Player Discussion: Nikolaj Ehlers

[Duke749]

Sorry G can’t disagree more, Ehlers has been weak in all facets of the game this playoff, he shys away from anything near the boards, continually circles back towards the blue line when he does manage to get in the Blues d zone, that fake slipper, weakly slap a turnover shot in the direction of the goalie for a guaranteed turnover is getting old!

You disagree with everything except drinks.

 

[sipowicz]

At this point in time, a lack of points will severely influence people’s opinion of Ehlers regardless of play. It happens all the time. We saw the same thing happen with Laine. People just can’t help it sometimes.

Shouldn’t they though, a non scoring, non physical, small players is a liability in the PO’s!

 

[DashingDane]

I say they trade him for a bag of pucks considering he has no business playing on a playoff team

 

[nobody imp0rtant]

Shouldn’t they though, a non scoring, non physical, small players is a liability in the PO’s!

Yep, no goals in how many playoff games now? A couple of timely pots and we could be leading or even on to the next round. Ehlers is like Reggie Jackson. Mr October.

 

[sipowicz]

Yep, no goals in how many playoff games now? A couple of timely pots and we could be leading or even on to the next round. Ehlers is like Reggie Jackson. Mr October.

Four year NHL pro who can’t score in the playoffs or tight games!

 

[Duke749]

Shouldn’t they though, a non scoring, non physical, small players is a liability in the PO’s!

Yeh if ya keep yelling Sip I’ll definitely be more inclined to agree with you!

 

[Duke749]

Yep, no goals in how many playoff games now? A couple of timely pots and we could be leading or even on to the next round. Ehlers is like Reggie Jackson. Mr October.

Ouch!

 

[Adam da bomb]

If paying a guy 6 mil who doesn't show up in playoffs is team friendly paying Connor 7 mil is team friendly and paying Laine 9 mil is equally team friendly.

 

[GNP]

Sorry G can’t disagree more, Ehlers has been weak in all facets of the game this playoff, he shys away from anything near the boards, continually circles back towards the blue line when he does manage to get in the Blues d zone, that fake slipper, weakly slap a turnover shot in the direction of the goalie for a guaranteed turnover is getting old!

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I see where your coming from SIP, and other posters, and I agree in part. Ehlers is probably about 5'10 tops and weighs about 160 lbs. He has a very slight frame, and I don't think he could take the pounding along the boards. He'd just get banged up, and soon be out of the lineup. Connor at least has some size and toughness, but Ehlers is strictly a white collar player.

Can this be useful in the playoffs --yes of course it can. You'd have to use Ehlers the way the Hawks use Kane, who's also small, but in the top 5 in the NHL. for scorers. I wouldn't suggest Ehlers get involved in the real rough stuff along the boards if I was Maurice-- but there has to be a better way to utilize his superior speed and puck handling abilities. We may find out he's just to "soft' for playoff hockey --something like the Sedins twins were in Vancouver.

I'd use Ehlers on zone breakouts, and zone entries, and try to get him to improve his "playmaking abilities", on zone entries. He also has a very hard accurate shot --so you have top get the best of what he has to offer. If I had to point out a weakness in Ehler's game, it's that mentally right now, he doesn't process the game quickly enough, at game speed, and make the right decisions. He'll never be a tough rugged forward though.

He's one of the most exciting players to watch when he's on--so I hope the Jet's can keep working on him, to improve his downside, and that's his decision and playmaking abilities. He may end up being purely a "specialty player"

I'm hoping to see him become a very valuable asset for the Jets -he's fun to watch.

Should add -- be nice to see him put on 8-10 lbs of muscle in the off season, so he could take the rough going a little better.

 

[DashingDane]

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I see where your coming from SIP, and other posters, and I agree in part. Ehlers is probably about 5'10 tops and weighs about 160 lbs. He has a very slight frame, and I don't think he could take the pounding along the boards. He'd just get banged up, and soon be out of the lineup. Connor at least has some size and toughness, but Ehlers is strictly a white collar player.

Can this be useful in the playoffs --yes of course it can. You'd have to use Ehlers the way the Hawks use Kane, who's also small, but in the top 5 in the NHL. for scorers. I wouldn't suggest Ehlers get involved in the real rough stuff along the boards if I was Maurice-- but there has to be a better way to utilize his superior speed and puck handling abilities. We may find out he's just to "soft' for playoff hockey --something like the Sedins twins were in Vancouver.

I'd use Ehlers on zone breakouts, and zone entries, and try to get him to improve his "playmaking abilities", on zone entries. He also has a very hard accurate shot --so you have top get the best of what he has to offer. If I had to point out a weakness in Ehler's game, it's that mentally right now, he doesn't process the game quickly enough, at game speed, and make the right decisions. He'll never be a tough rugged forward though.

He's one of the most exciting players to watch when he's on--so I hope the Jet's can keep working on him, to improve his downside, and that's his decision and playmaking abilities. He may end up being purely a "specialty player"

I'm hoping to see him become a very valuable asset for the Jets -he's fun to watch.

Should add -- be nice to see him put on 8-10 lbs of muscle in the off season, so he could take the rough going a little better.

Didn't read all of your post but I strongly disagree with the bolded. Connor is softer than butter and has less hits than 99% of the league. Ehlers might not be big and physically effective but he doesn't shy away from contact or fights and always sticks up for himself. It blows my mind the number of posters that say Ehlers is soft when you have Sheif and Connor who don't even defend themselves after a dirty hit but leave it to others.

Nothing against you @GNP, as I think you are a good poster but this board is getting ridiculous with some of the claims. If we followed HFJets advice all of Wheeler, Laine, Connor, Little and Ehlers would have been traded away this season while the team was 1st in the division.

 

[GNP]

Didn't read all of your post but I strongly disagree with the bolded. Connor is softer than butter and has less hits than 99% of the league. Ehlers might not be big and physically effective but he doesn't shy away from contact or fights and always sticks up for himself. It blows my mind the number of posters that say Ehlers is soft when you have Sheif and Connor who don't even defend themselves after a dirty hit but leave it to others.

Nothing against you @GNP, as I think you are a good poster but this board is getting ridiculous with some of the claims. If we followed HFJets advice all of Wheeler, Laine, Connor, Little and Ehlers would have been traded away this season while the team was 1st in the division.

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Good post Dane -- and I do agree that Ehlers is feisty and has guts, and will fend for himself, and has shown that on several occasions. It's also true he stays away from the board areas, where puck battles are won. Scheif and Connor will battle harder in there, but as you say, these guys won't stick up for themselves.

You can't make Ehlers or any of these guys into a Tanev--who would come on the ice in a wheelchair if he has to. The guy is tough, but doesn't have natural talent.

Ehler's is a white collar player --on the soft side like Kane is for the Hawks--like Gretzky was for the Oilers. The Jet's have to get him to play better offensively when he enters the offensive zone, and make better and faster decisions, that I believe will come with time. I'm a fan of Ehlers and would like to see his game keep improving. Personally, I think it would be foolish for Nik at 160 lbs or so, getting hammered into the boards --it just makes no sense to me.

Should add--your "right"--if we listen to some of these posters, we'd have traded away most of all our team by now. The Jet's are a pretty damn good team, and could still take this Blue's series.

 

[JetsFan815]

Didn't read all of your post but I strongly disagree with the bolded. Connor is softer than butter and has less hits than 99% of the league. Ehlers might not be big and physically effective but he doesn't shy away from contact or fights and always sticks up for himself. It blows my mind the number of posters that say Ehlers is soft when you have Sheif and Connor who don't even defend themselves after a dirty hit but leave it to others.

Nothing against you @GNP, as I think you are a good poster but this board is getting ridiculous with some of the claims. If we followed HFJets advice all of Wheeler, Laine, Connor, Little and Ehlers would have been traded away this season while the team was 1st in the division.

Agreed, if you look at the stats the only player who played 200 mins or more and threw hits at lower rate than Kyle Connor this season in the entire league was Louie Eriksson. Connor has a lot of good things about his game but toughness and physicality is not one of them. Ehlers plays fearlessly, how many times have we seen him cut to the inside from the top of the hashmarks on the right side? A player who is "soft" and "afraid" does not make that play.

 

[Whodey204]

Ehlers does need to be more productive in the playoffs but selling low on him now would be a mistake. We wont get a player with an equal ceiling back.

I'd like to see what he could do playing on the top line. 2 years of data show hes better on the first line than Connor. Connor is a love child on this site but who wouldnt be productive offensively playing with Scheif and Wheeler? I'd like to see what he could do on the second line as he may be a better fit with Little than Ehlers is.

Biggest issue for Ehlers may be that Maurice doesnt seem to know how to utilize players with his skillset. I think Maurice encourages as chip and chase, cycle game which is a misfit with Ehlers. Ehlers is a modern day zone exit and entry machine, which are skills we badly lack at times and losing Ehlers will tilt the ice against us even worse.

Visually, Ehlers has played well this series in my opinion but the chances generated havent been going in. Hopefully some do, before it's too late.

 

[nobody imp0rtant]

If we followed HFJets advice all of Wheeler, Laine, Connor, Little and Ehlers would have been traded away this season while the team was 1st in the division.

 

[Benjamin Doveridge]

Ehlers can’t mix it up along the boards. He can’t stick handle when he breaks away. He always loses the puck or gets off a bad shot. I am not sure I would have anyone bother go back if he breaks away. 99% chance he will mess it up himself, .

During the playoff he should just be replaced with Hendricks who is much slower, less talented but way more effective. Even Lindholm would be an upgrade.

 

[raideralex99]

Are Jets fans really that hard to please?
Sure it would be nice for Ehlers to score some playoffs goals but he still if effective. Right now Ehlers only problem is shooting ... he needs to work on his shot and shooting skills. As for the soft stories ... today's NHL caters to small speedy guys.
How many penalties does Ehlers draw ... I bet the most of any player on the team.
I don't recall Ehlers making mistakes that costs the Jets a game.
Enjoy the playoff team you have ... it's a lot better that watching the lottery draft.

 

[jetsfan91]

Are Jets fans really that hard to please?
Sure it would be nice for Ehlers to score some playoffs but he still if effective. Right now Ehlers only problem is shooting ... he needs to work on his shot and shooting skills. As for the soft stories ... today's NHL caters to small speedy guys.
How many penalties does Ehlers draw ... I bet the most of any player on the team.
I don't recall Ehlers making mistakes that costs the Jets a game.
Enjoy the playoff team you have ... it's a lot better that watching the lottery draft.

6 million dollars.. zero points in 5 games. Zero goals in 20 career playoff games. He is costing the Jets by simply not getting on the score sheet when secondary scoring is hard to come by.

 

[Benjamin Doveridge]

Are Jets fans really that hard to please?

Well in the regular season he makes $70,000+/game. He gets paid to put up points, full stop . His record in the playoffs from last year till now is abysmal. Tanev has more points. He may not be as talented but he works much harder than Ehlers. Getting paid that much, I don’t want to hear excuses...I want results!!!

 

[sipowicz]

Ehlers is our very own playoffs Johnny Gaudreau!

 

[Benjamin Doveridge]

Ehlers plays fearlessly, how many times have we seen him cut to the inside from the top of the hashmarks on the right side? A player who is "soft" and "afraid" does not make that play.

How many times have we seen that result in a point?

 

[QuietContrarian]

I love how Ehlers thread is only ever active when he goes thru dry spells. But whenever he has a good period, this place is empty

Funny how those same posters only ever come in here to let us all know how much they disaprove of Nicky.

 

[nobody imp0rtant]

Ehlers is our very own playoffs Johnny Gaudreau!

At least Ehlers isn't a crybaby.

 

[sipowicz]

I love how Ehlers thread is only ever active when he goes thru dry spells. But whenever he has a good period, this place is empty

Funny how those same posters only ever come in here to let us all know how much they disaprove of Nicky.

Gimme a break, goal less through close to 20 playoff games, pointless in five games in the Blues series now, guy is making $6.25 M per and laying an egg!

 

[QuietContrarian]

Gimme a break, goal less through close to 20 playoff games, pointless in five games in the Blues series now, guy is making $6.25 M per and laying an egg!

I am not arguing he shouldn’t be getting some pts, or that people who are on his back don’t have a reason to be - I am arguing that posters who are quick to point out his shortcomings and bad stretches, never really seem to aknowledge him when he has good stretches.

 

[10Ducky10]

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