Today, I will look at a few players that may be available with the 26th and 57th picks that are skill players. These are the kind of players that excel at things like skating, stickhandling, passing, and scoring. They are the kind of players that show up in the highlights.
Note- when I say pick 26 and 57 I realize some of these players are a stretch for that spot, but I place them there because I do not think they will be around when Vancouver selects. Ie- 26th ranked players won’t be there at 57, 57th ranked players won’t be there at 147.
Pick 26
Brady Skjei- USDP, 6”3 200, D
24GP, 3G, 9A, 12PIM
Skjei is one of the best skaters in this years draft class. The big D out of the USDP moves the puck well and shows the offensive ability to make plays when the puck is on his stick. He is an outstanding passer, and shows a lot of calmness and poise when he has the puck. The downside to Skjei is he still needs to get better in his own end and he plays a little soft for a player of his size.
One of the latest bloomers of the 2012 draft Class, Pearson could be almost ready to step right into most NHL lineups. Pearson is a good skater, who has the ability to quietly make the players around him better. Pearson’s shot is good and his playmaking skills are excellent. His never quit work ethic is sure to make him a coach’s favourite and a great teammate.
NHL Comparison- T.J. Oshie
Andreas Athanasiou- London, 6”0 180, C/LW
63GP, 22G, 15 A, 22PIM
This London Knight has one of the best set of hands in the draft. Athanasiou is a very good skater, who has a ton of potential to be an elite scorer at the next level. Right now, it’s consistency that is holding him back. When he is one his game, he can be the best player on the ice. He has a good shot with a very quick release. If Athanasiou figures out how to play like a star every night, he could be a special player.
NHL Comparison- Thomas Vanek
Tanner Richard- Guelph, 6”0 180, C
43GP, 13G, 35 A, 46PIM
Intelligence, creativeness, and competitiveness are all words the describe Richard. He is one of the better passers in this years draft class and quietly racks up points. He is the kind of high skilled centre that has the potential to be a number one or 1A centre in the NHL. He also has a pretty good shot, although, he does need to shoot more.
NHL Comparison- Brad Richards
Tim Bozon- Kamloops, 6”0 185, LW
71GP, 36G, 35A, 40PIM
A dynamic goal scorer that, that is high risk but the rewards could be huge if he can round out his game a little. While Bozon isn’t terrible in his own end, he does need to learn how to play more physical, and compete a little harder. He is a n excellent skater, who handles the puck with ease. He has one of the best shots in the draft and is a threat to score whenever he is on the ice.
The player that is number one on my list for who I want Vancouver to draft, Aberg is going to be a good one. I consider him the best player in Europe this season, and when people look back in ten years, people will be asking “how did he fall that far?”. He is an outstanding skater, with great speed, who is tough to knock off the puck. Aberg has a great shot, good vision, and can pass the puck well. His compete level and work ethic are as good as any in this years draft class.
NHL Comparison- Henrik Zetterberg
Pick 57
Charles Hudon- Chicoutimi, 5”10 170, LW
59GP, 25G, 41A, 50PIM
A good character kid, that had a bit of a rough year this season. Hudon is very blessed in the skill areas of the game and is great at finding the open areas of the ice. He is a great stick handler, passer and shooter. He’s the type of player you don’t notice a ton when you watch him, but then you look at the stats sheet and he has a couple of points. Feisty and a little undersized, Hudon has excellent work ethic and is a team first type of guy.
Bourke is a creative little player with a team first attitude. He has a ton of skill and makes his teammates better. His vision, stick-handling, and passing are all very good. Right now, the biggest concern with him is size. For him to play at the NHL level he needs to get bigger and stronger. If he can do that, he could be a very good second line centre.
NHL Comparison- Ray Whitney
Jesse Graham- Niagara, 5”11 170, D
68GP, 4G, 37A, 36PIM
One of the best skaters in the 2012 draft, Graham should be ranked a lot higher, in my opinion. He has a lot of skill and can run a power-play. His passing, vision, smarts and skill are all very good. He doesn’t have a hard shot, but he does a very good job of getting it through traffic and it is very tipable. In his own end he does struggle with bigger players in the corners and in front of the net. Graham is a hard working player, who never takes a shift off.
NHL Comparison- Duncan Keith (type)
Devin Shore- Whitby, 6”0 185, C
41GP, 29G, 29A, 26PIM
A fairly big riser over the past year, Shore could round into a good 2/3 line centre. He has shown he can be a scorer at the Jr. A level and will likely be able to continue that type of performance in College. He has good vision and his smarts are likely his best skill right now. He needs to get better on the back-check and improve his skating a bit in order to play in the NHL.
NHL Comparison- Shawn Horcoff
Kevin Roy- Lincoln, 5”9 170, C
59GP, 54G, 50A, 50PIM
One of the most skilled players in this years draft class, Roy is a pure scorer. Roy scored 54 goals this past season in the USHL and will move on to play at Brown University. Other then scoring, there isn’t much else to Roy’s game, but lucky for him, he is really good at scoring. He is a boom or bust type pick, but if he can get better in his own end and get stronger he could be one special player.
NHL Comparison- Claude Giroux (if he can round out his game and get stronger is the high-end)
Video of Roy at 13
Does anyone else think it’s not right for 13-year-old kids to be able to do things like that?
Esa Lindell- Jokerit Jr., 6”3 195, D
48GP, 21G, 30A, 16PIM
The big Fin is rapidly moving up people’s draft boards after putting on an offensive clinic in Finland. He is a great skater, with a cannon for a shot. The offensive part of his game is near the top of this draft class for defenceman. One problem, He doesn’t really get that he’s a defenceman. He doesn’t use his size much and is rather soft in his own end. If he can become at least serviceable in his own end he could be a steal. If he can’t do that, well, he would make for an intriguing project as a power-winger.
NHL Comparison- Brent Burns (if he can get better in his own end)
Christian Djoos- Brynas Jr., 5”11 160, D
40GP, 3G, 21A, 22PIM
He is a highly skilled defenceman, who has a very high ceiling if he is developed right. Djoos is an outstanding stick handler with a lot of skill. He makes very nice passes up the ice and does a good job of making the right play. His vision and smarts are at a high level. In his own end he plays smart and is generally in the right position. For him to play at the next level he will need to improve his skating and physical play.
Vancouver Canucks Blogger • 
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