Mikael Granlund - from overhyped prospect to underrated nhler?

[FVM]

I'd like to see him with Kaprizov on the same line.

From seeing Kaprizov highlights and an odd game here and there, I have this dream too. There's something in their playstyles that just might produce great chemistry.

 

[FVM]

As for his game in the present, he's one of the most creative playmakers I've ever seen. He attempts passes regularly that I've only seen maybe 3 or 4 guys before him ever even try, and he completes them. Those 3 or 4 guys have names like "Gretzky" and "Lemieux". If Granlund had the goal scoring chops to match his playmaking skill, he'd be a superstar.

This is why I fell in love with Granny as a player. When he's on his game, his playmaking is truly something to behold. I think he'd been like a fish in water in those old Soviet Red Machine teams.

 

[martin langlois]

granlund is not the player than laine is because laine he is weak and a choker that granlund not at all

 

[The Kingslayer]

he was overhyped?

 

[57special]

I think Zucker is the perfect winger for Granlund, but would have loved to have seen him with a young Koivu, or if we're going into fantasy land, how about a young Gaborik also?

Keep shooting MiG!

 

[Jugitsu]

Didn't those happen after we drafted him? He played in Finland post-draft

Actually yes. My bad. In his first season he missed games because of groin injury, not concussion.

 

[TaLoN]

I think people can put to rest whether last year was a fluke at this point.

40pts in 45 games, 73pt pace
15 goals, 27 goal pace
25 assists, 46 assist pace

And again, that was with a slow start just like last season... 1pt in the first 5 games and then slowly ratcheted his game up from there... now has 13pts in his last 10 games.

He had 11pts in 14 games in Dec, and had 13pts in 11 games in Jan.

 

[CuriousGeorge]

Remember all those thousands of posts about Finnish Baby Jesus? Granlund was the first legit NHL prospect from Finland in 10 years. Finns worried so much about their future as a hockey country that when they finally got someone with real talent they went absolutely nuts. That's why Granlund was compared to Crosby etc.

Granlund didn't exactly light up the NHL when he finally came over and even the most fanatic MiG-fans realized that maybe their favourite player wasn't really the best player in the world after all.

Expectations were absurd and MiG has had a lot of trouble at making his style of play work in NA hockey. Smart player that he is, he's been able to overcome those difficulties: he improved his skating via figure skating coach, worked on his shot and studied the defensive side of the game as well as he could. He always had a very high hockey IQ and was a fantastic playmaker.

Last year he finally broke out. He got to play wing (he's always been winger in the national team as well) and with his improved qualities he has been shining ever since. 69 points last year and 20+ goals which many doubt he would ever score in this league. With 36 points in 41 games this season he's proving it wasn't a fluke.

He really looks fantastic out there: he's dangerous every shift and creates scoring chances from a very harmless looking situations all the time. Since that was his "original strength", I've been most impressed by his defensive abilities. He's a very good penalty killer and he's positioning in the defensive zone is one of the best I've seen.

Your thoughts?

He might be, but I do watch enough Wild games to determine if I am right.

 

[Jugitsu]

Didn't want to start a thread for this, so this will suffice. But this absolutely beautiful breakaway pass to Zucker is a thing of beauty.

Zucker's glove-side snipe - NHL.com

 

[Atas2000]

I'd like to see him with Kaprizov on the same line.

Why?

 

[Pestilence]

 

[Binister]

granlund is not the player than laine is because laine he is weak and a choker that granlund not at all

...What?

 

[urho]

That was a ridiculous pass.

 

[Newsworthy]

Granny is undervalued for sure.

 

[MMANumminen]

Yeah he's got skills

 

[RageQuit77]

He got his encumbering cross to be carried. Not least for this:



He carried his cross with bride, successfully.

Not underrated at all. Overrating made his path more difficult than it would've been without the Hype.

(The Archetypal Example of Finnish Hockey-hype)

Edit: Pun intended

 

[ManWithNoName]

Yeah he's got skills

Wow, that's some crazy shit! He's got skills for sure. Wow!

 

[ManWithNoName]

You would find a lot of people telling him to go onto the 1st train back if he isn't PPG after the 1st 10 games he plays in the NHL.

There is a train from NA to Finland?

 

[JustaFinnishGuy]

There is a train from NA to Finland?

Yes, a milk train. Don't ask. It's a Finnish expression.

 

[ManWithNoName]

Yes, a milk train. Don't ask. It's a Finnish expression.

I was just messing with you. We have the same expression in Sweden, but we say bus. Most likely because our railway is a complete clusterf***.

 

[urho]

2nd 4-point game for Granlund after he started playing with Staal instead of Koivu. Even in some other games where he hasn't scored he's been the most visible forward on the ice.

 

[BagHead]

2nd 4-point game for Barkov after he started playing with Staal instead of Koivu. Even in some other games where he hasn't scored he's been the most visible forward on the ice.

Whoa! We got Barkov!?

 

[Wild in KC]

Granny - Staal - Zucker line is straight fire right now. 26 points in 3 games. Oh my!!!

 

[57special]

2nd 4-point game for Barkov after he started playing with Staal instead of Koivu. Even in some other games where he hasn't scored he's been the most visible forward on the ice.

Granlund has been very good, but Staal is Da Man, and Zucker ain't bad, either. Also got a little man on the back end who could teach all of them a thing or two about clutchness and high end hockey IQ.

 

[urho]

Whoa! We got Barkov!?

What can I say. Barkov is always on my mind