Player Discussion Joel Eriksson Ek: The 2nd Act

[Wabit]

off wing as he is shooting from his off wing, from the inside mid hash mark.

I thought you meant that he was playing RW.

The 2nd goal looks more high slot than inside the circles to me.

 

[Olcoach]

That’s probably a little bit too much.

Nah. He's young and has lots of stored energy from the third and fourth line minutes he's been playing. Great to see he responded well to the move, rather than sulking and going into a shell. Still rooting for the young man. Besides if Suter can play 28 on one leg at his age, JEE won't break a sweat at 25 min.

 

[Digitalbooya]

Nah. He's young and has lots of stored energy from the third and fourth line minutes he's been playing. Great to see he responded well to the move, rather than sulking and going into a shell. Still rooting for the young man. Besides if Suter can play 28 on one leg at his age, JEE won't break a sweat at 25 min.

No forward plays 25 minutes a night. That’s insane.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

No forward plays 25 minutes a night. That’s insane.

They used to. Not anymore.

 

[Olcoach]

They used to.

Sorry, i somehow messed up the post. I agree, definetly over the top. My point is Iowa is in first place, team is playing well, the C's are playing well compared to AHL standards. All of which I don't care about. JEE needs more than his share of ice time to get his game on track. Without a couple of offensive C's coming up over the next two years the big club will be hamstrung. I don't want to go back to watching the trap.

 

[a79krgm]

I agree he should go down with the baby Wild, but I'm not sure what EE can learn with them. He's not like Zucker who once made frequent trips to Houston to learn to be more defensively responsible. EE also doesn't have a problem with consistency because it seems to me he doesn't play awesome for one stretch and then disappear the next. He just doesn't appear to possess a single standout skill or attribute. (speed, size or shooting ability) He's just average at everything.

 

[Bazeek]

I agree he should go down with the baby Wild, but I'm not sure what EE can learn with them. He's not like Zucker who once made frequent trips to Houston to learn to be more defensively responsible. EE also doesn't have a problem with consistency because it seems to me he doesn't play awesome for one stretch and then disappear the next. He just doesn't appear to possess a single standout skill or attribute. (speed, size or shooting ability) He's just average at everything.

If I had to choose one thing for him to learn down there it'd be for him to use his shot more and improve his accuracy. He's got a wicked wrist shot and isn't that shy about using it, but he misses the net a lot. My hope is that the slower speed in the AHL will give him the time and space he needs to refine that.

He's already got good size, decent speed and a reliable defensive game; enough to grow into a good middle-6 center if he keeps working at it. If he can add a wicked shot on top of that he could skew more toward a 2C than a 3C.

 

[2Pair]

I agree he should go down with the baby Wild, but I'm not sure what EE can learn with them. He's not like Zucker who once made frequent trips to Houston to learn to be more defensively responsible. EE also doesn't have a problem with consistency because it seems to me he doesn't play awesome for one stretch and then disappear the next. He just doesn't appear to possess a single standout skill or attribute. (speed, size or shooting ability) He's just average at everything.

Nothing he was doing here could be considered "average" by NHL standards. Kid needs to learn how to play center in the D zone. Needs to learn how to win a board battle, or just learn how to stay on his feet after giving/taking a hit.

 

[57special]

"The Eriksson-Ek Spot"

The "Net Spot"?

 

[Dakota Sioux]

I’m still bitter they passed on Boeser. Exactly the kind of the player this team needs. A finisher

 

[chchelseII]

I’m still bitter they passed on Boeser. Exactly the kind of the player this team needs. A finisher

What makes you think Boeser would be a finisher on this team? Like the rest of this team, BB would have him and the two other forwards on his line grinding it out below the goal line for 30 seconds before either losing it or passing it back to the defense so as they could dump it back into the corner.

 

[2Pair]

What makes you think Boeser would be a finisher on this team? Like the rest of this team, BB would have him and the two other forwards on his line grinding it out below the goal line for 30 seconds before either losing it or passing it back to the defense so as they could dump it back into the corner.

That's a pretty awful take, did you just cut and paste it from when everyone bitched about Yeo? Boudreau runs a system that is about as offense friendly as you can get

 

[57special]

You really think that the guy who coached Ovi, Backstrom, Getzlaf and Perry is nothing but a "grinder" coach?

 

[chchelseII]

That's a pretty awful take, did you just cut and paste it from when everyone *****ed about Yeo? Boudreau runs a system that is about as offense friendly as you can get

Why must you be so abrasive and condescending all the time? The point I'm making is simply that just because a player does well in one system, doesn't mean he would do well in a different system. The NHL is full of players who didn't succeed in one place and flourished in another. Think players like Tuch, Haula and Karlsson for Vegas last year. I would be very surprised if Boeser put up the numbers he has for Vancouver, playing for the Wild.

Also, the system I described, constant cycling of the puck down low, is what I see a vast majority of the time when we're in the offensive zone, and rarely does anything come of it. We are a dump and chase team, and it is seldom that our zone entries turn into scoring chances. We do not score pretty goals.

 

[chchelseII]

JEE with his 3rd today.

 

[AKL]

Why must you be so abrasive and condescending all the time? The point I'm making is simply that just because a player does well in one system, doesn't mean he would do well in a different system. The NHL is full of players who didn't succeed in one place and flourished in another. Think players like Tuch, Haula and Karlsson for Vegas last year. I would be very surprised if Boeser put up the numbers he has for Vancouver, playing for the Wild.

Also, the system I described, constant cycling of the puck down low, is what I see a vast majority of the time when we're in the offensive zone, and rarely does anything come of it. We are a dump and chase team, and it is seldom that our zone entries turn into scoring chances. We do not score pretty goals.

Tuch, Haula and Karlsson are all very bad examples of the point you're trying to make.

 

[chchelseII]

Tuch, Haula and Karlsson are all very bad examples of the point you're trying to make.

How's that? Tuch apparently couldn't even play here was given up in the expansion draft, yet went to Vegas and put up 37 pts and will go over 40 most likely this year. Haula scored 29 goals in his last two seasons here, and put up 29 in one season with Vegas. Karlsson scored 15 goals in two full seasons with Columbus, and put up 43 goals with Vegas. Same players, different situations.

 

[Bazeek]

How's that? Tuch apparently couldn't even play here was given up in the expansion draft, yet went to Vegas and put up 37 pts and will go over 40 most likely this year. Haula scored 29 goals in his last two seasons here, and put up 29 in one season with Vegas. Karlsson scored 15 goals in two full seasons with Columbus, and put up 43 goals with Vegas. Same players, different situations.

Different situations, yes. But the systems had little to do with it. Tuch was traded before he played 10 games in Minnesota. Haula went from bottom-6 linemates and minutes to top-6 linemates and minutes (including on the powerplay). Ditto for Karlsson.

I won't say the coaches had nothing to do with it, because Gallant does a pretty good job of getting the most out of his players. But so does Boudreau.

 

[chchelseII]

Different situations, yes. But the systems had little to do with it.

Okay, what did?

 

[Bazeek]

Okay, what did?

Sorry, I expanded.

 

[AKL]

How's that? Tuch apparently couldn't even play here was given up in the expansion draft, yet went to Vegas and put up 37 pts and will go over 40 most likely this year. Haula scored 29 goals in his last two seasons here, and put up 29 in one season with Vegas. Karlsson scored 15 goals in two full seasons with Columbus, and put up 43 goals with Vegas. Same players, different situations.

Yeah, crazy how Tuch couldn't put up those 37 points in 6 games here.
And how Haula went from 34 points as a 3C here to 55 points as a 2C in Vegas
And how Karlsson went from 13 minutes/game as a 23 year old to putting up significantly more points getting 19 minutes as a 25 year old playing top offensive minutes.

Playing time and linemates were the difference for all of them. Both Haula and Karlsson were playing third line minutes for their respective teams with virtually no powerplay time. It was crystal clear that Haula was capable of more while he was here, but was stuck down the depth chart. Same with Karlsson in Columbus.

Tuch never even had the opportunity here because of the depth we had in 2016-17, and for the fact that he was just 20 years old.

It's not the system that was the difference, and it certainly wasn't Boudreau holding Haula and Tuch back.

 

[chchelseII]

Yeah, crazy how Tuch couldn't put up those 37 points in 6 games here.
And how Haula went from 34 points as a 3C here to 55 points as a 2C in Vegas
And how Karlsson went from 13 minutes/game as a 23 year old to putting up significantly more points getting 19 minutes as a 25 year old playing top offensive minutes.

Playing time and linemates were the difference for all of them. Both Haula and Karlsson were playing third line minutes for their respective teams with virtually no powerplay time. It was crystal clear that Haula was capable of more while he was here, but was stuck down the depth chart. Same with Karlsson in Columbus.

Tuch never even had the opportunity here because of the depth we had in 2016-17, and for the fact that he was just 20 years old.

It's not the system that was the difference, and it certainly wasn't Boudreau holding Haula and Tuch back.

Okay, so it was opportunity, and that probably is the case. So does this apply to JEE also, or does he need to "earn" the right to play with decent players. So far it's been nothing but Foligno, Fehr, Brown, etc. etc. 3rd and 4th checking lines with limited minutes. Would it surprise you if he put up points on a team where he got better opportunities?

 

[2Pair]

Okay, so it was opportunity, and that probably is the case. So does this apply to JEE also, or does he need to "earn" the right to play with decent players. So far it's been nothing but Foligno, Fehr, Brown, etc. etc. 3rd and 4th checking lines with limited minutes. Would it surprise you if he put up points on a team where he got better opportunities?

He has been given numerous chances with quality players. His most common linemates are Coyle and Greenway. He played nearly as many minutes with Nino as he did with Foligno and nearly as many with Zucker as with Fehr.

 

[Dakota Sioux]

What makes you think Boeser would be a finisher on this team? Like the rest of this team, BB would have him and the two other forwards on his line grinding it out below the goal line for 30 seconds before either losing it or passing it back to the defense so as they could dump it back into the corner.

Really? I had the opportunity to watch Brock play for UND for 2 seasons. He’s a pure goal scorer. Has that knack of putting the biscuit in the basket. Again he was right in the Wilds backyard yet they pass on him. Plus he’s a great locker room guy. Class act all around. Guarantee he would be scoring for the Wild had they picked him

Today’s game is a perfect example of not having a finisher. Wild pretty much dominated that second period but not only did they not score but fell behind by another goal 3-1.

 

[chchelseII]

He has been given numerous chances with quality players. His most common linemates are Coyle and Greenway. He played nearly as many minutes with Nino as he did with Foligno and nearly as many with Zucker as with Fehr.

Although I like Coyle a lot better than most, he's got 17 points this year. As enamored as everyone is with Greenway, he's got 11 points this year and doesn't look like he knows what he's doing on the ice. Nino has been terrible this year and has 18 points. 17-18 points puts you between 178th-211th in scoring in the NHL. 11 points puts you tied at 325th. Some would argue the quality of these players.