Fine. 4th line grinder who hits and can agitate.
More or less the prototype ‘I’m too good for the AHL but don’t have the NHL skill set’.
This is his first season where he has really shown he can he a key offensive contributor in the AHL and has been on pace to shatter his career highs. It was unlikely he would break out in the NHL the same year as the AHL, so I'm not ready to write him off as just a grinder in the NHL.
He's a classic late bloomer, undrafted, his late birthday had him start university when he was almost 19, he never really grew much offensively as a college player (1 point difference between his freshman and senior seasons w/ his junior year being just 5 points better and still significantly under a point per game), he went pro on a ATO and basically earned his AHL contract by getting his face rearranged by Wade Brookbank when he jumped to the defense of a teammate (I think it was Kulak, but that memory is hazy) that Brookbank hit with a dirty elbow. He then went to earn an NHL contract and has shown pretty significant offensive improvement in each professional season.
Could have he reached his plateau? Absolutely, but until he has a professional season without significant offensive improvement, I am not willing to write him off just yet.