Kat Predator
Registered User
- Nov 28, 2019
- 3,826
- 3,830
Prospect Info: Eeli Tolvanen
- Thread starter maplepred
- Start date
Scoresberg
In Trotz We Trust?
Tolvanen with a primary assist today:
Now has 8 points in 13 games but only two goals..
Now has 8 points in 13 games but only two goals..
Bjornar Moxnes
Stem Rødt og Felix Unger Sörum
What legit happened to the dude? Wasn't he hyped to be an elite player after his KHL rookie season?
He's learned how to play defense and forgot how to play offense. Instead of a good offensive prospect he's now a mediocre two-way player.
Armourboy
Hey! You suck!
We don't know what he's going to be yet. The team told him to work on his defensive game and that's what he's done. The question mark was always going to be if he could get that shot off on smaller ice when the game is faster and he has less time. He started to come around a bit before the shutdown so he may find it still.
I think people just expected too much to start with. There was a reason he dropped to us. If teams thought he was going to be a sure thing that never would have happened.
Yeah, but he's been significantly worse than before offensively in the KHL as well so he has a lot left to do in any setting. Certainly the problem is not a lack of effort in his case, more so whether his path is taking him somewhere or not.
Scoresberg
In Trotz We Trust?
I'd argue that he's not really worse offensively, it's just he caught everyone off guard in his rookie season and everything, I mean everything went his way. I've pretty much never seen anything like that. It raised his expectations to unreasonable level that he's never been able to get to since.
Armourboy
Hey! You suck!
Yep he got hot, it happens. Look how many guys in the NHL have had that one magical streak that earned them a big contract and it's never been seen again.
He's a young guy that was drafted in the bottom of the first round. Without that one hot streak people would be talking about him like any other prospect.
On the plus side... he seems to be rounding the rest of his game out nicely. Not sure why his goal scoring seems to of come to a screeching halt.
Legionnaire11
Registered User
Too many people try to define Tolvanen on one hot stretch of play. By that standard, Brian Boucher was the greatest goalie ever.
He’s like 21 years old. After the KHL splash he’s scored 15 and 21 goals in Milwaukee. He’s never had what you would call regular ice time in the NHL nor PP time. He’s worked to round out his game particularly D. He’s never had time with an NHL level center.
Point is there’s much we don’t know yet and it’s time to find out.
Point is there’s much we don’t know yet and it’s time to find out.
It was a hurricane of good fortune and hype. Absolutely blew up in the KHL and World Juniors (I think it was?) and the Preds have never had a prospect like that so obviously our expectations blew passed unreasonable. He then got his 9 game audition and looked like a rookie. Naturally that leads to our expectations skewing negative and thinking he's a bust.
But, the truth always lies somewhere in the middle. Seems like he should get a great opportunity to showcase what he can do this season. I still think he settles into a legit top 6 scoring wing.
But, the truth always lies somewhere in the middle. Seems like he should get a great opportunity to showcase what he can do this season. I still think he settles into a legit top 6 scoring wing.
Porter Stoutheart
We Got Wood
- Jun 14, 2017
- 14,908
- 11,305
I think the Olympics was a high point too. He was like 2nd in the whole Olympics in scoring. WJC might have been a little dry compared to that.
Unfortunately it's a bit tough to really project him as a legit top-6 scoring wing in the NHL now though. Right now he's basically "ok" on a KHL team that might have basically 1 NHL-calibre player on it. So far, after that crazy first post-draft year, in the AHL and KHL he has settled out as being a decent-but-not-special player at those levels. That means he needs to take another step in his development to have a shot at being that in the NHL. It's not impossible since he's still only 21. But at this point, you'd probably have to start sliding the odds south of 50/50, right?
Armourboy
Hey! You suck!
Forsberg was also drafted Top 10 in the draft.
People's expectations got blown out of proportion for a guy that was drafted at the bottom of the first round.
Agreed. 20 though isn’t like shockingly young for an NHL rookie forward. 22 is probably old. Tolvanen is 21
I bet there’s at least 15 from that draft alone outside of the top 10 that have played 35 plus (rookie threshold) games.
Last edited:
Predsanddead24
Registered User
- Mar 7, 2019
- 5,344
- 5,640
2017 NHL Entry Draft | Hockey-Reference.com
Pretty close actually as there's 14 that have.
I think this is a big year for him given that he has the perfect opportunity to take a top six role alongside Duchene, but if doesn't make the jump I don't think it necessarily means he won't ever make it.
Armourboy
Hey! You suck!
How many of those guys are doing it on consistent playoff teams though? I'm gonna guess the bulk would be on some not so great teams where they have a much easier time getting that chance to start with.
Armourboy
Hey! You suck!
Looking at that list I see several guys with games played, but outside the top 10 it doesn't really look like anyone is just tearing things up though production wise. Best is just barely over .50 PPG looks like which is a solid start.
We have multiple opinions and can guess anything we want. But until Preds throw him out there with some NHL caliber line-mates that includes an NHL center we’re just not going to know. This is the year.
Porter Stoutheart
We Got Wood
- Jun 14, 2017
- 14,908
- 11,305
I don't actually think it was unfair for expectations to have blossomed they way they did, though. Sometimes things like that happen because of a single WJC tournament. That lasts 2 weeks or whatever. Which isn't long enough. But for Tolvanen... the numbers he put up as an 18-year old in the KHL... the way he produced in the Olympics, still before he turned 19... that was an extended period of very very high level production for his age and level. Extremely high. Sustained. In multiple settings. There's a reason people got excited. I don't feel the least bit guilty about getting excited for that. If we ever have a prospect do anything like that again, I will get excited like that again, guaranteed.
And now... we're back down to earth, ok. I wonder if the Predators deserve any "blame" in this, though? I mean, after those sustained highs, the way he has come back to earth in the subsequent 2 years is... well... he was developing under our watch.
My only point was to say he’s not super young for a rookie. I’d guess with forwards 21 is the average age.
I hope dude is a superstar, but I don’t hold my breath on it.
I think Tomasino is the better player.
I hope dude is a superstar, but I don’t hold my breath on it.
I think Tomasino is the better player.
Armourboy
Hey! You suck!
There is a difference in getting excited and having your expectations blown out of proportion. We all got excited, but I always kept one hand firmly holding on to the fact it might have just been a hot streak or the fact he just had more room to play with. He wouldn't be the first to tear it up in the KHL that couldn't do a thing here.I don't actually think it was unfair for expectations to have blossomed they way they did, though. Sometimes things like that happen because of a single WJC tournament. That lasts 2 weeks or whatever. Which isn't long enough. But for Tolvanen... the numbers he put up as an 18-year old in the KHL... the way he produced in the Olympics, still before he turned 19... that was an extended period of very very high level production for his age and level. Extremely high. Sustained. In multiple settings. There's a reason people got excited. I don't feel the least bit guilty about getting excited for that. If we ever have a prospect do anything like that again, I will get excited like that again, guaranteed.
And now... we're back down to earth, ok. I wonder if the Predators deserve any "blame" in this, though? I mean, after those sustained highs, the way he has come back to earth in the subsequent 2 years is... well... he was developing under our watch.
The thing is though it appears he has done exactly what the coaches and team asked of him. We look and say his scoring went down, and that is true, but that also wasn't his focus. What I do know is that you don't just lose that natural ability.
Either way its time for both him and the team to figure it out. He either has it and he continues to grow or like with Kamenev we figure out its not there and use him as a trade piece.
