Player Discussion Aatu Raty

[LemonSauceD]

Agree on Liiga. 100% Disagree on SHL.

The volume of players that go through the CHL is so much bigger that the top products are better on average but there is no better place to develop than the SHL. As long as you are good enough to warrant icetime.

My main gripe on the SHL is the way they handle younger players in general. Unless you’re Sandin Pelikka who’s playing 22 minutes a night right now and leading his team in ice time at 18, you’ll be hard pressed to find quality minutes. ASP is one of the best defensive prospects out there.

The amount of defenseman for example that I’ve seen over the years that come out of the SHL with poor defensive habits and lacklustre skating, it’s not what it once was.

 

[tradervik]

Agree on Liiga. 100% Disagree on SHL.

The volume of players that go through the CHL is so much bigger that the top products are better on average but there is no better place to develop than the SHL. As long as you are good enough to warrant icetime.

Isn’t this a bit of a circular argument? If you aren’t good enough to get ice time, you won’t develop. If you are good enough to get ice time, you don’t need much development.

 

[F A N]

I really like how this management group is prioritizing development and not rushing anyone and are making all of the right moves and I really feel Cole and Blueger are the right stop cap players while we let the kids develop

It’s not like management has a choice. They want to win. Last year they didn’t have a choice and basically gifted Aman a spot. They watched Raty play last season and he wasn’t ready. This year they had a chance to sign Blueger and Suter and they did so.

It’s not like they can bring over Lekerimaki this season after the season he had. The true test would be what they do with someone like Willander if he is to have a strong season.

 

[PuckMunchkin]

Isn’t this a bit of a circular argument? If you aren’t good enough to get ice time, you won’t develop. If you are good enough to get ice time, you don’t need much development.

The same argument can be made for any league.

Im just brining it up because I think people are bummed about EP-2 not getting ice time.

 

[Bgav]

Aatu Raty is HIM

 

[VanJack]

My main gripe on the SHL is the way they handle younger players in general. Unless you’re Sandin Pelikka who’s playing 22 minutes a night right now and leading his team in ice time at 18, you’ll be hard pressed to find quality minutes. ASP is one of the best defensive prospects out there.

The amount of defenseman for example that I’ve seen over the years that come out of the SHL with poor defensive habits and lacklustre skating, it’s not what it once was.

The SHL is no different than the KHIL. At the end of the day, these are pro leagues. Coaches and players face the constant pressure to win and keep their buildings full, much like any pro league.

They're not really into 'rookie development', particularly if they perceive that it could compromise their ability to win 'today'. These leagues just don't prioritize player development, particularly when a lot of their young guys are probably headed to the NHL anyway.

That's what makes the performance of kids like Lekerimakki, Wilander and before them Karlsson and Pettersson so impressive. You have to be exceptionally talented to win the confidence of the coach and gain ice time on an SHL team. And in the KHL, forget about it.

 

[PuckMunchkin]

The SHL is no different than the KHIL. At the end of the day, these are pro leagues. Coaches and players face the constant pressure to win and keep their buildings full, much like any pro league.

They're not really into 'rookie development', particularly if they perceive that it could compromise their ability to win 'today'. These leagues just don't prioritize player development, particularly when a lot of their young guys are probably headed to the NHL anyway.

This isn't necessarily true. KHL is and was always weird. They had a fake salary cap and they forced trades with in the league to the bigger teams so I really cant comment on what the hell that league was...

There are teams in the SHL that have built their development system so that they draw players from all over because the players know that if they go to say Frölunda, they will become better and this will help them rest of their careers.

Also there are teams like Kalpa in the Finnish League who just cant compete in salaries with the bigger teams in Finland so they are forced to develop their own talent.

That's what makes the performance of kids like Lekerimakki, Wilander and before them Karlsson and Pettersson so impressive. You have to be exceptionally talented to win the confidence of the coach and gain ice time on an SHL team. And in the KHL, forget about it.

This is still true. Maybe not Willander. He didnt do much in the SHL.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

i havent watched this guy play a game this year but cup winning teams always seem to have some random kid come up at the end of the season and provide clutch secondary scoring

guentzel, toffoli, saad, and so on. could he be ours?

 

[TruGr1t]

He's been playing LW? We certainly have room for one of those in the top six.

 

[AlainVigneaultsGum]

For the love of god get him up here.

 

[CanuckleBerry]

This isn't necessarily true. KHL is and was always weird. They had a fake salary cap and they forced trades with in the league to the bigger teams so I really cant comment on what the hell that league was...

There are teams in the SHL that have built their development system so that they draw players from all over because the players know that if they go to say Frölunda, they will become better and this will help them rest of their careers.

Also there are teams like Kalpa in the Finnish League who just cant compete in salaries with the bigger teams in Finland so they are forced to develop their own talent.

It's stuff like this that really makes me think that there is a ton of latent potential for some sort of European Elite League. I know that's not how sports are done in Europe, but having that extra tier with bigger clubs sprinkled around Sweden, Finland, Germany, Switzerland, etc would certainly concentrate resources and garner attention.

 

[F A N]

The amount of defenseman for example that I’ve seen over the years that come out of the SHL with poor defensive habits and lacklustre skating, it’s not what it once was.

That’s an interesting discussion and I am not sure if it’s relatively different based on trends. Sweden has been producing more ASP types compared to a decade ago where you have Larsson, Brodin, Lindholm. I am not sure if that’s a function of the type of Dmen that end up making it to the NHL though since skilled undersized Dmen had a harder time making it to the NHL a decade ago and even more so two decades ago.