Does Patrik Laine remind me of Mario Lemieux?

[Stephen]

He reminds me stylistically of a cross between Lemieux and Jagr. Lemieux was quite a bit more graceful with his hand eye and I wouldn't have called him an explosive player either, which Laine isn't. His swooping, kind of choppy mechanics look like early Jagr. But there's something weird mixed in there too, like that long legged Chara/Pronger profile to him too, even though he's quite a bit shorter than those two. Maybe Lecavalier would be a better physical comparison than Chara/Pronger.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Enough with the laine threads!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This times a billion.

 

[Gary Nylund]

This times a billion.

Make that a zillion.

 

[systemsgo]

To OP, like another poster said, Jagr does that too. He has insane lower body strength, but also a reach like Mario's and soft hands.

Laine's style bears some similarities to Mario as well though.

 

[Fear]

Not even mcdavid can touch Lemieuxs heights

Why not? He's running away with the Art Ross at 19, after missing half of his first season.

The greats of the past are not untouchable. There could eventually be a player better than Gretzky. I'm sure they said in the 60s that no one will ever pass "Mr Hockey", but then Gretzky came along.

 

[BB88]

It's a stylistic comparioson, at times he can look Lemieux-esq in the way he moves at times.

This does not mean he's Mario 2.0 or even comes close to Mario's talent or skill-set.

As for that move, I've seen it plenty, ironically (because of the op) that's more of a Jagr move. In the day Jagr was famous for deking from a stand still. Most recently I've seen Kadri do it on occasion.

Yep, these are pretty much all style comparisons, don't need to turn them into ceiling predictions like so many have before.

He'll never be Mario but damm is he fun to watch.

But I hope we could go a day without a new thread.

 

[RageQuit77]

Why not? He's running away with the Art Ross at 19, after missing half of his first season.

The greats of the past are not untouchable. There could eventually be a player better than Gretzky. I'm sure they said in the 60s that no one will ever pass "Mr Hockey", but then Gretzky came along.

Hmm... plausible but highly unlike. At least it would require dramatic changes to rules for increasing the level of goal scoring, which I think would be unorthodox measure of such high impact to the game it'd at minimum ruin last comparativity between different eras, if we could even talk about same game after that.

Hundreds and thousands years of NHL hockey with same (or almost same rule set), then yes. Someone needs to proof me wrong with this, but I won't hold my breath.

 

[GoJetsGo55]

He's been an absolute treat to watch so far.

He's just oozing talent and he's only 18. I just can't imagine what he will be like when he fills out his frame and adds some more speed to his game.

 

[psycho_dad*]

isn't asked to back check

Obviously not watching the games.

 

[Shaftception]

As for that move, I've seen it plenty, ironically (because of the op) that's more of a Jagr move. In the day Jagr was famous for deking from a stand still. Most recently I've seen Kadri do it on occasion.

Yup, this is also reminiscent of Jagr, in fact I'd argue more so than Lemieux, Jagr was more prone to slow a game down along the boards like this. Not many instances stick out to me of Lemieux emulating this kind of thing outside of that one I guess fairly stand out goal where he does something similar in tight against the Bruins.

In fact I don't really see all that much comparison stylistically between Lemieux and Laine, I mean what is the comparison people are hung up on? His shot? Mario never really had the hardest of shots. Sure he'd wind up once and a while and blow one by a goalie but that was more due to the time period of the stand up goalie being so much more vulnerable to simple slap shots than today's goalies. When I picture Lemieux I don't really think of an overpowering shot like Laine or Ovechkin have, Lemieux's bread and butter was his forehand backhand deke. So maybe it's Laine's "hands" then? Well yeah Lemieux was very skilled in that department, but I'd argue a Datsyuk is the more prototypical handsy player. Kane currently is probably the most flashy hands wise. So then if you're stuck on the skilled big man angle you might stretch the comparison, but I grew up on the 90s Pens, so I'm pretty familiar with their styles, and for me I've never thought of Lemieux while watching Laine, admittedly a rather small sample size.

Malkin is one who reminds me of Lemieux's style as others have made mention too, specifically his skating and when he attempts to deke through a defense towards the net, it's a very physical style like Mario when he'd be dragging defensemen behind him. Ovechkin funny enough with certain mannerisms during celebrations have at times brought Lemieux to mind as well, when Mario was younger with the beard.

For me when I think of stylistic comparisons between players, I always picture a silhouette of the player and whether or not someone else reminds me of it. In this sense for instance McDavid's skating and deking style is very reminiscent of Crosby to me, someone I'm again very familiar with. So in that sense I don't really see the Laine and Lemieux comparisons, but to each their own.

 

[BL92]

Yeah he reminds me a bit of Lemieux stylistically. I don't know why some are so angry about that. I don't remember anyone being up in arms when Nugent-Hopkins was compared to Gretzky stylistically.

I think some people are truly dyslexic on this forum. Also, some Toronto fans like to jump then gun when Laine is compared to any former player.

 

[therealkoho]

Enough with the laine threads!!!!!!!!!!!!!

next up "Is Laine greater then the Great One"

 

[Gurilla]

There are shades of Lemieux in him for sure, very cool to watch him progress as a player

 

[Mogo]

People saying he reminds a lot like Mario have never seen Mario play a full game live

 

[Huokaus]

next up "Is Laine greater then the Great One"

These posts are worse than the threads (even though I'm admittedly tired of these Laine threads too). If you actually tried to read what's being said, almost everyone is comparing Laine to Mario stylistically. Yes, there are few who claim Laine is actually as good, but pretty much everyone talks sensibly in these threads until someone picks a fight with posts like the quoted one.

 

[BL92]

next up "Is Laine greater then the Great One"

Do you know what the word stylistically means?

 

[Halberdier]

Yep, these are pretty much all style comparisons, don't need to turn them into ceiling predictions like so many have before.

He'll never be Mario but damm is he fun to watch.

But I hope we could go a day without a new thread.

Your statement about comparisons being only stylistical is almost equally false than kunekunes claim that they mean Laine = Lemiux. Just to the other direction.

I would go as far to claim that almost none of them have been PURELY and ONLY about style, but also about some skills. Of course no-one is saying Laine is as good as Lemieux or than his ceiling would be Mario-like, even era-adjusted. They are just saying that some of his plays are very Marioesque, and that he also posses a lot of skill.

 

[psycho_dad*]

The greats of the past are not untouchable. There could eventually be a player better than Gretzky. I'm sure they said in the 60s that no one will ever pass "Mr Hockey", but then Gretzky came along.

This is exactly what I have been trying to say for a long time. There are no untouchables, in fact the game gets globally bigger and more demanding to break through each passing year.

There will be better players and someone will top Laine and McDavid as well in the future. That's the nature of it.

Laine has been on a trajectory to become the best goal scorer ever (so far) and it's just coming to fruition much faster than vast majority was able to predict. That's why he was the best euro prospect ever prior to playing in the NHL, and that's why he is now breathing extremely rare air....nobody has done what Laine has done so far in his 18 year old season.

You can only find comparables in hockey history from Selanne and Ovechkin who had more goals through 29 games in their rookie seasons, and they were 2 and 4 years older during theirs. That's a MASSIVE advantage for them in development. And the difference in league goal scoring numbers at the time of their rookie seasons is also massive, making the league easier to break into as a goal scorer than it is today.

Some are still arguing fluke, a hot streak. He's been on this "hot streak" of ridiculous/never seen before pace of development for a year now. A year ago he was playing 3rd line minutes in FEL. Now he leads NHL in scoring and along the way he has won so much hardware and personal accolades that most can only dream of in their careers. For those who doubt him, just pause for a minute and think of that.

These are facts, not baseless opinions. People don't like the facts? Then go argue with the facts themselves, don't shoot the messenger.

 

[Lempo]

until someone picks a fight with posts like the quoted one.

Of course one could give the benefit of the doubt that the guy is laughing with you rather than at you.

We'd all maybe be singing Kumbaya and watching great hockey together in no time.

 

[JackSlater]

I don't really see it other than both of them being big, not so fast and good at scoring goals. Laine uses his overpowering shot, but Lemieux relied on best in the NHL stickhandling and accuracy to score goals. Different manner of scoring goals. Throw in that Lemieux was honestly more geared toward playmaking and I don't see it that much. Different style, but in terms of goalscoring similar results. Laine reminds me of a rich man's version of Heatley.

 

[PensBandwagonerNo272*]

Obviously not watching the games.

I mean because of position. A primary role of a center is to help out the defensemen. They are sort of a third defensemen.

 

[kelsier]

There has been so many many referrals to Lemieux by hockey professionals I don't even bother listing the names. People always get so sentimental over this topic it's usually not worthy of a mention unless you want to wrestle certain fans here and waste your time. At the end of the day he's always going to be Laine, and I think a lot of people are even now underestimating his true potential. He's going to rock this league for years and if this development curve doesn't hit an end, Laine will compete with McDavid one day. Such a rare talent. Last night he could've scored four to five points if Ehlers bothered to capitalise his chances. It's amazing to watch his games when he's dominating in the offensive zone like last night. What a game!

 

[kunekune]

I mean because of position. A primary role of a center is to help out the defensemen. They are sort of a third defensemen.

In Winnipeg Laine is that 3rd defencemen.

Usually even 1st/2nd as he needs to cover for the jumps D makes.

Its not the center there who covers.

 

[psycho_dad*]

People saying he reminds a lot like Mario have never seen Mario play a full game live

I think I've seen a couple of hundred games by Mario. Actually just about a month ago watched his game against NYR where he scored 5 goals in 5 different ways (it was in the videos of rogers gamecenter). I watched him in his prime, I watched him when he came back (was still living in Finland, stayed up to a 2-3am start just to see him play again). He was and is the best player in NHL history to me.

And yeah, Laine reminds me a lot of Mario. Their hand/eye coordination is off the charts, both played the puck in mid air better than others. Both see the plays so well, and execute passes the similar way. Watching Laine use lob passes over a couple of defensemen, straight into the stick or skating lane of his teammate, watching him bat down the puck mid air and regain control of it, the hands in small spaces with the long reach, the lumbering skating that looks labored but still moves him, the one on one challenging and the moves, protecting the puck....yeah there is a lot of similarities.

Laine has a better shot than Mario did, but Mario did not need the kind of shot Laine has because the goalies were garbage back then compared to todays goalies. That's just the evolution of the game. Goalies get bigger and more athletic, equipment gets better....this forces the skaters to sharpen their shooting skills (and all other skills too).

Laine seems to hit more than I remember Mario hitting, but this one I am not certain of. Someone who likes to dig the stats could check that I guess. I don't think Laine will ever fight like Mario would, but who knows. It's just not a big part of todays game anymore, so I kinda hope he never does. There's better use for those hands than possibly breaking bones in them trying to punch somebodys helmet or skull.

 

[cowboy82nd]

Only you can answer that.