He is strong on his skates - looks like a player that is hard to knock down in the video posted by Boreal. He will only become even more difficult to knock down as he builds up strength. i like the potential that he has as a package - "Iginla-lite" in a way (yes, emphasis on the lite).
What I am trying to say is that he seems like a decent skating powerforward that is hard to knock off pucks, who has a strong IQ and a very good shot, with underrated playmaking and puckhandling abilities. He also seems to have the ability to both drive the net and be effective at doing so, as well as score from range. It is not easy to see why Conroy was trying to move up to snag him. It is an attractive package overall. Skating issues are incredibly overblown in this case, especially considering how strong he is on them and how well he protects the puck.
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I agree that the skating issues are getting overblown. Suniev may not be an absolute burner, but is strong on the puck and can move. I think it just shows that he has room for improvement (as all 17 year olds would) and that if there were no weaknesses, he would have been a 1st rounder.
Similar for Lipinski. Conroy or Button mentioned how much he improved and how strong he is on the puck. Just needs to work on pace, which shouldn't be surprising for a guy picked in the 100s.
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Not to dismiss you, but this "working on skating" thing is total horsecrap. If you are at the age of getting drafted, you cannot "work on your skating" unless you get hip surgery. It is locked in at that point. I'd say he needs to go to Belfry and work with what he is, that's the coach I want him with.
Tkachuk is a brutal skater but it doesn't matter.
Its like saying he needs to work on his height.
If saying working on your skating is like working on your height then why do professional hockey players continue to work with skating coaches?
No one is taking a completely flawed skater and making them elite after the age of 18.
However, with a sound base that all draft calibre players have, they can continually make marginal improvements and refine their movements based on how their body grows and changes with age.
Aydar obviously has that base, and like others can refine and improve it if he puts the work in.
Even Tkachuk got better with time, especially regarding puck protection and his transitions. He’ll never be a burner, but that is also due to his mass & body type.
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Not to dismiss you, but this "working on skating" thing is total horsecrap. If you are at the age of getting drafted, you cannot "work on your skating" unless you get hip surgery. It is locked in at that point. I'd say he needs to go to Belfry and work with what he is, that's the coach I want him with.
So he "worked on his skating"? Grant didn't do a good job with his skating? They all "work on their skating" every one of them, even the good skaters "work on their skating".
Its a hockey nerd thing, because we think this is dungeons and dragons where you can increase a characters Dexterity or Charisma.
They all do intense spring/summer camps that work on all the things. Go to FCA this summer and you will see Adam Lowry and Eberle "working on their skating".
So he "worked on his skating"? Grant didn't do a good job with his skating? They all "work on their skating" every one of them, even the good skaters "work on their skating".
Its a hockey nerd thing, because we think this is dungeons and dragons where you can increase a characters Dexterity or Charisma.
They all do intense spring/summer camps that work on all the things. Go to FCA this summer and you will see Adam Lowry and Eberle "working on their skating".
While there is randomness to it all, there are definitely guys whose skating mechanics and physical traits improved by leaps and bounds in the few years following their draft. Getting the guidance of professional training, professional skating coaches, and tons of video work is a real thing. Yes, at some point players stop making great improvements, but at age 17-18 they are closer to a blank canvas than not
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So he "worked on his skating"? Grant didn't do a good job with his skating? They all "work on their skating" every one of them, even the good skaters "work on their skating".
Its a hockey nerd thing, because we think this is dungeons and dragons where you can increase a characters Dexterity or Charisma.
They all do intense spring/summer camps that work on all the things. Go to FCA this summer and you will see Adam Lowry and Eberle "working on their skating".
Yes, he worked on his skating. He got professional instruction and heeded it.
He wasn't even a good skater, now he's more than good.
One the other hand there are things that are more innate or developed in early childhood:
hockey sense
hand-eye coordination / foot-eye coordination
vision / overall awareness
ability to make skilled plays in traffic
competitiveness
size ( )
When drafting, it's easy to fall in love with aspects from the first list, but that is how you end up with Rico Fata
Skating or defense are not areas that can be entirely projected at draft time the way the items on the second list can.
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One the other hand there are things that are more innate or developed in early childhood:
hockey sense
hand-eye coordination / foot-eye coordination
vision / overall awareness
ability to make skilled plays in traffic
competitiveness
size ( )
When drafting, it's easy to fall in love with aspects from the first list, but that is how you end up with Rico Fata
Skating or defense are not areas that can be entirely projected at draft time the way the items on the second list can.
Add overll fitness to the first list. It takes some kids a while to figure out how to be a pro when the playing field levels out versus junior.
Which he will do. It’s just stupid for us idiots to suggest it like we are smaht. Hell even Paul Baxter probably worked on his skating.
They all work on it as in get a lesson or two. Fewer actually work on it as in doing the homeowrk and drills outside of lessons. Evidence: Tkachuk versus Point. Same instructor, different followup.
Skating is a talent
all these players had training up to this point
Improvement would be minor, even with additional training
Drai, Tkachuk and Point have other world class skills , if Suniev has any of that he will be fine even with mediocre skating
The more I see of this kid the more I like him, and I mean thinking he might be the best player selected in this draft by the Flames. Really stopped paying attention to Junior A a while ago, but there is some talent there. Now it will be interesting to see how he does in college and playing against better competition but I really like everything I've seen of this player. Definitely wasn't just leeching off a couple of other high producing players. Looked like he could stir the drink all on his own, especially on the forecheck.
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Skating is a talent
all these players had training up to this point
Improvement would be minor, even with additional training
Drai, Tkachuk and Point have other world class skills , if Suniev has any of that he will be fine even with mediocre skating
It’s true that’s those guys have other skills and that makes them excell. But Point and to a lesser extent Draisaitl didn’t have minor improvement. Point is now an excellent skater, and Draisaitl is pretty darn good.
I’m surprised this is even a discussion after all the stories about Point and his skating.
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It's always a good sign when players make huge sacrifices to move over at a young age and master English so early on. This kid has a great head on his shoulders, and he's clearly not afraid to make big sacrifices.
I wouldn't be surprised if his development goes well.
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