Rumor: Oilers interested in AA

[Shaman464]

Is Larkin a net negative? And now AA is being compared to Andrew Shaw? Larkin is a bigger net negative than AA btw...........

Adjusted stats show that Larkin’s goals for are higher than goals against. This adjusts for power play and penalty kill time, zone starts and quality of competition. But again, Larkin plays against the other teams beat players. AA plays sheltered minutes with a large amount of ozone starts.

 

[KJoe88]

Lol.

Larkin has a bigger negative due to the fact that he gets high minutes and carries the team on his back.

If AA took Larkin’s minutes he’d be extremely exposed. Would show how extremely one demensional he truly is. Nyquist is 10x the player AA is and gets scapegoated by tiesgo2vets.

Has AA done a better job this year? Absolutely. However, Let’s not pretend he’s anywhere near the player Larkin is, or for that matter Nyquist.

AA cannot carry a line and hasn’t shown he ever will. He’s a complimentary scorers good for 25-30G a year. Which is great. But if he were to gain minutes, his negative per game would sky rocket.

I mean, ‘some’ believe AA should be next captain.

 

[Shaman464]

Lol.

Larkin has a bigger negative due to the fact that he gets high minutes and carries the team on his back.

If AA took Larkin’s minutes he’d be extremely exposed. Would show how extremely one demensional he truly is. Nyquist is 10x the player AA is and gets scapegoated by tiesgo2vets.

Has AA done a better job this year? Absolutely. However, Let’s not pretend he’s anywhere near the player Larkin is, or for that matter Nyquist.

AA cannot carry a line and hasn’t shown he ever will. He’s a complimentary scorers good for 25-30G a year. Which is great. But if he were to gain minutes, his negative per game would sky rocket.

I mean, ‘some’ believe AA should be next captain.

Nah, AA is the new Wayne Gretzky and the only reason he isn't scoring 200 points a year because Blash doesn't give him first line minutes.

 

[ricky0034]

Nah, AA is the new Wayne Gretzky and the only reason he isn't scoring 200 points a year because Blash doesn't give him first line minutes.

I thought he was the new Tanner Glass and the only reason he scores more than 5 goals a year is because he floats so much that the other team can't see him?

AA is what he is and he'll never be a star but it's amusing to see people that have had a vendetta against the guy for years mobbing tiesgo2vets accusing them of being obsessed

 

[Shaman464]

I thought he was the new Tanner Glass and the only reason he scores more than 5 goals a year is because he floats so much that the other team can't see him?

AA is what he is and he'll never be a star but it's amusing to see people that have had a vendetta against the guy for years mobbing tiesgo2vets accusing them of being obsessed

No one here has a vendetta against him, but, a lot of us aren't nearly as impressed by him as tiego2vets because we see the talent he has, but see his lack of effort, and his constant issues with coaches, and lose a lot of respect for him.

 

[KJoe88]

I thought he was the new Tanner Glass and the only reason he scores more than 5 goals a year is because he floats so much that the other team can't see him?

AA is what he is and he'll never be a star but it's amusing to see people that have had a vendetta against the guy for years mobbing tiesgo2vets accusing them of being obsessed

He is what he is. A 40-50P guy who can score. Great for a third line. He’s had a much better year and is working harder. I hope he does continue to improve. Look at what Larkin has done. However, AA is and never will be Larkin. Tiesgo2vet actually stated that AA should be captain over Larkin in an earlier GDT this year. It’s absurd.

But he’s no Larkin and until he isn’t a one dimensional player, shouldn’t be praised as a top scorer. In a couple of years he’ll be sliding down the point chart when the team adds more skill. Zadina, Veleno, Mantha, Bert, whoever our pick is this year, etc. and then he has to contend with Nyquist if he comes back. All potentially being better than him. Three of those players already are.

Edit: also forgot about Ras. I don’t believe he’ll be a center for us, but I do believe he’ll grow to be a good Getzlaf-lite type winger who can potentially be a 50-60P guy. At minimum he’ll be a 40-50P guy too.

 

[Oddbob]

How is that the reality when that's a scenario made up in your own head? How do you know his stats won't be elevated with better teammates?

Pace for 50 pts is made up in my head? If he needs others to elevate him, than he is darn sure not core at anything. Core players elevate other players around them.

 

[Oddbob]

Is Larkin a net negative? And now AA is being compared to Andrew Shaw? Larkin is a bigger net negative than AA btw...........

Now I know you know very little about hockey. If anyone has to explain to you that Larkin is better at everything over Athanasiou. Has just as many goals, way more assists, plays against way harder match ups, and is on another planet defensively to the "defense" AA plays, actually drives his line and makes everyone around him better. Someone else also mentioned that you thought AA should be Captain which is outlandishly hilarious. Not only will AA never be a captain of any NHL team, he has about a 95% chance of never even being Assistant Captain.

 

[SCD]

Adjusted stats show that Larkin’s goals for are higher than goals against. This adjusts for power play and penalty kill time, zone starts and quality of competition. But again, Larkin plays against the other teams beat players. AA plays sheltered minutes with a large amount of ozone starts.

And that is the single biggest reason why AA doesn't have more goals. Blashill is preventing him from using his strengths.

The ozone starts are limiting his cherry picking opportunities and preventing him the adequate space to allow him to build up enough speed to play his game.

It's a conspiracy.

 

[Hatter of the Beach]

I mean, ‘some’ believe AA should be next captain.

Post a single quote of some person saying this. Sounds like hyperbole to me

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

I thought he was the new Tanner Glass and the only reason he scores more than 5 goals a year is because he floats so much that the other team can't see him?

AA is what he is and he'll never be a star but it's amusing to see people that have had a vendetta against the guy for years mobbing tiesgo2vets accusing them of being obsessed

It isn't a vendetta against AA. It is seeing that a supremely talented player is doing less with his talent than he should be. AA might be the most skilled player on this roster... and yet he's a 2nd line guy at best. And it isn't for lack of opportunity or lack of ice time.

The truth is somewhere between TG2V's view and the most negative view on the other end. He certainly has undeniable talent. But he also certainly has very worrisome compete level and completion of the check boxes for what a star should do. For what a great two-way player should do. There is no reason, except for his own actions, that AA isn't the best player on this roster. AA has similar speed to Larkin, his hands in tight spaces are better than Larkin's, his shot is at least as good. Yet, when it comes down to it, game-in, game-out, Larkin is a far superior player.

 

[Steve Yzerlland]

Now I know you know very little about hockey. If anyone has to explain to you that Larkin is better at everything over Athanasiou. Has just as many goals, way more assists, plays against way harder match ups, and is on another planet defensively to the "defense" AA plays, actually drives his line and makes everyone around him better. Someone else also mentioned that you thought AA should be Captain which is outlandishly hilarious. Not only will AA never be a captain of any NHL team, he has about a 95% chance of never even being Assistant Captain.

When did I say AA was better than Larkin???He brought up net negative like it was a damning stat. When did I say AA should be captain? Now you're just making up complete lies. "Someone else said I said" where is the post? You quoted me purely to troll/ by attacking me makes you "build a bond" to the others that were talking to me. Don't quote me making up pure garbage just for attention...

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

Now I know you know very little about hockey. If anyone has to explain to you that Larkin is better at everything over Athanasiou. Has just as many goals, way more assists, plays against way harder match ups, and is on another planet defensively to the "defense" AA plays, actually drives his line and makes everyone around him better. Someone else also mentioned that you thought AA should be Captain which is outlandishly hilarious. Not only will AA never be a captain of any NHL team, he has about a 95% chance of never even being Assistant Captain.

But Larkin ISN'T better at everything than AA. That's the issue. In sum total, Larkin is a better player, but AA has some better measureables and is able to do more with the puck than Larkin.

 

[Steve Yzerlland]

But Larkin ISN'T better at everything than AA. That's the issue. In sum total, Larkin is a better player, but AA has some better measureables and is able to do more with the puck than Larkin.

And no one ever said AA was better or that he should be captain...

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

And no one ever said AA was better or that he should be captain...

Ok... I didn't say that anyone did. Anyone that does say that is wrong. I know that you didn't say it either.

If anything, I'm saying that AA has the talent that he could/should be better or at least on par with Larkin. He has speed, is good/great with his stick, and has a fantastic shot. Individual pieces of AA's game are fantastic, he just fails at piecing them together. Classic "all the tools in the world, no toolbox." player.

 

[ricky0034]

I feel like people are overly harsh on AA with the whole effort thing

is he Larkin in that regard? no but very few are

people see his speed and hands and less consistency than they like and assume it's all a lack of effort

no it's mostly a lack of hockey sense,Athanasiou's so called toolbox has some big flaws in it,it's not that he's lazy it's that he's bad at using his teammates

 

[Steve Yzerlland]

Lol.

Larkin has a bigger negative due to the fact that he gets high minutes and carries the team on his back.

If AA took Larkin’s minutes he’d be extremely exposed. Would show how extremely one demensional he truly is. Nyquist is 10x the player AA is and gets scapegoated by tiesgo2vets.

Has AA done a better job this year? Absolutely. However, Let’s not pretend he’s anywhere near the player Larkin is, or for that matter Nyquist.

AA cannot carry a line and hasn’t shown he ever will. He’s a complimentary scorers good for 25-30G a year. Which is great. But if he were to gain minutes, his negative per game would sky rocket.

I mean, ‘some’ believe AA should be next captain.

Who said that? Making up stuff again?

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

I feel like people are overly harsh on AA with the whole effort thing

is he Larkin in that regard? no but very few are

people see his speed and hands and less consistency than they like and assume it's all a lack of effort

no it's mostly a lack of hockey sense,Athanasiou's so called toolbox has some big flaws in it,it's not that he's lazy it's that he's bad at using his teammates

Yes. But lack of hockey sense precludes him from being a star when literally everything else about his play and his measureables say that he should be. And the biggest reason why I would dog on his effort is that... Larkin wasn't as good positionally as he is now even two years ago. He got better by working his ass off. AA just seems like he always has more to give. And that might just mean practicing and really letting the coaches get into his head to "do this, not that".

And if you think that hockey sense isn't something that can be taught... then AA will never be more than he is now and all of the P/60 stats in the world that won't scale up with more ice time are nothing but window dressing.

That's basically the issue with him. He's always been a guy that if he hits, he was going to be a grand slam. If he doesn't, you'll always wonder why.

 

[sureWhyNot]

Larkin is a center and AA is a true winger (I don’t care how much he plays pivot on the wings. Any other team sniffing the playoffs he is a winger). That and that alone makes Larkin way more valuable then AA

 

[waltdetroit]

Methinks folks go back and edit out quotes

 

[Oddbob]

When did I say AA was better than Larkin???He brought up net negative like it was a damning stat. When did I say AA should be captain? Now you're just making up complete lies. "Someone else said I said" where is the post? You quoted me purely to troll/ by attacking me makes you "build a bond" to the others that were talking to me. Don't quote me making up pure garbage just for attention...

I'm not the one looking for attention. You are, when you need to defend AA against every truthful thing said about him. You blindly defend him, as if he is some great player, when he is a marginal, one dimensional scorer.

While his effort has been better this year, there are still many games where you barely even notice that he is playing.

 

[Steve Yzerlland]

I'm not the one looking for attention. You are, when you need to defend AA against every truthful thing said about him. You blindly defend him, as if he is some great player, when he is a marginal, one dimensional scorer.

While his effort has been better this year, there are still many games where you barely even notice that he is playing.

Another lie. I am comparing him to the other players on the team. He is one of the best players on Detroit that's a fact! My point is for all the criticism he gets he makes a reasonable salary and has value. This roster is awful and at least 12 roster players should have their feet to the fire over a 4th round pick that's second in team goals and is under 25 years old on a good contract. You can fabricate my comments all you want but everything I say is backed up with FACTS.

 

[Oddbob]

Another lie. I am comparing him to the other players on the team. He is one of the best players on Detroit that's a fact! My point is for all the criticism he gets he makes a reasonable salary and has value. This roster is awful and at least 12 roster players should have their feet to the fire over a 4th round pick that's second in team goals and is under 25 years old on a good contract. You can fabricate my comments all you want but everything I say is backed up with FACTS.

Where is this supposed lie in my last post????

Being one of the best on our roster is not some magical great thing, we have Larkin, and then a steep cliff to the next best on our team. Also, AA scoring more pts than some others, doesn't make him better than them just because of that, as every team needs defensive guys and other tangibles than just trying to score, while not playing all that well in your own end. But you go ahead and keep just adding things like "lies" when someone doesn't agree with your opinion.

Also, it is indeed quite laughable that you back up everything with "facts"! You saying something doesn't make it fact, it is like everyone else, an opinion.

 

[SimonEdvinssonAtSix]

Another lie. I am comparing him to the other players on the team. He is one of the best players on Detroit that's a fact! My point is for all the criticism he gets he makes a reasonable salary and has value. This roster is awful and at least 12 roster players should have their feet to the fire over a 4th round pick that's second in team goals and is under 25 years old on a good contract. You can fabricate my comments all you want but everything I say is backed up with FACTS.

AA is currently behind only Larkin, Nyquist, Bert, Nielsen and Green imho. An argument can be made that he's better than Nielsen but not in my books. I think AA will be passed by Mantha, Cholo, Hronek, Veleno and Zadina in the future but that is just speculation.

Basically AA currently being one of Detroit best players is true, but for how long? Another year or two? The dude is a one trick pony and unless he works on his game he will quickly become Hudler. AA at his current cap is is great value for sure!
But what happens if he gets greedy and wants a massive payday? Is he going to be worth 6-7M a year to cherry pick a few rushes during the season?

 

[KJoe88]

Who said that? Making up stuff again?

You did.

I’ll find the GDT