Patrik Tallinder's Rookie Profile [1/2]

[Patrik Tallinder 1,079]

Basic Information

Age: 17

Height: 6'1"

Weight: 175 lbs

Hometown: Stockholm, Sweden

 

Pro's

Skating: Tallinder is a smooth, agile skater who thrives in open ice. He excels at receiving passes on the move, and finding lanes up the ice and to the net. His speed makes him a great breakout option, as he can sneak into open ice past the defense, creating odd man rushes and potentially breakaways as well. Although not the best at playing in the corners, Tallinder is able to make shifty moves to create space for himself down low and escape defensemen who are on him because of his elusive and powerful first step. His top speed is impressive, but not necessarily as big of a strength as his quickness. 

Wrist Shot: The Swedish winger has a fantastic release that should lead to consistent offensive production, especially when matched with his ability to find shooting lanes for himself. While he rarely uses slap shots, they are by no means a weakness. But his biggest threat to goalies and defensemen is his wrist shot. A great release, and some impressive power behind it too. He thrives on the rush, where he's able to find shooting lanes through any defender with quik moves to change the angle of his shot.

Hockey IQ: Tallinder's anticipation and vision consistently make him one of the most dangerous players on the ice. Great at breaking up plays and causing turnovers on the forecheck. A weapon on the powerplay, because of his vision and his quik shot. He's able to read plays on the forecheck, giving him the ability to break up plenty of breakouts before the puck leaves the offensive zone.

 

Con's

Defense: One area this kid falls a bit behind is his defensive ability. He can frequently end up out of position, and miss his assignments when more offensive minded defensemen sneak in towards the net. His desire to be involved in the play can cause him to lurk towards the puck and lose track of his man. While this is something that can be ironed out through coaching and time, it remains a concern for now.

Physicality: Tallinder is often referred to as a "perimeter player," meaning he doesn't get into the grittier areas, such as the corners and the slot. Some players succeed with this type of play, and for others, it is their downfall. If he were to fill out his frame a bit more, this could lead to better physicality in his game. This will take commitment in the gym and on the ice, which hasn't seemed to be a problem for the Swede to this point.

Discipline: When facing extremely physical teams, the 17 year old can sometimes take uncalled for retaliation penalties. Because of his slight frame, he is a common target for hits, and while he's usually able to escape the majority, they can take a toll if they connect and he can get heated. This is something that will likely disappear as he matures, but noteworthy at the moment.

Edited September 3, 2019 by Patrik Tallinder

[Cxsquared 455]

Review: Nice content. The pros and cons list are really well done. For formatting I'd put an extra space between each pro/con for easier reading. I also think the picture would be better up top rather than at the end of the article. Overall really nice writing!