I thought Hansen was better than Raymond in 08-09 but didn't get the same opportunity. Hansen with better finish would have been a consistent top 6 player for sure.
Boudreau did a good job resurrecting Lammiko..but make no mistake , it was Motte that was the straw that stirred the drink on that line.
Agreed and I wouldn't forget the influence of the Sedins. This organization has made a very serious effort to focus on development and it seems to be paying off. Can't just be coincidence, can it?
Agreed. It’s funny how once guys like Green and Cull are gone and they hire someone who isn’t a dinosaur the players start tracking better. Who would’ve thought???
People are quick to credit Colliton but I've seen several mentions of the Sedins in recent articles (sorry, no links). This is for general player development, not Aman specifically.
Good point.....from all reports the Sedins are at most of the Abbotsford Canucks practices working with individual players.
The problem with Hansen that always held him back was that he just didn't have the natural hands, timing, or touch to be a top quality finisher. He was just a really good, hardworking complementary winger who could survive occasionally in the Top-6 on sheer effort, grit, and that ability to get the puck to better players.Great postYeah. Hansen was more or less an "offensive player" in Juniors who really reinvented his game to become a fantastic 3rd line grinder. He always had some offensive talent though. It showed up at even strength at the NHL level at times and he was one of those amazing "glue guys" who just makes a line work because he hustled, did the spadework, got to the net, and had enough offensive instincts to make some plays or at least keep the play alive around more skilled linemates. He was great in that role and there was always elements of that to him. But he was never a real play driver.
If Hansen had better finish, he would've been a completely different player.
Raymond was a legitimate Top-6 scorer for a bunch of years. It was always complicated by the fact he wasn't the greatest puck distributor and neither was Kesler. But he was absolutely a Top-6 Caliber winger, where Hansen was always just sort of a stand-in for one. Raymond had a different sort of speed and offensive instincts from Hansen. Raymond was a frustrating player because too often, he'd use that speed to skate himself into nowhere, and he lacked the elite shot of a sniper so he garnered the reputation of a "crest sniper". But the point is, he was capable of generate all sorts of good offensive chances with his speed and skill...even if most of them ended up right in the goalie's chest. Hansen was less frustrating in a lot of ways, because he played right up to his limitations and seemed to understand them. But he never had anything like the offensive touch Raymond had, or that ability to use his speed to create chances the same way.
I think Aman pretty clearly leans toward the Hansen end of things...but even less skill. He has the tools to be an effective player, but he also doesn't seem to have any NHL caliber offensive instincts. Where he gets his points, it's mostly just like Hansen where it's the product of hard work and feeding the puck to someone else more capable of making a play. Just doesn't process the offensive side of the game quickly enough to feel like there's much more offensive "upside" to explore there. Which is fine for a "found money" NHL center. But i don't think that's a limitation that's likely to change.
Yeah. Hansen was more or less an "offensive player" in Juniors who really reinvented his game to become a fantastic 3rd line grinder. He always had some offensive talent though. It showed up at even strength at the NHL level at times and he was one of those amazing "glue guys" who just makes a line work because he hustled, did the spadework, got to the net, and had enough offensive instincts to make some plays or at least keep the play alive around more skilled linemates. He was great in that role and there was always elements of that to him. But he was never a real play driver.
If Hansen had better finish, he would've been a completely different player.
Raymond was a legitimate Top-6 scorer for a bunch of years. It was always complicated by the fact he wasn't the greatest puck distributor and neither was Kesler. But he was absolutely a Top-6 Caliber winger, where Hansen was always just sort of a stand-in for one. Raymond had a different sort of speed and offensive instincts from Hansen. Raymond was a frustrating player because too often, he'd use that speed to skate himself into nowhere, and he lacked the elite shot of a sniper so he garnered the reputation of a "crest sniper". But the point is, he was capable of generate all sorts of good offensive chances with his speed and skill...even if most of them ended up right in the goalie's chest. Hansen was less frustrating in a lot of ways, because he played right up to his limitations and seemed to understand them. But he never had anything like the offensive touch Raymond had, or that ability to use his speed to create chances the same way.
I think Aman pretty clearly leans toward the Hansen end of things...but even less skill. He has the tools to be an effective player, but he also doesn't seem to have any NHL caliber offensive instincts. Where he gets his points, it's mostly just like Hansen where it's the product of hard work and feeding the puck to someone else more capable of making a play. Just doesn't process the offensive side of the game quickly enough to feel like there's much more offensive "upside" to explore there. Which is fine for a "found money" NHL center. But i don't think that's a limitation that's likely to change.
