Quote:
Originally Posted by Snuffleupagus
Early looks are 1st round should be very forward heavy, 2nd round likely a lot of defenseman. Talent in the top 10 could be even better than last years draft class but again it's early.
And I agree with Bob, Schaefer could very well go #1, he's elite in so many ways.
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Early draft reports describe Schaefer’s skating/speed and stick handling as especially elite. I think of two types of “elite” skaters when it comes to defencemen in the NHL today:
1. The ones that make it seem effortless and smooth where they can close gaps on most players while looking like they are barely moving their feet - I see this in guys like Hanifin and Dahlin. I also think Parekh is similar to this type of skater.
2. The ones with explosive acceleration and quick feet. They can blow by other players when they change gears in quick order. This type of skater amongst defencemen is very rare and more of a new development in the NHL. Makar is obviously the gold standard in this type of defenceman and he stands several levels above everyone else.
What’s exciting about Schaefer is that I would put him more in the 2nd category. He flies by people when attacking the zone including when he goes wide to the outside. I’m not saying he’s the next Makar - just that his offensive style and skating strengths are of a similar type. If you lookup Schaefer’s highlights, you’ll notice how many of them are him carrying the puck from end to end on a rush where he flies by everyone on the ice. You’ll see several times he creates his own breakaways with his speed and stick handling - a rare ability for a defenceman. If you lookup pretty much every other defenceman’s highlights (in either the NHL or the junior leagues), the vast majority of them are clips of them making plays in the offensive zone - this includes guys like Quinn Hughes, Rasmus Dahlin or Zayne Parekh. The only other defenceman who I see a high frequency of “coast-to-coast” highlights from is Cale Makar.
Of course, the flames desperately need a centre in this draft more than anything so even if they were picking 2nd overall… I’m not sure if they would take a defenceman but if Schaefer builds on his game even more from last season, it could be a really tough player to pass on.