|
Ryan Callahan |
Games
|
Goals
|
Assists
|
Points
|
+/-
|
PIM
|
|
Regular Season
|
14
|
4
|
2
|
6
|
+5
|
9
|
|
Playoffs
|
10
|
2
|
1
|
3
|
+1
|
6
|
I must admit, I am fairly confused, so this will be one of the harder writeups to do. Why am I confused? That’s a good question. I’m confused because my metrics of Callahan seem fairly accurate on how I would rate the different aspects of his game, but when i look at this full package together, it just seems too high a rating for the kid. Know what I mean? I mean, he skates very well, but hes not the best on the team. He plays hard in both ends of the ice, but hes not a defensive wiz. He’s willing to drop the gloves and throw a hit, but would you consider him a physical player?
Color me confused. This is probably one of those guys you just have a hard time gauging. Unfortunately for me, this goes back before he ever made it to the NHL. When I saw Callahan in Hartford, I thought to myself, here is a guy who really doesnt do anything spectacularly. He clearly has a nice shot, but no other aspects of his game REALLY stand out. Like take Petr Prucha for instance, his intensity and aggression coupled with a wicked shot are his stand out points. Nylander has his vision and stickhandling, Straka has speed and heart, Jagr..well, hes Jaromir freaking Jagr. So I was watching this guy, and despite him scoring lots of goals it seemed like he never really took over a game, just was there at the right place at the right time. So I labeled him a borderline NHL player. Go ahead, finish laughing it up, I was clearly wrong about him. Ryan Callahan much like Wayne Gretzky prove one thing, hockey is as much a cerebral game as it is a physical game, and the thing Cally has in spades is hockey sense. He seems to know exactly how the play is going to develop way before anyone else. He just always seems to be right in the thick of the action, seemingly appearing outta nowhere.
Much like Chris Drury, having this ability can lead to longevity in this league, and to being a winner. Thats another thing I get the sense of when I see this kid. He just seems like a winner. Like when he sets his sights on something, nothing is going to stand in his way. Thats a good thing for sure, and a thing I hope Drury can further bring out in Cally.
This should be a break out year for Callahan. Although he should see minimal power play time, expect him to put up ~20 goals. 20 even strength goals from your third line right winger can be HUGE. I look forward to being wrong about this kid for a long, long time.
-Inferno