Quote:
Originally Posted by Erick Estrada
As a fan that watched him a lot I wouldn't say the skating issues are overblown. He's straight up not a great skater. He's managed to overcome his footspeed with his elite skills and hockey sense as there are few players in the league as good as him around the net. Still he's 25 years old and I think the skating issues are something that will be something to watch as he gets into his 30's. It's possible he needed to be in a place where his creativity was allowed to flourish as we just never saw this version of him in Calgary especially in the playoffs. I'm not a big Paul Maurice fan but him letting Tkachuk loose has definitely worked out but it also helps when you have a goaltender playing god mode.
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Guys that arent at least average skaters get top 3 Hart votes, unless they play goal.
He is not in any way a below average skater and with his hockey IQ, is well above.
He does have one of the more unorthadox styles we've ever seen granted. It looks sloppy/choppy and weird, but truth is, he always gets where he needs to be when he needs to be there.