Prospect Info: With the 97th overall pick in the 2023 draft, the Ducks select Konnor Smith

[Ducks DVM]

Konnor Smith!
Welcome to Anaheim!

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[MMC]

Welcome to Anaheim Konnor Smith

 

[Terry Yake]

6'5 d-man. needs to put on quite a bit of weight at 205 lbs

 

[ShadowDuck]

 

[WhatTheDuck]

He's a throwback type, flat out mean

@Dirk316

 

[DuckDuckGetz]

Konnor with a K is a red flag for me but I'll take it

 

[ShadowDuck]

 

[Gliff]

Dirk should be happy.

 

[The Midnight Burrito]

Konnor with a K is a red flag for me but I'll take it

Kurtis Foster

 

[GreatBear]

It is almost like the Ducks have a checklist of players that they want. Gritty two way forwards, check. A goalie, check. A goon, here we are, we got us a goon. This could go down as one of the worst drafts in Ducks history.

 

[Trojans86]

Love this pick. Not gonna lie, this draft is going exactly how I wanted it. I didnt want to draft any small skill guys outside of the 1st. Just some combination of size, physicality, 2 way, intensity, speed role-player types and we have plenty of guys like that.,

It is almost like the Ducks have a checklist of players that they want. Gritty two way forwards, check. A goalie, check. A goon, here we are, we got us a goon. This could go down as one of the worst drafts in Ducks history.

He did get beat up by a 6 ft guy. May need to learn how to fight haha.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

Here's a write up from Brock Otten on Smith:

37. Konnor Smith - Defense - Peterborough Petes​

Smith is big (6'5, 206lbs) and he is mean. His potential as a stay at home defender is through the roof. Smith just consistently makes his presence felt. He makes you compete for every inch of ice against him. I actually think he's more than just brawn too. His defensive zone awareness is high. He is a great shot blocker. By the time he becomes an OA in the OHL, he'll likely be one of the better defensive defenders in the league. My concerns are related to how he projects to the NHL level. The first concern is over his mobility. His footwork is not great and his lateral quickness, backwards stride, and the fluidity of his transitions are going to need to improve a ton to be an NHL defender. The second concern surrounds puck management. Anytime I watch the Petes, Smith has a bad giveaway or two from simply not scanning or checking. He's just not the most skilled with the puck. I see him getting drafted probably, but I'm just not sure about his projectability.​

 

[KelVarnsen]

That right up basically says goon.

 

[cheesymc]

I liked Smith early on in the season but I thought he was taking too many bad penalties. I also think his puck skills are lacking like Noah Warren. The Goldsmith kid looks like he moves and handles the puck better, and is just as nasty and more physically developed. I'm surprised we didn't go for him since he was invited to the combine and Smith wasn't.

Well, we finally get a guy who is willing to cross the line with borderline hits.

Edit: I think our scouts are really impressionable from playoffs and tournaments.

 

[mighty Stanley Duck]

Here's a write up from Brock Otten on Smith:

37. Konnor Smith - Defense - Peterborough Petes​

Smith is big (6'5, 206lbs) and he is mean. His potential as a stay at home defender is through the roof. Smith just consistently makes his presence felt. He makes you compete for every inch of ice against him. I actually think he's more than just brawn too. His defensive zone awareness is high. He is a great shot blocker. By the time he becomes an OA in the OHL, he'll likely be one of the better defensive defenders in the league. My concerns are related to how he projects to the NHL level. The first concern is over his mobility. His footwork is not great and his lateral quickness, backwards stride, and the fluidity of his transitions are going to need to improve a ton to be an NHL defender. The second concern surrounds puck management. Anytime I watch the Petes, Smith has a bad giveaway or two from simply not scanning or checking. He's just not the most skilled with the puck. I see him getting drafted probably, but I'm just not sure about his projectability.​

Jesus, not very optimistic scouting report...i hope he will be good enough for the Gulls.

 

[Terry Yake]

Jesus, not very optimistic scouting report...i hope he will be good enough for the Gulls.

verbeek and the rest of the scouts seem to have a lot of faith in the coaches in our system to be able to develop projects like this

 

[Ducks]

Can't argue with a 6'5'' stay at home D who loves to paint the ice with blood as a late round pick. Maybe would have preferred we get him in the 5th instead of 4th, but that's splitting hairs.

 

[mighty Stanley Duck]

I hope he wont grow anymore.

 

[WhatTheDuck]

Jesus, not very optimistic scouting report...i hope he will be good enough for the Gulls.

It's pretty glowing actually, if you stop right before "my concerns"

 

[Ducks]

Konnor said in his Ducks Stream interview that he's not afraid of anybody on the ice and that he models his game after Chris Pronger.

 

[MMC]

On Konnor Smith (4th Round, 97th Overall)

By that point in the draft, we saw more value in the defensemen. There were very few guys like Konnor in the draft, 6-foot-5, 210 lbs., physical and smart. His mobility needs to improve over time. It's going to be a process. He's just growing into his body. But he likes to play a mean game and there are so few guys like that in junior hockey.

 

[Ducks]

What I love most about these tweets is that it's from an Oshawa Generals blogger and neither hit involved the Generals. The fact that rival teams fans are so focused on what Konnor Smith is doing and calling for suspensions just shows how much he gets under the skin of other teams. It's hilarious and I bet Konnor feeds off the hate.

 

[Hinterland]

Wrong thread, sry.

Having said that, I watched the Petes quite a bit in the playoffs and he was solid. Was also good when asked to play more when the captain (Spearing) went down with a broken jaw. I think Otten is a bit harsh regarding his skillset. I haven't noticed any horrible giveaways. He can make plays. Skating is a concern though.

 

[mightyquack]

That first hit isn't great, but saying the puck is long gone is a bit hilarious, the puck is played and the hit occurs within the same second on the video.

 

[Hockey Duckie]