RW Valeri Nichushkin (2013, 10th overall, Dallas) II

Dundalis

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Dec 28, 2003
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Dallas wasn't very good, but I would be comfortable saying Nichushkin was one of their most promising attacking threats on the ice. If he spent more time on the Benn/Seguin line instead of Cole who was horrible, he may have had more impact (and that line also).

Continued from here... http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=896232

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Brewsky

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Dallas wasn't really good it seemed, Seguin was jumping though, I've always been a fan of Segs since the Whalers days, but it seemed in Boston his smarts just went out of the window and he relied purely on his skill. He was at one time thought to have the best mind for hockey during his draft year but, I hope Ruff brings that back in him.

Nich and Barkov were the same, if Barkov didn't score that goal, I think more people would say it was a tie.
 

Mad Dog Tannen

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Apr 10, 2010
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Because Barkov scored you think he out shined Nich? Nich was way more recognizable in the game than Barkov was.

watched the whole game, thought neither player stood out like Mackinnon, Trouba or scheifele did in there first games of the year (barkovs goal was a bit of a grinders goal). With all the Nuke hype was def disappointed.

However, its only one game, lol.
 

Jussi

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Feb 28, 2002
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Because Barkov scored you think he out shined Nich? Nich was way more recognizable in the game than Barkov was.

If by recognizable you mean not getting anything done offensively, then yes. He tried to power his way from the right wing to the goal but Florida's dmen knew that trick and made sure that wasn't happening. I can only remember one wrap around attempt from him. The longer the game went on the more prominent Barkov became and the more invisible Nichushkin became. Just saying he's got a lot of work to do.
 

Sony Eriksson*

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If by recognizable you mean not getting anything done offensively, then yes. He tried to power his way from the right wing to the goal but Florida's dmen knew that trick and made sure that wasn't happening. I can only remember one wrap around attempt from him. The longer the game went on the more prominent Barkov became and the more invisible Nichushkin became. Just saying he's got a lot of work to do.

Other than the goal i could of scored the only other time i heard any focus on Barkov is when he was damn near sent into the 3rd row by Jamie Benn. This is the 1st game of the season and if you would of watched Nich in the pre-season you would of noticed the uncanny skill he possesses. That is no knock on Barkov by any means but to say that Barkov was basically a tier above Nich is incredibly inaccurate.
 

VictorLustig

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Feb 8, 2012
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They were both solid from what i saw. Nichushkin tried his move plenty of times, but lost the puck often. He really stands out on the ice with his size and skating though.
 

thomast

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Oct 23, 2009
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Other than the goal i could of scored the only other time i heard any focus on Barkov is when he was damn near sent into the 3rd row by Jamie Benn. This is the 1st game of the season and if you would of watched Nich in the pre-season you would of noticed the uncanny skill he possesses. That is no knock on Barkov by any means but to say that Barkov was basically a tier above Nich is incredibly inaccurate.

Nichushkin is really talented kid and at best he is best player of this draft the problem is that he only has flashed his best at times. The key question is if he can be more consistent. The difference between his good and mediciore game is huge. I wouldn't call any players in this draft who is tier above Nuke as a prospect.

In the game i thought that Barkov got better after every shift. Nichushkin to me was pretty invisible he had 1 SOG and Barkov had 4, especially when the game was at crucial moments Barkov stepped up and looked great. But we shouldn't draw conclusions after 1 game. Season is 82 games long and at the end of the season who knows if Nichushkin is the calder winner. But there is no doubt that Barkov was better in their first match up.

Preseason is always preseason... Paajarvi scored a hatrick and was dominant at his preseason when he came over. Barkov wasn't weak at all at his preseason especially after coming from a injury without doing much summer conditioning. MacKinnon looked weak/average at preseason but was awesome on season opener.
 

Klockis

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Mar 21, 2013
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Considering that I didn't expect much from Nuke this season (predicted 25 points) I was pleasantly surprised watching his NHL debut. He is ready, didn't look out off place at all and was one of the few pluses on the Stars last night.
 
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Sartorial

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Dec 14, 2011
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Super cool seeing him on a line with Benn and Seguin for part of the game last night. Logged almost 20 minutes of ice time too. His defense and hockey sense looked very good last night too ;)
 
Jul 10, 2003
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How is Nichushkin doing? Does he look like a guy who should have gone top 5 but fell due to "Russian Factor" or does it look like 10th overall was the right spot for him afterall?
 

CanaFan

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at some games he looks complete best player in ice.


At the risk of being labelled a "hater", how does an offensive forward manage to look like the complete best player on the ice some games and also have 2 goals and 30 shots in 22 games? Admittedly I have only watched him the one time Dallas played Vancouver (where ironically he scored 1 of his 2 goals), and did not come away with the same conclusion. I realize he is only 18 and still figuring out both the NHL and NA game, so I don't actually expect much out of him yet. I just find it odd to see such lofty praise (best player some games, watch just for him, etc) yet not see much in the way of actual production or even shots. Is he a possession beast? Puchhound? Best defensive player? Does he generate opportunities for others that they are not converting? I know he's played with Seguin and Benn lately, which has coincided with the uptick in his production, so are you saying he has looked better than these two PPG players on some nights?

Legit questions btw, for anyone who intends to jump down my throat thanks.
 

Starry Knight

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Jun 9, 2013
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At the risk of being labelled a "hater", how does an offensive forward manage to look like the complete best player on the ice some games and also have 2 goals and 30 shots in 22 games? Admittedly I have only watched him the one time Dallas played Vancouver (where ironically he scored 1 of his 2 goals), and did not come away with the same conclusion. I realize he is only 18 and still figuring out both the NHL and NA game, so I don't actually expect much out of him yet. I just find it odd to see such lofty praise (best player some games, watch just for him, etc) yet not see much in the way of actual production or even shots. Is he a possession beast? Puchhound? Best defensive player? Does he generate opportunities for others that they are not converting? I know he's played with Seguin and Benn lately, which has coincided with the uptick in his production, so are you saying he has looked better than these two PPG players on some nights?

Legit questions btw, for anyone who intends to jump down my throat thanks.

He has become a fairly good defensive player and his hockey sense is great. Frequently sets up teammates (unfortunately horcoff and cole always seem to get the puck from him). Those two things were labelled as his weakness coming into the year, but they aren't which is nice to see. His production will pick up in due time. He just needs to finish off plays a little better.
 

CanaFan

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He has become a fairly good defensive player and his hockey sense is great. Frequently sets up teammates (unfortunately horcoff and cole always seem to get the puck from him). Those two things were labelled as his weakness coming into the year, but they aren't which is nice to see. His production will pick up in due time. He just needs to finish off plays a little better.


Cool, and thanks for the response. As a Canuck fan, it has become almost impossible to ask a question in a Nichushkin thread without being accused of trying to pump Bo Horvat's tires or something.

In terms of his play, what would you say he needs to work on in order to improve his offensive game? He's certainly got the size and skating already, and I've seen signs of a deadly wrist shot on his first NHL goal, but as with any young player there are likely still things he must still work on. Is it more about any particular skill (shot power, getting it off faster, etc) or just finding how to translate his existing skillset in the NA rinks? For example, does he need to become more 'selfish' and shoot more (based on his low shot total) or something like that?

Thanks.
 

Sartorial

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Dec 14, 2011
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Adjusting to the best league in the world takes time for an 18 year old. Probably as simple as that. As someone who watches Dallas games, it's pretty apparent to see his raw athleticism and talent. One of the highest upsides in the whole draft as far as pure ability goes. I think his hockey sense is fine. As he gets more games in, the points will come. I'm sure teams will wonder how they ever passed on him.
 

MetalGodAOD*

Guest
Cool, and thanks for the response. As a Canuck fan, it has become almost impossible to ask a question in a Nichushkin thread without being accused of trying to pump Bo Horvat's tires or something.

In terms of his play, what would you say he needs to work on in order to improve his offensive game? He's certainly got the size and skating already, and I've seen signs of a deadly wrist shot on his first NHL goal, but as with any young player there are likely still things he must still work on. Is it more about any particular skill (shot power, getting it off faster, etc) or just finding how to translate his existing skillset in the NA rinks? For example, does he need to become more 'selfish' and shoot more (based on his low shot total) or something like that?

Thanks.

The only thing he needs to really work on is raising the puck in tight. He gets a breakaway or huge scoring chance every game but often flubs the puck or just keeps it too low to beat NHL goalies. He likes to deke a little too much though, so a bit more patience or quicker hands will be something to watch.

His playmaking and hockey sense were extremely underrated coming out of the draft. His two way game is pretty amazing for an 18 year old new to NA hockey. He just needs time to put it all together.
 

LT

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Jul 23, 2010
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Cool, and thanks for the response. As a Canuck fan, it has become almost impossible to ask a question in a Nichushkin thread without being accused of trying to pump Bo Horvat's tires or something.

In terms of his play, what would you say he needs to work on in order to improve his offensive game? He's certainly got the size and skating already, and I've seen signs of a deadly wrist shot on his first NHL goal, but as with any young player there are likely still things he must still work on. Is it more about any particular skill (shot power, getting it off faster, etc) or just finding how to translate his existing skillset in the NA rinks? For example, does he need to become more 'selfish' and shoot more (based on his low shot total) or something like that?

Thanks.

He is an absolute monster at getting breakaways and grade-A chances. He'll have one play that just leaves your jaw on the floor every couple of games or so. He just can't finish at all - he either makes one move too many, or his shot doesn't get through. He can't elevate the puck in-tight to save his life. An offseason working on these rather minor issues should see his production shoot up. 10-15 goals and 30-40 points is a good expectation for this season, and that number could rise all the way up to 30 goals and 60 points depending on how much progress he makes over the offseason.

He's doing all of the little things right. His game is a lot more complete than expected, and he knows how to use his body and awareness in the defensive zone to help generate offensive chances. It's no mistake that when he plays with Benn and Seguin, he's dominate and all over the ice. That disappears as he gets shifted down the line-up (which with Ruff is far too often, every mistake gets him pushed down to the 3rd or 4th line), but you can still see the skill watching him.

He's going to be something special. I'm still just in joyous awe that we were able to snag him at #10. Couldn't be happier with his game so far.
 

Juxtaposer

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Dec 21, 2009
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Nichushkin just leads the Stars in 5v5 Corsi-Close after Roussel, despite not playing your typical sheltered rookie minutes. No big deal.
 

Klockis

Suter stan
Mar 21, 2013
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Cool, and thanks for the response. As a Canuck fan, it has become almost impossible to ask a question in a Nichushkin thread without being accused of trying to pump Bo Horvat's tires or something.

In terms of his play, what would you say he needs to work on in order to improve his offensive game? He's certainly got the size and skating already, and I've seen signs of a deadly wrist shot on his first NHL goal, but as with any young player there are likely still things he must still work on. Is it more about any particular skill (shot power, getting it off faster, etc) or just finding how to translate his existing skillset in the NA rinks? For example, does he need to become more 'selfish' and shoot more (based on his low shot total) or something like that?

Thanks.



He can't elevate the puck to save his life. But it will come as he progresses.
 

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