Prospect Info: With the #97 pick, the Wild select (C) Mason Shaw (WHL, Medicine Hat Tigers)

[Dr Jan Itor]

Yes if it's a Arvidsson, Marchand, or Geadreau. No if it's a Schroeder or Ennis.

And therein lies the rub; because you don't know if it's an Arvidsson vs. Schroeder until you give it chance.

 

[Wabit]

And therein lies the rub; because you don't know if it's an Arvidsson vs. Schroeder until you give it chance.

I just think the Wild already have too many of these give a chance and see what happens guys in the system: Kloos, Anas, Rau, Shaw, Ladonia, Salituro, Swaney. Even Kaprizov is a shorter player, but he has some bulk to go with it.

I haven't been a fan of Spooner (same size as Granny). He's a PP specialist to me, with no defensive game at all.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

I just think the Wild already have too many of these give a chance and see what happens guys in the system: Kloos, Anas, Rau, Shaw, Ladonia, Salituro, Swaney. Even Kaprizov is a shorter player, but he has some bulk to go with it.

I haven't been a fan of Spooner (same size as Granny). He's a PP specialist to me, with no defensive game at all.

Anas and Kloos didn't cost us anything. Shaw, Lodnia, Swaney and Kaprizov are late round flyers (the exact kind of guys you want to take flyers on and hope one of them hits, and it looks like as of now at least one has).

It's just perplexing to me to put a height and weight limit on players when all kinds are scattered throughout the league. Is Shaw a Gaudreau 2.0? Probably not, but could he be? Yeah, it's possible.

 

[Wabit]

Anas and Kloos didn't cost us anything. Shaw, Lodnia, Swaney and Kaprizov are late round flyers (the exact kind of guys you want to take flyers on and hope one of them hits, and it looks like as of now at least one has).

It's just perplexing to me to put a height and weight limit on players when all kinds are scattered throughout the league. Is Shaw a Gaudreau 2.0? Probably not, but could he be? Yeah, it's possible.

If you want to take a flyer on small players that's fine, but MN has been gone too heavy in that direction the last few drafts/FA (prospect) signings. They also need to be looking for the next Benn.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

If you want to take a flyer on small players that's fine, but MN has been gone too heavy in that direction the last few drafts/FA (prospect) signings. They also need to be looking for the next Benn.

Well, people get equally as mad when Lucia, Bussieres, Gabriel and Duhaime are picked and don’t turn out.

 

[Saga of the Elk]

To be clear, not criticizing Mason Shaw here. He's a smaller guy who put up 90+ points in his draft year. I'm questioning replacing Tyler Ennis, a first-round pick who has had a decent, if abbreviated, NHL career despite a smaller frame with Sam Anas, who people seem to like without ever having seen him. He's a tweener and I'm glad he's in the system and he's no Tyler Ennis.

 

[Saga of the Elk]

Well, people get equally as mad when Lucia, Bussieres, Gabriel and Duhaime are picked and don’t turn out.

A big kid in high school putting up numbers against pre-pubescents is worth a huge grain of salt, not two draft picks.
A guy in the QMJHL who is considered a long-term project to grind at best is not a good 2nd round pick.
A guy who is a re-entry with little offensive skill in the OHL is not a good 3rd round pick.
Duhaime looks decent, has four years to develop, and that is a reasonable use of a 4th round pick.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

To be clear, not criticizing Mason Shaw here. He's a smaller guy who put up 90+ points in his draft year. I'm questioning replacing Tyler Ennis, a first-round pick who has had a decent, if abbreviated, NHL career despite a smaller frame with Sam Anas, who people seem to like without ever having seen him. He's a tweener and I'm glad he's in the system and he's no Tyler Ennis.

Oh, so you've seen him extensively?

 

[Wabit]

Well, people get equally as mad when Lucia, Bussieres, Gabriel and Duhaime are picked and don’t turn out.

Those were higher picks (3rd round and higher) than I'd like to see a GM taking a flyer on, and IIRC they were all reaches that draft year.

There were players I liked better than Shaw for this pick: Strome, Virtanen, Reedy, Toropchenko.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Those were higher picks (3rd round and higher) than I'd like to see a GM taking a flyer on, and IIRC they were all reaches that draft year.

There were players I liked better than Shaw for this pick: Strome, Virtanen, Reedy, Toropchenko.

Duhaime was a 4th rounder, but I see your point if we're talking about "flyer" guys.

I don't know. I just highest upside, whatever that may mean.

 

[Wabit]

Duhaime was a 4th rounder, but I see your point if we're talking about "flyer" guys.

I don't know. I just highest upside, whatever that may mean.

I think I said in the 2016 draft thread that the Wild spent a 4th on a 7th rounder (Duhaime) and a 7th on a 4th rounder (Sokolov). Duhaime wasn't even ranked by the major scouting sites.

I don't like the Shaw pick, but at least he went somewhat near his pre-draft rankings.

 

[Saga of the Elk]

Oh, so you've seen him extensively?

Haven't seen him live since college but I do watch Iowa from time to time. Russo addressed this in the mailbag yesterday too: to paraphrase, Anas hasnt gotten a chance because he's small (no!) and not that good away from the puck. I'd say he's like Marc Arcobello, except not as good positionally. That's a textbook tweener, not a better player than Tyler Ennis by any stretch of the imagination. Sorry!

 

[Lapa]

That's a textbook tweener, not a better player than Tyler Ennis by any stretch of the imagination

Oh god.. That bad?

 

[Saga of the Elk]

Oh god.. That bad?

This is 25 year old AHLer Sam Anas, who came up earlier for some reason. Not promising prospect Mason Shaw, whose thread this is.

 

[Wabit]

This is 25 year old AHLer Sam Anas, who came up earlier for some reason. Not promising prospect Mason Shaw, whose thread this is.

We've wandered all over the place in the thread the last couple of days. I'll take the some of the blame for that.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

We've wandered all over the place in the thread the last couple of days. I'll take the some of the blame for that.

Me too!

 

[Lapa]

This is 25 year old AHLer Sam Anas, who came up earlier for some reason. Not promising prospect Mason Shaw, whose thread this is.

Oh, in that case nvm then.

 

[Saga of the Elk]

Oh, in that case nvm then.

Similar players in a way though - and played for the same junior team, Medicine Hat, so it's not all that off topic!

 

[Dee Oh Cee]

This guy is starting to become a little bit more intriguing. Wonder if he can keep this up. Guys his size can not only play in the NHL these days but they can thrive.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

His draft season was actually really freaking good. 2nd on his own team in scoring (to a 20/21 year old; Shaw was 18) and it's not like he was leeching off of a future NHLer or anything. 7th in the entire WHL in scoring, sandwiched between Yamamoto (1st round pick) and Glass (1st round pick). Who knows what the hell he does the next year if he doesn't get hurt.

 

[Victorious Secret]

Just tough to gauge considering he doesn't quite have the size of Yamamoto. /s Kailer always had good linemates, Anderson Dolan or Keanu.

 

[57special]

A big kid in high school putting up numbers against pre-pubescents is worth a huge grain of salt, not two draft picks.
A guy in the QMJHL who is considered a long-term project to grind at best is not a good 2nd round pick.
A guy who is a re-entry with little offensive skill in the OHL is not a good 3rd round pick.
Duhaime looks decent, has four years to develop, and that is a reasonable use of a 4th round pick.

This was somewhat prophetic. Well done.

Back to Shaw. He is a good AHL player, and I think he can be a 4th liner in the NHL. His lack of height and reach is a handicap, but he is pretty strong, and pugnacious. Quick, if not fast. Some puck skills. Not sure his scoring will translate to the NHL, or to be more precise, don't think he will be given the 1st line and PP duties in the NHL that he is in the AHL. A handy guy to have around in the next three years, though, when having low AAV players to fill out the roster will be a necessity.