I had the pleasure of taking in a Manitoba Moose game recently as they played host to the San Antonio Rampage.  It was a great opportunity to check out some of the great young rookies and future of the Phoenix Coyotes or Winnipeg Jets for those who refuse to let the dream die.  I was especially interested in Kyle Turris who has been struggling to put up the numbers you might expect from a guy taken just after Patrick Kane and James van Riemsdyk in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.

So far Turris has 18 goals and 26 assists for 44 points in 60 games.  The numbers aren’t bad, but they’re not even first on the team.  Former junior teammate of first overall pick John Tavares Brett MacLean has 25 goals and 23 assists for 48 points in 60 games.  The guy who really stood out in this game was Mikkel Boedker.  He seemed to be everywhere and didn’t shy away from the danger zones.  It’s no wonder he’s getting the odd cup of coffee in Phoenix.

Turris certainly showed his speed at times, but really didn’t use it as effectively as he could and it wasn’t hard to spot the perimeters because that’s where Turris seemed to find himself.  He shot the puck well and seemed to have it on his stick enough, but just didn’t seem that interested in putting himself in harm’s way to make a play.

Now, Turris is just 20 years old and has lots of time to put it all together.  He’s listed in your program at 6’1”, 188 lbs. but that’s got to be soaking wet in cement underwear.  There’s just not much to him so it’s no wonder he’s not able to compete against men and the AHL is arguably a tougher league than the NHL.  With that in mind his game may be better suited to the speed game of the NHL, but if he’s not prepared to assert himself more he won’t put up the numbers to get the call anytime soon.

His speed is a great weapon, but make no mistake that speed is neutralized by the superior positioning of NHL defensemen and Turris has to find a way to tailor his game because this ain’t the BC Junior League and he can’t depend on speed alone to score goals anymore.  The fears of GM’s about taking a player who was dominant at a lower level could be starting to be realized.  If you’re counting on Kyle Turris to make the jump soon and make an impact, you might want to wind your watch back a few years.  Turris time is ticking slowly.