that went via the NCAA, including McDonagh, Slavin, Pesce, Parayko and Manson. Samberg's point production compares well with them at similar stages and he has the same sort of profile as a prospect. Samberg has been more impressive than that group on the international stage as a core D on Team USA for the WJHC as an 18 and 19 year old.

 

[Howard Chuck]

One way for the coaches to help solve it would be to tell Laine to move around more.

He could tell them all to do that. They gain the zone and go to their assigned spots as if magnets have been turned on in those spots. Then the all stand there for as long as they have possession.