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<\/a><\/p>\n\n Max Domi calls the P92 curve \u201cold faithful.\u201d (Chris Tanouye \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Mikey Eyssimont, Bruins<\/p>\n
Curve:\u00a0Nikita Kucherov
Role: Bottom-six wing<\/p>\n
Eyssimont is primarily a fourth-line wing. But he likes how the Kucherov curve makes him an offensive threat.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like I have unreal puck control. I haven\u2019t had any breakaways this season. But I feel the quick hands. The puck doesn\u2019t get away from me. I\u2019ve worked on my hands a lot. I\u2019ve always felt like I have good hands. Just trying to remember that and improve on that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Like everyone, Eyssimont thinks about his shot when determining his curve. But his priority is puck control.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything on the heel. Everything. Obviously if you\u2019re snapping a shot, it\u2019s coming from the toe. But mostly everything starts from the heel, from handling passes to everything. It\u2019s something I\u2019ve learned from the people I\u2019ve been around the past few summers. So I really focus on watching the puck touch my heel, touch my heel, touch my heel. Every pass in practice. Then it comes more naturally in the game.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n Mikey Eyssimont says his new Kucherov curve has improved his puck control. (Maddie Meyer \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n Nick Jensen, Senators<\/p>\n Curve: P90 The 35-year-old is a creature of habit. He has used the P90 since he played at St. Cloud State.<\/p>\n \u201cSome people talk about positional curves \u2014 forwards with more curve, D with less curve. I don\u2019t really think that\u2019s a thing for me. I want something that\u2019s comfortable. I want something I can throw a flat pass with. Then work your way up from there. Be able to stickhandle. Then shooting after that. I prioritize handling the puck as No. 1. You\u2019ve got to have the curve that feels comfortable, the right height, the right lie.<\/p>\n Jensen\u2019s career high is five goals. So you can see why he does not have his shot top of mind when picking his curve.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you can\u2019t handle the puck, you\u2019re not going to get your shot off. D-men, maybe it is a little positional and a little different. But I think it would be the same thing for a forward. You\u2019ve got to be able to handle the puck probably better than a D-man. So I would still prioritize that if I were a forward.\u201d<\/p>\n At this stage, Jensen is unlikely to try a new curve.<\/p>\n \u201cKind of cemented in. I\u2019m not going to talk to my stick guy and order a bunch of different samples, different lies, then have to work through that midseason while I\u2019m trying to play games and practice. We already don\u2019t practice enough. That would have to be a summer thing.\u201d<\/p>\n \n Stickhandling and passing are Nick Jensen\u2019s priority with his curve. (Michael Reaves \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n Mason Lohrei, Bruins<\/p>\n Curve: P92 Lohrei, 24, has used the P92 since Ohio State. He does not intend to change anytime soon.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been using it for so long. I haven\u2019t tried anything else. So I don\u2019t know if it would affect my game.\u201d<\/p>\n For Lohrei, who works the point on the second power-play unit, shooting is part of his portfolio. Even though Lohrei usually likes the puck on his toe to shoot, he isn\u2019t sure a wider curve would suit him well.<\/p>\n \u201cWith bigger ones, I feel like it\u2019s harder to hit the net. So maybe some D would use flatter curves. You\u2019re shooting from further out. If you have a bigger curve, it\u2019s harder to keep it low. For me, even with my curve, sometimes that\u2019s something I\u2019ll struggle with. The puck starts rising.\u201d<\/p>\n \n Mason Lohrei finds that his shot rises too much if he has a bigger curve. (Maddie Meyer \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n Casey Mittelstadt, Bruins<\/p>\n Curve: Adam Oates Mittelstadt has hired Adam Oates for offseason skills work. So when Oates suggested his curve \u2014 a modification of the P92 with a thin blade and flat heel \u2014 Mittelstadt took his advice. He regularly makes plays off his backhand, which aligns with the Oates curve.<\/p>\n \u201cI used a straight stick for most of my life. So I feel like it\u2019s a good in-between of having a curve but also a little bit of the straight feel too. The first half of it is pretty straight. So overall, you get a pretty straight backhand use on the heel. That\u2019s one of the things that\u2019s worked for me, especially using a straight curve my whole life. I feel like you really use your backhand with a straight curve. So I\u2019m not losing that. But also having some toe to be able to cup it, stickhandle and shoot.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve messed around with a little more toe before. But I feel like you lose some of that straight. I use my backhand as much as my forehand. So it\u2019s very important. And taking pucks off the wall and having that backhand is very important.\u201d<\/p>\n Mittelstadt is a pass-first player. In 2022-23, when he scored a career-high 59 points, he had 135 shots. In comparison, then-teammate Tage Thompson had 295. So even if shooting is not his priority, the Oates gives him a satisfactory degree of toe.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s where the toe of this curve comes in. It has enough. I\u2019m not going to blow it by anyone necessarily. I\u2019m more worried about it coming off where I want it to come off and where I want it to go. Some of that comes with reps. But it\u2019s also about being comfortable with the angle of the blade and how much the toe is cupping the puck. Especially with the way I like to shoot and where I like to shoot. I like to shoot a little lower. I feel like this curve has been very good for me.\u201d<\/p>\n The 27-year-old admitted to being envious of David Pastrnak\u2019s shot. Pastrnak uses a P28, which he uses to load up his snap shot.<\/p>\n \u201cHe just holds it back there forever. Of course I\u2019ll always be looking for something that makes me a better player. But for now, I\u2019m happy. If I can find something a little bigger with the same straightness in the backhand and same feel, I would look into it. But I haven\u2019t found it yet.\u201d<\/p>\n \n Casey Mittelstadt regularly makes plays off his backhand, which goes into his curve selection. (Mike Carlson \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n Jake Neighbours, Blues<\/p>\n Curve: P92<\/a><\/p>\n
Role: Defensive defenseman<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
Role: Offensive defenseman<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
Role: Playmaking top-six wing\/center<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
Role: High-energy top-six wing<\/p>\n