I like Vanek and all, but I have often questioned the notion of him as an elite winger. The article makes mention of his apparent lack of speed, but this is not the only tool that is missing from his game. When you look at truly elite wingers like a Kovalchuk or Ovechkin you notice a blend of speed, shot and hands. Vanek can stay in front of the net and deflect pucks better than either of them and he has a decent shot. However the speed and hands required to keep Buffalo's cycle and forecheck game going are not there. People thought he had great hands when he was successful with his outside to in, through the defenseman's legs cut move, during his first two years. What they forget was that after a time defensemen were no longer being fooled and his ability to move the puck on the rush was hampered. I'm not clamoring for his head, but I do blame Edmonton for inflating his value at a time when both Drury and Briere left. Back in 07-08 when he got off to a slow start we often joked that his 7 million was weighing him down, I hope that isn't the case now. Skate hard Thomas and learn some new moves from Connolly and Roy.
Ganz gutes Kommentar von der Seite... trifft es ganz gut und zeigt, dass wir hier die Situation mit Tom doch recht objektiv einschätzen und richtig liegen. Man hat sich damals einfach mehr erwartet.
