We know what we see, but what do they see?

After all, Denver’s hockey players know each other better than anyone else. With that, we present MagnessMayhem.com’s third annual player survey. Players were polled anonymously in early December.

The survey included 25 questions that covered a range of skills, from skating to shooting to hockey sense to leadership.

2018-19 survey

2017-18 survey

We begin the 2019-20 survey by looking at the foundational skill to play the game: skating.

Question: 1 Which player has the best top-end skating speed?

• Ryan Barrow, Hank Crone, Michael Davies – 23 percent
• Slava Demin – 15 percent
• Jake Doremus, Jake Durflinger – 8 percent

Analysis: Barrow creates chance after chance on the forecheck due to his speed. It’s also an asset when he goes into PK mode. Crone creates space for himself to make plays because of it, and Davies’ skating helps him retrieve pucks, break up plays and escape trouble with regularity.

Question 2: Which player is the most agile skater?

• Liam Finlay – 62 percent
• Michael Davies – 15 percent
• Slava Demin, Lane Krenzen, Emilio Pettersen – 8 percent

Analysis: Watch Finlay with the puck on his stick to see elusiveness defined. This also is a prominent weapon for Davies in his own zone and for generating chances on offense.

Question 3: Which goaltender has the best lateral movement?

• Devin Cooley – 92 percent
• Michael Corson – 8 percent

Analysis: Any time you have a 6-foot-5 goaltender with the athleticism Cooley boasts, it’s not hard to see why two NHL teams invited him to prospect camps over the summer and why scouts (to say nothing of the Pioneers) were pleased to see him return to the lineup last month. 

Question 4: Which player has the most explosive skating stride?

• Jack Doremus – 31 percent
• Ian Mitchell, Emilio Pettersen – 23 percent
• Liam Finlay, Cole Guttman, Kohen Olischefski – 8 percent

Analysis: None of these powerful skaters requires much of a runway for take-off, and several combine that with excellent elusiveness. Mitchell’s might be the most noticeable because he utilizes it in all three zones.

MORE: DU hockey midseason report

Next: Strength, checking and toughness

©First Line Editorial 2019