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Seventh Round Sleepers

June 22, 2017, 2:44 PM ET [1 Comments]
Paul Berthelot
Columbus Blue Jackets Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
This is one of my favourite posts to do each year. This will be my fourth year in a row writing this and the goal of it is to find undervalued talent late in the draft. Over the years I have identified some good players like Joe Hicketts and Conor Garland, but am far from perfect. Overall of the 29 players I have profiled six have been drafted by NHL teams (20.7%).
With the Jackets having traded away their first and second round picks they are going to be looking for players like this late in the draft.

To qualify as a sleeper, the player needs to not be ranked by the Hockey Prospect 2017 Black Book. HP ranked 388 skaters eligible for the draft so there are plenty of players to choose from. These are all players that have warts in their game but if they are able to overcome that, could become viable NHL prospects. The scouting tidbits come from the Black Book, with the stats from Elite Prospects.

Players are listed in alphabetical order.

Sean Durzi – D
Team: Owen Sound Attack (OHL)
Height: 5’11 Weight: 185
Stats: 60GP 2-36-38

Strengths – Is an offensive defencemen who put up decent numbers. He has a really good shot that he is able to consistently put on net. He played in key situations for a very strong Owen Sound team that advanced to the Western Conference finals.

Weaknesses – His shooting percentage crumbled this season dropping from 16.4% to 1.8% and his goal production predictably fell from 10 to two. He is on the smaller side for a defencemen and had some struggles in his own zone.

Maxime Fortier – RW
Team: Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)
Height: 5’10 Weight: 176
Stats: 68GP 32-55-87


Strengths – Fortier is re-entry player but should have been drafted last season, and is very likely to get picked this year. He has “game breaking speed” and finished ninth in QMJHL scoring with 87 points. He was an all situations player for Halifax, who was a threat to score whenever he was on the ice.

Weaknesses – Played on a line with projected top pick Nico Hischer, which may hurt his stock. He’s considered small, and doesn’t play very physical. His hockey IQ is average and he can make poor decisions with the puck. He is not a strong defensive player.

Thomas Gregoire – D
Team: Sherbrooke Phoenix (QMJHL)
Height: 5’11 Weight: 170
Stats: 66GP 10-54-64


Strengths – Is a strong offensive defencemen, finishing fourth among QMJHL defenders. The three players ahead of him have all been drafted. He is poised on the backend and has strong on-ice vision. He’s a puck mover and while he doesn’t have a hard shot, he picks his spots and usually hits the net.

Weaknesses – Is undersized, which somewhat limits what he can do in his own zone. He isn’t the best skater which again limits him to an extent defensively. Occasionally makes a risky play in his own zone because of these weaknesses. Is a re-entry player in his second season of eligibility, and had a knee injury last season.

Cole Guttman – C
Team: Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL)
Height: 5’10 Weight: 163
Stats: 53GP 27-27-54


Strengths – Had similar production to that of sure-fire first rounder Eeli Tolvanen. Tolvanen had 54 points in 52 games, and was an insane shot generator putting up 246 shots. Guttman doesn’t have that same shot generation ability, which is why he's not as highly ranked as Tolvanen. Guttman has “natural offensive instincts,” good hands and creativity. He shoots the puck well and with his strong hockey IQ puts himself in good positions to score.

Weaknesses – Is from California and thus isn’t a very well-known player. He does not have a ton of speed, and needs to work on his skating. Was overshadowed in the USHL by Tolvanen, and on his own team by Zach Solow (more on Solow below).

Juho Korhonen – D
Team: Karpat U20 (Jr. A SM-liiga)
Height: 5’9 Weight: 168
Stats: 35GP 11-20-31


Strengths – Is an offensive defencemen, who scored close to a point per game. He has great vision which helps him make strong up ice passes. He skates well, with his head up always looks for the right play. He has a “hard, accurate shot and makes good shooting decisions.”

Weaknesses – For as good as his offensive game is, he is a mess in his own zone. He’s undersized and often got beat one on one. His defensive positioning also needs a lot of work.

Aatu Luusuaniemi – RW
Team: Karpat U20 (Jr. A SM-liiga)
Height: 6’1 Weight: 192
Stats: 34GP 15-22-37


Strengths – Was arguably the best draft eligible to play in the Jr. SM-liiga. Luusuaniemi lead U18 skaters with 1.09 points per game, just edging out Jesse Koskenkorva (ranked 148). He has hard shot, and very good puck skills. He is strong and can overpower junior players with his aggressiveness. He isn’t afraid to drive to the net to create scoring opportunities for himself.

Weaknesses – His hockey sense has been called into question on more than once occasion. He needs to improve his mobility and, while he has good speed, his acceleration is lacking. He has not played a game in the Liiga yet, whereas Koskenkorva and other young players have.

Zach Solow – C
Team: Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL)
Height: 5’9 Weight: 181
Stats: 56GP 18-51-69


Strengths – Solow led the USHL in scoring with 69 points. His 1.23 points per game puts him on par with players like Alex Tuch (1.23), Jake Guentzel (1.22), Johnny Gaudreau (1.20) and Brock Boeser (1.19) and their draft eligible seasons. Solow has “good hockey sense and playmaking ability.” He has a decent shot but tends to stay on the perimeter looking for the pass.

Weaknesses – There are questions as to whether his style of play will translate to the pro game. He doesn’t drive to the net and is more of an “opportunistic scorer” than someone who creates plays for himself. He needs to improve his skating as he lacks speed and explosiveness.

These players are all skilled but all have their flaws. They are project picks, but if an NHL team thinks they could correct that flaw they could have themselves a very good prospect for very little cost. These are the ultimate boom or bust type of picks. The Jackets lacking on high picks, need to be swinging for the fences when they make their picks this weekend.

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