LD Nicolas Hague - Mississauga Steelheads, OHL (2017 Draft)

[Duke16]

Saw that he was the only 2017 eligible d-man invited to Canada U18 camp. He's already 6'6" 200lbs.

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[The Winter Soldier]

Hague is a guy I have enjoyed watching this year. He's still a ways out from his draft. But you can see he is a kid with talent. Keeping it simple for now, good passer in terms of getting the puck out of zone. Really like what I have seen this year, his first in the OHL. With progression, he has the right stuff to go in the first rd in 2017.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

I really liked his game today against Kingston. The Boxscore will say 0 points, 2Pims.

But he plays a very good efficient game made more so since he is Rookie OHL D man.

 

[Torts]

For his 1st OHL season he's done great. Paired with Day since the beginning of the season. Makes good decisions in his own zone and for his size is a good skater.

 

[TT1]

He'll be a top prospect in 2017, heck if i could i'd pick him in the 1st round of this year's draft. Great skater for a guy his size (6'7!) and when you couple that with his high defensive IQ.. that makes him a VERY intriguing prospect to say the least. Kid has massive potential, he has all the tools and smarts to be an impact player.

He's one of the main guys ill be following in 2017, already a huge fan of his.

 

[FLYguy3911]

Yeah. Really impressive physical package. He will go pretty high next year. That Mississauga team is going to be something to watch the next 2 seasons.

 

[TT1]

been catching up with some Steelheads VOD's (mainly to watch Nylander and McLeod) and this kid continues to impress me, rock solid..

 

[The Winter Soldier]

I think he will be a first rd pick next year, at worst a 2nd rounder. Big kid with good hockey IQ, Like that combination.

 

[TribalPhoenix]

D - Nicolas Hague - Mississauga Steelheads (2017)

Another kid I spotted tonight was Nicolas Hague... very impressive.

A late 98 birthday, he missed the cutoff by about 2.5 months. At 6'5" and 207 pounds, he is a hulking force on the blueline.

Despite his large size, he's surprising mobile and a decent skater, particularly backwards while using a long stick and good reach to break up plays. He also has a surprisingly impressive snap shot, which he gets off quickly with a good release and speed behind it which can surprise a goalie.

Most impressive was his sense of the game. For a kid this young, he thinks the game very well and has earned his coaches trust. This was especially true on a 4-3 PK where he blocked a pass, then a shot, and then pressed the point man past the blue line with shocking headiness for a junior player.

While he clearly has room to grow, and could learn to add some more grit to a game when you've got a frame like that, I wouldn't be shocked to see him end up as a first round selection in 2017.

 

[Mark Edwards]

Tweeted about him a few times this year and finally spoke about him on radio last week.

I'm a big fan. LINK

 

[TribalPhoenix]

Tweeted about him a few times this year and finally spoke about him on radio last week.

I'm a big fan. LINK

Between himself and Owen Tippett, who had an absolute highlight reel goal tonight in a loss to Oshawa, the Steelheads are in good hands even if the likes of Nylander and McLeod leave.

 

[Peptic Balcers]

Went to a game in Feb to watch Nylander/ Day. Hague was a guy that really stood out to me. He's big and moves pretty well. Made good choices, looked great in the offensive zone too

 

[The Winter Soldier]

He was voted as one of the most improved players this year by OHL coaches.

This is what you want to see in a 16-17 year old player.

I think he will be a 1st rounder next year.

 

[Brock]

I'd have only Vilardi and Tippett ahead of him from the OHL for the 2017 draft. Definitely looks like a potential lottery selection.

I think the key to his development is the progression of his puck skills. He's already become a very solid defensive player. And he's shows great offensive instincts and has a booming point shot. But in terms of leading a breakout and controlling the point of a powerplay, he's still a work in progress. But even that area has shown massive improvement since the start of the season, which bodes very well.

If the Steelheads are ousted in the first round, he's got to be a lock for the U18 team. Which I'd be excited to watch him at. I felt like he should have made the Hlinka team (I certainly was impressed in the scrimmages I watched), so it would be great for him to get more exposure.

 

[TT1]

I'd have only Vilardi and Tippett ahead of him from the OHL for the 2017 draft. Definitely looks like a potential lottery selection.

I think the key to his development is the progression of his puck skills. He's already become a very solid defensive player. And he's shows great offensive instincts and has a booming point shot. But in terms of leading a breakout and controlling the point of a powerplay, he's still a work in progress. But even that area has shown massive improvement since the start of the season, which bodes very well.

If the Steelheads are ousted in the first round, he's got to be a lock for the U18 team. Which I'd be excited to watch him at. I felt like he should have made the Hlinka team (I certainly was impressed in the scrimmages I watched), so it would be great for him to get more exposure.

hey Brock, what do you think about Conor Timmins? i was personally really impressed by him, hes so solid defensively and he also has the tools to take a step forward offensively, definitely someone i'll be following alot next season.

Chmelevski, O'Grady, Paquette, Ratcliffe and Strome are all players who've caught my eye aswell but i have limited viewings of them, looking forward to seeing what you have to say about them in the future!

 

[Hammer Slammer]

Forgive the spam but just realized I hadn't been posting here haha.

 

[Brian Fogarty]

I really like Hague's offensive instincts and his ability to execute plays that he sees in transition or in the offensive zone. His positioning in his own zone is spotty, and he has a tendency to over-commit on a puck carrier to try to make a big physical play.

However, as the season progressed, he began cutting down on some of his positional errors and reigning in his unwise aggression. Another year of improvement in that area and he'll likely be a first-round pick next draft. His skating, as noted in previous posts, is excellent at his age and size, and he has good vision and gets the puck on net.

His run this season will be fun to watch.

 

[seafoam]

Just going on the highlight video, he seems to be really impressive for a guy his size. Moves well and has offensive instincts.

Does he prefer the right side as a lefty or does he play both depending on team needs?

 

[Ricklongisland]

I would not be surprised if his stock jumps and he becomes a top 5 pick

 

[facelessjoe1990]

why does it say RD in the title? According to the video he's a lefty.

 

[Raymoondo]

Mid first rounder?

 

[Daximus]

Mid first rounder?

Knowing NHL GM's if he can manage to get into the 35+ points range with his size he likely goes top 10.

 

[TribalPhoenix]

Knowing NHL GM's if he can manage to get into the 35+ points range with his size he likely goes top 10.

I'll predict him as a top 10 pick right now. His point totals are directly going to be impacted by McLeod and Nylander and their potential return, but if he continues the development trajectory he's been on, he's gonna be a hell of a player.

 

[Sundinisagod]

Saw that he was the only 2017 eligible d-man invited to Canada U18 camp. He's already 6'6" 200lbs.

He'll be a top prospect in 2017, heck if i could i'd pick him in the 1st round of this year's draft. Great skater for a guy his size (6'7!) and when you couple that with his high defensive IQ.. that makes him a VERY intriguing prospect to say the least. Kid has massive potential, he has all the tools and smarts to be an impact player.

He's one of the main guys ill be following in 2017, already a huge fan of his.

Another kid I spotted tonight was Nicolas Hague... very impressive.

A late 98 birthday, he missed the cutoff by about 2.5 months. At 6'5" and 207 pounds, he is a hulking force on the blueline.

Despite his large size, he's surprising mobile and a decent skater, particularly backwards while using a long stick and good reach to break up plays. He also has a surprisingly impressive snap shot, which he gets off quickly with a good release and speed behind it which can surprise a goalie.

Most impressive was his sense of the game. For a kid this young, he thinks the game very well and has earned his coaches trust. This was especially true on a 4-3 PK where he blocked a pass, then a shot, and then pressed the point man past the blue line with shocking headiness for a junior player.

While he clearly has room to grow, and could learn to add some more grit to a game when you've got a frame like that, I wouldn't be shocked to see him end up as a first round selection in 2017.

So how tall is he? 6'5" / 6'6" ' / 6'7"...

 

[The Winter Soldier]

I really like this guy. Debuts at #14 on Mckenzie's preseason ranking.