Hockey Moose
Registered User
What the take on this 24 year old 1st round pick. I've heard the word BUST used & it makes no sence for a guy thats so young & was pretty well liked by most scouts...
Any info & predicitons?
Any info & predicitons?
Hockey Moose said:What the take on this 24 year old 1st round pick. I've heard the word BUST used & it makes no sence for a guy thats so young & was pretty well liked by most scouts...
Any info & predicitons?
Vlad The Impaler said:On the right line, if all the stars are aligned, yeah, he could get lucky and score 20. But I wouldn't hold my breath. This guy hasn't scored ANYWHERE.
Vlad The Impaler said:Pretty much what needed to be said has been said.
He's a fun player to watch. One of the fastest skater, as it's been said to death. It helps him be a better player than he would be otherwise. His speed and work ethic make up for questionable hockey sense and a lack of hockey skills.
JDB3939 said:If his hands ever catch up to his feet. Wow. If they don't, he'll be a good third liner.
This is very true. The only facet of his game that is questionable is his goal scoring ability. The only reason that is the way it is, is due to his hands being a step behind his feet.jmelm said:That last comment is inaccurate. Koltsov has never exhibited ANY signs of poor decision-making or poor hockey sense, and I have seen every televised Pens game he has played in, along with some international action. He makes quick and smart plays in all 3 zones and on the PK as well.
While I think his hockey sense was right along the lines of where most NHL rookies are, I think you're giving him WAY to much credit for his shot. His game is speed and everything else will be secondary. He has a HARD wrister/snap shot, but it is largely ineffective. Lets be realistic here and realize that if his shot was "excellent" then he would have a helluva lot more goals thus far in his career. With all the chances his speed has helped create, his production hasn't been anywhere near the point of someone who has even a marginally above average shot, of which he doesn't.jmelm said:That last comment is inaccurate. Koltsov has never exhibited ANY signs of poor decision-making or poor hockey sense, and I have seen every televised Pens game he has played in, along with some international action. He makes quick and smart plays in all 3 zones and on the PK as well.
In addition, Koltsov actually has an EXCELLENT wrist/snap shot. His other hockey skills are at least above average (puckhandling, passing, deking, etc.)
What is lacking in Koltsov's game right now is the creativity and unpredictability that many of the game's elite offensive players have. For example, he does not hold on to the puck for that extra second, go east to west, waiting for the play to develop, fake any moves, freeze the goalie with fakes, etc. He plays more of an up and down power game. It is the question of whether this part of his game improves that will answer what kind of offensive numbers he will put up and if he'll ever develop into an elite offensive player.
At the very worst, Koltsov will be one of THE best role players/3rd liners in the NHL. With his work ethic and skills, he could really surprise to the upside.
I personally believe that at worst, Koltsov will be as good a player as Marco Sturm is, and will be that good within 2 years or less if he gets 3rd line or better ice time on a very deep Pens forward corps. And of course if that happens, he should just continue to get better and better over time.
IMO alot of people either over value him or under value him but stardogs post hits the nail on the head. I think that his future is that of a Jason Blake type. Providing inspiration to his team by playing buzzsaw hockey.stardog said:While I think his hockey sense was right along the lines of where most NHL rookies are, I think you're giving him WAY to much credit for his shot. His game is speed and everything else will be secondary. He has a HARD wrister/snap shot, but it is largely ineffective. Lets be realistic here and realize that if his shot was "excellent" then he would have a helluva lot more goals thus far in his career. With all the chances his speed has helped create, his production hasn't been anywhere near the point of someone who has even a marginally above average shot, of which he doesn't.
Also, to say he has never shown ANY signs of poor decision making or lack of hockey sense is VERY hard to swallow as every player is guilty of these infractions. While I dont think he's any more suspect in this area than your average rookie, I have seen him make a few glaring errors which simply displayed a lack of focus.
I love the kid and want him on the Pens for the long haul, but I know his role will be one of energy, checking, creating room for his teamates and speed and NOT one of scoring any more than probably 10-15 goals on average per season.
I believe that to be a realistic and unbiased assessment of where he should fit in. A definite keeper.
Russian_fanatic said:IMO Koltsov is VERY fast, but can someone tell me if he's faster than Jason Chimera, or Maxime Afinogenov?
Didn't Chimera set the record for the fastest time around the rink?
Hockey Moose said:What the take on this 24 year old 1st round pick. I've heard the word BUST used & it makes no sence for a guy thats so young & was pretty well liked by most scouts...
Any info & predicitons?
I don't get why I keep hearing this, he only averaged 9 seconds on the PK. It's pretty hard to be the teams best penalty killer when you never kill penalties.craig1 said:already one of the Pens best PK'ers.
Russian_fanatic said:IMO Koltsov is VERY fast, but can someone tell me if he's faster than Jason Chimera, or Maxime Afinogenov?
Didn't Chimera set the record for the fastest time around the rink?
Hockey Moose said:What the take on this 24 year old 1st round pick. I've heard the word BUST used & it makes no sence for a guy thats so young & was pretty well liked by most scouts...
Any info & predicitons?
tom_servo said:Koltsov is certainly no bust. He'll probably never develop the offensive game that people might've expected from him, but the dude is a fiery competitor, embraces physical play, and, as mentioned, probably the fastest skater in the league.
Koltsov will probably be a guy who tops out at 20 goals. His hands are usually a step behind his feet, but his shot isn't bad. He possesses the qualities of a fantastic 3rd-liner/penalty killer, and just needs continued experience. He's one of my favorite players on the roster.
JDB3939 said:Shean Donovan was an extremely fast NHL player. Probably one of the top 10 guys in the league as far as pure speed is considered. In Koltsov's first training camp he annihlated Shean on every sprint drill they did. Koltsov would take 5 strides and coast the rest of the way and no one could catch up to him.
The next year in training camp Koltsov was tossed into the sprint group with Rico Fata. I was really interested in this to see how fast Konstantin was. He destroyed Fata by at least 10 feet in every sprint.
We all know how fast Fata is. I've never seen Chimera skate so I can't really judge. If Koltsov can burn Fata, would he be faster than Chimera?
I know he is faster than Afinogenov though. Just watch the two play.