Defenceman in the later rounds?

[Archijerej]

Any defenceman with top 4 potential available in the 2nd or 3rd rounds? Mostly interested in physical defensive dman but any feedback on nice puck movers would be welcomed. Thanks.

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[Vinceee]

Danny Syvret, its a wild pick... but can end in a very good pick...

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Danny Syvret, its a wild pick... but can end in a very good pick...

Yeah, I would think Syvret can have the same impact as a guy like Dennis Wideman who's been very good for the Worcester Ice Cats this year.

 

[Sticky*]

Adam Mcquaid from the Sudbury Wolves. Kinda got lost in the hoopla around Marc Staal. A rock defensively, physical. Not much offensively. Reminds me of a young Shea Weber. I really think he can be that highly thought of in a couple of seasons.

 

[West]

These three guy's are big and sound positional players Flatt is the only one with a real mean streak to him but I'd also say he also has the least up side. I think they're all good bets to be 5-6 defensemen and outside shots at 3-4.

Scott Jackson whl seatle
Adam MacQuid ohl sudbury
Dalyn Flatt whl sask


Michael Sauer whl portland - injured early in the year showed a really good alround game good bet to be a 3-4 D (very limited veiwing so a wild card, classic NJ pick IMO).

Dustin Kohn cal - Good skills and defensive game, little on the small side for the NHL game. Not the banger that your looking for though.

 

[Hiishawk]

These three guy's are big and sound positional players Flatt is the only one with a real mean streak to him but I'd also say he also has the least up side. I think they're all good bets to be 5-6 defensemen and outside shots at 3-4.

Scott Jackson whl seatle
Adam MacQuid ohl sudbury
Dalyn Flatt whl sask


Michael Sauer whl portland - injured early in the year showed a really good alround game good bet to be a 3-4 D (very limited veiwing so a wild card, classic NJ pick IMO).

Dustin Kohn cal - Good skills and defensive game, little on the small side for the NHL game. Not the banger that your looking for though.

Excellent list West (sans Kohn). I'd add Geoff Killing of Belleville to this list though- very underrated totally defensive banger.

 

[Free Edler]

What about Cody Franson (VAN), Sean Zimmerman or Jason Lynch (both SPO)?

 

[monster_bertuzzi]

Jeff May

 

[Greg7]

What about Cody Franson (VAN), Sean Zimmerman or Jason Lynch (both SPO)?

I asked a scout about Franson and was surprised to hear that he could sneak into the first day. If he falls down to the 6th round or so where I thought he could go, though, he could be a good pick.

Scott Jackson would be great in the third, Mikkelson and Sauer would both make nice seconds, and Ray Macias, who's stock just keeps falling, could be a nice pick later on. If he finally settles into a permanent position (most likely defense) and learns the defensive side of the game a little, with that skating he could turn out really nice.

 

[monster_bertuzzi]

Greg, Jackson will go early 2nd round IMO.

 

[firstroundbust]

a good pick in the late rounds would be Jack Hillen of Colorado College...kid is really good, played in the viking cup, one of the top d in minnesota during his high school career...had a broken wrist this year, but a very good puck moving d

 

[Greg7]

Greg, Jackson will go early 2nd round IMO.

Well, hopefully late 2nd at least. I'd love to see the Canucks draft him, Mikkelson OR Sauer, although Jackson is the only one I think they have a shot at.

 

[montreal]

Marc Gragnai, Ryan Wilson, Anton Belov, Zubarev, Anikienko,


plus later round guys like Steve Birnstill, Kris Russell, Chad Denny, Adgur Dzhugelia, Panin. (not saying they have top 4 upside)

 

[Rabid Ranger]

I wonder where Nate Hagemo is going to go.......

 

[Hordichuk_24]

Franson has all the tools, but he lacks bite in his game. If he can learn to play with a consistant mean streak, watch out....

There have been a lot of scouts watching him closely this season.

 

[borro]

Greg, Jackson will go early 2nd round IMO.

Why won't Jackson go late first ala Rogers and Fistric?

 

[montreal]

I wonder where Nate Hagemo is going to go.......

before Jeff Likens

 

[Greg7]

Why won't Jackson go late first ala Rogers and Fistric?

Rogers went far too early in my opinion. Sure, he's big and he can skate, but his puckmoving is overrated, he has no physical game for a 6'6 guy, he is too easily pushed around, and he is dumb as a post with the puck in his own zone. Nothing but off the boards and out from Rogers.

Fistric was a bit of a surprise to go so early, but it only takes one team to like a guy for that guy to go earlier than everyone thinks. Personally, I don't think he has much more upside than a physical stay at home bottom pairing penalty killing guy, but he does have some valuable character attributes to go along with that.

Jackson is kind of similar to Fistric in that they are both mobile but not very fast, solid defensively with limited offensive upside, and possess strong hockey sense. Fistric is probably a little more physical, but Jackson is physical enough. Late first seems a lot for a guy like that, but that's why people didn't think Fistric would go so high too, and he did, so who knows.

 

[MS]

Why won't Jackson go late first ala Rogers and Fistric?

Jackson doesn't really have much of a mean streak at all. Big, boring, positionally sound, sort of a Chris Therien type. I don't think he has a lot of upside - probably a 4-5 guy in pro if he makes it. Rogers and Fistric had much more dynamic aspects to their games (Fistric's physical game, Rogers' skating at his size) which gave them more upside in the eyes of scouts and snuck them into the first round. Fistric has progressed really nicely, Rogers has not and looks like a pretty awful pick right now. I guess first round wouldn't be out of the question for Jackson, but I wouldn't think it too likely.

There are a lot of WHL defenders who will go in rounds 2-4. Sauer, Jackson, Zimmerman, Kohn, and Flatt have already been mentioned. Mark Louis, who's 6'4 and progressed into a key role with an excellent Brandon team will also go fairly early. Dan Mercer of Spokane has a lot of raw tools (nice size, mean streak, good skill level) and hasn't really put his game together, but could still go on the first day of the draft. Bretton Stamler of Seattle is rated quite highly by CSB (#50) and had a nice offensive finish to the season ... would probably have accomplished more on another WHL team but is trapped at #5 on the depth chart on an awesome Seattle blueline.

Franson moves really well for a big guy, and has a pretty nice outlet pass, but plays a very timid game. I don't really know what to think of him - some games he looks smart and solid, and well worth a 3rd-4th round pick, and other games his coverage just looks woefully soft and I wonder if he has any hope.

 

[hockeyfan125]

Jeff May

Just about to say the same thing. Seemed pretty impressive in the first round.

 

[Greg7]

Jackson doesn't really have much of a mean streak at all. Big, boring, positionally sound, sort of a Chris Therien type. I don't think he has a lot of upside - probably a 4-5 guy in pro if he makes it. Rogers and Fistric had much more dynamic aspects to their games (Fistric's physical game, Rogers' skating at his size) which gave them more upside in the eyes of scouts and snuck them into the first round. Fistric has progressed really nicely, Rogers has not and looks like a pretty awful pick right now. I guess first round wouldn't be out of the question for Jackson, but I wouldn't think it too likely.

There are a lot of WHL defenders who will go in rounds 2-4. Sauer, Jackson, Zimmerman, Kohn, and Flatt have already been mentioned. Mark Louis, who's 6'4 and progressed into a key role with an excellent Brandon team will also go fairly early. Dan Mercer of Spokane has a lot of raw tools (nice size, mean streak, good skill level) and hasn't really put his game together, but could still go on the first day of the draft. Bretton Stamler of Seattle is rated quite highly by CSB (#50) and had a nice offensive finish to the season ... would probably have accomplished more on another WHL team but is trapped at #5 on the depth chart on an awesome Seattle blueline.

Franson moves really well for a big guy, and has a pretty nice outlet pass, but plays a very timid game. I don't really know what to think of him - some games he looks smart and solid, and well worth a 3rd-4th round pick, and other games his coverage just looks woefully soft and I wonder if he has any hope.

We agree on most points, but Jackson lacks a mean streak? This is an honest question, not sarcasm. I saw him only in the games in Vancouver, and he looked like a physical enough guy to me. He's not going out and killing people, but he's good at removing his man from the play and using his body and strength intelligently. I don't remember him backing away from anything (unlike Rogers), which is mean enough for me.

Franson is a funny guy. He makes the most beautiful passes sometimes, other times he can't do anything but ice the puck on his first pass. He has an intriguing ability to get the puck on net and take very smart shots, which is, imo, his best offensive attribute. I would have liked to see him on the pp more, but with 6 defensemen who play the pp including one who plays basically a full 2 minutes every time it's tough to distribute the icetime. His speed and acceleration are what worry me most. He is good enough laterally, but sometimes he looks like he's got that piano on if he gets caught and has to chase a bit. His physical game I am confident will develop as he fills out and gains confidence.

 

[MS]

We agree on most points, but Jackson lacks a mean streak? This is an honest question, not sarcasm. I saw him only in the games in Vancouver, and he looked like a physical enough guy to me. He's not going out and killing people, but he's good at removing his man from the play and using his body and strength intelligently. I don't remember him backing away from anything (unlike Rogers), which is mean enough for me.

I think we're pretty much in agreement, even if it didn't come across that way. I agree that he's very good at taking the man, using his strength, and he's certainly not soft. But he isn't a guy who will punish you physically, and doesn't have any sort of nasty streak. I love his positional game and decision-making, like his size, but don't know if he has the edge, puck skill, or skating ability to be high-end guy in pro. But I've only seen a couple times as well, so maybe I'm out to lunch on him. I do like him and think he's a strong bet to be an NHL defender.

Franson is a funny guy. He makes the most beautiful passes sometimes, other times he can't do anything but ice the puck on his first pass. He has an intriguing ability to get the puck on net and take very smart shots, which is, imo, his best offensive attribute. I would have liked to see him on the pp more, but with 6 defensemen who play the pp including one who plays basically a full 2 minutes every time it's tough to distribute the icetime. His speed and acceleration are what worry me most. He is good enough laterally, but sometimes he looks like he's got that piano on if he gets caught and has to chase a bit. His physical game I am confident will develop as he fills out and gains confidence.

I don't know if his physical game will develop. Watching him, I just don't get the feeling he has much of a natural take-charge mentality. Some guys are natural initiators and take-charge players, and some guys are natural reactors, and IMO he's the latter. It'll be a lot easier to get a read on him next year, when he should be solidly in the top two pairings. I think I like his skating more than you, especially his lateral quickness for a big guy, and I think he'll be quite mobile once he adds some more strength and loses the lanky tippiness.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

before Jeff Likens

True dat.

 

[West]

Excellent list West (sans Kohn). I'd add Geoff Killing of Belleville to this list though- very underrated totally defensive banger.

What don't you like about Kohn? or is it that he just dosen't fit the description of banging defensive D.

p.s. Killing is a great name for a Defensive D-man

 

[Archijerej]

Well to be honest I didn't mean "bonecrushing" when i used the term physical. Just a strong guy with relatively high upside who won't be a pushover in his own zone. A guy Montreal could pick in the middle of the 2nd, 3rd or 4rth round. Some nastyness is always welcomed but not nessesary. Anyways thanks for your contribution I'm going to do some reserching now. Any FREE sites with scouting reports?