#19 Joe Sakic
Scouting Report
The Finesse Game
We all knew Sakic could make plays, and we knew he could finish. The question was, when would Sakic ever get a little more selfish and shoot more? The answer came the Stanley Cup season.
Sakic has one of the most explosive first steps in the league. He finds and hits the holes in a hurry, even with the puck, to create his chances. Sakic used a stick shaft with a little more "whip"in it last season, and that made his shots more dangerous.
He has one of the best wrist shots and snap shots in the NHL. Sakic´s most impressive gift is his great patience with the puck. He hold it until the last minute, when he has drawn the defendersto him and opened up ice, creating - as coaches love to express it - time and space for his linemates.
This makes him a gem on the power play, where last season he worked mostly down low and just off the half-boards on the right wing. Sakic can also play the point. Sakic is a scoring threat every time he is on the ice, because he can craft a dangerous scoring chance out of a situation that looks innocent.
He is lethal trailing the rush. He takes a pass in full stride without slowing, then dekes and shoots before the goalie can even flinch. Sakic is a good face-off man and if he is tied up, he will use his skates to kick the puck free.
The Physical Game
Sakic is not a physical player. He´s stronger than he looks, and, like Wayne Gretzky, will spin off his checks when opponents take runs at him. He uses his body to protect the puck when he is carryingdeep: you have to go through him to get it away.
He will try to keep going through traffic or along the boards with the puck, and often squirts free with it because he is able to maintain control and his balance. He creates turnovers with his quickness and his hands, but not by initiating contact.
The Intangibles
The playoffs were one long coming-out party for Sakic, who may have been the league´s best unknown player to that point. Sakic is a quiet leader, and a softspoken guy who doesn´t draw much attention to himself. His game does that.
We predicted 100 points for him earlier seasons, but never saw those goals coming. He should easily be in the top five in scoring again.