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DeNiro

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Everything posted by DeNiro

  1. We won't be dumping Hansen. He plays exactly the way Benning wants his players to play. Kenins can play in Utica until the decision on Virtanen is made.
  2. Yea it's possible, but if he's spending more time in the pressbox than playing, that's not gonna help him either. Unless they gift him a spot on the roster which IMO just sends a bad message to the team and to Jake. Only way he makes it, or should make it, is if he's clear cut better than Vey, Grenier, Kenins, or Prust. Luckily he's still got some games to prove that.
  3. It's not a biased opinion. I hope he doesn't become a star because that would mean we missed out. But people thinking that he's gonna be a bust are in for a surprise. He's got all the makings of a first liner.
  4. Willie doesn't have time to teach young guys how to play a 200 foot game though, he's focused on winning. They're expected to know that before they're on the team. From watching Virtanen play he still has alot to learn about positioning. Maybe he can improve that aspect on the fly, but we'll see.
  5. Nylander is gonna be a top player. The sooner everyone can just accept that, the sooner we can move on and focus on Virtanen being the best player he can be.
  6. I just don't see how it makes sense to keep Virtanen for the press box. If he can't beat out Hansen or Prust, he should be in junior IMO. Have Kenins and Grenier as the extra two. They are the next graduates in line from Utica.
  7. It's not like Virtanen has dominated at the junior level though, other than physically. His numbers are not exactly eye popping, and he played a somewhat limited role in the world juniors. There's still room for him to grow his all around game, even if he is physically ready. Going back to junior and working on his all around game where he's able to make mistakes may be the best thing for him. I would hate to see him stagnate in a fourth line grinder role because he was brought in before his offensive game had fully matured.
  8. That's good news if Virtanen goes back. He's gonna need good players to play with, especially with guys like Tambellini and Rankin moving on. Also with the emergence of Bean, they should have a solid first unit PP that Jake can play on.
  9. Along with Brett Hart and Joe Sakic.
  10. It means it's preseason, so it means nothing.
  11. With Higgins out, a big door just opened for guys like Gaunce, Kenins, and Shinkaruk.
  12. DeNiro

    Anton Rodin | RW/LW

    I watched him play all through his time in Chicago. I agree he had the will to compete, but he would often shy away from physical play, especially after his concussion. That's not his game though, and he realized that. Strength was definitely hurting his ability to excel in the AHL. There's alot less time and space in the AHL than the SHL and it's alot more physical. If he wants to adjust his game to that level, he needs to add weight and get stronger otherwise his game will never translate, and he will continue to get manhandled by bigger defenders.
  13. DeNiro

    Anton Rodin | RW/LW

    Strength is part of that though. If you're not strong enough to battle along the boards or finish your checks, you're gonna get tossed around and are more likely to get injured. Same thing with his concussion. Reaching for pucks cause he's afraid to take a hit.
  14. DeNiro

    Anton Rodin | RW/LW

    Worth a shot, especially if Jensen doesn't pan out. Rodin's problem was always his strength. If he's worked on that, he definitely has the skill to be an NHLer.
  15. He's got the will, just needs the fill. Hopefully that same determination carries over into the gym,
  16. Gotta love the effort level from him. Like most prospects he just needs to get stronger. He definitely needs to work on his shot though..
  17. Jake was at 228lbs when he got to Utica, so ya that's alot of extra weight to carry especially if you're conditioning level isn't where it needs to be. I think he said he's aiming to play at 210-215lbs though. He's gonna have to find the balance between going all out and trying to hit everything, and saving enough energy that he can still go hard to the net at the end of a shift.
  18. There are definitely alot of similarities. Not just their ability to get under their opponents skin, but their skating and ability to snipe. That being said we're talking about a Rocket Richard winner, we need to temper our expectations a bit. I think Virtanen still needs to round out his offensive game more at the junior level.
  19. Not to mention I think Kenins and Grenier can fill that energy role this season, and have earned that opporunity.
  20. It all depends on how his development goes. Corey Perry played 2 more seasons of junior after he was drafted before getting a bit of time in the AHL. He was putting up 2.0 PPG average in his last season of junior. Rushing Jake into the NHL this season could very well limit his ofensive game to that of a third line winger. Sending him back to junior however may end up being the best thing for him. It all depends on how patient management is willing to be with him. I personally think there's alot more he can accomplish in junior. Just because he's physically ready to be in the NHL doesn't mean he's ready.
  21. Can we get back to talking about Gauwnze now?
  22. Bo isn't a 2nd line center yet, lets not get ahead of ourselves. First he has to outplay Sutter for that spot and show that he can provide consistent offense against tough competition. He has taken good strides so far but he's got a ways to go before he can be labelled a second line center.
  23. True, but at the same time guys like Stamkos and Ovechkin create their own space through their skating. With speed like that you can make your own space. I would also say they relied on guys with high hockey IQ in St.Louis and Backstrom to make sure they got the puck in open ice. Virtanen may need a guy like that centering him in order to really shine.
  24. Different players score their goals in different ways. You could argue some elite players don't need to have high hockey IQ to score the goals they do because they make up for it in their physical abilities. I would argue Ovechkin and Stamkos don't have elite hockey IQ when compared to Crosby or Giroux, but they make up for it by being physical beasts. Dynamic skating and wicked slap shots are all you need to score goals, you don't have to be an elite passer, slick dangler, or a master at the cycle.
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