Yesterday I took a look at several centerman that could be of interest to the Canadiens at the 26th pick in this years NHL draft. Here are my suggestions of top end wingers that would look very good in the Bleu-Blanc-Rouge!
Evgeny Svechnikov - LW - 6’2…, 199 lbs, Cape Breton Screaming Eagles (QMJHL) 2015 Draft Ranking: NHLCS/NA #17, ISS #18, #23 McKeen’s, Craig Button #17 2014-2015 Totals: GP 55 G 32 A 46 PTS 78
It is highly unlikely that Svechnikov will be available when the Canadiens draft at #26, however, even though he played in the QMJHL this past season we have seen in past drafts that teams still fear the “Russian Factor…. Thus it wouldn’t be unheard of if Svechnikov were to tumble down the draft board a bit. Svechnikov possesses superior offensive talent with great hands and a terrific shot. He has good size but doesn’t necessarily use it to play a physical game. Some say that he is weak in his own end but that doesn’t seem to be scaring away too many scouts and teams. Last year the Habs benefited from teams that are still reluctant to choose Russian players in the first round and picked up forward Nikita Scherbak. With any luck, Svechnikov could fall into the Habs lap at this year’s draft.
Daniel Sprong - RW - 6’0, 180 lbs, Charlottetown Islanders (QMJHL) 2015 Draft Ranking: NHLCS/NA #20, ISS #26, Future Considerations # 18, Craig Button #38 2014-2015 Totals: QMJHL GP 68 G 39 A 49 PTS 88
Daniel Sprong was born in the Netherlands but his family moved to Quebec in part to give Daniel the best opportunity to develop his hockey skills. The move worked as Sprong would go on to break Tampa Bay’s Alex Killorn’s Midget Lac Saint-Louis points record and go on to be selected in the 1st round of the QMJHL draft by Charlottetown. Sprong possesses elite offensive talent with the ability to score and distribute goals equally effectively. According to his Q coach Gordie Dwyer:
“He's what you call a triple threat offensive player. He's got skill, a great shot and sees the ice and distributes the puck really well. So he's got tremendous upside."
Sprong is further praised and evaluated by Central Scouting's Troy Dumville:
"He's one of the most skilled prospects in QMJHL this year. He possesses good speed, good puck skills and is a goal scorer. He can execute at full speed and creates a lot of challenges for defenders. He's hungry, wants the puck, and I've seen him do everything you want to see done in a prospect. He has a good pro game."
Jake DeBrusk - 6’0, 174 lbs, Swift Current Broncos (WHL) 2015 Draft Ranking: NHLCS/NA #19, #25 McKeen’s, #27 ISS, #21 Craig Button 2014-2015 Totals: WHL GP 72 G 42 A 39 PTS 81
Jake DeBrusk might appear small at 174 lbs but he is a tough player to play against and knock off the puck. DeBrusk plays a two way game but has the potential to become a very effective top line winger if he continues to fine tune his shot. Adding some muscle would obviously help his strength. He is known to be excellent at cycling the puck and winning battles down low. In his second season of junior he more than doubled his point total from 39 to 81 and tied for 6th in goals scored. This jump shows great growth, determination and dedication that Debrusk has for the game. DeBrusk is the son of former NHL Louie Debrusk, a veteran of 401 NHL games who was known as an enforcer. While a very different player than his father, the younger DeBrusk will certainly benefit from his father’s experiences and advice on what it takes to make it to the NHL.
Paul Bittner - LW - 6’4…, 204 LBS, Portland Winterhawks (WHL) 2015 Draft Rankings: NHLCS/NA #26, ISS #17, #29 Future Considerations, #35 Craig Button 2014-2015 Totals: WHL GP 66 G 34 A 37 PTS 71
Paul Bittner fits the modern power forward’s profile in that he’s big, physical and tough to play against but also has very good speed and skates well. Bittner will use his size to his advantage, especially in puck battles and in front of the net. John Williams of NHL Central Scouting had this to say about him:
"He's going to be huge. He'll be a 220-pound guy. He's a smooth skater, really good hands and [can] make plays and good in tight along the wall. He protects the puck well and can retrieve pucks on the forecheck and obviously at that size the fact he's able to do those things, that's what people like. He's not a power forward in the classic sense of 200 penalty minutes. With his size and strength and reach, he's tough to handle."
The biggest question mark on Bittner is if his numbers are inflated having played on a line with WHL leading scorers and veterans Oliver Bjorkstrand and Nic Petan throughout the season. It will be interesting to see his numbers next year with different lineups. His size and skill though are very hard to ignore…
Brock Boeser - RW - 6’1…, 192 lbs, Waterloo (USHL) 2015 Draft Rankings: NHLCS/NA #27, #27 McKeen’s, Future Considerations #26, Craig Button #9 2014-2015 Totals: USHL 57 GM G 35 A 33 PTS 68
The Canadiens need goal scoring and Boeser is certainly a great candidate to fulfill that need. Boeser is known for having a low center of gravity with great balance, making it very hard to knock him off the puck. Most importantly, Boeser is a natural goal scorer. Marc Bergevin will love that he captained the US team at last year’s Ivan Hlinka U-18 Tournament where he scored 6 in 5 games, leading the US to a bronze medal. There is a big discrepancy in his draft rankings, most likely due to the fact that he played in the USHL which some scouts do not value as equally as the CHL. Boesner has committed to the perennial College contender the Univeristy of North Dakota where he should further develop his tools and play in the defensive end.
Denis Guryanov - RW - 6’2…, 192 LBS, Ladia Togliatti (KHL/MHL) 2015 Draft Rankings: NHLCS/EU #7, #22 ISS, #24 McKeen’s, Craig Button # 20 2014-2015 Totals: MHL GP 23 G 15 A 10 PTS 25, KHL GP 8 G 0 A 1 PTS 1
Scouts really like Denis Guryanov’s size and skill as he has the potential to be an excellent top line forward. He has performed at each level although he only played in 8 KHL games this past year. Guryanov knows how to use his size to his advantage and is able to protect the puck well. He possesses a terrific shot and is not afraid to use it. Guryanov has also shown a commitment to becoming a two way player and being responsible in the defensive zone. With Guryanov the “Russian Factor… might come into play more than with Svechnikov as he is seemingly committed to stay in Russia for the next couple of seasons. However, no one is disputing his potential to be the steal of the draft. There are some some very intriguing forwards who could still be available when it comes time for Trevor Timmins to announce the Canadiens first pick of the 2015 NHL draft at the #26 spot. The Habs brass will have to decide how much of a risk they might be willing to take on a player, especially as they are missing a 2nd round pick which would have been very desired in this deep draft. However that price to pay for Jeff Petry was well worth that sacrifice. If the Canadiens are looking for someone who can help in the next 2 years then a player like Svechnikov, Sprong or Debrusk would be the safer choice. However if the Canadiens are willing to take bit of a risk, than they could be highly rewarded with a player the likes of Boeser, Guryanov and Bittner.
Next up will be a look at potential D for the 1st round!
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