Dahlin is generational.

[Hokinaittii]

he's also 1 year older

9 months actually. Both played 2 full pro seasons before coming to NA. They have very similar development background.

Yes, Dahlin is slightly younger but at the same time he also had much better development league/team before coming to NA which should make his transition to NA game slightly easier. As we know, Liiga is very slow paced league compared to SHL amd it doesn't really teach you that well what the game is going to be in NHL (fast and physical).

I know I've said this before but just like Laine's and Matthews' 7 months age difference didn't change anything, I doubt nothing really changes here between the two. Both players are going to keep improving at even rate I feel like.

 

[Royal Thunder]

Generational is a buzzword that everyone has their own definition on. What he is is the best 18 year old D in a couple of generations.

 

[Panthaz89]

9 months actually. Both played 2 full pro seasons before coming to NA. They have very similar development background.

Yes, Dahlin is slightly younger but at the same time he also had much better development league/team before coming to NA which should make his transition to NA game slightly easier. As we know, Liiga is very slow paced league compared to SHL amd it doesn't really teach you that well what the game is going to be in NHL (fast and physical).

I know I've said this before but just like Laine's and Matthews' 7 months age difference didn't change anything, I doubt nothing really changes here between the two. Both players are going to keep improving at even rate I feel like.

Dahlin is hardly even grown up at this point....and yes 18 to 19 is the biggest jump towards maturity you are going to find and for the last time forwards are practically already almost fully developed near the top of the draft the Matthews-Laine comparison is terrible because not only are they forwards they play entirely different positions with a center being of much more value.

 

[vanarchy]

Easily the Calder will be his

Did Elias Pettersson get kidnapped or something

Not yet.

- Some crazy guy in Buffalo

 

[Hokinaittii]

Dahlin is hardly even grown up at this point....and yes 18 to 19 is the biggest jump towards maturity you are going to find and for the last time forwards are practically already almost fully developed near the top of the draft the Matthews-Laine comparison is terrible because not only are they forwards they play entirely different positions with a center being of much more value.

Neither is Heiskanen.

Both players have already almost flawless toolsets, so don't expect them to drastically improve over other one.

 

[Panthaz89]

Neither is Heiskanen.

Both players have already almost flawless toolsets, so don't expect them to drastically improve over other one.

He literally has a full year on him....and the biggest jump is 18 to 19 but whatever floats your boat I guess. He won't even be 19 til after the season is already over.

 

[Hokinaittii]

He literally has a full year on him....and the biggest jump is 18 to 19 but whatever floats your boat I guess. He won't even be 19 til after the season is already over.

Dahlin wouldn't be throwing big hits against men if he was your average 18o lanky player.

I just think you are in for a disappointment if you expect Dahlin to be on a whole new level as soon as next season. Not to mention development is never linear with players, so who knows how much there is still improve physically with Heiskanen?

You are reaching too much with the age difference. If Heiskanen was born 2 months later, he would be in the same draft with Dahlin. Would we still be havings these "well, he is also one year older than Dahlin" arguments?

I would understand the argument if Heiskanen had one more pro season under his belt than Dahlin but they have literally played excactly same amount of hockey before coming to NA.

 

[nickdawg95]

He literally has a full year on him....and the biggest jump is 18 to 19 but whatever floats your boat I guess. He won't even be 19 til after the season is already over.

as he said to me " he only slightly older"

 

[nickdawg95]

Dahlin wouldn't be throwing big hits against men if he was your average 18o lanky player.

I just think you are in for a disappointment if you expect Dahlin to be on a whole new level as soon as next season. Not to mention development is never linear with players, so who knows how much there is still improve physically with Heiskanen?

You are reaching too much with the age difference. If Heiskanen was born 2 months later, he would be in the same draft with Dahlin. Would we still be havings these "well, he is also one year older than Dahlin" arguments?

no because dahlin would be in the nhl and heiskanen would not

 

[Hokinaittii]

no because dahlin would be in the nhl and heiskanen would not

Get real now.

Heiskanen already averaged almost 27 minutes a night against men last season and was close to 0.80 PPG while winning the league's best D award as youngest ever.

I would bet on him making the weak Stars D group had he not miss the training camp/start of the season for more than a month due to concussion. He literally never got the chance to show what he is capable of and at the same time Dallas was never in rush to bring him to the big show so soon.

 

[Jugitsu]

I really love Finns, you are relentlessly pumping the tires of your own if there is a argument for it or not, that is great. Swedes often aims to be so fair and broadminded and there fore often argue against there own players.
I really like your over the top arguments that never ever ends. Like Rantanen is the best hart and art ross fav and also most underrated... by far...
Also i guess you have some extra energy when you argue finns above a swede. Anyway lots of great young Finnish players now no denying that.

About the generational question, not yet anyway. And I would not say a generation is 20 years. I would look at the normal length of peek on a player career, maybe 8-10 years.

Awesome post. Yes, absolutely every Finn everywhere are constantly pumping every Finnish player's tires. Also never ever has a single Swede said anything bad about Finnish players or Finns in general. That one dude in Heiskanen related threads pumping Swedes' tires and bashing Finns is probably a Finn in disguise.

Did I do it right?

 

[Hoverhand]

As of right now the players of a "generational" quality I feel would be Crosby, McDavid, Ovechkin, and Karlsson.
So if Dahlin down the line hits Karlsson levels of good, sure give it to him.

 

[Dread Clawz]

Matthews is generational now?

 

[KCC]

The only young generational player right now is McDavid. Anyone else named is wrong.

 

[boyko10]

Awesome post. Yes, absolutely every Finn everywhere are constantly pumping every Finnish player's tires. Also never ever has a single Swede said anything bad about Finnish players or Finns in general. That one dude in Heiskanen related threads pumping Swedes' tires and bashing Finns is probably a Finn in disguise.

Did I do it right?

And it's always the same couple guys. One of which I swear is a nine year old. And a few who have followed the NHL since Laine and don't have a clue about the league up until then. All of Finland my sweet virgin ass.

 

[ZEBROA]

Awesome post. Yes, absolutely every Finn everywhere are constantly pumping every Finnish player's tires. Also never ever has a single Swede said anything bad about Finnish players or Finns in general. That one dude in Heiskanen related threads pumping Swedes' tires and bashing Finns is probably a Finn in disguise.

Did I do it right?

We Swedes have our share of idiot fans . I think Finnish fans are more engaged here on HF and among them a few are realy bias, but most are levelheaded.
As a Swede i admit i hate this boom of Finnish wunderplayers, and with forwards Sweden are a bit behind at the moment. Depth we have, and D, but not top end forwards near the Finns best forwards. But what to do? I just hope we beat you in WC and Olympic anyway. Most exciting games. I dont care about NHLs make belive cup or WJC, but fun to watch.

...And Dahlin is not generational i say again just to be a bit on topic

 

[talitintti]

A generational player is one of the best players in the world by the time they enter the league and starts winning major awards right off the bat, IMO. A player like McDavid who was the most skilled player in the world before he ever played an NHL game.

 

[sufferer]

Has there ever been an eighteen year old defenseman who can play both LD and RD as effectively as Dahlin? That seems to be a ridiculous trait that gets glossed over quite often.

 

[Sabresruletheschool]

Has there ever been an eighteen year old defenseman who can play both LD and RD as effectively as Dahlin? That seems to be a ridiculous trait that gets glossed over quite often.

I don't know about both LD and RD, but there's been 2 18 year old defencmen that has been as good/better as Dahlin. Housley and Orr. Ekblad was good also but he came into the NHL with a man's body. Dahlin's 6'3 180. He looks like a 18 year old stick figure. He's just starting to learn the NHL game. Next year will be the telling tale.

 

[Unspecified]

Has there ever been an eighteen year old defenseman who can play both LD and RD as effectively as Dahlin? That seems to be a ridiculous trait that gets glossed over quite often.

Heiskanen is a 19 year old rookie that plays both LD and RD. When he was 18 in the Finnish elite leagues he was doing this as well.

 

[LongWayDown37]

I don't know about both LD and RD, but there's been 2 18 year old defencmen that has been as good/better as Dahlin. Housley and Orr. Ekblad was good also but he came into the NHL with a man's body. Dahlin's 6'3 180. He looks like a 18 year old stick figure. He's just starting to learn the NHL game. Next year will be the telling tale.

Housley was an 80s offensive dynamo quickly but was not nearly as good as Dahlin defensively at 18. He was moved up to forward for a good portion of his rookie year because he couldn’t be trusted on the back end.

 

[Mattilaus]

Has there ever been an eighteen year old defenseman who can play both LD and RD as effectively as Dahlin? That seems to be a ridiculous trait that gets glossed over quite often.

Heiskanen is a 19 year old rookie that plays both LD and RD. When he was 18 in the Finnish elite leagues he was doing this as well.

So the answer is no, thank you.

 

[JAS 39 Gripen]

Neither is Heiskanen.

Both players have already almost flawless toolsets, so don't expect them to drastically improve over other one.

Finlands gonna Finlaaaaand!
(Can someone please make a meme that we can use whenever they try to talk down other prospect by comparing them to finns or something, like that old ”Everyone knows its Butters!”-jingle?)

 

[Elysian]

On a weaker team, playing against top lines and the PK as well. Heiskanen > Dahlin (this season)

I don't think Dallas is a weaker team, I think they're pretty banged up. They've been putting it together despite the injuries though.

 

[Elysian]

no because dahlin would be in the nhl and heiskanen would not

Heiskanen should have been in the NHL last year. Nill made the choice to keep him in Finland, where he dominated.