Claimed:Prospect Profile: Ivars Klajums [8/8 Final]

[RMiner57 23]

http://www.vhlforum.com/index.php?/gallery/image/98-klajums/

Full Name: Klajums, Ivars

Birthdate: April 3, 1995 (Age 19)

Catches: Right Hand

Height(inches): 6'4.5"

Weight(pounds): ~185lbs.

Birthplace: Daugavpils, Latvia

Nationality: Latvia

Junior Team: Victoria Royals

Comparable Player: Pekka Rinne

 

A late bloomer, he broke into his native hometown's minor league team at the age of 17. Since then he's shown scouts of various leagues what his 6'4", 180 frame can do. He hails from the 2nd largest city in Latvia, and has since moved to North America to play with men and continue to ply his craft.

 

Strengths:

 

Lateral Movement

He is a big goalie, but he is quick in butterfly and on his feet, able to manoeuvre cross-crease very quickly. He doesn't open too many holes low and he keeps his shoulders high in butterfly, often making saves without having to move his arms excessively. He tends to be aggressive in his crease and looks big, swallowing point shots and taking tips rather simply.

 

Positioning

As his fast movement allows him to get where he needs to go, his awareness of the ice allows him to place himself in the best position to take a shot off the crest. He tends to be aggressive in his crease and looks big, swallowing point shots and taking tips rather simply.

 

Reflexes

He plays like a small goalie, which can be a weakness and a strength. When reacting to a shot, he is quick to react to a shot and can catch/direct shots effectively. He is sometimes caught exaggerating his saves but when he stays in control his 6'4" body can cover a lot of net, and he is quick to react with his long legs and quick blocker/glove.

 

Weaknesses:

 

Athleticism

He lacks in flexibility at times and is rather clunky when scrambling, leading to good chances that otherwise could be eliminated if he could use his long legs to cover the bottom of the net, though with good coaching he can work out this kink.

 

Discipline

He doesn't always take adversity well and often when he's going through tough stretches he gets away from what makes him successful; positioning and using his big frame. When he's off his game he is beaten under his arms and doesn't control rebounds well, and sometimes doesn't seal his post, leading to weak goals. Consistency is also an issue, some scouts criticise him for his streakiness through games.

 

Glove Side

His quickness to go to butterfly occasionally lends to his glove side being left open, since his goaltending style leads him to seal off his underarms and above the pad he is often beat cheating for a low shot, though his size often hides this flaw. One concern scouts have is if he faces stiffer competition how he'll be able to adjust.

 

Overall:

He is a big goalie with a lot of raw talent, with good coaching he has a very high ceiling and could turn into a very good goalie. Like most young goaltenders, he will be a long-term project before he makes the big leagues. In the future he will need to keep working on his mental game and his overall game will take major strides in the right direction. When he is at his best he is quick to the shooter, square and makes saves look easy. When he plays calm he can be dominate, and that is what has potential teams excited about in this young netminder.

 

EDIT: Added more since I wasn't pleased with how unfinished it felt.

Edited November 8, 2014 by RMiner57

[Will 4,662]

Content: 5/5

Overall this was quite well-written and an enjoyable read. My only complaint about the content is that the first two strengths, positioning and lateral movement, were extremely similar and actually word for word at one point. However, you certainly encompassed the requirements of a rookie profile.

 

Grammar: 1/1

Definitely the strong point of this profile, nice work.

 

Appearance: 1/1

Bolding, picture, you have enough. 

 

Over 500 words? 1/1

 

Overall: 8/8

[Kendrick 4,741]

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