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Today I will look at some of the players that may be able to fill some of the holes in Vancouver’s organization. I call this drafting by need. Right now the cupboard is pretty bare for Left Winger. Currently, I would have Mike Duco as Vancouver’s best LW prospect and as much as I like Duco, I he’ll top out at a third liner. So that position needs to be addressed at the draft.
After that, I believe Vancouver has some very good defencman prospects, but out of the current group, only a few standout for bringing a physical presence. This would be the second need that I see in the Canucks organization.
Rounding out the top five needs of the Canucks are skilled forwards, size, and defenceman in general.
26th Pick
Jordan Schmaltz, D, 6”2 190, Green Bay
55GP, 10G, 31A, 21PIM
The smooth skating defenceman had another outstanding year in the USHL. Schmaltz has NHL size, but does need to fill out his frame in a big way in order to play in the NHL. His skating, smarts, shot, and passing are all amongst the best defencemen in this year’s class. His gap control and defensive positioning are very good and make him tough to play against. The major knock on him is that he is a fairly soft payer, but hopefully that will work itself out as he fills out.
NHL Comparison- Keith Yandle
Need Filled- Defenceman, Right-Handed
Tomas Hyka, RW, 5”11 160, Gatineau
50GP, 20G, 44A, 30PIM
The speedy, skilled winger was passed over in last year’s draft, but in the off-season came close to signing a deal with the flyers. One problem, he wasn’t eligible to sign because he played in Europe last season and was under 22. While at Flyers camp, the club compared him to superstar Claude Giroux, because of his speed, hands, and good strength for his slight stature. While there is a lot of boom or bust potential in Hyka, the Flyers do have a pretty solid track record in finding Jr. talent.
NHL Comparison- David Krejci
Need Filled- High end skilled forward
Henrik Samuelsson, RW, 6”2 211, Edmonton
28GP, 7G, 16A, 42PIM
Big, physical, and has a nasty edge to his game. While there are a certain amount of questions surrounding Samuelsson’s upside, no one can question the physical tools he has. His hands are above average and while his skating needs some work, it isn’t anything to be worried about. However, his discipline, that’s another story. For Samuelsson to have a long NHL career he will need to be on the edge and not over the edge. While Vancouver is essentially the Fort Knox of the NHL in terms of getting info, my guess is the young Swede’s name may have come u in casual conversation with Gillis’ good friend Markus Naslund (Samuelsson’s GM in SEL).
NHL Comparison- Milan Lucic
Need Filled- Size
Phillip Di Giuseppe, LW, 6”0 176, Michigan
40GP, 11G, 15A, 18PIM
With the cupboard being fairly bare at Left Wing, Di Giuseppe is a player that may make some sense there. He’s a very safe pick, in my opinion. If he doesn’t end up as a top 6 guy, he is a smart enough to bang and crash a bit in the bottom 6. Di Giuseppe best assets are his good hands, outstanding skating, and willingness to battle. Who ever drafts Di Giuseppe will be getting a very solid 2/3 line player.
NHL Comparison- Patrick Marleau
Need Filled- LW
Jarrod Maidens, LW/C, 6”0 180, Owen Sound
28GP, 12G, 11A, 4PIM
Maidens is one of the more interesting players in this year’s draft class to me. When healthy, he looks like a sure-fire top 20 pick. But since Maidens missed a huge chunk of the year with an unknown injury, he hasn’t been healthy since before Christmas. Maidens is a good skater with excellent foot speed. He drives the net well and has a knack for finding open ice and scoring big goals. His character, leadership qualities and compete levels are all near the top of this draft class. He’s the kind of player that you just can’t help but pull for because he leaves everything on the ice. 26 may be a bit of a stretch, but if he falls to 57 I sure hope Gillis takes a shot on him.
NHL Comparison- Ryan Kesler (compete with injury issues and all)
Need Filled- LW, High end skilled forward, Size
Slater Koekkoek, D, 6”2 185, Peterborough
26GP, 5G, 13A, 17PIM
Another player, another injury plagued year. Koekkoek may be one of the best athletes in the draft. He is also has the high-end skill to make plays from the backend. Never one to pass up a chance to hit, Koekkoek does that extremely well and keeps opponents honest because of it. He is an excellent skater and has a great shot. The flaws in is game are that he tends to try and do too much and that can lead to turnovers. If Gillis wants to take a homerun swing and go after a guy who could be a franchise D, Koekkoek could be that guy if he is there at 26.
NHL Comparison- Zach Bogosian
Need Filled- Physical D
Dalton Thrower, D, 5”11 190, Saskatoon
66GP, 18G, 26A, 103PIM
While his stock has gone up over the past few months and I’m not sure he will be there at 26, Thrower is the kind of player that Vancouver could use. He hits like a track and is afraid of no one. He will take on all comers when it comes to dropping the mitts and he’ll usually come out on the good side of it. Thrower is a great skater that has a lot of offensive upside to go along with his grit. While a lot of people compare him to Bieksa, I see him as more of a Bieksa/Kronwall hybrid because of his skill and hitting combination. If he is on the board at 26, Gillis will have to consider keeping Thrower in his hometown.
NHL Comparison- Bieksa/Kronwall hybrid
Need Filled- Physical D
Anton Slepyshev, LW, 6”2 190, Novokuznetsk
39GP, 4G, 3A, 2PIM
With Russians there is always a risk that they won’t come over and will stay in Russia, so this would be a big gamble. But, a gamble that could pay off in the form of a 40 goal scorer. Slepyshev is an explosive skater that has a great shot. He can stick-handle around players and make them look down right silly at times. His game at 17 is near where Kuznetsov and Tarasenko were at his age. If you think you can get him over to the NHL, Slepyshev would be a solid pick.
NHL Comparison- Alex Semin
Need Filled- High-end skilled forward
57th Pick
Nick Ebert, D, 5”11 205, Windsor
66GP, 6G, 33A, 58PIM
Ebert is a player that was ranked as a possible top five pick at the start of the year, but due to over exposure and so/so play, he has fallen in a lot of scouts minds. My opinion of Ebert is that he has the skill and physical tools (very strong and an excellent skater) to win the Norris Trophy one day. There is a lot of his game that reminds me of Doughty and Green and I can see him putting up 60+ points in the NHL one day. But then there is the night’s that he just looks uninterested in playing in his own end. He doesn’t really get involved physically and should be able to play the physical game based on his athletic ability. If he makes it to 57 he is a player to consider.
NHL Comparison- Mike Green
Need Filled- Defenceman, Right-Handed
Connor Brown, RW, 5”10 160, Erie
68GP, 25G, 28A, 14PIM
Minus 72? Is that stat right? Yep it’s right, but it also has something to do with the team he played on. Brown is a player that can score. He has great vision and his hockey sense is pretty good to. While he still has the defensive parts of his game to round out, I like the fact that he recognizes that and is trying to get better at it. Steve Yzerman learned how to play D so it can be taught. While Brown is still in need of filling out and getting better in his own end I can see him being a solid second line player one day.
NHL Comparison- Kyle Wellwood
Need Filled- High end skilled forward
Erik Karlsson, C, 6”0 162, Frolunda Jr.
47GP, 14G, 19A, 70PIM
No not that one. This profile is on the one who is still in Sweden. Karlsson is a good skater who is still a little thin, but once he fills out he could become a solid prospect. He isn’t afraid of going into the dirty areas to mix it up, and he has a skillset that makes the players around him better. There is a certain amount of bust potential with Karlsson, but he should be at least looked at with the 57th pick.
NHL Comparison- Valtteri Filppula
Need Filled- High end skilled forward
Philip Tot, RW, 6”2 200, Lethbridge
61GP, 14G, 31A, 37PIM
Still a bit of a project, Tot is an intriguing package of size, skill and skating. The big winger has the type of frame to be a very good NHL player. He goes to the net well, although he needs to do it more often to be successful in the NHL. Still a bit more of a play-maker then a scorer, Tot has a good shot, but needs to shoot more often.
NHL Comparison- Blake Wheeler (type)
Need Filled- Size
Raphael Bussieres, LW, 6”1 195, Baie Comeau
56GP, 21G, 23A, 60PIM
I am honestly baffled as to why Bussieres is ranked so low. Sure he isn’t a first rounder, but I would be surprised to see him get out of the third round. I don’t really see a huge difference between him and Samualsson. Bussieres is a very good skater, and when you combine that with his size and willingness to hit, you get a pretty good player. There are still some questions around his skill, but I think he has the skill to be a 20-25 goal guy because of his hard shot and good hands. Bussieres could play a little more disciplined, and learn to pick his spots better (to hit guys), but as far as NHL potential goes I can see him slotting in anywhere from the second line to the fourth line.
NHL Comparison- Dustin Brown
Need Filled- LW, size
Calle Andersson, D, 6”2 210, Farjestad jr.
49GP, 12G, 24A, 56PIM
Andersson is another player that baffles me as to why he is so low. He already has NHL level size, skating, and skill. He makes good passes out of the zone or can carry the puck up the ice. Andersson has a very hard shot from the point and is good at getting it on net. His biggest flaw is despite his size advantage on most players, he rarely hits. Andersson could also stand to become better in his own end. If he can become a physical presence he could be come a top pairing D.
NHL Comparison- Alex Edler
Need Filled- Defenceman, Right-Handed
Jeremy Rotevall, LW, 6”0 176, Timra
46GP, 2G, 1A, 2PIM
Second round may be a bit of a reach, but I doubt Rotevall is around in the fifth round. He is an excellent skater that has played the majority of the past two season against men. Rotevall works very hard in all three zones and finishes his checks. While there are concerns about how much offence he will contribute at the NHL level, it is safe to say that whoever selects him will be getting a solid player.
NHL Comparison- Jannik Hansen
Need Filled- LW
Justin Kea, C, 6”4 215, Saginaw
65GP, 3G, 11A, 76PIM
Whoever selects Kea will be getting a very interesting project. Kea has the size and athletic ability to become a very good player. Few players in this year’s class are as big, and strong as Kea. He also has some decent skill and is a good skater. Kea is also a solid fighter, who will stick up for teammates. While Kea is never going to dazzle people, he does have a good shot, and with the right playmaker he could get 20 at the NHL level.
NHL Comparison- Ryane Clowe (a bit less scoring)
Need Filled- Size
Well that’s a wrap for today.
Ian
Five Hole For Food
Five Hole For Food is coming to a town near you this summer. For those of you that don't know, the concept was brought forward by some friends in Vancouver, who decided they would travel the country setting up street hockey games. The price to play in the game is a can of food or donation to the local food bank.
To date Five Hole for Food has raised over 70,000 pounds of food for food banks and is continuing the fight against hunger all over North America!
2012 Tour Dates
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Halifax – July 5th
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