Michael Grabner

[CanadienShark]

I'm wondering how Grabner has done this year. Looking purely at stats, it seems he's finally found his goalscoring touch from his rookie season. He's always been a player that I've liked, but I know fans have found him frustrating in that he gets so many breakaways but fails to score. I have a bit of soft spot for the Isles and cheer for them after the Habs and Sharks (CLB are tied with the Isles) and I'd like to know your thoughts on him. Hope you guys can give some insight onto how he's been playing. Thanks, and best of luck this season, I'll be cheering you guys on!

Click to read more...

 

[redbull]

getting better every season, in my opinion. His goals and stats haven't been consistently growing but his overall game definitely has. He's so explosive, he gets more breakaways than anyone in the NHL by far. Not sure if there's any stat on this but I watch a lot of hockey and I can't even think of anyone who'd come close. Bure and Bondra used to get a lot of breakaways but nobody's close to Grabs.

Aside from that, he's much smarter positionally, he also has been a much better passer in the past couple of seasons. He used to be very much a perimeter player who was a floater, opportunistic, just waiting for a loose puck. Now he's chasing down loose pucks and using his speed to create more chances rather than just bolt for open ice when Nielsen gets the puck.

I can see why Florida gave up on him. But I'm glad Snow showed patience with him. He truly improved a great deal and has become a core player for the Islanders, in my opinion.

I wasn't sure he would ever become as effective as he is today.

 

[Skip To My Lou]

I actually follow the Sharks as well, OP. Them and the Jets are tied for my 2nd fav team!

As for Grabner, he really looks like a man on a mission this season. 2 years ago after his 34 goal season, his weaknesses were exposed as I feel like Grabs had a lot of distractions in his personal life with his first son being born and it may have halted his progression. But even then, he still managed to score and even last year with the shortened season he looked real solid.

Something about Grabner this season is very different. He's taking chances, utilizing his speed on creating rushes and getting his linemates open something he didn't really do in the past. He really just used his speed to get to breakaways before. Now he's really putting the petal to the metal. I've noticed as well that his handles have improved drastically. I can sense him dangling through defenders more than normal, something that wasn't noticeable before as well.

Expecting big things from Grabner this season. He's going to be a big part of this team's production.

 

[PK Cronin]

You need a guy like Grabner on the team.

His speed is a given, but his stick work without the puck is extremely good as well. He's great on the PK and has been showing flashes of getting more physical without the puck, nothing like a 4th liner, but definitely chases down players and hounds them until they turn it over.

He's really been playing well early this season, but he's always been a very streaky player when it comes to scoring so I'm not sold on him being this consistent all season. So far so good.

I'm glad he's an Islander and think he will fit very nicely into a 2nd line or 3rd line (if we're deep enough) role in the future of the team.

If he could get some moves for the breakaway though, he'd be one of the best offensive players in the league

 

[RMimagery]

He's raised his game this season by two levels it seems, in this 5 game stint. If he keeps up any semblance of this play for the year, he can be an all star and not just in the fastest skating comp.

One of the most dangerous pk'ers in the league.

Hope to see more of him with JT and Bailey. Very good combinations of skills.

 

[19NYSports91]

getting better every season, in my opinion. His goals and stats haven't been consistently growing but his overall game definitely has. He's so explosive, he gets more breakaways than anyone in the NHL by far. Not sure if there's any stat on this but I watch a lot of hockey and I can't even think of anyone who'd come close. Bure and Bondra used to get a lot of breakaways but nobody's close to Grabs.

Aside from that, he's much smarter positionally, he also has been a much better passer in the past couple of seasons. He used to be very much a perimeter player who was a floater, opportunistic, just waiting for a loose puck. Now he's chasing down loose pucks and using his speed to create more chances rather than just bolt for open ice when Nielsen gets the puck.

I can see why Florida gave up on him. But I'm glad Snow showed patience with him. He truly improved a great deal and has become a core player for the Islanders, in my opinion.

I wasn't sure he would ever become as effective as he is today.

Agreed. His overall game is getting better and better.

 

[scott99]

Agreed. His overall game is getting better and better.

I think he got stronger too. What we all have to remember is he's just 25, so he's really in his prime now. Love the way the Bailey-Nielsen-Grabner line has looked this year, they all look good. Once the Tavares line gets going, and we can figure out what the 3rd line should be, it should be exciting.

 

[crashthenet]

Scores goals, makes plays, kills penalties, solid in his own zone, murder in transition, forechecks effectively. Best Islander not named Tavares.

 

[CanadienShark]

I'm actually so happy to hear all these good responses about him! Perhaps I'll have to catch more Isles games than I used to. I always found him an exciting player to watch. What would you guys say is his greatest weakness or something that needs to be worked on?

 

[Wizeman*]

I am going to slash my wrists about now.

 

[It Was 4 to 1*]

only negative about his game is his 5on5 defensive play, but you could say that about almost all of the islanders forwards.

 

[19NYSports91]

I'm actually so happy to hear all these good responses about him! Perhaps I'll have to catch more Isles games than I used to. I always found him an exciting player to watch. What would you guys say is his greatest weakness or something that needs to be worked on?

Last year I would have said stickhandling, but looks like he improved on that. He had some nice moves the last couple of games. You could say he's not that physical, but I wouldn't expect a type of player like Grabner to be physical.

 

[Doshell Propivo]

He's soft and has tendencies to be a cherry picker. That said, how can you NOT like this guy? He's really grown on me and his blazing speed makes him super valuable.

 

[OpAck]

Grabner has really been exceptional so far. Which is kinda surprising since he is notorious for starting seasons off slow. He just looks comfortable out there and knows where he needs to be in order to create chances. His vision and hockey sense are more impressive than I've previously thought.

Best part about having Grabner in your lineup is watching the opposing team scramble to make sure he's well covered and watching opposing defensemen think twice about risky cross-ice passes or jumping up into the play. You just cannot have an MA Bergeron-type player out there against him, which is tough since a player like Bergeron is only effective on the power play and Grabs is on the top PK. In short, opposing D cannot make mistakes out there, because if they cough up the puck to Grabner and are kinda caught flat-footed, it'll take a mere 2 seconds before Grabner is 5 strides around the defenseman.

The biggest knock on Grabner is of course, his inability to bury the puck in the net. But regardless, he doesn't miss every time, and the volume of opportunities he creates/gets makes him pretty fun to watch.

 

[OlTimeHockey]

Grabner has really been exceptional so far. Which is kinda surprising since he is notorious for starting seasons off slow. He just looks comfortable out there and knows where he needs to be in order to create chances. His vision and hockey sense are more impressive than I've previously thought.

Best part about having Grabner in your lineup is watching the opposing team scramble to make sure he's well covered and watching opposing defensemen think twice about risky cross-ice passes or jumping up into the play. You just cannot have an MA Bergeron-type player out there against him, which is tough since a player like Bergeron is only effective on the power play and Grabs is on the top PK. In short, opposing D cannot make mistakes out there, because if they cough up the puck to Grabner and are kinda caught flat-footed, it'll take a mere 2 seconds before Grabner is 5 strides around the defenseman.

The biggest knock on Grabner is of course, his inability to bury the puck in the net. But regardless, he doesn't miss every time, and the volume of opportunities he creates/gets makes him pretty fun to watch.

I wish we had Mark Parrish on his other wing.....but then I remember someone has to get to the net to bury those rebounds Grabner gets. So.....maybe Moulson should be tried on his other wing?

 

[Words Of Wisdom]

This is maybe the best hockey I've seen him play since he's been an Islander. 'Cept for two seasons ago when he went on that extreme hot streak. But overall? His overall game at the moment, passing, defense, visions, hands and scoring? It's at it's best, at the moment.

 

[OlTimeHockey]

This is maybe the best hockey I've seen him play since he's been an Islander. 'Cept for two seasons ago when he went on that extreme hot streak. But overall? His overall game at the moment, passing, defense, visions, hands and scoring? It's at it's best, at the moment.

When he was on that tear....he was playing B hockey. He's playing A hockey now, just not putting the puck in like a madman.

Now if he could blend his A game with his fierce breakaway success from two years ago....ASG?

 

[A Pointed Stick]

IMO, this little experiment is doomed to fail. The only guy of the trio who can sustain control in the offensive zone is Tavares so he is once again reduced to be THE ONLY playmaker in the unit, which pretty much deprives the club of his A game which is as a goal scorer (first). Okposo is tunnel-visioned, and plays a less than great game away from the puck, and Grabs is Grabs - a guy with great wheels who will need to take a break during his breakaways for his linemates to catch up.

Best case scenario is Grabner drives the zone, Okposo establishes position in front of the net, and Tavares plays the pin, so maybe it can work, but I am not holding my breath. We still wind up with Tavares chsing the pucks in the corners which is a major minus right now. SSDD with this club to the point it gives me aheadache. The answer to the first unit is for Wang to let Snow trade and/or spend for a real wing for Tavares.

Bouchard. LOL!

 

[Words Of Wisdom]

When he was on that tear....he was playing B hockey. He's playing A hockey now, just not putting the puck in like a madman.

Now if he could blend his A game with his fierce breakaway success from two years ago....ASG?

I agree with that point. I think as an overall player, he's at his best right now. When he was on that tear he was just scoring and scoring. Right now he's doing everything at a pretty high level. The biggest surprise to me? His improvement at handling the puck and playmaking. I always saw Grabner as a extremely speedy breakaway guy with an above average wrist shot.
I used to joke with friends saying he is "Mr. hands of stone".

The way he skates into the zone with the puck, his vision, his passing and overall game is impressive right now. If he starts to score more and continues to play the way he has, I definitely can see an ASG. Plus, a speedster like Grabner? He'd add a lot of excitement to the ASG.
He's been very impressive so far.

 

[Richie Daggers Crime]

I think Grabner has been great. He's grown a lot as a player.

 

[CodeE]

Last year I would have loved to see him traded for a defenseman. Pretty glad we didn't. He definitely looks to have gotten better and I love having a dangerously speedy player.

 

[PWJunior]

I was hoping we won the lottery in 2010 to give JT an elite running mate like Taylor Hall who can push the pace and put the defensemen on their heels. I'm not saying that Grabner is on Hall's level, but in terms of skillset and impact on his line... Grabner brings much of the same things now with how his game has improved. It remains to be seen if he can sustain it all season, but he's become a dangerous weapon.

I hope we get an extended look of Grabner with JT because if things work out how I think they should, Grabs could be like a Hall-lite for Johnny.

 

[Benedict Kovalchuk]

Grabner is playing the best hockey I've ever seen him play. His hands have FINALLY caught up to his feet.

 

[BillD]

Grabs game is on the rush. He can cycle to some degree as long as the puck is moving or loose in the offensive zone, but grinding along the walls is not his game at all, open ice play is.

He has learned hw to use his speed better, in more and different circumstances than just on breakways. In our offensive zone the opposition has to be very aware that they do not lose the puck or muff a pass when he is on, he has a very quick stick and is on them in a blink of an eye. It is great to watch him now that that extra effort to charge a puck carrier and how nervous they get, sometimes making mistakes or getting rid of it faster than they wanted to, meaning not the best option pass for them.

IDK if Grabs will fit well with JT but a monkey would be better than Moulson for 95% of the time.

 

[rikker]

Last year I would have loved to see him traded for a defenseman. Pretty glad we didn't. He definitely looks to have gotten better and I love having a dangerously speedy player.

me too. i had him and Moulson on my list of guys that were too soft, one dimensional, and should be traded. he seems to have really turned things around. is playing a much more complete game, and his speed will always be a major factor.

amazing on the PK. wonder why he is not being tried on the PP? IMO, he has earned it more than PMB, Regan, McDonald.