2017 Draft

[WhoahNow]

Saw Callan Foote again a few weeks ago, less sold on him being a top end pick. He seems decent overall, I question his top end hockey IQ and decision making. Could still be a quality player ala Chris Phillips or something like that.

 

[OttMorrow]

Nicolas Hague is a guy I'm really curious about.

Seems like he checks literally every box you'd want in a defenseman, but he's not ranked overly high (and Craig Button specifically doesn't even have him in his top 30). I guess there's gotta be something in the film that isn't quite right?

If you happen to catch a Steelhead game I'd be really grateful to hear your perspective.

After watching 4 or 5 games of Hague in action here's my take...

The Good

- He is a swiss army knife in a number of ways. There's a lot of tools to like.
- He's a Left Shot D who is played at both RD (mostly) as well as LD, and is used in many situations. Though he is utilized most in the offensive zone.
- He's got a very good point shot. Both in terms of his wrister and a booming one-timer. He shoots OFTEN.
- His top speed is good for his size.
- Can rush the puck from time to time with a good deal of efficacy.
- His board play is pretty solid. Uses his body effectively to pin the opposition.
- Protects the net. Both with the lower lumbar massage and with an active stick pestering the forward with stick battles in front of the net even when the puck is not there.
- He does a lot of little things to make life difficult for the opposition. He gets away with a good deal of smart "cheating" by way of clutching and grabbing...rarely gets penalized for it. A good, rare skill to have.
- Assistant Captain
- Aggressive in the offensive zone
- Keeps his passes short and simple mostly. Low risk passes.
- There is some overall sandpaper to his game. Some of this I have already discussed, but he is also pretty "talky" with the opposition and will drop the mitts.
- I think he has top-pairing Upside. Probably a #2 to a #4 D at the NHL level.
- BIG 6'6

The Bad

- He's not a heady playmaker. I don't see him as a PP QB so much as a PP Point Shot type guy.
- He's a little bit clutzy out there at times. Looks like he's still growing into his body a bit.
- While his skating speed is good, his acceleration could use some work, and he can get beaten to the outside by the speedier players a little bit.
- While his physical play in terms of his board play is good, he is not an effective body checker, especially when he steps up to make a hit. He usually misses and takes himself out of position for a missed hit.
- He's got a pretty good D core supporting him, which probably make his defensive play look a little better than it is. Movarare, Saarijarvi, and others.
- Sometimes he can be too aggressive in the O-Zone and get himself caught. Doesn't make a habit out of it.


I see a lot of Oleksiak in him. I think a better version of Oleksiak perhaps. Hope this helps.

 

[Ghost of Kyiv]

After watching 4 or 5 games of Hague in action here's my take...

Thanks man, awesome info, really appreciate it.

 

[mc3488]

I like the sound of those hague guy. He's got some a good number of PIMS for a top dman in juniors

 

[OttMorrow]

Thanks man, awesome info, really appreciate it.

No problem! I'm more than happy to scout in amateur fashion anyone else you want in the OHL.

One more thing on Hague...

He uses his long reach pretty well in the d zone.

 

[Satan]

Hague sucks lol

 

[OttMorrow]

Owen Tippett Scouting Report

Tippett plays on the Steelheads with Hague, so I got a pretty good look at him over a handful of games...I was impressed.

The Good

- Very versatile, 2-way winger. Used on both the PK and PP. (I wouldn't be surprised if he used to be a Center). I could see him playing up and down an NHL lineup if needed...anywhere from a 3rd Liner to a 1st Liner, and not look out of place. Probably a top-6 forward at the NHL level with very good upside.
- Drives the offense. Not a passenger.
- Good offensive instincts. High hockey IQ
- Very good speed and acceleration
- Good shot that he can release while skating with speed. Leading the league in shots on goal.
- He is a "hunter"...always looking for an offensive opening, but he's not a lazy cherry picker. Finds his openings to steal the puck and transition, as well as to sneak past the D.
- Offensive comes from on the rush and in transition
- High energy type player. Very competitive. Plays a little nasty at times even, with a big hit from time to time.
- good, hard passes
- goes to the net for rebounds
- quick hands when he uses them.
- Easily the best forward on the Steelhead team.
- Low-Risk Pick with a very good ceiling
- pretty consistent in my small sample size


The Bad

- Not much really
- If I'm going to be picky, he might might not be truly "elite"/best in draft class in any one major area. Tolvanen has the better shot, Hischier is faster, etc.
- I'd like to see more dangles out of him...he's not Patrick Kane.

 

[Satan]

yes Tippett is actually good

(unlike Hague)


(draft Hague for SIZE tho--- "moves well for a big guy")

 

[serp]

Don't draft another Oleksiak FFS .

 

[OttMorrow]

yes Tippett is actually good

(unlike Hague)


(draft Hague for SIZE tho--- "moves well for a big guy")

I would take Tippett over Hague myself.

Hague is the riskier pick, and could be a project to get NHL-Ready. I do see a good deal of upside there though.

It's hard to compare the two given different positions, but I would say they both have 1st pairing/1st Line upside...Tippett with much lower risk, and closer to NHL-Ready.

 

[OttMorrow]

Don't draft another Oleksiak FFS .

Haha. I hear ya.

Hague has a bit more to his game in the D-Zone than Oleksiak, and he's naturally a bit meaner, but there are a lot of parallels...could be a similar long development timeline too.

 

[Satan]

I would take Tippett over Hague myself.

Hague is the riskier pick, and could be a project to get NHL-Ready. I do see a good deal of upside there though.

It's hard to compare the two given different positions, but I would say they both have 1st pairing/1st Line upside...Tippett with much lower risk, and closer to NHL-Ready.

It's not even a contest between the two.


I could probably name 5 defenseboys better than Hague in the draft... and then I'd likely struggle to name 5 better players better than Tippett in the draft.

 

[serp]

Giant defenseman often take forever to develop . We pick a guy like that and maybe in 5-6 years he could become a difference maker .

 

[OttMorrow]

It's not even a contest between the two.


I could probably name 5 defenseboys better than Hague in the draft... and then I'd likely struggle to name 5 better players better than Tippett in the draft.

I think we're just gonna miss Tippett. I bet we are in the 8-11 range come draft day...per our usual. Tippett probably goes 4-6, I'm guessing.

He seems pretty blue chip to me.

 

[Satan]

Giant defenseman often take forever to develop . We pick a guy like that and maybe in 5-6 years he could become a difference maker .

That's a pretty meaningless statement.

 

[serp]

That's a pretty meaningless statement.

Well we also failed at drafting and the development of big physical defenseman for quite some time. Can't remember any of the big physical D we drafted that became more than a third pairing guy in 10+ years.

Lindell is the only bigger guy who is still with Dallas after beeing drafted and trusted enough to play big minutes and is a) a very recent draft pick and b) not really all that physical . He probably shouldn't play 20+ minutes either but has to since we lack better alternatives .

 

[Mr Misty]

Is it 1997 or 2017 in here? It's hard to tell sometimes.

 

[Satan]

Is it 1997 or 2017 in here? It's hard to tell sometimes.

What yr was it on day 2 of the 2014 draft?

 

[Satan]

 

[Satan]

Worth noting that NHL Central Scouting has Liljegren ranked 7th for European skaters.

Top ranked Euro defenseboy is Miro Heiskanen at 6. Vaakanainen is 8.

 

[Mr Misty]

What yr was it on day 2 of the 2014 draft?

There's a new sheriff in town. His name? Patrick Sanvido.

 

[OttMorrow]

I don't see what the hype over Vilardi is all aboooot.

I will give a scouting report on him in the coming days.

 

[OttMorrow]

To me Vilardi isn't even near the same level as Tippett. Not even close.

 

[OttMorrow]

Gabriel Vilardi

Here's my take on Vilardi...


The Good

- Very soft hands. His fine motor skills are impressive. Can dipsy doodle the puck through the defense occasionally with subtle stick-work. A good deal of hand-eye coordination. Flashes of higher-level skill.

- Those soft hands produce accurate passes, and goals from around the net.

- He goes to the high-percentage scoring areas.

- Better than average release on his shot.

- NHL-sized frame

- Protects the puck well. Taking it around the backside of the net on one arm.

- Pretty strong on his skates.

- Can play at every forward position, but mostly RW and Center.

The Bad

- Inconsistent, enigmatic play and effort. Mostly low-energy and underwhelming, only at times impressing with flashes of potential.

- Fairly one-dimensional. Not a strong 200-foot game.

- He gets super shielded, cushy minutes. Used almost exclusively in the offensive zone. There are games where he doesn't get one D-Zone start. Rarely ever is used on the PK. He gets a good deal of PP time, and he often plays on Logan Brown's wing (top pick last year) or with Julius Naatinen (2nd Rounder). Not to mention he's also got Sergachev, Sean Day, and Logan Stanley to play with as well.He's not the center-piece or driver of their offense, and I think his stats reflect a good deal of his spoon-fed minutes and linemates.

- His feet don't keep up with his hands, preventing him from going from A-to-B-to-C-to-goal, just gets to point C. Lack that gamebreaking ability due to average to below average agility, top speed, and acceleration.

- While his shot is good, it isn't very hard. He's probably not going to be scoring off the rush much at the NHL-level.

- While his passes are generally accurate, his passing is more reactionary than visionary. He passes mostly because he needs to pass, not because he sees the play.

- No edge to his game. Doesn't play the body much.

- His faceoff ability is average. Not the guy to take the big draw for them usually, and almost never the faceoff guy in the D-Zone.

- While he goes to the high-percentage scoring areas, especially on the PP, he is not what I would describe as a "Net-Front presence". He is more of an in-and-out guest in front of the net if he sees an opening. Not a Brendan Morrow, dirty goal type guy. (Which we could use)


Final 2 Cents

While I see some potential in Vilardi, he seems like a project to me, and I am shocked that he is above so many other players on so many lists. Overrated. Doesn't hold a candle to what I've seen out of Tippett, for instance. I'd also be more apt to roll the dice on Hague than Vilardi. On a good draft year, I might take a flyer on this guy in the 2nd Round. To me he's a middle-6 forward. Probably going to be a middle-6 forward, and due to his skill set, or lack there of, my guess is that he is a Winger if he is to play at the NHL-level.

 

[Satan]

Here's my take on Vilardi...


The Good

- Very soft hands. His fine motor skills are impressive. Can dipsy doodle the puck through the defense occasionally with subtle stick-work. A good deal of hand-eye coordination. Flashes of skill.
- Those soft hands produce accurate passes, and goals from around the net.
- He goes to the high-percentage scoring areas.
- Better than average release on his shot.
- NHL-sized frame
- Protects the puck well. Taking it around the backside of the net on one arm.
- Pretty strong on his skates.
- Can play at every forward position, but mostly RW and Center.

The Bad

- Inconsistent, enigmatic play and effort. Mostly low-energy and underwhelming, only at times impressing with flashes of potential.

- Fairly one-dimensional. Not a strong 200-foot game.

- He gets super shielded, cushy minutes. Used almost exclusively in the offensive zone. There are games where he doesn't get one D-Zone start. Rarely ever is used on the PK. He gets a good deal of PP time, and he often plays on Logan Brown's wing (top pick last year) or with Julius Naatinen (2nd Rounder). He's not the center-piece or driver of their offense, and I think his stats reflect a good deal of his cushy minutes and linemates.


- His feet don't keep up with his hands, preventing him from going from A-to-B-to-C-to-goal, just gets to point C. Lack that gamebreaking ability due to average to below average agility, top speed, and acceleration.

- While his shot is good, it isn't very hard. He's probably not going to be scoring off the rush much at the NHL-level.

- While his passes are generally accurate, his passing is more reactionary than visionary. He passes mostly because he needs to pass, not because he sees the play.

- No edge to his game. Doesn't play the body much.

- His faceoff ability is average. Not the guy to take the big draw for them usually, and almost never the faceoff guy in the D-Zone.

- While he goes to the high-percentage scoring areas, especially on the PP, he is not what I would describe as a "Net-Front presence". He is more of an in-and-out guest in front of the net if he sees an opening. Not a Brendan Morrow, dirty goal type guy. (Which we could use)


Final 2 Cents

While I see some potential in Vilardi. He seems like a project to me, and I am shocked that he is above so many other players on so many lists. On a good draft year, I might take a flyer on this guy in the 2nd Round. To me he's a middle-6 forward. Probably going to be a middle-6 forward, and due to his skill set, or lack there of, my guess is that he is a Winger if he is to play at the NHL-level.

While I appreciate your efforts, I've bolded the overrated aspects of player evaluation.