Gotta say love the early scouting reports and youtube video on playmaking center Leon Draisaitl
I'm not a huge fan... he doesn't keep his feet moving and likes to coast. Pretty well built for his age which allows him to protect the puck against smaller players when he is gliding, but that won't fly in the NHL. Good vision, but he telegraphs his shot with a slow release.
if there is a better player in the 2014 draft than Reinhart, Button hasn't seen him yet
says a very special player will have to beat out Reinhart for 1st overall or one of the other player he has watched will need to significantly improve this year
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WHL Kids on the Central Scouting Watch List AND When To See Them In Calgary:
Calgary: F Jake Virtanen - every Hitmen home game
Brandon: F Jayce Hawryluk - January 2, January 31,
Everett: F Tyler Sandhu - November 23
Kelowna: F Tyson Baillie - January 12
Kootenay: D Tanner Faith, F Sam Reinhart - October 4, November 11, December 30, March 15
Prince Albert: F Leon Draisatl - October 12, February 11
Portland: F Chase de Leo, F Dominic Turgeon - December 8
Red Deer: F Connor Bleackley, D Hadyn Fleury - September 6, September 28, December 3, February 17
Swift Current: D Brycen Martin - September 1, November 15, December 15
Vancouver: D Arwin Atwal - n/a
Victoria: D Joe Hicketts - n/a
Ok, I was bored so I decided to do some research on the consensus top 3 that FCs and Last Word on Sports agree on. This is just information I have summarized going through articles and forum posts ... feel free to criticize if you think you have better insight on the player.
Sam Reinhart
This playmaking center at this point in time is the clear favourite to go 1st overall. Going to hear a lot of comparisons to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Some say Reinhart's playmaking ability/passing skills are on the same level as RNH, some say a few notches below. The pros that Reinhart has right now over RNH in his draft year is that Reinhart is already listed 15lbs heavier than RNH was in his draft year and that Reinhart is more well rounded (i.e. plays a better 2 way game). The main criticism on Reinhart is his shot needs more power behind it.
William Nylander
Probably the most offensively talented forward in the draft. Getting comparisons to Patrick Kane although a few people will tell you he plays a very similar game to his father. Biggest hole in his game is defense, all though he does backcheck. Will probably be among the smallest players to go in the first round and his lack of size will probably make him a better winger at the NHL level. Usually have some concern with European players and how they will adapt with the NA game, but Nylander was playing hockey in Chicago before leaving to dominate the Swedish junior leagues at 15, so he has some exposure and prehaps has a better idea of what to expect when he comes over.
Aaron Ekblad
Will most likely be the best defenceman at the draft. Some people who follow the OHL compare him to Chris Pronger. For those asking how he compares to Seth Jones, at this point most will say there is no question Jones is on a higher tier than Ekblad. Ekblad is praised for his work in his own zone and transition play, but some question his offensive game as it hasn't improved significantly from his rookie year. If Ekblad's offensive numbers significantly improve this year while playing solid defensively, his draft stock will rise significantly.
From a Flames Perspective
All 3 players will fill organizational needs. Playmaking center, RW and a top pairing defender. All 3 have right shots so that is a bonus.
If I were the Flames I would rank them at this point
1. Reinhart
2. Ekblad
3. Nylander
Last edited by sureLoss; 07-29-2013 at 08:11 AM.
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If I were the Flames I would rank them at this point
1. Reinhart
2. Ekblad
3. Nylander
Same, I couldn't pass up Reinhart but I'd give Ekblad the nod over Nylander (although the birth certificate at least adds a nice layer to Nylanders story).
Although I think the Flames are more likely to fall into Leon Draisaitl territory then the three above. A lot of legit NHL players on the roster still and I figure the Flames will more likely draft in the 5/6 range then the 1-3 range. I figure 2015 will be the Flames time to "shine" at the draft after probably jettisoning Cammy/Stajan/Stempniak/Jackman at the deadline and replacing them with inexperienced internal options we'll suck enough to get into McDavid territory in 2015.
Nikolay Goldobin entered the OHL in 2012-13 as a completely unknown after the Sarnia Sting selected him 36th overall in the 2012 CHL Import Draft after recommendation from player agent Igor Larionov. Goldobin quickly acclimated himself to North America and found his way on the ice as well showcasing extremely exciting offensive skillset. As I previously mentioned in an early season article, Goldobin is a crafty playmaker with exceptional vision and passing ability. He has an uncanny way of sending passes when the opposition least expects it, which is extremely valuable with the man advantage. The young Russian needs to substantially improve his game without the puck as he lacks urgency in executing his defensive assignments and can appear to lackadasical at times. With Sarnia graduating several dominant scorers in Reid Boucher and Charlie Sarault, look for Nikolay Goldobin to be relied on heavily for offense. Goldobin finished first in goals (30) and points (68) among all rookie OHL skaters in 2012-13 even surpassing phenom forward Connor McDavid.
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Nick Ritchie seems to be the large sized winger that the Flames seem to need in their system. His brother Brett Ritchie was a 2nd round pick of the Dallas Stars.
Even though Nick is listed as LW he can play RW too. Already 6'2'' 218 lbs at 17 yrs old he is probably NHL ready physically.
Scouting Report from the OHL draft:
Quote:
Scouting Report: Ritchie has the physical tools of a prototypical power forward while possessing a higher level of skill usually associated with a player with his physical stature. Overall, he might be the one player available this year that possesses all the ingredients you look for in a hockey player. He has size, skill, very good feet, some toughness and he competes at a consistent high level. He has a great stick, displaying a real soft touch which is more remarkable when you consider his physical size. He almost handles the puck and makes plays like the traditional highly skilled smaller player.
Last edited by sureLoss; 08-04-2013 at 07:07 PM.
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Gotten lost in the sons of former Flames Reinhart and Nylander is that Al MacInnis' youngest son, Ryan MacInnis, is draft eligible this year...
He plays LW/C and at this point I doubt he is a lock to get drafted in the first 2 or 3 rounds. He is leaving the USNTDP to play for Kitchener this year (same junior team as his dad).
He has the height at 6'3'' but needs to fill out some as he is listed less than 170 lbs on some sites.
Someone else to keep tabs on this season.
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He is leaving the USNTDP to play for Kitchener this year (same junior team as his dad).
Kind of surprised that he's doing that... like you said he's not considered a near lock to go high in the draft and join the NHL immediately (like Seth Jones was) so I find it puzzling that he's so willing to burn his NCAA eligibility.
1 William Nylander Altelius C
2 Sam Reinhart C
3 Nick Ritchie LW
4 Leon Draisaitl C
5 Roland McKeown D
6 Ryan MacInnis C
7 Aaron Ekblad D
8 Jakub Vrana RW
9 Haydn Fleury D
10 Anton Karlsson LW
11 Jared McCann C
12 Michael Dal Colle LW
13 Brycen Martin D
14 Nick Schmaltz C
15 Jake Virtanen LW
16 Alexis Pepin C
17 Sam Bennett C
18 Jack Glover D
19 Joshua Jacobs D
20 Blake Clarke LW
21 Kaapo Kahkonen G
22 Sonny Milano C
23 Adrian Kempe C
24 Alex Tuch C
25 Mason McDonald G
26 Jacob Middleton D
27 Oskar Lindblom RW
28 Kasperi Kapanen LW
29 Joshua Ho-Sang C
30 Matt Schmalz LW
Last edited by sureLoss; 08-06-2013 at 06:08 PM.
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By all reports, Ekblad has been amazing at the U18s.
I know GMs have become weary of drafting defencemen so high, but I'd be pretty upset if we passed on him for anyone but Reinhart.
I am pretty high on Ekblad myself, but the preliminary reports are that some scouts don't think he is a top 5 pick. I am not sure that is because they think there are players with higher potential then him or they see holes in his game, or maybe both. Whatever the case, I hope Ekblad proves his doubters wrong with a great season and force the Flames to rank him high.
I haven't looked too deep into the defensmen besides Ekblad and McKeown but it feels like this year is pretty thin for dmen compared to the last 3 years. FCAV or Commandant care to comment?
In my mind this draft is pretty deep on C, LW, and C/LWs.
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