Quote:
Originally Posted by FlameZilla
Sounds like Vanier has a lot of room for improvement in the skating department. Is it too much of a deficiency for him to be able to sufficiently upgrade his stride/edgework/agility to NHL levels?
I do like him as a project prospect, but I could see him dropping into the 3rd round. If he were still on the board when Pittsburgh's 3rd round pick is at the podium I would take him. Any earlier and I think it' say bit of a risk. He might be this years equivalent to Eric Roy.
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Roy might be a good comparison, but.... I think Vanier is a little better. You also have a weaker draft than last year, and most of the high skill players in it are small. You see a 6'5" defenceman in that group who has everything but the skating at this point and I think in this group he's worth the earlier gamble.
These guys who are 6'5" often have that weak skating at this age and improve. I see more improvements in tall prospects with their skating (it may never get to make them a speedster but a weak guy can become good enough to make it passable) than in the smaller guys.
Part of it is sometimes the awkwardness of growing into their bodies.
Chara for one looked like a baby giraffe on skates when he was an Islander. Later he would improve. He's the most drastic example but there are others too.