Quote:
Originally Posted by FlameZilla
Virtanen on paper is a player who should definitely go top 10, but there's obviously a reason there has been absolutely no discussion whatsoever about him going top 5.
He's possibly the fastest skater in the draft class. He has a monster shot. He's big and can play an imposing game. What's not to like? Lack of consistency has been mentioned, and I've heard nothing mentioned about his hockey IQ.
My fear is that he has all the tools but no toolbox. Any observations from our resident amateur scouts?
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From watching this video specifically, he has bits of everything that you need, but nothing at an elite level. In that manner he's a bit like Monahan, albeit at a lesser level in virtually every way than Mono is.
Virtanen should become a solid secondary player, and anyone picking in the 7-10 range should be thrilled to get him. However, because he doesn't have that upper level skill, you're likely looking at someone that's more of a second liner at the NHL level if that.
That's not knocking him at all, he should be a successful pick for where he should go. However with the Flames likely picking in the 4-6 range, it would be a bit of a bad pick with guys that do have higher level skill like Ehlers Draisaitl, Dal Colle on the board.