Paul Statsny Travis Zajac upside?

Kafka

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Mar 1, 2002
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I watched part of the Van-Col game this week-end, and was wondering who you guys think that Statsny and Zajac will turn out. Statsny remembers me of Koivu or Bergeron, and I expect Zajac to be similar. Are those comparisons valid?
 

Hasbro

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Apr 1, 2004
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Sastny should at least be a very good top 6 center. Zajac went to NoDak so he's probably already a meth addict and his teeth will rot out of his head.
 

SchwenningerWildWing

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Aug 23, 2006
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Zajac plays a very smart two-way game and has a good positioning on the ice. Looks very mature for a guy with his age. His stats are looking not very impressive but you should remember he plays on a safety first Devils team.
 

RightKinger

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Apr 25, 2006
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Paul Stastny has impressed me a lot. He sees the ice very well and he has impressed me more than Wolski has. At worst he will be a very good 2nd line center. I haven't enough of Zajac to comment but he has looked good in the games I have seen.
 

crashlanding

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Nov 29, 2005
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Zajac's upside has been described as that of Rod Brind'Amour's, which, judging by his style, isn't to far off. He's already very good defensively, strong on the puck and along the boards, and very patient. He's shown some nice vision and has a pretty good shot. Right now his main problem is consistency, some nights he doesn't stand out, and he doesn't look to be a "gamebreaker" type yet.
 

Bam Beet*

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Stastny is very good in all three zones. He'll be an elite second line center or a decent first center. Doesn't really have game breaking abilities but he sees the ice very well and is strong on the puck. Is a much better passer than a shooter. I'd say Saku Koivu is a good comparison. He doesn't wow you with his offencive numbers but he is very solid in every aspect of the game.
 

RockLobster

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Jul 5, 2003
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Look...both are good, and I think both will bring a whole hell of a lot to the table with their respective clubs.

However...how is it that NJ ALWAYS seems to move up to JUST the right spot to grab these mid-late first round gems!? (Zajac and Parise being the most recent)....

The Devils do to mid-late 1st rounders what the Avs do to any other round BUT the first! ;)
 

Kafka

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I know that both are good, and this thread wasn't started to compare both players. I just wanted people to tell their opinion about how they will turn out. Stastny seems to be a larger Koivu, but I am not sure he has the acceleration Koivu used to have before is knee injury. As for Zajac, I have non clue of his playing style.
 

Marc-E-

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Sep 19, 2004
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I know that both are good, and this thread wasn't started to compare both players. I just wanted people to tell their opinion about how they will turn out. Stastny seems to be a larger Koivu, but I am not sure he has the acceleration Koivu used to have before is knee injury. As for Zajac, I have non clue of his playing style.

Someone tells you that Zajac is a solid two-way player already. What do you want to know more? I see in him a real solid player. You look at him and you see is body language and you know that he's special. He has the tools. Reminds me a young Nieuwendyk, Brind'Amour too. Anyway we will wait & see what kind of player he will become. So I can see him between 55-70 pts a year.

Stastny? I really like his vision on the ice. He doesn't have now the top gear in terms of skating. But you see that he's a warrior and I really like the comparaision with Koivu.
 

DevilsFan38

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Apr 21, 2004
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I think comparisons of Zajac to Nieuwendyk and Brind'Amour are accurate. I've also heard some compare him to Kirk Muller, but I haven't been a hockey fan for long enough to know what Muller was like.
 

Voice of Reason

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I think comparisons of Zajac to Nieuwendyk and Brind'Amour are accurate. I've also heard some compare him to Kirk Muller, but I haven't been a hockey fan for long enough to know what Muller was like.

Muller is actually a very good comparison. Zajac has not shown to have the offensive touch of Nieuwendyk yet or the heavy defense of Brind'Amour. Muller would be in between both of them. Obviously, Zajac has been in the NHL for 2 months, so everything is way too premature to speculate on.
Kirk was solid in all aspects of the game (except for showing up for the Islanders).
 

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