snarktacular
Registered User
- Aug 2, 2005
- 20,525
- 182
Bonino is the answer to the question of "how important is hockey IQ vs physical attributes?"
Definitions: 1) I use hockey sense to mostly describe positioning. As in being in the right place to make a play. I also call this having "it." 2) Vision is about doing the right thing with the puck. It normally has more to do with passing to the right person, but I'm using it a little more generally here.
Bonino has great hockey sense and vision. The problem was that he was atrocious at the physical attributes. You could tell, even in his first tryouts at the NHL level, that he had very good instincts. He was always going to the right place. The problem was that he was too slow to get to the puck, and the few times he did get the puck he was muscled off of the puck too easily. I knew he had "it," but didn't have much faith in him improving his skating and strength enough to be an NHL player. Last year he really improved his speed, and this offseason he improved his strength. So now he is a useful player.
What's the one thing in common with many all of our prospects who have exceeded expectations? Having "it." Kunitz had "it," McDonald too. Penner did along the boards. Getzlaf and Perry certainly did. Sexton did not, he was always skating warp speed to the puck, but too late because he was reacting and not predicting. Having "it" does not necessarily lead to points, but I think it's a good sign of an effective player. Ryan sometimes has "it" but I think it's not always there.
And then there's vision, which I think more directly correlates to points. Sbisa has pretty bad vision, which is holding him back some. Cogliano has no vision and no shooting instincts.
So yeah, I can certainly appreciate Bonino's positioning and instincts. If you excel in the mental parts of the game it can often help hide other deficiencies.
Definitions: 1) I use hockey sense to mostly describe positioning. As in being in the right place to make a play. I also call this having "it." 2) Vision is about doing the right thing with the puck. It normally has more to do with passing to the right person, but I'm using it a little more generally here.
Bonino has great hockey sense and vision. The problem was that he was atrocious at the physical attributes. You could tell, even in his first tryouts at the NHL level, that he had very good instincts. He was always going to the right place. The problem was that he was too slow to get to the puck, and the few times he did get the puck he was muscled off of the puck too easily. I knew he had "it," but didn't have much faith in him improving his skating and strength enough to be an NHL player. Last year he really improved his speed, and this offseason he improved his strength. So now he is a useful player.
What's the one thing in common with many all of our prospects who have exceeded expectations? Having "it." Kunitz had "it," McDonald too. Penner did along the boards. Getzlaf and Perry certainly did. Sexton did not, he was always skating warp speed to the puck, but too late because he was reacting and not predicting. Having "it" does not necessarily lead to points, but I think it's a good sign of an effective player. Ryan sometimes has "it" but I think it's not always there.
And then there's vision, which I think more directly correlates to points. Sbisa has pretty bad vision, which is holding him back some. Cogliano has no vision and no shooting instincts.
So yeah, I can certainly appreciate Bonino's positioning and instincts. If you excel in the mental parts of the game it can often help hide other deficiencies.
I'm just a fan of him. Bonino is a type of player you need to go deep in the playoffs. So freaking smart.
