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Calgary4LIfe · 04-10-2016, 03:07 PM

Regarding Laine - others have chimed in with their reasons as to why he seems great - loads of skill and seems to be near generational in terms of goal scoring. What I also like about him is his size (apparently, he is 6'5" now, right?) and that he plays physical. Out of Mathews and Puljujarvi, he is the most physical (and nasty at times) out of the three. I rank his board play much higher as well, and thus why I feel he is absolutely the best complimentary player for the top line on the Flames.

Tkachuk - I 100% feel he is a power forward, and looks to translate as such. He is 4 inches shorter than Laine (6'1" from what I gather so far), but he plays physically more regularly. Now, people think power-forward, and they envision a guy bowling guys over in the corners, or driving the net and have guys bouncing off of him. That is not a power forward... that is Eric Lindros, and he is not available this draft. What Tkachuk does so well is compete in the corners quite well, gets a bit nasty while doing it, and often comes away with the puck. What makes him incredibly valuable is that he also has very good vision and makes outstanding passes once he gets the puck on his stick, and his finish around the net is probably bordering on how well Mathews finishes. I think he is the guy that stirs the drink on that line, while his linemates are just 'flashier'. He drives the net well and gets positioning there - he is tough to move. He has that desire for the puck that makes him get out-competed for the puck a rare thing.

Dubois - I have him above Tkachuk at a solid 4 right now - but only because he plays a 200ft game and has a non-stop motor. I think Tkachuk seems like the better finisher around the net, but Dubois is a nastier but slightly less skilled and slower than Puljujarvi. I see him as a guy that can pitch-in in all 3 zones and really help puck possession, as well as adding physicality that the Flames still lack in their top 6. Just a better all-around player than Tkachuk, but Tkachuk is a bit better along the boards and has (IMO) better vision.

Puljujarvi - I have him SOLIDLY at #3. There is nobody that should be displacing him. He is FAST. He is big (6'4). He can pass and has great vision. He can score goals - a big step down from Laine, but I think he will be the better goal scorer even over Tkachuk. It is like Dubois on steroids - minus the nastiness. Also, his exuberance is second to none - just look at that big smile on his face. Apparently he is a favorite guy in the locker room as well (character is important). What is fascinating about Puljujarvi is that he has NO WEAKNESSES. The only reasons why the guys ahead of him are ranked higher is because they are absolutely elite in a couple of areas. Puljujarvi is a bit of a step down, BUT he has the potential to develop into a better player than those two above him. I wouldn't bet on it, but it isn't out of his reach either. His skating is simply elite - that is the only elite thing out of him that I see anyways. However, literally everything else about his game I consider 'really good' - he can play physical and does it well (though he isn't nasty), he has a really good shot - both wrister and one-timers, he plays a solid 200ft game as a winger, he has the most vision in terms of play-making out of the top 5 I think (yes, including Mathews), and he has arguably a better non-stop motor than Dubois.

Laine
Mathews
Puljujarvi
Dubois
Tkachuk
Chychrun
Juloevi
Sergachev
Nylander
McLeod

That is my ranking.

04-10-2016, 03:07 PM	#2056
Calgary4LIfe Franchise Player Join Date: Jun 2010 Exp:	Regarding Laine - others have chimed in with their reasons as to why he seems great - loads of skill and seems to be near generational in terms of goal scoring. What I also like about him is his size (apparently, he is 6'5" now, right?) and that he plays physical. Out of Mathews and Puljujarvi, he is the most physical (and nasty at times) out of the three. I rank his board play much higher as well, and thus why I feel he is absolutely the best complimentary player for the top line on the Flames. Tkachuk - I 100% feel he is a power forward, and looks to translate as such. He is 4 inches shorter than Laine (6'1" from what I gather so far), but he plays physically more regularly. Now, people think power-forward, and they envision a guy bowling guys over in the corners, or driving the net and have guys bouncing off of him. That is not a power forward... that is Eric Lindros, and he is not available this draft. What Tkachuk does so well is compete in the corners quite well, gets a bit nasty while doing it, and often comes away with the puck. What makes him incredibly valuable is that he also has very good vision and makes outstanding passes once he gets the puck on his stick, and his finish around the net is probably bordering on how well Mathews finishes. I think he is the guy that stirs the drink on that line, while his linemates are just 'flashier'. He drives the net well and gets positioning there - he is tough to move. He has that desire for the puck that makes him get out-competed for the puck a rare thing. Dubois - I have him above Tkachuk at a solid 4 right now - but only because he plays a 200ft game and has a non-stop motor. I think Tkachuk seems like the better finisher around the net, but Dubois is a nastier but slightly less skilled and slower than Puljujarvi. I see him as a guy that can pitch-in in all 3 zones and really help puck possession, as well as adding physicality that the Flames still lack in their top 6. Just a better all-around player than Tkachuk, but Tkachuk is a bit better along the boards and has (IMO) better vision. Puljujarvi - I have him SOLIDLY at #3. There is nobody that should be displacing him. He is FAST. He is big (6'4). He can pass and has great vision. He can score goals - a big step down from Laine, but I think he will be the better goal scorer even over Tkachuk. It is like Dubois on steroids - minus the nastiness. Also, his exuberance is second to none - just look at that big smile on his face. Apparently he is a favorite guy in the locker room as well (character is important). What is fascinating about Puljujarvi is that he has NO WEAKNESSES. The only reasons why the guys ahead of him are ranked higher is because they are absolutely elite in a couple of areas. Puljujarvi is a bit of a step down, BUT he has the potential to develop into a better player than those two above him. I wouldn't bet on it, but it isn't out of his reach either. His skating is simply elite - that is the only elite thing out of him that I see anyways. However, literally everything else about his game I consider 'really good' - he can play physical and does it well (though he isn't nasty), he has a really good shot - both wrister and one-timers, he plays a solid 200ft game as a winger, he has the most vision in terms of play-making out of the top 5 I think (yes, including Mathews), and he has arguably a better non-stop motor than Dubois. Laine Mathews Puljujarvi Dubois Tkachuk Chychrun Juloevi Sergachev Nylander McLeod That is my ranking. Last edited by Calgary4LIfe; 04-10-2016 at 03:10 PM.