LW Tom Kuehnhackl (2010, 110th, PIT)

[goforit]

At some point, the guy was supposed to go in the 1stround, and then, he felt to the late 4th.

Anything about him? Do you think he could be a steal... top6 player?

Is there big weaknesses I don't know that make him fall to this spot?

Click to read more...

 

[john g]

numerous injuries didnt allow him to play 100% this year. and sadly not being from a premier hockey nation I'm sure did not help

 

[Sharp Skates]

If he ever makes it to the NHL, butchered name leaders Stall and Camelari will meet their new king.

 

[R S]

I was dissapointed with how far he fell in the draft. Would have loved the Avs to take him in round 3, but oh well.

 

[Le Rosbeef]

At some point, the guy was supposed to go in the 1stround, and then, he felt to the late 4th.

Anything about him? Do you think he could be a steal... top6 player?

Is there big weaknesses I don't know that make him fall to this spot?

Injury.

From Sharkspage.com

Tom Kuhnhackl, RW Landshut (GER), 6-2/172

Would have been a lock to go in the first round this season well before the Sharks pick, had he remained healthy. Injuries either kept him out of key international events or prevented him from showing off his full capabilities while there. A team with a strong scout in Germany (San Jose) shouldn’t have a tough time projecting him. Last year in Fargo for the World U-18’s, Tim Burke was next to me watching the Germans play. Kunhackl had the puck down low in the offensive zone and Burke called out the move Kuhnhackl was going to use to score. Sure enough, it was exactly what Kuhnackl did. That tells me Burke knows this kid inside and out. Few players are better deep in the offensive zone and around the net as this German winger. Smooth skater with a deceptive shot. Must get stronger and rebound with a healthy season next year.

A bit surprised that the Sharks didn't take this guy with their 3rd round pick because of what we'd read/knew about him.

Hopefully he works out well for Pittsburgh.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Seems like more people are interested in our 4th rounder than our 1st rounder, haha.

 

[Nyax]

I think his stock would have been higher if he played for the Spitfires last season, and got to play with players like Taylor Hall, Adam Henrique, Greg Nemisz etc. Not to mention play in a Memorial Cup. He would have gotten a ton of exposure from NHL scouts. He has admitted he made a mistake by not coming over last year.

You never know though, he could have suffered the same type of injuries playing in the O. Hopefully the kid is not injury prone. I'm very interested to see how he adjusts to the North American game. Hopefully, when its all said and done the Pens got a steal in the draft.

 

[Finnish your Czech]

how do you pronounce that name?

 

[john g]

how do you pronounce that name?

coon-hack-ul

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

I think his stock would have been higher if he played for the Spitfires last season, and got to play with players like Taylor Hall, Adam Henrique, Greg Nemisz etc. Not to mention play in a Memorial Cup. He would have gotten a ton of exposure from NHL scouts. He has admitted he made a mistake by not coming over last year.

You never know though, he could have suffered the same type of injuries playing in the O. Hopefully the kid is not injury prone. I'm very interested to see how he adjusts to the North American game. Hopefully, when its all said and done the Pens got a steal in the draft.

He also could've gotten lost in the shuffle with that many higher-end forwards. Now he'll have an opportunity to play.

 

[hockeykid87]

coon-hack-ul

That was my guess on how to pronounce it, damn I'm good

 

[john g]

That was my guess on how to pronounce it, damn I'm good

there's no way to really write the german ue to english phonetically, i've had this discussion with my german friends but they assured me that coon-hack-ul is sufficient

 

[Wham City]

Really wanted Ottawa to grab with with our third or fourth rounder. Will be really interesting to watch what he can do in Windsor next season.

 

[Sorry]

Seems like more people are interested in our 4th rounder than our 1st rounder, haha.

Injury and European mystique versus American and lower tier hockey... deficiencies?

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Injury and European mystique versus American and lower tier hockey... deficiencies?

For whom? Bennett?

 

[Skyver]

I think he got injured trying to write his name down.

 

[Sanderson]

there's no way to really write the german ue to english phonetically, i've had this discussion with my german friends but they assured me that coon-hack-ul is sufficient

Personally, for those who can't pronounce it correctly, I'd prefer keen to coon. Keen comes a lot closer to the ü sound. For the rest of the name, just think of Huckleberry Finn.

 

[Vipers31]

coon-hack-ul

Actually, more like Keen-huckle.

English speakers can pronounce [ü] by saying the long ee in "free" with the lips rounded as if for the long u in "true."

Oh, right, just saw Sanderson mentioning it in the post before mine.

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

Personally, for those who can't pronounce it correctly, I'd prefer keen to coon. Keen comes a lot closer to the ü sound. For the rest of the name, just think of Huckleberry Finn.

Actually, I don't see it like this whatsoever. 'Coon' or 'Cuen' is more understandable for a native English speaker in trying to grasp what a 'K[ü]hn' sounds like.

'Keen' is pronounced in English as a German would understand 'Kien' and unless you guys are referring to some Bavarian accent I'm not quite familiar with, he's not "Kienhackl" in German.

Coon-hawck-el is surely about as close as a native North American English speaker is gonna get to pronouncing his name correctly.

As for the player, he's headed to Windsor, so this is the year he really gets to show his stuff - or not.

Last season he thought he'd spend the year split between Augsburg and Landshut. He only played four games in Augsburg. He did fine in Landshut playing against men, but he had a lot of little injuries. Maybe his tall frame just didn't yet have the muscle to absorb a lot of the abuse he was getting, especially as the son of the great Erich Kühnhackl?

We'll find out what kind of player he truly is soon enough.

 

[Gooch]

lol this is reminding me of my college German classes.

I think Kooen is sort of how an umlaut like that is pronounced right?

 

[Sanderson]

Actually, I don't see it like this whatsoever. 'Coon' or 'Cuen' is more understandable for a native English speaker in trying to grasp what a 'K[ü]hn' sounds like.

'Keen' is pronounced in English as a German would understand 'Kien' and unless you guys are referring to some Bavarian accent I'm not quite familiar with, he's not "Kienhackl" in German.

Coon-hawck-el is surely about as close as a native North American English speaker is gonna get to pronouncing his name correctly.

No, the sound is what matters, and keen is a lot closer to the sound than coon ever will be. By saying coon, it pretty much takes out the Umlaut. While keen is not perfect either, at least it resembles the true name of the player far more.

By telling people to just forget the umlaut and go with the similar letter, you will always end up with people having absolutely no idea how to pronounce stuff. If the name was supposed to be spelled Kuhnhackl or pronounced coon-hawk-el, it would say as much in his passport. It doesn't, hence it shouldn't be considered as such.

 

[Ward Cornell]

Well, hopefully the PA announcer with enough practice with announcing his name on goals and assists will get it close to proper.
I doubt TK will really care. The French-Canadian players have the names butchered by most announcers all the time.

(Question...does certain regions in Germany have different pronunciations?
Sometimes even families have different ways of saying their names)

 

[Gooch]

Well, hopefully the PA announcer with enough practice with announcing his name on goals and assists will get it close to proper.
I doubt TK will really care. The French-Canadian players have the names butchered by most announcers all the time.

(Question...does certain regions in Germany have different pronunciations?
Sometimes even families have different ways of saying their names)

North and South supposedly have different accents. I think what I was loosely taught was the northern version.

 

[Sorry]

For whom? Bennett?

They're aren't deficiencies in my mind but they are to others.

 

[Freeptop]

Personally, for those who can't pronounce it correctly, I'd prefer keen to coon. Keen comes a lot closer to the ü sound. For the rest of the name, just think of Huckleberry Finn.

I have this strange feeling you've just discovered what his nickname will be once he starts playing in North America...