Prospect Info: Pavel Zacha

[russ4king]

Hey guys...Leaf fan here....watched the game last night and looked up Pavel Zacha.

Didn't see much from him last night and his stats are quite underwhelming. Question...why don't they send him down? He is a big guy..but just don't see the production for where he was picked? What do you think he becomes?

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[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Hey guys...Leaf fan here....watched the game last night and looked up Pavel Zacha.

Didn't see much from him last night and his stats are quite underwhelming. Question...why don't they send him down? He is a big guy..but just don't see the production for where he was picked? What do you think he becomes?

he can't play in Albany and sending him back to Sarnia at this point isn't going to do much for him...

hes 19 years old and our team stinks. I'm not that worried about it yet.

thanks for your concern, though.

 

[russ4king]

he can't play in Albany and sending him back to Sarnia at this point isn't going to do much for him...

hes 19 years old and our team stinks. I'm not that worried about it yet.

thanks for your concern, though.

Now that he has already burned a year on his ELC..I agree no point sending him back to junior.
But geez...feel bad for the kid. It's not like he lit the OHL on fire...might have given him some time to develop hs offensive game at least.

Where do you think he ends up...2nd line centre?

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Now that he has already burned a year on his ELC..I agree no point sending him back to junior.
But geez...feel bad for the kid. It's not like he lit the OHL on fire...might have given him some time to develop hs offensive game at least.

Where domyou think he ends up...2nd line centre?

Yeah I feel so bad for him playing in the NHL at age 19. I'm sure he'd much rather be in junior!

 

[Cult of Hynes]

Hard to say. He has the tools to be a first line center. Has great vision a good shot and skates well and plays solid defensively.

I'm not too worried about his numbers at the moment given how bad the entire team has played. He is a 19 year old rookie on a bad team that has bad coaching and no accountability when it comes to the top players / veterans.

 

[MichaelJ]

I'd keep playing him with Hall. His game will develop. When he's 21-22 and this team is (hopefully) in a position to contend he'll be a main contributor and a top6 forward, likely at center.

 

[Cult of Hynes]

I'd keep playing him with Hall. His game will develop. When he's 21-22 and this team is (hopefully) in a position to contend he'll be a main contributor and a top6 forward, likely at center.

I think in the next year or two he'll be producing a lot more. Especially if he continues to play with Hall. Up until he was moved to left wing thanks to Hynes' and one of his many amazing coaching decisions, he looked fine. Him and Hall clearly have some nice chemistry.

 

[MichaelJ]

I think in the next year or two he'll be producing a lot more. Especially if he continues to play with Hall. Up until he was moved to left wing thanks to Hynes' and one of his many amazing coaching decisions, he looked fine. Him and Hall clearly have some nice chemistry.

Completely agree. I'm not going to lose my mind over his low production in his rookie year on a bad team where he has been bounced around the lineup so much. The kid has the goods, he just needs experience.

 

[JimEIV]

He's performing about as well as I expected. I figured he be in the 25 point range over a season, maybe 30. He's not at that pace but the team isn't performing that well either... I figured he be scratched a good 10 or so games as he adjusted to the NHL. He's actually adjusted better than I thought he would.

I would imagine if management knew that the season was going to be this horrific they would have left him in junior.

To be honest I am very pleased with what I've seen from Zacha.

 

[Cult of Hynes]

Completely agree. I'm not going to lose my mind over his low production in his rookie year on a bad team where he has been bounced around the lineup so much. The kid has the goods, he just needs experience.

Yup. Same here. There are times where he just drives with the puck through the neutral zone into the offensive zone where he shows he can be a dominant player. He really does need to be more aggressive offensively. But I got a feeling he is a bit nervous to mess up because of Hynes. Kind of like Larsson with Deboer. That is where coaching is an issue for me. You scratch a 6 over all draft pick because of some rookie mistakes when you have established guys playing much worse and nothing is done with them, instead they are rewarded with even more ice time. At some point he needs to be just let loose offensively and not worry about potential mistakes that are going to happen no matter what or how long you are in the league.

What Zacha should be seeing is ice time with Hall and PP time, and on the PP have him on the right side of the ice so the team can utilize his shot / one timer.

 

[Devils Dominion]

Hey guys...Leaf fan here....watched the game last night and looked up Pavel Zacha.

Didn't see much from him last night and his stats are quite underwhelming. Question...why don't they send him down? He is a big guy..but just don't see the production for where he was picked? What do you think he becomes?

He's not NHL ready at all.

He should have been in Sarnia after 9 games.

 

[MichaelJ]

Yup. Same here. There are times where he just drives with the puck through the neutral zone into the offensive zone where he shows he can be a dominant player. He really does need to be more aggressive offensively. But I got a feeling he is a bit nervous to mess up because of Hynes. Kind of like Larsson with Deboer. That is where coaching is an issue for me. You scratch a 6 over all draft pick because of some rookie mistakes when you have established guys playing much worse and nothing is done with them, instead they are rewarded with even more ice time. At some point he needs to be just let loose offensively and not worry about potential mistakes that are going to happen no matter what or how long you are in the league.

What Zacha should be seeing is ice time with Hall and PP time, and on the PP have him on the right side of the ice so the team can utilize his shot / one timer.

Agree completely. Hynes was brought in in part to develop. That's why his utilization of Zacha is odd. I wonder if he's falling into the PDB "protect my job" mindset.

Zacha was my choice (Rantanen 2nd) for where we were picking in 2015. I'm neither disappointed nor regretful.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

At this point you have to play him with Hall and develop him that way. It forces the puck on his stick throughout the game and hopefully gives him confidence.

 

[AfroThunder396]

Leon Draisaitl - 4th overall pick, 9 points in 37 games his rookie year. +50 points last year and 34 in 40 so far this year.

Brayden Schenn - 3rd overall pick, had 18 points his rookie year. 59 points last year and is on pace for +50 again this year.

Kyle Turris - 3rd overall pick, had 20 points his rookie year. Roughly 60 point pace for three of the past four years.

Mark Scheifele - 9th overall pick, had 2 points in 21 combined NHL +AHL games the first two years after his draft. +60 points last year and nearly a PPG pace now.

Ryan Johansen - 4th overall pick, had 21 points his rookie year. Has been a +60 point guy for three seasons.

Tyler Seguin - 2nd overall pick, had 22 points his rookie year. Has hit +30 goals and +70 points the past two years.

Nino Niederreiter - 5th overall pick, had 1 point in 55 games his rookie year. Has hit 20 goals the past two seasons.

Mikael Granlund - 9th overall pick, had 8 points in 27 games his rookie year. Just now breaking through with 31 points in 37 games this season.

 

[MichaelJ]

Leon Draisaitl - 4th overall pick, 9 points in 37 games his rookie year. +50 points last year and 34 in 40 so far this year.

Brayden Schenn - 3rd overall pick, had 18 points his rookie year. 59 points last year and is on pace for +50 again this year.

Kyle Turris - 3rd overall pick, had 20 points his rookie year. Roughly 60 point pace for three of the past four years.

Mark Scheifele - 9th overall pick, had 2 points in 21 combined NHL +AHL games the first two years after his draft. +60 points last year and nearly a PPG pace now.

Ryan Johansen - 4th overall pick, had 21 points his rookie year. Has been a +60 point guy for three seasons.

Tyler Seguin - 2nd overall pick, had 22 points his rookie year. Has hit +30 goals and +70 points the past two years.

Nino Niederreiter - 5th overall pick, had 1 point in 55 games his rookie year. Has hit 20 goals the past two seasons.

Mikael Granlund - 9th overall pick, had 8 points in 27 games his rookie year. Just now breaking through with 31 points in 37 games this season.

Thank you for perspective.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Leon Draisaitl - 4th overall pick, 9 points in 37 games his rookie year. +50 points last year and 34 in 40 so far this year.

Brayden Schenn - 3rd overall pick, had 18 points his rookie year. 59 points last year and is on pace for +50 again this year.

Kyle Turris - 3rd overall pick, had 20 points his rookie year. Roughly 60 point pace for three of the past four years.

Mark Scheifele - 9th overall pick, had 2 points in 21 combined NHL +AHL games the first two years after his draft. +60 points last year and nearly a PPG pace now.

Ryan Johansen - 4th overall pick, had 21 points his rookie year. Has been a +60 point guy for three seasons.

Tyler Seguin - 2nd overall pick, had 22 points his rookie year. Has hit +30 goals and +70 points the past two years.

Nino Niederreiter - 5th overall pick, had 1 point in 55 games his rookie year. Has hit 20 goals the past two seasons.

Mikael Granlund - 9th overall pick, had 8 points in 27 games his rookie year. Just now breaking through with 31 points in 37 games this season.

overall, our fanbase is kind of impatient.

 

[Cult of Hynes]

Agree completely. Hynes was brought in in part to develop. That's why his utilization of Zacha is odd. I wonder if he's falling into the PDB "protect my job" mindset.

Zacha was my choice (Rantanen 2nd) for where we were picking in 2015. I'm neither disappointed nor regretful.

If he is falling into that mindset, all of the things that led him to having it are his own doing with his **** lineup decisions and strategy and inability to adjust when needed or not over adjust through his line up juggling.

At this point you have to play him with Hall and develop him that way. It forces the puck on his stick throughout the game and hopefully gives him confidence.

That is what Edmonton did with Draisaitl. They had him with Hall and he started to look like the player he was scouted to be.

Leon Draisaitl - 4th overall pick, 9 points in 37 games his rookie year. +50 points last year and 34 in 40 so far this year.

Brayden Schenn - 3rd overall pick, had 18 points his rookie year. 59 points last year and is on pace for +50 again this year.

Kyle Turris - 3rd overall pick, had 20 points his rookie year. Roughly 60 point pace for three of the past four years.

Mark Scheifele - 9th overall pick, had 2 points in 21 combined NHL +AHL games the first two years after his draft. +60 points last year and nearly a PPG pace now.

Ryan Johansen - 4th overall pick, had 21 points his rookie year. Has been a +60 point guy for three seasons.

Tyler Seguin - 2nd overall pick, had 22 points his rookie year. Has hit +30 goals and +70 points the past two years.

Nino Niederreiter - 5th overall pick, had 1 point in 55 games his rookie year. Has hit 20 goals the past two seasons.

Mikael Granlund - 9th overall pick, had 8 points in 27 games his rookie year. Just now breaking through with 31 points in 37 games this season.

Good list.

 

[Cheddabombs]

Zacha is more than fine, I like what I've seen from him this season. I just think he needs to be more tenacious or reckless at times, he's a little timid right now. Maybe part of that is that he racked up the penalty minutes in junior by perhaps playing a similar style and being a rookie he doesn't want to hurt the team that way. And to be fair he only has 10 PIM this season, 3rd least on the team for guys that played 30+ games.

The glimpses of a fantastic player have been there and some games they have been there in spades. He'll be fine.

 

[devilsblood]

Agree completely. Hynes was brought in in part to develop. That's why his utilization of Zacha is odd. I wonder if he's falling into the PDB "protect my job" mindset.

Zacha was my choice (Rantanen 2nd) for where we were picking in 2015. I'm neither disappointed nor regretful.

Comparable to Hynes' usage of Sevs last year? Never gave him time with Greene and sat him a fair amount(though Sev's was more a block of games late in the year while Zacha has been sprinled throughout).

 

[devilsblood]

He's not NHL ready at all.

He should have been in Sarnia after 9 games.

But the 9 games to start the year was probably his best stretch. Off memory it was statistically.

 

[russ4king]

Leon Draisaitl - 4th overall pick, 9 points in 37 games his rookie year. +50 points last year and 34 in 40 so far this year.

Brayden Schenn - 3rd overall pick, had 18 points his rookie year. 59 points last year and is on pace for +50 again this year.

Kyle Turris - 3rd overall pick, had 20 points his rookie year. Roughly 60 point pace for three of the past four years.

Mark Scheifele - 9th overall pick, had 2 points in 21 combined NHL +AHL games the first two years after his draft. +60 points last year and nearly a PPG pace now.

Ryan Johansen - 4th overall pick, had 21 points his rookie year. Has been a +60 point guy for three seasons.

Tyler Seguin - 2nd overall pick, had 22 points his rookie year. Has hit +30 goals and +70 points the past two years.

Nino Niederreiter - 5th overall pick, had 1 point in 55 games his rookie year. Has hit 20 goals the past two seasons.

Mikael Granlund - 9th overall pick, had 8 points in 27 games his rookie year. Just now breaking through with 31 points in 37 games this season.

The difference is all of those players dominated in Junior. They had a history of offensive dominance and production. Zacha never really did.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

The difference is all of those players dominated in Junior. They had a history of offensive dominance and production. Zacha never really did.

I mean, including the playoffs last year, he scored at like a 1.35 PPG pace

 

[russ4king]

I mean, including the playoffs last year, he scored at like a 1.35 PPG pace

A lot of people were concerned with the system he played in Sarnia too. But look at what Konecny did once he got there. That is dominance.

 

[None Shall Pass]

I just wish he held on to the puck longer. He's a smart kid, and if he had the confidence to play with it a little more, he could really set up some good plays.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

I mean Konecny has like 10 more points than Zacha while playing on a much better offensive team this year