Stefan Elliott's got wrist & snap but lacks in slap!
by lampshade9909 on Dec 14, 2011 1:15 PM MST
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PrintWhen I saw some of Elliott's WHL highlight goals, a few times he literally skated coast to coast, through the entire opposing team, and ripped one passed the goalie for a goal. My first thought was "Wow nice goal, but I'll wait and see if he can do that in the NHL before I give him too much credit. Here Elliot goes and does it against San Jose against the sharks and Niemi" . Gotta love that goal by a rookie trying to prove himself!
Stefan Elliot takes mostly wrist shots and snap shots. When you look up scoring highlights from the WHL, his goals were almost always wristers or snappers. Has anyone seen him take slap shots in practice or games this year? Is he just not good at them? Don't get me wrong, his wristers and snappers are wicked! But this begs the question that I've stated below.
Every great NHL offensive defenseman has a strong slap shot. Will Elliot's lack of a slapshot (for whatever reason) hinder him in the big leagues for the rest of his career?
What separates the Caude Girouxs and Zach Parises from the Rico Fatas, Angelo Espositos, and Derrick Brassards (all three guys who did very well in Juniors and were 1st round picks) was their ability to go from succeeding at junior hockey to succeeding at professional (NHL) hockey in a very short period of time. Is the "lack of slapshot factor" the missing piece that will prevent Elliott from reaching his potential (potential that comes with a 1st round selection)? Or can a top scoring defenseman get by with just wrist shots and snap shots? What's your take on it?
Related sources: http://www.fantasysp.com/player/nhl/Stefan_Elliott/1843398/stefan-elliotts-offensive-prowess-is-giving-him-a-good-shot
Videos on www.nhl.com: All 3 of his NHL goals were snap/wrist.
WHL highlight videos on www.youtube.com: Most all of his goals are snap/wrist
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I’ve seen him take some slap shots, but he’s definitely more comfortable with the wristers. His slap shot is serviceable but certainly nothing to write home about.
Duchene may be the face of this franchise, but O’Reilly is the heart. - Guitarpick8120
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I don't think a big slap shot is as important as it used to be.
With the ways teams crowd the slot and block shots these days, accurately shooting the puck is more important than blasting it at 100+mph.
Really, all you need is a shot that can cleanly beat goalies. And Elliott clearly has that.
(He wasn’t a 1st round selection, by the way. He was picked in the second round.)
He was picked 49th overall in 2009. Obviously, Dutchy and Radar were both from that draft year. Avs cleaned up in that second round.
Duchene may be the face of this franchise, but O’Reilly is the heart. - Guitarpick8120
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by Cheryl Bradley on Dec 14, 2011 2:32 PM MST up reply actions
And we got Barrie in the 3rd round. Pretty sweet draft all around.
Just a Colorado girl in Montana who ♥s the Avs.
Varly: you're awesome. We love you. Please don't break.
We got Gus Young in the 6th. Oh wait that really doesn’t help the cause. Although I think the two goalies we picked up have a shot of being NHL players.
by avalanchejef on Dec 15, 2011 8:29 AM MST up reply actions
Well, we dropped Maxwell, but I hear Millan is still doing well. I really do hope that he turns out to be something. That would be awesome.
Just a Colorado girl in Montana who ♥s the Avs.
Varly: you're awesome. We love you. Please don't break.
That is right. I thought it was Petterson and Millan we drafted. Oops
by avalanchejef on Dec 15, 2011 9:44 AM MST up reply actions
Yep you’re right, thanks for the correction. The point I was trying to get accross was closely related to players moving from Junior hockey to the Pros and I was questioning Elliott’s slapshot as being a possible weakness that will hinder him when transitioning to the Pros.
by lampshade9909 on Dec 14, 2011 3:25 PM MST up reply actions
I meant what you knew. ;-)
I really don’t think it will negatively affect him. That’s not where his game is centered. And clearly he can hang with the big boys when he plays his game.
Duchene may be the face of this franchise, but O’Reilly is the heart. - Guitarpick8120
Mile High Hockey
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by Cheryl Bradley on Dec 14, 2011 4:22 PM MST up reply actions
But you need to have a slapshot as an option, dont’ you?? You can’t just be a one trick pony. If he’s always doing that deke then snapping off a shot teams will catch on and put a stop to it. He needs that slap shot as an option to change it up now and then…. And then when they catch onto that he can throw in the slap pass for a nice one timer. Are these not essential for an offensive defenseman?
by lampshade9909 on Dec 14, 2011 3:27 PM MST up reply actions
I don’t think it’s as important in today’s game, especially at even strength. There’s just too much focus by defensive system to take away the straight-line shot.
You’ve mentioned two options that Elliott already has in spades: a very accurate and quick release wrist shot and a deceptive slap pass. You’ve forgotten another one though: when defenses ‘adjust’ as you propose, what’s to keep him from making one of his nice passes to a winger or center down low? Nothing. His vision is just as big an asset and option, if not more so, as a booming slapper IMO.
If we don't get our sauce, we ain't watching the game!
How often do you see Nic Lidstrom take a slap shot from the blue line? I rest my case.
-Bob in Babcock
We see a wonderful sun-soaked city nestled at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. Enos sees nickels and dimes.
I searched for Nick Lidstrom goals on youtube and in the first two search results show it all.
Lidstrom first career hat trick (2 of 3 goals were slap shots)
by lampshade9909 on Dec 14, 2011 3:23 PM MST up reply actions
I broke down his entire career on video at lunch time. Of his 259 career regular season goals, only 43 were on slapshots, the majority of the others were on wristers from the blue line or closer. Even more talling, of his 54 career playoff goals, only 5 were on slapshots, most others were on wristers. But digging even deeper, what has been Detroit’s key to their overwhelming success on the PP over the years? Lidstrom moving the point along the line and getting pucks to the net, not usually involving a slapshot. Sure enough, of his 869 career regular season assists, 526 came as a direct result of a wrister from the point getting through traffic and creating a scoring opportunity.*
*This entire thing was pretty much made up. But has as much validity of citing a small sample size from youtube. But it remains my gut feeling that Lidstrom creates more scoring opportunities by wristing the puck toward the net, versus from slapshots.
We see a wonderful sun-soaked city nestled at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. Enos sees nickels and dimes.
by Bob in Boulder on Dec 14, 2011 3:35 PM MST up reply actions 1 recs
Lidstrom moving the point along the line
This is the sexiest thing in hockey to me. Watching a talented blueliner moving the puck along the line? Gets me going every time.
TMI, I know, but I’ve had beers.
Duchene may be the face of this franchise, but O’Reilly is the heart. - Guitarpick8120
Mile High Hockey
The Hockey Writers
by Cheryl Bradley on Dec 14, 2011 4:24 PM MST up reply actions
Mea culpa. I painfully watched most of your second vid and he had many more slappers than I would have thought. One thing I did notice, however, is that he doesn’t try to kill the puck. He is much more deliberate and focused on keeping it low and on target.
I still think he is at his best when he is just moving and throwing the puck on net. But yes, he does utilize the slapper as well.
We see a wonderful sun-soaked city nestled at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. Enos sees nickels and dimes.
by Bob in Boulder on Dec 14, 2011 6:36 PM MST up reply actions
But is it something that PK’s and defenses are overly worried about? I imagine it’s his vision, passing, and accuracy that trouble opposing coaches more than his slapshot. There are only a handful of guys in the show that have the “Bring the Thunder” slapshot that is schemed around.
If we don't get our sauce, we ain't watching the game!
I’ve noticed a lot fewer slap shots from defensemen over the years. That shit gets blocked and ends up an odd man rush going the other way.
The best way to get the puck on net is with a wrist shot.
When does the hurting stop?
Plus, I haven’t seen someone find a way through all the traffic as well as Elliott does in a long time. (Mind you, I don’t watch other teams a whole lot). He has a true gift with it. The puck finds the net in ridiculous ways.
Duchene may be the face of this franchise, but O’Reilly is the heart. - Guitarpick8120
Mile High Hockey
The Hockey Writers
by Cheryl Bradley on Dec 14, 2011 4:25 PM MST up reply actions
John-Michael Liles has had a pretty decent career as an offensive-defenseman without much of a slapshot.
(Yes, I do realize you were being facetious, but any opportunity I get to post this picture I’ll take.)
Duchene may be the face of this franchise, but O’Reilly is the heart. - Guitarpick8120
Mile High Hockey
The Hockey Writers
by Cheryl Bradley on Dec 15, 2011 5:34 AM MST up reply actions
He’ll always be an All Star to me.
Duchene may be the face of this franchise, but O’Reilly is the heart. - Guitarpick8120
Mile High Hockey
The Hockey Writers
by Cheryl Bradley on Dec 15, 2011 9:26 AM MST up reply actions
I wouldn't go that far
but he’s been quite decent for them this year. About as good as he was in Denver last year if the eye test serves. Lots of assists and a big defensive what the fuck are you doing jml!?!?!? per game. Haven’t seen the stats or replays tho so your mileage, etc
At exactly what point do you start to realize that life without knowledge is death in disguise?
Slap shots are awesome.
Maybe not the most effective play, but when someone does score on a slap shot, it pretty much always makes the highlight reel.
When does the hurting stop?
I like the one timer, but I think Elliot really doesn’t need to have a slapper. The most important aspect for the defender in a offensive play is to get his shot through. That is what Elliot does. People like Sourey and Weber uses that slapper to get shots through. Elliot has a better knack with a wrister. Look at ROB or SOB, they slap every time and mow down forwards. Nothing hardly ever gets through.
You're right!
Trade Elliott to Nashville for Shea Weber. Stat. I hear/see that he has a decent slapshot.
Ask Zee Jehrman Olympic Eis hawkee mannschaft what they think of Herr Weber’s slapshot.
Best part of that video?
Right at the begining, when Babcock points to the Heavens and says “Not even the Big Guy up there could shoot the puck harder than Shea Weber!”
I prefer wrist shots
You have more control, and I feel more often than not you will see a slap shot miss the goal more than a wrist shot from the point.
One thing that got lost with Kyle Cumiskey is that he developed his slap shot after becoming an NHLer. In his first year he could barely put a wrister on net. But by the end of his stay here he had a pretty decent slap shot.
Elliot can be a PP quarterback, but if he wants to continue to score goals consistently, he’ll need a slapper.
"Put stick on ice, put puck in net"
by HeyPeterman on Dec 20, 2011 1:19 PM MST via mobile reply actions
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