Bennett as the comparisons are drawn to "Killer". You win championships with those guys as 1989 showed. It is those high compete/high skilled guys that are tough to find, and when you do you should draft them and thank the "Hockey Gods" you were that lucky.
I think Virtanen is very underrated player. He has a release that is better than most NHL players already. He is very strong on the boards and has elite speed, and is just a pure goal scorer. Virtanen's skill set will translate perfectly to the NHL.
NHL comparison Jeff Carter with a better skating ability. That's not a knock on Jeff Carter's skating ability. It's just Virtanen's skating is just that good.
If Reinhart and Bennett are gone by the time we pick, I would love to snag Virtanen.
Honestly, I don't understand how this kid is ranked below Draissaitl and Dal Colle
(as misleading as youtube highlights are)
+ excellent wrist shot
+ impressive acceleration
+ RW
+ right shot
+ listed at 6'1 210 already
+ gritty along the boards
+ Calgary Hitman
1. Ekblad, 2. Reinhart, 3. Virtanen
for me
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Virtanen looks to me like a much better power forward than Dal Colle. A top line of Gaudreau-Monahan-Virtanen would be very good. You have your shifty skilled winger in Gaudreau, a solid two-way centre in Monahan, and then a big power forward in Virtanen.
This is my draft-list. Reinhart/Bennett + Monahan would be a great kick-off to the rebuild. The only viable way to land a high-end centre is to draft (in the top 10 usually) and develop him in your own system. Defense and wingers can be found later in the draft more often than top 2 centres. So yeah, draft the centre and worry about everything else afterwards.
Location: Wondering when # became hashtag and not a number sign.
Exp:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Resolute 14
If we end up drafting in the 6-8 range, I would love to grab Virtanen. Big power forward with a mean streak? Yes please!
This.
kid looks like he is gonna be the real deal....the stuff he is doing as a 17yo is remarkable...and he is still growing/filling out....on top of all this though is he is a very smart player who understands what he needs to do to be effective. May turn out to be the best of the forwards when its all said and done.
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It really depends on where we end up in the draft. I am starting to like Virtanen as well. Still think we should get Fleury too though. All I know is we will for sure get a decent prospect if we're in the top 10.
Reinhart, then Bennett, then if neither of them are available either trade down or trade the pick for a young player/prospect further along as I don't see anything special in the other players mentioned. Ideally at the deadline Burke will pick up enough assets to be able to trade up to get Ekblad. Either way for me it is one of the top 3 or trade the pick.
If we end up drafting in the 6-8 range, I would love to grab Virtanen. Big power forward with a mean streak? Yes please!
Does he have a mean streak? Haven't seen it mentioned in any profiles I've read and I haven't seen the kid play myself.
As for big, he's not really that big. He's Glencross/Iginla size at the moment so unless he experiences a big growth spurt he's closer to average size than big.
Ritchie is the big powerforward in this draft. Dal Colle may fill out to be that type of player as well. Not sure Perlini plays that style but he's also a lot taller than Virtanen. Virtanen is faster than the aforementioned players but certainly shorter than them.
By all reports Dal Colle is a little more dynamic and seems to be the most consensus guy after the top 4. Ritchie is a prototypical powerforward it seems like and would really fit our needs as well.
My list right now:
1. Ekblad
2. Reinhart
3. Bennett
4. Dal Colle
5. Ritchie
6. Draisaitl
7. Virtanen
8. Perlini
9. Fleury
Okay, if we draft 5th or lower, Burke and co. have my full blessing to go and draft Virtanen. A RW with speed and a hard + accurate goal scorer's shot? Sign me up.
Not like there's anyone really head and shoulders above the rest in that second tier.
I could get on board with scooping those two. Fills two holes for us , and also means we'd see burkes famous wheel-n-dealin' in action with various teams to make it work. Hard to imagine we have the required assets though.
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