Quote:
Originally Posted by GranteedEV
Tkachuk would not be my preference. Something about him just seems off. I would drop him a tier.
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What about him seems off? This year he definitely is the prospect that the scouts love but the casual fans who don't see him a ton seem to dislike or value lower. He doesn't get much love on HF at all.
Personally I think its mostly because he's a complimentary power forward type. Fans prefer the sexy pick, the flashy puck handler who can pick the corner (like a Nylander lets say) or the playmaking centre. I know that you know that in the NHL offence is very much about retaining possession through board battles, screening the goalie, mucking around the goal crease to get garbage goals, cross crease passes, etc. This is where sometimes the pure skill guy who plays a soft game never pans out. See our disappointment with Baertschi and Granlund who had high skill but couldn't win board battles to save their lives, couldn't stand in front of the net to screen the goalie and get deflections, just didn't have enough jam, physicality, and strength to overcome their size.
Tkachuk is the opposite. He's got the NHL style game already as he's the best player in the draft behind the net, around the crease, battling along the boards, being consistent and hard working every shift. That type of player and their role is often underrated by fans. That type of player does the hard work to win the board battles and then makes an outstanding pass to a wide open Marner. Complimentary power forwards can really open up space and create offensive situations for their line mates. That's part of why I like them, think they are undervalued and think we need one of each of our top two lines. Especially in this division where our rivals have loaded up 2-4 lines of power forward wingers. Fans often underrate how big a role Chris Simon played in our 2003-04 run with his work screening the goalie on the power play and the fact he won physical battles all over the ice while having the skill to pass or score as well.
Tkachuk would fit us like a glove, like many of the top winger prospects this year IMO. He's showed he can play with great players and make them better as he's shown in his time playing with Matthews in International Competitions and the US NDTP program and now with Marner and Dvorak to make the scariest line in the OHL. His biggest attributes are hockey sense, playmaking, work ethic, and puck protection. He'd be able to do the dirty work for Gaudreau/Monahan and set them up all day or finish their set ups or to combine with Bennett to make a deadly bang and crash but highly skilled duo.
I struggle to see what is not to like about Tkachuk. His only downside is he's not an elite skater but I don't think his skating will hold him back at all.