Jensen

[krsmith17 7,191]

I wouldn't be at all surprised if Frk becomes an NHL player, just not a top line player... next season... Also, both Pulkkinen and Frk as well as teammates have said that Frk's shot is actually harder than Pulkkinen's, just not quite as accurate. I don't think it's that bold of a prediction to say that he could be a third line power play specialist at the NHL level, I'm just not sure if we will have a spot for him...

[Bill Berzeench 310]

Lol keep Bill on here ... my polo... LOL

Ha ha ha ha.

No prob, krs. I do say things that are dumb and sometimes 100 percent wrong. I get that. But I mean well. I deserve some gruff for sure.

Now lets watch the game and rag on each others' favorite guys. Mine's Smith, so I'm an easy target right now.

[krsmith17 7,191]

Smith is probably the only thing we've ever agreed on here... It's all good though.

[Bill Berzeench 310]

Smith is probably the only thing we've ever agreed on here... It's all good though.

Thumbs up

[DickieDunn 2,571]

NHL defenses close the gap quicker than AHL defenses, and NHL goalies close holes that AHL goalies leave wide open. That's why guys can score a ton in te minors and do nothing in the NHL. It's like college football players. Tim Tebow dominated at Florida when he was bigger and faster than college linebackers. He got to the pros and they were all as big as him or bigger and faster and he was terrible.

[Buppy 1,720]

NHL defenses close the gap quicker than AHL defenses, and NHL goalies close holes that AHL goalies leave wide open. That's why guys can score a ton in te minors and do nothing in the NHL. It's like college football players. Tim Tebow dominated at Florida when he was bigger and faster than college linebackers. He got to the pros and they were all as big as him or bigger and faster and he was terrible.

Only partially true. If it was only a matter of AHL defense/goaltending sucking, then every halfway decent player would score like Pulkkinen did last year. Players who do that are better than other AHL players. It's just that being better than AHL players doesn't guarantee that a player will continue to develop, or continue enough to do the same in the NHL at least. Some are at their peak already, and will flare out in the NHL, some will improve proportionately and be similar, and some are below their peak and will be even better in the NHL.

[nyqvististhefuture 1,002]

I wouldn't be at all surprised if Frk becomes an NHL player, just not a top line player... next season... Also, both Pulkkinen and Frk as well as teammates have said that Frk's shot is actually harder than Pulkkinen's, just not quite as accurate. I don't think it's that bold of a prediction to say that he could be a third line power play specialist at the NHL level, I'm just not sure if we will have a spot for him...

Think some of these kids have to get playing time opportunities though so we could see what they have before we write them off, look how long Tatar and nyquist had to wait... And they only got opportunities when we had injuries at a rapid rate

I'd really wanna see Anthony mantha up here for 2-3 games at least to see where he's at and so he can get a taste of the NHL so he knows what to expect , and maybe motivate him even more to hit gym harder in the off season ... Same with sproul and others

Easy to say prospects aren't what we expected them to be ... But we also leave them to rot in the minors for 4 years without a taste and when th finally come up they barely play

Nice to see jurco getting more playing time out there now and making nice plays , think he's a good one just needs more consistent ice time and opportunity

[DickieDunn 2,571]

Only partially true. If it was only a matter of AHL defense/goaltending sucking, then every halfway decent player would score like Pulkkinen did last year. Players who do that are better than other AHL players. It's just that being better than AHL players doesn't guarantee that a player will continue to develop, or continue enough to do the same in the NHL at least. Some are at their peak already, and will flare out in the NHL, some will improve proportionately and be similar, and some are below their peak and will be even better in the NHL.

I didn't say either were average AHL players. I said they can score against AHL competition but not NHL players because of those reasons. I said that all last year when people were frothing at the mouth over Pulkkinen's shot and insisting he's going to be a 30 goal scorer, and now the same applies to Frk. One trick ponies don't work at the top level.

Think some of these kids have to get playing time opportunities though so we could see what they have before we write them off, look how long Tatar and nyquist had to wait... And they only got opportunities when we had injuries at a rapid rate

I'd really wanna see Anthony mantha up here for 2-3 games at least to see where he's at and so he can get a taste of the NHL so he knows what to expect , and maybe motivate him even more to hit gym harder in the off season ... Same with sproul and others

Easy to say prospects aren't what we expected them to be ... But we also leave them to rot in the minors for 4 years without a taste and when th finally come up they barely play

Nice to see jurco getting more playing time out there now and making nice plays , think he's a good one just needs more consistent ice time and opportunity

Most players not taken in the top 5 or 10 need multiple years in the AHL to develop. That's not "rotting," that's leaving them to work on their game in the minors when the team doesn't feel they're ready for the NHL and aren't better suited for the role they need to play than the guys in the NHL already. From comments from coaches early in the season, I'd assume Jurco had issues with not wanting to do the little things that make a player successful in the NHL, and that's why he wasn't playing. Now he's doing them, he's getting more ice time.

[Buppy 1,720]

I didn't say either were average AHL players. I said they can score against AHL competition but not NHL players because of those reasons. I said that all last year when people were frothing at the mouth over Pulkkinen's shot and insisting he's going to be a 30 goal scorer, and now the same applies to Frk. One trick ponies don't work at the top level.

...

But you're ignoring what is by far the most important factor in determining how well a player will translate to the NHL: development. You're essentially saying that whatever a player is in the AHL is all they can ever be. But if that were even remotely true, then every decent player with even "one trick" would have scored at a high level, and any player with a full set of skills would have dominated at a level that would make Pulkkinen look like Drew Miller.

Your last sentence is just wrong. For one, it's not really accurate. A gross oversimplification. Secondly, there are and have been literally hundreds of successful "one-dimensional" players in the NHL.

Continued development and improvement is so much more important than whatever number of "tricks" you want to simplify a player down to.

[DickieDunn 2,571]

What guys who can only do one thing well and are sub par everywhere else would you call a good player?

[Buppy 1,720]

What guys who can only do one thing well and are sub par everywhere else would you call a good player?

This is a fallacious question. Not only begging the question as to whether or not a player is actually sub-par everywhere else, but also ignoring the entire crux of the argument. My point is that it is how well a player develops that determines how successful they will be, rather than how good they are at the moment.

Even so, players like Nyquist, Tatar, Hudler, the Sedins, Ribiero, and many, many more are good players even though they don't do much besides score.

[DickieDunn 2,571]

This is a fallacious question. Not only begging the question as to whether or not a player is actually sub-par everywhere else, but also ignoring the entire crux of the argument. My point is that it is how well a player develops that determines how successful they will be, rather than how good they are at the moment.

Even so, players like Nyquist, Tatar, Hudler, the Sedins, Ribiero, and many, many more are good players even though they don't do much besides score.

But they can all do more than just shoot, which is where Pulk and Frk are at

[Buppy 1,720]

But they can all do more than just shoot, which is where Pulk and Frk are at

Again, gross oversimplification. Like saying Larkin and AA can't do anything but skate fast.

[DickieDunn 2,571]

Again, gross oversimplification. Like saying Larkin and AA can't do anything but skate fast.

What else do Pulk and Frk do well at an NHL level then? Edited March 4, 2016 by DickieDunn

[Buppy 1,720]

What else do Pulk and Frk do well at an NHL level then?

I don't know or care much about Frk. Taking 3 years to adapt to the AHL doesn't inspire much optimism.

But Pulkkinen's offensive awareness and passing are good. He'll go to the net, follow up plays, anticipates well. He's engaged all over the ice. Decent along the boards, especially for a little guy. His speed, quickness, and puck-handling are ok. Basically everything to be a decent secondary scorer.

Needs to get a bit stronger and more importantly he needs more experience in how to deal with NHL competition.

I'm sure you'll disagree, but it's all beside the point anyway. The entire reason for the existence of the AHL, or at least for the affiliation between the NHL and the AHL is to develop prospects. Take kids whose skills aren't yet ready for the NHL, and get them ready. If a kid has good NHL-level skills from the start, they aren't even going to be in the AHL in the first place. And development doesn't stop when you get to the NHL either. Pretty much every player will still improve from where they start.

Pulkkinen wouldn't have produced in the AHL the way he did if all he could do was shoot. Wouldn't have made an AHL team at all. Wouldn't have been drafted. Wouldn't be on an NHL roster now. Wouldn't have produced what he has so far, which is similar to what Tatar and Nyquist did in the early stages of their careers. But even if you don't agree about what kind of skills he has right now, the important thing isn't what he is right now. It's how he develops from now.

[sjr2012 439]

i wouldnt mind seeing what jensen could bring

[Bill Berzeench 310]

i wouldnt mind seeing what jensen could bring

Yah, you would. Think of Smith without any speed, grit, or puck battles won. And Right handed.

[Internet.Unknown 422]

i wouldnt mind seeing what jensen could bring

Coaches don't agree with you.

[DickieDunn 2,571]

Pulkkinen wouldn't have produced in the AHL the way he did if all he could do was shoot. Wouldn't have made an AHL team at all. Wouldn't have been drafted. Wouldn't be on an NHL roster now. Wouldn't have produced what he has so far, which is similar to what Tatar and Nyquist did in the early stages of their careers. But even if you don't agree about what kind of skills he has right now, the important thing isn't what he is right now. It's how he develops from now.

He was drafted because of his shot hoping he could develop other areas of the game. He hasn't come far enough. Against AHL competition, he can do enough to get open and hit open spots in the net. Against NHL competition he can't get open, struggles to get his shot off, and because NHL goalies are superior, has less to shoot at.

How long are you supposed to wait for a players to develop? Generally by the time a guy is 24 he's not going to get much faster. which is his biggest issue. His best hope is he gets smarter about getting open and can be a 3rd line PP specialist, which is all I've ever said he'd be, not some 30+ goal a year guy like some people said.