Edited Dec. 4, 2020 at 8:14 p.m.
Quoting: RomanovTheAnswer
borderline elite is a stretch brotha hahahahha come back after this next season I bet you'll be right
Is it? He's already just about as good as Koivu was during his prime, defensively speaking of course. It's not unreasonable to say he's borderline elite in that area when Mikko was generally considered by other players to be one of the hardest centers to play against during the last 20 years. Frankly, the only guy they typically said was harder to play against then Koivu is Bergeron.
What holds JEE back is his faceoffs percentage. It's too low. He has to improve it and get it around 50-52% before he'll be on an even playing field with Mikko and move into that elite category for shutdown centerman.
But if you're routinely asked to shutdown opposing teams top lines while playing from the 3rd line, and consistently keeping the Connor McDavid's of the world off the score sheet to where they're giving you face washes with their gloves during a postplay scrum out of frustration. You must be doing something right.
Quoting: PGHBOB69
Boarderline is not true at all. I know a stat line doesn’t tell everything and I agree he’s a good young Center with potential. But already boarderline elite?? Lol. He hasn’t even had 30 points in a season yet. Lol. And hasn’t even scored 10 goals in a season?? Boarlerline elite?? That’s a 4th line forward production. Would be a below average stat line from a bottom 6 forward. And boarderline elite?? Not even close. Yes, he has potential. But he has to prove it at some point. Or atleast show he can score 20 goals a season. And 20 goals a season isn’t elite at all. 40-50 goals a season is. No way he ever does that.
Quoting: RazWild
Meanwhile, Eriksson-Ek is one of the best young shutdown centers in the league at only 23 years old. He's already borderline elite, and is only getting better. Even if he never develops a scoring touch, he's still incredibly valuable, just as he is. Scoring is overrated when it comes to centers, as their primary job is to win faceoffs and then secondarily to babysit and insure their wingers don't cough up the puck. That's it.
Is reading comprehension so hard? I wasn't referring to offensive points production or what you think is appropriate production for an NHL caliber player. I don't particularly disagree that his production is too low, because it does need to come up a little bit. But, when I'm referring to him being borderline elite I am purely talking about his defensive prowess to shutdown opposing teams top lines. Not exactly something that's going to show up in the post-game stats sheet now is it?
Yes, you could use the argument his lack of points production keeps him out of consideration for being a true top six center. Which is fine, his ceiling is very clearly that of a middle sixer. That doesn't, however, mean he couldn't or can't be an elite level player for the role at which he is best suited for. Shutting down and neutralizing opposing teams top lines. You need those types of players if you want to win the cup.
If I had a choice between a guy who puts up 15 to 20 goals a season, getting 30 to 35 points while they're at it. But played mediocre to decidedly average defense at the center position.
Vs.
JEE's defensive prowess.
I take JEE. Each and every time, and it's not even close. There's more to hockey then just putting the puck into the net and being a points producer.