Speculation: Ronalds Kenins

[Milos Krasic]

Is he worth a try-out at camp?

12 points in 30 games in 14-15 is very solid for a bottom-6.

Seems to have a good 2-way game, but from what I gather, last year he was a shell of himself.

What's the verdict?

Click to read more...

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

Parents had a plural obsession

 

[mcpw]

Parents had a plural obsession

comes with being Latvian

 

[Josepho]

He absolutely is worthy of a tryout or contract of some sort. He may have overachieved in the 2014-2015 season, but I still see him as a very solid 4th line player. Still somewhat choked to lose him, but there wasn't exactly room for him here in Vancouver. All I can say to the team that gets him is to keep him on the LW.

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

comes with being Latvian

I remember there was a player named Roberts Lipsbergs a couple years ago in WHL.. had a friend with a lisp and it was a tough name to pronounce

 

[BROCK HUGHES]

Is he worth a try-out at camp?

12 points in 30 games in 14-15 is very solid for a bottom-6.

Seems to have a good 2-way game, but from what I gather, last year he was a shell of himself.

What's the verdict?

I liked him personally ,but he got caught in a numbers game with a coach who had a love affair going with other players.I would give him a shot.Nothing to loose.

 

[Love]

When he's playing the way he's supposed to he's awesome.

He can be a tremendous forechecker and hitter when he's playing with energy. Good skater and can even finish a bit.

Yes he is easily worth a tryout.

 

[jetsforever]

Parents had a plural obsession

How come when I Google him one of the top images is Kenins in a Jets jersey??

 

[JA]

He is very sturdy, hits hard, and has an underrated shot. He had great chemistry with Bo Horvat in 2014-15, but was never given a fair shot to stay in the lineup in 2015-16. There is some offensive upside there, and he is a terrific forechecker. He is the kind of player who can explode into a hit. I honestly feel that he should have been in the Canucks' lineup last season instead of a player like Brandon Prust.

He possesses all of the attributes of a great third-line player and offers a full effort. He is also very agile.





Here's a shift-by-shift video from his game against the Boston Bruins in 2015:

 

[Josepho]

How come when I Google him one of the top images is Kenins in a Jets jersey??

He went to a Jets development camp in 2013 I believe.

 

[mcpw]

He went to a Jets development camp in 2013 I believe.

indeed

 

[JA]

How come when I Google him one of the top images is Kenins in a Jets jersey??

He attended the Jets' 2013 Development Camp in July 2013.

http://jets.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=676515

The Canucks signed him two weeks later.

http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=679135

 

[jetsforever]

He went to a Jets development camp in 2013 I believe.

indeed

He attended the Jets' 2013 Development Camp in July 2013.

http://jets.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=676515

The Canucks signed him two weeks later.

http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=679135

Ah thanks, that explains why the name rings a bell

 

[Hansen]

Absolutely worth a training camp invite. Overcoached player last year, needs to just put his head down and play his balls to the walls style. Very disappointed in how things played out.

 

[vanarchy]

When he's playing the way he's supposed to he's awesome.

This could be said of literally every athlete.

 

[Free Edler]

Kenins is a fun player to watch. Solid minor leaguer, fringe NHL guy, could be a little better with the right coaching.

 

[Milos Krasic]

Typically you think of Latvians as KHL-bound guys - Daugavins, Kulda, Karsums...but Latvia's KHL team Dinamo Riga has serious financial issues. I don't think they could pay Kenins' wages, and Russian teams sign guys for top-6 roles.

So unless he goes back to Switzerland, I think he keeps chasing a deal.

 

[Yammer]

Had a great start with the Canucks, who acquired him after some enthusiastic comments from Marc Crawford. Started out like he was shot from a cannon, hitting everything. Last year he tried to play more of a skill game, but his shots were not going in as well and his hitting game was missed.

Tiger Williams had a maxim about this, how a crusher who thinks he is a rusher soon becomes an usher.

 

[David71]

good fringe player had chemistry with horvat. dont know why he shyed away from his physical game last year. could had used him on the 4th line instead of slowman prust.

 

[Kalv]

Parents had a plural obsession

We`re all like that here

 

[biturbo19]

Certainly worth a tryout at the very least, if not a decent 2-way depth player type contract.

Certainly appears his NHL flash in the pan had a lot to do with luck, and playing with a Horvat-Hansen duo who were red hot at the time. Outside of that brief stint, he's done more or less jack squat.

He's been an adequate AHL player mostly, but hardly set the league on fire or played an entirely consistent game there. In the NHL, it's been even more hit or miss...outside of that one brief stint, he hasn't really looked like anything more than fringe depth at best (despite being gifted some great opportunities, including a tryout with the Sedins).

He came up for that one stint like a man possessed (insert Coach Vigneault snickering about Wellwood .gif). He was hustling like crazy, hitting like a freight train, shooting the puck with confidence. Started to tail off a bit pretty quickly...but got a lot of Canucks fans hopes up...only to let them down following it up with a very disappointing season last year, where he was really none of those things.

 

[go comets]

Played for the comets last year, was injured a lot. Did not hit, which he needs to do to be effective. Not a hockey smart player, keeps doing the same moves over and over, limited skill and creativity.i was not sad to see him let go.....

 

[PetterssonSimp]

You need a player friendly coach to get the most out of this guy IMHO. Like many said, he was given a strict set of goals for the year by management to work on. He seemed to get lost in the shuffle as he never found consistency last year and was all over the map in terms of performance. If you can set him with a faceoff winning centre who can just play chip and chase with no "you have to do this" mentality he can be very effective forechecking forward.
Completely and utterly overachieved offensively early in his Canucks career, he is most likely a 10/10 guy at best over a 82 game season, what you really get out of him is a constant hit threat and he makes the other team keep their heads up more often near the boards. He's not huge by any means but is willing to get his nose dirty.
Try-out with an assurance that most likely be #1 call up for depth roles or a 14th forward position depending on team direction with 8D or 14F

 

[go comets]

You need a player friendly coach to get the most out of this guy IMHO. Like many said, he was given a strict set of goals for the year by management to work on. He seemed to get lost in the shuffle as he never found consistency last year and was all over the map in terms of performance. If you can set him with a faceoff winning centre who can just play chip and chase with no "you have to do this" mentality he can be very effective forechecking forward.
Completely and utterly overachieved offensively early in his Canucks career, he is most likely a 10/10 guy at best over a 82 game season, what you really get out of him is a constant hit threat and he makes the other team keep their heads up more often near the boards. He's not huge by any means but is willing to get his nose dirty.
Try-out with an assurance that most likely be #1 call up for depth roles or a 14th forward position depending on team direction with 8D or 14F

Kinda hard to find a better coach than Travis Green.......

 

[Pascal85]

Ronalds Kenins Returns to the ZSC Lions of the Swiss National League A.

Source (In German):
http://www.zsclions.ch/news/detail/ronalds-kenins-kehrt-zu-den-zsc-lions-zurueck/


As a Zurich Supporter I am happy to have him back. I cant really understand why Vancouver / Utica have no use for him anymore.