Pavel Datsyuk's Puck-Handling Mechanics

Pavel Datsyuk was one of the most creative, artistic, fluid, and consistent two-way forwards in the NHL. Nicknamed the "Magic Man" for his career's worth of highlight reel goals, assists, dekes, and shootout heroics, his uptrend took some time to develop.

A 6th round pick back in the 1998 NHL Draft, Datsyuk wasn't recognized as a superstar level player instantly. That took some time to develop. However, Hakan Andersson, scout for the Red Wings at the time, and current director of European scouting for the Red Wings now (one of the best scouts in the entire league), was credited for finding Datsyuk and believing in his pure upside.

Andersson notes in an article with M Live when he first scouted Datsyuk: “Great hands, hockey sense, quick skater, little deceptive speed,'' Andersson said. “I don't think he was more than 5-9 or 5-10, skating just a little awkward. There was one sequence where they were on a five-on-four and they were passing the puck around and somehow the other team got a two-on-one. Pav was the second guy back. He skated as hard as he could, and you could just see his head going as he was skating, checking out the situation. Just when they went across the blue line, he threw himself on the ice and broke it up.''

Datsyuk has always had an edge in the hands and thinking category in the Russian hockey ranks before the NHL, but he was heavily under scouted. He didn't have exceptional speed, but would outthink opponents, outcompete them, and of course out dangle them too.

Three things that make Datsyuk an elite puck-handler:

1. Underhandling
2. Puck Positioning
3. Dynamic posture

Datsyuk's ability to slip underneath and around defenders with agility helps because of his free upper body and top elbow. If he keeps his top elbow tucked into his body, he won't have any direction nor control over his puck-handling. Keeping that elbow out allows for agility, and an ability to handle pucks in motion easier.

He does an excellent job of staying in control of his frame here, as he initially his upper body was angled down to take control of a bouncing puck. Once the defender commits, his upper body positioning changes into more of an upright form. That allows Datsyuk to get around the defender, and once he drives the inside, he maintains that posture to try and lift the puck short side high. Also notice, Datsyuk has a free top elbow to maintain that range on his puck-handling.

A lot that goes into Datsyuk's puck-handling is his ability to incorporate dynamic posture to slip underneath defenders. He uses a wide stance, with an ability to roll off his edges lightly to change positioning to get around defenders. He does such a great job using his stance to be strong on pucks, and maintain a low center of gravity for his stature. At the same time, he has the agility element in his footwork.

Also, his ability to incorporate puck positioning is dynamic and efficient. Understanding where to handle pucks in various situations is vital for puck protection, and effective puck-handling.

Datsyuk retrieves the loose puck in his hip pocket, transitions from forehand-backhand-forehand without losing speed, and then handles the puck in front of him towards the end. With Datsyuk's creativity and efficiency, plays like this often come natural for him in tight. He's always had it since he was a rookie in the NHL and before that time, and continued to become more of a prominent scorer with his hands in tight spaces.

Dynamic puck positioning is also another component to Datsyuk's game that makes him such a unique threat. What players typically do, and should try to avoid when possible, is handling the puck in front of them without a purpose or deceptive element.

What Datsyuk does is purposeful in how he attacks. He knows where he is going to go on the entry, even though his initial straight-line route looked like he would attack through the middle. He attacks the defender head on with a slanted route, handles the puck in front of him to get the defender to poke, and then manipulates through the hands. This allows Datsyuk to handle the puck at the defender's feet, which doesn't allow the defender to make a stick-on-puck play.

Datsyuk manipulates the defender into a static stance, shifts his puck positioning to his backhand, and creates a scoring chance. With his sense, creativity, and dynamic style, Datsyuk has a clear understanding of what he wants to do when handling pucks in various situations.

It's not easy to manipulate and be deceptive like Datsyuk makes it seem to be, but incorporating elements like hip pocket puck-handling, driving through the hands instead of the body, dynamic posture, and agile footwork all make this easier to accomplish.

Underhandling is a term used in hockey that is as simple as it sounds. Handling the puck less and not stickhandling as much. Yes, there are situations where stickhandling is still necessary, as it does provide for deceptive and manipulative factors. But for players as creative as Datsyuk, there isn't always a need to excessively stickhandle.

Datsyuk does an excellent job here with his mid-lane drive for Zetterberg first. Then he does a great job of catching the pass on the toe of his blade, angling his blade into the retrieval with purpose, and then smoothly transitions to his backhand quickly. Sometimes, there would be players who would look to catch this pass, stickhandle a few times, and then make a move in tight which would slow the play down. Using this clip as an example, that would slow momentum down for any player, since they're trying to stickhandle a few extra times to make a move.

Datsyuk doesn't lose any speed here, as he does a great job still maintaining speed while incorporating his deke and adapting to the retrieval on time. It's an instinctual feel from him in this situation. He doesn't excessively stickhandle, as he uses one quick puck touch to shift from forehand-backhand. Only one. This creates a high-quality scoring chance with a near goal as an end result.

Stickhandling isn't a bad thing as it can still incorporate deception and manipulation, but underhandling can allow players to accelerate speed without losing situational awareness when timed right.

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