Quote:
Originally Posted by Levitate
Most guys just drafted can't keep up with the NHLs tempo. Even guys who are good skaters when they're drafted often have to continue improving their skating so that they're on a NHL level.
"good skater" when applied to recently drafted players usually just means "good skater compared to their age group", not compared to NHL players
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Exactly, Grachev is better then most guys drafted, definitly not far atleast from the avg 1st round pick in talent, but his skating is the aspect he needs to work on the most IMO. Not his strength, stickhandling et c. But also become smarter at keeping up with the tempo.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Avy
All i have - 4 WJC games. He was among best skaters in russian team. Not a speedster ofcourse but he don't need super speed with this frame. He is better sketer than Anisimov for sure.
I don't know about Franzen... he kinda build like him and skate similarly. "Battleship" is very very accurate word to dicribe him at lest then he playing aginst kids.
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For a player his size he is a excellent skater. But to make it to the NHL he needs to become a very good skater, no matter his size, if you know what I mean. Like before you played size, and if the size could skate thats a plus. Today its the otherway around almost. You need speed, and if you got size on top of that thats a plus...
But don't get me wrong, I am not saying that skating is a weakness, I am saying its one of the aspect he needs to improve probably.
You can still get by in the NHL without that speed, if you are really smart. Voros for example is pretty smart and gets by that way.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Trxjw
I always cringe a little bit when people start looking for NHL comparisons for prospects. If he turns out to be Franzen part II, I'll be ecstatic, but I don't want to set a marker for the guys career before it really even gets off the ground.
(Mind you Franzen got off to a semi-slow start at the NHL level)
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Yeah, I always try to point out when I use a NHLer as comparison that I am only talking about
STYLE only.