Exceptional ES player in the mould of Burrows, in that he doesn't need the PP to put up numbers -- though, like Burrows, he may also just not have the right skillset to ever become a guy that can score on the PP.
I think he's a career 2nd/3rd line tweener. If the Canucks ever won a cup or two, he might have a career where he's thought of in the same breath as a guy like Holmstrom.
Pts/60 is even more telling - he was 97th in the league, the above were 220th, 161st, 314th and 202nd.
Give him consistently a better Center and he's top 60. That's top 6....in a 10 team league.
One of the best third liners in the league. He is at his best when he's creating turnovers, hitting, and being gritty - as a 2nd liner he'll be too worried about scoring. I think he's great where he is. That being said, I'd love to see him get more special teams time just to see what might happen.. seeing as currently he couldn't make it worse.
Pts/60 is even more telling - he was 97th in the league, the above were 220th, 161st, 314th and 202nd.
Give him consistently a better Center and he's top 60. That's top 6....in a 10 team league.
haven't we been asking this question since he got hit by Rob Niedermayer almost 6 years ago now
because he was looking down at the puck and not having that sixth sense needed
Jannik Hansen might have that one breakout season, then he'll fall back into his comfortable shell. he relies all too much on his feet rather than the anticipation of the play
You just about nailed it down to the tee.
Hansen's my favourite player on the roster. He's gritty, he's fast, he's good offensively for a third liner, he's great defensively, and he doesn't back down. He's not a natural scorer though.
Hansen should be playing with Kesler. Together, they're awesome defensively. Put Burrows on the left side and they're about as good as a defensive line as you'll get. Such a shame that Malhotra got injured.. he and Hansen were great together.
I think he'll eventually become a Burrows-level player, personally. On his own, he's not going to be a legitimate top six guy (Burrows looks less like one when he's off the Sedin line as well), but with the right linemates he can be that third player that makes everything click.
I think he'll eventually break 50 points and maybe top out at 55, personally. People only have doubts, like they did for Burrows, because he plays a 3rd line shutdown game.
It especially didn't help that in the playoffs, he looked physically ready and healthy, but like a chicken with his head cut off.
Last edited by Shareefruck: 02-09-2013 at 06:06 PM.
Hansen gets lost playing a top six role. He is the perfect third liner; great defense, gritty, fast and an offensive threat.
When he moves up the depth chart he sacrifices a lot of his grit and defense just to try a be slightly more productive offensively. He natural skill set would suggest that he plays an optimal third line role, with the ability to contribute from time to time on the first/second line.
A grittier Sami Kapanen with lousy hands. The kid is and will be a great bottom six toolbox player who can do everything but doesn't have a good enough scoring touch to get out of the bottom six.
A grittier Sami Kapanen with lousy hands. The kid is and will be a great bottom six toolbox player who can do everything but doesn't have a good enough scoring touch to get out of the bottom six.
Good lord. I'm agreeing with everything in a Balls Mahoney post. Someone check my ass for flying monkeys...
A grittier Sami Kapanen with lousy hands. The kid is and will be a great bottom six toolbox player who can do everything but doesn't have a good enough scoring touch to get out of the bottom six.
...who won't hurt you if you have to put someone up in the top six to cover for an absence.
I don't think he does anything great, but he does almost everything well. His best asset is speed followed by tenacity, which is pretty hard to dislike.
I could see him as a guy who scores in the 16-20 range year after year.
...who won't hurt you if you have to put someone up in the top six to cover for an absence.
I don't think he does anything great, but he does almost everything well. His best asset is speed followed by tenacity, which is pretty hard to dislike.
I could see him as a guy who scores in the 16-20 range year after year.
He's the kind of guy who I think is pretty useful in the playoffs. His stats from the 2010-11 season was 29pts/82 games and in the playoffs went 9pts/25 games - roughly the same pct (actually higher a tad) while the team scoring was generally way way down that playoffs. Then in the 2011-12 season he had 39pts/82 games. I like those numbers and now with that playoff experience under his belt and his again improved play this year leaves me more optimistic about his role with this team and his potential. No miracles but an important piece of the puzzle...
He'd be a 2nd liner on a lot of teams.
He's a great 3rd liner to have on our team.
As of right now, he's not a bonafide top 6 scorer.
Though to say he doesn't have the potential to become one, is a bit ridiculous.
No, I think a lot of people here are rating Hansen dead-on. He could be a top-6 player, but ideally, for a contending team, he's a really great 3rd line player. I don't doubt that Hansen could find a top-6 job if he wanted to, I just dont think he would thrive in that situation. He'd merely be a decent player in that position, whereas he's a great player in the position he's in right now.
