Will Zibanejad's peak be better then Bonk?

[Sens]

Bonk was a pretty awesome two-way center... Giant but lacked physical play from time to time.

From 1999 to 2004 before the first lockout Bonk put up great numbers.
372GP 105G 287Pts (63Pts per 82)

Will we see Zibanejad step up and give us five years of value higher then Bonks peak?

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[Back in Black]

I really loved Bonks two way play that Jacques Martin instilled into him. Let’s see if Boucher can do the same for Zibanejad!

 

[tony d]

Can't see it happening but Bonk was just to good at what he did. Zibanejad won't be a slouch either.

 

[BonkTastic]

I'm really not that good, you guys.

 

[Icelevel]

I hope Dorion and Boucher are working on the answer to this right now.

 

[trentmccleary]

Bonk was a pretty awesome two-way center... Giant but lacked physical play from time to time.

From 1999 to 2004 before the first lockout Bonk put up great numbers.
372GP 105G 287Pts (63Pts per 82)

Will we see Zibanejad step up and give us five years of value higher then Bonks peak?

Bonk was an average playmaker (ie: 3rd line quality) who rode Hossa and benefitted from Yashin's absence on an otherwise stacked #1 powerplay unit to attain those totals. He had above average power forward skills (screening, garbage goals & the 1-handed Bertuzzi through a defenseman), but rarely ever used them. My recollections of Hossa goals are: Arvedsson works the boards, probably using some sort of obstruction to gain the puck (ie; bear-hugging the opposing player and kicking the puck to Bonk). Bonk has the puck, looks for Hossa and passes to him in a non-scoring position. Hossa skates the puck through 1-2-3 opposing players and scores. If it was Andreas Dackell instead of Hossa, then Bonk and Arvedsson never get those assists.

Fisher was an underrated offensive player who posted solid totals based on his own talent and not those of offensive legends; Schaefer & Neil. He was a good stickhandler with a good, heavy shot. The only downside was that he would stickhandle himself into position for shots while goalies were staring at him, so he'd hit them in the chest. He would have been a more effective offensive player if he had a playmaking winger to set him up while he looked for dead areas of the ice to get his shot off.

Zibanejad to me is more like Fisher in terms of skillset with the potential to be much better. I think he'll match Bonk's offensive prime, but without the questions of how much of a leech he was. IMO, he really just needs to take ownership of his career and gain a bit of an Atlas complex. Don't just be one of the guys, be The Guy... go into games with the mindset that the team won't win if you don't make it happen. Be Mats Sundin, not Radek Bonk.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

Oh man, if he could be Sundin-like I'd be very, very happy.

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

Lol if he's Sundin-like you'd be crazy to just be simply very happy. We'd hit the jackpot of jackpots.

I'm still praying for Kesler-peak-esque

 

[Sensinitis]

It's all in his hands.

He can easily be a 25 goal 60 point player as soon as next year.

 

[2CHAINZ]

There is no way Zibanejad could bounce back from being bald his confidence would fade and he would crumble.

 

[Langdon Alger]

I found Bonk always left you wanting more. He had talent, but the work ethic wasn't the greatest. You put Bonk's talent with Fisher's work ethic, and you have a hell of a player.

 

[topshelf15]

I found Bonk always left you wanting more. He had talent, but the work ethic wasn't the greatest. You put Bonk's talent with Fisher's work ethic, and you have a hell of a player.

Same he was Bobby Holik lite

 

[aragorn]

I really loved Bonks two way play that Jacques Martin instilled into him. Let’s see if Boucher can do the same for Zibanejad!

Zibanejad is already a very good two way player & a good defensive forward, it's his offence that we would like to see improve by 10 to 15 pts this yr.

I'm really not that good, you guys.

You can say that again.

I found Bonk always left you wanting more. He had talent, but the work ethic wasn't the greatest. You put Bonk's talent with Fisher's work ethic, and you have a hell of a player.

Me too, but we can also say that about Zibanejad with Fisher's work ethic & his talent could turn him into a superstar. Zibanejad is already a good two way centre but it's his offence that is lacking & we expect him to put up a lot more pts by this time in his development. Hopefully, this is the yr he breaks out offensively.

 

[Burrowsaurus]

Zibanejad is already a very good two way player & a good defensive forward, it's his offence that we would like to see improve by 10 to 15 pts this yr.



You can say that again.



Me too, but we can also say that about Zibanejad with Fisher's work ethic & his talent could turn him into a superstar. Zibanejad is already a good two way centre but it's his offence that is lacking & we expect him to put up a lot more pts by this time in his development. Hopefully, this is the yr he breaks out offensively.

His offense isn't lacking. He puts up very good numbers for his age. It's his consistency in his play that's annoying. (Not consistency in scoring, consistency in like, not being lethargic)

 

[RedWhiteBlackGold]

Always pictured him as the next Fisher replacement. I don't expect him to put up top line numbers, but 40-50 pts a season is what I see from him.

His prime I could see 50- 65 pts, but I expect that to be a span of 3-4 yrs

 

[Sensinitis]

How could u say his prime will start at 50 points when that's what he had this season?

You think he's already in his prime? lol

 

[BonkTastic]

I found Bonk always left you wanting more. He had talent, but the work ethic wasn't the greatest. You put Bonk's talent with Fisher's work ethic, and you have a hell of a player.

His work ethic was fine.

People were left "wanting more" because he was a 3rd overall pick. Bonk played his arse off, he just wasn't an overly fast player. People looked at his foot speed and was like "he's not working hard enough", but dude was just slow. You could see his work ethic in just how good eh became defensively - guys without that kind of work ethic don't completely change their style of play, and abandon a lot of the offence-first hockey that got Bonk drafted so high in the first place.

He was considered the best pure player in the entire draft, and it really was a crazy set of circumstances (but most importantly: both Anaheim and Florida not wanting to deal with Bonk's agent, who they knew was going to play hardball) that we even had him slide to 3rd... but that was an awful, terrible draft class. Bonk was the biggest fish in a tiny, tiny pond.

That '94 draft was bad. Like, other than Ryan Smyth (6th overall), do you even take anyone else in the 1st round drafted after the 3rd overall pick over Bonk? Some noteworthy picks in the top-10 were guys like Jason Bonsignore, Jamie Storr and Brett Lindros. Wayne Primeau is, in retrospect, considered one of the ten best picks of the 1st round. I mean... bad draft is bad.

There's an argument to be made that Radek Bonk was the 2nd best player taken in the entire first round, after Smyth. That's... that's a bad draft.

 

[Ohhh Franco]

DJ ZBad is probably more concerned about his BPMs than his athletic peak.

 

[Samsquanch]

His work ethic was fine.

People were left "wanting more" because he was a 3rd overall pick. Bonk played his arse off, he just wasn't an overly fast player. People looked at his foot speed and was like "he's not working hard enough", but dude was just slow. You could see his work ethic in just how good eh became defensively - guys without that kind of work ethic don't completely change their style of play, and abandon a lot of the offence-first hockey that got Bonk drafted so high in the first place.

He was considered the best pure player in the entire draft, and it really was a crazy set of circumstances (but most importantly: both Anaheim and Florida not wanting to deal with Bonk's agent, who they knew was going to play hardball) that we even had him slide to 3rd... but that was an awful, terrible draft class. Bonk was the biggest fish in a tiny, tiny pond.

That '94 draft was bad. Like, other than Ryan Smyth (6th overall), do you even take anyone else in the 1st round drafted after the 3rd overall pick over Bonk? Some noteworthy picks in the top-10 were guys like Jason Bonsignore, Jamie Storr and Brett Lindros. Wayne Primeau is, in retrospect, considered one of the ten best picks of the 1st round. I mean... bad draft is bad.

There's an argument to be made that Radek Bonk was the 2nd best player taken in the entire first round, after Smyth. That's... that's a bad draft.

I laughed pretty hard at this

Very bad draft.

Having said that, I really do hope that Zibanejad can hit the 60pt plateau. I think he can. And if he does, in today's age, with his line mates versus Bonks linemates, that would be much more impressive.

 

[Burrowsaurus]

How could u say his prime will start at 50 points when that's what he had this season?

You think he's already in his prime? lol

I think he meant in between those two numbers. 50-65

 

[Sensinitis]

I know what he meant, but I don't see how that can be his prime.

His prime years will be 60+

 

[Langdon Alger]

His work ethic was fine.

People were left "wanting more" because he was a 3rd overall pick. Bonk played his arse off, he just wasn't an overly fast player. People looked at his foot speed and was like "he's not working hard enough", but dude was just slow. You could see his work ethic in just how good eh became defensively - guys without that kind of work ethic don't completely change their style of play, and abandon a lot of the offence-first hockey that got Bonk drafted so high in the first place.

He was considered the best pure player in the entire draft, and it really was a crazy set of circumstances (but most importantly: both Anaheim and Florida not wanting to deal with Bonk's agent, who they knew was going to play hardball) that we even had him slide to 3rd... but that was an awful, terrible draft class. Bonk was the biggest fish in a tiny, tiny pond.

That '94 draft was bad. Like, other than Ryan Smyth (6th overall), do you even take anyone else in the 1st round drafted after the 3rd overall pick over Bonk? Some noteworthy picks in the top-10 were guys like Jason Bonsignore, Jamie Storr and Brett Lindros. Wayne Primeau is, in retrospect, considered one of the ten best picks of the 1st round. I mean... bad draft is bad.

There's an argument to be made that Radek Bonk was the 2nd best player taken in the entire first round, after Smyth. That's... that's a bad draft.

Jeff O"Neill, Jeff Friesen, Ryan Smyth and Mattias Ohiund were the best of the rest in that first round. Lots of goons taken in that round. Weimer, Lindros, Belak, Dingman. You're right, not a great draft. Not 1996 or 1999 bad, but still, not too impressive.

As for Bonk, I just felt the guy didn't have a lot of heart. Everyone wanted him to be physical because he was big, but my main criticism of him was not showing up every night. You always knew what you were getting with Fisher. He'd work his ass off every game, but there were games where I didn't notice Bonk at all. I'd look at the scoresheet and see he played close to 20 minutes, but I hardly noticed him. Obviously, that wasn't every game, but I felt he took too many nights off.

 

[BonkTastic]

Jeff O"Neill, Jeff Friesen, Jason Arnott and Mattias Ohiund were the best of the rest in that first round...

Arnott was '93.


Also: I'd take Bonk over O'Neill, Friesen, or Ohlund. Ohlund is probably the closest call among the three, though.

 

[Langdon Alger]

Arnott was '93.

Yeah, got him confused with Ryan Smyth. Fixed it.

 

[Hale The Villain]

How could u say his prime will start at 50 points when that's what he had this season?

You think he's already in his prime? lol

He got a lot of phantom points this year. Was excellent to finish the year and fully deserved his points down the stretch, but at the start of the year he got a lot of undeserved production.

If he can continue to produce between 50-60 points with 20 goals and quality two-way play, that's an excellent player. Expecting anything more from him is asking to be disappointed.