Taffe and Sjostrom....

[jacketracket*]

Hope you don't mind a question from an outsider,....

I don't get a chance to see many Coyotes games, but I've noticed from the box scores that Taffe seems to be getting some PP time every game, whereas Sjostrom isn't, and that Jeff has picked up a couple of PP assists in the past 2-3 games.

Yet, Sjostrom seems to get all the ink.

How do the two compare? Is Taffe the play-maker, and Sjostrom the finisher, or what? How do you see the two eventually developing?

Thanks!

[Waldo]

I think it is more of a matter of age and experience. Taffe is much older and has also played in the minors for a year while this is Sjostroms 1st pro year. Both are showing some poise but they are much more confident in Taffe in such a critical situation like the powerplay. They also like Taffe's play making ability and he should develop into a goalscorer too. But currently Taffe is the more experienced of the 2. They like Sjostroms speed on the PK though.

[The Viking]

Taffe seems to be finding a comfort level in Phoenix, so it's probably doubtful he will be going back to Springfield.

Sjostrom (or Sjoberg as a couple of colour commentators have referred to him) certainly has the tools and is contributing at this level but I wonder once again if he is better served playing 10-12 minutes in Phoenix or 20-25 minutes in Springfield?

[ParisSaintGermain]

Originally Posted by Waldo

I think it is more of a matter of age and experience. Taffe is much older and has also played in the minors for a year while this is Sjostroms 1st pro year. Both are showing some poise but they are much more confident in Taffe in such a critical situation like the powerplay. They also like Taffe's play making ability and he should develop into a goalscorer too. But currently Taffe is the more experienced of the 2. They like Sjostroms speed on the PK though.

The progression of Taffe's career is regular and classicaly conducted. He will gain playing time as his experience grows and I agree with the playmaking ability as a reason why he is regularly on the PP.
For Sjostrom, no one would have predicted that after three months at professional level he would be regularly playing with the Coyotes on the first line with Doan and Langkow. It is pretty amazing really, especially in a Bobby Francis's team.
I suspect there will be a few up and downs for Fredrik in the forthcoming months but his entousiasm, his genuine skills and his great skating pace will always be an asset for a pretty unpredictable team.

[ParisSaintGermain]

Originally Posted by The Viking

Taffe seems to be finding a comfort level in Phoenix, so it's probably doubtful he will be going back to Springfield.

Sjostrom (or Sjoberg as a couple of colour commentators have referred to him) certainly has the tools and is contributing at this level but I wonder once again if he is better served playing 10-12 minutes in Phoenix or 20-25 minutes in Springfield?

I believe it is better for him to play 10-12 minutes with the playoff contenders Coyotes than 25 minutes for the atrocious and uncompetitive team that is sadly the Falcons this year.

[Gwyddbwyll]

Dont know if people saw it already but there was a thread on the main board highlighting Rookie Points per minute stats. Presumably comes from the giant stat machine that is nhl.com

Anyway Sjostrom comes in with a point every 30 minutes and Taffe has a point every 45 minutes. Good enough to place Sjostrom 6th among rookies (alongside Bergeron and Stajan) and Taffe is around 25th (similar to Koltsov and Roy) - if you eliminate rookies who have not played any meaningful time in the NHL.

Link: http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?p=802303#post802303

[jacketracket*]

Interesting stats on rookie scoring, stevex---thanks for the link!

Thanks to all for the info.