[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Hulk Edition):

LHD Will Skahan is a 6'4",212lb bruiser, who is trending to become a shut-down defender, without producing much offense, and yet- he has had the grade of "B" bestowed upon him by Central Scouting, meaning they believe he's a possible 2nd, or 3rd-round pick. Skahan has so far produced 9 points in 40 NTDP games (with 63 PIM), including 4 points in 14 games (with 45 PIM) in the USHL for the US Development Program. Will's Father was the strength coach for Anaheim and Minnesota in the NHL, and the BU Terriers in the NCAA, which might be the reason that Will is such a good skater for a player his size, with long, powerful strides, and smooth lateral agility. He was drafted by the Hitmen in the WHL US Prospect Draft, in round #2, 26th overall.

Few players illicit the kind of intimidation that Skahan does, with the size and snarl that he brings. He makes life quite miserable for opponents- he's highly physical, and punishes his victims. He's tough, plays very aggressively, and dominates along the walls, in the corners, and in front of the net. Skahan is a defensive stalwart, and a shutdown artist, who plays with an edge, and munches minutes against other teams' best players- hence the "B" grade. Against the rush, he steps up with big hits at the blueline, and keeps a smart, well-timed stick to make stops. He will angle opponents to the boards, and finish them with crushing hits. He skates backwards well, and keeps tight gap control which, when paired with his long reach, spells trouble for forecheckers. He exhibits solid positioning to apply pressure to attackers, and rob them of time and space, and is good at keeping them to the outside, thereby shutting down the middle of the ice. There's healthy defensive IQ in his game to proactively read plays, anticipate, and react. Skahan is hard-working, competitive, and wants to kill each and every play that comes his way. He's a regular on the penalty-kill, as well.

Skahan is not without skill, and shows signs of being puck-capable. With his head up to scan, he can connect on his outlets, and has shown success in moving the puck through transition with his breakout passes. He's a fairly reliable passer when keeping it simple, and staying away from unnecessary risks- when manning the point, he just keeps the puck in the zone, gets pucks to the net, and lets the forwards do their thing. If there's one standout offensive skill that Skahan has, it's his hard, heavy shot. Though Skahan has modest puck-skill, he's still quite raw, and is capable of cleaning up this part of his game, as his play with the puck is quite inconsistent. His decision-making is also deficient, and he lacks offensive instincts. He will never be a big points-producer in the NHL, but he must become more reliable with the puck on his stick. He was originally committed to the U of Wisconsin, but changed over to Boston College. Look for him in round 2.