tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80770488801259462602024-03-13T09:25:37.245-07:00Death, Taxes and Jagr: A hockey blogUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077048880125946260.post-5064397808853316862019-06-24T10:26:00.000-07:002019-06-24T10:26:07.820-07:002019 New Jersey Devils Draft Class Review<div bis_size="{"x":16,"y":8,"w":653,"h":57,"abs_x":293,"abs_y":142}" style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.42857em; margin-bottom: 0.357143em; padding: 0px;">
Hi everybody<span bis_size="{"x":81,"y":8,"w":0,"h":9,"abs_x":358,"abs_y":142}" class="noCtrlF keyNavAnnotation" data-text="[1]" style="font-size: 9px; line-height: 0; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; vertical-align: super;" title="press 1 to open link"></span>! Another draft has come and gone. We ended up picking 11 players, so let's take a look through each one. Please note, this will only be about the draft picks and not trading for <span bis_size="{"x":16,"y":28,"w":607,"h":35,"abs_x":293,"abs_y":162}" style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: 600; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px;">PK F'ING SUBBAN</span>. Okay, got that out of my system. Anyways, let's get started!</div>
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<span bis_size="{"x":16,"y":72,"w":245,"h":16,"abs_x":293,"abs_y":206}" style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px;">1st Round (1st overall): <a bis_size="{"x":175,"y":72,"w":86,"h":16,"abs_x":452,"abs_y":206}" href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/305432/jack-hughes" style="color: #0079d3; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;">Jack Hughes</a><span bis_size="{"x":261,"y":71,"w":0,"h":9,"abs_x":538,"abs_y":205}" class="noCtrlF keyNavAnnotation" data-text="[2]" style="font-size: 9px; line-height: 0; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; vertical-align: super;" title="press 2 to open link"></span></span></div>
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Jack. Hughes. Anything else need to be said? I'm not much for giving out grades for draft picks, but this pick alone is enough to warrant an "A" for the entire draft. Drafting Hughes is nothing but cause for celebration. Elite skating; elite vision; elite playmaking; elite stickhandling; elite potential. As much as I love Gomez and Nico, the Devils have never drafted as electrifying a talent as Jack Hughes. Nico and Jack as a one-two center punch for the next decade. Let's go.</div>
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<span bis_size="{"x":16,"y":197,"w":278,"h":16,"abs_x":293,"abs_y":331}" style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px;">2nd Round (61st overall): <a bis_size="{"x":187,"y":197,"w":106,"h":16,"abs_x":464,"abs_y":331}" href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/398144/nikita-okhotyuk" style="color: #0079d3; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;">Nikita Okhotyuk</a><span bis_size="{"x":294,"y":196,"w":0,"h":9,"abs_x":571,"abs_y":330}" class="noCtrlF keyNavAnnotation" data-text="[3]" style="font-size: 9px; line-height: 0; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; vertical-align: super;" title="press 3 to open link"></span></span></div>
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I'll get my theory out of the way in this section. I believe the team coveted a particular type of defenseman this draft: big, mobile, physical/mean, and strong defensive game with potential growth into a two-way game. That would be my guess why Ray traded down so much. There were a couple guys that he and Paul really wanted to target to fit that organizational need while also getting later round picks for home-run swings (I'll get to them in their sections).</div>
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So what to expect from Okhotyuk? Well his nickname is "The Russian Hunter" for two fun reasons: firstly, his last name roughly translates to "Hunter's son", but more relevantly is the fact that he hits and he hits some more. Playing with great speed, vision, discipline and hockey smarts, Okhotyuk is the first step to addressing this area of need in our organization without sacrificing skill or potential. It definitely helps that Okhotyuk was one of two Ottawa 67's we drafted in this class. Since he's in Ottawa, we'll be able to keep a very close eye on him. His game reminds me a bit of a more mobile Anton Volchenkov. One thing that impresses me about Okhotyuk is his agility and ability to shake off forecheckers. Offensively, Okhotyuk has some interesting potential because he flashed some higher end offensive potential over the course of the season. However, since he was buried on Ottawa's depth chart, the numbers never really developed. Now, with the impending departure of Ottawa 67's top d-man, Noel Hoefenmayer, Okhotyuk should get some more ice-time, so we'll see what happens with his offensive game.</div>
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Would I have preferred a higher-upside forward that was on the board at the time like a Nathan Legare or Maxim Cajkovic? Honestly, yes, but I completely understand both the organizational need and the potential skill here with this pick. You need defensemen, and you need defensemen that excel at the defensive game.</div>
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<span bis_size="{"x":16,"y":620,"w":255,"h":16,"abs_x":293,"abs_y":754}" style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px;">3rd Round (70th overall): <a bis_size="{"x":185,"y":620,"w":85,"h":16,"abs_x":462,"abs_y":754}" href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/395127/daniil-misyul" style="color: #0079d3; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;">Daniil Misyul</a><span bis_size="{"x":271,"y":619,"w":0,"h":9,"abs_x":548,"abs_y":753}" class="noCtrlF keyNavAnnotation" data-text="[4]" style="font-size: 9px; line-height: 0; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; vertical-align: super;" title="press 4 to open link"></span></span></div>
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Let's get this out of the way really quickly: Holy hell, this was a slam-dunk pick. Daniil Misyul is a phenomenal skater who excels at transitioning out of the defensive zone. He likes to skate the puck up himself and gains the offensive zone with ease. Misyul is a great puck-handler and an accurate passer. His one-on-one defensive game is stellar too. I guess I would categorize him as a defensive defenseman, but there is really good potential here for offensive upside. He even earned ice-time in the playoffs with his KHL team, which is something extremely rare for a young defenseman. If there's anything I'd like to see him improve upon it's his shot speed (that'll come with his added strength and muscle) and his overall defensive zone awareness. He excels at one-on-one defense but could use some work with playing a more zone-oriented defensive game. This is something that can be taught. At this point, I'm really just nit-picking (but I have to for a fair analysis). And now, here's the question I'm sure many of you are asking: Yes, he hits, and hits hard. He plays a fearless game and loves to clear the crease. That's <em bis_size="{"x":57,"y":856,"w":23,"h":16,"abs_x":334,"abs_y":990}" style="font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px;">HIS</em> puck and good luck beating him to it. It only helps that he's 6'3 and has great reach. I'm no medical professional, but I think we can diagnose Misyul with a case of gangly-itis. Misyul isn't very creative offensively, but his offensive game mostly revolves around transition attacks. He'll fit in perfectly with our system and I don't see how he doesn't have NHL top-4 upside. Fantastic pick.</div>
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<span bis_size="{"x":16,"y":937,"w":268,"h":16,"abs_x":293,"abs_y":1071}" style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px;">3rd Round (80th overall): <a bis_size="{"x":185,"y":937,"w":98,"h":16,"abs_x":462,"abs_y":1071}" href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/286955/graeme-clarke" style="color: #0079d3; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;">Graeme Clarke</a><span bis_size="{"x":284,"y":937,"w":0,"h":9,"abs_x":561,"abs_y":1071}" class="noCtrlF keyNavAnnotation" data-text="[5]" style="font-size: 9px; line-height: 0; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; vertical-align: super;" title="press 5 to open link"></span></span></div>
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For this pick, the Devils turn to the Ottawa 67's again, which brings up a fun/interesting theme throughout a lot of draft: teammates and connections.</div>
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Anyways, let's talk about Clarke. Clarke has one of the best shots in the draft. Not only is his shot fantastic, borderline elite, his hands are remarkable as well. I'm sure many of you have seen <a bis_size="{"x":589,"y":1024,"w":52,"h":16,"abs_x":866,"abs_y":1158}" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbVED8BQZWo" style="color: #0079d3; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;">this goal</a><span bis_size="{"x":641,"y":1023,"w":0,"h":9,"abs_x":918,"abs_y":1157}" class="noCtrlF keyNavAnnotation" data-text="[6]" style="font-size: 9px; line-height: 0; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; vertical-align: super;" title="press 6 to open link"></span><span bis_size="{"x":641,"y":1026,"w":23,"h":14,"abs_x":918,"abs_y":1160}" class="res-freetext-expando" style="display: inline-flex; height: 1em; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px !important; vertical-align: middle;"><a bis_label="style" bis_size="{"x":644,"y":1024,"w":18,"h":18,"abs_x":921,"abs_y":1158}" class="expando-button toggleImage video collapsedExpando expanded" data-host="youtube" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: url('https://www.blogger.com/sprite-expando.69EqpDZz3HM.png'); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px -433px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; color: #0079d3; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; float: left; height: 23px; margin: calc(0.5em - 50%) 0px 0px !important; padding: 0px; transform: scale(0.8); user-select: none; vertical-align: top !important; width: 23px;" title=""></a></span> by now, but it's <a bis_size="{"x":115,"y":1043,"w":342,"h":16,"abs_x":392,"abs_y":1177}" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0grP_fmcRz4" style="color: #0079d3; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;">not the first time he's done the "Michigan" move before!</a><span bis_size="{"x":457,"y":1043,"w":0,"h":9,"abs_x":734,"abs_y":1177}" class="noCtrlF keyNavAnnotation" data-text="[7]" style="font-size: 9px; line-height: 0; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; vertical-align: super;" title="press 7 to open link"></span><span bis_size="{"x":457,"y":1045,"w":23,"h":14,"abs_x":734,"abs_y":1179}" class="res-freetext-expando" style="display: inline-flex; height: 1em; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px !important; vertical-align: middle;"><a bis_label="style" bis_size="{"x":460,"y":1043,"w":18,"h":18,"abs_x":737,"abs_y":1177}" class="expando-button toggleImage video collapsedExpando expanded" data-host="youtube" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: url('https://www.blogger.com/sprite-expando.69EqpDZz3HM.png'); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px -433px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; color: #0079d3; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; float: left; height: 23px; margin: calc(0.5em - 50%) 0px 0px !important; padding: 0px; transform: scale(0.8); user-select: none; vertical-align: top !important; width: 23px;" title=""></a></span></div>
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Like Okhotyuk, Clarke found himself a little further down the line-up (in terms of minutes played) on a deep Ottawa 67's team. What I like about Clarke's game is not only his shot and stickhandling, but his ability to recognize space on the ice and gusto to exploit that open space. This is key for any goal-scorer in juniors to be able to make the jump to be a successful goal-scorer in the pros. There is plenty of room to improve in Clarke's game and to fully establish himself as an elite OHL forward. Most notably is his skating - specifically his explosiveness/acceleration and overall speed. Clarke strikes me as a potential middle-6 RW at the NHL level who excels on the powerplay...but the skating needs to improve. I like the potential for this pick.</div>
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By the way, I'll elaborate on all the connections/teammates stuff at the end of this post.</div>
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<span bis_size="{"x":16,"y":1250,"w":293,"h":16,"abs_x":293,"abs_y":1384}" style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px;">3rd Round (82nd overall): <a bis_size="{"x":189,"y":1250,"w":120,"h":16,"abs_x":466,"abs_y":1384}" href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/418533/michael-vukojevic" style="color: #0079d3; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;">Michael Vukojevic</a><span bis_size="{"x":309,"y":1250,"w":0,"h":9,"abs_x":586,"abs_y":1384}" class="noCtrlF keyNavAnnotation" data-text="[8]" style="font-size: 9px; line-height: 0; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; vertical-align: super;" title="press 8 to open link"></span></span></div>
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I'll be honest, this was the first kind of "meh" pick in my mind, and I don't think that's fair to Vukojevic. I had a couple very rough viewings of Vukojevic at the beginning of the season and had a tough time warming up to him. Again, this isn't fair to Vukojevic because that was at the beginning of the season and a consistent theme for almost all picks from rounds 2-7 this draft was consistent improvement throughout the season, especially in the second half. <i>Since the draft, I've looked back on game footage, especially from the second half of the season and the playoffs. I've liked what I've seen and there's definitely something there.</i></div>
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Michael Vukojevic is another big, mobile, defensively-oriented defenseman who plays a mean and physical game. He's already big and strong, and has even more room to grow. One of the things that concerned me about his defensive game from earlier on in the season was that it predominantly involved using his physicality and strength to essentially beat up on the smaller competition...and that won't fly at the pro level against much bigger players...but Vukojevic is strong. He is really strong and as mentioned earlier, he'll have more room to grow and get stronger, so perhaps that could translate to the pros. Vukojevic doesn't have much in terms of offensive upside, but he makes a good pass out of the defensive zone. I'd like to see him improve his agility and lateral movement. I'm not sure what to say about his NHL potential because while normally a player with his skillset would immediately strike me as a likely 3rd pairing d-man, there's something about Vukojevic's intelligence, decision-making, and vision that say there might be something more here. His offensive skills are very...uh...not there at this point, but he make crisp zone exit passes and is able to think the game well. Perhaps in our team identity of a speed-based attack, he'll get some assists via goals in transition. I like his passing though and who knows what else is there. He'll be a prospect I'll keep a very close eye on this upcoming season.</div>
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<span bis_size="{"x":16,"y":1669,"w":275,"h":16,"abs_x":293,"abs_y":1803}" style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px;">4th Round (96th overall): <a bis_size="{"x":184,"y":1669,"w":106,"h":16,"abs_x":461,"abs_y":1803}" href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/201472/tyce-thompson" style="color: #0079d3; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;">Tyce Thompson</a><span bis_size="{"x":291,"y":1668,"w":0,"h":9,"abs_x":568,"abs_y":1802}" class="noCtrlF keyNavAnnotation" data-text="[9]" style="font-size: 9px; line-height: 0; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; vertical-align: super;" title="press 9 to open link"></span></span></div>
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This pick, like Vukojevic, confused me a little bit. In viewings of Thompson, I didn't quite see any high-end offensive upside, but I think I understand the risk/gamble involved with taking Thompson (maybe not as high as the 4th round, but maybe Ray/Paul were worried he'd be off the board by the 5th or so). Providence College is losing 3 of their top scoring forwards from this season due to pro contract signings. This'll open up more ice-time for Thompson to compete and perhaps show some offensive flair. It should be said that I do think he has a good shot. What Thompson does do well is his play along the boards and grinding down opponents. He'll have to add muscle to be more effective at that game and if he wants to play that kind of game at the pro level. With all due respect to Tyce, I'm not too thrilled with this pick, but I have to trust Castron here. It's easy to say that Castron is the person I trust most in the organization when players like Hughes, Bratt, and Smith are picked...it's a little more difficult to do so with these kinds of picks. Let's hope Tyce is a diamond in the rough and he/Castron prove me wrong for worrying.</div>
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<span bis_size="{"x":16,"y":1909,"w":276,"h":16,"abs_x":293,"abs_y":2043}" style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px;">4th Round (118th overall): <a bis_size="{"x":191,"y":1909,"w":101,"h":16,"abs_x":468,"abs_y":2043}" href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/290196/case-mccarthy" style="color: #0079d3; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;">Case McCarthy</a><span bis_size="{"x":292,"y":1908,"w":0,"h":9,"abs_x":569,"abs_y":2042}" class="noCtrlF keyNavAnnotation" data-text="[10]" style="font-size: 9px; line-height: 0; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; vertical-align: super;" title="press 0 to open link"></span></span></div>
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Another slam-dunk pick. Honestly here until the end of the draft was just slam dunk after slam dunk pick for the Devils. Case McCarthy is a great skating, physical two-way defenseman. He hits, he shuts down opponents, he doesn't lose one-on-one battles, and did I mention plays a near air-tight defensive game? Funny enough, I had Case McCarthy at #45 on my final top-62 list, so this is phenomenal value in my book. In terms of other rankings, he was a bit all over the place, and I know I had him higher than most places. However, he was one of the most impressive defensemen on that USNTDP team after York. Despite his great skating, McCarthy doesn't really like to skate the puck up the ice himself. Rather he opts to make a crisp outlet pass. I think the reason why McCarthy was ranked pretty low by outlets is that his decision-making is pretty simple and he doesn't have much offensive upside. That being said, he strikes me as a guy who can log 20+ of tough defensive assignments in the Show. Fantastic pick here.</div>
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<span bis_size="{"x":16,"y":2130,"w":250,"h":16,"abs_x":293,"abs_y":2264}" style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px;">5th Round (127th overall): <a bis_size="{"x":192,"y":2130,"w":73,"h":16,"abs_x":469,"abs_y":2264}" href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/424491/cole-brady" style="color: #0079d3; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;">Cole Brady</a><span bis_size="{"x":266,"y":2129,"w":0,"h":9,"abs_x":543,"abs_y":2263}" class="noCtrlF keyNavAnnotation" data-text="[11]" style="font-size: 9px; line-height: 0; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; vertical-align: super;" title="press . then 11 and Enter to open link"></span></span></div>
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Let's be real: goalies are really difficult to project. Last year we picked a 6'5" string-bean of a goaltender in the 5th round and this year is no different. What I can tell you about Cole Brady is that he's a big boy and he moves in the crease really well. He plays calm and poised, and he isn't afraid to handle the puck. He plays a very solid positional game and doesn't get beat down low too often, which is a testament to his agility and positioning. He might drop down into the butterfly position a little too soon sometimes, but he's tall enough where that isn't too big of a problem at this level. He's in the NAHL right now and is a commit for Arizona State University in the 2020-2021 season. We'll see if he sticks in the NAHL or plays in the USHL this upcoming season before going off to the NCAA. Brady has the tools to be a good goalie, but goalies are weird to project. The good thing is that we can be patient with him and give him as much time as possible for him to develop.</div>
<div bis_size="{"x":16,"y":2350,"w":653,"h":19,"abs_x":293,"abs_y":2484}" style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.42857em; margin-bottom: 0.357143em; margin-top: 0.357143em; padding: 0px;">
<span bis_size="{"x":16,"y":2351,"w":280,"h":16,"abs_x":293,"abs_y":2485}" style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px;">5th Round (129th overall): <a bis_size="{"x":192,"y":2351,"w":104,"h":16,"abs_x":469,"abs_y":2485}" href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/519772/arseni-gritsyuk" style="color: #0079d3; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;">Arseni Gritsyuk</a><span bis_size="{"x":296,"y":2351,"w":0,"h":9,"abs_x":573,"abs_y":2485}" class="noCtrlF keyNavAnnotation" data-text="[12]" style="font-size: 9px; line-height: 0; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; vertical-align: super;" title="press . then 12 and Enter to open link"></span></span></div>
<div bis_size="{"x":16,"y":2374,"w":653,"h":384,"abs_x":293,"abs_y":2508}" style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.42857em; margin-bottom: 0.357143em; margin-top: 0.357143em; padding: 0px;">
Forgive me if you've heard this before, but here's another fantastic pick. Gritsyuk is an undersized winger that plays with intensity and intelligence. The MHL is a bit of a tough league to evaluate and it's a difficult league to score points in, but Gritsyuk had a phenomenal U18 championship tournament for Team Russia. Gritsyuk thinks the game so well and is able to be elusive and sneaky with his skating (particularly his edges). Gritsyuk likes to catch opponents off-balance and attack, usually going wide. Areas of improvement for Grtisyuk are all areas I would deem "coachable" - he'll need to learn to be a better supporting player be it using his line-mates more or for his defensemen looking for an outlet pass. Gritsyuk is also an elusive player when it comes to his own stickhandling skills. Like any young player with his skillset, Gritsyuk will stickhandle himself into trouble and give up the puck by attempting to over-stickhandle his way out of situations. This really isn't a concern for me because he'll need to figure out what he can and can't do over the course of his development. I've always come away impressed from watching his ability to stick to the puck and have the puck find him. He's not a play-driver though; he thrives as a secondary-offense kind of player. To be honest, I could really see the Devils management wanting him to come over to North America for next season as a part of the CHL Import Draft. Not that the MHL isn't a good league or that it isn't difficult for a Russian-born player to come across the world to play junior hockey; I just feel that the areas for improvement in his game are mostly to do with structured play. While I don't think he's quite ready for professional hockey (like the VHL), I think the CHL provides a bit more of a structured environment for him to develop in. Funny enough, as cliche as it sounds, I think his game is pretty well suited for the North-American ice and style of play. If I had to describe him in one word, it would be intense...which is funny because "grit" is literally in his name.</div>
<div bis_size="{"x":16,"y":2763,"w":653,"h":19,"abs_x":293,"abs_y":2897}" style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.42857em; margin-bottom: 0.357143em; margin-top: 0.357143em; padding: 0px;">
<span bis_size="{"x":16,"y":2765,"w":292,"h":16,"abs_x":293,"abs_y":2899}" style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px;">6th Round (158th overall): <a bis_size="{"x":192,"y":2765,"w":115,"h":16,"abs_x":469,"abs_y":2899}" href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/433810/patrick-moynihan" style="color: #0079d3; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;">Patrick Moynihan</a><span bis_size="{"x":308,"y":2764,"w":0,"h":9,"abs_x":585,"abs_y":2898}" class="noCtrlF keyNavAnnotation" data-text="[13]" style="font-size: 9px; line-height: 0; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; vertical-align: super;" title="press . then 13 and Enter to open link"></span></span></div>
<div bis_size="{"x":16,"y":2787,"w":653,"h":19,"abs_x":293,"abs_y":2921}" style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.42857em; margin-bottom: 0.357143em; margin-top: 0.357143em; padding: 0px;">
I should just leave <a bis_size="{"x":131,"y":2789,"w":322,"h":16,"abs_x":408,"abs_y":2923}" href="https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1142539762693226497" style="color: #0079d3; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;">this quick video here and call it a day for this section</a><span bis_size="{"x":454,"y":2788,"w":0,"h":9,"abs_x":731,"abs_y":2922}" class="noCtrlF keyNavAnnotation" data-text="[14]" style="font-size: 9px; line-height: 0; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; vertical-align: super;" title="press . then 14 and Enter to open link"></span><span bis_size="{"x":454,"y":2791,"w":23,"h":14,"abs_x":731,"abs_y":2925}" class="res-freetext-expando" style="display: inline-flex; height: 1em; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px !important; vertical-align: middle;"><a bis_label="style" bis_size="{"x":457,"y":2789,"w":18,"h":18,"abs_x":734,"abs_y":2923}" class="expando-button toggleImage selftext collapsed collapsedExpando" data-host="twitter" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: url('https://www.blogger.com/sprite-expando.69EqpDZz3HM.png'); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px -549px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; color: #0079d3; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; float: left; height: 23px; margin: calc(0.5em - 50%) 0px 0px !important; padding: 0px; transform: scale(0.8); user-select: none; vertical-align: top !important; width: 23px;" title=""></a></span></div>
<div bis_size="{"x":16,"y":2811,"w":653,"h":115,"abs_x":293,"abs_y":2945}" style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.42857em; margin-bottom: 0.357143em; margin-top: 0.357143em; padding: 0px;">
Love love love this pick here. Patrick Moynihan at 158 is a steal. Moynihan reminds me a lot of a Joey Anderson type player in that he won't bring that elite offensive game, but will instead fit on, gel with, and significantly improve any line he's on. He's incredibly supportive and is a hard-working no-nonsense kind of player. While not a speedster, he can keep up with play and doesn't get lost in the play. What you're getting is a versatile two-way forward who was referred to by many of his teammates <a bis_size="{"x":16,"y":2890,"w":603,"h":35,"abs_x":293,"abs_y":3024}" href="https://twitter.com/THNRyanKennedy/status/1134847664883998720" style="color: #0079d3; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;">as the most underrated player on the US U-18 team</a><span bis_size="{"x":261,"y":2908,"w":0,"h":9,"abs_x":538,"abs_y":3042}" class="noCtrlF keyNavAnnotation" data-text="[15]" style="font-size: 9px; line-height: 0; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; vertical-align: super;" title="press . then 15 and Enter to open link"></span><span bis_size="{"x":261,"y":2911,"w":23,"h":14,"abs_x":538,"abs_y":3045}" class="res-freetext-expando" style="display: inline-flex; height: 1em; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px !important; vertical-align: middle;"><a bis_label="style" bis_size="{"x":263,"y":2909,"w":18,"h":18,"abs_x":540,"abs_y":3043}" class="expando-button toggleImage selftext collapsed collapsedExpando" data-host="twitter" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: url('https://www.blogger.com/sprite-expando.69EqpDZz3HM.png'); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px -549px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; color: #0079d3; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; float: left; height: 23px; margin: calc(0.5em - 50%) 0px 0px !important; padding: 0px; transform: scale(0.8); user-select: none; vertical-align: top !important; width: 23px;" title=""></a></span>.</div>
<div bis_size="{"x":16,"y":2932,"w":653,"h":19,"abs_x":293,"abs_y":3066}" style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.42857em; margin-bottom: 0.357143em; margin-top: 0.357143em; padding: 0px;">
<span bis_size="{"x":16,"y":2933,"w":259,"h":16,"abs_x":293,"abs_y":3067}" style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px;">7th Round (189th overall): <a bis_size="{"x":192,"y":2933,"w":82,"h":16,"abs_x":469,"abs_y":3067}" href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/259121/nikola-pasic" style="color: #0079d3; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;">Nikola Pasic</a><span bis_size="{"x":275,"y":2932,"w":0,"h":9,"abs_x":552,"abs_y":3066}" class="noCtrlF keyNavAnnotation" data-text="[16]" style="font-size: 9px; line-height: 0; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; vertical-align: super;" title="press . then 16 and Enter to open link"></span></span></div>
<div bis_size="{"x":16,"y":2956,"w":653,"h":211,"abs_x":293,"abs_y":3090}" style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.42857em; margin-bottom: 0.357143em; margin-top: 0.357143em; padding: 0px;">
So funny enough, I hadn't realized that Pasic was still on the board at this point. I had thought he would be gone by the 4th round...goes to show how highly I think of this pick. So hey, why not another late round home-run pick? Pasic has fantastic vision and an absolute boatload of skill. Overall he skates rather well - I'd just like to see him improve his acceleration in that regard. Like Todd Cordell said <a bis_size="{"x":16,"y":3015,"w":639,"h":35,"abs_x":293,"abs_y":3149}" href="https://twitter.com/ToddCordell/status/1142539116686512128" style="color: #0079d3; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;">Pasic led his U20 team in points-per-game</a><span bis_size="{"x":241,"y":3033,"w":0,"h":9,"abs_x":518,"abs_y":3167}" class="noCtrlF keyNavAnnotation" data-text="[17]" style="font-size: 9px; line-height: 0; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; vertical-align: super;" title="press . then 17 and Enter to open link"></span><span bis_size="{"x":241,"y":3036,"w":23,"h":14,"abs_x":518,"abs_y":3170}" class="res-freetext-expando" style="display: inline-flex; height: 1em; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px !important; vertical-align: middle;"><a bis_label="style" bis_size="{"x":243,"y":3034,"w":18,"h":18,"abs_x":520,"abs_y":3168}" class="expando-button toggleImage selftext collapsed collapsedExpando" data-host="twitter" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: url('https://www.blogger.com/sprite-expando.69EqpDZz3HM.png'); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px -549px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; color: #0079d3; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; float: left; height: 23px; margin: calc(0.5em - 50%) 0px 0px !important; padding: 0px; transform: scale(0.8); user-select: none; vertical-align: top !important; width: 23px;" title=""></a></span>. One big reason why Pasic fell to where he did was because of inconsistency in his play. Watching him it's very similar to Bratt in the sense of you have player that clearly has immense skill and thinks the game very well, but it's as if he's struggling to figure out what kind of player he wants to be. He'll try to stickhandle through crowds or he'll shoot the puck a whole lot to an almost-predictable level...but really when it comes down to it, I think some clear direction for him would do him wonders in his development. Give him the Bratt treatment. There's a ton of skill and also a great room for improvement. What a pick to end the draft on.</div>
<div bis_size="{"x":16,"y":3172,"w":653,"h":115,"abs_x":293,"abs_y":3306}" style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.42857em; margin-bottom: 0.357143em; margin-top: 0.357143em; padding: 0px;">
So in case you can't tell, I'm very very pleased with how this draft turned out. There was a great balance of addressing organizational need while not sacrificing skill or the organizational vision of speed, skating, skill, and smarts. I know this sounds cliche, but after the Hughes pick, it's so difficult to just have one "favorite pick" of this draft. If I absolutely had to pick one it would probably be Misyul, but there's so much to like with this draft class, and I'm looking forward to it paying dividends in the future. Thank you so much for taking the time to read through this!</div>
<div bis_size="{"x":16,"y":3292,"w":653,"h":230,"abs_x":293,"abs_y":3426}" style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.42857em; margin-bottom: 0.357143em; margin-top: 0.357143em; padding: 0px;">
Let's get to some connections, shall we? The obvious ones would be Case McCarthy and Patrick Moynihan playing with Jack Hughes on the USNTDP U18 team as well as Nikita Okhotyuk and Graeme Clarke playing with Mitchell Hoelscher (our 6th round pick last year) for the Ottawa 67's. However, did you know that Graeme Clarke played with Jack Hughes in the 2016-2017 season? Jack Hughes and Michael Vukojevic played 9 games together in the 2016-2017 OJHL Playoffs for the Georgetown Raiders. Jack Hughes and Michael Vukojevic played on the same team way back 2010-2011 for the Toronto Bulldogs at the Brick Invitational Tournament <a bis_size="{"x":16,"y":3409,"w":631,"h":35,"abs_x":293,"abs_y":3543}" href="https://ton.twitter.com/i/ton/data/dm/1142606530207989764/1142606525757894656/DrWwRqoG.jpg:large" style="color: #0079d3; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;">along with Philip Tomasino and Anaheim 6th round pick, Mathew Hill</a><span bis_size="{"x":88,"y":3427,"w":0,"h":9,"abs_x":365,"abs_y":3561}" class="noCtrlF keyNavAnnotation" data-text="[18]" style="font-size: 9px; line-height: 0; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; vertical-align: super;" title="press . then 18 and Enter to open link"></span>. One more for you: Case McCarthy played on the same team as Michael Vukojevic back in 2015-2016 for the Mississauga Rebels Bantam AAA team. I'm sure there are more connections, but these are just a few, and it goes to show just how much the high-level hockey players in Ontario play together. Anyways, this took a bit of a strange turn at the end, but once again, thank you all for reading this! I would love your thoughts on how we did this draft!</div>
<div bis_size="{"x":16,"y":3528,"w":653,"h":57,"abs_x":293,"abs_y":3662}" style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.42857em; margin-top: 0.357143em; padding: 0px;">
P.S. One more quick thought while I'm at it. We all know the importance of drafting and development, but we got to see first-hand just how important it is (along with maintaining a healthy amount of cap space) when Jeremy Davies was one of the key pieces traded to get <span bis_size="{"x":397,"y":3568,"w":123,"h":16,"abs_x":674,"abs_y":3702}" style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px;">PK F'ING SUBBAN</span>.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077048880125946260.post-56640608473398615152019-02-01T14:10:00.000-08:002019-02-09T11:31:02.014-08:002019 NHL Draft - Ian's Top-62 List<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hi everybody. It’s been a while. I’m going to dust off the
blog and try and post some more here because I’ve realized that even with all
of the incredible opportunities I’ve gotten, I can never talk about hockey too
much. So considering that it’s been a long enough time after the World Juniors
Championship (and enough time to settle down after the WJC “bump” to certain
prospect rankings), now would be a good time to explore my top-62 list for the
upcoming 2019 NHL Draft – hosted in Vancouver in June. <br />
<br />
Before beginning, I think the “tiers” for the top-31 are separated into a few
drop-offs. For me, the drop-offs would be after #2, #3, #8 and #15. After that,
it’s a bit of a crapshoot. I’ll try my best to explain what each player brings
and why I have them listed where they are. Also, just to make sure I cover
this, these are my own personal rankings I’ve accumulated through video views.
This list does not represent any organizations I am a part of.<br />
<br />
Let’s get started!<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Jack Hughes – C, USNTDP U-18, 5’10”, 168 lbs<br />
<br />
The crown jewel of the draft class as well as the crown jewel of one of the
strongest USNTDP U-18 squads I’ve ever seen. Hughes is a franchise center in
the making. Simply put, nobody in this class is better than Hughes at this
point or the foreseeable future. Looking to be the first player to make the
jump directly from the USNTDP U-18 team to the NHL, Jack Hughes boasts a
skillset with incredible skating speed, phenomenal vision and anticipation, and
elite stickhandling. The best way to describe Jack’s game is “electric” and the
cliché adage of a player being a threat “whenever he steps on the ice” is very
appropriate for Hughes. To me, Hughes’ playing style is the embodiment of the
“new NHL” (is it even possible to still use that term post-McDavid?). Hughes is
not only able to combine his vision and skating skills, but is able to make
high-end plays at top speed. What Hughes lacks in size, he makes up for in
speed and compete. Not to be outdone in his own end of the ice, Hughes plays a
solid all-around game, but is clearly more comfortable driving the pace of play
offensively. Hughes loves to skate the puck up the ice himself and will
occasionally try to do too much when taking on multiple defenders in zone
entries. Possessing a wire of a wrist shot, Hughes will try to get to the
high-danger scoring areas of the ice whenever he has the puck and from there is
a threat to roof the puck home or make a no-look pass to an open teammate. Jack
will be the first player taken in June and will serve as a pivot for whatever
franchise is lucky enough to take him for the next decade.<br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Kappo Kakko – RW/C, TPS, 6’2”, 190 lbs<br />
<br />
Kappo Kakko is such an interesting combination of intelligence, goal-scoring,
puck-protection, incredible stickhandling, agility and creativity. He’s
producing at an incredible rate in the Finnish Liiga, and plays the game with a
ton of power. Kakko has all the tools to succeed in the NHL and be a top
caliber offensive producer. Kakko is extremely versatile and can be a
“do-it-all” kind of player. Should be noted that while he does have some
experience playing C, especially at the lower junior levels, I believe he will
end up a RW long-term. Kakko will immediately be ready to step into the line-up
of whatever team is lucky to draft him. Kakko does not have any major flaws to
his game either. There are minor defensive zone positioning improvements that
need to be made. All in all, Kakko is a multi-faceted winger who plays a mature
and strong puck-possession game, who can beat you with an array of tools.<br />
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<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Vasili Podkolzin – RW, SKA-1946 St. Petersburg,
6’1”, 190 lbs<br />
<br />
If you’re a team picking in the top-5 and in need of a multi-faceted RW with an
array of tools, then are you in good luck this year. Podkolzin plays an airtight
three-zone game and hunts for the puck each shift like a hungry dog. His
ability to make plays at high-end speed might be his best asset. Podkolzin can
be used in any situation and has the foot speed to be a threat whenever he’s
out there. Podkolzin has had phenomenal international tournament performances,
which have only helped his draft status. Podkolzin is a sparkplug and there’s a
ton of things to like in his game.<br />
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<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Alex Turcotte – C, USNTDP U-18, 5’11”, 194 lbs<br />
<br />
Alex Turcotte remains the most underrated player in this draft class (at the
time of this posting). Turcotte is an incredibly fast and intelligent center
with the best two-way game out of his peers. Turcotte’s skating is strong and
smooth while having a low center of gravity. It’s difficult to get the
recognition you deserve when playing behind Jack Hughes, but make no
mistake…Alex Turcotte has top-6 if not top-line C potential at the NHL level.
The combination of intelligence – play anticipation, playmaking, and
decision-making – along with speed to burn, soft hands, high-end vision, and
the fact that the hands can keep up with the skates makes Alex Turcotte was of
the most lethal offensive players in this draft class. The concern with
Turcotte is his injury history.<br />
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<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Dylan Cozens – C, Lethbridge Hurricanes, 6’3”,
177 lbs<br />
<br />
Dylan Cozens is a big and powerful right-shot center who plays an up-tempo
game. His all around skating ability is stellar and he loves to play physical.
Cozens’s up-tempo game along with his speed and physicality allow him to drive
the plays on whichever line he’s on. Being hard-wired with an "in your face interface", Cozens is always involved in play, and constantly finishes his checks. Cozens has better hands that he gets credit for, and while he has room to improve in his playmaking game, there doesn't seem to be a particular area of his game that is below-average. Cozens relies on his speed more than anything for his game - be it creating offensive chances or being an absolute pest in the defensive zone. Occasionally, Cozens will follow up on a hit too much and get himself out of position or get back late into the defensive zone, but this really isn't a concern of decision-making. Bottom line, Cozens plays aggressive, and is a wonderful combination of speed, power and scoring ability.<br />
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Bowen Byram – LD, Vancouver Giants, 6’1”, 176
lbs<br />
<br />
Bowen Byram is the best defenseman in the draft class at this point. What
stands out about him is that I would argue that he doesn’t have any true
“elite” characteristics to his game. He’s more so a “jack of all trades” type
player on the blueline. Byram’s best asset is his agility, and he uses it as
the prominent driver of his game. Byram plays an excellent two-way game and
positions himself exceptionally well. Byram plays with a ton of emotion and
loves to play physically. In my mind, Byram has definite top-pairing potential
and can play in whatever situation you need him to. Considering the lack of
defensive prospects projected to go in the top-15 of the first round, it
wouldn’t surprise me if a team took Byram at #3, but that’s for a later mock
draft post. Byram plays with an excellent compete level and looks to be a
top-pairing two-way defenseman at the next level…just an all-around excellent
defenseman.<br />
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Kirby Dach – C, Saskatoon Blades, 6’4”, 195 lbs<br />
<br />
Kirby Dach is a lanky center who excels at playmaking. Dach plays an elusive
game despite limited top-end speed. While this is a bit tough to quantify, Dach
might just be the most confident passer in this draft class. Furthering on that
note, Dach plays the game with a lot of confidence. Adding more to the
elusiveness aspect, Dach doesn’t always gain the offensive zone via straight
line. He’ll shake and bake, do some stutter-steps, or any other variety of slick
moves that will get a defenseman out of position. So in this sense, while Dach
may be limited by his top-end skating speed, he, at this point, is able to
mitigate it well through his elusiveness. Despite having a very strong wrist
shot, Dach is much more of a pass-first player. Defensively, Dach is a strong
supportive player and knows where he needs to be in the zone. He uses his long
reach to his advantage in both breaking up plays/passes, but also in battles
along the boards.<br />
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Trevor Zegras – C, USNTDP U18, 5’11”, 159 lbs<br />
<br />
Perhaps one of the best one-on-one all-situational players in the draft, Trevor
Zegras plays a crafty playmaking game. Zegras can drive an offense and be that “go-to
guy” with his skating and high caliber playmaking skill. Zegras has very good
top-end skating speed and angles his body so he can gain the offensive zone
more easily. Additionally, Zegras has a fantastic on-ice work ethic. If you’re
on the ice with Zegras, keep your stick on the ice because he’ll find a way to
get the puck to you. And then there’s the one-on-one play…Zegras has remarkable
stickhandling skills and is able to use them while at top speed. He’s able to
use his agility and stickhandling to create space in the offensive zone to get
the puck to a high-scoring area. Defensively, Zegras plays a tight game with
good hustle on the back-check. He also plays excellent supportive hockey in the
neutral zone, especially with breaking up passes.<br />
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Peyton Krebs – C, Kootenay Ice, 5’11”, 185 lbs<br />
<br />
Perhaps one of the more mythologized players in the draft class because of his
responsibility of serving as the Sisyphus for the Kootenay Ice, Peyton Krebs is
one of the most intelligent players in the entire class. Krebs plays an excellent
all-around game and there is the ever-alluring question of what his point
totals would look like if he wasn’t playing on a bottom-dwelling team. Krebs
skates with stellar agility and speed. Krebs is more of a pass-first guy, but
isn’t afraid to shoot, especially while on the rush. His passes are crisp,
accurate, and (as previously mentioned) intelligently placed. Krebs’ skating
and intelligence should be enough to get him into the NHL one day. The question
is how high his offensive ceiling could be. And, for the biologists out there
who just happen to be reading this, yes, Krebs can cycle extremely well.<br />
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Suzuki – C, Barrie Colts, 6’0”, 171 lbs<br />
<br />
An electrifying playmaker, Ryan Suzuki combines incredible vision with elite
speed. Suzuki can feather or whip the puck to your stick wherever you are on
the ice and one thing that impresses me about his play is how little time the
puck actually spends on Suzuki’s stick. To me, this is more indicative of the
metaphor for Suzuki playing like a snake lurking in grass. He’s sneaky, fast,
and darn near uncontainable at top speeds. Like some of the other players
listed above, Suzuki is a pass-first guy despite having a great wrist shot. It
just means that once he figures out how to incorporate it into his play more,
he’ll be that much more dangerous of an offensive threat. Suzuki doesn’t like
to play in the heavy areas of the ice, nor does he engage physically much at
all, but Suzuki is an all-around excellent player who combines blistering
speed, incredible vision and good stickwork to consistently be a scoring threat.<br />
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Boldy – LW, USNTDP U18, 6’2”, 187 lbs<br />
<br />
Matthew Boldy is a coach’s dream. He plays with high IQ, is a threat to score
from nearly anywhere in the offensive zone, has the versatility to be charged
as a playmaker on his line, hardly ever makes mistakes, and has a powerful
skating stride. It’s no surprise why a few independent scouting organizations
(and most likely some NHL teams) hold him in very high regard. The best way to
really describe Boldy, in my opinion, would be “versatile”. He’s a
plug-and-play guy who will be able to not only hold his own, but excel in
whatever situation he is put in. It’s hard to separate yourself on such a
talented USNTDP U18 squad, but Boldy’s style of play isn’t dependent on a
particular “line driver”. At this point, I believe Boldy’s ceiling is a low-end
top-line winger. <br />
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Soderstrom – RD, Brynas, 5’11”, 176 lbs<br />
<br />
The crux of Victor Soderstrom’s game is moving the puck up the ice, but there
is much more to Soderstrom than that alone. Soderstrom plays an incredibly
mature game and looks like he has ice in his veins whenever he’s out there.
Since the new year started, Soderstrom has been on an absolute tear for Brynas,
and has played in key spots for the men’s team (e.g. penalty kills, last minute
or so with a team lead, etc.). The cliché of a player who plays beyond his year
is very applicable with Soderstrom. Soderstrom shoots the puck very hard and
plays an overall game of supportive hockey. There is something intriguing about
Soderstrom that says, to me, that he has top-pairing potential at the NHL
level. Soderstrom ticks all the boxes you would look for in a defenseman: good skating,
high hockey IQ, strong shot, and a confidence in his game. Funny enough, even
as I’m writing this, I feel the need to re-evaluate Soderstrom’s placement on
this list. I still believe Byram is the best defenseman in the draft class
right now, but Soderstrom is making it incredibly difficult to keep claiming
that. That’s how good Soderstrom has been as of late.<br />
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York – LD, USNTDP U18, 5’11”, 171 lbs<br />
<br />
Cam York is an interesting player simply because I don’t think we’ve given him
enough credit. Again, this logic rests on the idea of the notion that it’s
difficult to stand out on such a talented team, especially when the star talent
is in the forward corps. However, Cam York is a do-it-all defenseman with above-average
top skating speed. York’s skating isn’t exactly smooth or polished, but he uses
his speed and fluidity well. The way York surveys the ice and processes the
game is very impressive, especially his reaction speed. As mentioned earlier,
York excels as an all-around kind of guy, but he’s more of an offense-first
guy, and the crux of his offensive game is moving the puck and creating chances
through his passing (and overall playmaking ability). York has a solid wrist
shot with a fast release. There’s room for York to grow, especially with his
overall skating, but the foundations are there for a successful NHL player. It
wouldn’t be fair to pidgeon-hole York’s potential as simply a Powerplay QB at
the next level, because I do believe York can bring an all-around impact to the
game. His years at the University of Michigan will significantly help his
development.<br />
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McMichael – C, London Knights, 6’0”, 170 lbs<br />
<br />
It may be a bit tough to notice, considering how stacked the London blueline
is, but Connor McMichael is the straw that stirs the drink for the forwards on
this team. In addition to London’s stellar track record of producing NHL
talent, McMichael should see a big rise in the standings as he continues to
produce. McMichael has phenomenal vision and IQ, and has an very hard and
accurate wrist shot. McMichael competes hard and plays physical in board
battles. McMichael is basically the standard caliber of high-end potential
forward from the London system. This is not to demean McMichael’s skills, but
rather point out that he is right in line with the high levels of expectation I
have on forward prospects from the London Knights. It really wouldn’t surprise
me if there was a team that made a Barret Hayton-like reach in the top-7 and
pick McMichael. There are a ton of talented and high-caliber Center prospects,
especially projected in the top-10, but there’s something safe about McMichael.
<br />
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Caufield – RW, USNTDP U18, 5’7”, 157 lbs<br />
<br />
Cole Caufield is one of my favorite players to watch in this draft. He’s an electric
goal-scoring winger who plays fearless and never gives up on the play. Caufield
has good stickhandling skills to be able to beat defenders one-on-one, but the
best aspect to Caufield’s game would be his goal scoring ability. I wouldn’t
exactly say he’s a carbon copy, but Caufield’s game compares extremely well to
Alex DeBrincat, even more than simply a smaller player who can score goals. Caufield
may be a bit overlooked because he plays on a line with Jack Hughes or perhaps,
for some reason, because of his size, but Cole Caufield is one of the purest
goal-scoring talents in this draft class.<br />
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Robertson – LD, Edmonton Oil Kings, 6’3”, 201 lbs<br />
<br />
I’m a sucker for your conventional “old-timey” d-men from the Dub, and Matthew
Robertson plays physically and combines that physicality with his strength,
size, and reach, to be one of the most difficult d-men to beat one-on-one this
entire draft class. One thing that Robertson is especially good at in the
defensive zone is preventing zone entries. Robertson is a strong skater with
room to grow in his agility. His top-end speed needs improving as well, but at
this moment, Robertson’s game revolves mostly around his strength. Robertson
plays a rather simple game and makes good, crisp passes on the offensive side
of things. Occasionally Robertson will charge the net with the puck by swinging
down to the goal-line in a power-move but the majority of Robertson’s offensive
game comes from his hard shot at the point or from passing the puck to a
rushing forward while on the breakout. As mentioned earlier, Robertson has
shown that he has the physicality to play how he wants on the ice, but also has
the puck skills to be able to stick in today’s NHL.<br />
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Newhook – C, Victoria Grizzlies, 5’11”, 185 lbs<br />
<br />
The BCHL is no longer some mystical, unknown league in Western Canada for those
of us on the Eastern coast of the US. While there have been some notable
players drafted from the BCHL like Beau Bennett, Travis Zajac and Kyle Turris
among others, the league has recently solidified itself in recent years as a
top-end development league for players from Western Canada who want to bypass
the WHL and go to NCAA programs. Names that fall into this category would
include Tyson Jost, Dennis Cholowski, Dante Fabbro, Jonny Tychonick in recent
years. Alex Newhook is another addition to that list. Newhook has incredible
speed and processes the game very quickly. Newhook is another one of those
players I should have much higher on this list. There’s a ton of talent in this
draft, don’t get me wrong. The biggest area for improvement in Newhook’s game
is that there are stretches where he disappears on the ice. These moments are
extremely rare in his BCHL play and only really pop up in international play
like the U17’s and the World Junior A Challenge. At those international
tournaments you could really tell the amount of skill Newhook had even though
he wasn’t driving play like he does in the BCHL. There are so many small things
that Newhook does extremely well like finding the space on the ice and skating
through the neutral zone, and not to mention his incredible shot, but the key asset
for Newhook in my opinion is his explosive acceleration. He can absolutely
motor up the ice at the drop of a hat. It should be noted that Newhook has been
playing the best hockey of his season after his relatively quiet WJAC Tournament.
Long story short, I have Newhook at 17 but should have him higher. There’s no
doubt in my mind he drops beyond #15 on draft day.<br />
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Broberg – LD, AIK, 6’3”, 203 lbs<br />
<br />
Another perplexing prospect, some teams will likely be salivating at the
thought of a defenseman as big as Broberg with the high-end speed that he has.
They’ll love the sight of him skating the puck end-to-end with confidence and
poise. Others will fall into my school of thought. He has lots of promising
potential and with a few tweaks or minor improvements, he could be a very
effective NHL top-4 guy. Personally, why I have Broberg (likely) lower than
other outlets is because the one area where I believe Broberg needs to really
improve is his hockey-IQ – mainly his decision-making. This is not to say all
hope is lost; it could just mean that Broberg is still figuring out what he can
and can’t do in a men’s league. It’s not crazy to assume a 17-year-old kid can’t
have these kinds of road blocks. The thing about Broberg and why I have him this
high, despite being down on such a crucial component as hockey IQ is that his
physical skills alone bring a sense of NHL certainty. So Broberg isn’t a
traditional boom or bust pick. At this point, Broberg is a great mix of size,
skating and speed with a hard point shot. If he can fix the areas of
improvement above the shoulders and develop a strong mental game, the ceiling
is very high for Broberg.<br />
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Seider – RD, Adler Mannheim, 6’4”, 198 lbs<br />
<br />
Once again I sit down to write about a player and realize I should have him
higher. Moritz Seider might be my favorite player in the draft class because he’s
so interesting to watch play. I’m a sucker for prospects from non-conventional
hockey markets, so it’s nice to see Germany start to produce some high-end
potential talent like Leon Draisaitl and Dominik Bokk in recent years. Seider’s
game is all about strength. Seider might just be the strongest player in the
draft class. He’s built like a brick wall. Defensively, Seider is stellar. He’ll
shut down opponents with his positioning and physicality. He doesn’t get fooled
easily and he also maintains excellent gap control with opponents. On the
offensive side of things, Seider flashes top-pairing potential with poise,
instincts and crisp passes. Seider plays a very mature game and would
undoubtedly be higher on lists if he was playing in a more well-known league
(besides the German DEL). There is a ton of promise and Seider is one of those
guys who you pick high because of his potential, and can let sit for 2 or 3
years to really give him time to develop. Or you could sign him immediately
after drafting and have him play for your team’s AHL affiliate. Seider is
versatile and thinks the game very well. I think the reason why he’s my
favorite prospect in the draft class is because of the way he combines his
physicality with the cerebral element of his game. Seider has run into a little
bit of trouble with some shoulder injuries, so I’m sure that will be the
subject of many questions in Draft Combine interviews.<br />
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Pelletier – LW, Moncton Wildcats, 5’9”, 161 lbs<br />
<br />
Will NHL teams make the same mistake and overlook a dynamic offensive talent because
of size concerns? Pelletier possesses very high skill level along with excellent
vision and very good skating speed & edgework. Pelletier is another player
that plays like a snake lurking in the grass because of his ability to, in
essence, sneak into high-scoring chances. This doesn’t mean that Pelletier is
good at battling for positioning with raw strength. Instead, Pelletier uses his
skates well and serves as a “digging” guy rather than simply a “pushing” guy in
board battles. More of a playmaker than a scorer, Pelletier’s game revolves almost
entirely around his vision and play anticipation. There are some rumblings
around rankings having Pelletier in the top-10, and it really wouldn’t surprise
me to see that. Pelletier has a near non-stop motor and is contributing some incredible
numbers on the statsheet. What I’d like to see more from Pelletier is better
footspeed, agility and overall first-step acceleration. The NHL is no longer
mainly about big, physical players, and if Pelletier can make that minor
improvement, then the sky is the limit. As is a theme for this, the next time I
do a ranking, the look will be drastically different. Pelletier is a high
caliber speedy winger who never quits. He has definite top-6 potential at the
NHL and should be ranked accordingly. <br />
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Poulin – LW, Sherbroooke Phoenix, 6’1”, 207 lbs<br />
<br />
I remember watching a game between Canada U18 and Switzerland U18 at the Hlinka
Gretzky Cup back in August. There was a particular player that really caught my
eye with how he played with such power and scoring potential. Clearly, since
this is his section, I’m talking about Samuel Poulin. Poulin plays a hard
overall game whether he has the puck or not. Poulin is able to blend using his
size and vision to create plays and scoring chances. Poulin, to me, is
extremely versatile in that he can play both a skilled and a physical game. He’s
your prototypical power-forward, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he even gets a
cup of coffee in the NHL for a few games or so before being sent back down to
the QJMHL. There’s not much more he can learn from juniors in all honesty. He
needs to gain more strength, but Poulin is another sleeper of a talent waiting
to break out. In simple terms, Poulin is a big guy who is hard to knock off the
puck and can score. There’s really nothing to dislike there. <br />
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Kokkonen – LD, Jukurit, 5’11”, 190 lbs<br />
<br />
Mikko Kokkonen is an interesting prospect, and I think he has potential to go
in the mid-to-later part of the 1<sup>st</sup> round in June. The aspects that
stand out the most about his play right now would be his hockey IQ and
defensive play. Predominantly playing third pairing on a team in the highest
professional league in Finland, Kokkonen has managed to put up some very
impressive numbers from the back end. Kokkonen had an excellent performance for
the Finns at the Hlinka Gretzky Tournament before the season and then kind of
faded off of the radar so to speak. He hasn’t really gone anywhere, nor has he
played poorly, but it’s difficult playing on a relatively new team in such a
tough league. Anyways, Kokkonen has very good puck skills as well. The only
area where I think Kokkonen needs to improve is his overall skating. He has
pretty solid top-end speed but his acceleration could be improved. For me,
Kokkonen’s projection relies entirely on his skating ability/improvements. Kokkonen
is in no way a flashy player but for some reason the points keep on coming. There
has been significant increase in Kokkonen’s time on ice and defensive
responsibility as the season has progressed. To me it really looks like Kokkonen
is settling in nicely to the pace and toughness of the Liiga. I hate using
same-country player comparables, but Kokkonen reminds me of a lesser-skating
Urho Vaakanainen. Kokkonen is a reliable two-way player and if he can improve
the fine details of his skating, he will make a team very happy to pick him. <br />
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Kaliyev – RW, Hamilton Bulldogs, 6’1”, 190 lbs<br />
<br />
I’ll start by saying this: I should have Kaliyev lower on this list. The raw
talent is undeniable. In fact, Kaliyev is one of the premier offensive threats
in this draft class. He has a world class shot. Take any supposed compete level
or defensive play concerns and put them aside for a moment. Kaliyev is a strong
player who is difficult to knock off the puck. His skating speed is
above-average, but he has excellent bursts of speed that create separation. For
me, the big question with Kaliyev is whether or not his scoring ability will
transfer to the NHL. It’s always the huge question when it comes to
offensively-minded prospects, but I’m a bit less optimistic about Kaliyev’s
ability to transfer. The main culprit of this is his skating. He doesn’t need
to be an elite skater, but I have to wonder what his ability to create space at
the NHL level will be, because that is a huge, and difficult, transition. This
will likely be the ranking that I eat the most crow on in the future, because
if Kaliyev hits, he can be a top-line scoring threat for a long time. If he
doesn’t, well….For a Devils reference, Kaliyev makes me think of the
goal-scoring promise of Reid Boucher. Boucher had a phenomenal shot and
tremendous goal-scoring (offensively minded) instinct. Boucher is actually
producing extremely well in the AHL, but he could never make the jump to be a productive
NHL player, and that was because of his skating. The one thing that Kaliyev has
on Boucher in the skating department is his propensity for strong bursts of
speed, but will that be enough? There’s plenty of time for him to work with
skating coaches, but I feel a bit pessimistic about his ability to do so. That
being said, I do have Kaliyev this high because if he is able to pan out, my
goodness will he be a home-run pick. Kaliyev is a very talented power forward
prospect…a true boom or bust pick.<br />
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Lavoie – C/RW, Halifax Mooseheads, 6’4”, 198 lbs<br />
<br />
Raphael Lavoie is a prospect that makes me scratch my head a bit. Lavoie puts
up fantastic scoring numbers, has an excellent shot, plays an excellent
puck-possession game and looks on some nights to be the complete package. Lavoie
demonstrates very good play anticipation and even flashes a bit of high-end
awareness occasionally. He doesn’t get that sort of tunnel vision trouble that
most goal-scorers his age get. It would be no surprise to me if a team moved up
or took Lavoie off the board in the top-15…especially if they view him as a Center
long-term. He looks more comfortable as a winger because he can just fire pucks
on net that way. At this point, if I were to compare Lavoie to previous power
forwards from the QMJHL, I would say his potential ceiling is higher than Anthony
Mantha’s but lower than Pierre-Luc Dubois’. The thing about Lavoie that makes
me scratch my head is that I don’t quite see the hype that others do on a
consistent level from Lavoie. Also, I think it’s because power forwards with
solid not stellar skating and relatively inconsistent hockey IQ scare me. In
some sense, I’m holding Lavoie guilty for the sins of prior power forward
prospects who were “all tools and no toolbox”, which isn’t quite fair on
Lavoie, but in trying to be the most fair in how I evaluate him there are two
minor elements that raise a potential red flag for his hockey IQ: overall
positioning (both offense and defensively) as well as his tendencies to
mishandle the puck – which isn’t indicative of a lack of puck skills –. These
are very minor issues but they raise red flags for me. Forgive the ramble. <br />
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Johnson – LD, Sioux Falls Stempede, 6’0”, 161 lbs<br />
<br />
I should start this off by saying that Ryan Johnson is another one of my
favorite prospects coming into this draft. It all starts with the skating.
Johnson is a high-end, near elite caliber skater. Johnson uses this skating to
excel in all aspects of the game. He’s difficult to beat because of the way he’ll
angle you away from the net along with his gap control. He’s stellar at the
breakout (and just taking the puck up the ice himself). He plays with such
poise and calmness that he looks beyond his years, despite being one of the
youngest defensemen in the USHL this season. He also has an excellent shot from
the point Johnson will need to add more muscle to his frame, but should make an
immediate impact at the University of Minnesota, where he’s committed to play
next season. Johnson is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to highly
mobile, highly intelligent defenders available for the picking this draft. <br />
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Brink – RW, Sioux City Musketeers, 5’10”, 165 lbs<br />
<br />
Bobby Brink has game breaking talent. He has stellar hands and plays a speedy,
fearless game. Brink is so intriguing because he’s an incredibly hard worker
with a high propensity for scoring goals. He has a very heavy shot and has a
stellar two-way game as well as a very high level of play anticipation. In
terms of overall talent, Brink would be much higher on this list. However,
Brink is just a bit too raw and inconsistent for me to put him in the top-20 or
so. His work ethic alone means he has NHL potential. His passing is precise and
he thinks the game at a high level. Brink really shone at the World Junior A
Challenge, where he showed scouts his high-end potential. Inconsistency is the
only question I have surrounding Brink’s game, which isn’t the worst thing in
the world. It seems that in American hockey circles, he’s held in high regard. He’s
committed to the University of Denver for next season, but his CHL rights were recently
acquired by Portland of the WHL, so we’ll have to see where Brink ends up next
season. If Brink can hammer out his inconsistencies, he has very high offensive
potential.<br />
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Hoglander – LW, Rogle BK, 5’9”, 185 lbs<br />
<br />
It’s hard not to like Nils Hoglander. He’s a high-octane winger who plays an
aggressive game and pushes the pace of play. Hoglander is fearless in his game
and has an excellent all-around skating. He is definitely a waterbug out there
on the ice – just zipping around. Hoglander combines his stellar skating with
excellent vision and very good decision-making. Hoglander possesses very good
stickhandling skills and has a quick shot that he’s able to get through to the
net despite traffic on or around him. All in all, Hoglander is a feisty,
aggressive winger who pushes the pace of play and is able to contribute
offensively. <br />
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Harley – LD, Mississauga Steelheads, 6’3”, 183 lbs<br />
<br />
One player who saw an unbelievably large jump in his draft stock is Thomas
Harley. Harley is one of the youngest players in the draft class, and has excellent
skating ability, especially his edgework. Harley plays a steady two-way game
and there isn’t necessarily one particular trait about his game that stands
out. He’s more of a jack-of-all-trades kind of guy. He’s more of a lax defenseman
in the sense that he won’t be hounding you for the puck all the time (trying to
suffocate opponents and whatnot), but will rather use his positioning and gap
control to force turnovers. That non-aggressive aspect (if that’s the right
term to use) carries over to Harley’s offensive game too. This isn’t a bad
thing, but I know there are negative connotations with that word, so I’ll
clarify. Harley doesn’t necessarily drive to the net. Rather, his offensive
game mainly revolves around threading a pass through to an open teammate or
lightly floating the puck on net in hopes of a rebound or deflection. In that
element, Harley plays a very simple game. It would help him to improve his shot
in the future. There are some question marks regarding Harley’s
decision-making, but they aren’t too serious in my opinion. He’ll just have the
occasional gaffe where he’ll randomly just go for a walk with the puck.
However, the tool are all there for a top-4 defenseman. <br />
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Honka – RD, JYP, 5’10”, 176 lbs<br />
<br />
I have no idea where to put Anttoni Honka on this list. Honka has the potential
to be the best offensive defenseman in the draft. He has incredibly smooth
skating. Honka excels at skating the puck out of danger (out of the defensive
zone) and up the ice. In fact, Honka was one of the best in the World Juniors
tournament at that role. On the base level alone, Honka’s fantastic skating is
a huge plus to his game. His high-end puck skills also help. On the other hand,
there are questions of his hockey IQ, specifically decision-making, as well as
questions of defensive play and questions regarding his ability to win puck
battles. I can’t tell if his head scratching decisions on the ice are a result
of over-confidence, a young kid trying to figure his way in a tough league, overall
bad risk assessment, or something else. Knowing full well that these rankings
are fluid, and I try to clarify what would increase or decrease each player’s
stock on this list, I’m pretty comfortable with having Honka as a late 1<sup>st</sup>
rounder. The potential is there, no doubt. He and Kaliyev are the ultimate boom
or bust picks of the draft.<br />
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Dorofeyev – LW/RW, Stalne Lisy Magnitogorsk, 6’0”, 163 lbs<br />
<br />
Another highly underrated winger coming into the draft, Pavel Dorofeyev has
undoubtable high-end skill with stellar hands and a strong wrist shot. It
wouldn’t surprise me to see a Kravtsov-ian jump in the rankings either for
Dorofeyev because of his tremendous offensive potential. Dorofeyev is an excellent
east-west skater with fantastic edgework and has very high hockey IQ. His
decision-making is fantastic and is surprisingly difficult to knock off the
puck, despite needing to add more muscle to his frame. Dorofeyev is a
longer-term project, but has a very high offensive potential. Another promising
aspect to his game is that most of his offense comes at even-strength.<br />
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Knight – G, <br />
It’s always tough trying to include a goaltender in the top-31 for me. This is mainly
due to the cop-out reason of the fact that goalies are very difficult to
project long-term. All that matters for this list is that Knight is, in my
opinion, the best goalie available in this draft class. Knight plays an
aggressive game with excellent positioning in the net. He doesn’t try to do too
much to make saves and combines his positioning well with his athleticism.<br />
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Heinola – LD, Lukko, 5’11”, 176 lbs<br />
<br />
Ville Heinola has the makings of a modern puck-moving defenseman. He’s been very
good defensively for Lukko lately and has only been improving his offensive
game. I think he has the highest likelihood of making the NHL out of the Finnish
defensemen listed before (Kokkonen and Honka), but Heinola likely drops because
of an injury that will keep him out for roughly 6-8 weeks. This is another
example of how my next list will be significantly higher because Heinola likely
goes in the ~25 range on draft day. Heinola has good, not great, top skating
speed and uses his first steps very efficiently. His edgework is outstanding.
There is still room to build muscle because, as seen in the World Juniors, he tends
to get outmuscled off the puck. Heinola is able to mitigate this with stickwork
and positioning. Heinola plays with good tempo and reads the play exceptionally
well, with room to grow in his decision-making department. Definite top-4
potential.<br />
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Vlasic – LD, USNTDP U18, 6’6”, 192 lbs<br />
<br />
So Alex Vlasic is a very interesting prospect in this draft class. With a
statsheet like that, it would be difficult not to pigeon-hole him as a “big
shutdown defenseman”. I try to avoid buzzwords as much as I can because what
does “dynamic” even mean? How would you define a “puck-moving defenseman”? Anyways,
these are off-topic. Vlasic is a very big guy on the USNTP U18 blueline. Overall,
I think the skill is there for a top-4 defenseman at the NHL level. His IQ
doesn’t quite stand out to me positively or negatively. He sometimes strikes me
as better on the offensive side of the ice than the defensive side. Vlasic isn’t
bad defensively. In fact I think his defensive game is very good. I’ll get to
my concern a little later, but with the way Vlasic plays on the defensive side
of things, it would be a significant step in the right direction if he played physically
in the defensive zone. His size alone is enough to result in a difficult corner
or net-front battle. Offensively, Vlasic has very good hands, and he plays very
while possessing the puck. Vlasic has a propensity for making complicated plays
look simple and can even lead a breakout. The thing that concerns me is his
skating. It’s not necessarily bad, especially for a bigger guy, but I do think
his skating is holding him back. It’s difficult to tell because there is a
tendency for him to get stuck up the ice, so is that a lack of explosive
skating step or poor decision-making? There will definitely be at least one
team with Vlasic in their top-31.<br />
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Robertson – C, Peterborough Petes, 5’9”, 168 lbs<br />
<br />
I try not to bring in other players when discussing a prospect, especially
siblings. However I must say that it’s kind of funny how Nicholas Robertson
plays almost the exact opposite game of his brother, Jason (2017 Dallas pick).
Nicholas plays a very fast and creative game. He really stood out to me at the
Hlinka Gretzky Tournament. Robertson (Nicholas) reminds me a lot of Phil Kessel
actually. Robertson has very solid skating ability, including a high top-end speed
and good overall mobility. Robertson also has very impressive vision,
especially in the offensive zone and not to mention a fantastic shot. Robertson
is already playing on Peterborough’s top forward line, and is already scoring
at a PPG pace, but something about his skillset says that he’ll break out even
more so next year. Robertson is such an intriguing pick with plenty of upside.<br />
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Thomson – RD, Kelowna Rockets, 6’0”, 187 lbs<br />
<br />
When in doubt, pick a Kelowna defenseman. In all seriousness though, Lassi
Thomson is an incredibly promising offensive defenseman playing in the WHL. Thomson
has good overall mobility and initiates defensive zone breakouts very
efficiently. He has a very powerful point and is capable of quarterbacking a
Powerplay very efficiently. Thomson plays very aggressively and likes to join
offensive rushes through the neutral zone – if he’s not carrying the puck
himself. There are elements to his game that make me question his defensive
zone awareness and positioning, and sometimes Thomson will make a poor decision
or be too aggressive with the puck. However, Thomson has, so far, acclimated very
well to the WHL this season. There are improvements to make in his own zone,
but Thomson has a very promising offensive game.<br />
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Holmstrom – RW, HV71, 5’11”, 172 lbs<br />
<br />
Simon Holmstrom is a playmaking winger with strong overall skating. In fact,
Holmstrom’s skating is excellent. He has fantastic edgework and is seemingly
always involved in play. Demonstrates overall good stickhandling and is an
adept playmaking. Holmstrom will occasionally take too many risks with the puck
and has room to grow in the decision-making department. Holmstrom has stellar
vision and has missed time from an injury. Holmstrom has very good overall positioning
and strikes me as a high-end complimentary player on a line. He won’t exactly
drive the pace of offensive play, but he uses his skill well to compliment the line
drivers.<br />
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Leason – C/RW, Prince Albert Raiders, 6’5”, 198 lbs<br />
<br />
It’s hard to deny the numbers that Leason is logging with Prince Albert. Leason
plays a very strong power game. Leason is very difficult to knock off the puck.
He uses his frame and strength very efficiently, and has made big strides in
his overall skating ability. There is still a lot of room to grow in Leason’s
skating, but he’s been able to create offense relatively consistently for
Prince Albert. What strikes me as most impressive about Leason’s game is how
efficient he is with his effort, skills, etc. He doesn’t necessarily score
high-skill goals, but rather from hard work, good vision, and making the
simple, smart decision. Moving forward long-term, I see him more as a RW. <br />
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Foote – LW, Kelowna Rockets, 6’3”, 187 lbs<br />
<br />
Nolan Foote is a rugged power winger who plays a strong north-south game with very
good puck protection, stickhandling, and physicality. Foote likes to get to the
dangerous areas of the ice and cause havoc to create space to get his shot off.
Foote has an excellent shot as well. In fact, his shot is remarkable. Foote has
very high hockey IQ and his best traits in my opinion would be his shoot-first
mentality as well as his overall physical play. All in all, Foote is a very
promising prospect who projects as a secondary scoring winger at the next level.<br />
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Spiridonov – C/LW, Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk, 6’2”, 192 lbs<br />
<br />
Yegor Spiridnov is a very promising two-way center with a long reach and very
good skating mobility. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Spiridonov’s game
is his defensive responsibility and ability to create space to allow the
wingers on his line to “do their thing”. Spiridonov is consistent and reliable in
all three zones of the ice. The one aspect that I would like to see Spiridonov improve
upon is to not be so conservative in the offensive zone. Overall, Spiridonov
has so many things that you want from a prospective future C, minus that killer
offensive instinct. Next draft rankings I will put Spiridonov higher on my list
because despite that criticism, he is putting up stellar offensive numbers in
the Russian MHL (juniors) and I do think he is a late 1<sup>st</sup> round
sleeper pick. Until that point, I’d like to see him drive play a bit more.
Everything else about his game is safe though.<br />
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Strondala – C, HC Kometa Brno, 5’7”, 154 lbs<br />
<br />
Vojtech Strondala is a highly skilled, but very undersized forward prospect. He’s
extremely elusive and plays an excellent finesse game. Strondala plays at a
very high-paced game. The league is gearing more towards speed rather than
size, so will a team take a risk on Strondala? The skill and production is
there. Nearly every aspect of Strondala’s game can be described as “quick”. I’d
like to see him improve his first-step acceleration. Strondala reads the ice
well and plays with an extremely high compete level. Size be darned, one team
will pick him and Strondala will become a fan favorite in no time.<br />
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Constantinou – RD, Kingston Frontenacs, 6’0”, 185 lbs<br />
<br />
It’s hard to deny the raw talent that Billy Constantinou has. He’s incredibly
talented, skates extremely well and has stellar vision. Constantinou is fantastic
at producing offense. His shot isn’t the hardest, but he’s able to thread
passes and use his skating to create offensive chances. He’s excellent on the rush
and as a result, cheats a bit in his defensive zone coverage. It looks like he’s
lazy in the defensive zone but I think it’s more likely that his mind is not on
the defensive side of things. There is room to grow with his hockey IQ and
decision-making, especially when it comes to some careless plays. Constantinou’s
game is based in his skating and he loves to join the offensive attack. All in
all, Constantinou is an offensive defenseman who needs to improve his puck
skills and overall compete level, but has promising offensive potential.<br />
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Helleson – RD, USNTDP U18, 6’2”, 181 lbs<br />
<br />
Drew Helleson plays a clean and crisp two-way game. Playing in all situations,
Helleson competes extremely hard on the puck. Relatively safe in his own end,
Helleson has good gap control and an active stick. Helleson plays aggressively in
terms of pushing the puck up the ice, but for the actual scoring component, he’ll
delegate to the forwards on the team. Helleson has an accurate shot, but he
much prefers to pass the puck around. He’s still working on “picking his spots”
so-to-speak, but is a smart overall player with decisions and reads. The mantra
of how a defenseman is more than his stat sheet is especially prevalent with
Helleson. <br />
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Mastrosimone – C/LW, Chicago Steel, 5’10”, 170 lbs<br />
<br />
Robert Mastrosimone is another sleeper with excellent vision and speed. He really
impressed me at the USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game. Mastrosimone makes crisp and
accurate passes, gains the offensive zone with ease, uses his skating to go
wide of defenders, plays with a ton of grit, thinks the game very quickly, and has
a wire of a wrist shot. When he’s in top form, he can control the offensive
pace of the game. He’s definitely a candidate for a big jump in draft stock…just
does everything right.<br />
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Bjornfot – LD, Djurgardens IF J20, 6’0”, 187 lbs<br />
<br />
It’s difficult which is more noticeable in Bjornfot’s game at first: his
skating or his maturity. Bjornfot mostly plays a simple game and nothing too
creative. Bjornfot has a very hard point shot. Overall, Bjornfot has excellent agility
and high hockey IQ. In fact, Bjornfot’s overall skating is stellar and
absolutely an asset to his game. Bjornfot also has a calmness and composure to
his game. There is room for improvement in Bjornfot’s defensive zone
positioning<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and overall strength. I
think there is a ton of offensive potential for Bjornfot, and he has the foundational
tools to be a two-way defenseman at the next level, but he seems to be more of
a longer-term pick. As in, give him 3 years to develop after getting drafted
before he can really make an impact like I know he can.<br />
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Donovan – C, Duluth East High, 6’4”, 190 lbs<br />
<br />
Ryder Donovan is an incredibly versatile forward who can serve both as a
goal-scorer or a set-up man. Donovan demonstrates excellent top-end speed as
well as very impressive first-step acceleration. Donovan’s skating allows him
to flourish in the transition game, but watching him play, it seems that he
loves fighting it out in the “trenches” and creating offensive chances by
skating away from the boards and finding a forward in a shooting position. Still
having room to grow on the defensive side of things, Donovan plays a power-forward
puck-possession game but doesn’t quite play with a punishing physical aspect.
He doesn’t need to with his skating. He’ll need to work on engaging more in
puck battles because at the high school level, he’s basically able to shrug off
opponents. This is not a matter of gaining strength, but learning to better use
his body against bigger and stronger opponents. It doesn’t concern me though
because Donovan’s success at his level isn’t a result of being able to
physically push other players around.<br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">46)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Marcus
Kallionkieli – F, Sioux City Musketeers, 6’1”, 176 lbs<br />
<br />
Marcus Kallionkieli is an interesting player. He has a good frame and a long
skating stride. Perhaps this is higher than other rankings may have him, but I
do like Kallionkieli’s projection as a scorer. Perhaps he’s a bit of a
one-dimensional player. He plays a simple game in mostly trying to find the
shooting lanes, and his vision, IQ, and defensive play are all slightly
above-average. It’s clear that the main element that Kallionkieli brings to the
table is his scoring ability. Kallionkieli’s skating is pretty smooth and helps
him create space for getting his shot on net. It helps significantly, and why I
have him higher than others, that he has such good acceleration. I’m not
talking about being a speedster or having a launch speed like a rocket. I’m simply
referring to a player’s ability to create space to shoot the puck. There are
aspects of strong playmaking ability it Kallionkieli’s game, but again, the lynchpin
to his future in the NHL is whether or not he will be able to score goals. I
have him at #46 because of that acceleration and space-creation ability, but we’ll
need to re-evaluate very soon to see. <br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">47)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Valentin
Nussbaumer – C/W, Shawinigan Cataractes, 6’0”, 168 lbs<br />
<br />
Valentin Nussbaumer is a high-effort, elusive-skating center. While an area for
improvement for Nussbaumer would be increasing his top-end speed, he’s always
moving his feet and present in the play at hand, regardless of the zone. Nussbaumer
has excellent positioning and as a result, is able to excel in the counter-attack
game. Using stellar vision, Nussbaumer is able to play a solid game in tight
spaces and isn’t afraid to play against physical defensemen. <br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">48)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->John
Farinacci – C, USNTDP U18, 6’0”, 181 lbs<br />
<br />
John Farinacci is a fast and complete playmaking center who can beat you with
his puck skills, skating or physical play. Crafty with the puck, Farinacci uses
his stickhandling and always plays with a high level of intensity. An area of
improvement for Farinacci would be better reading of the developing play,
especially at the higher speeds, but Farinacci combines his multi-faceted
approach with soft hands and an impressive patience to consistently be an
offensive threat on the ice. <br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">49)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Judd
Caulfield – F, USNTDP U18, 6’3”, 203 lbs<br />
<br />
Judd Caulfield is a mean and physical winger who does whatever he can for the
team to succeed. Caulfield has above-average hands and vision, plays very well
in transition, and likes to skate to the dirty areas of the ice including but
not limited to the corners and the goal-front. Caulfield has a few stickhandling
tricks up his sleeve but mostly relies on his physicality and difficulty to
knock off the puck. So far this season, Caulfield has demonstrated a very versatile
element to his game being able to contribute in nearly every situation from
top-6 even-strength minutes to time on the PK. <br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">50)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Yegor
Afanasyev – F, Muskegon Lumberjacks, 6’3”, 203 lbs<br />
<br />
Yegor Afanasyev is an interesting prospect. He combines his large frame with
speed very well. His overall skating quickness is very good. It may be repetitive
based on prior players on this list, but Afanasyev doesn’t simply use his large
stature to push around smaller competition, but rather as just one tool in his
kit. Afanasyev sees the ice extremely well and shows very good decision-making
abilities. To me, Afanasyev has a bit of a higher floor but a lower ceiling
compared to the other forwards in the draft. That being said, I do like the
intriguing combination of skills that Afanasyev brings, but I don’t quite see a
high offensive potential. As long as he can continue his progression with good
vision, decision-making, and strong overall skating, he will have NHL potential.<br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">51)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Case
McCarthy – RD, USNTDP U18, 6’1”, 194 lbs<br />
<br />
Case McCarthy is a strong, sturdy defenseman. To me, he seems like another “jack-of-all-trades”
type defenseman here. McCarthy strikes me as a solid pro prospect and player
who might be better in professional leagues than in junior/NCAA leagues.
Overall, his defensive game is very safe. McCarthy strikes me as a safe
prospect. There is nothing elite about his game, but there is nothing
below-average either. If anything, his upside isn’t all that high, but because
of his versatility, I can see some solid promise in his game. Overall, McCarthy
has good skating and has a hard shot. If anything he doesn’t quite push the
pace of play nor does he have high offensive instincts, but again, he’s a safe
player who can hold his own in his zone. The raw skills are there and he will
need some time at Boston University. <br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">52)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Kaedan
Korczak – RD, Kelowna Rockets, 6’3”, 192 lbs<br />
<br />
There’s so much to like about Korczak’s play. He’s a right-handed shot who
munches minutes, skates well, and has very high hockey IQ. Korczak is definitely
a candidate for a team to trade into the later part of the first round to take.
Besides the obvious Kelowna remarks, Korczak has been tasked with a ton of
responsibility and has been used as the #1 guy. Perhaps he hasn’t gained as
much traction because the scoring pace hasn’t kept up with what it was at the
beginning of the season, but Korczak has top-4 potential at the NHL level. His
defensive game is very impressive, especially knowing that he plays against
most teams’ top lines. Korczak is another prospect to re-evaluate for the next
draft ranking list. Arguably the best element of his game is his play
anticipation and reaction. He has very good positioning to begin with but his
ability to react in “real time” is very impressive. <br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">53)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Albin
Grewe – C/RW, Djurgardens IF, 6’0”, 176 lbs<br />
<br />
So Albin Grewe is a very difficult player to evaluate for me. He has incredible
raw skills with the puck and can dangle like nobody else. However, he turns
over the puck so very often and it seems like he lacks a high-end hockey IQ. He’s
an aggressively skilled player who doesn’t rely on his physicality. With Grewe
there’s a fascinating combination of skill, compete level/motor, and physical
strength that’s hard to not take into account. There is plenty of room to grow
for Grewe in his puckhandling skills and hist skating quickness/agility, but there
is a ton of promise here.<br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">54)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Dmitri
Sheshin – LW, Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk, 5’7”, 143 lbs<br />
<br />
Dmitri Sheshin is a gritty hard-working winger who hates to give up the puck.
If I could further emphasize “hard-working” for Sheshin, I would. Sheshin
demonstrates excellent edgework on his skates and is able to create havoc in one-on-one
battles with defensemen behind the net. He can turn and pivot very easily
making him difficult to contain despite his small frame. Despite such a small
frame, Sheshin is really strong. Don’t take him lightly (yes, intended) when
trying to skate around him because he isn’t afraid to show his strength. Sheshin
has pretty slick hands and solid overall vision, but again the most prominent
asset to his game is his work ethic.<br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">55)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Artemi
Kniazev – LD, Chicoutimi Sagueneens, 5’11”, 176 lbs<br />
<br />
Artemi Kniazev is a very promising and intriguing puck-moving defenseman. He
skates like the wind out on the ice and plays with a calm smoothness to his
game that makes him look calm, poised and mature beyond his years. Kniazev has
as booming slapshot and is almost always involved in play in the offensive
zone. There is a lot of room to improve Kniazev’s defensive game. There’s an
element of inconsistency to his defensive game as well. Some nights the defense
will look passable while others he’ll look very lost or not knowing where to
put his effort. One area where Kniazev is proficient in defensive play is
standing up at the blue line and preventin zone entries. Kniazev likes to play
fast and likes to be involved in all aspects of offensive play. I would almost
say he was a wizard with the puck.<br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">56)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Michal
Teply – LW, Bili Tygri Liberec, 6’3”, 187 lbs<br />
<br />
I like Michal Teply’s game. He plays a very simple game of getting to the
high-danger areas of the ice and wiring a shot on net. His shot is arguably his
best asset. Right up there with his shot would be his puck possession game – it’s
very difficult to knock Teply off the puck once he has it. Should be stated
again that Teply doesn’t play a flashy game. He’s had relatively quiet
international tournaments, most notably the World Junior A Challenge (which is
a U19 tournament). Teply is also playing in the top 2 Czech professional
leagues, so what I’m saying is that among his peers, Teply is able to control
the pace of the game, drive offense and be very effective. It should be noted
that Teply does play a solid overall defensive game, especially while in the
neutral zone. Teply could stand to improve his top-end speed. A team picking
Teply will need to understand that his game will take a little while to develop
and that he’s much more than his stat sheet suggests. Teams who run systems predominantly
around creating high-danger scoring chances should be keeping a close eye on
Teply.<br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">57)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Shane
Pinto – F, Lincoln Stars, 6’2”, 185 lbs<br />
<br />
Shane Pinto is a big and strong forward who excels in puck possession. He uses
his strength well and is incredibly difficult to knock off the puck. This makes
him a nightmare to try and defend blow the goal-line. Pinto sort of plays a “new-age
heavy” style of hockey where the focus is still on puck possession and strength,
but he doesn’t lumber around the ice like a gargoyle. Rather, Pinto has very
good overall skating and uses his edged very well in positioning himself to
protect the puck. Watch out when he’s charging towards the net with the puck on
his stick because that’s when Pinto is the most effective. Pinto strikes me as
more of a supportive player who will battle it out in the trenches to create
space for, and make crisp passes to, the goal-scorers on the line. <br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">58)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Hunter
Jones – G, Peterborough Petes, 6’4”, 194 lbs<br />
<br />
As mentioned in the blurb for Spencer Knight above, it’s very difficult to evaluate
and project goalies so I feel a bit strange having Hunter Jones on my list
because of that. Hunter Jones uses his height and overall size very well in not
only taking up the net – while standing or in the butterfly – but also to see
around traffic in front of him. Jones’ lateral post-to-post movement is good, but
it will need to improve to make the jump to the pros. The thing that stands out
the most about Jones’ game is how controlled and collected his movements in net
are. Jones doesn’t flop around in order to make a save. Also, Jones isn’t too
quick to drop down into the butterfly which, again, demonstrates a strong
conservation of movement. One last note is how many games he’s played for
Peterborough this season. At the time of this post, Jones has started 42 games,
the most out of any goaltender in the OHL. There’s no denying his versatility
as a starting goaltender in the OHL.<br />
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Gutik – LW, Loko-Yunior Yaroslavl, 6’3”, 179 lbs<br />
<br />
Daniil Gutik is a big forward who combines excellent hockey sense with strong
overall puck skills. Gutik is just a difficult player to defend against,
whether it be because of his size and reach or his stellar stickhandling skills
or his strength on the puck. One element that will make Gutik even more
dangerous would be increasing his top-end speed. Demonstrating a high compete
level on the ice, Gutik reads the ice very well and makes smart decisions on
the ice. Gutik shows playmaking promise and could have top-6 potential. There
is a lot to work on but the foundation is there.<br />
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Puistola – LW, Tappara U20, 6’0”, 170 lbs<br />
<br />
Patrik Puistola is a smooth and strong two-way winger with a knack for scoring
goals. He’s in a bit of a tough situation because Tappara is notoriously
difficult for young players to get consistent playing time with (because they’re
a strong roster), so Puistola has been playing in the lower leagues like Mestis
(2<sup>nd</sup> professional league) or the U20 league. Puistola has very soft
hands and likes to dangle around opponents. This can make him look like a
selfish player but I think it’s more so that he’s figuring out what he can and
can’t do at the level he’s at. It’s hard to not mention how Puistola is
breaking scoring records for U18 players in Mestis as well. Puistola needs to
add another gear to his top-end skating speed, but has incredible baseline
skill. The reason why I have him this low on the list is because (relatively)
smaller players who have some skating and speed concerns do scare me, but as mentioned
earlier, the skill is there.<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">61)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Vladislav
Kolyachonok – LD, Flint Firebirds, 6”2”, 181 lbs<br />
<br />
Truth be told, it’s always a bit difficult to evaluate and get a read on players
playing for rough teams, but there’s a lot to like about Vladislav Kolyachonok.
First off, don’t read into the fact that the London Knights waived him because
there’s more to his situation and skills than that. Long story short, London wanted
to make sure they were going to have a smart and dynamic-skating defenseman on
their team even if Adam Boqvist made the Chicago Blackhawks roster. Boqvist was
sent back down to the OHL and when you consider both the limitation on import
draft players (Kolyachonok is from Belarus) and the fact that OHL teams can’t
trade first-year import players, waiving Kolyachonok was the only option. That’s
how he got onto Flint’s roster. Wow that was a tangent. Anyways, Kolyachonok has
a non-stop motor which is especially helpful when combined with his incredibly
smooth skating. Kolyachonok thinks the game at a high speed, sees the ice well
and makes very good decisions. Although he’s a big guy, Kolyachonok is surprisingly
deceptive with his puck movement. <br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">62)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Henry
Thrun – LD, USNTDP U18, 6’2”, 190 lbs<br />
<br />
Henry Thrun is another underrated defenseman from this draft class. Thrun is
incredibly smart and has very good skating skills. I say this because while his
multi-directional acceleration is excellent, he could stand to improve his top-end
speed. Thrun plays a simple, no-nonsense offensive game and is able to produce
results. All in all, Thrun is a rock solid reliable defenseman with very high
hockey IQ who can chip in offensively. Thrun moves the puck very well and doesn't run around all over the ice. He's mature and uses his frame and strength well to fight for position as well as knock players off the puck. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
There are a ton of other players that are right at the cusp of making this list. Guys like Maxim Cajkjovic, Isaiah Saville, Xavier Parent, and many other talented players. If you've made it this far, thank you so much for reading this! I would love to hear your thoughts on this list.<br />
<br />
Please follow me on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/HockeyPulz" target="_blank">@HockeyPulz</a> for more content!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077048880125946260.post-36364860737034684172018-06-07T11:27:00.000-07:002018-06-07T11:27:04.487-07:002018 NHL Draft Preview: Jared McIsaacHi everybody, and welcome back to our look at the 2018 NHL Draft coming up in June.<br />
<br />
Today we look at **Jared McIsaac**.<br />
<br />
Left-shooting defenseman for the Halifax Mooseheads, QMJHL<br />
<br />
6'1" 194 lbs<br />
<br />
65 games, 9G 38A 47 points<br />
<br />
His draft rankings as of today are:<br />
<br />
HockeyProspect - #22<br />
<br />
ISS Hockey - #21<br />
<br />
FutureConsiderations - #27<br />
<br />
McKeens - #19<br />
<br />
NHL Central Scouting - #13 (NA Skaters)<br />
<br />
Will the Devils take a Moosehead with their 1st round pick for the 2nd year in a row? Enter Jared McIsaac, one of the top projected players in the 2018 NHL Draft coming into this season (projected to go top 10/15). McIsaac is yet another of the highly-skilled yet divisive defenders in the draft class. The Devils scouting crew has had plenty of time to watch him play with after drafting Hischier and defenseman, Jocktan Chainey, from the team last year.<br />
<br />
McIsaac's defensive game is stellar. He's a "safe" pick in that regard...plus his ability to think the game and his toolkit will at least will him to the NHL. The biggest question is how much upside he has.<br />
<br />
McIsaac has good mobility as well as good footwork and a strong skating stride. Overall, McIsaac's skating is quite good. His progression of skating has been interesting to watch as he developed in the QMJHL, because he has really simplified his overall game when he has the puck on his stick, and this includes whether or not he skates the puck up the ice himself, or dishes it to a teammate for the breakout. His skating also allows him to roam around the ice and get to wherever he needs to.<br />
<br />
The offensive game is where we start to see differing reports on McIsaac. Some scouting agencies (I can only talk about scouting agencies rather than team-specific departments) view him as very high potential upside who needs to improve consistency whereas others view him as lacking in decision-making ability and hockey IQ. McIsaac has a good wrist shot and sees the offensive zone very well. His slap shot is also strong here. McIsaac's passing is incredible accurate as well, and he can make his passes while going at full speed. I'm of the school of thought r.e. McIsaac that he has a high-level skillset who also has consistency issues. I'll discuss more about his potential further on, but there have been games where he completely takes over the ice, and then there have been games where it looked like he wasn't even playing. It's important not to stat-watch with defensemen, but this is especially prevalent for Jared McIsaac. It took a little while to find his offensive stride over the course of the season, but settled in nicely near the end of the season. I think McIsaac was one of the best defensemen for Team Canada at the U18 tournament. McIsaac seems like yet another defenseman that teams could look back on in a year and wonder why they passed on.<br />
<br />
The defensive side of the game is where McIsaac excels, and he's one of the better shutdown defensemen in the draft class. Some agencies have listed him as a shutdown defenseman, but I think there's more nuance to his game than that. In fact, other agencies also list him as an offensive defenseman. McIsaac is one of those big question-mark defensemen of this draft. While not actively searching for bone-crunching hits, McIsaac isn't afraid to throw his weight around, and hits hard along the boards and in the corners. McIsaac is also defensively aware and uses his good positioning to break up passing lanes..for the most part. I say this caveat because when he's been hemmed in his own zone for an extended period of time, his positioning is negatively affected. This is not a trait that is solely belonging to McIsaac, but it's important to note all aspects of his game. If there's one word to really sum up what type of game McIsaac has: simplicity. He plays a very straight-forward simple game, and doesn't try to do too much on the ice. It's this simplicity that helps him be an excellent puck-mover from his own zone in the transition game. He used to do too much back in Bantam, so perhaps as McIsaac gets more confident in the QMJHL, we could see a more dynamic approach to his offensive game, but if this is the "final" product in terms of play style (not skills development, but just play style), then that's okay too. I think it's what makes him a relatively safe pick to at least get to the NHL. It's just that there is so much more skill there than folks may see initially.<br />
<br />
McIsaac reminds me a lot of Timothy Liljegren and Jacob Chychrun, not in play styles, but more in pre-draft hype resulting in a drop in the rankings during the draft-eligible season. McIsaac has all the tools to be a top-4 defenseman at the NHL level. There are plenty of legitimate concerns regarding his game, and it looks like scouting agencies have soured a bit on his play, but the potential is still there for McIsaac. Is the potential high enough or attainable enough for him that would warrant his selection over other flashier defensemen?<br />
<br />
I'd love to hear your thoughts on Jared McIsaac! Thank you so much for reading!<br />
<br />
Other draft write-ups:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://deathtaxesandjagr.blogspot.com/2018/04/2018-nhl-draft-preview-bode-wilde.html" target="_blank">Bode Wilde</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://deathtaxesandjagr.blogspot.com/2018/04/2018-nhl-draft-preview-nils-lundkvist.html" target="_blank">Nils Lundkvist</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://deathtaxesandjagr.blogspot.com/2018/04/2018-nhl-draft-preview-evan-bouchard.html" target="_blank">Evan Bouchard</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://deathtaxesandjagr.blogspot.com/2018/04/2018-nhl-draft-preview-kandre-miller.html" target="_blank">K'Andre Miller</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://deathtaxesandjagr.blogspot.com/2018/04/2018-nhl-draft-preview-ty-smith.html" target="_blank">Ty Smith</a><br /><br /><a href="http://deathtaxesandjagr.blogspot.com/2018/05/2018-nhl-draft-preview-jonathan.html" target="_blank">Jonathan Tychonick</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077048880125946260.post-72722352079648356792018-05-21T07:14:00.002-07:002018-05-21T07:14:31.129-07:002018 NHL Draft Preview: Jonathan TychonickHi everybody, and welcome back to our look at the 2018 NHL Draft coming up in June.<br />
<br />
Today we look at <b>Jonathan Tychonick</b>.<br />
<br />
Left-shooting defenseman for the Penticton Vees, BCHL<br />
<br />
6'0" 174 lbs<br />
<br />
48 games, 9G 38A 47 points<br />
<br />
His draft rankings as of today are:<br />
<br />
HockeyProspect - #29<br />
<br />
ISS Hockey - #29<br />
<br />
FutureConsiderations - #36<br />
<br />
McKeens - #NR<br />
<br />
NHL Central Scouting - #36 (NA Skaters)<br />
<br />
Steadily rising up the rankings throughout the season is the smooth-skating defenseman from the BCHL. For anybody curious, Tychonick (pronounced TIE-CON-ICK) is playing for Penticton, an absolute powerhouse of a team in the BCHL (Jr. A) that has had players drafted recently such as Tyson Jost and Dante Fabbro. Being a Jr. A league, it means that the BCHL is not a top league where players get drafted out of. Moreso, it has been a pathway to the NCAA (generally) where players then get drafted. A prime example of this would be Duncan Keith. I say generally because players can go to the WHL afterwards for their draft-eligible year - examples would be Ryan Johansen and Scott Gomez, and additionally some players can get drafted right out of the BCHL (that means they play in the league during their draft-eligible years). Examples include Beau Bennett, and a handful of high-end players drafted in recent years. Players like Tyson Jost, Dante Fabbro, Dennis Cholowski were recent first round picks drafted while playing in the BCHL in their draft-eligible year. All three of these players were drafted by teams in the WHL, but had committed to, and decided to pursue the NCAA route. Fabbro to Boston University; Jost to U. North Dakota; Cholowski to St. Cloud State U. That brings us to Tychonick, who's committed to U. North Dakota for the upcoming season.<br />
<br />
While the BCHL has had a slight uptick in high-end draft eligible players, for many players it's still a bit of an issue of exposure since it's tough to get to from the East coast. I think this is why Tyconick has been a bit underrated in his projected rankings, and it's a bit of an age-old issue where players in Jr. A who aren't completely dominating their competition (like Jost or Cale Makar from the AJHL), it's difficult to assess their levels of skill because of the levels of competition. This is further complicated by a draft class that is so deep with high-end defensemen that it's being defined by the defensemen available. However, one of the things about Tychonick's play is that he is putting up some incredible numbers. In fact, with 17 points (3G 14A) in 11 games, Tychonick is now the highest-scoring U18 defenseman in BCHL playoff history. Tychonick was the best defenseman in the BCHL this year and looks to have high-end offensive potential. With that said, let's take a look at what Jonny Tychonick brings to the table.<br />
<br />
Tychonick is a smart two-way defenseman who displays elite-level skating. He knows when he should and shouldn't join the offensive rush, and uses his skating to make it happen. Whatever happens on the ice, Tychonick can go wherever he wants and use his skating to get back defensively as quickly as he got to whatever spot he went to - deep in the offensive zone, pinch at the blue line in the OZ, intercept a pass in the neutral zone, etc. His pivots, edgework, and lateral quickness help demonstrate his agility as well. What I'm trying to say here is that everything that comprises Tychonick's game is a result of his skating. One area that Tychonick will need to improve on - and this is consistent throughout his game regardless of the specific aspect - is his strength. Building more lower-body muscle will make it tougher to knock Tychonick off the puck, and while his skating is explosive (he can get to his top speed in just a few strides), adding more lower-body muscle can't hurt with his explosiveness.<br />
<br />
The blanket labels of "two-way", "offensive", "shutdown", etc. for defensemen are not as indicative of the difference in playing styles within each category. I would describe Tychonick's game as two-way, but more on the offensive side of things. Tychonick's offensive instincts are very good and is able to create scoring opportunities as well as ensuring the puck stays in the offensive zone with his good vision and decision-making. Tychonick's game is steadily based in his skating and his stellar playmaking abilities. I think it's really interesting how he plays as well because, alluding what what was said in the skating section, Tychonick is really able to control the offensive zone blue line (and really demands respect doing so) because of his skating level and his patience with the puck/play. Tychonick has excellent puck-handling skills and isn't afraid to be aggressive on the rush. His skating speed and edgework oftentimes catch opponents off-guard in such events. Tychonick plays with his head up (as someone of his size must play, but more on that later) and his combination of vision and puck skills allow him to make crisp, accurate passes - many times through traffic. Tychnick's snap and wrist shots have sneaky quick releases, and it's not uncommon for him to sneak down to the top or middle of the face-off circles and release his shot. Tychonick does have a decently hard slap shot, but that could stand to improve (again, this could come with building muscle). I will say that Tychonick's slap shot isn't holding him back from playing hockey at a higher level, but could stand to be improved. He doesn't usually use his slap shot to find the back of the net, but rather as a means of creating rebounds. One other aspect of his offensive game that I really like is his ability to use space his opponents give him. Opponents must respect his speed so they give him space. With that space given up, Tychonick will exploit it, usually by wiring a pass or sneaking a shot through. If opponents try to play a tight defensive game then, as mentioned above, he'll blow right past them. I'm really curious to see how this aspect of his game develops as he moves up the levels of hockey to play against bigger, stronger, and faster opponents.<br />
<br />
Defensively it's important to start with the fact that Tychonick is a bit undersized, but I think a lot of times these issues are overblown. His size and need for building muscle make themselves prevalent in his board battles and battles in the corner. There are elements to his defensive game that need to be improved, but his skating helps really nullify any "shortcomings" (I say this in quotes because it's not that he's bad at any elements defensively, it's just that his skating is so much better than his other traits). The most important thing about his defensive game is that the skating is there to not only maintain good gap control on opponents and to push attacking opponents to the outside along the boards, and his smarts are there for ensuring good positioning, staying out of the goalie's line of sight, etc. It's also important to note that he doesn't shy away from physical play either. He won't make a big open-ice hit, but he'll duke it out in the corners or around the crease. He also never stops moving his feet.<br />
<br />
I wanted to make a paragraph to specifically talk about his ability to start the breakout. Tychonick is definitely in the top echelon of defensemen this draft when it comes to leading a breakout. He can do this by either skating the puck up himself or launching a long stretch pass up the ice to an attacking forward. There's more to a defenseman's game than just getting the puck out of the zone, but I really do think Paul Castron and crew have been keeping an eye on Tychonick because of his ability to do so (more on that later). Steve Kournianos put it best in his <a href="https://www.thedraftanalyst.com/international-tournaments/recap-2018-cjhl-top-prospects-game/" target="_blank">CJHL Top Prospects Game: Player Notes </a>regarding Tychonick's break-outs.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
He should wear No. 911 on the back of his jersey, because he’s the first player his mates call to get the puck out of the zone.</blockquote>
<br />
What you're getting in Jonny Tychonick, besides yet another incredible hockey name in this draft, is a good, fluid, two-way defenseman who checks all the boxes for a modern era defenseman. I believe he has high potential offensive upside and is very smart defensively (and plays bigger than his size suggests). Going to North Dakota - and the NCAA - will really help him build muscle, get bigger, and help him to play the game that he wants to be able to play at a higher level. He has beautiful skating and is an artist breaking the puck out of the zone. Why Tychonick is not projected higher is a combination of exposure playing in the BCHL, competing in a draft class chock-full of high-end (and better known) defensemen, as well as his need to build muscle on his frame...but also because of the fact that there isn't necessarily a limit on his talent capacity, but because of the question posed: is his potential upside higher than that of other defensemen in the draft? I think his upside is higher than others may give him credit for. I don't quite have a floor for his upside, but he likely slots in as a 2nd pair two-way LD. At the same time, I can also see him taking a huge step forward next year and putting up some incredible numbers at North Dakota. What I'm trying to say is that it wouldn't shock me if he ends up as a top-pair LD, but at this point it's more likely he'll be a 2nd pair guy. The skills and smarts are all there. The big question is how high the ceiling goes. This upcoming year will be very telling as to what his future entails. I can see him spending 3 years at North Dakota.<br />
<br />
There's an air of intrigue in my mind when it comes to the Devils drafting him. He checks all the boxes of what Shero and Hynes are looking in a defenseman, and I feel that Hynes would really enjoy coaching him. I also feel that Shero could take advantage of the fact that Tychonick may not be projected to go where the Devils pick (17 OA), which would allow Shero to trade back to recuperate an asset or two and still get the guy he and Castron want. I'm not a sports betting man (but I could be now, thanks to the Supreme Court), but my gut is telling me that if the Devils trade down their pick by 2 or more spots, then we could very much be picking Tychonick. However that's just a gut feeling and there's still plenty of time before the draft for interviews, team meetings, etc.<br />
<br />
I would love to hear your thoughts on Jonathan Tychonick! Thank you so much for reading!<br />
<br />
Other draft write-ups:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://deathtaxesandjagr.blogspot.com/2018/04/2018-nhl-draft-preview-bode-wilde.html" target="_blank">Bode Wilde</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://deathtaxesandjagr.blogspot.com/2018/04/2018-nhl-draft-preview-nils-lundkvist.html" target="_blank">Nils Lundkvist</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://deathtaxesandjagr.blogspot.com/2018/04/2018-nhl-draft-preview-evan-bouchard.html" target="_blank">Evan Bouchard</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://deathtaxesandjagr.blogspot.com/2018/04/2018-nhl-draft-preview-kandre-miller.html" target="_blank">K'Andre Miller</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://deathtaxesandjagr.blogspot.com/2018/04/2018-nhl-draft-preview-ty-smith.html" target="_blank">Ty Smith</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077048880125946260.post-75234924914165241432018-04-30T18:34:00.002-07:002018-05-02T06:14:38.656-07:002018 NHL Draft Preview: Ty SmithHi everybody, and welcome back to our look at the 2018 NHL Draft coming up in June.<br />
<br />
Today we look at <b>Ty Smith</b>.<br />
<br />
Left-shooting defenseman for the Spokane Chiefs, WHL<br />
<br />
5'10" 170 lbs<br />
69 games, 14G 59A 73 points<br />
<br />
His draft rankings as of today are:<br />
HockeyProspect - #14<br />
ISS Hockey - #11<br />
FutureConsiderations - #7<br />
McKeens - #16<br />
NHL Central Scouting - #14 (NA Skaters)<br />
<br />
I wanted to start this write-up off by saying that I'm biased here. Ty Smith is my guy in the draft...as in...if on the off chance he's still available at #17, I would have to imagine the Devils staff sprinting up to the podium.<br />
<br />
Anyways let's get started.<br />
<br />
Ty Smith was a former 1st overall pick in the 2015 WHL Bantam Draft by Spokane. His mobility and skating is exceptional and he is poised and comfortable when handling the puck. His skating significantly helps him and he recognizes how to use it...whether that be using his agility, edgework, and pivoting to cover large areas on the ice...or joining the attack, etc. Whatever needs to be done, wherever on the ice, Smith will be there to either get it done directly or support his teammates. His acceleration is elite and helps him gain separation when walking the blue line in the offensive zone or starting the breakout in his own zone.<br />
<br />
Offensively, Smith moves the puck extremely well, and has the vision and smarts to be able to find teammates, and the ability to deliver crisp tape-to-tape passes. Smith has a good slap shot, and he has a strong tendency to not wind up too much for a shot - keeping the puck low in hopes of a deflection or rebound. He's really improved his slap shot strength over the course of the season. This and his excellent wrist shot make him a dangerous option from the point. I also really like his ability as a stick handler who can read the play. He's very versatile and can lead the rush or work in as a trailing attacker. Despite all these very speedy skills, Smith has a very calming presence on the ice. One of the things I like the most about Smith is how doesn't always make the smart play...he makes the *right play*. He's very calculating in his approach to the game, and while some others may not see elite high-end hockey IQ, I would disagree with them. I see a safe player that doesn't take many risks and whose game doesn't require him to take any risks - mostly because he knows where to be on the ice at all times.<br />
<br />
While I'm here, before I get into his defensive game, I think the biggest area for improvement in Smith's game is the ability to handle bigger, stronger, and faster forwards on the forecheck. He sometimes struggles against junior players in this regard, so going against professional players could really cause him to struggle. I don't foresee him in the NHL next year, as he'll take one more year to bulk up in the WHL. These are really the only concerns about his game, and one of the alleged concerns is not even one I share. (Actually my biggest concern is that he'll end up playing for NYI, but that's up to the draft gods...)<br />
<br />
Ty Smith's defensive play is as close to flawless as you can get for a draft-eligible defenseman. His positioning is immaculate and stick work are exceptional, and his ability to start the transition is fantastic. Smith's defensive play one-on-one is as good as it gets among this class. As you may be able to see from the statsheet, Smith has some muscle to build on his lower-body, which will allow him to be better in the corners and in front of the net. The best aspect of Smith's defensive game is his skating, which helps him with gap control and allows him to gain extra space from attackers when he does get possession of the puck. While Smith is somewhat undersized, he doesn't shy away from gritty, physical play. He's not afraid to take the body, however it's not his initial instinct to do so.<br />
<br />
For those looking for buzzwords, Ty Smith's skating and overall game is extremely dynamic. I'm really really surprised that Smith isn't ranked higher up on the main scouting draft boards, but I'll take it. I'm each team's boards vary greatly between each other, and when put up against certain scouting agencies, but Smith, while not a sure-fire NHL player, has a skillset and the IQ to be a contender for the Norris trophy through his career. His stock may be slightly dropping from a non-eye-popping U18 championship performance, but anybody who is making assumptions about his future potential based on this tournament and not his WHL season is sorely mistaken.<br />
<br />
Ultimately I think Smith will be taken by Chicago at #8 or by NYI at either #11 or #12. However, if he were to fall to #17, what the Devils would be getting is a defenseman (one of the youngest in the draft...only 21 players are younger than Smith in the draft) with elite skating and definite top-pairing two-way potential. Smith has logged some major minutes for Team Canada at international tournaments before, and has the potential to be able to log 22-23 minutes a game at the NHL level. I try to be as unbiased as possible in my evaluations, but I can't speak enough praise about what I've seen from Ty Smith.<br />
<br />
I would love to hear your thoughts on Ty Smith. Thank you so much for reading!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077048880125946260.post-60431458752109297462018-04-27T18:31:00.002-07:002018-04-30T18:33:08.763-07:002018 NHL Draft Preview: Bode WildeHi everybody, and welcome back to another look at draft-eligible players for the 2018 NHL Draft in Dallas. It continues to amaze me the amount of depth, potential, and differing play styles that the defensemen in this draft have. One of these days, I'll discuss a forward (most likely Vitali Kravtsov), but today we're going to look at another high-end potential defenseman.<br />
<br />
Today we look at <b>Bode Wilde</b>.<br />
<br />
Right-shooting defenseman for US National U18 Team, USDP<br />
<br />
6'2" 196 lbs<br />
59 games, 12G 29A 41 points<br />
<br />
His draft rankings as of today are:<br />
HockeyProspect - #13<br />
ISS Hockey - #20<br />
FutureConsiderations - #11<br />
McKeens - #15<br />
NHL Central Scouting - #17 (NA Skaters)<br />
<br />
<br />
Today we turn to a defenseman who has one of the best set of physical tools in the entire draft class from defensemen. Bode Wilde is a big, strong defenseman who skates extremely well, has a strong shot, and is committed to attend the University of Michigan for the next season after playing in the USNTDP (just like high-end d-men like Jacob Trouba and Zach Werenski in recent years).<br />
<br />
Wilde is projected to go right around the area that the Devils pick, so he's definitely a name to keep in mind. I know I've been wrong in my first round selection predictions for the Devils and I may regret saying this, but there are some aspects of Wilde's game that really do concern me, and I'll get into them later on. All in all though, Wilde has the potential to be the second best d-man in this draft class. The skills are there, and he's done a fantastic job putting them together. In many ways, he's a polished product.<br />
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Offensively, Wilde is absolutely stellar. Combining his blistering bomb of a shot at the point with his ability (that will transfer really well to the NHL in my opinion) to not only keep the puck low - to allow deflections and rebounds - but also finding lanes to get the shot through, make Wilde one of the biggest threats from the blue-line. Wilde also has excellent passing, both in the offensive zone and on the break-out from his own defensive zone. His good vision helps him with this. One of the areas he can improve on is his decision-making *(keep this in mind)* and not take as many risks in the offensive zone with making deep attacks past the goal line. These risks, while they may be mitigated on a more structurally-sound team, will be something Wilde needs to work on. However, that being said, when he's past the center-ice line, Wilde is about as close to a complete package as you can get.<br />
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Defensively, Wilde reminds me a lot of a Rasmus Ristolainen type player, where he's not that great defensively, but he's pretty physical so it's a bit covered up. That's not to say Wilde is bad defensively, he's just very inconsistent in that aspect. He uses his frame and physicality to shut down opponents along the boards and is quite nasty in the corners. He is strong enough to separate puck-carriers from the puck. When employed on the penalty kill, Wilde excels as a crease-clearer, and is capable of shutting down top forwards. However, his defensive short-comings have been shown a bit more. This most likely has to do with the fact that he's under a lot of scrutiny being that it's his draft-eligible year. He is committed to University of Michigan for next season, and the NCAA (generally speaking) does a good job of rounding out defensive games. One other aspect of Wilde's defensive play is that he goes for a big hit (<a href="https://twitter.com/StevenEllisNHL/status/986978592343998465" target="_blank">stuff like this</a>) pretty often, which isn't bad, but sometimes it puts him out of position. This is another aspect of his game that he'll need to work on. The good news is that his defensive game is raw as opposed to bad, and he has the tools there to improve it.<br />
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So here you have a big-bodied, thick-framed, graceful skater, with as much offensive upside as any d-man in the draft (other than Dahlin), who likes to hit, is already playing top-pairing all-situational minutes...why is he projected to go around #17? The biggest concern I have about Wilde's game is that I don't know how good his hockey sense is. He takes so many risks that I don't know if he is comfortable taking risks and needs to tone it down in his development, or whether or not he legitimately doesn't get good reads on plays. Like any young, talented player who's confident in his game, Wilde sometimes tries to do too much, and that's not really a concern I have in the long-run (I had the same concern with Hischier in his draft-eligible year). Wilde is a pretty safe pick in terms of his physical tools will get him into the NHL. Where he really becomes a boom/bust is what he can work on between the ears. I question how well he can process the game at high speeds. Now this could all be wildly unnecessary concerns if he goes out and dominates at the NCAA level next year, but there's definitely some concern on my part. The most frustrating thing is that he doesn't even need to turn into a Lidstrom-like thinker to have definitive top-pairing potential. The hope I have is that he just needs to work on his thinking and decision-making (I have no doubt that the coaching staff at U. Mich will spend quite some time with him in the film room working on this stuff, and the sky is the limit for him.<br />
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I'm being overly cautious, and possibly sounding pessimistic (or harsh) about Wilde - I don't mean to be. Players like him scare me a bit because there are games where he absolutely dominates, usually going hand-in-hand with the level of physicality he's playing with, but I'm always worried about the "all tools, no toolbox" potential players. I say this because hockey IQ is very difficult to progress in development, but decision-making can be improved, and the majority of the decision-making he displays are not deal-breakers. I'm just trying to be as honest as possible in my assessment of one of the players that we are very much in the running for at this point. In my opinion the decision-making is a weakness of his game, but if he can make steady improvements over the next few years, and turn it average, the sky is the limit for Wilde. And just to be clear again - perhaps I'm being a bit repetitive, but I'm not trying to imply that Wilde is a dumb hockey player, not in the slightest. The rest of his tools and skills are so high-level or have the potential to be really high-level that this one aspect of his game sticks out. In all reality, his decision-making is a little less than average, and he doesn't have far to go to bring it up to the level that will make him a real threat.<br />
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I can only see him needing 2 years at most in the NCAA, and he's very noticeable when he's on the ice (mostly in a good way). It's easy to see why some people are really high on him, and others aren't. Wilde definitely has potential to be a #1 d-man, but could likely end up as a #2 or #3. Some aspects of his game need to be more refined than others, but he could very much end up a top-pairing, two-way, all-situational type defenseman. The skills are all there. There are so many top-end defensemen in this draft that Wilde is a bit overlooked at this point (reminds me a bit of the McAvoy situation from 2016). I may be a bit too harsh in my tone on Wilde in this piece, but I really do think he has potential to be a cornerstone d-man for a team, he has that much potential. All in all, I think the Devils would be thrilled to pick a guy like him.<br />
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I'd love to hear your thoughts on Bode Wilde. Thank you so much for reading!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077048880125946260.post-11652013433891219922018-04-27T18:29:00.006-07:002018-04-27T18:31:58.791-07:002018 NHL Draft Preview: Nils LundkvistHi everybody, and welcome back to another look at draft-eligible players for the 2018 NHL Draft in Dallas.<br />
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Today we look at <b>Nils Lundkvist</b>.<br />
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Right-shooting defenseman for Lulea HF, SHL<br />
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5'11" 174 lbs<br />
28 games, 2G 3A 5 points<br />
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His draft rankings as of today are:<br />
HockeyProspect - #19<br />
ISS Hockey - #NR<br />
FutureConsiderations - #NR<br />
McKeens - #27<br />
NHL Central Scouting - #14 (EU Skaters)<br />
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Before we start getting into the more established players that folks may be hearing (guys like Bode Wilde, Jared McIsaac, and others), I wanted to touch on another quiet riser up the draft boards. At this point, Nils Lundkvist is a bit of an off the radar-type pick, but he's been steadily making himself more present in mock drafts and is becoming more of a dark horse first round pick, especially around the 20 spot. Lundkvist recently won the award for best defenseman in the J20 league for the 2017-2018 season (it's a little odd since he spent the majority of the season playing for the SHL club).<br />
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It's been interesting to watch Lundkvist's progression throughout the season, because he's been getting a lot more comfortable and confident in his play in the SHL as a 17 year old (this is his first season with the SHL), and as a result has been joining the offensive play much moreso than earlier in the season (not too surprising but it's still enjoyable to watch).<br />
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Nils Lundkvist is an excellent skating, puck-moving defenseman. In his first 13 games in the SuperElit U20, he registered 9 points. He is listed at 5'11", but he has a wide, low skating stance so he looks much shorter on the ice. Lundkvist's ability as a playmaker is excellent, and he has a good eye for finding passing lanes. I'll mention this here before I forget: I'm not sure if the points will ever be high-end. He reads the game really well and he is a smart player, but he strikes me as a Matt Niskanen type player - one who is an excellent puck mover and can help his team break out of the zone, and has some excellent offensive tools, but doesn't quite get on the scoreboard all that often. One other thing to note is that if you're on the ice, Lundkvist sees you - almost as if he has eyes in the back of his head. If he knows you're there, he'll find a passing lane to get you the puck...doesn't matter if he's below the goal or needs to make a move around a defending player...he'll get the puck to you. I love the idea of a player with this quick-thinking and quick/effective passing ability finding our big guns in the offensive zone.<br />
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Compared to another player in the draft, like Adam Boqvist, Lundkvist's high-end scoring potential is not as refined - that doesn't mean that scouts haven't taken notice of Lundkvist's game...in fact there have been some rumblings that scouts may not see much of a difference between their games in the long run (especially given Lundkvist's play at the U18 Five Nations Tournament). During the U18's earlier this year, Lundkvist took a lot of risks in terms of reads, pinches, etc. in the offensive game. This is not a bad thing, but rather it was his own recognition of his skating ability, and the two-way ability of the forwards in front of him that helped allow him to make those decisions. I'm saying this because I think he would be in a similar situation here under the "Fast, Attacking *Supportive*" system that Hynes runs.<br />
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Defensively, Lundkvist is interesting because he is a very smooth and calm defenseman. He is an average defender and relies mostly on his stick work and really good Hockey IQ to make plays. Sometimes he wanders too far away from his post, but he has performed admirably on the defensive side in the SHL this season. He averaged right around 16 minutes per game this season. This included time on ice in all situations, including PK and Powerplay time where Lundkvist continued to show progression, growth, and confidence. Undoubtedly, Lundkvist's defensive play and board/corner play will improve when he adds some lower-body muscle to his frame.<br />
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What you're getting in Nils Lundkvist is a player who doesn't need anybody else to break out of his defensive zone, and can gain the offensive zone with ease. It's not too difficult to see why he's really rising up draft boards, because he is the ideal defenseman for the direction the league is going in - great skating, fantastic edgework, high hockey IQ, alert passing, crisp breakouts, etc. The list goes on.<br />
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<a href="https://canucksarmy.com/" target="_blank">CanucksArmy Blog</a> refers to a threshold called the 51% rule in regards to SHL players and their chances of getting significant time in the NHL.<br />
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>Skaters who played in the Swedish Hockey League at 18-years-old or younger with a points per game of at least .09 ended up playing 200 NHL games or more 51% of the time. Even among players with just a handful of games, the rule applied.<br />
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Lundkvist meets those standards (and even produced at a higher rate than Erik Brannstom in his draft-eligible season). Granted there are more to a defenseman than points, but Lundkvist is a player that's going to have a lot of value if he continues to progress in the direction he's headed in. All NHL teams are looking for young, right-shooting, mobile, smart defensemen, and Lundqvist is a player that will out-perform his current draft ranking. I wouldn't be surprised if Ray Shero and Paul Castron, once again, rely heavily on the European scouting department and go with what seems like a bit of an off the board pick in Lundkvist at #17. He seems to be a very safe player with very high upside.<br />
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I'd love to hear your thoughts on Nils Lundkvist. Thank you for reading!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077048880125946260.post-60359808274759935782018-04-27T18:28:00.004-07:002018-04-27T18:32:07.696-07:002018 NHL Draft Preview: Evan BouchardHi everybody, and welcome back to another look at draft-eligible players for the 2018 NHL Draft in Dallas.<br />
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Today we look at <b>Evan Bouchard</b>.<br />
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Right-shooting defenseman for the London Knights, OHL<br />
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6'2" 191 lbs<br />
67 games, 25G 62A 87 points<br />
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His draft rankings as of today are:<br />
HockeyProspect - #15<br />
ISS Hockey - #6<br />
FutureConsiderations - #10<br />
McKeens - #6<br />
NHL Central Scouting - #4 (NA Skaters)<br />
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With a meteoric rise up the draft boards this season, we turn to Evan Bouchard. Before looking at his skillset, the main reason behind Bouchard's rise up the boards is because of the openings left on the London blueline after departures from regulars like Olli Juolevi (went to play pro hockey in Finland) and Victor Mete (played with the Montreal Canadiens), Bouchard had significant opportunity as he found himself slotted in the #1 defenseman position for the Knights. Needless to say, he took the role and ran with it.<br />
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Bouchard is a two-way defenseman with good size and skill. He has a fantastic arsenal of shots, be it slap shot, one-timer, wrist shot, etc. He has a great knack of getting the puck to the net. I know there are a lot of buzzwords that are used in draft reports, but what really really impresses me about Bouchard's play is ho poised he is. He is able to bob and weave (not necessarily the best term to use) to open up shooting passing lanes. Bouchard is also extremely smart with his pinches and offensive zone decisions. These skills allow him to be an excellent quarterback on a team's Powerplay. His 87 points were the highest total out of any draft-eligible CHL skaters (first-time eligible), and his 297 registered shots on goal was the 2nd highest in the OHL. I should also note that while his numbers are stellar, they are likely the result of the huge minutes he plays. There is a reason he plays so many minutes, and his offensive skills are highly polished and elite, but it's important to know the context surrounding numbers, especially for defensemen.<br />
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Bouchard is no slouch on the defensive side either. He's been responsible for playing in all situations on the ice for the Knights. In fact, while time on ice isn't an officially recorded stat in the CHL, reports have him playing upwards of 30 minutes a night for London. Defensively, Bouchard maintains good gap control and is able to keep opposing forwards out of the dangerous areas of the ice, for the most part. His defensive zone positioning is excellent. He uses his long reach to help this as well. However, this is where two of Bouchard's most significant areas of improvement are exemplified: his average skating speed and defensive zone decisiveness. Bouchard isn't a poor skating by any means - in fact his overall mobility is excellent -, but I do think that if he doesn't try to get faster, it will significantly hamper him, especially as the NHL continues to get faster. There are a few occasions where faster opposing forwards can breeze by him. He tries to limit this by using his long reach and it works for the most part, but I don't think that will cut it in the NHL, and it may even lead to penalties. His skating is good enough to keep up with the play, backskate, and maintain gaps throughout the play, but this is an area where he can definitely improve. In terms of defensive zone decision-making, Bouchard sometimes has a tendency of puck-chasing as well as knowing what to do when he gets the puck in the slot in the defensive zone, or directly in front of the goalie. I'm definitely not discounting the idea that maybe this is fatigue catching up to him, but with some improved mobility, and more refined decisions in the defensive zone, Bouchard has the potential to be a fantastic defenseman at the NHL level.<br />
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Evan Bouchard can play either defensive side, and does really well either way. I like him better on the right side, but that's just my personal preference. Bouchard is is also heralded as practically a "one-man breakout machine". He's stellar outlet passes and decision-making with the puck on his own blue-line will be the biggest asset in his transition to the professional game. Bouchard is a highly-polished offensive defenseman with a stellar defensive game. He is likely to go very high in the draft in June. I can't commend his passing and vision coming out of his own zone enough. One other components that he needs to improve include, like for any young prospect- consistency in his game. Bouchard plays a very pro-ready style game and doesn't shy away from physical contact.<br />
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Bouchard has top-pairing potential and has a very high floor as well. He will likely go in the early teens, so I'm writing about him just for the off chance the he does fall to #17. A stylistic comparison for Bouchard would be John Carlson. There are very few holes in Bouchard's game, and he is a very good combination of strength, good wingspan, offensive output, and defensive zone breakouts. What we have here is a player that could step onto an NHL roster as soon as October.<br />
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I'd love to hear your thoughts on Evan Bouchard. Thanks for reading!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077048880125946260.post-5148475827923069732018-04-27T18:27:00.002-07:002018-04-27T18:31:48.746-07:002018 NHL Draft Preview: K'Andre MillerWith the Devils' fantastic season closing out, my attention now turns solely to the upcoming draft on June 22-23 in Dallas. We still have two prospects playing in their respective CHL conference championship series, and I'll keep you updated on them, but over the next few months I'll be posting write-ups about draft-eligible players. While our draft placement is still undetermined today, we should be somewhere in the 17-20 spot, so I'll go from there. My philosophy is always draft Best Player Available, and chances are it will be a defenseman, so I will focus mostly on defensemen, but there are some really interesting forwards that should be available around our pick as well.<br />
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Anyways, now to the main event...let's talk about <b>K'Andre Miller</b>.<br />
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6'3" 206 lbs<br />
53 games, 8G 19A 27 points<br />
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His draft rankings as of today are:<br />
HockeyProspect - #16<br />
ISS Hockey - #30<br />
FutureConsiderations - #25<br />
McKeens - #17<br />
NHL Central Scouting - #23 (NA Skaters)<br />
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I wanted to start with Miller because he's just such an interesting prospect. He was a forward throughout his entire career until the 2015/2016 season, and he is still a pretty raw prospect. He has some hiccups and makes mistakes with his reads regarding passing lanes and pinching up in the neutral zone, however I do chalk this up to him still learning the position.<br />
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The first thing you notice about Miller, besides how big of a human being he is, is his incredible skating. This isn't even one of those "he's a good skater for his size" type cliches either. The guy can skate. He likes to rush the puck up the ice and be a team's 4th forward in situations (<a href="https://www.usahockey.com/news_article/show/757549-k-andre-miller-has-family-and-nhl-role-models-to-thank-for-love-of-hockey" target="_blank">per this article/interview with him</a>). All aspects of his skating are excellent - acceleration, edgework, agility, etc. Combine this with his powerful stride and strong lower-body, and you also get a player who is really difficult to knock off the puck...as well as easily win board battles (more on that later).<br />
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Miller is committed to the University of Wisconsin for next season, which I think is an excellent development path. Should he want to go to the CHL, the Victoria Royals of the WHL own his rights - he was initially drafted by the Saskatoon Blades, but those rights were included in a trade with Victoria. Wisconsin has been rebuilding their program recently, and Miller will be the crown jewel of their recruitment class.<br />
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On the offensive side of things, it's easy to see why Miller was a forward all his life. He has excellent puck-handling skills and has settled really well into the role of playing on the point in the offensive zone. That being said, he doesn't have a cannon of a one-timer that some folks look for in their defenseman on the point. He does, however, have an excellent wrist shot. Recently, he's changed the wind-up on his one-timer, which has helped the puck move quicker (as well as giving the opposing goaltender less time to move/prepare for the shot). He's definitely not afraid to take the puck to the net himself if he feels that he has a good lane to the net.<br />
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At this point, Miller is projected to go in the 22-24 range, so if that range holds, and assuming Miller is our guy, I can definitely see Shero trading back a spot or two in attempt to recuperate some assets and keep the cupboard stocked.<br />
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Miller is an excellent neutral-zone player. He positions himself and his stick really well in the NZ and intercepts a ton of passes there, especially cross-ice passes. His skating then allows him to start a quick transition the other way. His defensive zone outlets are clean (more on his defensive zone play later), but it is his neutral zone play that makes me really think that Paul Castron and Company are really looking into him. The ability he has to be a "snake lurking in the grass" type player in the neutral zone in his fast counter-attack is really promising.<br />
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Defensively, Miller maintains good gap control, and has worked well learning to push speedy forwards to the outside of the ice. He doesn't lose his cool and really doesn't take many penalties either. Oh, and he loves to hit...he's really aggressive with his physicality. Clearing out the crease or attacking puck-carriers along the boards, Miller is one of the most physical defenseman in this draft. He's made some real punishing hits. His outlet passes are clean, and he's been improving all season with his defensive play behind the goal line.<br />
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What you'll read in a lot of places (including earlier in this write-up) is that K'Andre Miller is a very raw player. I agree, but if you look at his skating, raw athleticism, speed of play, and smarts, I really don't think he's very far off. Steve Kournianos of TheDraftAnalyst says that perhaps his learning curve isn't steep at all. It's also easy for a guy like Miller that is focusing on his defensive game to get overlooked by the other members of the USNDTP defensive corps - who are much more polished puck-movers. Miller is a bit of a boom or bust pick, but I don't think it's to a severe extent (I know this more or less nullifies the term "boom or bust"). However, I will say that those writing him off as simply defensive defenseman are looking at his floor. The biggest question regarding Miller's development is whether he can put it all together - this mainly involves his reading of the play...it's a different point of view from a defenseman, and can his instincts from playing forward all those years not only adapt to a defenseman's game, but also continue to propel his development towards the NHL level. If he can put it all together, the sky is the limit for this two-way defenseman. There is definite top-pairing upside. He reminds me a lot of Brady Skjei from the team across the river (purely as stylistic comparison). Another comparison for his play (this one from LastWordOnSports) include Morgan Rielly.<br />
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This draft is really deep on defense. If that's the direction we're going in, you have to make sure you make the right choice. Is K'Andre Miller the right choice for the Devils? I've been watching a lot of footage on him and I like him more and more, but I want to hear your thoughts! I'll have a write-up on another defenseman soon - one who's been rapidly rising up the draft boards lately.<br />
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Thank you for reading!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077048880125946260.post-56520046953034165002017-05-23T22:44:00.002-07:002017-05-23T22:44:23.917-07:002017 NHL Draft Preview: Nolan Patrick<div class="expando" style="clear: left; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: x-small; margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px; position: initial !important;">
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In continuation with the theme of looking at top prospects for ¬the 2017, let’s take a look at somebody who has been on the radar of NHL teams, Hockey Canada, and various scouting services as young as 15 years old – Nolan Patrick.</div>
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To put it bluntly, Nolan Patrick is the most talented player available for the 2017 draft. Despite it being pretty close in the rankings, he's the clear cut top guy in my opinion in terms of pure talent. The big, 6’3”, 203 lb center has been playing in the WHL for 3 full seasons and has been an absolute terror to opposing defensemen in such time. When you combine the ability to excel in any situation (PP, PK, ES, etc.) & in any zone, with the IQ to process the game several plays in advance, the skill level to carry a franchise, and a game built off of strength and power, you begin to get an idea of what Patrick is capable of.</div>
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Let’s be frank, the NHL is a bit of a copy-cat league, and it’s hard not to notice the great success of big, powerful forwards like Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Johansen over the course of these playoffs. Patrick is of the same mold. Patrick is no generational talent, but certainly has 1C potential, and will step into the NHL to play next season. So, looking past the cliché buzzwords we find in prospect scouting reports, let’s get to the details about who Nolan Patrick is, and what he can bring to the team that drafts him.</div>
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Patrick is a guy that does everything at either a very good or great level…everything: from face-offs to defensive zone reads, to board battles, etc…very Toews-like – I know I’ve been throwing out a lot of player comparisons already in this post, and while I really don’t care for comparisons, I’m sharing these names to show what kind of company Patrick is projected to be near. There are no weaknesses to Patrick's game. Patrick is relentless in his game that he’s always doing something to support the play. He’s definitely not very flashy, but if you notice, every play he makes is the “smart” play. Now, there is a difference between making the “smart” play and making the “right” play – and Patrick is tenacious enough in his work ethic that if he ever makes a mistake or makes a play that was smart but ended up not being the right play, he will rectify it and make sure he doesn’t make the same mistake again. Yes, top hockey draft-eligible prospects have good work ethic and good hockey smarts, but in this particular case, Nolan Patrick was bred to be a hockey player. His bloodline is very apparent – his father, Steve, was a 1st round pick by the Buffalo Sabres; his uncles James Patrick and Rich Chernomaz were 1st and 2nd round picks by the New York Rangers and Colorado Avalanche, respectively. The rest of his family is full of professional athletes as well.</div>
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Patrick is a powerful skater and is excellent at gaining the offensive zone – I mean heck, who would want to try and stop such a big guy skating at them at high speeds? Skating is an area of improvement, most notably his ability to accelerate (despite having a quick first step). However, he is able to work past this by always moving his feet, which allows him to go wherever he needs to go anywhere on the ice. If anything, “powerful” is the best singular word to describe Patrick’s overall game.</div>
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Despite having a great shot, Patrick is more of a pass-first type center. Nobody in this draft class is a better cross-crease passer. His passes are crisp and accurate and are as hard as they are dynamic. Patrick’s wrist shot is (using the word again) powerful, with a fast release. He can score from anywhere in the offensive zone in any part of the net. He’s quite good at going short-side with his wrist shot from the circles though. Be especially aware of him right around the net. His long reach makes him lethal when knocking in rebounds. Patrick’s slap shot is just as dangerous as his wrist shot. In terms of snap shots and one-timers, Patrick really doesn’t need much room to get a shot off, and can sometimes get a hard shot on net even when the puck is passed to him at an odd angle. Combine all of this with his very high IQ, excellent vision, and very good puck handling ability, and you get a player that is extremely difficult to contain. This is a kid who scored 30 goals in his first full season in the WHL as a 16-year-old.</div>
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Defensively, Patrick has all the tools and puts them to good use. He can read plays and anticipate them. He’s strong enough to rub opponents off the puck along the boards and win battles in the dirty areas. He’s able to position himself to allow for good puck pressure and he also uses an active stick to block passing lanes and will block shots. While not explosively fast in transition out of the defensive zone, Patrick gets where he needs to, can exit the defensive zone cleanly, and can dish the puck up the ice to forwards moving up the ice. While he’s not necessarily a “speedster” he can still blow by defensemen, and – adding on to the previously mentioned note about being difficult to defend – defensemen need to respect his ability to shoot the puck or make a really good pass, so they’ll need to make a decision on how they want to play him as he’s entering the zone. If they stand still and freeze up, they’ll get run over. It’s because of this that I’m really looking forward to seeing him play in a 3-on-3 overtime period.</div>
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This is just pure spitballing, but watching Taylor Hall and Nolan Patrick play, separately, both guys seem like their type of play would complement the other. The reason I say this is because we saw so many instances during the past season where Hall would get the distribute the puck to a linemate who wasn’t ready for it. This was mostly because of how quickly it happened. Patrick can give and take the puck at a very fast level and is always ready to both receive and pass the puck back.</div>
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Continuing on with the Devils element to this, I think it’s interesting to look at what we’re trying to build. If the Devils draft Patrick, you’ll have a 1-2 punch of Nolan Patrick and Michael McLeod (I think Zacha would shift to the wing in this case, but that’s for another time) – two awfully fast, very skilled, very strong, two-way forwards (Zacha could also be listed in this too). That’s nothing to scoff at, and we’re going to be in great shape moving forward. Patrick fits the mold of your prototypical, big, strong, playmaking #1C. Just because our 2 most recent first round picks have been centers, we’re still taking a center in this case. Shero’s Penguins drafted Jordan Staal 2nd overall in the 2006 draft, despite having just drafted Crosby and Malkin. Director of Amateur Scouting, Paul Castron selected Ryan Johansen in the 2010 draft with the Blue Jackets. These are cherry-picked examples, but the crux of the issue is this: we need a 1C. Patrick is a very safe pick to get there, and if he pans out, we’ll have our #1C for the next decade-plus.</div>
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With that being said, it’s not possible to write about Nolan Patrick without talking about his injury history. Say what you will about broken bones at 13/14 years old, but sports hernias are scary, and knee/leg injuries are scary, and groin injuries are scary especially for young, growing prospects. In my opinion, there is legitimate concern about his injury history. Concerns about his game include not being as physical as he could be, and also not having a particular trait that’s “elite”. In addition to physicality, this could manifest itself into him being more aggressive on the forecheck, but as mentioned earlier, the biggest question mark that will affect where he gets drafted – 1st or 2nd Overall – will be just how much a team wants to take a risk on his injury history. Thankfully he doesn’t have a history of concussions.</div>
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Thanks for reading!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077048880125946260.post-25283917174887346772017-05-23T22:43:00.003-07:002017-05-23T22:43:24.074-07:002017 NHL Draft Preview: Nico Hischier<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.42857em; margin-bottom: 0.357143em; margin-top: 0.357143em; padding: 0px;">
Today we look at Nico Hischier (ranked 2nd by most scouting services – ISS, TSN, Craig Button, Dobber, NHL-CSS, FC, Hockey Prospect – but ranked #1 by Recrutes), Swiss forward playing with the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL. Hischier is a center, listed at 6’0”, 175 lbs and has been the go-to guy on a weak Mooseheads team this season. Let’s start with the first thing you see with Hischier: his dynamic skating. His top-end speed is great and he is quite a shifty, elusive skater. The thing that impresses me the most about his skating is how intelligent he is when choosing what speed to go and when. (This was the point of improvement with McLeod’s skating – going “all out” all the time) I think the best way to describe Hischier’s skating a playing style that I heard was how he plays like a snake lurking in the grass.</div>
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Hischier’s game is most dependent on his skating and IQ, which makes his game very subtle and difficult to play against. In terms of point production, Hischier finished second on his team in total points with 86 points (38G 48A) in 57 games (while the leading scorer on Halifax is a 19 year old who scored 1 more point in 11 more games played). That’s an average of 1.51 points per game and a 3.13 points per 60 minutes of even-strength ice time. This, in combination with his play off the puck, earned Hischier the QMJHL rookie of the year award. The CHL rookie of the year has not yet been awarded, but Hischier has to be a top contender for that. The fact that he was able to make such an immediate impact despite being so far away from home is all the more impressive. Usually there is a period of adjustment for Europeans coming over to the CHL, but for Hischier this period didn’t exist. According to his coach, “After three days, [the adjustment] was over.” There’s little question as how high his potential upside is.</div>
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The Halifax Mooseheads have also gained a bit of a reputation in recent years to churn out high-level offensive talent to the NHL: most notably Jakub Voracek, Nathan MacKinnon, Jonathan Drouin, and Nikolaj Ehlers. Hischier is no different from these types of top-end talent.</div>
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Defensively, there really are no concerns in Hischier’s game. His great skating and agility allows him to get in good position to support the more defensive players on the ice. His strength is not in the defensive zone, but he is no liability either. He’s also able to anticipate where plays are going and what kind of breakout he needs to perform. In short, he is the perfect embodiment of the “fast, attacking, supportive” mantra of the New Regime.</div>
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It’s also important to note that the Mooseheads were one of, if not, the youngest teams in the entire CHL, and they also had a new head coach for the 2016 season. Between October 26th and November 27th of this season, Hischier contributed to 32 of the team’s 63 goals – 50.79% production was his best stretch of the season, and better than any stretch of Patrick’s season (I won’t bring up Patrick any more in this).</div>
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Hischier’s skillset is topped off with a smoothly released shot and an ability to make plays at his top-end speed. I won’t lie when I say that there were times of Hischier’s season where his play reminded me of a Patrik Elias type player. I think Hischier is more suited to play center, but he might start at the wing if the Devils were to draft him. He is NHL-ready, and while his defensive game isn’t as strong as that of our more recent first round draft picks – Zacha and McLeod, but as mentioned before, Hischier’s strength is in his offensive game, skating, creativity, and transition play.</div>
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In a vacuum, Hischier checks every box of what we’re looking for as a franchise in terms of franchise-changing offensive talent, skating ability, fast thinking, and supportive play. From recent comments made by director of Amateur Scouting, Paul Castron, it seems that the scouting team is leaning a bit towards Hischier right now – which does make a good amount of sense…the New Regime has placed an emphasis on pure skill rather than a necessarily “safe” pick. Hischier has higher bust potential than other top-projected 2017 draft eligibles, but also has one of the highest ceilings in the entire draft.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077048880125946260.post-4956189838890828322016-05-09T21:41:00.000-07:002016-05-09T21:41:02.862-07:00Devils Draft Pick Options at 11th Overall<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">With the Draft Lottery completed and the final order for the June 24th first round set, it's time to take a good, long look at some of the likely players that will be available at the 11th Overall selection for the New Jersey Devils. This may be a pretty hefty read since I'm trying to make it as comprehensive as possible.<br /><br /><b>The Top Three:</b><br />This Top Three list isn't quite in order of preference. Before the landslide of work got to me, I was able to write a report for a few of the prospects on this list.<br /><br /><i>Clayton Keller</i><br />Keller's write-up can be found <a href="http://deathtaxesandjagr.blogspot.com/2016/01/2016-nhl-draft-clayton-keller.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br /><br />It's not very often to see a 16-year old step onto the U18 team for the USNDP, proceed to force his way into the line-up and score at a 1.5 Point/game pace. Such was the year for Clayton Keller during the 2014-2015 season. The numbers are on Keller's side too; he's now the all-time leader for points at the USDP program (including 2nd in assists and 3rd in goals scored).<br /><br />Looking past the numbers, Keller is a strong skating center with a strong, low center of balance, skating that's quick and agile, yet powerful While not the biggest of players (we'll get to that a little later), the vision he displays is almost second-to-none in this draft class. Keller was the crown jewel of the USNDP this season. He had responsibilities in all situations: top-line minutes, top Powerplay and Penalty Killing units. Keller is a real imminent offensive threat. While possessing incredible vision and IQ, his passing is phenomenal. At the most recent U18 World Championship, Keller was named Most Valuable Player for the Tournament, after scoring 14 points (4G 10A) in 7 games. I know numbers don't tell the whole story, but at every level of competition he's played at, Keller has put up phenomenal numbers. He's just a player that's able to find the score-sheet, plain and simple.<br /><br />When Keller has the puck, he is able to make an explosive first step and accelerate to where he needs to go very quickly. He's nifty with the puck and is able to weave his way through defending traffic. As much of a cliche as it may sound, teammates and line-mates have to be ready for the puck whenever they may be on the ice with Keller. In addition to his excellent playmaking ability, Keller's wrist shot is smooth, quick, heavy, and very accurate. It makes him an all-around offensive threat.<br /><br />A concern regarding Keller's game is his size. He's 5'10" and about 168 pounds. I agree that his frame gives him some trouble in the corners and along the boards, but I don't see this preventing Keller from reaching his full potential, which is that of a top-line center. I'm not concerned about Keller's game in the defensive zone because he is smart enough of a player and has good stickwork to cause turnovers. His speed and quickness are also capable of creating problems for attacking teams because of his ability to transition so smoothly from defense to offense. There are also plenty of top-line centers throughout the league that are under 6 feet tall...guys like Datsyuk, Giroux, Pavelski, and Duchene come to mind immediately. What Keller needs to work on is his lower-body strength and adding mass there to help him improve his game in the rough parts of the ice.<br /><br />I should probably mention that the theme of him playing against older, bigger, stronger competition has been very consistent through his career. He's played against players of all ages, really, from NCAA players (up to 24 years old...7 years older than him), European players, and pending NHL players from the CHL leagues. The pure talent is there, and if he should continue through with his NCAA commitment (Boston University), I strongly believe that he will have a massive season. Don't want to get ahead of myself, but the kind of talent he has could lead him to a potential Hobey Baker award finalist spot. Did I go too far? Well let's extrapolate a bit on some prior numbers. In 12 exhibition games against NCAA Division-1 games, Keller scored 21 points (9G 12A). That also includes 11 points (4G 7A) in 6 games against NCAA D-1 tournament teams. That's an overall 1.75 Point/game rate for Keller. That's really favorable to Kyle Connor (drafted by Winnipeg, played one season at Michigan and recently signed an Entry-Level Contract). Connor played in 5 exhibition games before going to Michigan and scored 6 points (2G 4A) in those 5 games. I think Keller spends 2 years at the most in the NCAA before pushing for an NHL roster spot...more likely to be 1, but let's just see how he progresses.<br /><br />Yes that's extrapolating on just a 5 game sample and a 12 game sample, but there is such an immense amount of talent in Keller. Keller has an internal motor to his game that reminds me a lot of Zach Parise (relentless, if you will), but Keller's poise with the puck and offensive flash remind me, purely stylistically, of Mitch Marner. There's a lot of flash to his game, but luckily for us, there's also just as much substance to it. Keller's one of the younger players in the draft, and won't turn 18 until late July. There's still plenty of time for him to grow out, to hone his skills, and become even better of a prospect.<br /><br /><i>Tyson Jost</i><br /><br />Jost's write-up can be found <a href="http://deathtaxesandjagr.blogspot.com/2016/01/2016-nhl-draft-preview-tyson-jost.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br /><br />Jost took a bit of a different, albeit not uncommon, path of development. He played this season for Penticton of the BCHL and is opting to join the University of North Dakota next season, as opposed to taking the conventional Canadian Juniors path. As a result, there have been questions throughout the season about whether or not he'll be able to produce at a high level against tougher levels of competition. Hopefully some of these worries were put to rest after Jost set the record for individual scoring for Team Canada at the U18 World Championship, with 15 points (6G 9A) in 7 games. This was one more point that the previous record set by Connor McDavid (during McDavid's draft eligible year -1 ). Interesting to note that he also apparently had a broken finger during the tournament.<br /><br />Jost is very solidly built and is an interesting combination of skill, intelligence, speed, and size. Jost is a remarkable playmaker and plays the game at a very fast pace. </span>He's excellent along the boards, winning most of his battles and positions himself well.<span style="font-family: inherit;">. He thinks the game at a high -level too. If Jones gets the puck while in the slot, it's almost certainly game over. Jost is a great all-around goal-scorer but his shot from within the slot area is fantastic. In addition to his scoring, he does really well in leading teammates with crisp passes. His overall awareness is just excellent. </span>Jost is a ferocious offensive talent. A typical buzzsaw-type forward in terms of grit, energy, speed, and skill, Jost is absolutely a very inviting option on the board if he's still there at #11. <span style="font-family: inherit;">I like the style comparison for Jost to Joe Pavelski. Another style comparison some people see is that of the Johnathan Toews mold. It's also good to note the intangibles, Jost was the captain of his BCHL team this season and was also the captain of Team Canada's U18 team.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />Jost boasts a strong two-way game as well. </span>Having to grow into hockey as a smaller player, he developed strong elements to his "small game" like stick lifts and other reads on the ice. While not huge in stature, he is very difficult to knock off of the puck.<span style="font-family: inherit;"> I think he has the potential to be a top-line center, but will ultimately be a heck of a 2nd line center with an all-around complete game. Jost has been excellent all year, but this extra boost from the U18 tournament may put him over the top into the Top-10, especially to a team that would be looking for a center, like Montreal. In comparison between Jost and Keller, I would say that Keller has a higher ceiling to his talent, but Jost has a higher floor. His skating is excellent, and I would be surprised if he didn't make it to the NHL.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br />Mentioned earlier, Jost is committed to go to the University of North Dakota next season. I believe he's another candidate to have a massive season. Can you imagine if he played on a line with Brock Boeser and Nick Schmaltz? Wow that would be impressive. UND also has some of the best facilities in junior/NCAA hockey and is a great overall program. I think he will need to work on honing his two-way game some more while at UND. I don't know if he'll be available at #11, but if the Devils were to select him, I'd be very happy. He's got a whole lot of potential.<br /><br /><br /><i>Logan Brown</i><br /><br />Logan Brown is definitely one of the more intriguing prospects of the first round this year. It's really uncommon to find a 6'6" player that skates as smoothly as Brown does and who also has the offensive potential that Brown does. The biggest area for improvement is consistency. Which Logan Brown is going to show up to the game? Some games, it's hard to notice him out there (yes, even for a 6'6" center), while others he can absolutely dominate, and take over a game. Thankfully the second half of the season (his 2nd so far in the OHL) has seen a massive increase in Brown's consistent play, and a good jump in the draft board for him. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I can't emphasize enough how much I like Brown's skating. Brown also has a lethal shot...one of the best in the draft class, actually. It's just that he shoots the puck like Jason Spezza - not nearly as often as he should because he has a bullet.<br /><br />In addition to a strong second half of the season, Brown's strong play into the U18's, where he tallied 12 points (3G 9A) in 7 games and was one of the United States' best forwards. Brown uses his frame to work well along the boards and in the corners. He battles down below the goal line well, but other than that doesn't quite play a physical game. In a sense it's like Eric Fehr in the sense of having a big frame but not using it with a real killer sense. That's not a problem, just don't expect that from him. His offensive game is very close to being NHL-ready and I think he'll go back for one more year of the OHL.<br /><br />In terms of playing style, it's hard to ignore the Joe Thornton comparisons: a massive center with his game predominantly consisting of play-making. Brown's path to the NHL will be hammering out his inconsistency, but I don't really think that's going to be a problem. In terms of potential, the sky is the limit with Brown (this isn't a tall joke, I promise). He has the tools to be elite, a definite 1st liner in my mind if he can put it all together. The question at this point is whether or not he'll be available at #11, especially with Montreal picking at #9<br /><br /><b>Rounding Out the Top Six Options:</b><br /><br /><i>Michael McLeod</i><br /><br />McLeod's write-up can be found <a href="http://deathtaxesandjagr.blogspot.com/2016/01/2016-nhl-draft-preview-michael-mcleod.html" target="_blank">here</a><br /><br />McLeod is one of, if not, the best skaters in the draft class. His speed is incredible and his gear control is excellent. His speed and acceleration help him create many scoring chances. His explosive skating is key and while he has great lateral movement, his most impressive ability for skating, in my opinion, is just how quickly he can change between the "gears" of his toolbox. McLeod plays an excellent 200-foot game, supported by his skating. He has a great shot and a smooth release. I wouldn't call him a sniper, but he does have a strong shot. In order to improve his chances of being an effective NHL'er he needs to work on the placement of the shots and getting them away quicker as well as his overall finishing ability.<br /><br />His offensive creativity and strong vision and IQ within the offensive zone are extremely impressive. He positions himself well and is able to go to the dirty areas to be effective to keep the cycle going. His strong size and frame also help him along the boards, in the cycle, and to fight off checks. He still needs to add more muscle before he makes it to the NHL. I don't like the idea of "compete level" (it seems almost cliche to me), but I think it's important to talk about how McLeod just never quits playing and competing hard every shift.<br /><br />He has a very safe projection for the future. There are many other prospects who I believe will have higher offensive ceilings, but McLeod, in my opinion, has the potential to be a top-end second-line center for a competing team. A similarity to McLeod's game, in my opinion, would be Jared McCann, with the only real differences in play being McCann having a better defensive play, while McLeod is much faster. Another good comparison for McLeod would be a center version of Blake Wheeler: excellent speed and board play, high "compete level", excellent but not elite stickhandling and hands...albeit at a stylistically level and not quite the same skill level.<br /><br />McLeod's combination of size, speed, IQ, and overall tools at center position, and relatively safe projection path will lead him to have a potential of being draft very highly. The biggest issue surrounding McLeod is his offensive production standpoint. Some folks viewed McLeod as being "carried" offensively this season by having Alex Nylander on his line. I don't like the idea of a player "carrying" another (and from there you could make the argument that McLeod "carried" Nylander defensively), but McLeod didn't quite help his case out when Nylander was with Team Sweden for the World Junior Championships.<br /><br />What McLeod brings to the game is his fantastic complete game. If his offensive finishing was just as good as the rest of his game, he'd be projected to go in the Top-5 on draft day, if not challenge for the top spot. As mentioned earlier, he's a very safe projection to be an NHL player. The question is just how high he can go.<br /><i><br />Julien Gauthier</i><br />Gauthier's write-up can be found <a href="http://deathtaxesandjagr.blogspot.com/2016/01/2016-nhl-draft-julien-gauthier.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br /><br />If you could make a check-list for everything within a prospect that is an organizational need for the Devils, Julien Gauthier would tick every box. A big, strong, Power-forward, goal-scoring Right Winger would be a God-send for the organization. I'll get into why I have him outside of my top-3 a little further below, but that being said, I would still be very happy if the Devils drafted him.<br /><br />He's a huge power-winger with an incredible knack for scoring goals. He's very NHL-ready, and not simply because of his size. He plays a very strong physical game, protects the puck well, and has a significant net front presence. He's able to use his long reach to his advantage in these categories, which makes it even more difficult to contain him. His skating is excellent and his shot is exceptional.<br /><br />Gauthier's has good offensive zone vision and he drives to the net with ease to drive the pace of play. Gauthier plays on a very deep Val-d'Or team, and as a result, doesn't get top-line minutes. In my mind, this makes him a good candidate for a breakout in points if he is able to get consistent minutes on the top-line. Despite that, Gauthier has been playing significant time in all situations. He's able to create offense while on the penalty kill and also plays a significant portion of time in front of the net on the power play. This presence at the front of the net is a big contributor to his "Cy Young" like numbers.<br /><br />There was a video from earlier in the season where a Buffalo scout (I believe it was Buffalo) was talking about how he had Gauthier listed as #2 on his list, and could challenge Matthews for the top spot. I think this was back in November or December, so a lot has changed. Gauthier has disappointed scouts in the second half of the season. There are concerns of him being a "one-dimensional" winger (which is reverting back to the concerns about him coming into this season). He also had a pretty high, potentially unsustainable shooting percentage to start off the season. That's not to say I don't think he can score 40 goals again. It's just unlikely he goes back to an almost goal-per game for the first half of the season.<br /><br /> His stick-work and positioning is excellent. I think the potential is there to become a very solid top-6 power forward. His style of play reminds me a lot of James Neal. Defensively I'd like to see Gauthier improve his positioning in his own zone. There are times where he gets caught staring at the puck and is not aware of situation awareness when it comes to opposing players in "high-danger zones". He isn't lacking in a defensive awareness type, but these are things that will most likely come with further experience...The combination of Gauthier's size and speed make him very hard to contain at top speed. What impresses me about him is how good he is in the corners and along the boards. He's not just big and strong, he positions himself well, and that's an aspect of his game that will be vital to being an effective power forward at the NHL level. <br /><br />There may still be consistency issues, but when Gauthier is on top of his game, he's a relentless, hard working, and full of heart power winger with a brilliant scoring touch. Despite not playing center, Gauthier plays a strong winger's game and is the type of player who you can build a championship around. Can you imagine a line having Zacha and Gauthier on it? The speed, power, and forechecking would be ridiculous. As mentioned earlier, I think it's possible for him to step into the NHL right away this upcoming season, but I think that would hurt his development. At the most, I would have Gauthier play the 9 games at the NHL to not burn a year off his contract, and then send him back down to the QMJHL.<br /></span><br /><i>Kieffer Bellows</i><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">In case you're wondering why there's a "Top Six" option instead of 5, this player is the reason. I definitely think taking Bellows at #11 would be a "reach", but his shot and goal-scoring is too </span>tantalizing<span style="font-family: inherit;">. Bellows has all the tools to be a top-6, most likely top-line, power-forward at the NHL level. He scored 50 goals in 62 games for the USDP. </span>The USDP and USHL are just harder leagues to score in, making his 50 goal season all the more impressive. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Bellows is committed to Boston University next season, but I think he would have torn up the Canadian Juniors should he have decided to go there for his development route.<br /><br />Bellows also had the benefit of playing on Clayton Keller's wing this season, which comes with its perks, but Bellows is extremely talented on his own. Even last year, when Bellows was on the Sioux Falls Stampede of the USHL (his rookie season of the USHL) he scored over 30 goals. I know the Devils may not be looking for a Left-Winger, but they are also looking for high caliber players, and Bellows has that potential. Bellows played center back in high school, but looks much better playing on the wing.<br /><br />Bellows brings more than his shot to the ice. He plays an incredibly physical game and goes hard on the cycle and the forecheck. He also has a strong net-front presence. He very much reminds me of Timo Meier, who was selected 9th overall in last year's Entry Draft.<br /><br />Bellows's wrist-shot is not the only dangerous tool in his offensive arsenal. He also has a strong one-timer and a good tendency of deflection goals. He protects the puck well, but can sometimes end up shooting the puck in situations where he should have passed. Sometimes having a volume shooter is not a bad thing, but that is pretty much what you are going to get with Bellows. His strong IQ also helps him out in the defensive side of the game. He is not afraid to hit either in the neutral zone or defensive zone. He hits quite a bit, too, but not all of them are highlight-reel worthy.<br /><br />He needs to add more muscle to his frame if he wants to play his game at the NHL level. I can really see a "one and done" type situation with him being good to push for an NHL roster spot after just one year of development at Boston U., but we will have to see how next year goes for him.<br /></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The Reaches:</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">While each scout, scouting organization, and team may have different "top" lists, in my view, selecting any of these players in this list would be considered a "reach" in my opinion.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Luke Kunin</i></span><br />Taking Kunin at #11 would be a reach, but that's the point of this section. Kunin plays a very heavy style game, whether it be his physicality, willingness to get under opponents' skin, or his shot. Kunin played for a very depleted University of Wisconsin team this year and led the team in goals (was 2nd overall in points by 1 point).<br /><br />Kunin is an extremely intelligent forward and has a very high offensive ceiling. The issue for Kunin is putting it all together. He needs to work on his stickhandling, but his skating is much better than last year, and he has also put on some good muscle mass this year. Kunin plays a very "honest" game in that he doesn't cheat in any of the zones. He plays the game the right way and it's not too often to see a player with his kind of on-ice work ethic.<br /><br />Kunin's IQ is very impressive. Offensively, he's able to find soft spots in the opposing defense and work his way around them. When he doesn't have the puck he adjusts his positioning well to get open or keep the cycle going. Defensively, he does the little things right, and is able to read passes and position himself well. While not necessarily an IQ thing, one thing about Kunin is that he's a big-game player. He plays the game like he has so many times before, despite what the level of the competition may be. During the All-American Prospects game, he looked fantastic and wasn't overthinking anything, despite any tendencies to do so on a big stage like that.<br /><br />There is a lot to like about Kunin's game. He has a quick, heavy shot as well as quick hands, quick skating, and a high IQ. The release on his shot is quite fast and he's got good aim and accuracy. In addition to that, he can distribute the puck very well. Kunin's good in the cycle and in protecting the puck. One area for improvement in Kunin's game is his first step. Despite all those, the facet I like most about Kunin's game is the level of intensity he brings on every shift. He was an important Penalty Killer for Wisconsin this season and he was blocking shots, working hard in the corners.<br /><br />Kunin has the potential to be a top-6 center, but ultimately I think he ends up being a strong middle-6 center. Regardless of where his offensive progression takes him, he's absolutely the type of player your would want on your team.<br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>German Rubtsov</i></span><br />The crown jewel of the newly founded Russian U18 organization, Rubtsov is built like a fire hydrant. I will admit that I don't quite know as much about Rubtsov as I'd like. To me he's such a wildcard. He's an unbelievably strong two-way center, one of the best two-way games in the draft class. Additionally, his frame and playmaking skills project him to have a very high potential floor.<br /><br />I have no intention of getting into the debate for what is a better development path for young Russians, but I think it might be best for Rubtsov to return to Russia to continue his development, similar to the Kuznetsov development path. Rubtsov's overall skillset is pretty underrated, in my view. Part of this is because Rubtsov already plays a very strong "North American" style game.<br /><br />Rubtsov is a very strong skater and has an extremely high IQ. I like his shot, but I'd like to see him use it more. Rubtsov is a very safe pick, in my mind, about making the NHL.<br /><br />You may not have noticed him playing at the U18 tournament. That's because the U18 Russian team was suspended from participating at this year's tournament (and had to send the U17 team instead) because the team tested positive for a banned substance - meldonium. I don't think this will cause a drop in draft stock for him. But rather, I think the other prospects stepping up for major tournament performances will put them ahead of him. (I'm not going to speculate any further on that, because we really don't know too much about the situation and I don't think it's fair to judge or speculate based on what happened to a player, especially if he didn't know what was being given to him.)<br /><br />A play style comparison for Rubtsov is that of Pavel Datsyuk - Rubtsov has a very impressive set of hands and can stick-handle very well all while boasting an incredible two-way game and plays a pass-first type offense. As for projection, I think Rubtsov will be an excellent 2nd line center on a strong, contending team. He's the type of player that really works well matching up against the top lines of opponents and will be a key asset moving forward. There's also the chance he breaks out offensively (he was 2nd in total points on his U18 team) and makes a lot of teams regret not picking him earlier. I know I'm moving the goalposts there, but I think those are the two most likely options when it comes to Rubtsov.<br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The Pipe-Dreams:</b><br />There are possibilities where these players will be available, but this post isn't about the ways in which they would fall to us from a projected top-10 pick, but rather just an overall look at the player.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /><i style="font-family: inherit;">Alexander Nylander</i><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Nylander's write-up can be found </span><a href="http://deathtaxesandjagr.blogspot.com/2016/01/2016-nhl-draft-preview-alexander.html" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Nylander is leading up to the Draft with some very impressive accolades from this season alone. Nylander was in the top 20 in OHL total scoring and the highest rookie scorer. He won the OHL Rookie of the Year. Nylander also represented Team Sweden at the U18 tournament, where he helped lead them to a silver medal by leading the team in scoring (He was also 5th in scoring at the U18 tournament). Alex has a remarkable shot, skates extremely well - he moves around the ice so well. His balance while handling the puck or avoiding a check is very impressive as well. Nylander's skating is phenomenal, with excellent top end speed and acceleration, accentuated by elite edgework.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Nylander's ability to distribute the puck is excellent as well, and I would argue he is a better play-maker than sniper, despite how good his shot is. He is a threat for offensive chances nearly every time he is on the ice. He's excellent at driving possession and also driving the pace of play. He mainly plays on the Left wing for the Trout, but I believe that if he is to make an impact at the NHL-level, it would be on either wing. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Nylander's main area for improvement is his defensive play. Not that it's a liability, but there is room for improvement. His positional awareness and overall knowledge of the ice help give him the foundation for growth in his defensive game, so that doesn't quite concern me. It just needs some work.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Alexander Nylander's specialty really comes where his speed and fast-tempo offense can be shown, and this is mainly in the transition game. This is what leads me to believe that he will also be on the Devils' radar. The main reasons for this would be his immense skating ability, slick puck distribution skills, strong transition game, and excellent shot. He certainly does have top-6 potential, and possibly a ceiling of being a top-line winger...most likely on the left side. I'd say an interesting style comparison for Nylander would be a Loui Eriksson-type.</span><br /><br /><i style="font-family: inherit;">Jakob Chychrun</i><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">All I'll say before I begin is that if Chychrun falls to the Devils, then it would be a true blessing from the Hockey Gods. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">From the conventional stat-watching point of view Chychrun had a relatively disappointing season. For someone who was touted as having #1 D potential last year, the slow season (especially the slow half) didn't help the cause. Also, you'll notice this with similar discussion during Ekblad's draft-eligible season too. The stage was set for both of them and there was a lot of spotlight on them, which makes it easier for folks to pick out flaws and possibly even </span>over-exaggerate<span style="font-family: inherit;"> them. From a numbers perspective, the second half of the season was a significant improvement for Chychrun, and he had a solid playoff performance to show for it.<br /><br />Looking at the non-statistical approach (watching the game itself), Chychrun was an absolute beast. He was responsible for just every game situation and would log up to 30 minutes a night for Sarnia. Everything starts with his remarkable skating. Every physical part of his game: his skating, shooting, passing, etc. is borderline elite, if not elite already. He thinks the game at a very high level too. There's still plenty of room for improvement and refinement, but he could step into an NHL role immediately.<br /><br />The big concern for me about Chychrun is his shoulder injury history. It's given him a good amount of trouble the past few seasons. I don't foresee this proving to be a major problem for him, but I would understand any uncertainty about it. Chychrun would be the absolute perfect defenseman to fall to the Devils, because of not only his immense potential, but also because the organization is rather low on Left-handed defensemen.<br /><br />Chychrun is an incredibly complete defenseman, a two-way defenseman in every sense of the term. There are many ways he can beat a defenseman while attacking and there are lots of ways he can prevent an opposing forward from shooting or setting up in Chychrun's defensive zone. I'm particularly high on Chychrun so excuse me if these claims are outlandish. I think his floor is a Zach Bogosian type player and his ceiling would be Drew Doughty type player. Ultimately I think he'll end up in the Alex Pietrangelo tier. I think he has franchise potential.<br /><br />I'll try and update this more content to help give you as best of an idea for each of these players. If you have any suggestions, feedback, or ideas, please let me know! I'd love to hear your thoughts on who you think the Devils should pick with the 11th Overall Selection this draft.<br /><br />Follow me on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/DTJ_AHockeyBlog" target="_blank">@DTJ_AHockeyBlog</a> for more updates.<br /><br />Thanks for reading!</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077048880125946260.post-85794465955758724622016-03-24T16:39:00.004-07:002016-03-24T16:39:50.588-07:002016 OHL Playoffs Thoughts and Predictions<span style="font-family: inherit;">Since my bracket is all but busted in NCAA March <strike>Exploitation</strike> Madness, and the OHL Playoffs begin tonight, I figured it would be good to get some thoughts down about the upcoming OHL Playoffs. So let's get right to it, I'll break it down by Conference, starting with the Western Conference. I will be mainly focusing on the impact of Devils prospects, but will try to keep my homer bias to a minimum.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b>Western Conference:</b><br /><br />1) Eric Otters vs. 8) Saginaw Spirit<br /><br />Thoughts: On paper, this should be a blowout, no questions asked. The Otters have a deep and talented lineup featuring some big names like Dylan Strome (2015 ARZ 1st rounder), Alex Debrincat (2016 eligible), Taylor Raddysh (2016 eligible), Travis Dermott (2015 TOR 2nd rounder), and Devin Williams, who's having a remarkable season. However, for whatever reason, the Spirit have been a thorn in the side of the Otters this season. The top players for the Otters have not performed very well against the Spirit. The season series is tied 2-2. Ultimately, I think this will come down to being a tough series. The top players for Saginaw will really need to step their games up, guys like Marcus Niemeläinen (2016 eligible), Mitchell Stephens (2015 TBL 2nd rounder), and Evan Cormier (2016 eligible). As mentioned earlier, it's going to be a tough series, but I don't think Saginaw will prove to be a significant matchup against Erie.<br /><br />Prediction: Erie Otters in 5 games. The Otters are just too talented, and the first OHL team to get 50 wins in 3 consecutive seasons.<br /><br />2) Sarnia Sting vs. 7) Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds<br /><br />Thoughts: This is a great matchup for Devils fans. There are 4 total Devils prospects in this series: 2 on each team. The season series is 5-1 in favor of Sarnia, however I must say that each game later on in the season proved to be more difficult for the Sting to win, and ultimately the last meeting of the season saw a win for the Greyhounds. Now the Sting are still dealing with some injuries at the moment, mainly surrounding goaltender Justin Fazio, and forwards Sam Studnicka and Patrick White. While it looks like Studnicka will be back in time for Game 1 (which is a big return), White may still be out for the first two games, and it's not quite known when Fazio will return, so the Sting will have to rely on the goalie they brought in at the trade deadline, Charlie Graham. The Greyhounds are a fast team, and a potentially underrated opponent in my opinion. In his last 16 games of the season, captain Blake Speers (2015 NJD 3rd rounder) has scored 24 points (11G 13A), including 4 points (2G 2A) in his last regular season game. There's some potential for an offensive threat from the Greyhounds with Speers, overager Gabe Guertler, Zachary Senyshyn (2015 BOS 1st rounder), and Boris Katchouk (2016 eligible). The Hounds boast a very fast team with some remarkable skaters. On the defensive side of things, Colton White (2015 NJD 4th rounder) will have to continue being a defensive anchor, after being voted the 3rd best defensive defenseman in the Western Conference. The Hounds will also have to rely on the goaltending from Brandon Halverson. He's been putting up very respectable numbers, but also has experience with playoff runs, specifically last year's deep playoff run for the Greyhounds. On Sarnia's side of things, last year in the playoffs was where Pavel Zacha (2015 NJD 1st rounder) really made his mark. Not necessarily on the offensive side of things, only scoring 3 points (2G 1A) in 5 games, but his defensive play. Zacha was matched up against Connor McDavid in the Sting's opening series against the Erie Otters. While the Otters won the series, McDavid was held to his lowest point per game total out of the entire OHL Playoffs in that opening series against Sarnia. Zacha has more offensive responsibility and plays a playoff-type of rough, physical play. He is going to need to really step it up. He's been playing remarkably well recently though, with 11 points (3G 8A) in his last 5 games, including his last two regular season games being back-to-back 3 point games (all assists). Some other major contributors for the Sting will be Matt Mistele (2014 LAK 6th rounder), Travis Konecny (2015 PHI 1st rounder), Josh Jacobs (2014 NJD 2nd rounder), and Jakob Chychrun (2016 eligible). To break it down player by player: Matt Mistele played a huge role last season in the Ottawa Generals' Memorial Cup championship run. He's a heart and soul type player and a great power forward who excels in the playoff environment. As an overager, and having the best season of his OHL career (usually those two go hand-in-hand), I think he's going to have a big impact this season in the playoffs for the Sting. Travis Konecny was acquired in arguably the second biggest trade of the OHL trade deadline. The Sting paid a high price, but it immediately paid dividends, as Konecny scored 56 points (23G 33A) in his 31 games with the Sting. While not as strong defensively, Konecny's offense is going to play a key role. In his last game of the regular season, Konecny put up 5 points. I think a key component of this series is going to be the special teams. If Sarnia can keep up its solid Powerplay and also ride its 3rd best Penalty Kill in the entire CHL (1st in the OHL at 84.3%), then Sarnia should be able to perform very strongly. On the defensive side of things, Jakob Chychrun will improve his draft stock during these playoffs. Over the course of the season, his draft stock has fallen a little. Whether or not you agree with this, he will play a huge role along the blueline. He logs almost 30 minutes a night and this will be a huge role in the playoffs. Additionally, Josh Jacobs has had a remarkable season. While I believe he has a bit of untapped offensive potential, especially with his vision and strong booming shot, h'es been a defensive rock and has served well in the transition game. Ultimately what I believe it comes down to is that Sarnia's forward depth will help bring them to the next round. The Sting never seem to get past the first round of the OHL playoffs, but I think that trend ends this year.<br /><br />Prediction: Sarnia Sting in 6 games.<br /><br />3) London Knights vs. 6) Owen Sound Attack<br /><br />Thoughts: Man oh man, the Knights are just too good this year. I think Owen Sound has great potential for next season, but the Knights have 3 100-point scorers this season: Christian Dvorak (2014 ARZ 2nd rounder), Mitch Marner (2015 TOR 1st rounder), and Matthew Tkachuk (2016 eligible). Some other players to keep an eye on during the offensive onslaught are Max Jones (2016 eligible) and Olli Juolevi (2016 eligible). Simply put, the Attack don't have enough to match up with or stop the offensive juggernaut Knights. Not only do they have lots of high-end talent, but there's also a strong cycle game along the boards. Owen Sound has been playing well at home, so I can potentially see them steal a game there, but ultimately London will steamroll into the next round. The issue is that the Knights roster really doesn't have any holes in it. The only chance for Owen Sound to win this series is to ride their deep defensive core. Not only would they have to shut down London's top line of Tkachuk-Dvorak-Marner (this is assuming they aren't split up like last season's playoffs for offensive depth), but also the rest of the London roster. The top 5 scorers for London all have at least 30 goals. This also assumes that the Owen Sound Attack will need to get the very best performance they can get from goaltender Michael McNiven. While a Cinderella story would be great, London is also 9-1-0 in their last 10 games, so the cards are set, and Owen Sound has a very steep hill to climb if they are to attempt to advance.<br /><br />Prediction: London Knights in 5 games.<br /><br />4) Kitchener Rangers vs. 5) Windsor Spitfires<br /><br />Thoughts: Out of the contests in the Western Conference, I think this will be the most tightly contested. Not just because of the standings (#4 vs. #5), but where the teams currently are. On paper, the team records, goals scored/allowed, home/away records are not all that different. I think despite all the top-end offensive talent both teams possess: like Adam Mascherin (2016 eligible), Jeremy Bracco (2015 TOR 2nd rounder), and Ryan MacInnis (2014 ARZ 2nd rounder) for Kitchener lined up against Logan Brown (2016 eligible), Brendan Lemieux (2014 BUF 2nd rounder - rights now owned by WPG), and Christian Fischer (2015 ARZ 2nd rounder) for Windsor, we are going to see a relatively low-scoring series. Of course I could be wrong here, heck I could be wrong on all of these, but both teams have very solid defensive cores. Kitchener will get a real boost if veteran defenseman, Frank Hora, can return in time for the playoffs. He's missed the past 11 games with a hand injury. As the trade deadline approached, the Windsor Spitfires acquired Connor Chatham (2014 NJD 3rd rounder). Chatham is in his overage year and plays a very physical, bruising, game. He only has 12 points (6G 6A) in his 30 games with the Spitfires, and this includes a 4 point night (1G 3A) in the last regular season game against Sarnia. I don't know if that's a statistical anomaly or if he is heating up at the right time. Regardless though, it's going to be the depth players that win this, for either team. I think it's going to go a long time, and a playing style like Chatham has will be very useful in grinding down opponents.<br /><br />Prediction: Windsor Spitfires in 7 games. I think this is going to be a huge series for Michael Sergachyov (2016 eligible). If he's able to take control of the games, then I see Windsor winning the series. Another key contributor on the blueline for the Spitfires will have to be Logan Stanley (2016 eligible). The lanky two-way defenseman will have to have a great performance in order for the team to advance. On another note, the Rangers are dealing with some injuries in their backend. If players like Hora can return healthy, then it will be more of a battle, but the injuries have been devastating to a Rangers team that was in a dogfight with Erie and London for the top seed in the Mid-West Division (and therefore the entire Western Conference). This is a ridiculously close matchup and could go either way, but I'm more comfortable with the stability that the Spitfires have at this point.<br /><b><br />Eastern Conference: </b><br /><br />1) Kingston Frontenacs vs. 8) Oshawa Generals<br /><br />Thoughts: The Frontenacs ran away with the top-seed in the Eastern Conference, especially after acquiring Michael Dal Colle (2014 NYI 1st rounder) in the biggest deal of the trade deadline from the Oshawa Generals, so that's going to be an ongoing storyline throughout this series. Kingston has amassed a great team, mainly involving Lawson Crouse (2015 FLA 1st rounder), Spencer Watson (2014 LAK 7th rounder), and Roland McKeown (2014 LAK 2nd rounder - rights now owned by CAR). In net for the Fronts, we see reigning OHL goaltender of the year, Lucas Peressini, and Jeremy Helvig. What this series comes down to is offensive depth and playoff experience. If you look at Michael Dal Colle's playoff stats, he has 56 points (18G 38A) in 42 career playoff games. Compare that to the entire Oshawa roster having 33 points (12G 21A) in 118 career playoff games.The Generals did the righth thing after a Memorial Cup championship, which was to build for the future. They may be able to steal a game, but ultimately it's about time for Kingston to advance past the first round of the OHL playoffs. Oddly enough, I think Helvig might get the nod instead of Peressini, mainly because of Peressini being 0-5-0 lifetime in the OHL Playoffs, and how Helvig has performed much better against the Generals in the regular season series.<br /><br />Prediction: Kingston Frontenacs in 4 games.<br /><br />2) Barrie Colts vs. 7) Mississauga Steelheads<br /><br />Thoughts: The Barrie Colts are an extremely dangerous team. Up front they have some top scorers in Kevin Labanc (2014 SJS 6th rounder), Andrew Mangiapane (2015 CGY 6th rounder), and Julius Nättinen (2015 ANA 2nd rounder). In net, the Colts have MacKenzie Blackwood (2015 NJD 2nd rounder), arguably the best goalie in the entire OHL this season. Although Blackwood's been struggling as of late, the backup goalie, David Ovsjannikov, has been performing very adamantly. The advantage the Colts have is that if their goalies falter, their offense has been one of the most dynamic in the entire league. The biggest concern for Barrie is their offensive depth. If their top 3 scorers are shut down, then it will take an outstanding performance from Blackwood in order for the Colts to advance. However, the top scorers for the Colts have yet to be shut down this season, and Blackwood has the potential to carry the Colts to a Memorial Cup, in my eyes. Another major component for this series will be on the blueline for the Colts, Rasmus Andersson (2015 CGY 2nd rounder). Andersson is having a remarkable season, and is one of the top defensive producers at even-strength in the OHL. The Steelheads have a lot of young talent in their lineup, with Michael McLeod (2016 eligible), Alexander Nylander (2016 eligible), Nathan Bastian (2016) are all on the top line for the Trout, with Sean Day (2016 eligible) on the blueline. The Steelheads are going to be a very competitive team next season, but the Colts have had their number this season.<br /><br />Prediction: Barrie Colts in 5 games. If MacKenzie Blackwood can get back on track to the dominant performance he's displayed for most of the season, then Barrie will be a real threat to come out of the Eastern Conference. That's how highly I think of Blackwood.<br /><br />3) North Bay Battalion vs. 6) Peterborough Petes<br /><br />Thoughts: This is a really interesting series to me. Essentially, North Bay was supposed to be a sort of rebuilding year after a deep OHL Playoff run last season, but have been performing extremely well. Led by players like Mike Amadio (2014 LAK 3rd rounder), Brett McKenzie (undrafted), and Mathew Santos (undrafted) up front, and from players on the blue line Cam Dineen (2016 eligible), Kyle Wood (2014 COL 3rd rounder - rights now owned by ARZ), and Riley Bruce (2015 CGY 7th rounder), the Troops are performing extremely well. And the interesting thing about all of this is that even though the Battalion run a very defense-first type system, they still are the 3rd highest scoring team in the Eastern Conference. If the Battalion are to win this, they will need to continue their phenomenal play on home ice this season: going 23-9-1-1 at home. Now add this to the Peterborough Petes having a better record on the road than at home this season, and we start to get a look at how intriguing this matchup is going to be. The Battalion are going to rely on goaltender, Jake Smith, who has the experience to backstop the team to the Eastern Conference championship series in the past two seasons. If the Petes are to advance, they will have to try and limit Mike Amadio. I don't think it's possible to shut down the 50 goal scorer, but they can at least try to limit him. Now what Peterborough brings to the series is an experience defensive core, along with two 40 goal scorers in Hunter Garlent and Greg Betzold. Additionally, Eric Cornel (2014 BUF 2nd rounder) is having a career season. Overall I like the experience that Peterborough brings to the series.Special teams are going to play a big role in this series<br /><br />Prediction: North Bay Battalion in 7 games<br /><br />4) Niagara IceDogs vs. 5) Ortawa 67's<br /><br />Thoughts: I fully expected the 67's to not be in the position they are now. I thought they would limp their way into the playoffs during a rebuilding year, especially after parting with two of their biggest forward prizes in Travis Konecny and Sam Studnicka, both traded to the Sarnia Sting. It's also unfortunate that Sasha Chmelevski got injured. I think he has a bright future ahead of him, and the the 67's are being built for the future. That being said, the 67's come into this series playing some of the best hockey of their season. I think an area where the 67's are weak would be along their blueline, but like I mentioned earlier, it's great to have seen them make it this far. The work ethic will really prove to be troubling for the IceDogs. Now Niagara really loaded up at the trade deadline, most importantly (in my view) adding Alex Nedeljkovic (2014 CAR 2nd rounder), one of the best goalies in the league, and overager forward, Stephen Harper. I think guys for the 67's like Dante Salituro (2016 eligible) and Jeremiah Addison (2015 MTL 7th rounder) will have to continue their real strong seasons if Ottawa is to have a chance at winning this series. In addition to those two, Artur Tyanulin has been playing very solid hockey as of late. Overall though, I really like the forward depth from Niagara. Guys like Brandon Perlini (2014 ARZ 1st rounder), Joshua Ho-Sang (2014 NYI 1st rounder), Vince Dunn (2015 STL 2nd rounder), and Graham Knott (2015 CHI 2nd rounder), in addition to the new players added at the deadline make Niagara a really dangerous team. I think ultimately, Nedeljkovic will be the difference-maker in net.<br /><br />Prediction: Niagara IceDogs win in 6 games.<br /><br /><br />Unfortunately the playoffs have already started by the time I post this, so we'll just have to see where the Playoffs take us.<br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;">Give me a follow on Twitter </span><a href="https://twitter.com/DTJ_AHockeyBlog" style="background-color: white; color: #888888; line-height: 18.48px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">@DTJ_AHockeyBlog</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;"> so we can chat, or feel free to DM me. I'm more than happy to answer any questions you have, or just talk! Please let me know if I made a mistake in any of my brief bios as well!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;">Thank you so much for reading, and I really hope you enjoy this post!</span></span><br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077048880125946260.post-16907312194320228522016-03-02T11:43:00.001-08:002016-03-02T11:43:51.497-08:002016 NHL Draft: Cam Dineen<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;">Hello everyone, and welcome back to another look at 2016 NHL Draft-Eligible prospects. Today we look at:</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;">Cam Dineen</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Height: 5'11"</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Weight: 183 lbs</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Position: LD</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Shoots: Left</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Team (League): North Bay Battalion (OHL)</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">ISS rank: NA</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">CSS rank: 117th (North American Skaters)</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">FC rank: NA</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">THN rank: NA<br />DTJ rank: 24</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">Current Statline for 2015-2016 Season: 59 GP, 12G 43A 55P 18PIM, 0.93 Points/Game</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">Sorry it's taken so long to get a profile on a defensemen. There are some really interesting forwards available in this draft, but I also want to look at the guys on the blue line, and today we start with not only a New Jersey-born (Tom's River) player, but one of the definite sleepers in the draft class. Recently he was listed at #36 on Craig Button's January list so it seems that people are noticing him. </span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">Let's start with the overall information. Dineen played for the New Jersey Rockets in the EHL. He was drafted in the 11th round of the 2014 OHL Priority Selection by the North Bay Battalion, and the reason why he was drafted so low was because he had a verbal commitment to Yale University to play during the 2015-2016 season (this year). In comparison to that, in the 2014 USHL Futures Draft, Dineen was drafted 3rd overall. Dineen opted to play in the OHL for the Battalion after carefully considering his options and joined the team. Since then, Dineen has played remarkably, to put it lightly.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">Dineen is the 3rd highest scoring player on his Battalion team, and leads the entire OHL (not just draft-eligible) defensemen in scoring, and is second overall in rookie scoring behind </span></span><a href="http://deathtaxesandjagr.blogspot.com/2016/01/2016-nhl-draft-preview-alexander.html" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;" target="_blank">Alexander Nylander</a><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">. In the month of January, Dineen played in 13 games, scoring 13 points (6G 7A). Among those 13 points scored in the month of January, Dineen scored 3 game-tying goals to force OT, 1 OT game-winner, and 2 game-winning regulation goals. </span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">Dineen's been playing on the top defensive pairing for the Battalion, mainly paired with Kyle Wood (2014 3rd round pick by COL, recently traded to ARI). Dineen has incredible vision of the ice and uses that to help spur his great offensive game. His first pass out of his own zone is very crisp and he also possesses the quick skating and adept agility to skate it out himself if he needs to. Watching him play, you'll notice how </span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">seamlessly</span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;"> he can move up and join the offensive rush, whether it be in the neutral zone or sneaking behind the defense in the attacking zone to score a backdoor goal. Additionally, his ability to quarterback the powerplay is extremely impressive and he tops all of it off with a booming slap shot. For his overall shooting, he has a quick and accurate release.<br /><br />While the offensive numbers that Dineen is putting up are extremely impressive, what makes it even more impressive is that North Bay runs a very defensive system, making it a bit more difficult to put up points. Interestingly enough, this defensive system under head coach Stan Butler has remarkably helped improve his defensive game over the course of the season, and now to the point of where Dineen is getting some important PK minutes.<br /><br />While not conventionally "big", Dineen is 5'11", 183 lbs, which is a pretty solidly built defenseman. Ideally for his defensive game I'd like to see him add more muscle to help him be better in the corners and along the boards. However, his defensive game is comprised almost entirely from his good stickwork: intercepting passes and disrupting play overall. His skating also allows for maintaining good cap control against opponents. As mentioned earlier he just needs to work on his ability to hold his own, physically. Dineen has really been the driving offensive force behind the Battalion's success this season. I think if he keeps this pace up, there's no way he won't have a big rise in the rankings as June approaches.<br /><br />Ultimately, Dineen should be a late first round pick. He definitely has the talent to be. If he does fall past the mid-second round I would be very surprised. His initial ranking of "C" (indicating a 4th-6th round pick) by the CSS back in October will have to be dramatically changed. In terms of playing style, it's tough to come up with a single player, but I agree with Craig Button's comments about his similarity to Duncan Keith "at same stage with respect to his skating & jump". He also reminds me a bit of John Moore.<br /><br />I believe Dineen will only need one more year playing in the OHL to help round out his game a bit more. From a Devils' perspective, I think Dineen would be an excellent pickup. He plays the style of play that would fit in quite well with Hynes' system (especially with the John Moore comparison). Additionally, with Severson graduated to the big team, we don't quite have any defensemen in the system with as good of an ability to move the puck and score as Dineen would be. The biggest question would be which round he gets taken in.<br /></span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">I hope you enjoyed my write-up of Cam Dineen! </span><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">If you have any feedback, suggestions, or players you’d like to see me write about, please let me know!</span></span></span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077048880125946260.post-23401271321321473982016-01-14T12:40:00.001-08:002016-01-14T12:40:13.376-08:002016 NHL Draft: Clayton Keller<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hello everyone, today is another continuation in the look at 2016 draft-eligible players.<br /><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;">Clayton Keller</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Height: 5'10"</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Weight: 170 lbs</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Position: C</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Shoots: Left</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Team (League): U.S. National Development Program U18</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">ISS rank: 17</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">CSS rank: A (no rankings released)</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">FC rank: 8</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">THN rank: NA<br />DTJ rank: 7</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">Current Statline for 2015-2016 Season: 32 GP, 21G 42A 63P 20PIM, 1.97 Points/Game<br /><br />I will start this off by saying that in terms of pure talent among American draft-eligible prospects, Keller is 2nd behind Matthews. I mean that with no disrespect to the other American draft-eligibles, but rather a testament to the immense amount of skill and potential this young man has.<br /><br />Gifted with remarkable vision and IQ, Clayton Keller is an imminent offensive threat. His skating is agile and powerful. He has a quick-release and powerful shot, and his passing is remarkable. Consistently one of the top scorers on each of his respective teams, Keller can beat defenders in a broad variety of ways. He's played against all types of competition and has done well against each one, and his offense has translated remarkably well at each level up.<br /><br />Keller's smooth puckhandling is almost like something you'd see in an NHL video game. He is used in every type of game situation, and has a generally good two-way game to compliment his excellent offensive instincts. Despite his excellent goal-scoring ability, I've always viewed him as a pass-first type player. He's developed remarkable chemistry with Kieffer Bellows (2016 draft-eligible) on the top line of the USNDP, and both are actually committed to Boston University for the 2016-2017 season. On a bit of a side note, the recruitment class for 2016-2017 at Boston University is incredible. With Keller, Bellows, Dante Fabbro, Chad Krys, and a few others going there, the Terriers will have a formidable line-up. Keller and Bellows have good chemistry now and should perform quite well together at BU.<br /><br />Went on a bit of a tangent there, but back to Keller. A mark of an advanced prospect is the ability to perform against older competition. Keller is one of the younger prospects eligible in the draft (only 3 eligible players are younger), and has played against competition up to 2 or 3 years older than him. Keller possesses an almost-internal motor which helps propel his game not unlike Zach Parise. However, there's also a prevalence of Patrick Kane in Keller's game...not just from the size similarity, but also the poise with the puck, balance on the puck, and the offensive threat. Despite being nearly a year younger than Auston Matthews, Keller is on pace to come awfully close to matching Matthews' USNDP records. I'm not going to throw out the "F" word (franchise), but I'm really high up on Keller. Despite his obvious concerns about playing center despite being rather undersized, he has stepped up to the challenges each step of the way. He's ranked right around the 13th overall by a few different scouting services (no way to really see where NHL teams rank him), but I think his stock will rise after the WJC-18 this year. I think he's going to have a fantastic tournament, which may help propel his stock upwards.<br /><br />At the risk of sounding repetitive, Keller is absolutely a prospect the Devils should keep an eye on. It would be great for his stock if he could grow another inch or two taller, but his play is excellent regardless of what number is there. I'd like to see him add some more muscle and work on his skating speed to help his transition to the higher leagues. I can't wait to see him play at Boston U. next season. I think Keller would be a phenomenal addition on the same line as Pavel Zacha too. Keller will be selected anywhere from 7th-13th overall. I have the feeling a lot of teams will regret passing on Clayton Keller in upcoming years.</span></span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;"><br />If you have any feedback, suggestions, or players you’d like to see my write about, please let me know!</span></span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077048880125946260.post-48055868096463492442016-01-13T11:26:00.000-08:002016-01-14T12:36:03.051-08:002016 NHL Draft: Pierre-Luc Dubois<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hello everyone, today is a continuation of the look at 2016 draft-eligible players<br /><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;">Pierre-Luc Dubois</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Height: 6’3"</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Weight: 201 lbs</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Position: LW/C</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Shoots: Left</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Team (League): Cape Breton Screaming Eagles (Quebec Major Junior Hockey League)</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">ISS rank: 8</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">CSS rank: A (no rankings released)</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">FC rank: 9</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">THN rank: NA<br />DTJ rank: 5</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">Current Statline for 2015-2016 Season: 41 GP, 26G 35A 61P 65PIM, +22, 1.49 Points/Game<br /><br />Another top forward prospect coming out of the QMJHL this year is Pierre-Luc Dubois, the forward playing on the top line of the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles.<br /><br />Dubois is a big, strong forward who plays a solid 200 foot game. He has many assets in his arsenal, but his biggest asset is his intelligence. He thinks the game and reads the ice so well. His skating is solid and he has a great set of hands. He plays the game with a lot of heart and a lot of grit. He is currently leading his team in points. This is not only due to his extreme skill, but also because his line-mates, Maxim Lazarev and Yevgeni Svechnikov missing games for the World Junior Championships (both represented Team Russia). Svechnikov, on the other hand was one of the last cuts for Team Canada.<br /><br />Svechnikov is a big and smart player whose game I would describe as a scorer with power forward tendencies. His intelligence and ability not only in all 3 zones of the ice, but at all 3 positions at forward leave me extremely impressed. His passing is excellent, whether he wants to feather it or wire it to a teammate. He is able to create space for himself with efficient puck-handling, but also by passing to a teammate. His skating is excellent, and he's been improving his first step to the point of explosive. Dubois has great balance, and is very difficult to knock off the puck. This is mostly in part to his large stature, but also is aided by his impressive strength.<br /><br />Dubois is a very complete player and contributes on the powerplay and the penalty kill. He has very good hands, especially in the tight areas of the ice. He just has such a combination of size, skating, skill, shooting, two-way play, vision, character, grit, and potential. I know that's quite a laundry list, but I am very, very high on Dubois. I've mentioned it earlier, but his versatility to play at any forward position (and excel at them) is a major asset. To me, he has all the "X-Factors" to potentially be an elite player in the NHL: skating, IQ, vision, willingness to adapt and improve. As the son of a coach, there is no question about Dubois' knowledge of the play. Additionally, Dubois is one of the youngest players in the draft class, and won't turn 18 until the first day of the draft in June (the day he will likely be taken).<br /><br />A great playing style comparison for Dubois would be a Jamie Benn-type player. I would not be surprised to see Dubois in some kind of captaincy role if (and when) he makes it to the NHL. He definitely has top-line potential. I prefer him on the Left Wing, but can see him developing at any forward position necessary to specific team needs. At this point in my eyes, Dubois is the most promising 2016 eligible player from the QMJHL. I believe he can jump into the NHL right away, since he is already big and strong, and plays a pro-style game. His defensive play will not make him a liability at the NHL level if he wants to develop his elite-potential play there. I can see the argument for letting him stay in the QMJHL for another year, and usually tend to be more patient with prospects, despite how much skill and potential they may have.<br /><br />From a Devils perspective, Dubois is yet another forward to keep a close eye on as June approaches. He is everything that the Devils will be looking for within the new system, and has incredible potential to be an elite player at the NHL level. He has potential to go within the first 5 selections in the<span style="font-family: inherit;"> draft, and I would be shocked if he fell out of the top-10. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">I am very interested in following the rest of Dubois' season in Cape Breton, and I hope he can continue to develop into the elite, two-way, character forward he has the potential to be. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">I hope you enjoyed my write-up of Pierre-Luc Dubois! </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">If you have any feedback, suggestions, or players you’d like to see my write about, please let me know!</span></span></span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077048880125946260.post-25175849483176335702016-01-12T10:40:00.000-08:002016-01-12T10:40:32.471-08:002016 NHL Draft: Julien Gauthier<span style="font-family: inherit;">In continuation of the series on 2016 draft-eligible players, we turn to the QMJHL.<br /><br />Julien Gauthier<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Height: 6’4"</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Weight: 225 lbs</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Position: RW</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Shoots: Right</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Team (League): Val-d'Or Foreurs (Quebec Major Junior Hockey League)</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">ISS rank: 10</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">CSS rank: A (no rankings released)</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">FC rank: 6</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">THN rank: NA<br />DTJ rank: 6</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">Current Statline for 2015-2016 Season: 30 GP, 29G 8A 37P 16PIM, +17, 1.23 Points/Game</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">Julien Gauthier was the only draft-eligible player to make the Team Canada World Junior Championship squad this year. He's one of my favorite players in this draft class. </span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">Not sure where to really start with Gauthier in terms of an analysis. He's a huge power-winger with an incredible knack for scoring goals. He's very NHL-ready, and not simply because of his size. He plays a very strong physical game, protects the puck well, and has a significant net front presence. He's able to use his long reach to his advantage in these categories, which makes it even more difficult to contain him. His skating is excellent and his shot is incredible.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">Gauthier's vision in the offensive zone is phenomenal and he drives to the net with great ease. I think the potential for even more offensive performance is there because Gauthier plays on a very deep Val-d'Or team, and as a result, doesn't get top-line minutes. In my mind, this makes him a good candidate for a breakout in points if he is able to get consistent minutes on the top-line. Despite that, Gauthier has been playing significant time in all situations. He's able to create offense while on the penalty kill and also plays a significant portion of time in front of the net on the power play. </span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">All in all, Gauthier is a remarkably complete player. His stick-work and positioning is excellent. I think the potential is there to become a very solid top-6 power forward. His style of play reminds me a lot of James Neal. Defensively I'd like to see Gauthier improve his positioning in his own zone. Sometimes he gets caught staring at the puck and is not aware of </span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">situation</span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;"> awareness when it comes to opposing players in "high-danger zones". He isn't lacking in a defensive awareness type, but these are things that will most likely come with further experience. Gauthier's play has improved significantly since last season where he was almost pidgeon-holed into a "one-dimensional" player category. His play and improvement this season have proven that to be wrong, however there is still room for improvement in the two-way game.<br /><br />The combination of Gauthier's size and speed make him very hard to contain at top speed. What impresses me about him is how good he is in the corners and along the boards. He's not just big and strong, he positions himself well, and that's an aspect of his game that will be vital to being an effective power forward at the NHL level. His rocket of a shot will only improve and it will prove to be a very valuable asset to NHL teams at the draft, especially as teams are looking to bolster goal scoring. Gauthier is a very strong prospect and will go Top-10 in my opinion. He has the potential to go anywhere from 4th to 9th overall. There may still be consistency issues, but when Gauthier is on top of his game, he's a relentless, hard working, and full of heart power winger with a brilliant scoring touch. Despite not playing center, Gauthier plays a strong winger's game and is the type of player who you can build a championship around.<br /><br />From a Devils perspective, Gauthier would be a remarkable addition to the team. He may even be able to step into the NHL as soon as next season, however that will be up to whoever is lucky enough to draft him. I'm of the opinion that it's better to "over-cook" a prospect in junior or development leagues than it is to bring them up too soon. He fits into the Devils' gameplan very well and will really bring a strong goal-scoring winger to the Devils, who currently sit at 29th overall in goals/game this season (only Anaheim is scoring less this season).<br /></span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;"> </span><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">I am very interested in following the rest of Gauthier's season in Val-d'Or, and I hope he can continue to develop into the elite, offensive power winger he has the potential to be. </span><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">I hope you enjoyed my write-up of Julien Gauthier! </span><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">If you have any feedback, suggestions, or players you’d like to see my write about, please let me know!</span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><br />Follow me on Twitter<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span><a href="https://twitter.com/DTJ_AHockeyBlog" style="color: #888888; line-height: 18.48px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">@DTJ_AHockeyBlog</span></a><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"> </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 18.48px;">for more updates.</span><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><br /><br /><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Thanks for reading!</span></span></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077048880125946260.post-46942435815730777342016-01-11T10:58:00.004-08:002016-01-12T10:20:02.210-08:002016 NHL Draft Preview: Alexander Nylander<span style="font-family: inherit;">Welcome to the newest edition of my look at 2016 draft-eligible prospects.<br /><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;">Alexander Nylander</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Height: 6’0"</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Weight: 194 lbs</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Position: RW/LW</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Shoots: Right</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Team (League): Mississauga Steelheads (Ontario Hockey League)</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">ISS rank: 6</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">CSS rank: A (no rankings released)</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">FC rank: 7</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">THN rank: NA<br />DTJ rank: 7</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Current Statline for 2015-2016 Season: 34 GP, 22G 28A 50P 6PIM, +8, 1.47 Points/Game<br /><br />Another high-potential 2016 draft-eligible Steelhead, Alexander Nylander is the younger brother of Toronto Maple Leafs' prospect (and 2014 1st round selection), William Nylander. Now, seeing that this is a write-up about Alexander, that's all I going to say about William. Both are phenomenal prospects. Alexander decided to take the CHL route to the NHL and signed with the team who selected him 12th overall in the 2015 CHL Import Draft, the Mississauaga Steelheads (one more thing about William, he was selected 13th overall in the 2014 CHL Import Draft by the Steelheads as well, but chose to stay in the Swedish Hockey League for his draft-eligible season.<br /><br />Alexander Maximiliam Michael Junior Nylander Altelius is an exceptionally skilled player who is 2nd in rookie OHL scoring this season. The young Swedish forward has an excellent combination of hands, creativity, and quickness. Playing on the top-line for the Trout with other 2016 draft-eligible forwards Nathan Bastian and Michael McLeod, Nylander doesn't look out of place at all. In fact, he's adjusted quite quickly and well to North-American ice and is not only a driver of the play on the ice, but he's the leading scorer for the team. Alex has a remarkable shot, skates extremely well - he moves around the ice so well. His balance while handling the puck or avoiding a check is very impressive as well.<br /><br />Nylander's ability to distribute the puck is excellent as well, and some would argue he is a better play-maker than sniper. He is a threat for offensive chances nearly every time he is on the ice. He's excellent at driving possession and also driving the pace of play. He mainly plays on the Left wing for the Trout, and I believe that if he is to make an impact at the NHL-level, it will be on the left side.<br /><br />Nylander's main area for improvement is his defensive play. Not that it's a liability, but his 200-foot game is sometimes over-exaggerated simply because having McLeod on the same line will help cover up any mistakes he makes. His positional awareness and overall knowledge of the ice help give him the foundation for growth in his defensive game, so that doesn't quite concern me. It just needs some work.<br /><br />Alexander Nylander's specialty really comes where his speed and fast-tempo offense can be shown, and this is mainly in the transition game. This is what leads me to believe that he will also be on the Devils' radar. The main reasons for this would be his immense skating ability, slick puck distribution skills, strong transition game, and excellent shot. He certainly does have top-6 potential, and possibly a ceiling of being a top-line winger...most likely on the left side. I'd say an interesting style comparison for Nylander would be a Loui Eriksson-type.<br /><br />Nylander has the potential to go in the Top 5 selections in the June draft. I think he'll go anywhere from 4-9th overall. He played remarkably at the World Junior Championship in Helsinki this year, and lead Team Sweden in overall points. He finished in the top-10 in scoring for the tournament. A major increase in his draft stock happened at the 2014-2015 WHC-U17 where Nylander, once again, led Team Sweden in scoring and finished in the top-10 scoring for the entire tournament. Nylander ups his game at big events, and despite some potential issues with consistent effort on the ice, I think that if he puts his all into it, he will become an excellent NHLer.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;"> </span><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">I am very interested in following the rest of Nylander's season in Mississauga, and I hope he can continue to develop into the elite, offensive winger he has the potential to be. </span><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">I hope you enjoyed my write-up of Alexander Nylander! </span><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">If you have any feedback, suggestions, or players you’d like to see my write about, please let me know!</span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><br />Follow me on Twitter<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span><a href="https://twitter.com/DTJ_AHockeyBlog" style="color: #888888; line-height: 18.48px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">@DTJ_AHockeyBlog</span></a><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"> </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 18.48px;">for more updates.</span><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><br /><br /><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Thanks for reading!</span></span></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077048880125946260.post-10858943162121386372016-01-10T16:13:00.001-08:002016-01-10T16:13:32.403-08:002016 NHL Draft Preview: Michael McLeod<span style="font-family: inherit;">Welcome to the newest edition of 2016 NHL draft-eligible prospects<br /><br />Today we look at:<br /><br />Michael McLeod<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Height: 6’2"</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Weight: 187 lbs</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Position: C</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Shoots: Right</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Team (League): Mississauga Steelheads (Ontario Hockey League)</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">ISS rank: 7</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">CSS rank: A (no rankings released)</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">FC rank: 13</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">THN rank: NA<br />DTJ rank: 9</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Current Statline for 2015-2016 Season: 38 GP, 16G 28A 44P 45PIM, +1, 1.16 Points/Game<br /><br />The Mississauga Steeleheads are lucky to have some very high potential 2016 draft-eligible players on their squad. One of them is Michael McLeod, Mississauaga-born center drafted 5th overall in the 2014 OHL Priority Selection. McLeod is one of the first players you notice when watching Mississauag play, simply because of his fantastic skating. I think he's one of the best skaters in this draft year, and also one of the best skaters in the entire OHL. It's his skating and his ability to keep his feet moving makes him a very dangerous threat. His explosive skating is key and while he has great lateral movement, his most impressive ability for skating, in my opinion, is just how quickly he can change between the "gears" of his toolbox. McLeod plays an excellent 200-foot game, supported by his skating. Offensively, McLeod has elite potential. He has a great shot and a smooth release. I wouldn't call him a sniper, but I would say his shot is NHL-level. In order to improve his chances of being an effective NHL'er he needs to work on the placement of the shots and getting them away quicker.<br /><br />His offensive creativity and strong vision and IQ within the offensive zone are extremely impressive. He positions himself well and is able to go to the dirty areas to be effective to keep the cycle going. His strong size and frame also help him along the boards, in the cycle, and to fight off checks. He still needs to add more muscle before he makes it to the NHL. I don't like the idea of "compete level" (it seems almost cliche to me), but I think it's important to talk about how McLeod just never quits playing and competing hard every shift. McLeod has responsibility for the Fish, not only wearing the "A", but playing Center on the top-line for the team.<br /><br />There's a reason why some scouting agencies, people, and presumably teams, have him ranked so highly. He has a very safe projection for the future. There are many other prospects who I believe will have higher offensive ceilings, but McLeod, in my opinion, has the potential to be an elite second-line center for a competing team. A similarity to McLeod's game, in my opinion, would be Jared McCann, with the only real differences in play being McCann having a better defensive play, while McLeod is much faster. Another good comparison for McLeod would be a center version of Blake Wheeler: excellent speed and board play, high "compete level", excellent but not elite stickhandling and hands...albeit at a stylistically level and not quite the same skill level.<br /><br />McLeod's combination of size, speed, IQ, and overall tools at center position, and relatively safe projection path will lead him to have a potential of being draft very highly. He could even go as high as 4th overall. Realistically I think he'll go in the 10th-13th overall range. From a Devils perspective, I think he's another player to definitely keep an eye out for as June approaches. I've mentioned before that our efforts are going to be for re-stocking the cupboard of forward prospects, and I think McLeod would help do just that. The trend was set for the Devils at the last draft (the first draft under the new regime of Ray Shero and crew) to select players that could have substituted as track runners (Zacha, Speers, White, and Seney are all incredible skaters), which leads me to think the Devils are heavily drafting McLeod. That being said, this will be the first draft under the new Director of Amateur Scouting for the Devils, Paul Castron, so it will be most interesting to see what direction the new department takes the future.</span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">I am very interested in following the rest of McLeod's season in Mississauga, and I hope he can continue to develop into the strong two-way, elite skating player he has the potential to be. </span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">I hope you enjoyed my write-up of Michael McLeod! </span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">If you have any feedback, suggestions, or players you’d like to see my write about, please let me know!</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><br />Follow me on Twitter<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span><a href="https://twitter.com/DTJ_AHockeyBlog" style="color: #888888; line-height: 18.48px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">@DTJ_AHockeyBlog</span></a><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"> </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 18.48px;">for more updates.</span><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><br /><br /><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Thanks for reading!</span></span></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077048880125946260.post-55322480760338354092016-01-09T07:38:00.002-08:002016-01-10T16:13:52.013-08:002016 NHL Draft Preview: Tyson Jost<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm feeling a bit of a streak today, and will try to get another prospect report in...after all it is my break day for grad school applications.<br /><br />Today we look at<br />:<br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Tyson Jost</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Height: 6’0"</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Weight: 194 lbs</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Position: C/LW</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Shoots: Left</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Team (League): Penticton Vees (British Columbia Hockey League )</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">ISS rank: 9</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">CSS rank: A (no rankings released)</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">FC rank: 12</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">THN rank: NA<br />DTJ rank: 11</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Current Statline for 2015-2016 Season: 30 GP, 24G 37A 61P 28PIM, +0 (BCHL doesn't seem to track +/-), 2.03 Points/Game<br /><br />This draft class is seeing a very interesting differentiation in the "standard path" of development. The headliner of the draft class, Auston Matthews, is opting for a year in the Swiss National League. Two other players are taking an alternate path for development as well. Dante Fabbro and Tyson Jost and two young draft-eligible players who opted to stay another year instead of signing with the WHL teams that drafted them. They are both NCAA bound next season. (Jost - North Dakota & Fabbro - Boston U.)<br /><br />Tyson Jost is a ferocious offensive talent capable of playing and performing at very high speed with good energy. He is a remarkable embodiment of the term "fast", in every sense. He's physically fast, and zips up and down the ice, but is also incredibly fast in thinking the game and executing plays. I think an understandable knock against him is the level of play in the league that he's in, in comparison to other top draft-eligible prospects is much weaker. I agree with this notion, but when playing among his peers in the World Junior A championship, a very respected and heavily scouted, Jost was Team Canada's best forward and the tournament leading scorer with 9 points (3G 6A) in 4 games. In fact, in each of the international events that Jost has represented Canada for, he's performed remarkably and has been one of Canada's best forwards. At the 2014 WJAC he was able to make a tremendous impact against older competition despite being only a 16 year-old. Point being, he has fantastic offensive instincts. A typical buzzsaw-type forward in terms of grit, energy, speed, and skill, Jost is going to be a top talent coming into the draft.<br /><br />In his first full season of the BCHL, Jost had the highest PPG pace out of his entire team, scoring 45 points (23G 22A0 in 46 games. He plays a big role this year, and will play a massive role at the University of North Dakota next season. I believe he's going to make a strong impact at the NHL level because he has all the tools to be elite. He plays, in my opinion, a good blue collar game: hard-working and honest. He's excellent along the boards, winning most of his battles and positions himself well. He's also got a great, strong shot. He can lay out a good strong hit as well. Everything about Jost screams elite offensive threat, mainly based in his great hockey IQ and excellent speed.<br /><br />Like many young forward prospects, Jost is still figuring out play in his own end, and he has been improving. Having to grow into hockey as a smaller player, he developed strong elements to his "small game" like stick lifts and other reads on the ice. While not huge in stature, he is very difficult to knock off of the puck. Additionally, Jost is wearing the "C" for Penticton this season, and performing admirably in doing so. He tries to lead by example, and I would definitely say he's doing so.<br /><br />At the draft in June, I don't see Jost being taken past 16th overall. He's just too good. Future Considerations describes him as "agile and slippery", and I agree in that description. He's just at least half a step ahead of everybody else out there, and is able to make all sorts of plays because of it. Despite his ability to rush the net and score with his hard wrist-shot, I would still describe Jost as a play-making forward. Either way, he's got the makings of a top-6 forward. From a Devils perspective, I can absolutely see Jost making a significant impact within Hynes' system. He's a very dynamic player with elite puck handling skills. If the Devils do draft him, they will have to be patient, and give him as many years as he needs at University of North Dakota to develop. Also this wouldn't be the first time the Devils select a forward from the BCHL with a 1st round pick. Travis Zajac was selected 20th overall (1st round) in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft from the Salmon Arm Silverbacks of the BCHL. While there is a big difference in styles of play between the two players, it shows that talent comes through regardless of the league of play. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">I am very interested in following the rest of Jost's season in Penticton, and I hope he can become the top-tiered talent he has the potential to be. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">I hope you enjoyed my write-up of Tyson Jost! </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">If you have any feedback, suggestions, or players you’d like to see my write about, please let me know!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><br />Follow me on Twitter<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span><a href="https://twitter.com/DTJ_AHockeyBlog" style="background-color: white; color: #888888; line-height: 18.48px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">@DTJ_AHockeyBlog</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;">for more updates.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;"><br /><br /><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Thanks for reading!</span></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077048880125946260.post-44911288448352161892016-01-08T12:15:00.000-08:002016-01-08T14:56:59.904-08:002016 NHL Draft Preview: Tyler Benson<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">Welcome back to today's installment of 2016 draft-eligible players.<br /><br />Today we look at:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.4px;">Tyler Benson</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.4px;">Height: 6’0"</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.4px;">Weight: 201 lbs</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.4px;">Position: C/LW</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.4px;">Shoots: Left</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.4px;">Team (League): Vancouver Giants (Western Hockey League)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.4px;">ISS rank: 19</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.4px;">CSS rank: A (no rankings released)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.4px;">FC rank: 19</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.4px;">THN rank: NA<br />DTJ rank: 15</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.4px;">Current Statline for 2015-2016 Season: 28 GP, 8G 18A 26P 40PIM, +0, 0.93 Points/Game<br /><br />The 1st overall selection in the 2013 WHL Bantam Draft, Tyler Benson entered not only the WHL, but this season with remarkably high expectations. After being one of the league's best rookies in his innaugural 2014-2015 WHL campaign, Benson also competed for Team Canada at the 2014-2015 World U-18 Junior Championships along 2015 draft eligible players. In 7 games, Benson scored 4 points (1G 3A). In August before the start of the 2015-2016 WHL season, Benson competed with Team Canada at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament. Benson was tied for the lead in points for Team Canada with 5 points (1G 4A) in 4 games.<br /><br />Touted as one of the most prolific midget/bantam scorers in Alberta hockey history, Benson has been thrust into a leadership role with the Vancouver Giants at a very young age. At 17 years-old, in just his 2nd season in the league, Benson is already wearing the "C". Benson has made steady improvement with each passing season, and has helped solidify himself as a solid power forward prospect with excellent finesse skills for the upcoming draft in June. Benson's game consists of excellent speed, skating and balance along with physicality, vision and IQ. Benson missed the first few months of this season recovering from surgery for a lower-body injury.<br /><br />Benson has a remarkable toolbox and an NHL shot. He's a heavy shooter but can distribute the puck incredibly well. When he was in midget/bantam hockey the word "generational" was thrown around, especially as he would surpass all the critical scoring records in the Albert Major Bantam Hockey League. Despite a slow start back from his injury, he's now on pace to surpass the PPG pace (currently has 26 points in 28 games) playing on one of the bottom teams in the WHL (Vancouver has 35 points on the season, last place in the Western Conference and in 5th to last place in the league). Recently, Benson was named to the CHL Top Prospects Game, hosted by the Giants on January 28th.<br /><br />To me, Benson is absolutely going to be an NHL-player. The biggest question will be in what role and capacity will he play. He is physical and aggressive on the puck and away as well. His two-way ability has been progressing to the point where I believe his floor is a 3rd-liner. In fact, as his two-way game progresses, that's the area where I feel he needs to improve. His goal-scoring ability is already phenomenal and will continue to improve, and I believe he has elite passing ability. His ceiling is a top-line, offensive forward. I use the term "offensive" simply because he is just as much of a goal-scorer as a play-maker.<br /><br />Whichever team drafts Benson will have to be patient with him. At this point, he will require at least another year in the Dub to help improve his consistency and his overall play. In a sense, Benson reminds me a lot of a Taylor Hall type player: a strong skating winger with incredible creativity with the puck - albeit at not as high of a level as Hall. A criticism of Benson's play is that he sometimes looks a little lazy when he's not engaged in the game. I would argue that it's the other way around. Sometimes Benson tries to do too much, and is better when he doesn't focus his efforts on physicality, despite being the Giants' most physical forwards most nights (the Giants do lack size and physicality up front for the most part - with exception of Radovan Bondra).<br /><br />I like what Tyler Benson brings to the table; he's your typical tough WHL power-winger, and I think as his game continues to progress and improve, he will be coveted at the draft. I can see him going anywhere from 11th to 25th overall. I know that's a wide margin, but we've seen high-potential WHL forwards recovering from lower-body injury drop from their projected spots at the NHL Draft (Barzal for example). However, that being said I believe Benson will be taken 17th overall.<br /><br />From a Devils perspective, I think Benson would be a perfect fit. Benson plays with a "relentless" mindset and is dangerous on the attack. In fact, he really fits the bill well on what head coach, John Hynes, is trying to instill in the new system with "fast, attacking, and supportive" play. Despite great development from some forwards within the prospect system, the Devils' still have dire need for top-6 potential forward prospects, and I believe Tyler Benson would fit that need perfectly. I don't know where the Devils will end up drafting this year, but if they do end up with a top-10 pick, then I can see GM, Ray Shero, attempting to trade up to snag Benson if he does become available in the later first round.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.4px;">I am very interested in following the rest of Benson's season in Vancouver, and I hope he can become the top-tiered talent he has the potential to be. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.4px;">I hope you enjoyed my write-up of Tyler Benson! </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.4px;">If you have any feedback, suggestions, or players you’d like to see my write about, please let me know!<br /><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><br />Follow me on Twitter<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span><a href="https://twitter.com/DTJ_AHockeyBlog" style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">@DTJ_AHockeyBlog</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">for more updates.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"><br /><br /><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Thanks for reading!</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077048880125946260.post-72253404326990700902015-11-20T09:45:00.000-08:002015-11-20T10:00:23.954-08:002016 NHL Draft Preview: Vladimir Kuznetsov<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hello and welcome back to my latest installment of the 2016 NHL Draft Preview. Today we venture into the QMJHL and take a look at a player in New Brunswick.<br /><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;">Today we look at:</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Vladimir Kuznetsov</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Height: 6’2”</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Weight: 214 lbs</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Position: LW/RW</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Shoots: Left</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Team (League): Acadie-Bathurst Titan (Quebec Major Junior Hockey League)</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">ISS rank: NR</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">CSS rank: C (no rankings released)</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">FC rank: NR</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">THN rank: NA<br />DTJ rank: 48</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Current Statline for 2015-2016 Season: 25 GP, 8G 10A 18P 10PIM, -1, 0.72 Points/Game<br /><br />First things first, no there is no relation to the Washington Capitals' Evgeny Kuznetsov. Kuznetsov is a relatively common last name in Russia.<br /><br />From Yekaterinburg, Russia, Vladimir Kuznetsov was selected first overall in the 2015 CHL Import Draft by Acadie-Bathurst Titan from the QMJHL (to the surprise of quite a few who expected Dmitri Sokolov to be the first one taken). Upon drafting him, the general manager, Sylvain Couturier, remarked, "We are very excited to select a player like Vladimir. He is a big and strong winger with skill..."<br /><br />This is Kuznetsov's first year living and playing in North America, and his season was off to a relatively cold start, which is to be expected from an import getting used to the different rink size as well as the language and culture outside the rink. He's been playing on the second line for Acadie-Bathurst, mostly Right Wing but also some Left Wing work. Over the past month, his play has improved and he's been getting on the scoreboard more often. He's been getting very consistent time on the Power Play, playing on the Titan's first PP unit.<br /><br />Kuznetsov is an intriguing prospect to me because he has a very good awareness of the offensive zone and the rink overall, but there are some elements lacking to his game (I will elaborate on this a little later). The first thing you notice about Kuznetsov is just how big of a guy he is. His EP page lists him at 6'1", 190 lbs, but the Acadie-Bathurst official page lists him as 6'2", 214 lbs (I'm more inclined to go with the team's official page when it comes to size differential), but on the ice he looks even taller than that. Of course he doesn't look as big as Andrew Cordssen-David, the 6'5" defender for Acadie-Bathurst, but Kuznetsov does look like he's pushing 6'3", and he's still only 17 years old with time to grow taller and larger.<br /><br />Kuznetsov is not hard to miss, he's a big lumbering skater roaming around. He almost looks a little hunched over in his skating, which is probably why he looks taller to me than he actually may be. While on the Power Play, Kuznetsov's main role is to be one of the two forwards in front of the opponent's net (Acadie-Bathurst runs a 3-2 Broad Umbrella type Power Play). Occasionally, about twice a shift or so, Kuznetsov is able to roam around the offensive zone and look for an open passing lane or a shooting angle on the net. He doesn't usually have to fight his way into the slot area, he just ends up there someway or somehow. For a big guy, he can sneak around the ice quite well.<br /><br />When the puck is on his stick he uses his body well to protect it, and he's able to use the boards very well. This isn't necessarily in the sense of winning board battles, but rather bouncing the puck off the boards to avoid an incoming defenseman. He's got a very hard slapshot, but doesn't use it too much (mainly from the blue line if he's roaming on the Power Play...this is also a good one-timer from him as well), and an impressive wrist shot as well. His passes, while very accurate for the most part, lack a certain crispness that I would like to see some improvement on.<br /><br />Defensively, Kuznetsov is pretty well-aware of what's going on around him. He usually doesn't leave his zone and doesn't chase people around too much. However sometimes in trying to prevent a point shot, Kuznetsov leaves the opportunity for an opposing player to break through to the slot for a good scoring chance. This is an issue Kuznetsov will have to work on if he wants to be effective at the next level. He can't simply rely on his good stickwork, but instead needs to work more on his positioning in regards to where the puck is and where the attacker in his zone is, whether they are open or not.<br /><br />On that note, one thing that stands out to me about Kuznetsov is how he's able to use his stick so well on the defensive side of things. He stick always seems to be in the right place at the right time to intercept or block an incoming pass through his zone or while skating back through the neutral zone, or even while he is in the offensive zone forechecking. Offensively, Kuznetsov can handle the puck rather well, he doesn't try any dangles or dekes. He plays a rather simple game offensively like that. He can get around defenseman somewhat well and is a threat offensively, almost when he chooses to be.<br /><br />The thing about Kuznetsov is that it seems like he coasts around the rink a lot, and I'd like to see him a little more active within the play, and not simply the scoring plays. I understand fully well that this is still a year in transition for Kuznetsov as he is coming from across the world, learning different rink sizes, playing styles, coaching systems, and a more focus on defensive play in North America, but it is also his draft eligible year and this is something that he must learn and improve upon.<br /><br />The biggest concern I have for Kuznetsov, and why I project him to be taken in the upper-middle third round of the draft is his skating. His situation reminds me of Leon Draisaitl's situation during his draft-eligible year in that he's a relatively fast skater (I know Draisaitl is incredibly fast, but this is for the sake of comparison), but not quick or agile. It's because of this first step that he seems to gaffe on which results him being a bit behind the rest of the players on the ice, and not driving the offensive play.Draisaitl has since improved his skating tremendously. I'm not comparing the talent or the playing style of these two young men, but rather the similarity in the skating situation. I believe Kuznetsov's skating is holding him back significantly. Now I'm not looking for a Scott Niedermayer-type skater, but I believe if Kuznetsov could skate more agilely, he would be able to make a much better impact on the games, and not just on the scoreboard.<br /><br />So here you have a promising young player who is still growing into his own body and sometimes thinks the game faster than his body can react. He's not an exceptional thinker of the game, he just seems the ice pretty well. He's got a hard, accurate shot as well as good passing instincts, but needs to improve on his passing speed, overall skating, and physicality. If Vladimir Kuznetsov puts everything together I can see him playing at the second line level of the NHL, but he will have to really hard for it.<br /><br />From a Devils' perspective, unless he can improve his skating (especially because of Hynes' system is strong in transition) and support of teammates within the attacking and neutral zone, I don't think he would fit well in the new team vision Ray Shero and John Hynes are advocating for. I may be wrong though, and I don't want to beat a dead horse, but in order for him to be an effective player within the new system, Kuznetsov must improve on his skating. However, with the skillset he has, and the type of playing style he presents, if Kuznetsov is able to fix these developmental issues, then he has the potential to be very productive within the Devils' system of play.<br /><br />I am very interested in following the rest of Kuznetsov's season in Acadie-Bathurst, and I hope he improves because the offensive instincts are there, and there's a reason why he was selected 1st overall in the CHL Import Draft. Acadie-Bathurst is not a strong team, in fact they have the 3rd worst record in the entire QMJHL, and Halifax is right behind them in the standings.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">I hope you enjoyed my write-up of Vladimir Kuznetsov! </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">If you have any feedback, suggestions, or players you’d like to see my write about, please let me know!<br /><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><br />Follow me on Twitter<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span><a href="https://twitter.com/DTJ_AHockeyBlog" style="background-color: white; color: #888888; line-height: 18.48px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">@DTJ_AHockeyBlog</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;">for more updates.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;"><br /><br /><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Thanks for reading!</span></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077048880125946260.post-37871063916618835812015-11-13T19:37:00.005-08:002015-11-13T19:37:51.050-08:00Devils Prospect Notes: 11/13<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.42857em; margin-bottom: 0.357143em; padding: 0px;">
This gameday update will bemainly focusing on our fellas from Sarnia, but overall it was a good night all-around for Devils prospects.</div>
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First-off the Albany Devils won 4-2 today against the Providence Bruins. Goals scored by Joseph Blandisi, Blake Pietila and Reid Boucher (X2). Vojtech Mozik had 3 assists tonight. It's great to see the young guys contributing.</div>
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In the NCAA, Miles Wood recorded 1G+1A for Boston College as they beat Michigan State 6-4.</div>
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Now as for the more specific game notes for Sarnia vs. Flint...I apologize since I wasn't paying too much attention to our prospect for Flint, Connor Chatham.</div>
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Zacha was clearly the best player on the ice for both teams. He had some good chances, but Flint did a good job blocking his shot attempts. He was physical and pretty much did whatever he wanted out there. Clear Top-10 talent display. His passing was crisp and accurate, and when he did make a wide pass to a teammate across the ice, it would be the exception rather than the rule.</div>
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In terms of his passing, it seems like many of his teammates were just not ready for the passes he was making. You remember how he liked to do those nifty, behind the back (sometimes drop) passes to teammates in the prospect tournament earlier this season? Yeah he's been doing more of that, not necessarily a bad thing, but you have to know that your teammates are ready for a pass like that before you drop such a beauty. It was very frustrating though because you can clearly see how well Zacha is reading the ice and how he's thinking the game, almost always looking for the open teammate. I was hoping at this point he would be a bit more selfish with the puck considering the team in general seemed to have trouble handling the puck or the passes.</div>
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At the beginning of the game Flint got to a 4-0 lead. It seemed to me that Sarnia was on the penalty kill so very often, but they only had 23 PIM tonight (which is still a lot, but not awful comparatively), so I don't know if Zacha was on the first or second penalty kill unit, but he was out there a lot for the PK. Very impressed with his play there. Also, there were two scenarios where Sarnia had to kill off a 5-on-3 powerplay, and Jacobs (who's wearing an "A" by the way) was out on defense for both of them...Flint didn't score at all on the PP.</div>
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Flint began to crawl back into the game, and when they were down 4-2 they went on the powerplay. This is when Pavel Zacha got the puck behind the Flint net and proceeded to bull his way into the slot where he shot a strong backhand that snuck through to the back of the net. Zacha had registered 3 shots on goal tonight (including some very good chances he created while missing the net), but this goal was the weakest shot he had all night, which is quite good news because he needs to just keep ripping the puck. He's over 0.5 goals/game at this pace, and I think his stats like that will only improve. Also some good news as Josh Jacobs got the assist on Zacha's goal.</div>
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Mid-way through the third period, the Flint OHL TV announcer said this on air</div>
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Taken in by Jacobs, man he's one heck of a hockey player, isn't he? Great pick-up by Sarnia</div>
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It's interesting to note Zacha's role on the power play as well, he seems to be the roving kind of trigger-man, since nobody else on Sarnia moves around the zone as much as he does...I mean he's ALL over, handling the puck along the blue line, or patrolling around either face-off circle, or even taking the puck behind the net like he did for his goal. He was playing center (I believe second line, may have been bumped to top line...not quite sure) throughout the night but would switch to wing on the power play. Whichever side the face-off in the offensive zone (for the PP), Zacha would be on the wing closest to the boards. I think he was moved to the wing because of not only his skillset for wing, but also to allow his flexibility to move throughout the offensive zone to make plays.</div>
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All in all, I was very impressed with Zacha's night, and Jacobs is really turning into a stud. Jacobs is now up to 11 points in 19 games. Zacha is up to 12 points in 14 games...highest in PPG pace on the team, and good for being tied for second place in the team in total points.</div>
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Boucher, Blandisi, Pietila, Mozik, Wood, Zacha and Jacobs all had stellar games tonight...not to mention MacKenzie Blackwood's 25 save shut-out for Team OHL against Team Russia in the CHL/Russia Super Series.</div>
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The Future is bright my friends.</div>
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Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed! You can follow me on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/DTJ_AHockeyBlog" target="_blank">@DTJ_AHockeyBlog</a> for more updates.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077048880125946260.post-62119730856495434662015-11-06T10:16:00.001-08:002015-11-06T10:16:58.030-08:002016 NHL Draft Preview: Matthew Tkachuk<span style="font-family: inherit;">Welcome back as we take a look at another draft-eligible player this year. Thanks for your patience as it usually takes a little while for me to make these posts.<br /><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;">Today we look at:</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Matthew Tkachuk</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Height: 6’1”</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Weight: 194 lbs</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Position: LW</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Shoots: Left</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Team (League): London Knights (Ontario Hockey League)</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">ISS rank: 4</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">CSS rank: A (no rankings released)</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">FC rank: 5</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">THN rank: NA<br />DTJ rank: 7</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">Current Statline for 2015-2016 Season: 15 GP, 5G 19A 24P 14PIM, +15, 1.6 Points/Game<br /><br />Hailing from Saint Louis, Missouri, comes the son of NHLer Keith Tkachuk, Matthew. Currently third overall in scoring for the OHL, and especially leading his team full of well-established players like Dvorak and Marner is no easy task. Consider that and also take into consideration how Tkachuk came in second in total scoring in last year's USNDP, only to Auston Matthews and you can begin to see the offensive potential for this young man.<br /><br />Obviously his NHL bloodlines play a key part in the type of player he is, in terms of "hockey IQ", and you can see how well he reads the ice when he plays. He's able to make some very subtle, intricate passes that help proceed the team's attack. Of course not every pass he makes are slight, but he always seems to find the open ice with his passes. And it's clear to see that Matthew does take after his father's style of play as well, but I will get to that a little later on.<br /><br />Matthew Tkachuk is another name to add on to the list of high-powered scoring wingers in this draft class, and additionally he's up there with the elite American talent featured in this draft. Tkachuk signed with the London Knights right around the same time as fellow American 2016 draft-eligible winger, Max Jones (who's also projected as a Top 10 pick). I will write about Jones in another report, but what we can see from this is that the London Knights never cease to produce high-end talent from Corey Perry to Patrick Kane, from Max Domi to Bo Horvat to </span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">Olli Määttä...the elite talent from London continues to pour out, and the newest addition of elite talent from London will continue with Matthew Tkachuk.<br /><br />So what kind of a player is Matthew? At the risk of sounding cliche, I think the best way to describe him is "complete". Not as physically punishing as his father, but just as willing to play physical when need be and to engage in the "dirty" areas of the ice. The thing that stands out to me about Tkachuk's game, besides his lack of weaknesses, is his patience with the puck when making a play. While he does possess a solid, heavy shot with a rather deceptive release, Tkachuk's game is predominantly based around playmaking and setting up teammates.<br /><br />While not a weakness, an area for improvement for Tkachuk would be his skating. He's made some significant strides (pun not intended) since last season improving his previously choppy skating to a rather powerful stride. He still has plenty of room for improvement, but he has keeping his own against the more agile players in the league.<br /><br />He plays the majority of his game below the face-off dots, and will continue his scoring campaign through the OHL this season.<br /><br />In terms of projection, I believe Tkachuk has a top-line elite LW ceiling, and the floor of a top-9 LW. If his offense does not translate entirely to the NHL, then Tkachuk's physicality, smart play, and continually improving skating will keep him in the NHL. I do strongly believe though that Tkachuk will have a strong offensive contribution to whichever team drafts him.<br /><br />From a Devils' perspective, we don't exactly quite know where the Devils will pick in the next draft in June, mainly from the pleasantly surprising run recently...but if the Devils were to pick in the same range as last season (#6 overall,...and that means not winning any of the top-3 lottery picks), then I really do think Tkachuk will be their selection. This is not taking into consideration the bloodlines that Tkachuk shares, being cousins with Tom Fitzgerald, the current Assistant GM for the Devils, but I'm not suggesting my belief that they will pick him is because of that. I believe he will be the selection because of two main elements. First is his elite offensive ceiling and that the Devils are in need of high-potential top-6 winger prospects. The second is more of the style of play that Tkachuk exhibits. As mentioned earlier he has an excellent shot, and can score in a variety of ways, but the emphasis of his game revolves around setting-up scorers and finding the open space to pass to scorers. From Pavel Zacha's development, we've seen him turn into an astounding goal-scoring threat, and while Zacha is able to make incredible passes tape-to-tape, he is more of a trigger-man than a set-up. I think if we're looking at projections, then Tkachuk would be the perfect player to compliment Zacha on the Devils' top line...but that's some speculation at this point.<br /><br />Venturing back into reality, I believe Tkachuk will be taken within the 5-9 range. He may be able to make the jump to the NHL after his selection, but I think he will have to continue working on his skating for another year in London.<br /><br />I'm really looking forward to seeing how Tkachuk's career progresses in London, and eventually in the NHL. I think we will see a strong increase in his goal scoring within the next few months, as he really has quite the arsenal of offensive weapons. I don't really have a specific player style comparison for Tkachuk, but rather he is the embodiment of a pure power forward prospect.<br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">I hope you enjoyed my write-up of Matthew Tkachuk!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4px;">If you have any feedback, suggestions, or players you’d like to see my write about, please let me know!<br /><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><br />Follow me on Twitter<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span><a href="https://twitter.com/DTJ_AHockeyBlog" style="background-color: white; color: #888888; line-height: 18.48px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">@DTJ_AHockeyBlog</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;">for more updates.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;"><br /><br /><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Thanks for reading!</span></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077048880125946260.post-85991433111681183952015-10-09T12:17:00.000-07:002015-11-06T08:14:03.602-08:002016 NHL Draft Preview: Patrik LaineWelcome to the newest edition of this year's look into draft-eligible prospects. I will try to write up about as many prospects as I can before the draft next June. In giving myself plenty of time to write about prospects, it also gives a good opportunity of such rankings and initial write-ups could change, so I will add edits throughout the year if such changes are necessary to add.<br />
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Today we look at:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18.4px;">Patrik Laine</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18.4px;">Height: 6’4”</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18.4px;">Weight: 210 lbs</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18.4px;">Position: RW</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18.4px;">Shoots: Right</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18.4px;">Team (League): Tappara (Liiga)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18.4px;">ISS rank: 6</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18.4px;">CSS rank: A (no rankings released)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18.4px;">FC rank: 15</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18.4px;">THN rank: NA<br />DTJ rank: <i>(now 5)</i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18.4px;">Statline for 2015-2016 Season: 10 GP, 4G 2A 6P 0PIM, +3, 0.6 Points/Game<br /><br />Laine bounced around teams last season, ultimately playing for 6 of them. This included being bounced back and forth between different leagues of the Finnish professional leagues, mainly between Liiga and Mestis. However, it certainly looks like Laine will be playing consistently for Tappara of Liiga this year. (The statline is only his current statline through the season and will change throughout the year.)<br /><br />Laine was also drafted by the Sarnia Sting with the 24th selection of the 2015 CHL Import Draft. Sarnia, who had drafted Pavel Zacha the year ealier, hoped to hit another home run with an Import pick. However Laine apparently had never been notified beforehand of his drafting and elected to stay with Liiga.<br /><br />So what kind of player is Laine? He's an imposing power forward with an incredible wrist shot and a good knack for creating offense. He hasn't even turned 18 yet and he's shaping up to be one of the most promising forward prospects to ever come out of Finland. There's no doubt in my mind that if Laine came over and played for Sarnia, he would have scored at least 35+ goals. Instead, he stayed in the professional league (of the highest level), which many believe to help produce more "200 ft players". It may be a cliche, but Laine has made significant improvements in all the areas he needed to work on from last season, including his two-way play. I will elaborate on such areas later on.<br /><br />When discussing Laine, it is important to bring about the topic of maturity. Just over a year ago, Laine had an altercation with the Finnish head coach for the Ivan Hlinka tournament, including giving the middle finger and allegedly making threats. Thus Laine was sent home from the tournament. He was only 16 years old at the time and under immense scrutiny. This is not making an excuse for such actions as they were and still are unacceptable, however it's easy to forget how stressful of a time that is on everyone, not even taking into consideration being under immense stress representing an entire nation. Regardless, Laine has publicly stated that he sought the help of a psychologist and would usually call him or her after each game. When asked about his incident he replied with something along the lines of "I don't recognize that person anymore." Look into that all you want, but I'd be in some rough shape if I was judged simply by the things I did or said when I was 16.<br /><br />Patrik Laine had to make significant improvements to his skating, and quickly, if he were to be a consistent threat at the highest level of play in Finland. This year, starting with the Champions Hockey League started (even before the Liiga season started), Laine's skating had shown incredible improvement. It still has a long ways to go, but is much better.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sZNnczI3oiE" width="560"></iframe><br />(Laine is wearing #29 in blue)<br /><br />From this clip above, from September 15th, you can just see that his skating is much better. Also you get to see how good his hands are.<br /><br />Laine's wrist shot is not the only weapon in his arsenal of offense. His playmaking skills and offensive awareness are quite remarkable. He is also able to use his large frame to help shield the puck and is also able to play physical, but doesn't over engage. In a sense his type of play reminds me a lot of a Corey Perry type...in terms of solid two-way play, acceptable skating, not too much physical play, and fantastic offensive capabilities. Of course this is just my opinion and could be completely off, he could also be viewed as a Thomas Vanek type player as well.<br /><br />All in all, I think it's fair to say that Laine's potential is a top-line Right Winger. I have him ranked 4th overall so far and it could move up or down throughout the year. In his last match for Tappara, Laine left the game after his first shift with a shoulder injury. There are some initial reports saying that it is not severe, but the full picture has not been reported yet. It could be anything from shoulder stiffness to a dislocated shoulder. Regardless it still looks like Laine will play in the next match, so it is not of much concern to me at this point.<br /><br />I hope you enjoyed my write-up of Patrik Laine!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">If you have any feedback, suggestions, or players you’d like to see my write about, please let me know!<br /><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><br />Follow me on Twitter<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span><a href="https://twitter.com/DTJ_AHockeyBlog" style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">@DTJ_AHockeyBlog</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">for more updates.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"><br /><br /><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Thanks for reading!</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0