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With the Fourteenth Pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, Calgary Selects...

June 14, 2012, 9:07 AM ET [36 Comments]
Brian Huddle
CHL and NHL Prospects • RSSArchiveCONTACT



15. Olli Määttä
16. Tom Wilson
17. Sebastian Collberg
18. Matt Finn
19. Andrei Vasilevski
20. Slater Koekkoek
21. Henrik Samuelsson
22. Derrick Pouliot
23. Tomas Hertl
24. Hampus Lindholm
25. Nicolas Kerdiles
26. Scott Laughton
27. Ludvig Bystrom
28. Cristoval 'Boo' Nieves
29. Oscar Dansk
30. Malcolm Subban

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Calagry is getting older, and still outside the playoffs. They've seen some good steps in adding the likes of Bartschi (an elite prospect), and Backlund is coming around into a good player. While they continuously refuse to rebuild and move some big assets (Iginla, Kipper) for young cheaper assets to restock, things won't get any better unless they start hitting home runs at the draft table.

"With the fourteenth pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, Calgary is proud to welcome, from the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the USHL: Zemgus Girgensons."



A natural center, this USHL Captain comes with big upside as he plans on attending the University of Vermont in the fall. While many questions surround a possible CHL transfer next season (Kelowna own his rights), Z has stuck to his guns thus far, as Vermont has been a dream of his for many years.

An explosive skater, his Latvian Captain reaches top speed before anyone else on the ice. His strides are choppy, but he shows great acceleration out of the gate. A skater who consistently keeps his feet moving, Girgensons is hard to contain with the puck on his stick. He utilizes that speed so well to enter the offensive zone and set things up or drive right to the net.

A physical beast, Girgensons comes in at six-foot-two and 200 lbs. When the puck is on his stick, he prefers to skate through defenders rather than go wide, using his strength, and puck control with a dropped shoulder to drive hard for scoring opportunities. He's shown a quick release to his shot, usually labeled for the top corner and the back of the net.

Defensively he shows good positioning, though will need to improve on the use of his stick. He fights hard as a two-way player to come back deep and use his size and strength. He throws hits like it's his job and makes sure you know he's on the ice with you.

A natural leader, Z is a communicator on the ice, during, before and after each shift.

On the downside, the injury bug hit Z hard down the stretch. Some thought he tried to take hi team on his shoulders through the injury and suffered because of it. He has a habit of blind passes after working hard for a puck and leading to turnovers, as well. Questions have arose about how his game will translate as he faces bigger and stronger competition.

That being said, it's hard to not come away liking the game of one Zemgus Girgensons after each game. A hard working competitor, there's no doubt that Zemgus will likely play in the NHL one day. In what capacity, is the ultimate question.
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