I usually find time to read John Buccigross’ column . He has a way of articulating his feelings and observations in sports that is not unlike Bill Simmons’ style of writing. Although I don’t always agree with what Buccigross says, he’s always interesting.
I once read him describe Evgeni Malkin in a way that really made an impression on me. I don’t care enough to look through all the archives and find the specific article. It would just take too long. I also don’t want to paraphrase what he wrote because I simply wouldn’t be able to give his insight proper justice. I just want to acknowledge his words as inspiration for what I’m about to say with regards to Thomas Vanek.
I should preface by mentioning that I think Vanek is a tremendous scoring talent. He has great instincts around the opponents net and that, mixed with his considerable balance and strength, often allows him to get in great scoring position. He is a deceptively effective inside scorer. Further, he has outstanding hand-eye coordination and what I would consider to be an above-average shot. Few players have Vanek’s combination of stick skills, strength, and offensive instincts. It is why he’s such a great finisher.
The concern with Vanek, in my eyes, has always been his even-strength play. At the start of his career, his effort wasn’t good enough to be a quality defender in his own zone. I’ve come to realize though, that his physical attributes do not translate well into what is necessary to be a great defender in this league. He’s not a very quick or agile skater and has always struggled to make smart defensive reads. Vanek is not built or programed to ever be a defensive-minded forward. All he and the Sabres can do is try and manage his weaknesses in the defensive zone.
You know what, that’s fine. He’s playing with four other skaters that can balance the line. Unlike, Jason Spezza, who plays center for the Senators and similarly struggles as a defender, Vanek isn’t as much of a liability defensively because he’s plays on the wing. The biggest problem that’s inhibiting Vanek from becoming the elite, superstar player and scorer that everyone in western New York believes he can be, in my opinion, is his inability to consistently create his own scoring opportunities.
Which brings me back to Buccigross and his thoughts on Malkin’s effectiveness as a power forward. He, Malkin, like Vanek, is not a very agile skater with modest defensive instincts. Still, he’s a dynamic scorer on both the powerplay and during even-strength play. Malkin is a difference maker and most would argue is one of the top five talents, with regards to his position, in the NHL. Malkin is built like Vanek and they both share many of the same strengths. They differ primarily in that Malkin is better at carrying the puck. This is what I find difficult to explain. Why can’t Vanek assert himself as a similarly dangerous playmaker and scorer while rushing with the puck as Malkin? Why is Vanek so ineffective with the puck when he’s trying to beat a defender one-on-one?
Vanek takes long strides, so it’s difficult to get a perspective on how fast he’s skating. People often misinterpret his staking style as a lack of effort, which is not the case. Given that he primarily takes long, powerful strides, he must be made to understand that he will be unable to stickhandle around NHL defenders like some of the other forwards that are quicker and more shifty on their skates. Vanek seems to try to beat defenders the same way that Max Afinogenov does. Which is why he fails so often.
On the flip side, if you watch Evgeni Malkin play, he first priority is to protect the puck while on a rush. Then, with a combination of speed and strength, he gets the defender is out of position. Currently, on the Sabres, Stafford is the most like Malkin in this way. Vanek does not use his strength and speed to protect the puck. Consequently, he is easily poke-checked and is rendered essentially to a one dimensional player. As it stands right now, Vanek is a finisher only. It’s a shame because early in his career when the NHL was a much more open game, he showed great promise as a playmaker. The game has changed, certainly. That doesn’t mean, however, that Vanek’s effectiveness is limited in the new NHL. He just needs to evolve into the type of player that Malkin has become.
Obviously, Vanek’s opportunities are greatest while on the powerplay. He takes advantage of a large percentage of those chances, too. It’s easy to carry on and on about Vanek’s talent as a finisher. The hope is that the Sabres can maximize the number of scoring opportunities Vanek gets each game, right? Playing him often while on the powerplay is one way to get him opportunities. As far as even-strength play, the Sabres would be foolish to rely soly on Stafford, Roy, Connolly, or whomever to create scoring chances for Vanek. His linemates may be decent players, but they’re not on the same talent level as Vanek. He has superstar potential. And his effectiveness should not be directly tied to that of his linemates.
Think of any superstar, in any league, at any level. As a superstar, they may need and use their teammates to achieve that status but they still, clearly, rely on their own talent to create opportunities for themselves and for others. In the defensive and neutral zones, where opportunities start in hockey, Vanek has never been a positive factor. Conversely, Malkin is a threat, always, when he carries the puck into the offensive zone.
This is my greatest concern with the Sabres’ coaching staff: that they will mismanage Drew Stafford and Thomas Vanek, both of whose style of play certainly does not fit nicely into the defensive system that Lindy Ruff has been trying to instill on his team the last two seasons. I wonder if any of the coaches know how to properly use and mentor either of those players.
The bottom line is that Vanek needs to stop using his stick skills when trying to beat defenders. He should use his size to protect the puck and his speed and strength to beat defenders like Malkin does. Vanek is a creative player; it’s in the best interest of the team for him to have the puck as often as possible. Right now, he is a very nonthreatening presence whenever he rushes with the puck. It’s up to the coaching staff and Vanek to change that. Isn’t it strange how infrequently Vanek is even noticed until he scores? And don’t you think he would be able to finish his opportunities more consistently if he were more involved in the game and in control of the puck more often?
There’s no doubt Vanek will work as hard as he needs to in order to maximize his potential. He strikes me as a highly motivated player. I’m just concerned with how well he fits into the coaching staff’s plans. The Sabres management is committed to the future of Vanek but I’m unsure as to whether the coaching staff can really take advantage of the scoring potential that the offensive-minded Vanek undeniably has boat-loads of.