TOTW 89 Krug Review. (In Depth)

Base Krug was my 1st good defender when I first started HUT this year back when the game came out. He was awesome and fun to use eventually when I got more coin I started getting higher rated D men and eventually krug was off the team. I saw his TOTW 89 with AWESOME synergies up for 63k So something snapped in me and I remembered how well I played with him earlier in the season. I have TW CG TT WW activated on him.

33GP: 15G 17A

Review:

Skating: 9.5/10 94 speed, 95 Agility, 93 acceleration for a defender with a smaller frame he can really fly down the ice fast, he is very agile quick cuts separate him from just a fast skater it adds a whole new level of usefulness when he can quickly cut and can get to top speed in 1 second. I use him alot on the rush and he keeps up with Mov Mcdavid, Richards, Havlat just fine. Two dimensional speed side to side and up and down.

Shooting: 9/10/10 93 Wrist shot power 89 Accuracy, 93 Slapshot power, He has great ability to score with stats resembling an elite sniping forward. His shot gets off his stick quick and he can send BOMBS from the point. WW really helps him bury slot shots when I pinch in from the blue line if I find a lane. Most of the time in that position I would cycle and get a good shot with my forwards but Krug can get the Job done, sniping corners, Slapshot powerful enough to leak through the Goalies pads.

Hands: 8.8/10 All of his puck skills are above 90+ with his CG syn activated its at a 94 puck control which you really need to be able to hold the line and control the zone. He can land dekes like a top 6 forward and is pretty shifty.

Passing: 10/10 With TT active and CG active his passing maxes out at 99, you can't get any better than that. 99 passing combined with 94 puck control he can really lace the passes through tight lanes. I have also been using the Saucer pass A LOT with him and it is always dead on point. Actually saucer passed it across the zone for a 1T to datsyuk and it went a little higher than I expected but somehow Datyuk still caught it midair on his blade and tapped it in.

Checking: 7.5/10 His Body checking is at 81 but in game it actually feels higher, if I line someone up with him they are getting knocked down, it is one of his weaknesses but he's not meant for that type of big body play anyway.

Defense: 8.5/10 He is an offensive D man for sure but his speed and 89 D awareness really help him retain the puck after he hits the poke check on his opponent. His speed also helps his body just get in the way if he isnt checking guys off the puck he is so fast and agile he can edge people out of position with ease. I find myself poke checking with him and getting the perfect bounce to get a breakaway more often than not. He is just really good at getting in the way.

Miscellaneous: With Krug Paired on RD1 along side of TOTW Justin Faulk 91 I find them as the most dynamic DUO of Defense I have ever used, I can join the rush and cycle with puck with my top 6 forwards just as well as with the D men. Krug is really elite and plays high above an 89 rating, I had Scott Niedermeyer for about 50 games and this 89 krug blows him out of the unfrozen ice. The way he moves is something the stats can't measure, he is so shifty and able to get around anyone in his way his lateral movements are comparable to base Kane which is just insane. His shot, speed, passing, defense will all surprise you. This card is a must have in my book. ELITE.

Overall: I loved his base and now this card feels 3 times better. For around 60-75k you can get this card with great synergies WW,CG,B or you could get boring old base Brent burns for the same price, Just kidding I love burns but honestly Krug is more fun to play with, better synergies, and can create space for himself much more than burns and most d men for that matter. He is an elite defensive talent that will be getting breakaways left and right. So smooth SO crisp, and just SHIFTY as a mug.