Halfway point Boys... Multiply all stats by 2..

[CanuckleBerry]

View attachment 302127

Assuming the players listed here play most of the remaining games, considering that there are players like Leivo and Ferland who we know won't.

Some very positive looking numbers in there. But here's the thing that might be the most surprising and significant. Half those players have played all 41 games. And basically all of the top players.

 

[StrictlyCommercial]

A lot of guys on pace to smash career highs. Hope they keep it up, but doubt persists. Especially for Pearson/Virtanen.

 

[Canadian Canuck]

If this happens there’s no question we would make the playoffs easily.

You’d hope so

 

[krutovsdonut]

Have you factored in the fact that most college players who turn pro hit a wall in the second half because they aren't used to playing so many games? Doubt Hughes gets much more than 45 points this season.

how many did you project for his first half?

 

[Tim Calhoun]

Beagle: on pace for 6 points
Eriksson: on pace for 6 points
Schaller: on pace for 8 points

 

[FuzzyTitus]

I wonder how accurate this would have been if you use 2018/19 as an example.

 

[the_gman83]

I wonder how accurate this would have been if you use 2018/19 as an example.

Player	Pace After 41 Team Games	End Of Season Total
Elias Pettersson	38G, 40A, 78P	28G, 38A, 66P
Bo Horvat	34G, 36A, 72P	27G, 34A, 61P
Brock Boeser	28G, 24A, 52P	26G, 30A, 56P
Nikolay Goldobin	10G, 36A, 46P	7G, 20A, 27P
Jake Virtanen	22G, 14A, 36P	15G, 10A, 25P
Antoine Roussel	8G, 26A, 34P	9G, 22A, 31P
Loui Eriksson	14G, 18A, 32P	11G, 18A, 29P
Alex Edler	8G, 24A, 32P	10G, 24A, 34P
Markus Granlund	12G, 16A, 28P	12G, 10A, 22P
Ben Hutton	8G, 20A, 28P	5G, 15A, 20P
Tyler Motte	12G, 12A, 24P	9G, 7A, 16P
Troy Stecher	2G, 22A, 24P	2G, 21A, 23P
Erik Gudbranson	4G, 12A, 16P	2G, 6A, 8P
Chris Tanev	4G, 12A, 16P	2G, 10A, 12P
Sven Baertschi	6G, 8A, 14P	9G, 5A, 14P
Derrick Pouliot	4G, 8A, 12P	3G, 9A, 12P
Adam Gaudette	4G, 8A, 12P	5G, 7A, 12P
Josh Leivo	8G, 2A, 10P	10G, 8A, 18P
Brendan Leipsic	4G, 6A, 10P	2G, 3A, 5P
Tim Schaller	0G, 10A, 10P	3G, 10A, 13P
Brandon Sutter	6G, 2A, 8P	4G, 2A, 6P
Michael Del Zotto	2G, 6A, 8P	1G, 3A, 4P
Jay Beagle	2G, 6A, 8P	3G, 10A, 13P
Alex Biega	0G, 8A, 8P	2G, 14A, 16P
Sam Gagner	2G, 4A, 6P	1G, 2A, 3P
Brendan Gaunce	2G, 4A, 6P	1G, 2A, 3P
Darren Archibald	2G, 2A, 4P	1G, 1A, 1P
Reid Boucher	0G, 0A, 0P	0G, 0A, 0P

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

The only players that improved on their pace from the first half were Boeser, Edler. Leivo, Schaller, Biega and Beagle - and all of these players except Schaller played more games in the 2nd half of the season than they did in the first half (Boeser, Edler, Biega and Beagle because of injury, Leivo because of the trade).
Pearson didn't play in the first half, he ended with 9G, 3A, 12P for the Canucks.

 

[Melvin]

I mean I don't think anyone here is expecting Hughes to end up with 58 points.

But even 45-50 points would be a tremendous accomplishment. The list of 20 yo rookie D men who have put up those kind of numbers is pretty short and a player hasn't cracked 50 since the '80s

 

[elitepete]

Are you basing this off of things tightening up in the 2nd half? Or, are you saying that a lot of totals do not represent the true talent of the players outlined here?

The latter

 

[JanBulisPiggyBack]

Beagle: on pace for 6 points
Eriksson: on pace for 6 points
Schaller: on pace for 8 points

defying expectations

 

[wonton15]

Virtanen will most likely slow down (hopefully not)

Pearson was a huge pickup

 

[sting101]

My half way report card. (keep in mind my grades are related to roles and expectations on ice...not financial)

Elias Pettersson - on pace - 82 - 38 - 50 -88 +6 - has become more measured in his approach to the game. Not putting himself in positions to get hurt and exposed. PP work is becoming deadly. 5v5 and puck battles are even making small steps to the positive. Is a top 10 NHL centre as a 21yr old and will continue to fill out his frame and learn how to create time and space. If i want to nit pick he needs to be better with his puck possession and stop looking at the refs after missed calls. I know this may seem outrageous but i feel like he could kick into another gear when or if we get into games with playoff and survival implications........................B+

JT Miller - 82 - 30 - 50 - 80 +4 - just an absolute incredible start to his career as a Canuck. Heavy puck possession play driver. Best FO% in the league. Great down low and around the net on tips. 2 way play and a perfect compliment for the top line or top6 aywhere anytime. Consistent leader at this point who has help drag this team towards a playoff spot. Can he maintain it? if he does its a career year and puts him in top 10 winger territory. In all likelihood he regressess somewhat but thats ok too...............A+

Brock Boeser - 82 - 26 - 52 - 78 +4 - 8 even strength goals is dissapointing but his playmaking has been suprising and good enough to keep him in the top group. Pretty inconsistent and seems to have gone from a player we were looking at as an elite NHL sniper to a bit of an enigmatic high end player. Defensive game is passable to poor and his puck managemnt needs work also. His shot is curiously dropped off a fair bit. Hoping he can get it going for the 2nd half on a more consistent basis. Do wonder about his dad and the impact of his personal life. Is still unreal when he's on his toes...................C+

Bo Horvat - 82 - 24 - 42 - 66 (-12) - was really happy to see his play against the Hawks because it had become so rare to see him skate and handle the puck and assert himself like that i was wondering if my memory of him was skewed. Obviously he had a distracted off season getting married and all the fun that went with it. The captiancy put added pressure that he seems to struggled with also. He has also been a notoriously slow starter as he is so thick it seems as though 20 games or so is needed just to get him shredded and on his toes with a higher level of quickness. Him and Pearson have settled into a nice groove lately and look like the kind of 2nd line that could make life miserable for our competition. Looking forward to his 2nd half. would be nice to be singing praises of our captain rather than being frustarted with his play....................C+

Tanner Pearson - 82 - 24 - 36 - 60 +8 - Looks like Benning pulled a rabbit out of the hat with this one. Is on a nice tear right now and has re established himself as a legit top6 complimentary player having a career season. Is a really savvy board player and underrated puck managment and defensive abilities. Game is tailor made for the type of 1 on 1 trench battles of the playoffs. Has to be on his toes or he looks sluggish as he's not a smooth skater. Took him a while to get going which is why you had frustrated posters mistakenly thinking he was washed up.... he's not at all. He's in his prime and has found a perfect role....................B+

Josh Leivo - ytd - 36 - 7 - 12 - 19 - really unfortunate imjury was playing his best ever hockey. Has a really sneaky defensive and board game. A shoot first power forward with a positive possession game. Lack high end quickness and vision to be a legit top6 at this stage but his role with Horvat and Pearson on a tough match up line will sorely be missed. Huge drop off currently with Eriksson who only has replicable defensive skills but is way worse on the attack at this stage of his carer. Leivo has been a 35pt pace 2 way player so far as a Canuck. Nice find, solid 1st half..................................C+

Adam Gaudette 72 - 19 -23 -42 (-2) - it's been pretty cool to watch AG learn and advance as a player. Has a deadly shot and is relentless in his willingness to attack and work. Certainly can still see he needs lots of work defensively and his skating still is a work in progress as he gets flat and needs coaching to lengthen his stride and smoothen it. With that said he's been largely holding his own lately and has high end goal scoring skills that give us a 3rd line weapon and added depth scoring.................................B

Jake Virtanen 82 - 24 - 24 - 48 +2 - Shotgun Jake has started to become a bit of a cult hero in Van this year. Has found a nice level of consistency and adds dimensions to the team that are extremely important to the overall makeup. Has noticeably become much better at managing the puck and because of it is starting to get more ice and be able to assert his dominant physical attributes. His shot looks like the 18yr old prospect prior to the shoulder surgery and hesitant release that followed is mostly gone. Is a pretty elite 3rd liner and 5 v 5 scorer this first half and has looked good periodically in the top6, Seems to be at his best in his current role when the expectation to produce and be creative are less. Still needs to make better decisions at times and be more consistent but his production mostly off 5 v5 play is and has been unreal......................A

Antoine Roussel 54 - 17 - 8 - 25 +8 - came out fired out of a cannon and then regressed badly. Pretty routine for someone who has missed as much action. Is a tenacious forechecker and has some hands and finish but struggles with discipline and is still not 100% if last year is the bar. Needs to walk a fine line because the refs give him very little wiggle room.............................C

Alex Edler 72 - 9 - 37 - 46 +9 - still a top defenseman at 33 when not overloaded. Has strength size and poise that allows him to neutralize and contain top players. Is putting together arguably the best career as a Canuck defenseman so far. Nice that he doesn't have to try and run the top PP unit. Big Swede has a huge impact on the teams success. Had an amazing start and a stretch where he looked gassed and struggled somewhat. Green needs to resist the temptation to lean on him too heavily for the betterment of the long run................................B+

Tyler Myers 82 - 6 - 20 - 26 (-4) - the Giraffe is a polarizing figure. Makes a lot of mistakes in puck movement when he waits too long instead of advancing pucks and when he gets gassed he really struggles to move that huge frame. Started out really strong obviously trying to establish himself on a new team and regressed for stretches when overused. As much as people like to use his mistakes to jump on the aquisition without a doubt he has been a huge improvemnet on Gudbranson and his range and reach allows him to take away a tremendous amount of time and space for the opposition and he is the best defenseman at takeaways. Offense is starting to come along and is best suited with Benn/Fantenberg where his minutes are managed and he can play on PP2. ..........................C+

Quinn Hughes 81 - 8 - 51 - 59 (-12) - just an absolute revelation. Incredible to think that a kid drafted at 7 in 2018 is having such a profound impact on this team and it's future. Is a 1 man break out machine and has transformed the PP to a top5 unit. Quinn is level headed and mature beyond his years. They were right to announce the pick as a home run and be "happy for the fans" because thats how he makes me feel when i watch him play. Had some concerns after the U20s last year and quite frankly he has blown me away. Is just one of those players who thinks the game at the highest level and is better with better players. Has some minor issues in his coverage and will always be in tough in battles but his superior skating mitigates enough of it to be nothing to worry about. Offensively he's just a treat. Makes everyone better........................A+

Chris Tanev 82 - 4 - 20 - 24 +10 - always in the right position and competes like a boss. His defend to transition pass is legendary. Skating has always been a plus attribute but is starting to show signs of wearing down even with him unbelievably staying healthy for a change. Is still a reliable shut down defenseman but is frustratingly passive on offense. Nevertheless this team relies on him badly as top end defenders are lacking in a significant manner. Is having a nice season on the whole.......................B

Troy Stecher 82 - 4 - 10 - 14 +10 - had a rough start to the year and seems to do better when playing bigger minutes more involved in the play. His vision and passing has been off this year most games but is an energizer bunny and works his tail off. Has to find a way to limit his mistakes at the bluelines but is a positive possession player when playing well. Looks good with Edler in stretches and hoping for an improved second half. He's been much better lately......................C+

Jordie Benn 78 - 0 - 13 - 13 (-8) - Has been slightly dissappointing. Looks slow and unengaged on too many occasions and rightly got benched after some continued lackluster play. Has the ability to be a stiff competitor with a hard shot and a good first pass. Needs to bring it and get more assertive and tough to play against.........................C-

Jacob Markstrom 28 - 22 - 6 - .917 - After a solid start had a understandable shaky stretch of play with a really unfortunate family situation. Since the 2nd week of December is looking like a Vezina candidate. To nit pick he could have better rebound control but he often bails himself out anyway so it is a nit pick mostly. I have a feeling he's gonna be in the Vezina converstaion by seasons end if the team can avoid so much run and gun but i enjoy it so much maybe its better he's not and they can get a good contract done...............................B+

the depth

Jay Beagle - too one dimensional but has been good most nights in his role............................C
Tim Schaller - not a fan. plays a dirty role that is unenviable but he has been non existent beyong center for so long i wonder how he's in the NHL....................D
Loui Eriksson - 6 million dollar invisible man. Overpaid and just too slow non event winger......................D
Brandon Sutter - just cannot stay healthy. would be a nice btm 6 player if he could be relied upon but unfortunately his career as a Canuck has been a disaster.............C
Tyler Motte - has to be flying to be effective. has had some good and some bad.....................C
Oscar Fantenberg - solid depth defenseman...................C
Michael Ferland - has been a disaster so far...................I
Thatcher Demko - Looking good but has an awkwardness to him that is concerning.................C+

 

[Diamonddog01]

Good assessment, although I slightly disagree with a few ratings:

Fantenberg - what more do you want out of a depth defenceman? He's been reliable and solid which is all you can ask for.....B
Demko - it's his first real year as a backup I think he's performed admirably. His rookie status is being overlooked due to Hughes' amazing play....B
Stecher - haven't liked Stecher this season at all, think he's been outmatched and outmuscled regularly and I would be ok with him being traded at some point and Rafferty given a look....D

 

[Shareefruck]

Huh, interesting. I don't think I've ever seen "On his toes" used that way before (almost in a "staying on top of their game" kind of way). Usually it's about "keeping the opposition on their toes" and not "he'll be a quicker and better player as long as he stays on his toes." I guess it makes sense.

Anyways, appreciate the write-up-- I pretty much completely stopped following the team and was curious how things looked at the midway point.

For what it's worth, I thought Schneider looked very awkward in his first year as well, and quickly became one of the least awkward goalies I've seen. I think it comes with the territory.

 

[VanJack]

50 points in 42 games puts the Canucks squarely on the playoff bubble. It only gets tougher for here on in. Even if some players have career years, it's still going to come down to injuries. Not sure the Canucks yet have the depth to overcome them, particularly if key guys were to go down.

Markstrom is the key. With the kind of goaltending the Canucks are getting, anything is possible.

 

[Canucks1096]

Canucks have 40 ppg. Almost 1 ppg a game, realistically the ppg are going drop quite a bit in the second half. Average 1 ppg a game is just not realistic at all

Petey Hughes Miller Boeser points pace will most likely drop a little.

I see no way Pearson getting 60 points. No way Virtanen gets 48 points. No way Gaudettes gets about 40 points

 

[VanJack]

Beagle: on pace for 6 points
Eriksson: on pace for 6 points
Schaller: on pace for 8 points

Just wow! A total of $11m in cap space tied up for a total of 20 points. Never has a team coughed up so much, for so little.

 

[Frankie Blueberries]

Just wow! A total of $11m in cap space tied up for a total of 20 points. Never has a team coughed up so much, for so little.

Aquilini is literally paying $550,000 per point lol.

 

[Ginger Papa]

My half way report card. (keep in mind my grades are related to roles and expectations on ice...not financial)

Elias Pettersson - on pace - 82 - 38 - 50 -88 +6 - has become more measured in his approach to the game. Not putting himself in positions to get hurt and exposed. PP work is becoming deadly. 5v5 and puck battles are even making small steps to the positive. Is a top 10 NHL centre as a 21yr old and will continue to fill out his frame and learn how to create time and space. If i want to nit pick he needs to be better with his puck possession and stop looking at the refs after missed calls. I know this may seem outrageous but i feel like he could kick into another gear when or if we get into games with playoff and survival implications........................B+

JT Miller - 82 - 30 - 50 - 80 +4 - just an absolute incredible start to his career as a Canuck. Heavy puck possession play driver. Best FO% in the league. Great down low and around the net on tips. 2 way play and a perfect compliment for the top line or top6 aywhere anytime. Consistent leader at this point who has help drag this team towards a playoff spot. Can he maintain it? if he does its a career year and puts him in top 10 winger territory. In all likelihood he regressess somewhat but thats ok too...............A+

Brock Boeser - 82 - 26 - 52 - 78 +4 - 8 even strength goals is dissapointing but his playmaking has been suprising and good enough to keep him in the top group. Pretty inconsistent and seems to have gone from a player we were looking at as an elite NHL sniper to a bit of an enigmatic high end player. Defensive game is passable to poor and his puck managemnt needs work also. His shot is curiously dropped off a fair bit. Hoping he can get it going for the 2nd half on a more consistent basis. Do wonder about his dad and the impact of his personal life. Is still unreal when he's on his toes...................C+

Bo Horvat - 82 - 24 - 42 - 66 (-12) - was really happy to see his play against the Hawks because it had become so rare to see him skate and handle the puck and assert himself like that i was wondering if my memory of him was skewed. Obviously he had a distracted off season getting married and all the fun that went with it. The captiancy put added pressure that he seems to struggled with also. He has also been a notoriously slow starter as he is so thick it seems as though 20 games or so is needed just to get him shredded and on his toes with a higher level of quickness. Him and Pearson have settled into a nice groove lately and look like the kind of 2nd line that could make life miserable for our competition. Looking forward to his 2nd half. would be nice to be singing praises of our captain rather than being frustarted with his play....................C+

Tanner Pearson - 82 - 24 - 36 - 60 +8 - Looks like Benning pulled a rabbit out of the hat with this one. Is on a nice tear right now and has re established himself as a legit top6 complimentary player having a career season. Is a really savvy board player and underrated puck managment and defensive abilities. Game is tailor made for the type of 1 on 1 trench battles of the playoffs. Has to be on his toes or he looks sluggish as he's not a smooth skater. Took him a while to get going which is why you had frustrated posters mistakenly thinking he was washed up.... he's not at all. He's in his prime and has found a perfect role....................B+

Josh Leivo - ytd - 36 - 7 - 12 - 19 - really unfortunate imjury was playing his best ever hockey. Has a really sneaky defensive and board game. A shoot first power forward with a positive possession game. Lack high end quickness and vision to be a legit top6 at this stage but his role with Horvat and Pearson on a tough match up line will sorely be missed. Huge drop off currently with Eriksson who only has replicable defensive skills but is way worse on the attack at this stage of his carer. Leivo has been a 35pt pace 2 way player so far as a Canuck. Nice find, solid 1st half..................................C+

Adam Gaudette 72 - 19 -23 -42 (-2) - it's been pretty cool to watch AG learn and advance as a player. Has a deadly shot and is relentless in his willingness to attack and work. Certainly can still see he needs lots of work defensively and his skating still is a work in progress as he gets flat and needs coaching to lengthen his stride and smoothen it. With that said he's been largely holding his own lately and has high end goal scoring skills that give us a 3rd line weapon and added depth scoring.................................B

Jake Virtanen 82 - 24 - 24 - 48 +2 - Shotgun Jake has started to become a bit of a cult hero in Van this year. Has found a nice level of consistency and adds dimensions to the team that are extremely important to the overall makeup. Has noticeably become much better at managing the puck and because of it is starting to get more ice and be able to assert his dominant physical attributes. His shot looks like the 18yr old prospect prior to the shoulder surgery and hesitant release that followed is mostly gone. Is a pretty elite 3rd liner and 5 v 5 scorer this first half and has looked good periodically in the top6, Seems to be at his best in his current role when the expectation to produce and be creative are less. Still needs to make better decisions at times and be more consistent but his production mostly off 5 v5 play is and has been unreal......................A

Antoine Roussel 54 - 17 - 8 - 25 +8 - came out fired out of a cannon and then regressed badly. Pretty routine for someone who has missed as much action. Is a tenacious forechecker and has some hands and finish but struggles with discipline and is still not 100% if last year is the bar. Needs to walk a fine line because the refs give him very little wiggle room.............................C

Alex Edler 72 - 9 - 37 - 46 +9 - still a top defenseman at 33 when not overloaded. Has strength size and poise that allows him to neutralize and contain top players. Is putting together arguably the best career as a Canuck defenseman so far. Nice that he doesn't have to try and run the top PP unit. Big Swede has a huge impact on the teams success. Had an amazing start and a stretch where he looked gassed and struggled somewhat. Green needs to resist the temptation to lean on him too heavily for the betterment of the long run................................B+

Tyler Myers 82 - 6 - 20 - 26 (-4) - the Giraffe is a polarizing figure. Makes a lot of mistakes in puck movement when he waits too long instead of advancing pucks and when he gets gassed he really struggles to move that huge frame. Started out really strong obviously trying to establish himself on a new team and regressed for stretches when overused. As much as people like to use his mistakes to jump on the aquisition without a doubt he has been a huge improvemnet on Gudbranson and his range and reach allows him to take away a tremendous amount of time and space for the opposition and he is the best defenseman at takeaways. Offense is starting to come along and is best suited with Benn/Fantenberg where his minutes are managed and he can play on PP2. ..........................C+

Quinn Hughes 81 - 8 - 51 - 59 (-12) - just an absolute revelation. Incredible to think that a kid drafted at 7 in 2018 is having such a profound impact on this team and it's future. Is a 1 man break out machine and has transformed the PP to a top5 unit. Quinn is level headed and mature beyond his years. They were right to announce the pick as a home run and be "happy for the fans" because thats how he makes me feel when i watch him play. Had some concerns after the U20s last year and quite frankly he has blown me away. Is just one of those players who thinks the game at the highest level and is better with better players. Has some minor issues in his coverage and will always be in tough in battles but his superior skating mitigates enough of it to be nothing to worry about. Offensively he's just a treat. Makes everyone better........................A+

Chris Tanev 82 - 4 - 20 - 24 +10 - always in the right position and competes like a boss. His defend to transition pass is legendary. Skating has always been a plus attribute but is starting to show signs of wearing down even with him unbelievably staying healthy for a change. Is still a reliable shut down defenseman but is frustratingly passive on offense. Nevertheless this team relies on him badly as top end defenders are lacking in a significant manner. Is having a nice season on the whole.......................B

Troy Stecher 82 - 4 - 10 - 14 +10 - had a rough start to the year and seems to do better when playing bigger minutes more involved in the play. His vision and passing has been off this year most games but is an energizer bunny and works his tail off. Has to find a way to limit his mistakes at the bluelines but is a positive possession player when playing well. Looks good with Edler in stretches and hoping for an improved second half. He's been much better lately......................C+

Jordie Benn 78 - 0 - 13 - 13 (-8) - Has been slightly dissappointing. Looks slow and unengaged on too many occasions and rightly got benched after some continued lackluster play. Has the ability to be a stiff competitor with a hard shot and a good first pass. Needs to bring it and get more assertive and tough to play against.........................C-

Jacob Markstrom 28 - 22 - 6 - .917 - After a solid start had a understandable shaky stretch of play with a really unfortunate family situation. Since the 2nd week of December is looking like a Vezina candidate. To nit pick he could have better rebound control but he often bails himself out anyway so it is a nit pick mostly. I have a feeling he's gonna be in the Vezina converstaion by seasons end if the team can avoid so much run and gun but i enjoy it so much maybe its better he's not and they can get a good contract done...............................B+

the depth

Jay Beagle - too one dimensional but has been good most nights in his role............................C
Tim Schaller - not a fan. plays a dirty role that is unenviable but he has been non existent beyong center for so long i wonder how he's in the NHL....................D
Loui Eriksson - 6 million dollar invisible man. Overpaid and just too slow non event winger......................D
Brandon Sutter - just cannot stay healthy. would be a nice btm 6 player if he could be relied upon but unfortunately his career as a Canuck has been a disaster.............C
Tyler Motte - has to be flying to be effective. has had some good and some bad.....................C
Oscar Fantenberg - solid depth defenseman...................C
Michael Ferland - has been a disaster so far...................I
Thatcher Demko - Looking good but has an awkwardness to him that is concerning.................C+

Although I do not agree with everything you have written, there isn't anything significant enough to comment on. I'm replying because I think this is an outstanding Post, possibly Article Worthy, with some additional editing.

It's obvious that you have invested a great deal of effort into this. Well done. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, putting your opinions out for all of us to consider. I'll watch for more of your Posts in the future.

That all said, now I'll get back to my reading material.

 

[BrockBoester]

Wow everyone here is really good at math xD

 

[Ginger Papa]

Wow everyone here is really good at math xD

I see you just joined HF

As for the math, it's like the Canucks, day to day

One day this

Next day that

 

[supercanuck]

Elias Pettersson - on pace - 82 - 38 - 50 -88 +6 - has become more measured in his approach to the game. Not putting himself in positions to get hurt and exposed. PP work is becoming deadly. 5v5 and puck battles are even making small steps to the positive. Is a top 10 NHL centre as a 21yr old and will continue to fill out his frame and learn how to create time and space. If i want to nit pick he needs to be better with his puck possession and stop looking at the refs after missed calls. I know this may seem outrageous but i feel like he could kick into another gear when or if we get into games with playoff and survival implications........................B+

Agreed. He's been playing great but it feels like he can take it to another level. Seems like he is purposefully not trying the dekes and moves that made his game so much more electrifying last year. Hopefully this is a part of him learning the NHL game still. If he can bring back that X-factor, I feel he can get himself into the same conversation as MacKinnon/McDavid.

 

[sting101]

Agreed. He's been playing great but it feels like he can take it to another level. Seems like he is purposefully not trying the dekes and moves that made his game so much more electrifying last year. Hopefully this is a part of him learning the NHL game still. If he can bring back that X-factor, I feel he can get himself into the same conversation as MacKinnon/McDavid.

Yes i think he's smart enough to realize he's gonna get blown up on occasion if he starts trying to walk guys and is much better served during the 82 game grind playing the way he is currently. Career preservation.
We saw last year how some teams reacted to him making guys look stupid....Matheson etc.