Heatley in his prime isn't half bad but he does shoot left so for a left winger the dynamics are entirely different.
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Heatley in his prime isn't half bad but he does shoot left so for a left winger the dynamics are entirely different.
jepjepjoo
Registered User
- Dec 31, 2002
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Dany Heatley had back to back 50g 100+pts seasons...
So bigger, faster Heatley with better hands is 60g 120pts? I can live with that.
Just play styles. If Laine pulls that off with the way scoring is going days off even if have to give him credit.
I know, it was something I have not seen before. I fully expected him to struggle with the strength and speed of a full NHL roster but he elevated his game and was the best player on the ice. Komarov was very good too and got his job done but Laine was a catalyst and a threat throughout the whole game. Canada does NOT try to intimidate a Pihlstrom or Pyorala. They knew who they need to target and they did, kid passed that test with flying colors.
It was special to see that, I have not seen that happen by a u-18 ever in world championships, but that is why Laine is special. Some people have a hard time with comparisons to the all time greats and they have this weird expectation that nobody will ever reach that level....which is of course moronic because it will happen without a doubt in the future. Laine has shown some traits that are so special, I have never seen done by a player at that age in WHC.
The way he elevated his level for a worthy opponent and actually was the best player out there was a HUGE indicator for me. He has glaring issues in his game (acceleration, which is a simple thing to fix, you just need to add strength in the legs to drive that big body faster) and yet he can outplay the guys he was facing...nothing short of an amazing and incredibly mature performance.
Something that needs to be taken into account is that he is used to playing on an Olympic ice surface (his whole career?). It'll be interesting to see how he transitions to the NHL rink. For someone that relies heavily on his shooting and positioning these are two things where an adjustment will have to be made.
QnebO
Wheel, snipe, celly
- Feb 11, 2010
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Yes, but as we are valuing prospect, there isn't reason to assume he isn't going to hit the gym and track pretty hard for next few summers and years.
Typically Finnish hockey rinks are not quite full size, including Tampere (28m wide I believe). But yes, there's definitely a difference to NHL that will require adjusting.
Especially at this age, you can almost guarantee that if he stays healthy, come World Cup he will be a lot stronger in the legs and as a result, his skating will be already better than it is now. He doesn't lack in technique, he just lacks muscle. And that's because physically he is nowhere near his prime, he's just a kid. A kid who missed almost a full off season because of an injury and STILL can be the best player on the ice against the likes of McDavid, Perry and Duchene. What will he do when he's not at a physical disadvantage and he has had more time to sharpen his tools that are already world class? Can't wait to see it.
Yeah I think the international is 30m wide and Laine is used to 28m wide. NHL has what, 26m wide?
It's not going to be a huge thing for him. Does anyone know if NLA uses 30m or 28?
I am reading conflicting reports (via Google searches albeit) that certain SM liiga rinks are 30m. Some 29m. Some 28m.
Can't find anything on NLA yet but Matthews has lots of experience on 26m.
This information doesn't seem to be very easily available, so it could be wrong. Latest I found for Tampere is 28m (Laine would have played ~50% of his league games here). Trend has been towards 28m recently (I suppose teams feel this will increase the pace of game and attract audience).
jepjepjoo
Registered User
- Dec 31, 2002
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Espoo 30x60
Nordenskiöldinkatu 28x60
Hämeenlinna 30x58
Tampere 28x60
Jyväskylä 28x60
Kuopio 30x60
Kouvola 30x60
Oulu 29x60
Rauma 28x59
Lahti 28x58
Lappeenranta 28x60
Turku 28x60
Pori 28x58
NHL size is 26x61 = 1586m2
smallest Liiga rinks are 1624m2
HockeyHistorian
Registered User
- Mar 17, 2015
- 1,563
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Whether he shoots left or right is pretty unimportant when you are talking about player comparisons. Two players can have exactly the same style whether they shoot from left or right. I think prime Heatley with better hands is a good comparison as well. Perhaps not the best comparison, but a good comparison nonetheless.
IamherefortheFinn
ObsessedWithTheLion
It's very tough for a LW R to have the same play style as a LW L. They look for entirely different things, the team's strategy involving them is different, their role is different, their positioning is different...
A LW R is much more likely to have a similar play style as a RW L.
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Henchmen 21
Registered User
Damn this kid looks good, glad for Jets fans, that's gonna be a fun team to watch next year. I assume Laine makes the Jets out of camp, any notion where he lines up?
HockeyHistorian
Registered User
- Mar 17, 2015
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What you say is true. I just don't think it really matters that much in a player comparison since RW L can play a similar game as a LW R and Laine is not even exclusively a LW.
I'll be pretty disappointed if Laine isn't with Scheifele if he ends up in Jets.
Laine being RW in worlds is a travesty, he's a LW.
Laine being RW in worlds is a travesty, he's a LW.
I think some of the posters should be pumping the brakes on the hype for Laine. I know it's hard not to use hyperbole when he's playing so well, but come on, some of the expectations and comparisons are pretty unrealistic. I've heard everything from 40+goals next year to comparisons with ovie and jagr. If anything I think these expectations/comparisons are highly unfair to the player.
Like a number of posters have already pointed out, he needs to work on his foot speed and lateral agility. But, that is not something that can be fixed by the start of the up coming season. If we look at some players who had similar issues, Barkov and Tavares, it took them 2-3 seasons before there were noticeable improvements in their skating. And no, it is not as simple as stronger legs=faster/better skater. I wouldn’t be too worried about this issue, if anything I think Tavares’s skating was a bigger liability at the same age.
The issue I would be more worried about is the transition to NHL size ice. If you’ve ever played on NA/International ice you would know that the 1-3m difference in diameter and length makes a huge difference (ask Granlund). Players probably lose 1-2 seconds in the neutral zone and in the corners. These are two areas where Laine starts his offence. In SM-liiga, he was used as one of main points of entry into the offensive zone by catching a puck in the neutral zone with speed and entering the zone. Losing 1-2 seconds will make a huge difference, especially since his lateral mobility and acceleration isn’t elite yet. It’s going to be extremely interesting to see how his play changes if at all in the NHL.
Depending on how wpg deploys him, I would realistically see him in the 20-25G and 20-25A range. This would be assuming 2/3rd line minutes with regular PP time.
Like a number of posters have already pointed out, he needs to work on his foot speed and lateral agility. But, that is not something that can be fixed by the start of the up coming season. If we look at some players who had similar issues, Barkov and Tavares, it took them 2-3 seasons before there were noticeable improvements in their skating. And no, it is not as simple as stronger legs=faster/better skater. I wouldn’t be too worried about this issue, if anything I think Tavares’s skating was a bigger liability at the same age.
The issue I would be more worried about is the transition to NHL size ice. If you’ve ever played on NA/International ice you would know that the 1-3m difference in diameter and length makes a huge difference (ask Granlund). Players probably lose 1-2 seconds in the neutral zone and in the corners. These are two areas where Laine starts his offence. In SM-liiga, he was used as one of main points of entry into the offensive zone by catching a puck in the neutral zone with speed and entering the zone. Losing 1-2 seconds will make a huge difference, especially since his lateral mobility and acceleration isn’t elite yet. It’s going to be extremely interesting to see how his play changes if at all in the NHL.
Depending on how wpg deploys him, I would realistically see him in the 20-25G and 20-25A range. This would be assuming 2/3rd line minutes with regular PP time.
FinRanger
Registered User
- Jan 15, 2013
- 968
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Is this legit? I have always thought that the biggest rink is in Turku. I have heard word airport used to describe HK-areena rink.
That's one way to look at it. Another way to look at it is his results and gameplay at his age are the best ever, so he's going to be the best player in his position ever.
The transition from his home ice to international ice is the same as the transition from his home ice to NHL ice. I doubt it will make very much of a difference. Usually it's the slow players who struggle on BIG ice.
I'd say that Granlund's issues have more to do with his physicality.
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