Speed is just OK. I've seen some good bursts from him but he seems to struggle to do it consistently. He thrives in front of the net but he might have some issue staying there consistently at the next level. Not much of a playmaker either, but that can be overlooked a bit with the elite shot. He's also among the oldest in the draft class.
What Musto said, but also he plays on the same team with Rossi (though on different lines), and his previous seasons were nothing to get excited about. He didn't start taking exercising and diet seriously until he was 15-16ish, so some feel his earlier seasons lack of success (success akin to a future top 15 pick) was due to his poor conditioning. Now he's been working with the same guy Giroux goes to and he's gotten a hell of a lot faster and stronger out there.
So in other words,
I get why they're doing it this way. Some of the play-in teams would have made the playoffs anyway, so this is their consolation for having the play-in round. Most likely, the Hawks will pick 9th or 10th should they lose to the Oilers. No biggie. Ask yourself if embarrassing the Oilers is worth losing 6-7 spots though. If the Hawks jump up again....holy crap. Imagine if #1 goes to an unassigned team. I think it would be counterproductive. You could have teams actively trying to lose for a 12.5% chance at Lafreniere. Would be a nightmare.
