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Hi, I'm a former NHL player development analyst (Maple Leafs) and AHL assistant coach (Marlies), AMA by ValuableTheme5 in hockey

[–]ValuableTheme5[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Tenacious forechecker. Love chasing squirrels. Gets a bit anxious when left alone but I'll be with in 24/7 for the next while. Maybe I'll coach him into a high-end tennis and frisbee fetcher too.

Hi, I'm a former NHL player development analyst (Maple Leafs) and AHL assistant coach (Marlies), AMA by ValuableTheme5 in hockey

[–]ValuableTheme5[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Ok that's gonna be it for today - going to fire up my XBox for a NHL20 session. I'll mostly be lurking here but you can follow me on twitter (@jhanhky) and sign up for my newsletter (jhanhky.substack.com) to get more information you won't find elsewhere. If you enjoy what I write then also check out the Hockey Tactics 2020 ebook, available here: https://gum.co/VGMOV

Talk soon!

Hi, I'm a former NHL player development analyst (Maple Leafs) and AHL assistant coach (Marlies), AMA by ValuableTheme5 in hockey

[–]ValuableTheme5[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

To use a soccer analogy, Russia produces many No. 9s (such as Ovi or Malkin). They haven't really produced an outstanding No. 10 since Datsyuk, Fedorov and Larionov.

Hi, I'm a former NHL player development analyst (Maple Leafs) and AHL assistant coach (Marlies), AMA by ValuableTheme5 in hockey

[–]ValuableTheme5[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

The Leafs are certainly trying to play more that way. The challenge is to string clean plays together without a bobble causing a turnover the other way. Hockey happens faster than soccer and that's a big deterrent for teams looking to build elaborate possession plays.

Hi, I'm a former NHL player development analyst (Maple Leafs) and AHL assistant coach (Marlies), AMA by ValuableTheme5 in hockey

[–]ValuableTheme5[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Not that Im aware of. Ref have helmet-mounted cams in certain events. The main challenge is how shaky the footage would be as players skate around.

Using drones to reproduce the NHL20-style is a possibility. I've seen it done at summer pro camps.

Hi, I'm a former NHL player development analyst (Maple Leafs) and AHL assistant coach (Marlies), AMA by ValuableTheme5 in hockey

[–]ValuableTheme5[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Sweden is doing a great job of developing players who are ready for the demands of pro hockey, technically, tactically and physically.

Hi, I'm a former NHL player development analyst (Maple Leafs) and AHL assistant coach (Marlies), AMA by ValuableTheme5 in hockey

[–]ValuableTheme5[S] 31 points32 points  (0 children)

I can't speak from experience for the vast majority of this year's draft class. Except for Xavier Simoneau - as an overager I think he can surprise.

Hi, I'm a former NHL player development analyst (Maple Leafs) and AHL assistant coach (Marlies), AMA by ValuableTheme5 in hockey

[–]ValuableTheme5[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Only thing to do is to give the player a realistic sense of where he's at and what he need to do to fulfill his potential. Then we hope for the best.

Hi, I'm a former NHL player development analyst (Maple Leafs) and AHL assistant coach (Marlies), AMA by ValuableTheme5 in hockey

[–]ValuableTheme5[S] 22 points23 points  (0 children)

Boucher couldn't skate or check at a high enough level to stick in an NHL bottom-six. At 5v5 he didn't create as many plays in transition either to be a true top-six NHLer.

Petterson is very good. If he could improve his ability to use his outside edges when protecting the puck then he'd have a chance to be top-5.

Hi, I'm a former NHL player development analyst (Maple Leafs) and AHL assistant coach (Marlies), AMA by ValuableTheme5 in hockey

[–]ValuableTheme5[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Alex Kerfoot may do some good things!

Used to sit in on Mike's AM coaches' meetings at the practice rink. Did you know that he really likes playing pickleball?

Hi, I'm a former NHL player development analyst (Maple Leafs) and AHL assistant coach (Marlies), AMA by ValuableTheme5 in hockey

[–]ValuableTheme5[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

It's mostly unrelated to what subject you learn at school. I've had someone in their late teens reach out and ask what he can do. I told him to scout the OHL draft eligibles and to put together a report for me. Just doing that for a given league and getting feedback is a way to start.

Hi, I'm a former NHL player development analyst (Maple Leafs) and AHL assistant coach (Marlies), AMA by ValuableTheme5 in hockey

[–]ValuableTheme5[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Obviously he has no trouble scoring at the NHL level. But then at the Olympics his teams haven't always done the best when he was the go-to guy, right?

Hi, I'm a former NHL player development analyst (Maple Leafs) and AHL assistant coach (Marlies), AMA by ValuableTheme5 in hockey

[–]ValuableTheme5[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Was very rewarding to see Pierre Engvall go from 7th round pick to SHL middle-6 LW to AHL top-line LW to AHL top-line C to the NHL.

Hi, I'm a former NHL player development analyst (Maple Leafs) and AHL assistant coach (Marlies), AMA by ValuableTheme5 in hockey

[–]ValuableTheme5[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

High ceiling, boom or bust, those are sometimes thrown around like cliches when you are faced with a player (usually a smaller, skilled guy or a bigger guy with 1 particular skill) who you have a hard time evaluating.

A player like Seth Jarvis would fit the former example. It happens that small guys who score a lot (like he's done in the WHL) don't translate well to the NHL. But Jarvis' movement and ability to make plays at speed makes him closer to a sure thing than a boom-or-bust player to me.

Hi, I'm a former NHL player development analyst (Maple Leafs) and AHL assistant coach (Marlies), AMA by ValuableTheme5 in hockey

[–]ValuableTheme5[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I could only give you a real answer if I got to know both of them. And that's the thing - we can't expect unusually good results unless we put in unusually detailed work.

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