Arshdeep Bains | LW

[Alflives]

12 hours ago, -Vintage Canuck- said:

 

So he’s better than Bedard!  

 

[BabychStache]

7 hours ago, SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME said:

Everything I’ve heard and read about Bains suggests he’s worth betting on. People rave about his work ethic and commitment. And by all accounts, he’s a high character kid with a really good head on his shoulders. Stays humble but also willingly embraces his status as a role model for the South Asian community. 
 

It’s true that high scoring overagers and junior league scoring champs rarely end up making it as NHL players, but Arshdeep seems really motivated and driven, and he’s definitely got a lot of people pulling for him. 
 

Here’s hoping he makes it.

 

It’s always a great thing when a team can turn a UDFA into a legitimate NHL player. Successful “found money/free prospect” signings can give organizations a real edge over their competitors. And the Canucks definitely need to find ways to accelerate the rebuilding and strengthening of their prospect pool and farm system.

 

But beyond that, it would just be such a win for Vancouver to develop a Punjabi kid from Surrey into an NHL player. The South Asian community is already one of the most passionate fanbases in the city, when it comes to supporting this team. Would be a great thing for those loyal fans have “one of their own” playing for the Canucks. Bains could sell a lot of jerseys for this team, while inspiring a whole generation of kids to believe that they might one day follow in his footsteps.

I am really pulling for Bains to develop into a full time player for the Canucks. I love the passion in the SA community for Hockey, its hard not to get excited. 

 

Go Bains Go!! 

[Warhippy]

What about his line mate?  Is it Ben King?  

 

https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/201803/benjamin-king

 

He's been looked over too and might be worth looking in to.  No chance he gets passed over again though

[SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME]

Pretty good writeup on Bains published today by Daniel Gee:

 

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/canucks-expect-whl-leading-scorer-arshdeep-bains

Lots of good video clips and a detailed video scouting breakdown (as per usual for Gee).

 

(And Vintage has now posted the whole article below. Somehow I got here first lol.)

Edited April 18, 2022 by SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME

[-Vintage Canuck-]

What Canucks can expect from WHL top scorer Arshdeep Bains:

 

In Canadian markets, hometown players pique the interest of fans like no other. So it’s really not surprising why the Vancouver Canucks’ signing of Surrey native Arshdeep Bains created so much buzz last month. 

 

The six-foot, 184-pound winger led the entire WHL in points with 112 points this past season, while running shotgun with another British Columbian-born player named Ben King. 

 

While Bains’ scoring prowess hasn’t been a constant theme throughout his CHL career, a period in which teams passed over in the draft multiple times, his D+3 season saw a drastic change in points-per-game. 

 

 

In 2021-22, Bains has been a buzzsaw against all his opponents, his points-per-game only dipping slightly against the elite teams of the CHL Eastern Conference like Winnipeg and Moose Jaw. He still saw strong results against playoff bound opponents and rolled over non-playoff teams this season. 

 

21-year-olds often push huge numbers in CHL action; age, experience, and development, pushing them to the top of the ladder. The dynamic can create an almost unfair matchup in a league that is populated with teenagers. This can cause obvious pause projection-wise, and should rightfully temper expectations.

 

But for some players who sign later in their major junior careers, there are some clear paths to the professional game. Whether it is an NCAA or CHL free-agent, Bains represents one of the better bets as a player who has some ability to translate — especially after digging into his game. 

 

Passing prowess

 

 

The details of Bains’ passing ability across the entire ice surface are impressive. In transition, he constantly adjusts rush patterns to cut away from the boards and into the middle of the ice. This is born out of a lot of controlled entries per game.

 

From there, Bains possesses one-on-one handling ability, advanced puck-protection habits, and a variety of passes such as hooks, slips, and saucers, often off his backhand. Bains even has a delay game that buys time and exploits overactive defenders. 

 

 

In sustained pressure, Bains pulls off high-difficulty-level passes, often layering feeds through waves of defenders. Whether he is passing into space, predicting teammate movements, or executing a no-look spin-o-rama pass through his peripheral vision, the blending of tools, skill, and sense is apparent. You can see how unpredictable he can be below: 

 

 

Crease and hash-mark scorer

 

Bains almost exclusively scores goals within the lower slot and the crease. The reason for this is three-fold. 

 

 

First, he is a deadly individual threat. When Bains can break free transitionally and work defenders one-on-one, he is able to pop pucks into his hip-pocket, manipulate defenders in motion, and finish in tight.

 

While Bains isn’t infallible while carrying the puck, a good volume of attempts failing, his mindset is consistently inside driven — an area of the ice players must reach to score in professional hockey.

 

 

Second, Bains’ ability to work give-and-go’s and drive the middle of the ice creates easy possessions for his teammates. The key to his success off-puck in these scenarios is his ability to up his pace to get to soft areas of the ice, all while setting his stick to shoot, and fight through physical resistance.

 

This means that Bains doesn’t have to be a primary puck carrier to produce — an area that young players who have dominated in the CHL struggle with when they reach AHL action. 

 

 

Finally, opportunistic scoring permeates throughout his game. Bains pops into the crease area, often behind unsuspecting defenders, establishing body and shooting positions. He pulls off wild maneuvers like preemptive stick-checking and spin-offs to get clean shooting opportunities. But overall, the base of Bains ability here is his sense; the timing and movement that allows for so many tap-ins this season.  

 

 

Defenders will be much harder to exploit at the professional level, but regardless, Bains showing these plus-traits is nothing but good news. 

 

NHL future

 

While Bains can be an engaged defender, he doesn’t make an inordinate amount of stops while in his own zone. He does provide support on the backcheck to help guide attackers into the walls and he can identify passing and shooting lanes, occupying them in key moments, but it isn’t as prevalent as his offensive game. Combine this with his slight frame, and these factors will be the major areas where he will have to develop the most to become a reliable enough player. 

 

 

Like many undrafted players, he also have to improve his skating mechanics and pace. This would be a more prevalent ‌issue if Bains didn’t have as much skill-blending on-puck, as well as a delay game. 

 

With added weight and strength, he will only become a better puck-protection player which could expand his game even further. But overall, it’s clear, there is legitimate reason to cheer on Bains ability as a hockey player, even beyond the appeal of being a hometown product, even if his projection is a middle-six player. 

 

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/canucks-expect-whl-leading-scorer-arshdeep-bains

[Alflives]

20 minutes ago, -Vintage Canuck- said:

What Canucks can expect from WHL top scorer Arshdeep Bains:

 

In Canadian markets, hometown players pique the interest of fans like no other. So it’s really not surprising why the Vancouver Canucks’ signing of Surrey native Arshdeep Bains created so much buzz last month. 

 

The six-foot, 184-pound winger led the entire WHL in points with 112 points this past season, while running shotgun with another British Columbian-born player named Ben King. 

 

While Bains’ scoring prowess hasn’t been a constant theme throughout his CHL career, a period in which teams passed over in the draft multiple times, his D+3 season saw a drastic change in points-per-game. 

 

 

In 2021-22, Bains has been a buzzsaw against all his opponents, his points-per-game only dipping slightly against the elite teams of the CHL Eastern Conference like Winnipeg and Moose Jaw. He still saw strong results against playoff bound opponents and rolled over non-playoff teams this season. 

 

21-year-olds often push huge numbers in CHL action; age, experience, and development, pushing them to the top of the ladder. The dynamic can create an almost unfair matchup in a league that is populated with teenagers. This can cause obvious pause projection-wise, and should rightfully temper expectations.

 

But for some players who sign later in their major junior careers, there are some clear paths to the professional game. Whether it is an NCAA or CHL free-agent, Bains represents one of the better bets as a player who has some ability to translate — especially after digging into his game. 

 

Passing prowess

 

 

The details of Bains’ passing ability across the entire ice surface are impressive. In transition, he constantly adjusts rush patterns to cut away from the boards and into the middle of the ice. This is born out of a lot of controlled entries per game.

 

From there, Bains possesses one-on-one handling ability, advanced puck-protection habits, and a variety of passes such as hooks, slips, and saucers, often off his backhand. Bains even has a delay game that buys time and exploits overactive defenders. 

 

 

In sustained pressure, Bains pulls off high-difficulty-level passes, often layering feeds through waves of defenders. Whether he is passing into space, predicting teammate movements, or executing a no-look spin-o-rama pass through his peripheral vision, the blending of tools, skill, and sense is apparent. You can see how unpredictable he can be below: 

 

 

Crease and hash-mark scorer

 

Bains almost exclusively scores goals within the lower slot and the crease. The reason for this is three-fold. 

 

 

First, he is a deadly individual threat. When Bains can break free transitionally and work defenders one-on-one, he is able to pop pucks into his hip-pocket, manipulate defenders in motion, and finish in tight.

 

While Bains isn’t infallible while carrying the puck, a good volume of attempts failing, his mindset is consistently inside driven — an area of the ice players must reach to score in professional hockey.

 

 

Second, Bains’ ability to work give-and-go’s and drive the middle of the ice creates easy possessions for his teammates. The key to his success off-puck in these scenarios is his ability to up his pace to get to soft areas of the ice, all while setting his stick to shoot, and fight through physical resistance.

 

This means that Bains doesn’t have to be a primary puck carrier to produce — an area that young players who have dominated in the CHL struggle with when they reach AHL action. 

 

 

Finally, opportunistic scoring permeates throughout his game. Bains pops into the crease area, often behind unsuspecting defenders, establishing body and shooting positions. He pulls off wild maneuvers like preemptive stick-checking and spin-offs to get clean shooting opportunities. But overall, the base of Bains ability here is his sense; the timing and movement that allows for so many tap-ins this season.  

 

 

Defenders will be much harder to exploit at the professional level, but regardless, Bains showing these plus-traits is nothing but good news. 

 

NHL future

 

While Bains can be an engaged defender, he doesn’t make an inordinate amount of stops while in his own zone. He does provide support on the backcheck to help guide attackers into the walls and he can identify passing and shooting lanes, occupying them in key moments, but it isn’t as prevalent as his offensive game. Combine this with his slight frame, and these factors will be the major areas where he will have to develop the most to become a reliable enough player. 

 

 

Like many undrafted players, he also have to improve his skating mechanics and pace. This would be a more prevalent ‌issue if Bains didn’t have as much skill-blending on-puck, as well as a delay game. 

 

With added weight and strength, he will only become a better puck-protection player which could expand his game even further. But overall, it’s clear, there is legitimate reason to cheer on Bains ability as a hockey player, even beyond the appeal of being a hometown product, even if his projection is a middle-six player. 

 

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/canucks-expect-whl-leading-scorer-arshdeep-bains

Is he tough, or have a mean streak?  He kind of small, and not the fastest guy, so he will take a beating when he has the puck.  If he’s got the inner toughness of an Alex Burrows then he’s got the skill and smarts and w3 have a potential player.  

[SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME]

31 minutes ago, Alflives said:

Is he tough, or have a mean streak?  He kind of small, and not the fastest guy, so he will take a beating when he has the puck.  If he’s got the inner toughness of an Alex Burrows then he’s got the skill and smarts and w3 have a potential player.  

I don’t know if I’d call him tough or mean, but he’s not a pushover either. Has 4 career fights in the WHL, albeit mostly losses, but also mostly fights where he’s initiated and gone after an opponent, either in response to a cheap shot on himself, or him coming to the defence of a teammate. To quote Ryan Johnson, “for a skilled guy, there’s some hardness to his game.” He’s around “Sedin sized” right now, at 6’1”, 185 lbs, so he’s not really small or big, but it sounds like the plan/hope is for him to add another 10-20 lbs and get stronger and more durable for the pro game.

[Captain Canuck #12]

9 hours ago, SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME said:

I don’t know if I’d call him tough or mean, but he’s not a pushover either. Has 4 career fights in the WHL, albeit mostly losses, but also mostly fights where he’s initiated and gone after an opponent, either in response to a cheap shot on himself, or him coming to the defence of a teammate. To quote Ryan Johnson, “for a skilled guy, there’s some hardness to his game.” He’s around “Sedin sized” right now, at 6’1”, 185 lbs, so he’s not really small or big, but it sounds like the plan/hope is for him to add another 10-20 lbs and get stronger and more durable for the pro game.

it sounds like the plan/hope is for him to add another 10-20 lbs and get stronger and more durable....and slower.  Hope not, but that's often the trade off for a player who isn't necessarily the fastest skater to start with.

[Ray_Cathode]

Finding a player in an undrafted kid is like found money.

[Phat Fingers]

That’s scouting.

[Captain Canuck #12]

21 hours ago, Ray_Cathode said:

Finding a player in an undrafted kid is like found money.

Reminiscent of a young Jesse Schulz and Dane Fox...our money bags overfloweth!

[CanuckleHorse]

Some of those plays were high level plays with good edges his skating is definitely not a weakness.

[Alflives]

1 hour ago, CanuckleHorse said:

Some of those plays were high level plays with good edges his skating is definitely not a weakness.

He’s not yet an NHL skater; but that can be taught to improve.  He thinks the game at a very high level, which can’t be taught.  

 

[komodo0921]

His top end speed needs to be improved on but, his edge work is solid and his ability to read developing plays is off the charts. His ability to execute a tough pass is also a prevalent skill in his arsenal. If he can make improvements to his overall speed, I can see him in the top-six, feeding pucks to our top snipers. I don't think there could've been a better opportunity for him then here. Definitely keeping an eye on him moving forward.

[VegasCanuck]

He adds depth at a position that we are weak at. Never know how an overage kid will adapt to the NHL, but let's get him working with our skating coach and see where he goes!

 

Nothing wrong with finding a free prospect, sooner or later, we'll turn up another Burrows type of success story.

 

[Quantum]

12 hours ago, Captain Canuck #12 said:

Reminiscent of a young Jesse Schulz and Dane Fox...our money bags overfloweth!

Yeah, Dane benefited from playing with McDavid. Scouts should've seen through the facade of that season. Bains has been playing with Benjamin King, another undrafted player. (King might go as a late round, overage pick this summer). Bains is definitely more legit.

 

Jesse Schultz was always such a weird player to me. He had the offensive tools but he couldn't put it together to be an NHL player. I think his skating and defensive acumen are what held him back. It's weird because as a 39 year old playing in the ECHL this year, Schultz put up 71 points in 71 games which is a huge accomplishment.

 

Bains is a late bloomer with some skating issues. I still think he has more NHL potential than either Schultz or Fox.

[SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME]

On 4/19/2022 at 12:45 AM, Captain Canuck #12 said:

it sounds like the plan/hope is for him to add another 10-20 lbs and get stronger and more durable....and slower.  Hope not, but that's often the trade off for a player who isn't necessarily the fastest skater to start with.

Depends how it’s done. And also where his body is at currently and what type of gains his genetics allow him to make. But there’s a lot of gym work that can add muscle mass while also increasing explosiveness and strength/stability/balance, which can go hand in hand with actually improving his skating.

 

It’s true, however, that some guys end up focused too much on just adding bulk and end up looking more like body builders than hockey players, which isn’t a good thing.

 

Hopefully he has some good people around him to guide/advise him and he and puts the work in, both in the gym, and on the ice, to both get bigger/stronger and also faster and more efficient/mechanically sound on his skates

[-Vintage Canuck-]

Arshdeep Bains finished with one goal last night.

 

He now has one point (one goal, no assists) in one playoff game.

[Captain Canuck #12]

10 hours ago, -Vintage Canuck- said:

Arshdeep Bains finished with one goal last night.

 

He now has one point (one goal, no assists) in one playoff game.

    If that doesn't start the wave, I don't know what will!!

[Fanuck]

Bains with 4pts already in a possible elimination game vs Brandon.  Hopefully they can close it out and advance....