Laine’s off-season training (see warning in post 832)

[Howard Chuck]

I also think it might have been Slaunwhite not wanting to sound critical of the bulking up approach. I've seen previous interviews with Slaunwhite where he has indicated that his approach is all about speed and quickness and lean muscle development. At the combine a few years ago he made that clear.

I think the fact that Slaunwhite appears more engaged with Laine this off season and has focused on getting him to lose some weight indicates that he might think Laine overdid the bulking up last year, but tactfully avoiding any direct criticism.

Also, I don't think the Jets were happy when other young players bulked up at the expense of quickness, particularly Ehlers and Morrissey. I think it was viewed as a mistaken approach by the team and players.

It's possible that he meant something other than what he said, but if I take him at what he did say, then the training has been successful both years so far. I think he was just as involved with Laine last year. There is a video on the Jets website right now where he is training the prospects and it almost looks like 100% lifting and strength moves.

I guess we will never know unless he pops by here, but I have to take him by what he says. That's all I can do.

 

[Psych0dad]

Thanks. If I can cherry pick the relevant points:

• Last summer Laine was focusing on power, this year the focus is on speed.
• Slaunwhite says Laine has progressed well and should be even better(and faster) next season.
• Slaunwhite says that after last summer's successful training Laine now has enough power and doesn't need more of it. Now is the time to focus on speed.

Sounds to me like this has been the plan all along. Last year power, this year speed.

Yeah it's been out in the open since last summer. That's why it's hard to get the insisting on "wrong training" when the plan has been outlined and results are clear to see.

Yeah, he got a bulkier, more muscle mass because his lanky twig legs and teenage upper body needed to get closer to the level of other NHL players. He has always ragdolled his peers, when he is in physical prime he will do exactly that with the NHL elite as well. But he can't be there yet, biology doesn't allow it.

He got his muscle, needed for top of the line competition of adults in NHL. Now he focuses on explosiveness (which that gained muscle enables more) and losing some of the weight he gained...hopefully mostly fat loss.

He will be improving things for at least 8 years. If you take a step back and see what he already is (beat Gretzky, Crosby etc in teenage scoring) and where he is going with that massive frame that already moves really fast...one should be really excited.

I have always been a huge Lemieux fan (I argue the gretz vs. Lemieux with my Canadian friends) and didn't think I would see others like him but Laine has all the tools and even more (due to better shot and better physical condition and training)

 

[Calendal]

Laine on the other hand is for the first time facing a situation where he doesn't have physical advantage to his peers (at least for now).

While this is true, I believe Laine has spent most of his young life playing against players “not his peers”. If memory serves he changed from Ilves to Tappara because they refused to let him to play against 5 years older kids? Or something similar.

 

[Psych0dad]

While this is true, I believe Laine has spent most of his young life playing against players “not his peers”. If memory serves he changed from Ilves to Tappara because they refused to let him to play against 5 years older kids? Or something similar.

Yeah he has always been above peers.

But in NHL he jumped into a league with the best in the world and most in their physical prime. By 25 he plows right through them like other "peers".

 

[Hunter368]

Ticktock....

 

[BB88]

You seem to refuse to accept that they have a plan, where they focus on different things that are crucial for his development each off-season. I know that some of you are all about skating and believe that a young hockey player should just skate, skate, skate, until he magically becomes an amazing top player. But that’s not simply how it works for any young players. There are years when you have to prioritize very much in something else to make still sure that you are the best possible player in five years, not just for the next season, if it means that then you will after all be a worse player in five years, if you didn’t also train your other areas enough.

This is simply what you refuse to accept.

I'm surprised by this comment, truly surprised

Stop it already, no one has asked him to just skate, many of us have been after versatile training which includes on ice and off ice training, which they are now doing.
You've been wrong here but still going to extremes to to not accept it.

Not sure if it’s a language issue or not, I’m guessing by your writing style English is not your first language. You seem to have misinterpreted my post, when I said skate skate group I meant (if I wasn’t clear) improve his skating from day one.....not specifically saying literally skate every day. I couldn’t careless how he does it, it’s all a means to an end (as I’ve stated before multi times)......I couldn’t careless how he does it as long as he has a plan to improve it and makes progress on his plan each year.

Now let’s talk about this “multi year plan”. Real question can you show me a link to this plan when it was made/discussed publicly for the first time? English version only.

It's not you, it's just simply refusing to read the posts, it's been going on for a long time.

 

[Hunter368]

This thread is nearing its end as well.

 

[Duke749]

This thread is nearing its end as well.

Please just end this shit. It’s beyond pointless.

 

[BB88]

This thread is nearing its end as well.

I hope it does.

The concerns of some, many have have been answered to by Laines training group, so let's move on and wait for the season to kick in.

 

[Hunter368]

Done

Questionable thread, camp starting in about 5 weeks, moving on this horse is dead (nearly at a 1000 posts). Plus we don’t need three threads discussing a single player, don’t care who it is. Laine might be a national hero in Finland, but here he’s just one guy on a team.