Nicklas Jensen

PG Canuck

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Mar 29, 2010
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I would've liked to see him on the powerplay that's where I think he can do his damage at this point in his development. But he will probably need a summer of working out and getting acclimated vs men in the AHL. Would like to see him on the black aces if it ends early in Chi though.

He was given some PP time, but he bobbled the puck which was cleared down the ice and I don't think he saw any time after that.
 

Snatcher Demko

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Oct 8, 2006
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He was given some PP time, but he bobbled the puck which was cleared down the ice and I don't think he saw any time after that.

That's what annoys me. Everyone has sucked on the PP this year, and guys like Edler and Hamhuis have been bobbling the puck on every PP shift they're out there.

That's the kind of thing where the coach should still give you another chance.

If he misses a defensive assignment, or misses his check and the other team gets a chance/goal, then, by all means, limit his ice-time.

If he's lost out there, or lazy defensively, then staple him to the bench.
 

biturbo19

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Jul 13, 2010
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He's a step behind the play, given that NHL speed is a new experience, but he's obviously got good hockey sense, that's why he hasn't been getting burned.

It's a good experience for him, seeing what he needs to learn to play at the NHL level.

Yep. The hockey sense is quite evident even though he is a bit behind the play a lot of the time. He's made a few really slick little plays and you really can see that he has very good offensive vision and instincts. Also clearly has some solid defensive instincts as well. And his board play is already at an NHL-level, though i expect it will get even better in time.

When the puck is on his stick is where i think the speed of the game really passes him by a bit right now. You can see the wheels in motion there, starts to make a play, starts to try to dangle someone, etc., but just clearly doesn't have as much time as he's used to, and he's going to have to learn to use his size more effectively to create that extra little bit of space for himself. Between just coming back from the big ice in Sweden, and then adjusting to the pace in the AHL though...that's really not surprising.

A good experience for him, but as others have remarked, i'd expect to see him back down with Chicago as soon as Raymond/Kesler is ready to go. Still a work in progress, but the tools are very promising, and he may not be that far off at all.

It really wouldn't surprise or offend me at all to see him back up with the big club come playoffs, as depth/insurance. We'll see how things shake out over the rest of the season for him and what our cap situation looks like next year...but it really wouldn't surprise me to see him log some significant games with the Canucks next year either, much as Schroeder has done this year, shuttling up and down.

As a whole, still extremely high on him as a prospect, and his brief stint thus far in the NHL has done nothing to change that.
 

StrictlyCommercial

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Oct 28, 2006
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His best attribute is his shot, but he's just not finding the space to use it right now. I think it's great that we're giving him the games though. Seeing the level of play needed at the next level can do wonders for young players.
 

Nona Di Giuseppe

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Canuck fans: WHY DON'T WE CALL UP JENSEN URHFASOJLSDJLKADSFFFUUUUUUU!

Canuck fans: WHY DID WE CALL UP JENSEN URHFASOJLSDJLKADSFFFUUUUUUU!




Honestly, I think it's great getting him some limited minutes in five games this season. He can also go back down to the Wolves and it's like everything comes a lot easier. (Think Neo at the end of Matrix; everything is slowed down and he can dominate?)

Even if it just gets him to feel and absorb the speed and scene. He only played ten minutes, which is fine by me if he didn't get a goal against.
 

Canucks LB

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Oct 12, 2008
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From what we have seen, he is not ready, it's much to early.

That being said, you can see he has talent, and his defensive work has been the most impressive out of everything so far.

1 - He needs to develop another step in his skating, a bit slow atm.
2 - He needs to get bigger, and learn where and where not to be offensively.
 

TheDiver*

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Ryan Kesler was called up his first year. He ended up playing about 28 games back and forth, played bottom 6 minutes and scored 2 goals. Looked like he wasn't ready.

Then the lockout year came. He got a full year in at the AHL level, which helped him improve.

He didn't score 20 goals until 2 seasons after when he was 23.

Jensen is where he should be in his development.
 

hockeywoot

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Oct 29, 2010
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Ideally he'd be perfectly ready for the NHL.
But that's not realistic for a 20 year old.

Still a good experience nonetheless.
He'll go back to the AHL with things to work on.
It should be positive, hopefully he realizes he's not too far off.

Like his skillset.
Some attributes are NHL level, others not yet.
Just needs to put it all together.

Pleasantly surprised defensively, I thought that was an area of concern.
 

biturbo19

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Jul 13, 2010
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Ryan Kesler was called up his first year. He ended up playing about 28 games back and forth, played bottom 6 minutes and scored 2 goals. Looked like he wasn't ready.

Then the lockout year came. He got a full year in at the AHL level, which helped him improve.

He didn't score 20 goals until 2 seasons after when he was 23.

Jensen is where he should be in his development.

In terms of 'development progress', yes, Jensen is doing very nicely.

In terms of being comparable to Kesler...? Jensen really isn't. They just aren't similar players. If you're expecting an 'effort player' of the north-south crash-bang variety a la Kesler...you're going to be very disappointed in what Jensen brings.

Jensen is a skilled player. He's big, and he uses that size to protect the puck, but he's not going to run people through the end boards on the forecheck and he's not going to be the abrasive force every shift out on the ice, in someone's grill at all times.

Think more Rick Nash, Drew Stafford, Bobby Ryan type. Not that he's guaranteed to be as good as those guys...but bigger guys who use their size well, without laying people out or driving them through the boards with any frequency.
 

B-rock

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Jun 29, 2003
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In terms of 'development progress', yes, Jensen is doing very nicely.

In terms of being comparable to Kesler...? Jensen really isn't. They just aren't similar players. If you're expecting an 'effort player' of the north-south crash-bang variety a la Kesler...you're going to be very disappointed in what Jensen brings.

Jensen is a skilled player. He's big, and he uses that size to protect the puck, but he's not going to run people through the end boards on the forecheck and he's not going to be the abrasive force every shift out on the ice, in someone's grill at all times.

Think more Rick Nash, Drew Stafford, Bobby Ryan type. Not that he's guaranteed to be as good as those guys...but bigger guys who use their size well, without laying people out or driving them through the boards with any frequency.

Don't really think he was comparing his playing style to Kesler. He was making a point that young players need time to adjust to the NHL.

Refreshing to see the responses in this thread though- all very positive and recognizing the kid is young and will need some time in the minors before he's ready. No big panic. Maybe we're finally getting it with respect to the fact that it takes time to develop prospects.
 

JanBulisPiggyBack

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I just don't get the whole " we are giving him a chance to succeed " and have that last one game and a power play last night

I agree he doesn't look ready but its two games now. I hope he gets his 5 games and we don't burn a year off his ELC.

I think he looks jittery out there, hands down he will improve every night. 10 mins a game isn't enough to develop him into the top line winger we want from him and therefore he shouldn't be here. We don't wanna Filitov\Brule him
 

Cocoa Crisp

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Saw some promising glimpses. Will see him back with the Wolves soon I would imagine. Surprised that he didn't seem to mesh with the Sedins. Would have thought a lurker with a great shot would take to them naturally a la Anson Carter.

Let's see if he figures things out a bit when he's back with Chicago. That and an offseason to work on some things and he might be ready as a first call up next season.

Finally, I'm not quite sure why some people think Schroeder will be called back up with Kesler's return. I would guess sort of the opposite with Roy slotting in. I think the plan is to have him around for injuries during the playoffs.
 

Luck 6

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Oct 17, 2008
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Jensen can play a maximum of 5 NHL games this season without burning a year off of his ELC. Hence, he will likely play 5 games. I'm not sure if they intend to play him in the post season like they did Hodgson in his first season, if they do I expect him to be sent down now and recalled with 3 regular season games remaining. If they don't think he's ready for that they'll probably keep him up now for the full 5 games then send him down and let him work on his game in the AHL all season and through the AHL playoffs.

Keep in mind Jensen is a year younger than Hodgson was during the 10/11 playoff run. This is all about him getting his feet wet at the NHL level.
 

tantalum

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i'm not even sure why they brought him up tbh.

Really?

For one they were down bodies and needed someone.

For another, this is how you develop young players. He's not ready, that much is true. However, by giving him a taste he gets a far better idea on what he needs to do to be successful in the NHL. They will be looking for him to end the year strong, have a really great off season and be ready to crack the lineup for good sometime next season. The benefit for him this year is that when he gets back to the AHL, the game may be slowed down for him and he'll excel and build confidence.
 

GrogZilla

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The next 3 games are Flames Coyotes Flames, so let him get his 5 games in.
With a little luck he might pot a couple & go back down with a little confidence boost.
 

LeftCoast

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Aug 1, 2006
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I think Jensen was called up before the deadline just so that he is on the NHL roster at the deadline. This way, for the remainder of the season until the Wolves are eliminated from the AHL playoffs, he can be sent down and called up again without counting against the 4 non-emergency callups that are permitted (assuming the new CBA still has this provision).
 

alternate

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I like the idea of letting Jensen and Schroeder develop some chemistry over the rest of the Wolves season then having both back up as black aces during our coming Cup run.
 

NFITO

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He just turned 20. Think back to the Sedins or Kesler at that age, or even Hodgson for that matter. His time will come, it's just not right now.

Jensen is clearly not ready, but the Sedins and Kesler looked a lot better at the same age. Of course there are other factors that play into that as well - such as the overall team around them - young, not ready players, tend to look more "ready" when playing on weaker, non-competitive teams, but Kesler had a lot more jump to his game when he first stepped in, and not only looked passable defensively (which Jensen looks right now), but you could see him already looking like he would be a standout defensively when he first jumped into the league.. he had those instincts that Jensen simply doesn't. And the same is true for the Sedins, though on an offensive level. They were weak and slow when he first came in, but they still made great passes, showed tremendous vision and were solid positionally when they first stepped in - I really don't see the comparison at all. Though to be fair, Jensen is coming off a good year in the SEL with some question marks overall, while the Sedins were co-MVPs of the SEL at the same age.

Jensen just looks like another of the many young prospects that come into the NHL that simply isn't ready at this age and stage in his career. He's more likely a couple years away from having any kind of top-9 impact with this team. I'd think he'd be more along the lines of Schroeder in terms of development (another prospect that was talked about as being NHL ready when he was drafted), and he's played a couple full years in the AHL and is still not fully NHL ready at this stage, though is a lot closer now then he was a couple years removed from his draft, which is where Jensen is now.

Give him a full year in the AHL next season and then call-up duty for handful of games the following year, like Schroeder is doing this year... by the season after that he should be ready for full-time duty. IMO Schroeder will be ready for full-time duty next season - this is his part-time/call-up year. I see Jensen following a similar path, which when you compare to the average prospect, is still a very good development curve.
 

Outside99*

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To be honest, none of Jensen, Schroeder or Kassian look ready defensively. Its understandable for Jensen though as fans we should be wary of the development he'll be receiving on the farm given where Kassian and Schroeder are at. Where's Mike Keane at these days?
 

Reign Nateo

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I noticed he was having a lot of trouble with the speed of the game. He's bounced around a bit this year so it's to be expected. He wasn't playing much near the end of his time in Europe and only had a handful of AHL games before his call-up. As a 20 year old, we need to give him some time. It's a much faster game at the NHL level than anywhere else.
 

ItsAllPartOfThePlan

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Feb 5, 2006
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I think they brought him up to get a taste of the speed of the game and get a sense of the things he will need to work on in the AHL. He will be heading back down soon
 

medhatcanuck

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hahah this is ridiculous. 2nd game in the NHL, 3rd team this year.

remember kes, burr, sedins first game? jensen will be just fine. not only that, he made some really great passes, he knows how to dish the puck in all zones.

People have to realize we're never gonna get a super rookie who steps in right away and becomes the team's next captain. Landeskog and those types of rookies hardly exist.

Jensen looks impressive for being 20 years old, wait till you see Gaunce transfer to the pro game, then you'll appreciate what Jensen is as a pro player already
 

canucksfan100

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Apr 3, 2007
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Defensively Jensen has looked excellent, Offensively hes shown some flashes, but hes still young.
 

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