I just see him as a PP specialist, I thought he would much more dynamic but is pretty quiet on the ice. The only real stand-out skill he has is his one-timer wrist shot.
Yea, guys who don't look dynamic usually end up being specialists (e.g. Lidstrom).
The only real stand-out skill he has is his one-timer wrist shot.
As as Ducks fan I've followed him several years and he has for sure 3 standout skills to me.
Skating, wrister and hockey IQ. The Oilers got a stud, that was mainly the reason why it was so hard to swallow what he did to the Ducks organisation. I hate to say but he will become a very good one. I'm not sure about his overall upside but I think he will become a great #2 D.
He's real good. It'll be interesting to see what teams decide to do about the football field worth of space he's getting on the blue line though. Take it away and you're giving the kids up front more room for fun.
I've actually noticed forwards like to stay high at the point on him. He doesn't move a whole lot on the PP, it's more when the Oilers move the puck like they can that he finds some open ice.
As as Ducks fan I've followed him several years and he has for sure 3 standout skills to me.
Skating, wrister and hockey IQ. The Oilers got a stud, that was mainly the reason why it was so hard to swallow what he did to the Ducks organisation. I hate to say but he will become a very good one. I'm not sure about his overall upside but I think he will become a great #2 D.
His stick defensively is also tremendous. He really has no major weaknesses IMO. He is very poised and calm, if there's one thing that he could work on it's his strength which isn't unusual for most young players.
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Very early in his career but through his first 10 NHL games:
3-3-6 (3PPG) +1 (best on the team for a d-man) only 2 pim. 29 shots on goal (10.3% shooting %) and he's averaging 23:10 minutes/game (best on the team for a d-man).
He is 3-2-5 on the PP and his other assist came with 6 players on the ice.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr Jan Itor
Powerplay specialist
Nothing wrong with that at this point.
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Originally Posted by 5RingsAndABeer
I'm really impressed with his defensive game. He wasn't that great in the AHL defensively, but he has been fantastic in the NHL.
Fantastic might be a bit extreme but he is handling himself quite well in the defensive zone. It will be interesting to see if he, and the Oilers for that matter, can begin to must some 5-5 offense.
With there current situation at center we might have to wait until later in the year or next year to gauge their collective progress.
He is 3-2-5 on the PP and his other assist came with 6 players on the ice.
Nothing wrong with that at this point.
Fantastic might be a bit extreme but he is handling himself quite well in the defensive zone. It will be interesting to see if he, and the Oilers for that matter, can begin to must some 5-5 offense.
With there current situation at center we might have to wait until later in the year or next year to gauge their collective progress.
The Oilers have 9 ES goals this year, not even 1 a game, that is not on Schultz that is on the forwards. Just the other night he set Eberle up with a wide open net and he fired it high. He can't make the pass and finish it off too. I expect that number to start to grow as our forwards start scoring more at ES (can't get any worse since we are dead last in the league right now for ES GF).
The Oilers have 9 ES goals this year, not even 1 a game, that is not on Schultz that is on the forwards. Just the other night he set Eberle up with a wide open net and he fired it high. He can't make the pass and finish it off too. I expect that number to start to grow as our forwards start scoring more at ES (can't get any worse since we are dead last in the league right now for ES GF).
I watched that game and yes Eberle scores that goal 99 times out of a 100.
Yes the lack of 5-5 scoring does fall more on the forwards, not winning enough face offs in a crucial factor.
But the bottom line is that Schultz was brought in for his offense, he has to provide it 5-5 as well for the team to get better.
Being the best Dman on a team does bring responsibilities. Surrounding Schultz and those skilled forwards with some grit and size will help long term as well for the team overall.
I think he has a long way to go, he will keep getting better. He is so smart and efficient. He is our number 1 dman right now, but give it some time and I think he will be a #1 dman on any team.
I don't know who you have been watching but Schultz is so calm with the puck and decision making has really impressed me for a 22 yr old dman.
The kid is arguably the best player on our team right now.
ATM he is. Once he feels comfortable defensively at NHL level I think his 5 in 5 scoring will go up as he takes a few more risks. Defensively he's looked more ready than expected.
I don't know who you have been watching but Schultz is so calm with the puck and decision making has really impressed me for a 22 yr old dman.
Huh? I have been watching Schultz...why, did you think I think anything different from what you just said? I said he is so efficient and is our best dman. I mean he has a long way to go because I feel he has not come anywhere close to his potential yet. I think he is going to be one of the better dmen in the NHL in a few years.
I watched that game and yes Eberle scores that goal 99 times out of a 100.
Yes the lack of 5-5 scoring does fall more on the forwards, not winning enough face offs in a crucial factor.
But the bottom line is that Schultz was brought in for his offense, he has to provide it 5-5 as well for the team to get better.
Being the best Dman on a team does bring responsibilities. Surrounding Schultz and those skilled forwards with some grit and size will help long term as well for the team overall.
He has been erring on the side of caution at ES most of the time, only in a small handful of games have I seen him really engage offensively, when he does it is very impressive how seamlessly he can do that and still get back on D, the kid is an amazing talent. 4 goals now on 32 shots, he's starting to look more comfortable shooting of late as well.
What I've liked most is that he's been extremely safe and defensively responsible, nothing gets you in a coach's doghouse quicker than taking risky offensive chances that may only work at the AHL level.
His wrister is ridiculous, I remember thinking that he would have an adjustment period and not be coming out of the gate so strong because a wrist shot from the point isn't good enough at the NHL level, man is he ever proving me wrong right now. He is intelligent to know when to creep in to get to a spot where he can beat the goalie cleanly or he can pick corners from the point if a competent screen is done. He's just a treat to watch.
I think he'll start taking chances more offensively at even-strength and engaging in some serious rushes once he feels he's gained the trust of the coaching staff, he's doing such a great job defensively right now. Truly the right way to go about things, make sure that part of his game is down pat first and then add elements on top of that. I'd say he's definitely been our best defender thus far in terms of defense. Of cours, I'm sure Nick's steadiness plays a role in that too though.
