Just for fun, I was reading the Tkachuk thread over in Ottawa, a player about 1 year older than KK, and while fans love the guy, some complained he looked like he had weak lower body strength and fell down too much. One said that no other kid falls down as much (we know this isn't true). There are comments about his average puck skills, bad skating, even average shooting skills.
My own viewings paint a picture of a smart kid who's pretty bad without the puck, though exceptional around the net...
But he's 20 and expectations are realistic for a player his age over there. If you're comparing his all around game to a 10 year vet he'll look brutal, but his qualities and production as a 19 year old are significant reasons to be excited.
Well, this is KK in a nutshell. He skates well for one period until he's gassed and then looks slow. That's because he's still weak, not conditioned and hasn't learned how to efficiently manage his energy to the NHL game yet. He has spurts where he looks focused and significantly better without the puck than you say pretty much any 19 year old save the odd Bergeron or Toews, but shows it inconsistently. He falls down too much. Normal happenings for a 19 year old and for anywhere outside the Canadian markets.
His line also plays mostly in the offensive zone, he has a marvelous sense of finding passing lanes and his stick skills are great. He hasnt shown it enough but his shot is both accurate and powerful. He's combative. Really, what he needs is an organization willing to let him grow without stifling his offense by playing him 10 minutes or as a fourth line winger any time he makes a mistake. Those mistakes are not his fault at this point, theyre the guy's fault who decided to rush him on a roster with a coach who doesnt allow them.
