Prospect Info: Kole Lind

[CanaFan]

Ceiling is 1st line or 2nd line?

Realistically you shouldn't expect any 2nd round pick to become a top liner but Lind does have (potentially) that kind of ceiling. Excellent scoring instincts and good tools to go with it. No real weaknesses as I can see and produced at a very strong clip for draft eligible.

Cross your fingers and hope he continues to develop at the same high rate and in 2-3 years we may have something very good. Certainly a player I'm excited to follow next year.

 

[MS]

To me Lind is a future 3rd liner if he makes it. Maybe 2nd line if he really hits.

His point totals look nice but there's really nothing dynamic in his game that projects to create high-end offence at higher levels. Average skater, average finisher, decent but not spectacular playmaking skills. But he's a heady guy with some grit who will have decent size/strength when he fills out.

Solid enough pick but not expecting a home run here.

 

[dwarf]

AMAZING PICK.

Every Rockets--Blazers game I've seen this year 4-5, he was by far the best player on either team! Future top 6 forward mark my words

I will! Have high hopes for him too.

 

[Nucker101]

Decent pick, would have preferred some others but I'm just glad we didn't reach.

 

[Free Edler]

To me Lind is a future 3rd liner if he makes it. Maybe 2nd line if he really hits.

His point totals look nice but there's really nothing dynamic in his game that projects to create high-end offence at higher levels. Average skater, average finisher, decent but not spectacular playmaking skills. But he's a heady guy with some grit who will have decent size/strength when he fills out.

Solid enough pick but not expecting a home run here.

I agree with this. I saw Lind play a few times this year and he looks like a guy who will be a professional hockey player, with a really good shot at being an NHL regular. He's about as close to a "safe" pick as can be had at this point in the draft.

That said - and this is just my opinion - he outplayed a few of his teammates with established pedigrees, like Nick Merkley and Dillon Dube, when I saw the Rockets come into town. And with his late birth date, he will get a shot to start in Utica in 18-19, so we may know what we have before long.

 

[monster_bertuzzi]

To me Lind is a future 3rd liner if he makes it. Maybe 2nd line if he really hits.

His point totals look nice but there's really nothing dynamic in his game that projects to create high-end offence at higher levels. Average skater, average finisher, decent but not spectacular playmaking skills. But he's a heady guy with some grit who will have decent size/strength when he fills out.

Solid enough pick but not expecting a home run here.

Hey, I'll take one of those half decade ''tweener'' types with a 2nd round pick. You're more than likely to get a career AHL/Europe guy out of a 2nd round pick.

 

[Domecile]

He ain't no Alexandre Mallet.

 

[JumpierPegasus]

I agree with this. I saw Lind play a few times this year and he looks like a guy who will be a professional hockey player, with a really good shot at being an NHL regular. He's about as close to a "safe" pick as can be had at this point in the draft.

That said - and this is just my opinion - he outplayed a few of his teammates with established pedigrees, like Nick Merkley and Dillon Dube, when I saw the Rockets come into town. And with his late birth date, he will get a shot to start in Utica in 18-19, so we may know what we have before long.

Which is fine. We swung with Pettersson, hopefully grabbing a future elite 1st liner, Lind being a 2nd/3rd line winger who is just steady to play alongside Horvat/Gaudette is fine in round 2

Really bolstered our forward core in this draft, now we just need to start drafting some defenders, hopefully starting with Dahlin

 

[Street Hawk]

Realistically you shouldn't expect any 2nd round pick to become a top liner but Lind does have (potentially) that kind of ceiling. Excellent scoring instincts and good tools to go with it. No real weaknesses as I can see and produced at a very strong clip for draft eligible.

Cross your fingers and hope he continues to develop at the same high rate and in 2-3 years we may have something very good. Certainly a player I'm excited to follow next year.

He won't drive the offence for a 1st line. Can be the goal scorer if you are pairing him with the 2 Swedes for example.

I'm happy with the pick.

At RW it can be Boeser on the 1st, Lind on the 2nd, Lockwood on the 3rd
At C, Pettersson on the 1st, Horvat on the 2nd, Gaudette on the 3rd
At LW Dahlen on the 1st, Goldy on the 2nd, Gadjovich on the 3rd

On sheer talent, that's probably how I would slot them. But, for team chemistry, you can move them around a bit for the top 2 lines.

He has a late Bday, so he only has 1 more year of Junior, then he can turn pro and play in the AHL. That's the path I expect for him. See him with a shot to make the team in 2019, same as Pettersson.

 

[CanaFan]

He won't drive the offence for a 1st line. Can be the goal scorer if you are pairing him with the 2 Swedes for example.

I'm happy with the pick.

At RW it can be Boeser on the 1st, Lind on the 2nd, Lockwood on the 3rd
At C, Pettersson on the 1st, Horvat on the 2nd, Gaudette on the 3rd
At LW Dahlen on the 1st, Goldy on the 2nd, Gadjovich on the 3rd

On sheer talent, that's probably how I would slot them. But, for team chemistry, you can move them around a bit for the top 2 lines.

He has a late Bday, so he only has 1 more year of Junior, then he can turn pro and play in the AHL. That's the path I expect for him. See him with a shot to make the team in 2019, same as Pettersson.

No not a line driver - few wingers really do that even on top lines - but more of a "skilled finisher / play maker" on the wing. Closest guy I can think of at the NHL level is maybe Justin Williams where he is solid in all areas and very smart but doesn't wow you with any single skill or attribute (but isn't weak in any either).

To me that's a potential top liner in that he could play on a top line and help make it better. Not that he's going to be the best player on it a la Kane or Benn.

 

[CherryToke]

His drop off in playoff stats is concerning.

 

[David Bruce Banner]

I had hoped for either Nicolas Hague or Jaret Anderson-Dolan here, but Lind is no reach.

 

[I in the Eye]

... He sounds like he could be a Jannik Hansen comparable?

 

[Gaunce4gm]

Not as fast as Hansen and not as good defensively but more creative offensively with better hands in tight. Probably comparable in terms of overall usefulness to an orginization in terms of moving up and down the lineup.

 

[CanaFan]

... He sounds like he could be a Jannik Hansen comparable?

I don't think he's that type of hustle/shoot player.

 

[NoShowWilly]

awww booo he'll be too old for world juniors in vancouver :'(

are we really setting our 2nd round picks comparable as jannik hansen? Why are so many players compared to Jannik Hansen with this fanbase?

 

[LickTheEnvelope]

Wrong thread.

 

[CanaFan]

awww booo he'll be too old for world juniors in vancouver :'(

are we really setting our 2nd round picks comparable as jannik hansen? Why are so many players compared to Jannik Hansen with this fanbase?

Familiar archetype?

 

[Bankerguy]

Yes!!!!!!! I was posting on here about him 2 weeks ago!! He was my ideal pick for 33!!!!

 

[AwesomeInTheory]

To me Lind is a future 3rd liner if he makes it. Maybe 2nd line if he really hits.

His point totals look nice but there's really nothing dynamic in his game that projects to create high-end offence at higher levels. Average skater, average finisher, decent but not spectacular playmaking skills. But he's a heady guy with some grit who will have decent size/strength when he fills out.

Solid enough pick but not expecting a home run here.

So basically a par for the course Benning selection.

 

[groov2]

Great pick. This kid has an extremely accurate shot, which is partially attributed to the fact that he never looks down; his eyes are always on target.

 

[Petrichor]

Good pick. Looks like he has all the tools to become an NHL player. Skating, shot and IQ all there. His point totals are comparable to Cody Glass.

His upper end potential is like Jordan Eberle. Chances are he won't crack the line-up for another 2-3 years, but Utica will be adding some huge offensive power a year later.

 

[Verviticus]

To me Lind is a future 3rd liner if he makes it. Maybe 2nd line if he really hits.

His point totals look nice but there's really nothing dynamic in his game that projects to create high-end offence at higher levels. Average skater, average finisher, decent but not spectacular playmaking skills. But he's a heady guy with some grit who will have decent size/strength when he fills out.

Solid enough pick but not expecting a home run here.

vs

yeah. i wanted more of a boomer at 33 but im honestly ok with lind. i think lind was also a bit of a gamble - they had a pick later in the round and there were a lot of good forwards around there and i guess they figured lind was the most likely to not be available later

maybe a failed gamble but im actually ok with it. as long as you're still taking a good player, i think the team that makes those types of gambles intelligently comes out ahead in the long run.

 

[NoShowWilly]

definitely going to need to check out a rockets/giants game this year.

 

[elitepete]

Pretty good pick. Watched him play on TV a couple times last year, he's a smart, shoot first player that will go to the net and has some size.

I woulda prefered Anderson-Dolan here.