#66 said:
Yeah I also came up with the Satan/Havlat comparision, they pretty similiar.
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Michael Grabner
- Thread starter Russian_fanatic
- Start date
Yeah I also came up with the Satan/Havlat comparision, they pretty similiar.
Anthony Mauro
DraftBuzz Hockey
Saw some more tapes and have altered my stance on him.
Now, I'm thinking Samsonov-lite. He's got insane agility, is a sniper, and has great vision. He can really dance and won't hesitate to lay into guys. Well worth the 14th overall, so good job Vancouver!!
Now, I'm thinking Samsonov-lite. He's got insane agility, is a sniper, and has great vision. He can really dance and won't hesitate to lay into guys. Well worth the 14th overall, so good job Vancouver!!
Balej's Dance said:
Yeah, if more people watched this guy play they would know he does have potential do be 35-40 goal scorer(Potentially), who can play on the top line(Yep I said it). His game really reminds me of Marty Havlat.
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Grabner was an excellent pick with huge upside. I was hoping Toronto would pick him at 13. Tlusty was still on the board so it was obvious they would take him.
He has the speed/acceleration, shot, hands, and jam to be an excellent goal scorer. His instincts without the puck are quite good. He looked very solid at the Top Prospects game.
He has the speed/acceleration, shot, hands, and jam to be an excellent goal scorer. His instincts without the puck are quite good. He looked very solid at the Top Prospects game.
Being an avid WHL watcher I am sorry to say but Grabner's game much more resembles a guy like Josef Balej than it does any or the NHL'ers anyone has mentioned. Havlat?! come on, have you actually seen him play? He has much work to do to be even close to Havlat. I wouldnt even compare Brule to any of those players, and Brule was one of the few players in the league that actually could warrant such comparisions. A player like Dubinsky showed a lot more in his draft year than Grabner did. I think this is just a pick purely based on his 34 goals and good speed. Sergei Berezin anyone?
Red
Registered User
Are you kidding me? I've seen Grabner a few times, and while I don't think he'll be quite like Havlat, he is very chippy and doesn't shy away from contact. Drives to the net like a madman. Hardly a Sergei Berezin/Josef Balej type.
therobman27 said:
Then you must remember 22 goals in his last 23 games right? The kid can score, and he hustles. He plays nothing like Berezin who was nothing without Sundin. No one is saying that he's the next Martin Havlat. We're comparing his game to Havlat, and what his potential can be. Also some Nucks fans ask Lou Lamoriello(sp?) what they think of Grabner and he was very high on Grabner saying that he can see him potting 40 goals in the future, and Lou has a great hockey mind. Grabner only started to get serious minutes after the top prospect game and really started to shine(22 goals in 23 games). You lost all credibility in your post once you made that Dubinsky remark. And since when is having good speedy, and good agility a bad thing? Since when is being a scorer a bad thing? The kid is fearless going to the net, and nothing indicated that potentially he can't be a first liner in the future.
Please come again.
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RandV
It's a wolf v2.0
jin said:
Does it matter if some fan you'll never meet on a message board has seen a kid play when there's so many professional scouting reports to draw from? I guess you'd need to if you want to say something he plays just like Satan or Havlat or whoever, but the fact that he was drafted by an NHL team 14th overall, I'd say those comparisons are far more accurate than someone coming on here and saying he plays more like Balej or Berezin.
therobman27 said:
This is a weak draft year, its pretty obvious after the 13th pick alot of them were long shotz anyways, at the time, it's a no brainer to pick a player that is one of the fastest, and a natural goal scorer. We are going after his speed, ( one of the fastest players in the draft) and his scoring. (New NHL is all about speed) I cant think of anyone else I rather have then Grabner, a long shot, maybe Chris Stewart, but its obvious he wasnt the next best thing and Ty Wishart is the other guy i kinda wanted.
heres is something from our locan news paper about Grabner
6' 180lbs.
He can get to full speed within 3 strides and is one of the fastest players in the entire draft. He needs to bulk up to make it but to the next level but there is no quetion hes already has an NHL calibre skill set.
sensens
Registered User
I was surprised at the noticeably modest reaction to the Canucks drafting Grabner... was there someone they were expected to draft that they didn't? They really needed a skilled scoring forward, and Frolik, Little and Tlusty were all taken right ahead of him. I can understand arguments for Giroux or Berglund, but I was really surprised that there wasn't a bigger applause for that pick (surprisingly out of character for a Vancouver crowd). Personally, I think Nonis made a good pick, given the way the mid-1st round went down - hopefully the fans like the pick better as he develops.
bfire
Registered User
jin said:
I have seen him play, and one of the reasons because of his small offensive output was because of his weak team, and low minutes. Only late in the season did he start getting big minutes, and he really shined.
What how does seeing Dubinsky and seeing a player that actually at the age of 17 was able to dominate the game on a team the made the playoffs? Sure Grabner has some skills, but no where near the skills that should warrant a top 15 pick. I gurantee I have seen him play a lot more than u, as I get free Chiefs tickets as an intern for the team as I go to school in Spokane. I can say many of his goals were due much to Derek Ryan's exceptional vision. Maybe you never saw Balej play in the Dub, but the difference between him and Grabner isnt that great, and a point could be made that Balej was superior. 23 games doesnt make a player a 1st round pick in my book, or a sure shot to make it to the NHL. It merely shows potential. I just am amazed that people are comparing him to bonafide NHL stars when Grabner got all his goals playing big minutes being the man on a terrible team. A lot of guys do that, and the Chiefs have had many of them over the years, Chad Klassen, Brad Schell, the list goes on. All Im saying is that there have been many better players in the WHL than Grabner in the past few years who have not been taken so high, and well if the he was the Canucks man all along they should have traded down.
Oh yeah, Dubinsky had 30 goals and 38 assists his draft year, so yeah he must suck. And to be honest if Grabner put up numbers anywhere near Berezin in his prime what would be so wrong with that? Im just saying his game more models a one dimensional-goal scorer with speed to kill than it does a very dynamic Havlat or Satan. But also he has a lot of work to do, and will have to deal with teams actually marking him next year, as like u said he had much of success in 23 games. Im not saying there is anything wrong with speed and some goal scoring ability, but when players like michael repic at the age of 16 show so much more potential and results playing on a team that was defense first, and if anyone doesnt agree with that look at slades numbers, who is despite what people say on this board not a possible NHL starter ever, and his play probably cost the Giants a Memorial Cup. Also, as you seem to be a Canuck fan, i would tell u to keep your eye on Jannik Hansen, who led all WHL rookies in scoring, a complete surprise to most.
PecaFan
Registered User
sensens said:
I'm sure it was simply a matter of them not knowing who he was. Other than the odd mock, he was ranked much lower than 14th most everywhere, and simply hadn't been considered.
Most fans were expecting Tlusty, Stewart, Shepard, Little, maybe Frolik or Berglund, etc.
Well, everybody said 12-40 was a crapshoot, and Grabner was always in there somewhere. I don't think it was that big of a surprise.
I would still go with Grabner becaue this kid is determined to be the best. He left his family and friends in Austria right away to come to North America and make the NHL. This guy is playing with a driving passion and that kind of attitude makes stars. When Tlusty was picked and asked if you would like to be in the NHL next year he was very hesistant and gave an instant "no". There is also talks of him not coming over and staying in his hometown.
Draft Guru
Registered User
Hi-wayman
Registered User
Yeah, I was one of those Canuck fans at the draft that were kind of surprised by the pick because I knew very little about Grabner. I'm happy with the pick now, but at the draft I was kind of expecting Nonis to package our first round pick with Ohlund and Luongo to Toronto for superstar Domi.sensens said:
Seriously Russian, how does comparing Grabner to a player who put up 78 points when he was 17, and did it all season long, not for 23 games make me lose credibility. Cause u have never seen Dubinsky? Also, Dubinsky lacks the wheels of Grabner, but Grabner has a very long way to go in both the dangle ability and playmaking ability to match that of Dubinsky. So i dont think Im off base by liking one player better than another when that player is Dubinsky vs Grabner. I never said Grabner wasnt a decent prospect I just see him in the same group as i see Dubinsky, as probable to make in the NHL but could very well be fringe players. Dont get your jock in a tangle cause I dont share your love for Grabner.
