Player Discussion: Nikita Kucherov - Part 2

[LTIR Trickery]

It's not his fault he's on a mediocre team. If he was on the division-leading Oilers he'd have 20+ by now.

NHL Heavyweights Edmonton Oilers, according to the broadcast team.

 

[VinikToWinIt]

NHL Heavyweights Edmonton Oilers, according to the broadcast team.

Well they're on pace for a historic 70 win season.

I don't throw around the word "juggernaut" lightly, but...

 

[Master P]

Well they're on pace for a historic 70 win season.

I don't throw around the word "juggernaut" lightly, but...

If I read "on pace" one more time on this site I think my head is going to explode.

 

[TheDaysOf 04]

For anyone curious

7 games in last year: 2 goals + 5 assists = 7 points
7 games in this year: 3 goals + 5 assists = 8 points

he's on pace

 

[LightningStrikes]

Serious question: Has there ever been a player in hockey history who looked that bad and lazy at times and yet still produced at PPG or higher like Kuch does?

 

[DFC]

Serious question: Has there ever been a player in hockey history who looked that bad and lazy at times and yet still produced at PPG or higher like Kuch does?

Mario Lemieux, for sure. Toward the end it looked like he couldn't skate. Still put up a ppg.

Kuch is a pure skill player. It is what it is. When he's bad, there's no B-game to fall back on. When he's good, he's amazing though.

I think it would help to bump him down a line. He's trying too hard to make pretty plays right now. Playing on a line without a 40 goal-scorer might remind him he's better when Option A is to shoot.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Mario Lemieux, for sure. Toward the end it looked like he couldn't skate. Still put up a ppg.

Kuch is a pure skill player. It is what it is. When he's bad, there's no B-game to fall back on. When he's good, he's amazing though.

I think it would help to bump him down a line. He's trying too hard to make pretty plays right now. Playing on a line without a 40 goal-scorer might remind him he's better when Option A is to shoot.

You beat me to it. I saw Lemieux play live when I was a kid. Pissed me off, cause all I ever heard was how great the guy was and yet all I saw was a guy float around, cherry pick all game, probably not even break a sweat. He prolly put in about 1-2 mins of actual work that last game and I'm pretty sure that bastard still had at least 2 points. Unbelievable.

 

[Tamfastic]

Serious question: Has there ever been a player in hockey history who looked that bad and lazy at times and yet still produced at PPG or higher like Kuch does?

Luc Robitaille maybe closest that comes to my mind.

 

[RussianGuyovich]

I mean Gretzky? That’s the thing, the greats make it look easy.

 

[DFC]

Another guy is the guy Kuch reminds me of most, stylistically: Slava Kozlov. He was sort of a one-dimensional finesse player. Not nearly as good as Kuch, but very similar.

 

[Vasilevskiy]

What is wrong with Kuch?

 

[GoHockey]

What is wrong with Kuch?

I think he's hurt. Just a guess though. Relying on fanciness when his legs aren't there.

 

[JoVel]

I think he's hurt. Just a guess though. Relying on fanciness when his legs aren't there.

That's him like 50% of the time though... He's just having an awful start, like he did last season. He'll pick it up sooner or later.

A year ago he became un-awful once he was seperated from Stamkos, so get it done Coop.

 

[DFC]

I think he's hurt. Just a guess though. Relying on fanciness when his legs aren't there.

This is exactly what he looked like to start last season. It's his style of play. If he's a hair off, everything goes sideways and you realize how soft he plays, and how finesse-based his game is. But that's what it is when he's hot too. It's not a matter of his legs or hustle. It's more that when he's not incredibly precise with his plays, he can look awful while still scoring a point per game.

 

[These Are The Days]

Serious question: Has there ever been a player in hockey history who looked that bad and lazy at times and yet still produced at PPG or higher like Kuch does?

Alex Kovalev immediately came to mind even though he wasn't always PPG. That dude left at least 200-300 career points on the table just because he was so damn inconsistent despite the fact he had the talent for it.


HM to the not well known Nikolai Zherdev. He never came close to the same stratosphere of point production as Kovalev but that dude... you've got to be JOKING with as much talent as he had. All tools and no box. If he had ever managed to put it together mentally I have no doubt he could've been a very good one

 

[Sky04]

I feel like these "lazy" starts get worse every year, last year was pretty annoying but this year is just infuriating, especially because the team isn't playing well to bail him out either.

If there's a saving grace it's that each year he starts off worse he eventually produces more than the previous season.

 

[DFC]

I feel like these "lazy" starts get worse every year, last year was pretty annoying but this year is just infuriating, especially because the team isn't playing well to bail him out either.

If there's a saving grace it's that each year he starts off worse he eventually produces more than the previous season.

Last year it was both him and Stamkos though, so a lot of the heat got deflected. Kucherov. Also started showing signs of life a little before Stamkos last year. I don't know if he'll get his game back before they're separated though. It's like he can't pick his spots when they're together, and tries to turn everything into a highlight.

 

[Vasilevskiy]

Kuch wasn't that bad last year guys. I have never seem him play so bad for so many games.

 

[Zwui21]

Bryan Burns has a point here.

 

[Zwui21]

 

[DFC]

Kuch wasn't that bad last year guys. I have never seem him play so bad for so many games.

He was. And Stamkos was even worse.

To refresh some memories, here are some quotes taken from a GDT vs. Vancouver at the beginning of last year:

Serious question: what’s holding us back from healthy scratching Kuch for next game?

- LightningStrikes

That effort from Kucherov reminded me of the effort from St. Louis just before Boucher got canned.

- MattM92

Kucherov was so bad that, at times, it literally looked like he was on some kind of opiate.

- Me

I remember thinking, after Kuch blindly handed the puck off to the Canucks player for an easy empty-netter, that he and Stammer both looked as though they could use a healthy scratch wake-up call.

- BeingTheThunder

 

[Lord Stan 2020]

Serious question: Has there ever been a player in hockey history who looked that bad and lazy at times and yet still produced at PPG or higher like Kuch does?

federov for sure

we need signs that say break up stamkos and kucherov maybe then coop will get the message lol

 

[DFC]

federov for sure

we need signs that say break up stamkos and kucherov maybe then coop will get the message lol

Fedorov didn't produce when he got lazy though. Not at a point-per-game pace anyway. That does separate Kucherov. Most of the guys we can list, aside from Mario, didn't see the kind of points Kucherov generates when they were "off."

 

[Todd1a]

federov for sure

we need signs that say break up stamkos and kucherov maybe then coop will get the message lol

Trade kucherov for Jack Hughes brings Kucherov together with gusev! Solves our cap issues

 

[Lord Stan 2020]

Fedorov didn't produce when he got lazy though. Not at a point-per-game pace anyway. That does separate Kucherov. Most of the guys we can list, aside from Mario, didn't see the kind of points Kucherov generates when they were "off."

first six years ppg for federov then he stayed close and honestly with his speed and game might call him lazy got more defensive later but was capable of soo much more and he did come through big in playoffs just at a ppg his entire playoff career so lazy might be right take.... is more comparison when his game was off he was awful lol like kucherov at times turnovers etc.. looked like wasnt trying out there as far as TODD really??? that is insulting