r/NHLHUT•10 yr. ago

Base Malkin Review

Other

Yo boys what's good hope you have all been having a dope weekend, I'm a little late here, not sure how many people actually care, but here is the weekly review, Evgeni Malkin.

Line: Ovechkin-Datsyuk-Malkin

Skating 9/10 Malkin skates very smoothly for a big player, he also accelerates very well and has good top end speed for a big frame and in general. I feel like he moves better than Ovi does, and way better than Getzlaf or Perry, really the best of anyone that is 6'3+ that I've used. What I have noticed though that despite his size and his stats, he doesn't bowl over players like you would think, he doesn't get lit up by any means but his balance leaves something to be desired as he gets bumped easier than other big players.

Shooting 9.5/10 Malkin has a very strong shot for a playmaker. He can pick corners with a slapshot or a wrister with ease, not to mention he gets a good deal of power behind it as well. He is a forward that, like Ovi or Stamos, can be moved to the point on the power play and produce well there, getting pucks to the net and past the goalie.

Hands 9.5/10 Malkin by far has the fastest hands I've used for a big guy, he's very close to the shiftiness of Kane and Datsyuk. He also performs dekes smoothly, I'm often able to string many moves together and get through the whole squad with Geno. His passing ability is also strong, he can thread passes through multiple defenders to set up that cross crease one-timer, truly making him a larger threat when he has possession. Speaking of which I find that while he can suffer an occasional bump off the puck, he does not seem to lose it easily to pokes or stick lifts, unless a poorly timed deke or perfectly place stick check gets to him, he will keep control.

Checking 9/10 Malkin can really lay the body on people, his speed and big frame allow him to give some bone-rattling hits to players smaller than him, and even blow up some of his stature as well. Beware against bigger players though, as it is tough for him to take them down, not to mention that it's easier for them to bump him off the puck.

Defense 8/10 I was pleasantly surprised by Malkin's defensive game, I found him to have good stick checking abilities while also maintaining good position, I even witnessed him pick passes made in his area of the ice. What he lacks heavily, however, is face-off ability, it is a must to put him on the wing, but once you do that he becomes one of the best players in the game.

Overall... Malkin is a very unique player, and the more I think about it, the best way to compare him is that he's like Ovi, but with better hands instead of the deadly shot, though his shot is still among the best I've used in this game. He's a big body that can play with the elusiveness of Johnny Hockey, while still maintaining some sort of power game, albeit weaker than most power forwards on his skates, he is still able to keep possession majority of the time. If you are in need for a top right winger, Malkin could be the man for you, his offensive skills are among the best in the game and his natural center tendencies give him a more well-rounded defensive game than most wingers, I'd highly recommend picking him up.

Comment which of these guys you'd like to see next, I'd love to be able to make a concrete decision based on your input.

(All Base)

Kane

Getzlaf

Duchene

Bergeron

Zetterberg

Ryan

Subban

Suter

Karlsson

Josi