2015 NHL Entry Draft

[hockeykicker]

During the break between Caps picks, MacLellan had been absent from the table. Just returned though, eight picks away.
per Prewitt

May be nothing as well

 

[Cush]

Connor Hobbs, D Regina

 

[Marshall]

The Connor Hobbs write-up post

Honorable Mention, Pronman's Top 100

Honorable Mention, McKeen's Top 120

RLR #112 - RD, 6'1", 176. 1/4/97 Regina Pats
One-liner: Tough year, but has the skills to rank higher than this

#2 on RLR's Mid-round sleepers worth a look: "We actually think he's a 2nd round talent, but he got buried in a bad situation early, left his club, and never got back to the level we expected after the trade. We'd be surprised if there wasn't a major jump in his game next season.

Write-up:

Red Line loves this possible high reward pick whose development was stunted by a bad situation in Medicine Hat - settled in nicely down the stretch after trade to Regina. Crisp passer hits the intended targets on the tape. Reads and reacts quickly when determining whether to make a pinch or pull back. Enjoys skating with the puck when a smart outlet isn't present. Comfortable handling the puck at speed. Processes incoming attacks quickly. Still filling out frame; already skates well with quick pivots and strong east-west agility, but will get better with added leg strength. Fantastic 1-on-1 gap closure. Really intelligent and instinctive around offensive zone with quick recognition and reactions.
Projection: Puck moving #6-#7 with some longterm upside.
Style compares to: Thomas Hickey

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

So it would shock you if he managed 35 points possibly playing opposite Krieder and the mobile defense they have? If he plays with Hayes or Brassard I think he hits 35 which is what Hagelin did for them and while costing less.

Yes, it would shock me, because I don't think he's going to play there. I think he'll be in the bottom six, and that they'd promote someone like Hayes or JT Miller (who are also better players) first.

Nash-Stepan-Zuccarello
Kreider-Brassard-Hayes

I also don't think Etem will come anywhere close to being the #2 PK forward like Hagelin.

 

[Langway]

Another defenseman. Another righty. Slow boots from what I've seen.

 

[landy92mack29]

Connor Hobbs, D Regina

He's raw but has tremendous upside. Project pick but top 4 potential for sure

#18 Connor Hobbs




Team: Regina Pats

Position: D

Shoots: R

Height: 6’0.5

Weight: 187

GP: 45

Goals: 2

Assists: 16

Points: 18

Pts/Gm: 0.40

PIM: 36




Player Analysis: Connor Hobbs is a toolsy and abrasive two-way defender for the Regina Pats…possesses a rather knock-kneed skating stride…despite his rough-looking stride he gets around the ice well for the junior level…has explosive top speed and can change direction quickly and with fluidity…first few backwards cuts have power and allow him to transition to defence quickly…footwork defensively isn’t always perfect but has shown improvement this season…edges, footwork and hip angles on defence will need to show more improvement to play at the next level…has a tall, long and rather skinny look to his frame despite being listed at just a hair over 6’0… passes the puck extremely hard…really whips the biscuit around his own zone and isn’t afraid to attempt frequent stretch passes with somewhat inconsistent results…passing is fairly accurate for the most part…does have a tendency to force pucks into tight spots at times, rather than letting the play develop…like with his physical play (more on this in a second), he will need to improve his decision making with the puck as he gets more experience…pass reception and general puck handling skill exist but are somewhat inconsistent…have seen him bobble some routine passes…he shoots the puck extremely hard…owns a good one-timer, although the accuracy of his shot needs work…gets his feet in proper position to fire and seems to have the tools to score more than he did this year…wrist shot is good, release is quick…could stand to be a tad more aggressive jumping into the play at times but does make some solid aggressive plays when it comes to keeping pucks in the offensive zone…is punishing in the way he plays defence…is extremely aggressive with his body contact and often hits to hurt…is not shy to step up into the neutral zone and bury opposing players…will be a human missile if he can get up to 6’1.5 and closer to 210 pounds…picks his spots quite well regarding when he goes to lay hits but it would be an area that could use slight improvement with more experience…really works hard in his own zone playing an abrasive and up-tempo style of defence…not afraid to play a bit chippy and be somewhat of an agitator…while his length and decent mobility allows him to maintain tight gaps, he has shown some brain cramps defensively regarding simple and rather basic blown coverage plays…lack of overall experience shows itself at times regarding his basic defensive instincts, but I remain confident he doesn’t have any major hockey sense issues… would definitely classify him as a rather raw player (just over 50 regular season WHL games under his belt) with a bit of a wild stallion vibe to his game…with that being said, a lot of things he does have a “pro style” to them…showed me very good signs of improvement each time I saw him during the season…was used as a top pairing defenceman ever since being acquired by Regina mid-way through this season, really going through a “trial by fire” process due to a lack of general WHL experience before that trade… along with playing top minutes alongside Colby Williams he also was featured on both the main powerplay and penalty killing units…his PPG rate was T-10th best among all first-year draft-eligible WHL defenders this season…his even-strength PPG rate of 0.27 was T-9th among that same class of skaters…was originally a 4th round pick, 67th overall, by the Prince Albert Raiders at the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft…was traded to Medicine Hat during the 2013-14 season…early in the 2014-15 season he requested a trade from the Tigers after playing 12 games in a depth role…while he awaited a trade he spent time with the SJHL’s Nipawin Hawks…was acquired by Regina as part of a massive trade, culminating with him landing on the Pats top defensive pairing for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs…his game overall leaves me with some general questions about what kind of defender he wants to be…despite that concern I see a lot of tools and a rather moldable player…while I see him as a raw player with some skating issues, he has all the tools, size and the aggressive mindset that teams covet…if all things go well I think he projects as a top 4 NHL defender who can play special teams while not necessarily being a true anchor on the PP…I would rank him as roughly a mid-4th round type of prospect and feel that he will come off the board sometime starting in the back half of that round come draft day…

 

[Cush]

http://bsndenver.com/nhl-draft-prospect-profile-connor-hobbs/

Cody Nickolet, WHL Scout for Future Considerations Hockey:

Connor Hobbs is a personal favourite of mine for the draft. He’s definitely raw, but has all the tools you look for in today’s defenceman. He’s got size, plays an aggressive style in all zones, passes the puck hard, has a big shot and is a killer physically. His skating remains a major work in progress but that’s proven to be an area players can work on. I have him rated as a 3rd round type of guy personally, even though I doubt he goes that high.

John Paddock, Regina Pats Head Coach

He does a lot of things really well. He’s big, he’s got good skills, he moves good on the ice. He’s everything we hoped for. For somebody who shoots the puck like him, you hope there’s going to be more offence. I think there will be. More than anything, he’s 17. Last year he was playing midget hockey. When he’s 18 and 19 years old, he’s going to be a really high-end defenceman.

 

[Cush]

Ryan Pilon in the 5th, wasn't he supposed to be 1st/2nd guy?

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

Hobbs sounds like a nice developmental pick for Trotz & co.

 

[Brian23]

Is it weird that a year or two ago, I'd kill for all these defensive picks? Now, I'm miffed we haven't drafted any centers or right wingers...

Wonder if they go in house for the future on defense and look to trade and free agency for forwads.

 

[Cush]

Bondra to Chicago

 

[MiKE5889]

I wonder if we could pick up either Korostelev or Salituro. I think the latter has all the potential to be a late round steal.

 

[Marshall]

Colby Williams Write-up

RLR - Not ranked
Pronman - Not ranked
McKeen's - Not ranked

FWIW, NHL 15 has him as a two-way defender with top 4 AHL potential

#analysis #nostoneleftunturned

 

[Cush]

Colby Williams, D, Regina. Overager, 20 years old

 

[Langway]

Kind of feels like a mailed in draft. Two Regina dudes. Convenient.

Maybe they've added blueline depth to maybe trade some other defenders at some point. Meh.

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

Disappointed with the lack of Finns.

 

[RandyHolt]

Disappointed with the lack of Forwards.

 

[Brian23]

What is it with them and D right now? Do they really like our forward prospects and dislike only having Bowey as the heir apparent?

 

[Marshall]

Edit - removed as author posted the write-ups.

 

[Dr John Carlson]

One goalie and three right shooting defencemen. Leaves a little bit to be desired, but you can't really criticize late picks much.

 

[Langway]

One goalie and three right shooting defencemen. Leaves a little bit to be desired, but you can't really criticize late picks much.

Siegenthaler is a lefty.

 

[Roughing]

One thought... They think the Top4 plus Orlov, Schmidt and a vet is going to be the D now and for a while. So, maybe that makes Bowey, Carrick, and others tradeable, which means they have to fill back in with young Dmen. Same with the Goalie situation. I mean, Gruby, Bowey, and whatever else is a nice starting point for a good Forward.

Either that or we're not going to score many goals this year.

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

I don't think they'll trade Bowey. Too toolsy to risk letting go for what he'd garner in a trade.

 

[Langway]

It's a very Nashville Predators sort of draft. Which, you know, makes sense. Defense is important. So is possession and a whole lot of other finer aspects but they're old school. I get it.

Carrick stands out as more likely to move but we'll see. You could make the case that Williams could turn pro and play a fairly similar role, at least at the AHL level.

 

[Cush]

Alex Prewitt ‏@alex_prewitt 7m7 minutes ago

Now waiting until draft's end to talk with MacLellan, who had been huddling with Fishman and Trotz. Looks like they're working on something.

Alex Prewitt ‏@alex_prewitt 6m6 minutes ago

Or, at least, trying to work on something.