Malkin off to incredible start

[Luigi Lemieux]

Crosby's "body type" is less impressive than either of the Russians, IMO.

I pegged Malkin>Crosby a few months ago and I hold to it. He's a playmaking center in the mold of Francis.

I do believe it is possible Malkin could be a more complete player than AO in his prime but I don't predict it. AO outplayed Malkin soundly at the World Championships, and arguably so at the WJC despite how phenomenal Malkin has been.

from what i've seen and from accounts i've read, malkin has the potential to be/already is a gamebreaker, something francis never was. his stickhandling and skating is far superior to francis'. francis had an amazing career because he was good for a very long time. he was never one of the best in the league however. i'm not saying malkin will have a better career, but i think his peak will be far more impressive than francis' peak.

the way malkin has been progressing i think it's very possible he could surpass both ovechkin and crosby. ovechkin's numbers as a 19 year old were 27 pts in 37 games. i have a feeling malkin as a 19 year old this season is going to obliterate those numbers.

 

[Kaizer]

What start ? Metallurg's 1st and 2nd games were against new promoted teams. It's not a big deal. From his 5 (1G+4A, 2PP) points 3A are secondary. I don't see incredible start for Malkin with all my love for him.

 

[EroCaps]

from what i've seen and from accounts i've read, malkin has the potential to be/already is a gamebreaker, something francis never was. his stickhandling and skating is far superior to francis'. francis had an amazing career because he was good for a very long time. he was never one of the best in the league however. i'm not saying malkin will have a better career, but i think his peak will be far more impressive than francis' peak.

the way malkin has been progressing i think it's very possible he could surpass both ovechkin and crosby. ovechkin's numbers as a 19 year old were 27 pts in 37 games. i have a feeling malkin as a 19 year old this season is going to obliterate those numbers.

I think you're right about Malkin having a higher ceiling than Francis, I just couldn't think of a more appropriate comparison. Maybe it's the Penguin-thing. Malkin's speed is underrated IMO. He can really fly for a guy his size. And his hands are going to be some of the best in the game. Ovechkin can flat out burn, though. He also has a bit of an edge and he's the better goal scorer. In the end, it begs the question: who'd you rather have, Iginla or Sundin? Different strokes.

Something to keep in mind w/regards to Ovechkin's RSL stats. His linemate, Pavel Rosa led the league in points until he was moved away from AO. Rosa's #s then fell off sharply.

 

[HabbyGuy]

If Malkin reaches his potential and realises his great upside i think the best comparison for him would be...

Evgeny Malkin = Jean Belliveau

The size, the speed, the graceful skating and wonderful hands are all great attributes shared by both.

 

[Claypool_*]

From his 5 (1G+4A, 2PP) points 3A are secondary.

and that makes them less impressive how?

 

[chum]

What start ? Metallurg's 1st and 2nd games were against new promoted teams. It's not a big deal. From his 5 (1G+4A, 2PP) points 3A are secondary. I don't see incredible start for Malkin with all my love for him.

they start giving out 2nd assists in RSL now??

 

[MaV]

they start giving out 2nd assists in RSL now??

I don't know who came up with the story that they didn't but poeple sure have been sticking to it.

 

[chum]

I don't know who came up with the story that they didn't but poeple sure have been sticking to it.

wow, and all this time i thought they don't.

darn.

 

[MaV]

First off I would like to thank Russia for being selfish in not signing the IIHF agreement. Secondly, I would like to thank the brass over at Metallurg for being complete idots in thinking that that we would do anything to bring him over and asking for bu-coo bucks to terminate his existing contract.

Are you really serious? Who's selfish? Doesn't this just prove that Russians were right, their players are worth more? And when do people understand that these teams are not in players selling business? They want to keep the players they have under contract, they are happy to have them, not sad not to get some money.

 

[Kaizer]

and that makes them less impressive how?

Teams against they were scored makes them less impressive.

PS. Alexander Rybakov (11.08.85-Undrafted) has 3G in first 2 games and lead league with goals. Anyone cares ?

 

[wilka91*]

Mikhail Joukov an Oiler prospect has 0-3-3 in 2 gp., does that mean that he'll be as good as Ovechkin or Crosby in your estimation???

it's not 2 games

he's got 10 points in his last 5 games counting his last preseason tournament, and it's nothing like the NHL preseason

 

[wilka91*]

First off I would like to thank Russia for being selfish in not signing the IIHF agreement.

I woudn't mind if you apologized for this statement.

If any league is selfish in the world, it's the NHL. At least it accepted to let players at the Olympics, but the NHL doesn't even recognize a player's contract if he plays in another league. Isn't that selfish?

 

[Sammy*]

it's not 2 games

he's got 10 points in his last 5 games counting his last preseason tournament, and it's nothing like the NHL preseason

Wowee, a preseason tourney now counts for stats.
Robbie Schremp is ecstatic. He's lighting it up at the Oil Rookie camp. Maybe I should start a thread "Shremp off to incredible start"about

 

[wilka91*]

Wowee, a preseason tourney now counts for stats.
Robbie Schremp is ecstatic. He's lighting it up at the Oil Rookie camp. Maybe I should start a thread "Shremp off to incredible start"about

it's no "preseason"

it was a European 4-team tournament ... 1 Russian team, 1 from Finland, one from Sweden I think, etc. As I said, it can't be compared to the NHL preseason.

 

[Chaos]

it's no "preseason"

it was a European 4-team tournament ... 1 Russian team, 1 from Finland, one from Sweden I think, etc. As I said, it can't be compared to the NHL preseason.

The same tournament Jussi Jokinen lead in scoring last season? Perhaps I should have started a thread a year ago about it then.

 

[Don Draper]

If Malkin reaches his potential and realises his great upside i think the best comparison for him would be...

Evgeny Malkin = Jean Belliveau

The size, the speed, the graceful skating and wonderful hands are all great attributes shared by both.

heh, of course you would like to make that comparison, the head scout for the devil (david......?) made that exact same comparison 2 years ago in SI. Beliveau didnt play in your life or mine, so it would be impossible to make such remarks. I can only accept it, and listen to the legend of the great Beliveau, since its a quote from arguably the top talent evaluator in the league.

 

[RoyIsALegend*]

heh, of course you would like to make that comparison, the head scout for the devil (david......?) made that exact same comparison 2 years ago in SI. Beliveau didnt play in your life or mine, so it would be impossible to make such remarks. I can only accept it, and listen to the legend of the great Beliveau, since its a quote from arguably the top talent evaluator in the league.

David Conte.

 

[futurcorerock]

LOL, so now 10 - 15 pounds stands between him and NHL stardom. LOL. give me a break. The guys is over in russia right now playing amazing hockey against adults. Him gaining 10 - 15 pounds has nothing to do with him becoming a star.

It has everything to do with Malkin getting hit hard by an enforcer and not being able to get up. That's the impact that 10-15 pounds has on an NHL player

 

[HabbyGuy]

heh, of course you would like to make that comparison, the head scout for the devil (david......?) made that exact same comparison 2 years ago in SI. Beliveau didnt play in your life or mine, so it would be impossible to make such remarks. I can only accept it, and listen to the legend of the great Beliveau, since its a quote from arguably the top talent evaluator in the league.

1st off, he did play in my life, albeit at a young age I was 5 when he retired. Secondly, I had no idea David Conte made the exact same comparison. I am a huge hab fan and a real student of their great history, I know very well of Jean Beliveau as a man and his skills as a player.

But no I am not basing this comparison on first hand knowledge of actually seeing "Les Gros Bill" play in live action. For that matter I haven't seen Malkin play as often as I like either. All I was going by was how everyone was describing Malkin's attributes and upside, and my own limited impressions on seeing him play.

Whenever I read about his abilities, his size, his speed and hands, his hockey sense etc. Jean Beliveau's name pops in my head. The fact that someone who has an eye for talent as Conte does, I will admit makes me feel pretty good about my assesment.

I truly had never seen or read anyone else mention this comparison before. It's not like I have anything to gain by making this observation, I just thought i'd share it.

 

[turnbuckle*]

We are so quick to forget the past and annoint the future.

Francis was never one of the best? Please!! Francis was a top ten player for many seasons, at least a dozen. He had the misfortune of playing when Gretzky, Lemieux, Messier and Yzerman played, so he wasn't a consistent first and secnd team all star center; it doesn't mean he wasn't one of the top ten or 15 players on many occasions.

There are the gurantees that Malkin will be a first or second team all star center either. Hell he may very well end up being the second line center on his NHL team, much like Francis when he played behind Mario.

Malkin will be competing against Ovechkin, Crosby, Kessel, Kovalchuk, Nash, Thornton, Heatley, Spezza, Lecavalier, Carter, Ruutu, Richards, Marleau, Havlat, Gaborik, Zherdev, Iginla, Staal, Ryan, Toews, Frolik, Zetterberg and many others over the next decade +, and that's only at the forward position. If he becomes one of the top 15 players for a decade, then we'll talk about comparing him to Francis. To compare a player yet to play a shift in the NHL to one of the all-time point producers is silly enough, but to also sauggest he could well be better, at this point is wayyyy too early.

Many a center had better skating speed than Francis; it didn't make them better players.

 

[Zine]

We are so quick to forget the past and annoint the future.

Francis was never one of the best? Please!! Francis was a top ten player for many seasons, at least a dozen. He had the misfortune of playing when Gretzky, Lemieux, Messier and Yzerman played, so he wasn't a consistent first and secnd team all star center; it doesn't mean he wasn't one of the top ten or 15 players on many occasions.

There are the gurantees that Malkin will be a first or second team all star center either. Hell he may very well end up being the second line center on his NHL team, much like Francis when he played behind Mario.

Malkin will be competing against Ovechkin, Crosby, Kessel, Kovalchuk, Nash, Thornton, Heatley, Spezza, Lecavalier, Carter, Ruutu, Richards, Marleau, Havlat, Gaborik, Zherdev, Iginla, Staal, Ryan, Toews, Frolik, Zetterberg and many others over the next decade +, and that's only at the forward position. If he becomes one of the top 15 players for a decade, then we'll talk about comparing him to Francis. To compare a player yet to play a shift in the NHL to one of the all-time point producers is silly enough, but to also sauggest he could well be better, at this point is wayyyy too early.

Many a center had better skating speed than Francis; it didn't make them better players.

Of course no player is a sure thing - but since this is a prospect board, people talk in terms of potential. From what's been seen of Malkin, he certainly has the potential to be better than Francis.

 

[Cerebral]

Sigh, I remember when Daniel Cleary was leading the league in scoring during the pre-season. He was the next Joe Sakic (with better playmaking ability).

 

[PSUhockey34]

It has everything to do with Malkin getting hit hard by an enforcer and not being able to get up. That's the impact that 10-15 pounds has on an NHL player

Yeah b/c all the weight Lindros had really worked out well for him...size/weight is overrated

 

[Form and Substance]

This thread is off to an incredible start.

 

[Crusher20]

shut up, Malkin sucks!!! Latendresse will win the hart ross, this season.



no seriously, good for Malkin, no doubt he is a super talent.. but again we have to wait for him to show his skills in the NHL.