GDT: Toronto at Columbus || 2/22/22 7pm EST

[DougKnowsBest]

What a guy

 

[wabagee]

What a game last night. Wasn’t the prettiest but so much excitement, The crowd was awesome. Werenski and Voracek were both instrumental setting up the winner!

 

[majormajor]

I like Sillinger A LOT, but I can’t disagree with you. Is the greater need for development, or improvement in perceived lack of speed? I don’t know if he’s slow foot-speed or just still processing a half-count behind? If the latter, agree with letting him percolate in Cleveland. If it’s footspeed issue, does Cleveland really help?

From other sports experience, you can always improve raw speed incrementally, but if baseline is slow, slow can improve to average+, but never get to “fast.” Does that observation translate to skating? Or are changes in skating technique capable of producing dramatic change? And of course this paragraph presumes Sillinger is below average in foot speed - which may not be accurate.

His foot speed isn't good but you can also point the finger at stride length, it's too short. Both of those are coachable to an extent. There are some players that go from bad skating to very good, though that's a bit rare and I think we'd all be thrilled if Sillinger can even get to average. With his skill set and average skating that would be a hell of a player.

Yes Cleveland is the best place for that. They have skating coaches with the Monsters. For example - when TFW got called up he told the story of getting pulled from a power skating session to go to the big club. The NHL schedule doesn't have time for extra training, Sillinger has to be focus game to game. AHL players usually get to train from Monday through Thursday.

 

[majormajor]

Before coming in to this season the expection was that he is the single winger who doesnt need a great center because he is the an excellent playdriver himself.

I wouldnt put this on a lack of center.
Maybe a lingering injury, or hard time adapting to Larsen after being under Torts for his whole career, or just simply a down year for no particular reason. In any case, Im confident he'll get his form back with time.

I don't think Bjorkstrand needs very good linemates but having everyone on the same page would help. With Torts, most of the lines were just dump and chase and everyone would be either in on the forecheck or in support of it. Now it seems we have more failed dump-ins with guys all over the place. My guess is that that is the big reason Bjorkstrand hasn't been as effective. He's not much of a rush guy. Put him with Tex when he gets back and that duo might get back it. Tex is similarly geared towards forechecking hockey and not rush play.

 

[Ippenator]

His foot speed isn't good but you can also point the finger at stride length, it's too short. Both of those are coachable to an extent. There are some players that go from bad skating to very good, though that's a bit rare and I think we'd all be thrilled if Sillinger can even get to average. With his skill set and average skating that would be a hell of a player.

Yes Cleveland is the best place for that. They have skating coaches with the Monsters. For example - when TFW got called up he told the story of getting pulled from a power skating session to go to the big club. The NHL schedule doesn't have time for extra training, Sillinger has to be focus game to game. AHL players usually get to train from Monday through Thursday.

I have been also watching quite attentively his skating and I have come to the same conclusion. He has quite short and also relatively weak strides. He can get to a pretty good top speed gradually, but his short and weak strides make his acceleration below average or even quite bad in some occasions. This doesn’t work too well in small NHL rinks. And as he doesn’t have a long reach, he can’t compensate his lack of acceleration as well as a tall player could do.

The more I have seen him play, the more I have been disappointed in his skating. Part of the problem could be also some lack of stamina, which can be often the case with some younger players whose skating looks quite average and inefficient. The stamina should be easiest to fix, although it will take some time to clearly improve. And the same goes with the lack of explosive strength that he seems to have with his leg muscles. But all should be possible to improve. Just lets not expect quick results in just one off-season.

 

[ColumbusTrill]

One thing I'd like to see Sillinger get better at is his deking/stickhandling. He is really poor on zone entries. It's basically always a turnover if he doesn't dump it in

 

[majormajor]

One thing I'd like to see Sillinger get better at is his deking/stickhandling. He is really poor on zone entries. It's basically always a turnover if he doesn't dump it in

That's interesting because he was phenomenal at that in junior.

It's another thing that will improve when the skating does, right now he can dangle all he wants, if he isn't going to skate around someone the handling won't get him anywhere.

 

[MoeTheHobo]

I'm been thinking about how CBJ is kinda fun to watch nowadays. There are still major issues on all positions but at least there's some bite. Compare it to last year where it was impossible to get the puck into the offensive zone and if it somehow got in the team was clueless on what to do next, hoping Atkinson would derp a goal or two.

 

[ColumbusTrill]

That's interesting because he was phenomenal at that in junior.

It's another thing that will improve when the skating does, right now he can dangle all he wants, if he isn't going to skate around someone the handling won't get him anywhere.

Yep. I see him trying that Laine move where he swings the puck between the defenders stick and skates but he either puts it right into the d-man's stick or doesn't have the reach or speed that Laine does to get around him

 

[Ippenator]

That's interesting because he was phenomenal at that in junior.

It's another thing that will improve when the skating does, right now he can dangle all he wants, if he isn't going to skate around someone the handling won't get him anywhere.

Again I have to very much agree with you. This is often the main problem for not so well skating players who seem to have problems with their stickhandling. Their skating prevents them from gaining enough separation with and without the puck. That leads into way too little of time and space when handling the puck, and then leads into losing puck control way too easily and causing easy turnovers.

 

[tunnelvision]

One thing I'd like to see Sillinger get better at is his deking/stickhandling. He is really poor on zone entries. It's basically always a turnover if he doesn't dump it in

That's interesting because he was phenomenal at that in junior.

It's another thing that will improve when the skating does, right now he can dangle all he wants, if he isn't going to skate around someone the handling won't get him anywhere.

Again I have to very much agree with you. This is often the main problem for not so well skating players who seem to have problems with their stickhandling. Their skating prevents them from gaining enough separation with and without the puck. That leads into way too little of time and space when handling the puck, and then leads into losing puck control way too easily and causing easy turnovers.

Perhaps it is partially a psychological thing for him too: the lack of speed limits all the options you can do with the puck, and knowing that limiting factor puts more pressure on decision making with the puck which has (conscious and subconscious?) negative effects on stickhandling?

I could be totally wrong with my observations but to me it seems Sillinger already has (or is very close to having that level of stamina) the stamina and leg muscles to add explosiveness to his skating and be better at accelerating. The effort is there with how quickly he moves his feet. It's more of technique issue, strides are rather short and weak as you said, and on top of that I think the inside edges are not very durable. I believe that with more efficient edge work as a puck carrier he could create much more separation from the forecheck and make zone entries with seemingly less effort.

 

[Vapaatunnus]

Yep. I see him trying that Laine move where he swings the puck between the defenders stick and skates but he either puts it right into the d-man's stick or doesn't have the reach or speed that Laine does to get around him

Difference is that Laine takes two strides and then just glides, it is more difficult to predict where he goes then. That is always same thing with tall players, you can watch Barkov and Malkin also for example.

 

[Forepar]

His foot speed isn't good but you can also point the finger at stride length, it's too short. Both of those are coachable to an extent. There are some players that go from bad skating to very good, though that's a bit rare and I think we'd all be thrilled if Sillinger can even get to average. With his skill set and average skating that would be a hell of a player.

Yes Cleveland is the best place for that. They have skating coaches with the Monsters. For example - when TFW got called up he told the story of getting pulled from a power skating session to go to the big club. The NHL schedule doesn't have time for extra training, Sillinger has to be focus game to game. AHL players usually get to train from Monday through Thursday.

Thanks Major. After 22 years, I feel like I’m pretty solid at understanding positioning, supporting the puck, etc…but the basic skill of skating is something I can’t do and don’t know what I’m looking for when trying to figure out why one player is fast and another is slow. Your explanation was great! Never really thought about training time availability difference - usually focused more on difference in TOI, chance to be on PP, and to gain confidence against pros but not against the elite in NHL. The concept of percolating in AHL just took on a little more nuance.