The “gimmick boys” charmed the NHL, but do flashy tricks have anything to do with winning? A blunt judgment from an expert

The gimmick boys charmed the NHL but do flashy tricks

On Saturday, will show the NHL match between Nashville and Florida starting at 20:55 on Areena and TV2.

An incredible eight-minute compilation video of Anaheim can be found on the Internet by Trevor Zegras21, of the most spectacular individual performances.

Two air curls, one more impressive slalom through the field with finishes, and a few tasty preliminary works tell a lot about the personal skill level of the American teenager.

This is the NHL in 2023.

Trevor Zegras is the one who gives a face to the NHL magicians of the new era. The NHL is marketed as a young men’s league, which it is widely perceived to be, and the Anaheim Yankee prodigy is the best example of the new generation of kiddies.

There are huge amounts of skill, and there is no shortage of self-confidence either – you dare to use your own skills ruthlessly even in tight situations.

Such a self-assured grip would not have been out of the question for young people in the NHL in past decades.

The new generation brings a completely new look to the NHL, which is sure to appeal especially to the younger consumer base. The long basic series, along with the fierce competition, is first and foremost an entertainment industry, which is easy to sell especially with the unimaginable personal antics of young players.

Check out Zegras’ spectacular aerial stunt from April 2022 in the video below.

The NHL is no longer an idiot league of toothless Canadian players operating under the prison rules, but a youthful, fresh and specifically entertaining hockey series whose young stars do unprecedented tricks both on and off the ice – many are as well known for their social media channels or clothing as for their skills on the ice.

The league’s new look appeals to representatives of the z and alpha generations. This kind of NHL is easier to sell.

However, there is also another reality.

In that reality, the NHL hasn’t changed. What kind of legalities will be used to win games in the NHL in 2023, not to mention championships, has not changed.

At the same time as the artistic and modern approach of young players is being praised – and completely on topic – it is good to ask how the individualistic approach, which is emphasized more strongly than before, correlates with winning playing, or does it?

– Not at all, Urheilu’s hockey expert Ismo Lehkonen laughs tongue in cheek, referring to the well-known Kummeli-hokema of the past years.

Seriously speaking, for many who come to the league at the age of 18, the first years are hard school or the carefree grind brought by a free upbringing.

You may get good entries in your own statistics column, but when the overall performance slows down, the power statistic is often 20 or 30 hits in freezing temperatures, even with top charges. Doing is not winning.

And the intention is not to criticize these players, many of them will grow up to be regular players of the future. However, beautifying your own statistics and winning in the NHL are often two different things.

– It’s good to remember how skilled and good at skating Zegras is. He has a good playing position and is really hard to chase. However, you rarely see these gimmicks in a mask, with loose pucks or forcefully punching the puck into the net from close range, Lehkonen reminds.

Deficiencies in defensive play

It is no coincidence that even at the moment there are quite a few young players in the NHL’s best teams, especially in genuinely responsible roles. From the five previous booking opportunities, two players have become the top players of their team so far: New Jersey Jack Hughes (2019) and Carolina Andrei Svetshnikov (2018).

Among the top names from seven years ago, for example Patrick Laine still hurts specifically with overall gaming. Booked before Laine Austin Matthews has risen to the elite level as a 60m player only in the last year and a half. Many of the new-age gimmicks lack the skills and even the desire to play without a puck.

One has to go back to the 2017 draft to find more players who have grown into truly reliable leaders on their teams: Nico Hischier, Miro Heiskanen, Elias Pettersson, Cale Makar, Martin Necas, Jason Robertson and so on.

Learning winning ways and reliable defensive play is a long way and a lot depends on the culture in which the player is implanted.

– It’s also about the world of values ​​in the dressing room. Is there an atmosphere that this is where winning hockey is played? It is only natural to learn bad habits if there are often nights when the opponent is much better. Especially in these sunny cities, where there is no pressure from the media and fans like in Canada, Lehkonen sees.

‘s hockey expert, former NHL goaltender Karri Rämö is on the same lines as Lehkonen.

– In teams that are always successful, you usually have to earn a place in the game. If you start messing around in such a way that it’s a detriment to the team, those habits will be honed in the lower leagues until playing starts to benefit the team. Quite a lot of skill has come to the NHL, which remains outside the game and through which the game does not progress, Rämö states.

– Edmonton is an example. There was a lot of top-level young talent ten years ago, but they couldn’t be taught how to play hockey if you want to win. In that, many players passed many years and there were transfers to other places. Clubs and coaches have a big responsibility when people come to the NHL at such a young age these days.

Is the lure of money overpowering temper?

Nowadays, people really come to the NHL young, often directly from the booking event at the age of 18, and in the name of honesty, often without proper skills. There are also numerous Finnish examples and perhaps these Jesse Puljujärvi is the most famous. Yesterday’s weather is easy to predict, but whose idea was it to hang out in the completely raw Puljujärvi in ​​the NHL at the age of 18?
The surface of the NHL shines with youth and freshness, but if there is no preparation, the player may pay a heavy price for rushing.

– Then we take steps backwards in our career, self-confidence is gone and the body screams red in inflammation after the merciless regular season, when there are no bottoms, Lehkonen spins.

Of course, there are other ways. For example, who played a sensational rookie season a year ago Anton Lundell played in Finland for another year after his reservation. Miro Heiskanen did the same. Colorado superstar Cale Makar was booked for the NHL in 2017, but he went to college for two more years before the NHL.

Mikko Rantanen played his first North American season practically entirely on the farm. Or who remembers that Teemu Selänne made his NHL debut – 76 goals and 132 points in his rookie season – at 22, not 18.

– I talked about this with Makari’s faija. He talked about how important the extra years at university were. The young guy got to play a lot, train well, eat well and still develop his skating and body. After all, that’s a completely different thing for any young person than hanging around in the NHL just surviving, Lehkonen says.

Among the latest booking events, Lehkonen singles out Seattle by Matt Beniers, 20, who — somehow — played another year in college after his NHL booking. Beniers is currently the biggest favorite to win the rookie of the year title this season.

– This Beniers is a sensation. The boy wants to go in two directions with high quality and everything shows that he has understood how the game must be played if he is going to operate on the NHL side, Lehkonen praises.

In ‘s NHL broadcast, Ismo Lehkonen spoke in more detail about star players’ defensive play.

There is always a demand for top-class individual skills and breath-taking goalscorers in the NHL, but experts still stress the importance of patience and quality preparation with young people. For many, a year or two after the NHL reservation at the lower levels could do good.

– There is no way to correct these issues. Even one year does a lot for a young athlete, Lehkonen sees.

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