Yeah you called it regarding Donskoi. Well done!I made the argument earlier in the season (with customary stats and charts and complex graphics) that Donskoi was being held back by having Compher as his center, given that Donskoi had produced any time he played with top 6 players or on PP2. Low-and-behold, get Donskoi even a semi-decent center and he flourishes.
Nuke isn’t skilled? He’s part of the top line in the NHL!Jost - Smart, good defensively, some skill, slower smaller and weaker
Donskoi - Skilled, dumb, fast, bad defensively, smaller
Nuke - not skilled, fast, good defensively, size and strength
they all make up for each other quite well so that skill, size, strength, defensive ability, and intelligence is present in some form
Donskoi - Skilled, dumb, fast, bad defensively, smaller
I wouldn't categorize Donskoi as dumb or bad defensively. I think he has pretty good awareness of space and picks good spots to be in. He's also being trusted on the PK so I think defense isn't an issue - at least not to the coaches anyway. I also think he's one of the more creative players on the team (ex. see his second goal last night). If there was a knock on Donskoi I would say he plays kind of soft at times.Jost - Smart, good defensively, some skill, slower smaller and weaker
Donskoi - Skilled, dumb, fast, bad defensively, smaller
Nuke - not skilled, fast, good defensively, size and strength
they all make up for each other quite well so that skill, size, strength, defensive ability, and intelligence is present in some form
Jost - Smart, good defensively, some skill, slower smaller and weaker
Donskoi - Skilled, dumb, fast, bad defensively, smaller
Nuke - not skilled, fast, good defensively, size and strength
they all make up for each other quite well so that skill, size, strength, defensive ability, and intelligence is present in some form
I agree with most of your post, especially the part about him picking spots to be in offensively - that's a big reason why he can produce when he gets minutes with Mackinnon for instance. That said I disagree that he's all that good on the PK. The way he moves and anticipates the opposition when shifting around the DZ and rotating with the other forward is much less seamless than Jost and Nichuskin for example. He's passable there, but ideally you want him as your 5th or 6th PKing forward being Jost, Nichuskin, Bellemare, +1 or +2, rather than a part of the regular rotation.I wouldn't categorize Donskoi as dumb or bad defensively. I think he has pretty good awareness of space and picks good spots to be in. He's also being trusted on the PK so I think defense isn't an issue - at least not to the coaches anyway. I also think he's one of the more creative players on the team (ex. see his second goal last night). If there was a knock on Donskoi I would say he plays kind of soft at times.
Jost's limited skating is curtailed a bit by having two wingers on his line who can drive the puck forward. He's not all that great at skating the puck up ice himself, but he can hand the puck off to Donskoi - who skates and dekes fast, or to Nichuskin - who can simply overpower Dmen when carrying the puck into the OZ, and that seems to work well for that line. Jost then gets involved again in the OZ once the possession has been established, and then his skill and passing can become a weapon.I would say all three players are smart and at least decent defensively. Also Jost is no longer that weak or slow (just in comparison to MacK he is). He's the weakest and slowest of the three; and his size and speed is compensated by Nuke. Conversely, Jost's skill and hockey sense compensates for Nuke. Donks is just super well rounded.
Their fit is amazing (and so is our team) because we no longer have TWO dumb/Two unskilled/Two Small/Two Slow players on any one line. If you have players with below average trait and have two of them on the same line, thats a problem. Even if they have great traits else where.
Jost (pre getting jacked) and Kerfoot for example; thats way too small for any line; even if they are both skilled with decent hockey sense.