Claimed:Dirk Firkley Rookie Profile [GRADE: 8/8]

[pxzero 65]

Name: Dirk Firkley

Age: 19

Handedness: Left

Height: 6'3"

Weight: ~220 lbs.

Nationality: German

 
Virtually unknown before entering this VHLM, Firkley was a blind pick-up by the Ottawa Lynx in a desperate attempt to fill a depleted roster. Now, with a few games under his belt, scouts have begun to take a hard look at the German import before the season 41 draft and the opinions are consistent: he is an aggressive, offensive player who makes as many great plays as terrible ones. His strengths and weaknesses are clearly defined, which will make him easy for a coach to fit into an existing line up, but also makes him easy to outplay 1 on 1.
 
Strengths
 
Physicality:
When his skates touch the ice, there are few players with a stronger drive to the net than Firkley. He is explosive and aggressive, always wanting to be the first player to get to a loose puck and completely unafraid to throw his 220lb, 6’3” frame into the corner fight for one. His size also contributes a lot to his shooting.
 
Shooting:
Dirk makes a lot of shots for himself, which are backed by his strong upper body and a highly deceptive snap-shot. His slap shot has been measured at a staggering high of 103.1 mph, which will earn him even more shot opportunities as the fear-factor behind the massive wind-up starts to permeate the league.
 
Face-Offs:
Between his drive for the puck and his effective use of his strength, Firkley is a great choice to scrap for the puck. While his stats after 26 games only have him winning 51% of the battles, a little refined technique will tip the scales much further in his favour.
 
Teamwork:
If nothing else, Dirk’s heart is in the game.  He’ll do anything to help the team win. He is unselfish with the puck, he will take penalties when the team needs them, and immediately returns any cheap shots the other way. On ice and in the locker room, he’s an asset to any team.
 
Weaknesses
 
Conditioning:
His strengths are also his greatest weaknesses. Firkley’s constant, high energy game makes him very vulnerable to fatigue. He cannot play long minutes and has often found himself borderline ineffective in the 3^rd from tiring himself out in the first two periods. This can be avoided with a better conditioning coach or a deeper roster, where his minutes can be shortened to maximize the effectiveness of this guided offensive missile.
 
Puck Handling:
His speed also causes problems with holding the puck, often out skating his own stick ability. We’ve seen him lose the puck much more often than safely guiding it into the offensive zone – indeed, Lynx coaches have started actively avoiding using Firkley to transition from defense, which is a clear and overwhelming issue.
 
Aim:
His shot is strong, and he loves to shoot, but Dirk’s aim is way off. He’s putting too much power into the shots and not enough precision. His aim is also off with his passes. While he’s not selfish with the puck and knows where he should put it, it isn't often that he gets it there. In fact, bad passes are his leading means of turning over the puck, even ahead of his iffy puck handling. This can be worked on, but it’s a serious drawback right now.
 
Discipline:
More than anything, Firkley has problems with discipline. He refuses to wait for a clean shot, a safe pass, or an easy hit. He doesn't slow down to better handle the puck. He wants the net more than anything in the world, which can make him amazing, but if he doesn't reign himself in, he will never be better than a second tier player – if he even makes it to the VHL.  
 
Overall:
He’s got a lot of work ahead, but his strengths and potential seem to overshadow his blaring issues. On a deep team with a patient coach, you can expect great things from this rookie in his 2^nd and 3^rd years. 

[Da Trifecta 1,899]

Content: 5/5 This was a very solid piece here. Firkley can rise up the draft boards with more work like this. I like the format you did on this.

Grammar: 1/1 Yeah

Appearance: 1/1 Yup

Over 500 Words?: 1/1 Si

 

FINAL: 8/8

Edited October 27, 2014 by Da Trifecta

[James 77]

Claimed