i love everything i read about him in that article. going through the stuff he has, the bullying, the family issues, the tough life decisions. the fact that he hit the gym immediately after getting drafted, working really hard, at the biosteel camp (one of the instagram pics there he's sitting in the front to hear what the "coach" is saying). he seems mature beyond his years. this is stuff i expected from ekblad and was immensely disappointed how he "coasted" during his first 2 years, was out of shape in year 3 after signing a mega contract no less, and hopefully he gets back on the right track. but that definitely didnt sound like leader material from a guy we thought could be a future captain. tippett sounds lile he wants to work, he does work, wants to learn and listen, strives to make the team and will work hard to do so.
hes kessel-like in his abilities, but as people i don't think theyre identical. he has the size/frame/strength, has the speed, has surprisingly slick hands, an incredible shot, isnt a bad passer. i think he has to be more engaged on both ends, he seems to wait/float a bit from the outside waiting for the puck to come to him or having his line mates do the digging while he waits for them to find him. he has the size and strength and speed to get in there. the way that marchy was, if tippett does that he'd be lethal. he has nhl ability as of now, needs to work on some things such as defensive play/positioning and the stuff i mentioned. I'm sure he'll get a 9-game look.
I'm completely ok with him going back another year, I'm actually leaning more towards that. but he has the body, speed, shot to make it, so if he impresses i wouldnt be surprised. like they mentioned in the article, keseel made it immediately, didnt break 20g the first 2 years but year 3 hit 36 and 30+ goals for the following 7yrs so coming in at 18 didnt seem to hurt him too much, just took the first two years to get used to it.
my only issue is playing on the 3rd with bjugstad. id want him to play with a guy like trocheck, or a playmaker or some sort but thats the opposite of bjugstad and don't see them as a good fit for each other. bjugstad isnt great defensively and tippett is learning more of that so id rather someone who's more competent in that aspect, also nick isnt a passer which doesnt help tippett. he does have the frame to dig in and do the dirty work, so that is a good thing. let nick go into the corners, keep possession, cycle, and maybe if you have a playmaker like haapala on the lw that could work.
