A.YOUNGGoalie's Stock Graphic Rankings

[A.YOUNGoalie13]

I thought of the idea to rank the current stock graphics because who doesn't love arguing over rankings more the hockey community online! (You might be a fake fan if you haven't told someone their opinion sucked on the NHL top 50 player ranks or EA's player rankings) So here they are! Please yell at me.

 

10. The Axis 2  might be the worst pad design I have ever seen. IMO, no further explanation needed.

 

9. Vaughn will just keep putting lines on Slr pads and call it a graphic.

8. Logan is reacting to the number of color zones on the Machs.

7. These are like the eflex 3 design made larger. And with more confusing broken up color zones. Make it go on the outer roll this time! No one else does that!... 

 

6. Sure these look great. But I mean this set specifically. Just another pad with vertical stripes, and wait, no way! Does that design continue onto the outer rollNever seen that before…

5. The previous design made to look like a decepticon instead of a good guy. More straight lines makes it angrier!

4. I know. Hot take. These actually look good with some color on them. Too bad the Leafs only have one. Just like how many rounds they play in in the playoffs. Maybe Campbell can add a second color this year!

 

3. Maybe it’s just this design here but I think these look great. Almost every design on these looks good. I wonder what the relevance of 12.2 is. Maybe the number of satisfied non-pro customers they had last year? Or the number of years it takes to get a set?

 

 

2. These are pretty cool. They look good in red and white. Because nobody who wears them on any other team is this creative. But seriously, these look great no matter how you pick the color zones.

1. Brians owns stock graphics. These are like the cool kid in middle school everyone tries to be like. Once in a while someone is successful but most people end up missing the mark. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a bad looking set of these.

 

So how did I do? Terrible? Probably. And yes, Warrior was not worth mentioning to me. Having 75 color zones doesn't work because half of them are the size of a puck mark.

 

[jerd31]

To me, if feels like Brians and Vaughn are the only ones that put effort into their graphics.  The rest are uninspiring, lazy, and some are downright bad.  And 2x on Warrior not being worth mentioning, their graphics are just awful.  

Edited October 3, 2022 by jerd31

[A.YOUNGoalie13]

20 hours ago, jerd31 said:

To me, if feels like Brians and Vaughn are the only ones that put effort into their graphics.  The rest are uninspiring, lazy, and some are downright bad.  And 2x on Warrior not being worth mentioning, their graphics are just awful.  

Both are also still cut and sew not digital

[ThatCarGuy]

Getting the impression the axis line will never get a good graphic. EFlex however…

[Chenner29]

1 hour ago, ThatCarGuy said:

Getting the impression the axis line will never get a good graphic. EFlex however…

Eflex 6 looks spice

[A.YOUNGoalie13]

5 hours ago, ThatCarGuy said:

Getting the impression the axis line will never get a good graphic. EFlex however…

 

3 hours ago, Chenner29 said:

Eflex 6 looks spice

Eflex MID

[ThatCarGuy]

9 hours ago, A.YOUNGoalie13 said:

 

Eflex MID

Better than below average

[A.YOUNGoalie13]

6 hours ago, ThatCarGuy said:

Better than below average

7th

[MTH]

Nice list. Funny that the adding stripes is all that they are doing with SLR pads.

The Brian's stuff review is on point.

MAF is the last of the iconic gear goalies. He still manages to have a definite style. Guess Quick does too - but his looks like stock Vaughn graphics always.

[A.YOUNGoalie13]

I want to make shitting on graphics an annual tradition, so I'm back! Here are the rankings for this years pad models. I know I know, some of the models are the same as last year but hey, opinions change. And once again, please yell at me.

10. Axis 2 is still a glorified street pad. In fact I confidently think my dog could draw a better stock graphic with her own poop. These are just, whatever. The pictures say enough. Can't wait for the next model. The only way they can go is up, Right...right?

 

9. Vaughn SLR 3 is back for more lines and stripes! Vertical lines make the pads look taller blah blah blah boring! Come up with something new already. At least the jump from 1 to 2 was different but with these, you can barely tell its the new graphic from 2 to 3.

 

8. What the hell is this. It's just so bad. And for those who will say I just haven't seen the right design or color-way yet, shut up. These are just terrible. The one and only reason they are ahead of the SLRs is because they look entirely new and different from the prior design, but man these are just awful. Oh and screw Adin Hill. Thompson is better and that team would've won the cup with @coopaloop1234 in net.

 

7.  I'm sorry Brians. You guys are usually the kings of stock graphics and this is your first miss in years; possibly your first since I've been alive. I'm sure next year you guys will bounce back strong.

 

6. This is where the mid designs begin. Are these good? Are they bad? Meh. The Tarasov set looks better because they're really half custom. But Stauber's don't look terrible either? Definition of mid. Hopefully the 11s will convince me one way or the other.

 

5. I have a feeling this is the one where everyone will be mad at me. CCM did a great job on the eflex 6. To me it's far cleaner and less like a line and color explosion like the 5s were. My only issue here is I just haven't seen enough good sets yet to move it up the list. The only 2 sets I've seen that really made me go, damn those are nice, are both from the same team with the same alternate jersey. Not to mention the color way is so great it would be near impossible to mess up. Much like the next graphic, I'm still yet to see "the one" that really impresses me.

 

4. Again just so mid. The hyperlite 1s were really great I thought, and these are cool as well, just not as eye catching based of design alone. Sure, if you pick colors that really pop they look cool, but great colors could even make the Axis 2s look ok. Just like the V10s, not great, but not bad either. Still waiting to see the set that puts me over the edge.

 

3. Remember how I said opinions can change? Well here is the our highest climber from last year to this year. The Bauer Mach graphic sucked until I saw 4 sets of pads. First was Gustavsson's all red set with Ottawa (basically the same as Prosvetov's here just fire engine red with black and gold accents), Askarov's all navy set, and the 2 below. The biggest downside to these is when done incorrectly these look awful, however when done right, man are they sick. They're like a risky investment, so spend your money carefully.

2. Designs 1 and 2 are borderline interchangeable. IMO Iconic while maybe not at the same level as the gnetik 5 graphic was, is still excellent. Every year Brians seems to make gnetik/iconik graphics that are super similar, keeping the line familiar to it's lovers, while also giving it a completely refreshed look. Similar yet different. These continue that tradition. There's so many ways to style this graphic and they almost always look unreal.

 

 

1. I have one word for these: Versatility. Much like the gnetiks, these just look unbelievable almost no matter how you design them. Sure, I've maybe see a bad set here or there, but for the most part, these always look excellent. Clean and simple, or #solidcolorpadscrew, these are just awesome. You seriously cannot go wrong with this graphic. Congrats True, another job well done carrying on from the 12.2s, which also looked great.

 

75455-16814624071674-1920.jpg.avif

Edited January 4 by A.YOUNGoalie13

[coopaloop1234]

I'm still confused why we have seen nothing on the Bauer Shadow line. 

It's very strange 

[jerd31]

The Hzrdous graphic is one of the worst in recent memory, I'd put it dead last.  I don't think either Vaughn pad has a bad graphic, they're pretty versatile IMO.  I seem to be in the minority but I dig the Optik 3 graphics.  Agree on Gnetik V's, Iconik is a step down from Brian's.  I like what Bauer did with the Mach graphic, but the minimal color zones don't leave much room for creativity.  

 

[A.YOUNGoalie13]

2 hours ago, coopaloop1234 said:

I'm still confused why we have seen nothing on the Bauer Shadow line. 

It's very strange 

I feel like by now there's usually pros using the graphic since it will be coming out end of spring/early summer. Maybe Oettinger will use the graphics when he gets off ir

[RedX]

1 minute ago, A.YOUNGoalie13 said:

I feel like by now there's usually pros using the graphic since it will be coming out end of spring/early summer. Maybe Oettinger will use the graphics when he gets off ir

I feel like the previous mentality is changing, Where typically Bauer or whatever company would have their guys in the new graphic for the next Spring release. I think they want guys in the current line as close to release date to keep selling more Mach’s to the average consumer. 

[coopaloop1234]

6 minutes ago, A.YOUNGoalie13 said:

I feel like by now there's usually pros using the graphic since it will be coming out end of spring/early summer. Maybe Oettinger will use the graphics when he gets off ir

By this point we should have at the very least seen it debut back in September. That's roughly when Vasilevsky first had the Hyperlite 2 graphic. 

 

 

[coopaloop1234]

5 minutes ago, RedX said:

I feel like the previous mentality is changing, Where typically Bauer or whatever company would have their guys in the new graphic for the next Spring release. I think they want guys in the current line as close to release date to keep selling more Mach’s to the average consumer. 

Sure, but we haven't even seen the new glove in action at the NHL level. Even if they are masked as Mach's. 

[A.YOUNGoalie13]

3 minutes ago, coopaloop1234 said:

By this point we should have at the very least seen it debut back in September. That's roughly when Vasilevsky first had the Hyperlite 2 graphic. 

 

 

I guess maybe a change in mentality like @RedX said. Sorokin had them for a hot minute at the beginning of the year and they disappeared for his yearlong used practice pad look. They also kept them branded as Machs.

Edited January 3 by A.YOUNGoalie13

[RedX]

3 minutes ago, coopaloop1234 said:

Sure, but we haven't even seen the new glove in action at the NHL level. Even if they are masked as Mach's. 

I say this is less shocking than the graphic considering the most used glove at the NHL level is the 2S based custom break. Heck, most guys haven’t adopted the cuff-less design of the Mach.

[coopaloop1234]

5 minutes ago, A.YOUNGoalie13 said:

I guess maybe a change in mentality like @RedX said. Sorokin had them for a hot minute at the beginning of the year and they disappeared for his yearlong used practice pad look. They also kept them branded as Machs.

That's a custom graphic that's close to the GSX 2. 

Shadow is a different lay out. 

  

1 minute ago, RedX said:

I say this is less shocking than the graphic considering the most used glove at the NHL level is the 2S based custom break. Heck, most guys haven’t adopted the cuff-less design of the Mach.

I think there's a tie between the 2S and Ultrasonic for the catcher. Pretty sure most guys are using the US blocker with some using Mach. Maybe Sorokin is the only guy still using a 2S blocker. 

Regardless, even in training camps, AHL, College, Major Junior, etc. Nothing. Just strange that we've seen nothing at any level. 

 

Edited January 3 by coopaloop1234

[keeperton]

The hatred on the HZRDUS is hilarious, they look fine.

I don't hate any particular graphic. I think I like the Hyperlite 2 the least because of how its color zones are broken up, but you can still do cool bisections with it (I like how Talbot's look).

I think I'd like the Axis 2/XF less, but I have almost no exposure since no one really wear them with much going on except in the CHL. I feel like if CCM wanted to lure more kids in, they'd somehow contractually obligate that their big name pros in Demko and Markstrom put a single piece of color on their gear somewhere (though I'm guessing teams can strong arm that away).

[coopaloop1234]

7 minutes ago, keeperton said:

The hatred on the HZRDUS is hilarious, they look fine.

You're the first person to probably voice how they don't mind them. 

I'm still in the "it's shit" category. lol I mean:

9 minutes ago, keeperton said:

I think I'd like the Axis 2/XF less, but I have almost no exposure since no one really wear them with much going on except in the CHL.

That's another line we haven't heard much of, though less perplexing due to CCM's general fall from grace. 

Haven't heard/seen anything on that line since August. 

7 minutes ago, keeperton said:

 I feel like if CCM wanted to lure more kids in, 

[ThatCarGuy]

1 hour ago, A.YOUNGoalie13 said:

I feel like by now there's usually pros using the graphic since it will be coming out end of spring/early summer. Maybe Oettinger will use the graphics when he gets off ir

He's back and in his usual US set skinned as Mach

1 hour ago, coopaloop1234 said:

Sure, but we haven't even seen the new glove in action at the NHL level. Even if they are masked as Mach's. 

It would be pretty hard to spot it. From my understanding the backhand is the exact same as Mach

[coopaloop1234]

15 minutes ago, ThatCarGuy said:

He's back and in his usual US set skinned as Mach

It would be pretty hard to spot it. From my understanding the backhand is the exact same as Mach

That would be a first eh? Usually that's the tell for all the recent Odin lined gloves and blockers. 

Either way, still feels odd not seeing a lot be teased about the Shadow line at the very least. Considering the Mach line wasn't the most popular at retail, I don't know why they'd want to hold on to potential sales for the past line? 

Though as usual, I'm talking out of my ass. 

[keeperton]

1 hour ago, coopaloop1234 said:

You're the first person to probably voice how they don't mind them. 

I'm still in the "it's shit" category. lol I mean:

Nah, that's rad.

[jerd31]

2 hours ago, coopaloop1234 said:

You're the first person to probably voice how they don't mind them. 

I'm still in the "it's shit" category. lol I mean:

 

It looks like something Mylec would come out with if they tried to make an ice hockey pad