I agree completely with this comment. My kid is tall and skinny and has much to fill in before he reaches his ceiling, However many of the kids he plays with and against that are the same age are shorter and heavier. Those kids have seemingly already added the mass that comes with physical maturation. There are plenty of examples of kids who, just one year ago, looked like they were the cream of the crop and today they are all but forgotten.
2018 ohl draft April 7th
- Thread starter Mvprice
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I agree completely with this comment. My kid is tall and skinny and has much to fill in before he reaches his ceiling, However many of the kids he plays with and against that are the same age are shorter and heavier. Those kids have seemingly already added the mass that comes with physical maturation. There are plenty of examples of kids who, just one year ago, looked like they were the cream of the crop and today they are all but forgotten.
OMG67
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Let’s not get too far ahead here. He “may” be the best but there have been some seriously great free agent signings. Most recently, I would suggest Anthony Cirelli. If we extend this to Ontario kids signing as free agents, Claude Giroux did very well signing with Gatineau out of Cumberland, a suburb of Ottawa. I believe Benoit Pouliot was a free agent with Sudbury and was a top 5 NHL pick.
So, there are a few examples out there that are interesting, if not a challenger for “the best.”
I think DeBrincat provided more OHL value than any of those guys, to be honest. (Perhaps not Giroux, but of course he was, as you say, a QMJHL signing.) I don't throw around superlatives lightly! But you're probably right that there's someone I'm forgetting, and of course a guy doesn't have to be DeBrincat to be great, as Dog Fan said. I just don't think it's particularly instructive to comp Joe Undersized 16-year-old to him.
I actually didn't realize DeBrincat had a commitment to UMass. Still, lots of guys each year get chosen despite such commitments.
If we are just talking OHL, then find me better examples than Pouliot and Cirelli.
Both great players but in terms of production, Debrincat gave Erie nearly a goal per game for 191 games. He was phenomenal. this really isn’t about nhl production. It’s about OHL. Cirelli was a heck of a player and had some clutch moments but he’s not in the same discussion for me when it comes to Debrincat. Debrincat has more overall skill and had far more production in his OHL career.
Just off the top of my head in recent years I would throw Parsons out there. I know, he’s a goalie but just saying. Imo he carried London on so many occasions. Rock solid. Never flustered. I knew Erie/London last year was going 6/7 games because of that kid. Give London any other goalie last year and they lose in 4 or 5. No joke. That kid was special. I’m sure there are others but Debrincat has to be near in the discussion.
Some more smaller talent success stories -
Mike Cazzola
Kyle Maksimovich
Daniel Erlich
Colin Behenna
Michael Catenacci
Eric Locke
Ryan Moore
These are just some that come to mind of players drafted into OHL that have had nice careers. There are many more. Personally I would rather draft 5’7 - 5’9 guys that are undersized than the bigger players. Chances are that smaller guy can develop a lot just on getting bigger whereas the bigger guy is just used to dominating against smaller players.
Mike Cazzola
Kyle Maksimovich
Daniel Erlich
Colin Behenna
Michael Catenacci
Eric Locke
Ryan Moore
These are just some that come to mind of players drafted into OHL that have had nice careers. There are many more. Personally I would rather draft 5’7 - 5’9 guys that are undersized than the bigger players. Chances are that smaller guy can develop a lot just on getting bigger whereas the bigger guy is just used to dominating against smaller players.
OMG67
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I’m not sure if you meant Corey Locke as opposed to Eric. Corey wn back to back Tilson’s.
OMG67
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The point is claiming Debrincat as the best free agent signing is like having a discussion about who the best player in hockey is. There will be varying opinions and varying criteria. In most cases, it is like splitting hairs. Cirelli may not have been as prolific a point getter as Debrincat but he had other attributes that made him a great OHL player. HE was instrumental in winning a Memorial Cup for Oshawa as well, even though he was a rookie.
I only added Claude Giroux as proof it isn’t outrageous to have a radical point getter as a free agent. I would suggest Giroux had a bigger impact than Debrincat (51 points in 19 playoff games his final season was sick). But, again, that is just my opinion. I wouldn’t argue if you suggested Debrincat was better because it is simply apples to apples discussion.
Personally, I would rather simply say that having a star free agent isn’t necessarily unheard of. Many teams have had them over the years. Some have a different sort of impact than others. I think that is the overall point of the discussion...whether or not late bloomers available in the U-18 draft are possible. I think you have proven that it is. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the 2016 draft was sorta thin so it produced a predictable outcome this past year with he 2017 u-18 draft which was nothing of significance. It will be more interesting o see what happens with next years U-18 draft considering there has been loads of discussion about unpicked players this year and the overall depth of this draft class. Some of those small players may sprout over the course of the next year.
you guys are missing my point with size. im not saying short players won’t succeed, im saying short players who are physically mature are not nearly as attractive to teams. if it’s about potential, a player who already is as big and thick as he’s going to get at 15 doesn’t present a lot of value. debrinkat is 165lbs right now, he can still gain strength and get better. if your 15/16 and 5'7'/5'8 and 180/190lbs, how much stronger will you get and how much better will you get? the draft shows that those type of players are not valued as highly as 5'8/150lbs kids. that’s it, that’s all
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sorry, how could a fan of the league have any idea about what NCAA schools are talking to a player? Or how could you know that many ohl gms think that a kid should have been drafted 2/3 days after the draft? if you have a personal connection to the player, which it appears, then perhaps your not an objective observer.
something is fishy with that statement
The thing is though, how many 15/16 year hockey players are there that are 5’7/5’8 and 180-190lbs??
I rarely even see 5’10-5’11 players at 190lbs at 16 years old.
This past draft, in round 1 there were 5 players over 180lbs, and 4 of them were over 6’2
My point is that 5’8 180 players aren’t really valued or is there also just not many of those guys that exist? I feel like if you are 15/16 and smaller, you aren’t likely to weigh 180-190lbs. Even Debrincat is still sub 175lbs
the player that was offered up is listed at 5'7'/5'8 and 190ish. i think there are a few more on the draft guide, none of them where drafted, thats my entire point.
if your 5'7/5'8 and 140/150lbs, for sure you can get bigger and have potential, there is a ton of growth left, not so much if your already at 190, which is my point.
I know I’m just pointing to there being many more 5’8 players that are much smaller
I just looked the 2018 draft and 3 players fit you criteria for weight being bigger/size being smaller and being drafted.So it still happens. Like I said, there are probably 10x or more the amount of kids that have a weight in the lower range at that height. Thus partly they are drafted more. But I get your point as well and it probably plays some role
all im saying is that if your looking at potential, you have to look at players who can still grow, get bigger and stronger and get better. when you already are over 180;bs and under 5'8, thats not an option and a strike against a kid. it can still happen but you just have to be that much better then kids who can grow.
I also get a little tired of statements from team/scouts "we would have taken him with the next pick" or "how did he possibly get overlooked?".......He got overlooked because no one liked the player enough to draft him, and we'll never know if you truly would have take him with the next pick as it sounds more like something nice to say as you pass by someone in a rink foyer.
i mean, there are 300 picks, if the player is good enough ,someone probably would have stepped up at some point, no?
We got the guy we wanted in round 1, couldn't pass up that type of talent.....
OMG67
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“We had to trade up to get him. That is how much we like him. We knew if we didn’t, he wouldn’t have been available at our next pick.”
-Brian Burke
2011 referring to Tyler Biggs pick
I think the caveat is - if he was good enough at that point in time. Because the scouts are trying to project where a player will be in 2-3 years that's where it gets tricky. Every scout in the OHL saw Claude Giroux play when he was 15 and every scout thought he couldn't play in the league. He's obviously one of the most well known but there are 17 other guys in the NHL today who OHL scouts wrote off at 15.
of course, but thats all we can go off of. the person in question was suggesting that he was surprised that he wasnt drafted based on what he is right now, not what he will be in the near future. i was simply offering factual evidence that would suggest it wasnt that surprising. for all we know any kid could be the next giroux, but what are the odds, less then .05 percent?
Their is more highly skilled small players taken every year in all leagues and that is a good thing. Some people still think a big kid has to prove he can't play while a small kid has to prove he can play. The game is changing and some people need to change with it.
MoWanchuk1
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Ohl gold cup rosters out Ottawa leads the way with 10 followed by Petes and wolves with 9 each for what’s its worth
