Michael Stuart: Victor Hedman's Meteoric Rise to Greatness

Patience with Hedman will pay off in the long run.

Hedman was our best blueliner last season (which, I guess isn't saying much) and will continue to improve and his career does. There are many teams that would trade their collect left testicals for him.

Never trade this guy thats for sure

Michael Stuart: Victor Hedman's Meteoric Rise to Greatness
- Michael_Stuart

HA! If thats what you call meteoric?

He's good, but as you say has not translated yet to the NHL. We'll see...

Top 10 in NHL? Doubt it. Ever...

Now cue all the crap coming back at me about "he would be the best on your team, blah blah blah..." Thats not what this is about. I like Hedman. But lets be realistic.

Can he be a top 10? Yes, he has the talent. Will he be a top 10? Have a hard time seeing it. #15-20 range

HA! If thats what you call meteoric?

He's good, but as you say has not translated yet to the NHL. We'll see...

Top 10 in NHL? Doubt it. Ever...

Now cue all the crap coming back at me about "he would be the best on your team, blah blah blah..." Thats not what this is about. I like Hedman. But lets be realistic.
- Iggysbff

this

I think he can become a top defender. If I recall correctly, he was considered among the most NHL ready players in his draft. It's really no surprise that he comes with growing pains, the blue line is a tough place to develop at the professional level. He's only 21, there's still plenty of time to grow.

Even if he ended up as a top 20 defender, he's worth the patience.

HA! If thats what you call meteoric?

He's good, but as you say has not translated yet to the NHL. We'll see...

Top 10 in NHL? Doubt it. Ever...

Now cue all the crap coming back at me about "he would be the best on your team, blah blah blah..." Thats not what this is about. I like Hedman. But lets be realistic.
- Iggysbff

Not going to give you any of that "crap" -- he's young. The meteoric part was with reference to his play this season in the KHL. Nobody really expected it, but he's been fantastic. Watching him play, it's like he's a completely new player. That's meteoric. What I'm saying now is that we need that greatness to translate back to North America.

Hedman was our best blueliner last season (which, I guess isn't saying much) and will continue to improve and his career does. There are many teams that would trade their collect left testicals for him.
- Artyukhin76

If he can come back from the K with this level of play, we're all going to be drooling....

If he can come back from the K with this level of play, we're all going to be drooling....
- Michael_Stuart

I am happy with his play overall now, yes hes had a few EPIC brain farts, thats goes with being 21. There still plenty of room for improvement, but he's got what it takes to be a great defender.

I am happy with his play overall now, yes hes had a few EPIC brain farts, thats goes with being 21. There still plenty of room for improvement, but he's got what it takes to be a great defender.
- Artyukhin76

He's never going to be a physical player, but based on what I've seen in the KHL, he's starting to use his size to get positioning on players. That's a huge positive moving forward for the Lightning. Happy fan here!

Erik Johnson 2.0,

Good decent player, and happy you have him as your top pairing D-Man, but at the end of the day you have a number 2, not a number 1 franchise d-man

Erik Johnson 2.0,

Good decent player, and happy you have him as your top pairing D-Man, but at the end of the day you have a number 2, not a number 1 franchise d-man
- DDM-Coga

I don't know about that. Personally, I would take Hedman over Johnson today for a bounty of reasons. You'll probably call me biased for saying that, and I understand that concern, but from a purely objective point of view, there's a lot Hedman brings that indicates he will one day be a true number one defender. Watch him in the KHL and see the kind of player we have. He's an incredibly smart, effective player.

Erik Johnson 2.0,

Good decent player, and happy you have him as your top pairing D-Man, but at the end of the day you have a number 2, not a number 1 franchise d-man
- DDM-Coga

Agreed. This whole tearing up the KHL crap is a little silly. Tons of players have done it and have come to the NHL and proven (frank) all.

Id take him on my team anyday, but lets wait and see what happens in the NHL and if he can prove something where it counts. Justin Schultz of the Oilers is completely destroying the AHL in a way that makes Hedmans performance in the KHL look like smurf turds. That does NOT mean Schutlz has had a meteoric rise to "greatness" nor does it mean he will be a top 30 dman in the NHL, let alone a top 10.

Agreed. This whole tearing up the KHL crap is a little silly. Tons of players have done and have come to the NHL and proven (frank) all.

Id take him on my team anyday, buts lets sit and see what happens in the NHL and if he can prove something where it counts. Justin Schultz of the Oilers is completely destroying the AHL in a way that makes Hedmans performance in the KHL look like smurf turds. That does NOT mean Schutlz has had a meteoric rise to "greatness" nor does it mean he will be a top 30 dman in the NHL, let alone a top 10.
- systemtool

This, dominating AHL/KHL does not mean NHL guaranteed success, its promising to see them take their games to a new level but until the puck drops in the NHL, its all really just a tease.

Hedman and Shultz are not playing against teams with the fire power of crosby and malkin together. Until then we can hypothesize all we want.

This, dominating AHL/KHL does not mean NHL guaranteed success, its promising to see them take their games to a new level but until the puck drops in the NHL, its all really just a tease.

Hedman and Shultz are not playing against teams with the fire power of crosby and malkin together. Until then we can hypothesize all we want.
- DDM-Coga

I view Hedman as a different animal than Schultz simply because we've seen flashes from Hedman in the KHL. I'd hardly call it silly as I'm not so much talking about the stats as much as I am talking about the process.

He's not "tearing up the KHL" or anything like that. He's producing solidly, but that's not what I'm focused on. I'm looking at the process. He's more willing to use his size, he's more willing to go into hard areas to produce opportunities for his teammates and he has shown a defensive awareness that we've seen flashes of in Tampa. Those aren't things like stats that differ from KHL to NHL -- those are qualities. Those are qualities that have been developed. This has been a coming of age party for Hedman, not simply a tearing up the KHL so it will be the same in the NHL sort of thing.

Different league, different standard of play. But you can look at the process and judge a player; I've seen improvement in the process for Mr. Hedman. He's played incredibly well and with confidence. I look forward to seeing those things back in Tampa. He wasn't drafted 2nd overall for no reason.

I view Hedman as a different animal than Schultz simply because we've seen flashes from Hedman in the KHL. I'd hardly call it silly as I'm not so much talking about the stats as much as I am talking about the process.

He's not "tearing up the KHL" or anything like that. He's producing solidly, but that's not what I'm focused on. I'm looking at the process. He's more willing to use his size, he's more willing to go into hard areas to produce opportunities for his teammates and he has shown a defensive awareness that we've seen flashes of in Tampa. Those aren't things like stats that differ from KHL to NHL -- those are qualities. Those are qualities that have been developed. This has been a coming of age party for Hedman, not simply a tearing up the KHL so it will be the same in the NHL sort of thing.

Different league, different standard of play. But you can look at the process and judge a player; I've seen improvement in the process for Mr. Hedman. He's played incredibly well and with confidence. I look forward to seeing those things back in Tampa. He wasn't drafted 2nd overall for no reason.
- Michael_Stuart

Everyone is entitled to there (wrong) opinion, we like Hedman, we get to see him every game (when they happen). He was the right choice at the draft and will be I our Blueline as long as Lidstrom did on Detroits (no, fans of other teams I am not comparing the two).

Do you think that the DNA line will be together?

Do you think that the DNA line will be together?
- Artyukhin76

I think Tyrell might be in tough to make the roster. Just my thoughts.

Personally I think Hedman has been a bit underrated during his time in Tampa. There is no doubting the talent and the measurables, but to me he got a bad rap for not hitting enough and everyone soured b/c of his "soft" play. Patience is key as d-men almost always take years to develop, and as I see it Heds has a very bright future and even if he's not top 10 in the future (although he has the talent to get there) he certainly has a future as a top 20 overall and a top pairing d-man for the Bolts for a long time

Erik Johnson 2.0,

Good decent player, and happy you have him as your top pairing D-Man, but at the end of the day you have a number 2, not a number 1 franchise d-man
- DDM-Coga

Hedman still has a higher ceiling than Johnson and has already eclipsed his play overall as it is. That being said, how can you accurately compare the two? Hedman has playoff experience from the ECF run 2 years ago and was nothing short of great during that run. Last year due to injuries Heds and Brewer were thrust into double time and their play suffered from it (although with the swiss cheese goaltending I'm not sure it would have mattered).

Either way, Heds>Johnson