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Originally Posted by mile
Most scouting reports rave about how Hanifin can quarterback a power play, unlike Bouwmeester. And he projects to be a #1 defenseman. No one is expecting Hickey to be a #1 defenseman, if he ended up being a top 4 guy that would be amazing. A big-minute shutdown defenseman with size like Hanifin is exactly what the Flames need, even if the offense doesn't translate. We have a ton of offensive defenseman anyways.
He would be a steal at 4 or 5. Highly unlikely he falls outside of the top 10, and keep in mind that Button's list isn't a mock draft. Button's lists are always interesting though - it's good to get varying opinions on players.
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It's not like the scouting reports of Bouwmeester from his draft year were that he couldn't QB a powerplay.
A lot of people forget or may be too young to recall, but there was huge hype around Bouwmeester in his draft year. Most people had him pegged to go first overall and it was a huge story that he fell to 3rd in the draft. Some even considered him a prodigy at the time.
Here is an old scouting report (acknowledges his lack of physical play though):
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sport...ouwmeester.htm
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It is hard to believe that Bouwmeester would be able to improve on his already outstanding skating — the one tool above all others that makes him the odds-on favorite to go No. 1 overall in next June's NHL Entry Draft.
His skating is the first thing that jumps out at anyone who sees him play; not only because of his speed and smooth stride but also his agility and exceptional lateral movement. "He is a great skater. He has such a powerful stride and great mobility. His agility is outstanding, especially for a player his size," said coach Bob Loucks.
Bouwmeester uses his skating ability not only to make offensive forays, but also to recover and get back into defensive position after venturing up ice. "Jay has the ability to not only pick the correct time to join the rush, but also to lead the rush," says Loucks.
He also displays excellent hockey sense and on-ice vision and plays a game mature beyond his years. He has the ability to make a tape-to-tape pass at full speed through traffic, and is smart enough to know when to attempt this type of pass and when to just make the safe play. He's an excellent power play quarterback who can find open teammates and has a hard, accurate shot. "He sees the ice so well that he always knows where his teammates are,"says Carriere. "He's a great transition guy, he can turn the puck up ice in an instant."
One aspect of Bouwmeester's game that could use some improvement is his physical play, something Bouwmeester is aware of. "I could work on my defensive game, but that is natural, you can always improve your game," he said
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