The Tape: Burakovsky lives up to the hype

Andre Burakovsky has reached a career-high in points with 31 games left in the season. The potential the Avs saw in him has been fulfilled completely to this point. On This roll of The Tape, we take a look at all of the skills Burakovsky brings to the table.

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1. Wrist shot. Burakovsky has the most accurate wrist shot on the team. Nearly 60% of his attempted shots are on net and he boasts the second-highest shooting percentage on the team at just shy of 19%. Those numbers feel entirely sustainable with a shot as good as his. Of his 17 goals, 14 have come from his wrister and more than a few have been post and in. He is shooting the puck more than ever this year and the play below shows why he needs to shoot even more.

2. Offensive zone reads. Burakovsky was brought in to be a sniper and without doubt, the Avs want him pulling the trigger more than anything else. However, over the middle of this season, he has shown a knack for creating off the wing. His ability with the puck allows him to create space and gives him time to scan the offensive zone and make highly effective passes. Here are two very different plays showcasing this, one where he shows patience and takes his time with a read and the other an immediate pass, knowing what he wants to do before he even has the puck.

3. Defensive Zone. It doesn’t take immense talent to put up solid underlying numbers in the defensive zone. Burakovsky doesn’t do anything special defensively, he just makes consistent smart decisions. Regularly rotating down low and operating as the F3 at times as well as rarely flying the zone early. He keeps his head up and on the play which allows him to position in a useful way. This helps the Avs defense immensely on the breakout giving them a solid option that isn’t the stretch pass. On this shift, he repeats this process multiple times, almost acting as a third defenseman looking for passes.

4. Zone entries. With his role being on the back end of the breakout being so effective you don’t see Burakovsky wind it up quite as much as he was earlier in the season. When he does get the chance though it is extremely effective. The ability to get cleanly across a clogged blue line is tough to teach. Some players have it, some don’t; Burakovsky has it. Clean zone entries lead to an offensive zone set up which leads to extended possession time. It’s step one in wearing teams down offensively.

5. Physical gifts. While Burakovsky is never going to blow people up with size he regularly takes advantage of it in less explosive ways. At 6-foot-3-inches he has two inches on the average NHL player and takes full advantage of the extra reach that he has to help protect the puck. He could probably stand to use his size a bit more when doing things like driving the net but for a big win he has also been blessed with hands and feet that allow him to beat people with skill as much as with strength.