|
Talented 16 year olds on the world stage |
|
|
|
|
|
As most people know the U18 championships are being played in Sochi right now and there are several young potential stars on the rise. It’s a great tournament to watch to see players in leagues that don’t have much exposure and players that will be in future drafts. Several of these players are in the 2014 draft bracket and others in the 2015, including the celebrated “Next One” Connor McDavid. Here’s a little bit on some of the guys to watch out for. There are other great young talents in the tournament that I won’t list like Ivan Barbashev, Aaron Ekblad or Sam Reinhart and a few others.
2014
William Nylander Altelius – Nylander is…you guessed it, the son of former NHLer (and current teammate) Michael Nylander. This Canadian born Swede is one to watch in the race for first overall. His offensive skills are off the charts. He has elite speed, incredible hockey sense and playmaking skills and the puck is on a string when he stick handles. It’s hard to put into words, but just watching him play you can see that he has offensive instincts that you can’t teach. He got a taste of pro hockey as well this year in a dominating performance after being called up to Södertälje in the Allsvenskan. The 16 year old scored 4 goals and added 2 assists in his 8 games, before adding 3 points in 10 in the playoffs. The only issues are things that are common to 90% of 16 year olds in hockey, he’s on the small side at 5’10 and he doesn’t think defense often. To put this in perspective he absolutely blew Filip Forsberg’s 16-18 year old numbers out of the water.
Kasperi Kapanen – Yes another son of an ex-NHLer! Kapanen is of course Sami Kapanen’s son and funny enough his teammate and franchise owner as well. He plays a lot like his dad and the comparison is very striking. He’s blisteringly fast and extremely quick in his acceleration and movement. He’s a bit one dimensional in that he loves to shoot, from anywhere and everywhere, he gets the puck on net every chance he has. He scored 4 goals in his 13 game call-up in the SM-liiga and showed good development. As to where he is likely going to be picked in the draft, most peg him in the 12-20 range based on his size (A generous 5’10) and raw skills that need refinement. He’s an interesting player with that speed though.
Samuel Bennett – Bennett is a really interesting prospect and is likely going to be high on the wish list of most teams. He does it all basically and is considered a coach’s dream in Kingston. He’s extremely elusive and an excellent shooter with great breakout speed. He’s willing to take the body and even though he’s still slight of build he’s thrown some nice hits. He has really soft hands and even before the OHL draft most commenters believed only Connor McDavid had better hands in midget AAA. He was a bright spot for the usually drab and disappointing Frontenacs posting 40 points in 63 games and looked better in the playoffs. A lot can happen in a year and his draft position could radically change especially because of the Frontenac curse, but most expect him to have a really big year next season and be in the top-10.
Oskar Lindblom – He came close to being in the 2015 draft and is the youngest of the 2014 guys on this list. I have to admit I haven’t seen Lindblom play outside of three games and I don’t really know much about his play in Sweden. I do however know that his dominance on the international scene is highly in his favour. He was the best player in the U17 championship on the Gold winning Swedish squad, he led the tournament in goals and points to go along with just being physically better than most of his competition. He’s already got 2 goals and an assist in the U18’s so far and his poise and all-around game is excellent, though his real strength is his creativity on the PP. I’ve seen him listed around the 2nd round, though I think based on his age and international play I can easily see him being a fast riser as the year goes on.
2015
Connor McDavid – What more can you say when you’re compared to Crosby and anointed the “Next One” by the hockey world at 15? He’s sick, absolutely filthy in the offensive zone and never quits. That’s one of the biggest reasons he’s so highly thought of, he has that elite talent, but he also trains and works as hard as anyone. The OHL Rookie of the Year is one of the youngest players in the tournament (The Slovaks have a 15 year old I think) and the best just shows you. Anything can happen in 2 years, but it’s very likely McDavid’s name gets called first and whichever team gets him will be dancing for joy.
Rasmus Andersson – Andersson is the brother of Rangers prospect Calle Andersson (119 overall 2012) and has already surpassed his older bro. He’s primarily an offensive defender and he brings all you’d hope and expect from a player in that designation. He has a booming shot that one expects to get harder and stronger as he ages and gets stronger. His skating is superb and he is extremely mobile in all directions. He got a lot of ice-time in the Allsvenskan on a poor Malmo squad; in fact most agree he was their best defender many nights. The interesting thing is that he plays a fairly rugged and physical game even against the pros. His defensive game needs some work, but against his own age group he’s more than capable of shutting players down and his relish of the physical game should continue as he grows (6’0 203lbs). Some view him as a generational talent for dmen and likely a top-5 pick, his play at such a young age against pro men is extremely impressive…and as a defender even more so.
Yevgeni Svechnikov – If you want to point out a guy many will expect to be an elite goal scorer it’s Svechnikov. Laser beam of a wrist shot and just loves to pick the top corners, he’s got a shot that I like to put as if Phil Kessel’s speed met Alex Semin’s placing had a baby and made Svechnikov’s shot. There are some thoughts that he might be picked in the CHL draft and come over, though it’s only speculation at this point. He was great in his rookie year in the MHL showing his goal scoring ability. He has the offensive skills you would expect from a Russian skill player and with this comes the issues in defensive coverage and lack of defensive awareness, typical issues, but he’s a goal scorer first and foremost. He has some elite offensive abilities and puck handling ability. He’s a good player to watch and his 7 goals in 6 games at the U17 tournament were pretty darn sweet.
Jack Eichel – If there is a guy expected to give McDavid a run for first overall, it’s likely Eichel. The big American centre is bursting with offensive talent and two-way ability. He’s dynamic with the puck and is very hard to take off the disc. His play in the USHL (Led his team in goals and points) is at the level that most 18 year old first round picks are, and at 16 that’s pretty darn crazy. He’s got great face-off abilities and is considered better in his own zone than McDavid, though that might be the only thing he has over him, and experience can change that. He has an interesting future in that the Halifax Mooseheads drafted him and are trying to bring him to the QMJHL, but he has already laid commitments to Boston University for the 2014-2015 season so where he actually ends up might affect his draft status.
Thanks for reading.
Join the Discussion:
»