I know he still has the occasional brain cramp, but Emelin really impressed me in the last week.
I just saw a statistic in La Presse:
Blocked shots in the last week for our Rookie Quatuor:
Emelin: 14
Weber: 4
Diaz: 3
St-Denis: 2
That's pretty impressive for Emelin. I know he's big... Still..
Also, during last week, Emelin apparently have more checks (16) than the rest of our defensemen put together (15)
The man is really taking his stride. I believe he is like Hal Gill, at home when then game is tighter. Emelin might prove to be invaluable during the Endseason
I think he is more physical then Gill, has much more speed and can get a better shot off quicker then Gill. Although Gill is good for his long stick and his road block type style on the 5-on-3's, but Emelin could become a much better player. Gill is a defensive d-men. Emelin could become a two-way d-men.
The knock i see on Emelin is when he fights in the corners and just fighting along the boards he seems to back off a bit. Players like Diaz, Gorges, Subban and (most of the time) Weber attack the player in the corners and fight to get the puck loose or under control. I do like the physical presence he brings and he definitely has decent hockey sense and understands it very well, but he just seems to lose his position sometimes. I think if the Habs keep this kid he can become a more effective player.
If used and molded well he can be a 3-7 goal guy, 20-25 assists guy a + player and a big hitter. I am not comparing but i think he could be a Nik Kronwall type player.
Ups and downs are expected, hopefully, he continues to improve his overall game. The tools all seem to be there and his willingness to block shots and hit are terrific assets. The good news with all these injuries is that Emelin is getting some excellent ice time. We'll see how he does tonight against the Bruins. This game will be a big test for all of our young D.
Emelin just needs time. He has all the tools, everyone just needs to be patient.
This,
I hope Emelin is patient aswell. All the tools are there for him to be a top 4 D-men for a very good 5-6 guy. I think he just need time to learn and adjust. His positioning is his weakness, and hopeful Markov can help him out with that.
I still don't get the Gill similarities. The both block shots I guess?
Completely different players.
They are both efficient shot blockers who perform their defensive capability much better when the play is closed by our forwards, like in the 2nd half of the season. When the play is open, they are a bit at loss.
They are both efficient shot blockers who perform their defensive capability much better when the play is closed by our forwards, like in the 2nd half of the season. When the play is open, they are a bit at loss.
Just read the damn thread next time.
I read the op and I still do not get the similarities either. All defensemen, offensive or defensive, play better when they have help from their forwards.
The only similarity is the shot blocking, otherwise they are entirely different. Really bad comparison.
I still don't get the Gill similarities. The both block shots I guess?
Completely different players.
This. It's like saying a Seadoo is a younger smaller Queen Elizabeth II. They both float but not much similarity otherwise.
Emelin's development means that Gill is surplus when health returns. For all the mostly silly talk about trade deadlines Gill is actually one of those players that has the experience other teams may desire going into the playoffs. A third round pick and it's a done deal for me.
I read the op and I still do not get the similarities either. All defensemen, offensive or defensive, play better when they have help from their forwards.
The only similarity is the shot blocking, otherwise they are entirely different. Really bad comparison.
All D work better with the help of forwards, but not all D have as much marginal efficiency increase between little support to heavy support. The efficiency of players like Gorges ain't increasing that much compared to an open game. While Gill and Emelin see a drastic change in the effectiveness.
Ergo, they are not similar in playstyle, but they will be similar in progression curve over the year. You hate Gill at the start of the season, you love him at the end.
He looks like a talented guy getting used to the league and the speed. He'll have an awesome game, then a bad one, then a good one, then an awful one. I think he's someone they should work on though.
Someone mentioned that in Russia, because of the ice size, they don't play a zone very often, they play the man. I think that makes it a lot easier to understand his occasional blown coverage, he's been playing a different strategy for years.
All D work better with the help of forwards, but not all D have as much marginal efficiency increase between little support to heavy support. The efficiency of players like Gorges ain't increasing that much compared to an open game. While Gill and Emelin see a drastic change in the effectiveness.
Ergo, they are not similar in playstyle, but they will be similar in progression curve over the year. You hate Gill at the start of the season, you love him at the end.
I feel it might be the same for Emelin.
I do not necessarily agree. I think Emelin just needs time to adapt, you can tell he is confused at times, whereas Gill just is not so good.
We do not even know if both will be in the line up by season's end anyways.
Once he gets paired up with Markov (hopefully that's what they intend on doing), we should be able to see what he is truly capable of. Nothing like getting instant feedback on the ice or on the bench that he can fully understand
I just hope he's still around by the time Markov gets back...
Like I said many times before.....the Habs DO NOT need Hal Gill in their lineup!!! He is the slowest hockey player in the entire NHL....he won't hit or play tough and physical and he's not that good of a defencemen.
Emelin is a much better choice than Gill because Emelin has foot-speed and grit. He blocked shots and throws body checks too....something we've been missing since Hamrlik was allowed to walk (We should have re-signed Hammer and let Gill walk).
Gill provides a veteran presence.....nothing more. Any of our other veterans could have provided the same thing and we didn't need to bring Gill back. Its time we give the icetime to our up and coming young defencemen (Weber, Diaz and Emelin) and forget about guys like Gill and Spacek.
They are both efficient shot blockers who perform their defensive capability much better when the play is closed by our forwards, like in the 2nd half of the season. When the play is open, they are a bit at loss.
Just read the damn thread next time.
I read the OP and the only similarity I see is that they block a lot of shots. He hits better, skates better, handles the puck better, passes better, shoots better. I'd sooner compare him to Gorges.
I'm not sure how I feel about the idea of putting him with Markov, from what I've seen he's clearly had his best games playing on the left side. He's more comfortable throwing hip checks while crossing over to his left.
