Let's look at some comments regarding MPS around the draft. Some sligthly before and some after.
Quote:
MPS's skill set is just so impressive. Elite speed, elite lateral movement. Elite puck movement on the power play from everywhere in the offensive zone. An elite cannon of a shot. He even shows elite backchecking skills. The thing is, I don't see a killer instinct when it comes to scoring, like most elite players have. Some of the scouts that questioned his scoring ability were bang on IMO.
Still, his size, speed and skill is just so intriguing, so much so that I think his downside would have to be that of a player like Alex Kovalev; all world skills but always leaves you wanting more. When comparing him to Russian players, MPS needs a little more Ilya Kovalchuk in his game. That urgency to score every shift. Willingness to be a little selfish with the puck and drive to the net, and let the puck rip whenever he gets within 20 feet of the net, and not look for outlet passes. Until MSP is willing to do this, he will be an ultra skilled support player
Msp is a special talent as a swede one of the better we have ever had then we talk in the mold of forsberg and näslund.
Ofcourse its not sure he will end upp as good as they but he has the talent to be one of swedens better players ever.
I have to ask, is there any particular reason why scouts and critics alike don't think MSP could go #2, or even #1?
I mean personally, I like Hedman as #1 but if I were picking 2nd it would be Magnus without a doubt. From what I've seen and heard, he is so much more dynamic than John Tavares.
I just don't see JT living up to the hype while I see Magnus really flourishing in the NHL. Great skater, nice passer, vision, can snipe it... just the total package.
Is John Tavares really going to be that special, or is it simply a case of the great Canadian hype machine at work?
How did the scout reports look like? Amazing difference between people's view and actual outcome.
He had a ton of hype around here. I remember a lot of people talking about his low shooting percentage which had been a problem his whole career, there was concerns that he wouldn't have the scoring touch. So far it has proven to be true, I think he is an underrated passer (even if he has 0 assists this year) he seems like more of a play maker then anything, his numbers in the AHL show that too. When he has time to get it off he has a pretty good shot but the problem is he's usually shooting off the rush with a defenseman draped over his back.
I see him as a guy who will develop into a 10-20 goal 30-40 point 3rd liner who can slot into the top-6 and not hurt you too badly. Definitely not the "best swedish player since Forsberg"
He's made some good strides forward this year if anything, the thing is they're in areas that don't show up in the score sheet. He's becoming a little more physical and willing to use his size to his advantage (still a ways to go, but progress has been made), his defensive play is looking good and has been useful on the PK, and his puck carrying continues to be great.
I still don't see him ever being an elite top 6 forward by any means, but he could very well end up being as very high end 3rd liner or great fill in option in the top 6 for injuries or when a little extra size is needed. And certainly nothing close to a bust.
Really, never? clearly the Oilers thought he would be, or else they wouldn't have taken him 10th overall.
Meh. I had no illusions that he was going to be a star player. There was some hype when he entered the league because he did so alongside Hall and Eberle, but I don't think it was ever that realistic to think he'd be a Tavares or Staal.
And besides, the 10th overall pick isn't always that great.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Leman Russ
2012 Slater Koekkoek D Peterborough (OHL) Tampa Bay Lightning
2011 Jonas Brodin D Farjestad (Swe) Minnesota Wild
2010 Dylan McIlrath D Moose Jaw (WHL) New York Rangers
2009 Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson LW Timra (Swe) Edmonton Oilers
2008 Cody Hodgson C Brampton Vancouver Canucks
2007 Keaton Ellerby D Kamloops (WHL) Florida Panthers
2006 Michael Frolik RW Kladno (Cze) Florida Panthers
2005 Luc Bourdon D Val-d'Or Foreurs (QMJHL) Vancouver Canucks
2004 Boris Valabik D Kitchener Rangers (OHL) Atlanta Thrashers
2003 Andrei Kostitsyn LW/RW CSKA Moscow (Russia) Montreal Canadiens
2002 Eric Nystrom LW U. of Michigan (NCAA) Calgary Flames
2001 Dan Blackburn G Kootenay Ice (WHL) New York Rangers
10th overall isn't a guaranteed champ pick.
But I still think he'll be a decent player. Give him time.
I had thought it was really the Oilers fans that had expected all their young players to be "busts" because they haven't fully developed yet and are still a few years from their primes.
What the Oilers need right now is patience. I'd rather wait a couple of years and see where in the league these guys all are, instead of trading them right now. Magnus especially. He's learning that he may never be a top end goal scorer in the league, so he's been slowly converting himself into a defensive forward.
Yes. Either he's busting or he's biding his time until he's given a decent role.
He isn't a 'checker' by any stretch, certainly. 7 hits so far. 3 takeaways, matching his giveaways. His corsi isn't good. And he takes more pims/min than he draws. So if he's being turned into one, it isn't working.
Probably should've been kept down longer so he'd get hungrier. Now he's just wasting away. But there might be time to recover him.
The Oilers should have started him in the AHL, they made a huge mistake trying to hype the kid up in the way they did. As I wrote in another thread either they didn't scout him that well or they just didn't care about what their scouts said when they brought him overseas.
I also think that MPS has been overrated for a long time, he always had hands of stone and his hockey IQ was never that impressive to me. He can skate well and he is a hard worker but he can't play physical hockey at all. He was basically a one tricky pony (yes a bit exaggerated) in SEL, he always skated on the outside of the defenseman and then tried to break in towards the goal, beating the defenseman with his speed - it was obvious that it wouldn't work in NHL just like it didn't work against the better SEL defensemen.
I said from the start that he would be a good third-liner or a very average second-liner at best. I wouldn't mind if he proved me wrong though but I just don't see it happening - you can't rely on only speed if you want to make it against the best players in the world.
I think he has what it takes to play 10+ years in the NHL. If he spends a lot of them with Edmonton as a serviceable player then I wouldn't can him a bust regardless of which line he is on.
Yes. Either he's busting or he's biding his time until he's given a decent role.
He isn't a 'checker' by any stretch, certainly. 7 hits so far. 3 takeaways, matching his giveaways. His corsi isn't good. And he takes more pims/min than he draws. So if he's being turned into one, it isn't working.
Probably should've been kept down longer so he'd get hungrier. Now he's just wasting away. But there might be time to recover him. We all wish he would be more physical but he finishes his checks a lot but doesn't plant guys on their butts so he doesn't get a hit on the score sheet.
TOML
He has the best Corsi on the team after Hall RNH and Eberle. While the numbers aren't great he's doing pretty well in relation to his peers.
Regardless of his hit / takeaway stats he is still playing in the checking role and doing pretty well at it. He was even leaned on to kill penalties and he did pretty good in the role as well.
He has the best Corsi on the team after Hall RNH and Eberle. While the numbers aren't great he's doing pretty well in relation to his peers.
Regardless of his hit / takeaway stats he is still playing in the checking role and doing pretty well at it. He was even leaned on to kill penalties and he did pretty good in the role as well.
TAYLORHALL EDM LW 6.43
JORDANEBERLE EDM C 6.01
RYANNUGENT-HOPKINS EDM C 4.08
MAGNUSPAAJARVI-SVENSSON EDM LW -5.65
Hey you're right. Of course, his corsi is still not good. His corsiQoC, however, is 11th on the team.
Everything is relative, i suppose. Him being a 'checker' when he's not suited for it might indicate a lack of overall physicality on the team.
TAYLORHALL EDM LW 6.43
JORDANEBERLE EDM C 6.01
RYANNUGENT-HOPKINS EDM C 4.08
MAGNUSPAAJARVI-SVENSSON EDM LW -5.65
Hey you're right. Of course, his corsi is still not good. His corsiQoC, however, is 11th on the team.
Everything is relative, i suppose. Him being a 'checker' when he's not suited for it might indicate a lack of overall physicality on the team.
TOML
Not amazing no, but like I said it's good in relation to his peers.
He could definitely pick up the physicality. You could tell his was intimidated early in his career and was really shying away from that stuff but this year he's thrown the body a lot more. I have issues with the hit stat because like I said unless you plant the guy on his ass or take the puck you don't get credit for a hit. I see him finish multiple hits a game but he doesn't put the guys down usually so he doesn't get credit for the hits.
