I wrote those things in the early stage for this year's prospect pool, based on the Hlinka tournament back in August. So, yeah, a lot has changed since then; some hasn't. That stuff always happens from August to June. Players have good tournaments in small sample, get hype, don't build on it......it's certainly a less structured setting than your actual home team too. Though sometimes I did note question marks at the time that bothered me more with better in-season viewings.
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For those two in particular, McIsaac didn't "wow" me back at the u18s. Said that at the time. But he was an underager, and I try to go in with blank slates. But he surprisingly impressed me in August. In my viewings, which are 2017 ones, I had consistency issues, even shift to shift. Tools-wise, he's very similar to Dobson, but it wasn't translating with regularity (hockey sense thing?), and his season has been up-and-down. He's not a bad player though (still never thought he wasn't a 1st), and I might see more of what I saw going back again, as he's been more up in recent months. I did wonder if he might have to simplify his game as a pro, which of course affects upside. I'll get a better idea when I watch him of late. So, don't take this as more than half an opinion.
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Veleno I just watched 3 games worth of shifts the other week. He has been on fire in Drummondville, and I've seen him more on Saint John (who are AWFUL), so I wanted to see if I should get back on board with him. And I was watching a LD, Nicolas Beaudin, who Button surprisingly had in his top 30, on Drummondville (I know a couple people were wondering about him, if they wanted me to give my assessment separately....?). Two bird, one stone.
Anyone who watches Veleno knows he has top 10 talent (and some scouts still rate him near there), but the reason people are split on him is a classic case of hockey sense. It’s the most important thing I look for, and I think I’m a good evaluator of it. I see his issues and noted some at Hlinka: playing fast without thinking fast or steps ahead, reacting instead of anticipating plays, making weird turnovers, over-handling pucks. Then sometimes I think I’m overstating it, he starts working the cycle more, not doing too much. But I know I see it, and if I see it in him against teens, playing the much more structured, tighter checking NHL could exacerbate those issues. I don't dislike "Good Veleno." His tools and physical package are excellent, with solid size and powerful skating; he is a nice playmaker (shooting definitely isn’t his forte and he’s pass first); can play quite chippy and physical too and is always engaged and competitive, which is endearing. Certainly always has visible shifts, for better or worse. He has some Voracek-qualities for sure at his best, when he’s roaring through the NZ and finding passes and working the corners. I think playing a simpler winger game, where he can breakout easier, might be where he ends up long-term, but he’s not a bad center or anything, at that level at least. He'll try defensively and usually isn't in bad position, though it's no strength either. But "Bad Veleno"…….
I thought he looked pretty fantastic in my first game I watched against the Armada. Like I thought I was out to lunch with my prior opinions. So, I eagerly watched a couple periods of another game: still pretty good, though it creeps in sparingly too. Then a couple periods of another, and all his issues came flooding back that bothered me in the past, and he was doing it constantly. Trying to burn everyone in straight lines through the NZ a la Michael McLeod, even 3 or 4 guys on a solo rush (where the Voracek comparison dies: he weaves into space and never ever has tunnel vision......people who think Jake is dumb *scoff*). Or split 2 defenders with a deke in bad spots numerous times, blind passes in every zone, and a general air of playing a second behind on the puck. Even when he simplified and cycled or did less, it felt like he took too long to make basic reads or didn't have much of a plan. A lot of his nice highlight reel type passes you realize are just routine plays he tries and fails a lot on, like they're just programmed passes. He’s just very mercurial. That stuff worries me.
Thanks, I'll go do that.
