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The Kinder, Gentler Version
Thoughts on Cam Hillis at 55? I'd be excited, especially if we go D with pick #5. We picked Schnarr out of Guelph last year, and very nearly picked Ratcliffe before making the trade with Philly. Also, I'm sure we've had eyes on Ryan Merkley all season, apart from tracking Schnarr's progress. I like our OHL scouts a lot. Chayka seems to like them a lot, too. I would guess they've watched Hillis pretty closely, as well as in Russia for the U18.
I love the fact that he's a RHC with a high motor and really impressive puck skills. I honestly didn't get much of an impression from the U18s because he didn't get a ton of minutes, and I wrote him off as being a 5'6 or 5'7 and didn't focus on him as a result. I see him listed as 5'11 everywhere, which is an obvious lie. It is possible he's 5'9, though. That puts him right back on my radar. He's probably the same size Robby Fabbri was in his draft year, anyway. I loved Fabbri. He really lit it up for Guelph, and I see some Fabbri in Hillis' game, honestly. He's not quite so rough and tumble, and he doesn't have shot like Fabbri's. One could argue, though, that Fabbri would be better off today if he toned down his physical aggressiveness. Hillis probably can't snipe like Fabbri, but he's slick like him. I could see him being a player, for sure.
I know we've got some Yotes posters who really follow the OHL. What do you guys think?
If we go with Hughes at 5th, I'd really think about going center crazy after that, and maybe pick up Hillis with the 2nd and maybe Nathan Dunkley with our 3rd.
What about Dunkley? I smell a big sleeper, there. Everyone slept on Dvorak because he was hidden by injury and by the depth in London. Dunkley is maybe a sneaky pick out of London for different reasons. He came over mid-season after the Knights held a scorched earth fire sale and dumped all of their top players over the age of 18. Apart from Evan Bouchard, that whole team took a long time to get their feet under them and figure out their identity and roles and everything else. Dunkley is another high-motor, rambunctious centerman. A bit bigger and a bit more pugnacious than Hillis, for sure. Was great on the dot, and with underrated, untapped skill potential he could project as maybe a Brad Richardson type of third line center.
Let's get some centers!
I love the fact that he's a RHC with a high motor and really impressive puck skills. I honestly didn't get much of an impression from the U18s because he didn't get a ton of minutes, and I wrote him off as being a 5'6 or 5'7 and didn't focus on him as a result. I see him listed as 5'11 everywhere, which is an obvious lie. It is possible he's 5'9, though. That puts him right back on my radar. He's probably the same size Robby Fabbri was in his draft year, anyway. I loved Fabbri. He really lit it up for Guelph, and I see some Fabbri in Hillis' game, honestly. He's not quite so rough and tumble, and he doesn't have shot like Fabbri's. One could argue, though, that Fabbri would be better off today if he toned down his physical aggressiveness. Hillis probably can't snipe like Fabbri, but he's slick like him. I could see him being a player, for sure.
I know we've got some Yotes posters who really follow the OHL. What do you guys think?
If we go with Hughes at 5th, I'd really think about going center crazy after that, and maybe pick up Hillis with the 2nd and maybe Nathan Dunkley with our 3rd.
What about Dunkley? I smell a big sleeper, there. Everyone slept on Dvorak because he was hidden by injury and by the depth in London. Dunkley is maybe a sneaky pick out of London for different reasons. He came over mid-season after the Knights held a scorched earth fire sale and dumped all of their top players over the age of 18. Apart from Evan Bouchard, that whole team took a long time to get their feet under them and figure out their identity and roles and everything else. Dunkley is another high-motor, rambunctious centerman. A bit bigger and a bit more pugnacious than Hillis, for sure. Was great on the dot, and with underrated, untapped skill potential he could project as maybe a Brad Richardson type of third line center.
Let's get some centers!
