Who is Matthew Tkachuk and what will he become?

[DJJones]

"60-65 point complimentary player"

Feels like an oxymoron haha but I'll take it.

The pest aspect as well as his breakouts and board abilities make him a difference maker. There isn't very many wingers that can get 0 points in a game and still have as much of an effect as him.

 

[SmellOfVictory]

I think he will be a top tier 1st liner.

I actually really like his game. I just wish he would knock it off with the slew-foots. I don't think he's done that at all this year so he's headed in the right direction.

He's got that fire in him. His stuff with Doughty last year was pretty fun to watch.

One of my favourite things about him is the fact that he's good in spite of the fact that when he accelerates he looks like a Jeep racing against Ferraris. Takes very good positioning to do that well and be that slow. I guess that's just another thing that makes him like Perry.

 

[Johnnybegood13]

Believe his younger brother is bigger and, allegedly, nastier. While this will never happen unless Kings or Oilers tank, but it would be interesting if either got a Tkachuk on their team..
Talk about some potentially fun match ups. In this case would ice be thicker than blood?

Brady may get a little bigger but as of now they're about the same size at about 6'2 200 lbs. Brady definitely likes to scrap which is why I was so perplexed when he chose college over junior, Brady might be a better skater but Matthew has more raw puck skills and vision.

 

[ManofSteel55]

Somewhere between Corey Perry and Matt Cooke. Perry's skill, Cooke's disregard for anyone else's health or safety.

 

[ManofSteel55]

pretty embarrassing on doughty's part to not man up and just fight tkachuk

i wonder why doughty's so scared of him

Most teams tell their star players not to fight so they aren't missing them for 5 minutes at a time. Doughty for Tkachuk is a bad tradeoff for the Kings. Like if LA sent out Trevor Lewis to fight Dougie Hamilton. Bad tradeoff for Calgary there, and it would be dumb for Hamilton to take the fight.

 

[FerklundCGY]

Most teams tell their star players not to fight so they aren't missing them for 5 minutes at a time. Doughty for Tkachuk is a bad tradeoff for the Kings. Like if LA sent out Trevor Lewis to fight Dougie Hamilton. Bad tradeoff for Calgary there, and it would be dumb for Hamilton to take the fight.

Except Hamilton doesn't talk s*** and b**** and complain to the refs whenever he's touched.

Doughty talks a big game but whenever Tkachuk is within 5 feet of him, he immediately turns towards the refs looking for a penalty. The only time he was man enough to "stand up" to Tkachuk was when he was protected in the penalty box.

It's funny, because Doughty has been known to do some questionable stuff on the ice as well but when it comes to Tkachuk, he becomes the NHL's biggest wimp

 

[GoJetsGo55]

One of my favourite things about him is the fact that he's good in spite of the fact that when he accelerates he looks like a Jeep racing against Ferraris. Takes very good positioning to do that well and be that slow. I guess that's just another thing that makes him like Perry.

Haha sounds like Laine. Has all the skill in the world but always looks like it's his first time skating. Exiting to think about what they will be in the future when they get it all sorted out.

 

[kingsfan28]

Brad Marchand is a good comparable. Hated and skilled, skirts the line of nasty.

Plus the kid needs a mouthguard sponsor!

More like a baby pasifier sponsor. He does know that it made to protect your mouth and teeth , not be used as some sort of baby chew toy, right ? I think he saw the movie goon too many times.

 

[DropIt]

Don’t like him at all. One of the few players in the league that I actively wish for his career to fail. Just go away.

Perfect

 

[Oilers Propagandist]

Matt Cooke 2.0.

There is classless subbans
crying johnnys...
We need something for Tkachuk

 

[playasRus]

I can't help be see him becoming a Steve Downie type. Throwing dangerous grey area hits and injuring other players, continuously getting second chances and never really blossoming as an offensive threat.

 

[Critical13]

Brad Marchand was probably the best comparison I saw. No reason he can't flirt with ppg, but also is a bit of a clown and doesn't respect the safety of his opponents. So entertaining though...

 

[FerklundCGY]

I can't help be see him becoming a Steve Downie type. Throwing dangerous grey area hits and injuring other players, continuously getting second chances and never really blossoming as an offensive threat.

Sorry, but this is an awful, awful take.

Tkachuk doesn't throw his body around as much as people think. Yes, he's physical and throws a hit whenever possible, but his mindset is always playing the puck rather than the body 95% of the time. His dirty stuff mostly comes after the whistle, aside from a few elbows (and 1 headbutt lol) while he's trying to get into position or controlling the puck.

As for the bolded, yikes. Tkachuk is already an offensive threat. He was an offensive threat in his rookie season. He's arguably our most talented player. It's hilarious, because people see him labelled as a "power forward" and think because of that that he can't be skilled, when in fact he has incredible hands and elite IQ.

Not to mention he's an absolute possession monster and already excellent defensively.

Tkachuk is 10x the player Downie was at any point in his career.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Why do people keep underselling Tkachuk's offensive abilities? Pissed their team passed on him? Upset he's causing nightmares for their own stars? Can't stand his face? Just curious.

 

[TychoFan]

Why do people keep underselling Tkachuk's offensive abilities? Pissed their team passed on him? Upset he's causing nightmares for their own stars? Can't stand his face? Just curious.

All of the above!

 

[Replay]

Tkachuk doesn't throw his body around as much as people think. Yes, he's physical and throws a hit whenever possible, but his mindset is always playing the puck rather than the body 95% of the time. His dirty stuff mostly comes after the whistle, aside from a few elbows (and 1 headbutt lol) while he's trying to get into position or controlling the puck.

That’s my gripe with this perception as well. He doesn’t run around trying to injure people like Raffi Torres, Steve Downie, Tootoo or Matt Cooke. He plays hard along the boards/ in the crease and likes to get in scrums. He loves to chirp and get in people faces so I can see why he gets under the skin of other players.

 

[Mitts]

I can't help be see him becoming a Steve Downie type. Throwing dangerous grey area hits and injuring other players, continuously getting second chances and never really blossoming as an offensive threat.

He has the lineage to score points, I mean his pops only had 1065 pts, Matthew himself scored 48 pts in 76 games while taking 105 pim playing on the shutdown line in his rookie season. So far this year 5 pts in 6 games. I'm not sure I agree with your assessment.

 

[playasRus]

I'm not trying to undersell Tkachuk's current accomplishments or projected future at all. We all know he's shown he's offensively capable and is touted as such by all scouts/GMs as seen by his success at previous levels, and draft ranking.

I'm just giving my worthless two cents of a prediction: that he never becomes that elite 60-70 pt two way winger pest. I may be projecting my hate for ratty players (that don't play on my favourite team) and hoping he doesn't succeed in my prediction and Downie is definitely the worst thing he'd ever develop into. Not downplaying what he's already accomplished and is MOST LIKELY going to develop into. Don't forget though that Downie also scored at a .5ppg in his first full season in the NHL, after about 50 games over a couple seasons.

I think a conservative comparison of what Tkachuk is really going to be is probably a Brayden Schenn type on the wing, and his ceiling a Corey Perry. I'm glad he's in the western conference and that we don't have another Gallagher/Marchand type to infuriate us and score on our team.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

He is a very good player that is proving he is not a product of any one player. When he was in London, I thought he was not given full credit for the player he was due to playing on such a prolific line in junior. But I always said, it was not mutually exclusive of just one player benefiting from with one another, it was mutually exclusive. Great young player in his own right. That's how I perceive him.

 

[TheAngryHank]

How did his dad not eat him?

 

[Fig]

There is classless subbans
crying johnnys...
We need something for Tkachuk

Tkachuky cheesed

 

[Oilers Propagandist]

Tkachuky cheesed

4/5 Mr.Beans for creativity

 

[Oilers Propagandist]

How did his dad not eat him?

Oh dam lmao

 

[Volica]

I'm not trying to undersell Tkachuk's current accomplishments or projected future at all. We all know he's shown he's offensively capable and is touted as such by all scouts/GMs as seen by his success at previous levels, and draft ranking.

I'm just giving my worthless two cents of a prediction: that he never becomes that elite 60-70 pt two way winger pest. I may be projecting my hate for ratty players (that don't play on my favourite team) and hoping he doesn't succeed in my prediction and Downie is definitely the worst thing he'd ever develop into. Not downplaying what he's already accomplished and is MOST LIKELY going to develop into. Don't forget though that Downie also scored at a .5ppg in his first full season in the NHL, after about 50 games over a couple seasons.

I think a conservative comparison of what Tkachuk is really going to be is probably a Brayden Schenn type on the wing, and his ceiling a Corey Perry. I'm glad he's in the western conference and that we don't have another Gallagher/Marchand type to infuriate us and score on our team.

At 19 he has more points than Downie had until he was 24. I don’t think Downie is a comparable at all lol. The fact he can just takeover a game... something only a few guys his age or a couple years older can do; pretty telling he’s a special talent.

He’s already more defensively gifted than Schenn and a better 5 on 5 producer. You can’t truly believe at 19 this kids just going to regress to meet your expectations lol.

 

[Howie Hodge]

Type of player 30 teams hate; but one loves.

And type of player 30 teams wish they had....