Get an elite play driving winger with their own pick, then stockpile first's from contenders in the 20s to 30s to continue to fill the cupboard with center prospects
Ethan Belchetz is an extremely physically advanced winger who was the No. 1 pick in the 2024 OHL draft and was 6-5 and over 220 pounds as a 16-year-old last season.
As good as that sounds, that translates well to junior success, but once he makes the jump to the NHL, his physical advantage will evaporate to some degree.
Lots of big guys who overpower in junior look differently in the NHL.
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As good as that sounds, that translates well to junior success, but once he makes the jump to the NHL, his physical advantage will evaporate to some degree.
Lots of big guys who overpower in junior look differently in the NHL.
I think you should watch some more video. His hands are as good as any in the draft.
As good as that sounds, that translates well to junior success, but once he makes the jump to the NHL, his physical advantage will evaporate to some degree.
Lots of big guys who overpower in junior look differently in the NHL.
Top-10 picks like Nick Ritchie and Michael Rasmussen come to mind.
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Originally Posted by fotze
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As good as that sounds, that translates well to junior success, but once he makes the jump to the NHL, his physical advantage will evaporate to some degree.
Lots of big guys who overpower in junior look differently in the NHL.
Yeah, there's a fine line between physically dominating kids in junior vs men in the pros. There needs to be base of elite talent (as with Lindros for example) as so many of these big kids turn into bottom 6 types of players when their skills aren't good enough to translate to the NHL.
Both Roobreck and Belchetz get by more on their skill, intelligence, and instincts than they do their size (Roobreck in particular has been criticized for not using his frame to his advantage enough). Both have solid playmaking vision, both have handling skill, and both have lethal shooting arsenals- although I would give the nod to Belchetz in most categories.
Nick Ritchie couldn’t skate, and wasn’t particularly skilled- I wouldn’t compare either to him at all, and I wouldn’t hesitate to call either name on draft day. Just my thoughts.
Last edited by Sandman; 11-05-2025 at 04:18 PM.
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Yeah, there's a fine line between physically dominating kids in junior vs men in the pros. There needs to be base of elite talent (as with Lindros for example) as so many of these big kids turn into bottom 6 types of players when their skills aren't good enough to translate to the NHL.
Even Lindros found out the hard way that he couldn't just skate over top of NHL players. I believe that's what got him his first couple of concussions, and ultimately it shortened his career.
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Even Lindros found out the hard way that he couldn't just skate over top of NHL players. I believe that's what got him his first couple of concussions, and ultimately it shortened his career.
Respectfully, I have to disagree with your camparison. Lindros is one of my favorite players of all time, and one reason for that is that he was physically dominant in the NHL. I don't doubt that it's harder to impose yourself against NHL competition than it is against juniors, but he ran over NHL players on a regular basis. Problem was, Scott Stevens was also a physically dominant monster, and also dirty.
Lindros also won a Hart trophy, and is tied for 24th in ppg in the NHL all-time.
Respectfully, I have to disagree with your camparison. Lindros is one of my favorite players of all time, and one reason for that is that he was physically dominant in the NHL. I don't doubt that it's harder to impose yourself against NHL competition than it is against juniors, but he ran over NHL players on a regular basis. Problem was, Scott Stevens was also a physically dominant monster, and also dirty.
Lindros also won a Hart trophy, and is tied for 24th in ppg in the NHL all-time.
Considering how big kids are these days and how much more fit they are, it's kind of surprising we haven't seen another player like him in 20 years. With the way the game is played today, I think a player like him would be much harder to defend than McDavid as Lindros excelled in the era of clutch and grab which makes me wonder how dominant he could be in today's game.
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I remember watching him at the world jr in saskatoon. It was literally like a man vs boys. He destroyed the opposition players physically. Surprised he didn’t injure anyone.
I loved watching him. He even beat up a few enforcers back in the day.
I remember when he took part in the Canada Cup, when he was still waiting for the Nordiques to trade him- he ran over Joel Otto behind the net like he was a toddler, and Lindros was still a teenager!
Last edited by Sandman; 11-06-2025 at 07:45 AM.
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I have a feeling that McKenna watch might be in jeoprdy now that the Flames are starting to meet up with the dreags of the league. I think it’s going to be very hard to finish last. There are a lot of crappy teams. The Flames definitely aren’t a cup contender. But I think they will be hard pressed to continue the nosedive they’ve been on since the start of the year.
The next handful of games are literally against the who’s who of the McKenna contenders. I think it will be a good indicator of how realistic their chances are of being the worst ever.
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I loved watching him. He even beat up a few enforcers back in the day.
I remember when he took part in the Canada Cup, when he was still waiting for the Nordiques to trade him- he ran over Joel Otto behind the net like he was a toddler, and Lindros was still a teenager!
It’s hard to explain how incredible Lindros’ debut was to people who didn’t witness it at the time.
Imagine if an 18 year old who hadn’t played a day of pro hockey:
A) Made Canada’s 4 Nations Face-Off roster.
B) Absolutely blew up guys like Brady Tkachuk and McAvoy (a Swedish player had to be carried off the ice after a hit from Lindros).
C) Finished the tournament with 3 goals and 5 points.
Everyone was prepared to see the hype burst, but it only got bigger.
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