Quote:
Originally Posted by Table 5
The more I see Johnny the more I think he's more of a playmaker/setup man than he is a finisher. He needs to play with someone who's smart enough to anticipate what Johnny will be doing and be able to finish off his passes. He's Makarov looking for a Gary Roberts.
Perhaps Monahan could be that guy. Or perhaps a shoot-first guy like Dal Colle (despite him also being a left winger).
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I think you're only getting that impression because that's how team USA is utilizing him in this tourney. They're sticking him at the right side of the net on every PP, and it's an awkward position to be getting any kind of dangerous shot off, so he's obviously been tasked with setting up the d-men and skaters coming down the other side for the one timers. Smart, because he's the best passer on the team, but they're under utilizing his shot / finishing ability. I think you're forgetting that this kid was basically a goal per game all year. But I think he has elite skill in both regards.
If he translates his game to the NHL and reaches his ceiling he'll still be potting 30 or more a year IMO. He'll need a finisher on his line in the future though, no doubt.