There's really not much to see in that very short clip. But Coach saw him for an entire practice and he isn't one to gratuitously praise youngsters' skating so it's encouraging that he saw improvement.
You have to be kidding, there is nothing in that clip that highlights improved skating. He still looks as awkward as ever......just by the terminology that you used it is apparent that you are far from an authority on skating mechanics.
I agree there isn't that much to see from that video, but I do notice he seems stronger on his skates and his turns are smoother. I'm not surprised Julien went out of his way to praise his skating.
I wouldn't say he looks awkward. He looks like a pro hockey player doing a flow drill. The video doesn't tell me anything. Julien saw the entire practice and I'll take his word for it that KK has shown skating improvements.
I've been a powerskating instructor for over 25 years. Here's what I see from that small clip - improved hockey posture. You should be able to draw a straight line down from the shoulders, to knees, to toes when you're skating forwards. When skating backwards your shoulders should line up with your heels. I can spot correct or incorrect hockey posture almost immediately and that clip is more than enough to show me that.
I've been saying for a while that Jesperi needs a powerskating instructor to help correct his poor posture. Likely due to surgeries and growth spurts, he always appeared lanky and unbalanced on the ice. He fell down a lot and didn't always have the quickness (this is always going to be difficult for him given how long his legs are). His posture was leaning forward way too much, so that his knees were far over his toes, his shoulders were as well. Not only does this upset your balance, it also hinders your ability to turn, stop, and go quickly. It limits your stride length (which we can't really see on that clip).
To understand how poor posture can affect your stride you can try this out at home - stand with your feet shoulder width apart, then keeping your left leg where it is, reach out to the side with your right leg and see how far you can stretch. Now try the same exercise but start (and stay) in proper posture, with your knees bent so they line up over your toes. You should be able to reach almost twice as far with a good knee bend. So having a good knee bend will help you lengthen your stride, making you a more efficient, powerful skater.
But what about Jesperi? He has a good knee bend...even more than over toes. Well, try it. Stand up and, like Jesperi, bend your knees until they are way past your toes. Bring your shoulders forward too. If you can stand up in the position, congrats (how are you doing this? are you in microgravity??). Most people can't do it, and at the very least you can see how taxing and unbalanced this posture is.
However, on the ice, you won't fall down, you're more likely to just glide forward like a downhill skier, because when you rock forward on the ice, your blades glide. But being on your toes means you're off balance and if you need to stop, turn or take a few quick strides it can be very difficult. It can be done without falling but it's not easy. Certainly you're not going to have the power, control, balance, etc you would have if you have proper hockey posture.
Getting into this posture is tough for a lot of people. Again, try standing and walking around with your knees over your toes and your shoulders over your knees. Easy for a few seconds, but try 45-60. For a lot of guys, including big guys, this is tough. Your legs burn. But that's because they are flexed and ready to load. Starting in this position means you're always ready - to be hit, to turn and go, to fight for a puck, to take off. And after you get used to it and build up your leg strength, it becomes easy and automatic and allows a skater to become far more efficient.
I can see Jesperi in much better posture now, but I see him struggling to stay in that posture. It's probably because he's new to it and either he's forgetting or he's feeling that burn. But the fact that he's made this adjustment is a big thing to me. I hope he continues to work on it because skating is so important to the game. As a big guy, he's going to need to work on becoming an efficient skater, not necessarily a burner. And he's doing it, so that's great!
