More comments on Tkachuk and Chychrun from
http://ohlprospects.blogspot.ca/2016...-for-2016.html
Jakob Chychrun (D)
"I know there's a lot of hype around other players, but I keep asking NHL execs about Chychrun and they still love him. Man-child, Noah Hanifin's skating acumen but with an edge, generational talent…it's hard to ignore those types of comments." - Ryan Kennedy
"Poor guy is doing too much and distorting the picture making it harder to tell what is what. Physical freak, purebred leader, great skater, but grenade-y hands and jumpy decisions. Jones abused him back to back – bad timing. The 2nd half is his to show he has it in him to be a top pairing D and not just one with #3D ceiling.” - Anthony Mauro
"NHL scouts are really torn on him, although some still absolutely love him and believe he's right there with Matthews. I love a lot of things about his game, but I just wish I saw him be more of a consistent game breaker." - Anonymous
"Still the top OHL skater available in the upcoming NHL draft, Jakob Chychrun has such an intriguing skill set its hard for me to see any player in the Ontario Hockey League getting selected before him. Chychrun plays with veteran poise, shows tremendous leadership qualities and is impactful in every situation he's deployed in. A high end skater with excellent mobility and elite speed, Chychrun excels in possession as he can dictate the pace of the game and create offensive from the back end. Displaying high end vision and playmaking skills, Chychrun is a strong decision maker that boasts high end hockey sense. Defensively Chychrun closes gaps quickly and effectively, shows excellent contain and an ability to be a versatile defender, excelling in both a physical aspect and as a stick on puck defender. If there is one knock on Chychrun at this point, it's that he can try to do to much. When his team is down he begins to force plays and take risks that aren't necessary. However those are very correctable errors that should smooth out as he continues to learn and develop." - Mike Mackley
"Seen Jakob over a dozen times this season alone. Still my undisputed top OHL prospect as his upside is that of a true top pairing NHL defender no matter what some outlets might be spinning. Coach Hatcher has him reeling in his offensive game a bit more in favor of playing a safer game which might not be for Jakob’s best interest from a showcase of talent point of view as his offensive rushing ability is absolutely dynamic. A jack of all trades type who holds excellent size, skating, smarts and offensive skill plus the ability to be a pretty impressive shutdown defender." - Dan Stewart
"Chychrun has the ability to impact the game at both ends of the ice. His skating, vision and hockey smarts allow him to jump into the offense with relative ease and when you add in his shot, his offense is at a level that is NHL ready. And so is his defensive game. He already has NHL size, plays a physical game and is almost always in position. There is one thing that really stands out to me about him when I focus solely on him: I cannot recall ever seeing a player who regularly directs traffic like Chychrun does, especially, but not limited to the defensive zone. He has so much respect from his teammates that they follow his lead and direction and good things usually happen." - Dominic Tiano
"Has really had an uneven season...Last month he has started to find his groove...All the physical tools you want in a franchise D...Will need to play good through the playoffs to help the Sting go deep AND keep his stock high...Teams are becoming wary of his indifferent play at times." - Mark Seidel
Matthew Tkachuk (LW)
"Like his attitude and work ethic to go along with excellent one ice awareness and small space skills. Still growing, getting stronger. As good as anyone below hash marks offensively, where the NHL game is played." - Todd Warriner
"What impresses me most about Tkachuk is his ability to play any style the game commands. He can play finesse as demonstrated by his 70 points in 37 games. He can play the physical game as a 6’1”, 194 pound power forward. He can think the game at an elite level for his peer group. All this wrapped up with his impressive bloodlines make him a highly attractive and safe prospect." - Peter Harling
"No doubting his offensive skills but slides down my list because of benefits by playing with Dvorak and Marner." - Manny Paiva
"High end hockey sense and positional play, plus the grit and sandpaper combined with offensive skill to boot make him a projected top line winger and Stanley Cup playoff warrior. Reminds me a bit of a young Adam Deadmarsh more so than his old man after seeing him play a bunch this season in London. A top-5 pick at this point." - Dan Stewart
"As good as Mitch Marner and Christian Dvorak are, Matthew Tkachuk might be this year’s Knight ‘MVP’. He has added another dimension to an already gifted team, and they’ve been unstoppable offensively as a result. Love the way he plays with both power and finesse. Not an extremely good skater, but he can handle the puck and score as well as he can pass. He has an edge to his game that makes him a complimentary fit with pretty much any type of centre. Tkachuk’s relentless on loose pucks and excellent at lifting them off defenders to create turnover. He’s going to excel in the NHL soon rather than later because of his maturity." - Scott Wheeler
"There's so much to like about Tkachuk because he's the one player that really stresses giving it 100 percent on every shift, and not just every game. I admire that in him. He really opened some eyes for the U.S. at the World Junior Championship, tying Auston Matthews in points for the team lead. He has good hands, a nice scoring touch and can also fight for pucks in the dirty areas of the ice." - Mike Morreale
"His dad was a great NHL player. Matthew could be more of an offensive force. Like his dad, Matthew has a "dirty" streak to him. As a scout said to me, with a smile on his face, "he's a nasty piece of work, eh?" Isn't afraid to get his nose dirty or go to the dirty areas. I never would have expected him to be number 1 on this list, but in my opinion his play has improved as the season has gone on, that he deserves it." - Tony Ambrogio