RW Patrik Laine - Tappara, Liiga (2016 Draft) III

[Andy Dufresne]

call me crazy but I see some of early Jagr in the way he stickhandles. The combo of great reach and great hands, creative moves, always looking to attack the D, despite not great/kinda awkward skating.

Obviously young Jags was one of the best ever in that regard, so i'm not saying Laine is on that level, just a similarity in attacking style. Shot is way different, and Jags was far heavier (at age 19).

 

[JA]

call me crazy but I see some of early Jagr in the way he stickhandles. The combo of great reach and great hands, creative moves, always looking to attack the D, despite not great/kinda awkward skating.

Obviously young Jags was one of the best ever in that regard, so i'm not saying Laine is on that level, just a similarity in attacking style. Shot is way different, and Jags was far heavier (at age 19).

At age 19, Jagr was actually the same weight that Patrik currently is.

Dazzling Jagr inherits Penguins' mantle: [FINAL Edition]
Bowen, Les. The Gazette [Montreal, Que] 13 May 1992: D3.

NEW YORK - Jaromir Jagr at age 20 is all innocence and inconsistency, one minute turning the other team's defence inside out, the next minute making Pittsburgh Penguins coach Scotty Bowman grab frantically at his sparsely covered scalp, searching for hair to pull.

...

Jagr, 6-foot-2, 208 pounds with a huge wingspan, often is compared to Lemieux. But Lemieux is a centre, Jagr a winger. They share little, except for size and speed. Lemieux's vision and uncanny passing give him a dimension few have ever had. Jagr is best when driving to the net at full tilt.

...

At age 18, he was lighter than Laine.

Czech trio took different routes to NHL draft: [3* Edition]
McDonald, Archie. The Vancouver Sun [Vancouver, B.C] 15 June 1990: E1.

...

Interpreter Jan Janda says Czechsolovakian fans consider Jagr to be "the black horse candidate" in the draft. Black horse?

Does he perhaps mean dark horse? Yes, that's it. At 6'2" and 200 pounds, he may be the most talented of those on the auction block at B.C. Place Saturday.

...

By 1995, he was 220 lbs.

New schemes aid Pens in old dreams: [Final Edition]
Gallagher, Tony. The Province [Vancouver, B.C] 19 Feb 1995: A61.

...

One reason they do that is the maturing freight train called Jagr, whose 28 points and plus-17 indicate just how good he's become. He fights through the hooks and holds he faces night after night with his 220 pounds of muscle, and hasn't once called the NHL a `garbage league,' which Lemieux did on a regular basis.

"He's improved so much, particularly on defence, that where before when a team pulled their goalie I would be reluctant to put him out, now I get him out as much as I can," says Johnston. "He's 220 but he looks 190. The maturity process has been unbelievable."

By 1997, Jagr weighed 228 lbs.

With the retirement of Mario Lemieux, the Penguins lost a big chunk of their offence, but in Jaromir Jagr, they still have one of the flashiest players in the game
Joe Starkey of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Star - Phoenix [Saskatoon, Sask] 17 Nov 1997: D2.

...

Last season in the playoffs, he was the Penguins' best player in a five-game loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, and he showed some leadership ability, too. Hampered by a painful groin injury, he managed a team-leading eight points, just five less than he scored in 24 playoff games in 1991, his rookie season.

It's hard to say how much Jagr has changed since then. Maybe he drives a little slower. He's put on about 15-20 pounds of muscle. He's padded his bank account by several million dollars. His English is better. He has hoisted a few Stanley Cups. Besides that?

"I always try to have fun, when I was 18 and now that I'm 25," Jagr said. "That part of me didn't change at all. I love to laugh all the time, say jokes, make fun of the guys."

Jaromir Jagr

Born: Feb. 15, 1972, Kladno, Czech Republic

n Height: 6-foot-2

n Weight: 228

n Position: Right wing

n Number: 68

...

As Jagr became older, he became heavier.

A man of vision on ice: Series: Red's Top Ten: [Final Edition]
Fisher, Red. The Gazette [Montreal, Que] 22 Oct 2006: B10.

Jaromir Jagr Team: New York Rangers Age: 34 Height: 6-3 Weight: 245 Lbs. Position: Right Wing

Was there an NHL player more valuable to his team during 2005-06 than the New York Rangers' Jaromir Jagr? Hockey writers opted for San Jose's Joe Thornton, but in Jagr's view the people who really know - the players - didn't think so.

Jagr was only trying to get a laugh from his audience - and did - when he suggested at the annual awards dinner that "with this (Lester B. Pearson) award, you get voted on by players you play against every night, and I think they understand the game better than the media."

On the other hand, here's what former players' association president Trevor Linden was saying after Jagr won the Pearson award for the third time - joining Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Guy Lafleur as the only players to receive the recognition of their union brothers as the most outstanding player three or more times:

"Jaromir continues to be an exciting player, and being recognized by his peers yet again shows how much respect we all have for his game."

...

Mario Lemieux, meanwhile, was 6'4'', ~210 lbs for the first several years of his career.

Opponents harassing Bure: [1* Edition]
Jamieson, Jim. The Province [Vancouver, B.C] 20 Oct 1992: B4.

...

At 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, Lemieux is better equipped to handle the 'distractions,' and having a supporting cast of Kevin Stevens, Rick Tocchet, Ron Francis and Jaromir Jagr doesn't hurt. Lemieux, whose chronically ailing back is apparently giving him no problems, is off to a tremendous 7-12-19 in six games, which puts him on an early pace to challenge Wayne Gretzky's NHL record of 215 points, set in the 1985-86 season.

...

Of course, then he became heavier.

Mario's fresh focus: Lemieux sees hockey with a new outlook: [FINAL Edition]
Elliott, Helene. The Gazette [Montreal, Que] 11 Dec 1996: E.1.

...

Mario Lemieux has dazzled fans since he joined the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1984, winning five NHL scoring titles, two Stanley Cups, three most-valuable-player awards and a battle with Hodgkin's disease. Yet, unlike Wayne Gretzky, the other premier player of his generation, Lemieux has never won the fans' hearts.

``I remember one time being caught in the Forum, standing still, with him coming at me at full speed at the blue line,'' said Los Angeles Kings coach Larry Robinson, the former Canadien who ranks among the best defencemen ever to play the game. ``I was thinking, `What do I do? Do I charge him? Do I wait for him to make a move?'

``I took a lunge at him and I ended up standing there while he went around me.

``He's the complete package. People say Wayne is better than he is, but because of his size (6-foot-4 and 225 pounds) and strength, he's pretty hard to contain. He can carry two guys on his back and still score, and I don't know that Wayne could carry two guys on his back and make plays.''

...

Lemieux restakes claim to NHL throne: It took three years of retirement to push Mario Lemieux back to the NHL, and 33 seconds for him to get a point: [Toronto Edition]
Cole, Cam. National Post [Don Mills, Ont] 28 Dec 2000: A1 / FRONT.

...

Some wonder what will happen to the newly publicity-conscious Mario once the tiring tedium of hockey routine settles over him again. They wonder how long his weights-and-bikes workout regimen, which has him at a well-muscled 6-foot-4, 238 pounds, six pounds heavier than when he retired, will last when he starts getting banged up. They wonder what significance there is to the fact that his back specialist will travel full-time with the team. And whether there will be enough pucks to go around, now that Jagr is himself a full-fledged superstar, and how the officials will treat those who dare hook, hold or otherwise impede an owner, and how long it will take for the tough guys to track him down and run him.

...

Alex Ovechkin weighed 212 lbs when he was drafted in 2004.

Entry Draft Top 10 Picks: [Final Edition]
Calgary Herald [Calgary, Alta] 27 June 2004: E3.

A brief look at the top 10 picks in this year's NHL Draft:

- 1. Alexander Ovechkin (Dynamo Moscow) -- Washington Capitals. The six-foot-two, 212-pound winger has some stating he could be the best player ever to come out of Russia, with his combo of a grinder's work ethic and a scorer's skills.

- 2. Evgeni Malkin (Magnitogorsk) -- Pittsburgh Penguins. There were a choice handful, including the Flyers, that insist the six- foot-three, 186-pound centre is hot on the heels of Ovechkin. He is loaded with hockey smarts.

...

Then he became heavier, weighing 230 lbs in 2009.

Leaf defence in tough against 'freak' Ovechkin
Cox, Damien. Toronto Star [Toronto, Ont] 03 Oct 2009: S.4.

Not fair. Just not fair.

Alexander Ovechkin, it would appear, is not only off to a fast start this season, he's doing it with a stronger, heavier and more unstoppable chassis.

Basically, he looks like he's chiselled out of the same marble, granite and sandstone from which the Washington Monument is built, up to a monster 230 pounds from the 224 he weighed last year and the 215 the year before.

"He's a freak of nature," said Washington Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau on Friday. "He's getting bigger and stronger. I wouldn't want to put any limits on him."

That's scary, as the Boston Bruins found out Thursday night when the 24-year-old Ovechkin scored twice, the first off a pretty tic-tac-toe play with Nicklas Backstrom and Alexander Semin, the second off a feed from Tom Poti when Ovechkin somehow evaded the blanket coverage of Milan Lucic.

...

One has to wonder if Laine will grow to be at least 220 lbs. Joe Thornton plays at 220 lbs, but when he was 18 he weighed less than 200 lbs. Patrik weighs 210 lbs already.

Heady days for a hero-in-waiting JOE THORNTON / His mother says the Bruins' 18-year-old prize is just a kid. A former coach says he's a man among boys. And Bobby Orr says he will be a great player for a long time.
Richer, Shawna. The Globe and Mail [Toronto, Ont] 30 Aug 1997: A.16.

...

"He's going to be a great player in our league for a long time," Orr said. "Joey is a tough kid. He's had a lot of pressure on him for a long time. He'll probably play this year. He's definitely got his feet on the ground. He'll handle the pressure. You just have to look at that smile on his face and know he just loves playing the game."

At first blush, it's hard to believe Thornton was ever small enough for diapers. He is 6-foot-4 and 198 pounds, and the Bruins expect him to get even bigger. He is a power forward with tremendous balance. He is physical and has a deft scoring touch. He led the Ontario Hockey League's Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds with 41 goals and 81 assists in 59 games. He was also a member of Canada's national team, which won its fifth consecutive gold medal at the world junior championship.

His gangly frame and height and mop of blond curls earned him the nickname Big Bird. And for the Bruins, who missed the playoffs last spring for the first time in 30 years, entering this season without Joe Thornton would be like moving to Sesame Street without the big, yellow feathered friend for a neighbour.

...

Works Cited

Bowen, Les. "Dazzling Jagr Inherits Penguins' Mantle." The Gazette: D3. May 13 1992. ProQuest. Web. 3 Apr. 2016 .

Cole, Cam. "Lemieux Restakes Claim to NHL Throne: It Took Three Years of Retirement to Push Mario Lemieux Back to the NHL, and 33 Seconds for Him to Get a Point." National Post: A1 / FRONT. Dec 28 2000. ProQuest. Web. 3 Apr. 2016 .

Cox, Damien. "Leaf Defence in Tough Against 'Freak' Ovechkin." Toronto StarOct 03 2009. ProQuest. Web. 3 Apr. 2016 .

Elliott, Helene. "Mario's Fresh Focus: Lemieux Sees Hockey with a New Outlook." The GazetteDec 11 1996. ProQuest. Web. 3 Apr. 2016 .

"Entry Draft Top 10 Picks." Calgary Herald: E3. Jun 27 2004. ProQuest. Web. 3 Apr. 2016 .

Fisher, Red. "A Man of Vision on Ice: Series: Red's Top Ten." The Gazette: B10. Oct 22 2006. ProQuest. Web. 3 Apr. 2016 .

Gallagher, Tony. "New Schemes Aid Pens in Old Dreams." The Province: A61. Feb 19 1995. ProQuest. Web. 3 Apr. 2016 .

Jamieson, Jim. "Opponents Harassing Bure." The Province: B4. Oct 20 1992. ProQuest. Web. 3 Apr. 2016 .

McDonald, Archie. "Czech Trio Took Different Routes to NHL Draft." The Vancouver Sun: E1. Jun 15 1990. ProQuest. Web. 3 Apr. 2016 .

Richer, Shawna. "Heady Days for a Hero-in-Waiting JOE THORNTON / His Mother Says the Bruins' 18-Year-Old Prize is just a Kid. A Former Coach Says He's a Man among Boys. and Bobby Orr Says He Will be a Great Player for a Long Time." The Globe and MailAug 30 1997. ProQuest. Web. 3 Apr. 2016 .

Starkey, Joe. "With the Retirement of Mario Lemieux, the Penguins Lost a Big Chunk of their Offence, but in Jaromir Jagr, they Still have One of the Flashiest Players in the Game." Star - Phoenix: D2. Nov 17 1997. ProQuest. Web. 3 Apr. 2016 .

 

[Mad Brills*]

A better semin?

 

[The Iron Goalie]

For a style comparison - pre KHL Jagr with an Ovechkin like release. Again this in not a talent comp.

 

[Loffer]

Laine is gonna be a helluva player in few years if not already the next year. How good actually, it's anybody's guess. But I would say better than you think.

 

[Lennu32]

He is such a BEAST

Laine has stolen Ville Nieminen's face

 

[Philip Kessel]

A better semin?

only thing comparable about them is that they both have great shots.

 

[Apotheosis]

I'm actually salivating at the thought of Laine and Marner on the same line. With his size and shot, and ability to open up space with his seemingly improved skating, it opens up space for Marner who can thread passes to Laine ALL DAY!

 

[93LEAFS]

only thing comparable about them is that they both have great shots.

Both have size (though Laine is decently bigger), amazing puck skills, and not great skaters. They have similar skill sets but utilize them differently and Laine plays with alot more physicality. I'd say Laine elite shot is more of an elite one timer, while Semin's was his wrister.

 

[vincent1999]

Laine a young Jagr type looking player

call me crazy but I see some of early Jagr in the way he stickhandles. The combo of great reach and great hands, creative moves, always looking to attack the D, despite not great/kinda awkward skating.

Obviously young Jags was one of the best ever in that regard, so i'm not saying Laine is on that level, just a similarity in attacking style. Shot is way different, and Jags was far heavier (at age 19).

saw a six minute highlight package of Laine recently playing in a playoff game, I think, in the Finnish league, and damn, that's exactly what I thought to: Laine had the swagger/ body build and style of a young Jagr.

 

[Apotheosis]

Both have size (though Laine is decently bigger), amazing puck skills, and not great skaters. They have similar skill sets but utilize them differently and Laine plays with alot more physicality. I'd say Laine elite shot is more of an elite one timer, while Semin's was his wrister.

Sorry man, there is no such world in which Laine is a "not great skater". He's improved leaps and bounds in his skating. Watch his recent playoff performances.

 

[93LEAFS]

Sorry man, there is no such world in which Laine is a "not great skater". He's improved leaps and bounds in his skating. Watch his recent playoff performances.

I have, he's improved, but he's not in the Ovi class, and if you want to see what a great skater looks like at 18 look at McDavid last year, Mackinnon at 18, Hanifin etc, Maybe we have different definitions of great, but he has nowhere near the burst Ovi or Kovalchuk had at the same age. Thing is you don't need to be an elite skater at his size to produce at the NHL level, look at Heatley for example.

 

[Eternal Leaf]

I have, he's improved, but he's not in the Ovi class, and if you want to see what a great skater looks like at 18 look at McDavid last year, Mackinnon at 18, Hanifin etc, Maybe we have different definitions of great, but he has nowhere near the burst Ovi or Kovalchuk had at the same age. Thing is you don't need to be an elite skater at his size to produce at the NHL level, look at Heatley for example.

To be fair to Laine, Ovi's acceleration is something else. Even the best of skaters can't match that power and drive in his first few steps.

 

[93LEAFS]

To be fair to Laine, Ovi's acceleration is something else. Even the best of skaters can't match that power and drive in his first few steps.

Just saying what I would say defines a great skater. Ovi's first 3 to 5 strides is a major reason he is elite. Laine is much closer to Semin as a skater than Ovi.

 

[The Thin White Duke]

I have, he's improved, but he's not in the Ovi class, and if you want to see what a great skater looks like at 18 look at McDavid last year, Mackinnon at 18, Hanifin etc, Maybe we have different definitions of great, but he has nowhere near the burst Ovi or Kovalchuk had at the same age. Thing is you don't need to be an elite skater at his size to produce at the NHL level, look at Heatley for example.

He needs to develop that extra gear and explosiveness to be a great skater in the Ovi/McDavid sense, but I could see him opting to go in the Thornton direction instead. A 6'5 230+ pound mean SOB that you can't take the puck off of would be more dangerous than the bull-in-a-china-shop approach Ovi takes IMO.

 

[trick9]

I have, he's improved, but he's not in the Ovi class, and if you want to see what a great skater looks like at 18 look at McDavid last year, Mackinnon at 18, Hanifin etc, Maybe we have different definitions of great, but he has nowhere near the burst Ovi or Kovalchuk had at the same age. Thing is you don't need to be an elite skater at his size to produce at the NHL level, look at Heatley for example.

Really...?

McDavid and MacKinnon were 6'0 in their draft years, and they are both elite skaters, among the best in the NHL. I don't think it's fair to compare 6'4 Laine to them skating wise. If he would have their speed he would be realistically dubbed the next Mario Lemieux and he'd have more hype than Connor McDavid. All his tools, 6'4 210 monster at the age of 17 while being arguably the fastest skater in the NHL? That's not even fair to expect from him.

He's a very good skater for a guy his size. Just not elite. Alex Ovechkin was elite skater, but Laine will be bigger than him aswell in few years. I think Ovechkin was 6'2 in his draft year.

 

[Plural]

Just saying what I would say defines a great skater. Ovi's first 3 to 5 strides is a major reason he is elite. Laine is much closer to Semin as a skater than Ovi.

Yeah. Ovechkin (especially younger Ovechkin) had the acceleration that basically no-one else had. He was fast, but not leaps and bounds faster than the other fast guys. He was just able to get to top speed quicker than anyone else. If opposing player started a race from standing feet with Ovechkin, they lost it 10/10. Usually with ridiculius margins. I remember seeing a chart om the fastest skaters and fastest accelerations in the NHL and Ovechkin's acceleration was off the charts. No-one was particularly close.

One similarity with Ovechkin and Laine is that bith guys have extremely powerful stride and strong body. In high traffic, they don't seem to slow down as much as many others. Kind of just powering through the opposing defenders and sticks. Both guys also have the stick ability to keep the puck under control while powering through. That's going to be one of the key elements to Laine's success in the NHL.

I still like Pulju a lot, but the way it seems to me is that Laine has more determination in games. I'm not guestioning Pulju's work ethics, since he's insanely hard working. But his game doesn't seem to have that "killer mentality" Laine has. It's still early and Pulju can end up being better than Laine, but as of this moment I don't see a justification to pick Pulju over Laine.

I think Laine is the most special player out of this draft. Matthews is going to be the #1 pick and rightfully so. He's a complete package and can fill in #1 center role for years to come. But nobody else in this draft possess the similar tools than Laine and those tools make him potentially a game breaker. His tools are also hardest to predict. For a top-2 pick, I think Laine also has pretty big "bust" potential, since his strengths are the rarest and hardest to tap in NHL.

That said, man does this kid have awesome shot arsenal. What a treat.

 

[kelsier]

Laine's skating is nothing but fine at this point. We saw the results from last off-season and there's tons to be developed. Some guys are born with natural skating talent and some have to balance with growing pains and there's nothing unusual for big guys to bloom later on the skates. But the thing is, Laine is already pretty fast by Liga standards. Couple of more years and he's going to be pretty fast in the NHL. There's no telling how much room there is for improvement especially after he crosses the pond and gets to work with the best skating coaches (added with nutrition). When you add skating into his arsenal of strengths, the skill set will be astounding added with immense size. I was extatic watching Barkov as a prospect especially on his pre-draft season and we all know how he turned out. Watching Laine today is even more remarkable even though they are totally different type of players. I think which ever team is walking on the podium first will have to consider twice of who they will want to walk away with. Florida hitting a home run with Barkov might just tip the scales in an unexpected direction, never know.

 

[teravaineSAROS]

Patrik Laine's performance from today's game in shift by shift video.



He's ok.

ok there is no way theres a shift by shift video of matthews being that impressive

and props to him for being confident hitting vets like Kukkonen gotta LOVE that

 

[Loffer]

Laine's skating is nothing but fine at this point. We saw the results from last off-season and there's tons to be developed. Some guys are born with natural skating talent and some have to balance with growing pains and there's nothing unusual for big guys to bloom later on the skates. But the thing is, Laine is already pretty fast by Liga standards. Couple of more years and he's going to be pretty fast in the NHL. There's no telling how much room there is for improvement especially after he crosses the pond and gets to work with the best skating coaches (added with nutrition). When you add skating into his arsenal of strengths, the skill set will be astounding added with immense size. I was extatic watching Barkov as a prospect especially on his pre-draft season and we all know how he turned out. Watching Laine today is even more remarkable even though they are totally different type of players. I think which ever team is walking on the podium first will have to consider twice of who they will want to walk away with. Florida hitting a home run with Barkov might just tip the scales in an unexpected direction, never know.

Casually in brackets.

 

[Ginu]

He's a great prospect but he tries to do everything himself. Something about him looks awkward too- maybe it's his long stick or his skating stride. He has all the tools tho and looks like he can get even better than he is now. Scary

 

[Plural]

He's a great prospect but he tries to do everything himself. Something about him looks awkward too- maybe it's his long stick or his skating stride. He has all the tools tho and looks like he can get even better than he is now. Scary

Yeah, he is bit of a puck hog. I'm not sure if it's because he's trying too hard to impress scouts (he's been really vocal about his goals and one of the biggest is securing a hig draft pick) or if he's a bit selfish with the puck. Maybe a combination of both?

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

http://www.mtv.fi/sport/jaakiekko/l...liigan-finaaleissa-toinen-mm-kisoissa/5824896

 

[Ippenator]

Yeah, he is bit of a puck hog. I'm not sure if it's because he's trying too hard to impress scouts (he's been really vocal about his goals and one of the biggest is securing a hig draft pick) or if he's a bit selfish with the puck. Maybe a combination of both?

He is fine. He is this rare breed as for example Lemieux, young Jagr or Sundin were at their times. Big and very skilled guys who have enormous self confidence with their skills. I for sure don't claim that Laine is as skilled as Lemieux was, put there is still some similarities in his puck handling and the self confidence. These kind of players become legends, if they can really make it often with their courageous plays. They have mad skills, but still the main thing that makes them head above all the other players, is their amazing confidence to try things that normal people will call selfish or just impossible. But when they pull those amazing plays through, everyone is praising how they are geniuses.

I really think Laine is fine with the way he is. When he gets better with his acceleration and explosiveness, he will pull off his magic better and better. And just watch him enough and you will see that the kid has also mad passing skills, and he is not shy to use them also.

 

[teravaineSAROS]

Yeah, he is bit of a puck hog. I'm not sure if it's because he's trying too hard to impress scouts (he's been really vocal about his goals and one of the biggest is securing a hig draft pick) or if he's a bit selfish with the puck. Maybe a combination of both?

Yea i hope this is a case where he's just finding himself relative to the team, he's had games where he hasn't been a puck hog at all so we'll see where he settles in.