Who of these three do you think has the best hands?

[OTHockey96 0]

Maybe you will notice all of these guys are Russians....sorry, did not mean to discriminate. I honestly think these three have best hands in the league, just can't narrow it down past these guys. Live near DC, gotta admit, more Semin I see, more I'm amazed. If you guys disagree, please let me know, there are many non-Russians that have very good hands too.

[JoeyJ0506 192]

I do not really get to see these guys play a whole lot. But, when Kovalev was with the Penguins he did things with the puck that made my jaw drop, add in his cannon shot, and he's absolutely amazing. After watching Kovalchuk the other night I might have to add him to that list of Russians as well, especially how well he controls the puck at the rate he is constantly going.

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

I am bias, but I also get to see semin a lot more, both in practice and games. He has without doubt, the best hands I've ever seen.

The other two are pretty great too, but Semin is just otherworldly to me. I have video of him I took at practice, well the video is just after as I missed the shot, but he shot a puck at a metal lamp that was hanging over the bleachers, from the ice, and hit it.

Several players, including Ovey, Green, Kovalchuk and a few more have said he has the best hands they have ever seen

[RadioGaGa 162]

I said Kovalev because he's the elder statesman of the list, and the guy that many of those younf Russian players have modelled there game/skillset after.

[maxamillion 3]

In terms of straigh hands it goes, IMO:

Kovy

Semin

Datsyuk

In Terms of who I'd want on my team, it goes

Datsyuk

Kovu

Semin

Got a chance to watch semin the other night, and the guy is an agile little shit reminiscent of afinigenov, where he has unbelievable one on one ability and zero finish, at least in the games i have seen him in.

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

In terms of straigh hands it goes, IMO:

Kovy

Semin

Datsyuk

In Terms of who I'd want on my team, it goes

Datsyuk

Kovu

Semin

Got a chance to watch semin the other night, and the guy is an agile little shit reminiscent of afinigenov, where he has unbelievable one on one ability and zero finish, at least in the games i have seen him in.

Semin has zero finish, or Afinigenov?

Semin was leading the league in goals until he went out injured. January 3rd was his first game back in over 2 weeks.

Last year he was injured most of the year, the season before he had 38 goals.

How can you possibly say he has zero finish, unless as I said, you are talking about afinigenov

[OTHockey96 0]

Semin has more finish than anyone in the league, he just doesn't really give a shit about playing here, unless its playoffs. That's the truth.

[RiSeOnFiRe 0]

Semin has more finish than anyone in the league, he just doesn't really give a shit about playing here, unless its playoffs. That's the truth.

Dumb statement..

[OTHockey96 0]

RiSeOnFiRe,

Why do you disagree with me? Because he's here?

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

RiSeOnFiRe,

Why do you disagree with me? Because he's here?

Have you seen him play much?

He puts his head in where people wouldn't put their sticks. He is reckless and takes dumb penalties from time to time, but the upside counters that.

He is a passionate player, but doesn't talk much to the media, because they have misquoted/mistranslated him in the past.

But if you read his statements in the russian media (go to www.tuvanhillbilly.com click the translations and look for semin interviews), you will see he wants to be here, he want's to win here, and he is happy to be here.

[OTHockey96 0]

Guys,

In no way was I trying to say something negative about him....or the NHL. You don't have to be angry, I just have some different sources for my opinion. My opinion is that he plays here because yes, he cares, but he definitely had to warm up to playing here....and especially to being here. I agree though that he has tried to play much more intensity lately (like last 2 yrs), than before. I think he will only get better, as long as not hurt.

[bednarz877 0]

i know what your saying but in his defense if i went over to russia to play it would take me sometime to "warm up"

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

Guys,

In no way was I trying to say something negative about him....or the NHL. You don't have to be angry, I just have some different sources for my opinion. My opinion is that he plays here because yes, he cares, but he definitely had to warm up to playing here....and especially to being here. I agree though that he has tried to play much more intensity lately (like last 2 yrs), than before. I think he will only get better, as long as not hurt.

When he played under hanlon, he was benched for not playing enough D. He wasn't given the freedom to play the creative high risk/high reward hockey that Boudreau allows him to play. Boudreau even said himself in the post game presser after the flyers game that he was double shifting semin on the top line at the end because he was playing well, but wasn't going to do it too often, because kozlov is better defensively. It wasn't a knock on him, its just how he plays.

But with hanlon, he was a healthy scratch, he was benched during the game for trying to play his style. Even Jagr, who I despise, said that Hanlon was a great guy, but wouldn't allow the offense to play offense, and that some guys are good 2 way players, and some are good one way players.

Semin is a one way player, who is (since feds came over) working on his D game a bit.

I'm not really sure what you mean by you have different sources, but everything I'm seeing is from personally watching him every game, reading all the local media (I'm in DC) and such.

I'm also not at all upset or angry, so I apologize if it came off that way, I'm just defending him (I've said I have a bias, and I have had a mancrush on him since getting to see him from the glass against the Panthers in 2004, I've been a convert since then)

[interpathway 9]

I'd take Kovalev on the PP, Semin in OT, and Datsyuk in the shootout. Simple as that.

[Fire0nIce228 1]

I picked Kovalev. All these guys are sick, but watching the vids of Kovy doing stickhandling and one handed backhanders and the like on youtube is amazing. If the other two put up some vids like that then maybe it would be a good way to judge... as it is, watching them in games is one thing, watching them screw around with no pressure is another. Very cool what those guys can do with the pucks..

[top_shelf_24 0]

I know its against a shitty interviewer, this vid is what pushed my vote for datsyuk.

the guy does look like he knows how play hockey

Ive never really payed much attention to to semin, I would have voted for Kovy but i just think datsyuk's smoothness is something you're just born with. Kovy sure can stickhandle and shoot, but Ive never seen anybody undress two different goalies with the exact same move the way pavel did.

This one makes me want to bow down

[RiSeOnFiRe 0]

This one makes me want to bow down

honestly i dont see anything special there. He saw a hit coming and went to the right...

[interpathway 9]

+1. The previous video was much better. Wowza.

[top_shelf_24 0]

I just find it funny i guess

[raygunpk 0]

How did that 4th option get over 1000 votes but this thread only has 600 views?

[Chadd 916]

How did that 4th option get over 1000 votes but this thread only has 600 views?

And only 92 total votes

[pwrfwd26 0]

Someone is stuffing the ballot box!

[RiSeOnFiRe 0]

its the habs fans hacking again! <_<

[Somemeat 0]

i have to say kovalev has prly the best hands then datsyuk then semin.

[caldakid 0]

kovalev has the best hands i'd say, but wheres wellwood !!??