If we coud draft bouwmeester in the fourth round of every draft i would do it every year. I mean at worst he is a number 3 defensemen who is 2.5 million overpaid. So if thats who he turned out to be it is a fantastic steal in the fourth round.
very astute comment. if this happened every year we would be a very successful organization.
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Top 4 blueliner who could potentially blossom into top pairing defender
Strengths:
*See “THW Close-Up” section above.
Smooth skating ability
Poise
Decision-making
Hockey IQ
Reliable
Coachable
Consistent
Ridiculous upside
Flaws/Aspects He Needs To Work On:
Continue to train to increase strength and add mass to frame to handle the rigors of the NHL.
Continue to develop his defensive zone acumen.
Recognizing when he can take advantage of offensive opportunities.
I like really like his strengths! Ridiculous upside? Sign me up!
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175 lb D man, i will reserve judgement on his skill set. He better put on at least 20 pounds. Not a fan of this pick.
Unless someone really surprises all the players we drafted are 2+ years away, seems odd to dislike a player because of his weight when he is not expected to step into the lineup for a while.
Unless someone really surprises all the players we drafted are 2+ years away, seems odd to dislike a player because of his weight when he is not expected to step into the lineup for a while.
The reality is what it is. Undersized for his height and position.
One player that caught my eye throughout the year was Brett Kulak of the Vancouver Giants.
He is a very intriguing prospect who seemingly came out of nowhere to start the year. The St. Albert, AB product is a very smart and safe defenseman that uses his stick to stymie the opposition. His very good hockey sense allows him to read plays and he seems to always find a clever, yet effective way to move the puck up ice. Kulak is a prototypical two-way defenseman that can kill penalties and also run a power play. His skating, size, and smarts make him a very versatile player that can shut down other teams top lines.
One concern surrounding Kulak is his lack of physicality. While he does play a sound defensive game, at times he shies away from the hits in the corners. I expect that this side of his game will develop as he gains more confidence at the major junior level.
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Looks like really good value for a 4th rounder. In an optimistic scenario seems like he has a chance to become someone like Toni Lydman -- underrated because he's not a big hitter or scorer, which may explain why he dropped to the 4th round -- but very effective. Could definitely be a winning player.
If we coud draft bouwmeester in the fourth round of every draft i would do it every year. I mean at worst he is a number 3 defensemen who is 2.5 million overpaid. So if thats who he turned out to be it is a fantastic steal in the fourth round.
Right. You could compare him to Bouwmeester instead of Lydman, but if he were being paid $3 million to be a 3/4 defenseman Bouwmeester would be a real asset. The problem isn't that he's terrible, it's that he's a decent defenseman getting paid like an elite one. If Kulak turns into Bousmeester that's a tremendous mid-fourth-round pick.
The reality is what it is. Undersized for his height and position.
It's not terribly difficult to add pounds through weight-training at that age. If that's the only thing missing it's a terrific pick. Betting that a slightly undersized junior player will add muscle is a lot better bet than hoping that a big guy will learn to play hockey (cf. Chris Dingman.)
175 lb D man, i will reserve judgement on his skill set. He better put on at least 20 pounds. Not a fan of this pick.
Whats with your obsession of 17/18 year old kids only being 170-180 pounds? Thats actually not bad size for their age. Alot of them are still growing in height and once that stops they will begin to fill out.
Doesnt take long to put on good weight.
Your acting as if these players are stuck at their current size. Makes no sense since everyone keeps growing/filling out for many years still at such a young age.
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I know the family from the Edmonton area. You've got a solid citizen. Kulak is Russian for peasant. He will work hard like the name suggests. Solid prospect.
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I know the family from the Edmonton area. You've got a solid citizen. Kulak is Russian for peasant. He will work hard like the name suggests. Solid prospect.
poor offensive production but looks good enough to get PP time
Lack of physicality
effective defender
And this doesn't exactly describe Bouwmeester??
Difference: very cerebral player with outstanding hockey sense which as the Flames themselves define it is exactly what they are placing their scouting emphasis on.
I actually had Kulak (admittedly much higher than most other than HockeyProspect.com scouting services who had him as early 2nd rounder in their NHL Black Book Draft Guide) ranked at 29th overall in my final rankings.
Rarely have the Flames picked a prospect I have been so enamoured with. Hopefully it pays off!
Upon hearing his name called by the Flames, Kulak said, “I was just kind of in shock a little bit. I really didn’t know what to think…I was an Oilers fan but I changed to an instant Flames fan. I’m good with it though, really happy.”
Quote:
As for being told he was never going to fulfill the dream he always had of one day becoming a big leaguer, Kulak said belief in oneself was a big key to his success.
“I did hear that a lot – ‘You’re not big enough, not fast enough.’ You’ve always got to keep pushing to get better and never quit on the dream.”
And now, for Brett Kulak and the Calgary Flames, the dream springs anew as he continues to work his way down the hockey highway.
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