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Meltzer's Musings: Sanheim a Late Riser in 2014 Draft Class, Andre Lacroix

June 5, 2014, 10:17 AM ET [361 Comments]
Bill Meltzer
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • RSSArchiveCONTACT
2014 Draft Depth: Sanheim Among the Fast-Risers

The 2014 NHL Draft may not have as many highly touted names as last year's crop of talent, but that by no means makes this a subpar year for NHL prospects. Every year, it is common to hear that, beyond the top few picks of the first round, there really isn't much of a difference between the projected ceilings of most of the players chosen in the top 40 to 50 picks.

That does not mean, of course, that no one thinks there will be breakout stars beyond the top couple picks or that some players will develop into NHL regulars while others will not. Likewise, it does not mean there won't be some pleasant surprises (or even a future star or two) to emerge from the later rounds.

What it means is that every team will have its own internal rankings of prospects that could, on the surface, differ widely from what other teams and Central Scouting produces. One team may have a player in its top 10 whereas another organization has the same player 35th and Central Scouting has him 15th on its North American/European list. The rankings vary widely but the disparities in the actual evaluations are usually subtle ones.

For example, in his most recent Draft-related podcast on TSN, former Calgary Flames general manager Craig Button opined that this year's draft could prove to be a rather deep one in terms of players who go on to become NHL regulars for a number of years. He added that he had puzzled over whom to leave off of his personal top 60 and top 100 rankings for TSN this year, whereas that is not is the case in other years.

One of the biggest late-risers in the 2014 NHL Draft class is Calgary Hitmen (WHL) defenseman Travis Sanheim. Although he doesn't get much notice among those who rely primarily on Central Scouting's ratings to determine the top prospects in each year's Draft class, the 53rd-ranked North American skater is very much on the radar screen of NHL teams to the point that it would not be much of a surprise -- or a reach by the team that selects him -- if he is taken in the first round of this year's Draft. Even in the Central Scouting ratings, Sanheim rose with a bullet from his mid-term (167th) to final ranking.

Sanheim reportedly met with all 30 NHL teams at the recent Combine. A team not meeting with a player is not necessarily due to a lack of interest (for instance, the Flyers did not meet with Sean Couturier in 2011 but selected him with the eighth overall pick). However, when a team does meet with a player, they do so because they like something about the player on the ice and want to find out a little more about him.

In Sanheim's case, the odds are pretty good that even teams that were simply doing a little extra due diligence on the player but have early first-round picks would consider taking him if they were to acquire an additional pick later in the opening round. If he makes it to the second round, Sanheim would likely be taken within the first few picks. However, based on the buzz among scouts, it sounds like he'll be off the board mid-to-late first round. The public rankings are behind the curve in his case. What scouts are projecting is different from what the public rankings suggest.

Sanheim fits the profile of the type of defenseman that NHL teams look for nowadays. He has a 6-foot-3 frame that still needs to fill out considerably but also has excellent wheels and two-way upside.

"He's a 4S prospect," one scout said, referring to size, speed, skill and hockey sense. "You don't find a lot of defenseman like that. To me, he's a first-round pick."

An untouted first-year WHL player, Sanheim kept things very simple early in the season. He posted three points through the first 21 games of the season as he focused mainly on positional play. His physical profile, skating and first-pass ability along with his general reliability in his own zone were sufficient to get him the 167th spot on the Central Scouting mid-term list.

Thereafter, Sanheim got increasingly comfortable and started to assert himself offensively. As his role grew into that of all-situations player, Sanheim's point totals rose steadily. Paired with fellow 2014 Draft prospect Ben Thomas, Sanheim finished the season with five goals, 29 points and a plus-25 ranking.

Sanheim also made a strong final impression on NHL scouts. Once again paired with Thomas, he had a very strong Under-18 World Championships tournament for Canada, posting six assists and a plus five rating in seven games while also taking care of business in his own of the ice.

Travis' twin brother, Taylor, is a forward whose WHL rights belong to the Brandon Wheat Kings. He was limited to nine games -- all at the Junior A level -- this season. In the meantime, Travis shot up the charts among NHL scouts. The Sanheim twins turned 18 on March 29.

Travis Sanheim's rapid development this season, which was partially hastened by an injury to Hitmen captain Jaynen Rissling (a Washington Capitals prospect), was remarkable. Rather than being a "reach" of a first-round Draft candidate, he may actually be a fairly safe pick relative to the inherent risks of drafting defensemen and nurturing them through their learning curve.

Does Sanheim currently project as a franchise defenseman in the NHL? No, and he may not be a number two, either. He's going to have to get much stronger physically and become more assertive. One of the main knocks on the player is that he is reluctant to intiate a play.

However, assuming that he continues developing and stays healthy, Sanheim has all the tools to become the type of two-way defenseman that triggers breakouts, joins the play on offense and provide containment-style coverage in his own zone without being outmaneuvered by speedy forwards He has significant offensive upside, too, as he showed as the season moved along. Those players are highly desirable.

Players like Sanheim will never be "sexy" draft picks when they lacked eye-catching point totals in their draft year. However, look for his point totals to increase significantly as he gains experience. Sanheim fits the profile of many long-tenured NHL defensemen when they were his age. That is not a guarantee of a long NHL career but he's off to a good start in the pre-draft phase of his development to where he can be projected as a future NHL regular.

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Lacroix Turns 69

Flyers alumnus Andre Lacroix turns 69 years old today. The small but skilled French Canadian center was one of the few offensive standouts in the early years of the existence of the Flyers' franchise. With modest talent surrounding him, Lacroix surpassed the 20-goal mark three straight seasons (1968-69 to 1970-71) and surpassed 55 points twice to lead the recent expansion team in scoring.

In 1971, the Flyers traded him to Chicago for defenseman Rick Foley; a deal that did not work out well for Philly. A serious eye injury set Lacroix back for a time, and he jumped to the WHL in 1972, signing first with the short-lived Philadelphia Blazers. With 798 regular season points, Lacroix ended up becoming the highest scorer in the existence of the WHA (1972-1979). He finished up his career with the Hartford Whalers, coming over with the team upon the NHL-WHA merger and dressing in 29 games during the 1979-80 NHL season.
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