Team_Spirit
95% Elliotte
- Jul 3, 2002
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Prospect Info: 68th Scott Walford
- Thread starter Treb
- Start date
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Estimated_Prophet
Registered User
- Mar 28, 2003
- 10,337
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Cro-Magnon had a large brain cavity that was filled with a large inefficient, under developed brain with a smaller crebral cortex than today's homo sapien. Kind of like the 80'super computers that took up an entire room but were drastically less powerful than today's crappiest lap top.
We definitely agree that Beaulieu is clueless. I will take my chances with Walford. At least if he doesn't develop we wont 'feel compelled to play him in the NHL because of his draft status and imaginary potential.
Last edited:
WeThreeKings
Habs cup - its in the BAG
Black Book information on Walford
A first round pick of the Victoria Royals at 18th overall in 2014, he was a product of the well-respected
Okanagan Hockey Academy Prep program. He plays big minutes on a solid defensive team in all situations
and was a leader on a playoff team. In 2016-17, Walford recorded 30 points in 60 regular season games.
He is a powerful player that’s capable of big hits and uses his low body well to stay in front of speedy
players, covering substantial ground and can be a physical force in front of the net. Walford is a sturdy
player that is built thick and has good size already. He can play a punishing game along the wall, trapping
236 — 2017 BLACK BOOK TEAM EDITION
players along the boards and beats then down really limiting the cycle against his team. Scott is a solid
skater with good mechanics that changes direction well and shifts his weight from edge to edge in such a
way that he actually appears light on his feet and makes effective pivots that don’t let him get beat east
and west easily, especially for a player of his size. When Walford occasionally carries the puck, he shows off
exceptional power and top-end speed. This skill helps him with the puck and when he is recovering or
backchecking.
Walford hasn’t shown the ability to carry the offensive play, but he can make solid outlet passes. At times
has trouble taking pucks off the wall smoothly and connecting it to a forward on the breakout. He doesn’t
rush up the ice a lot but certainly can assist in the transition game and remain an option for his partner as
he works good on zone entries and knows how control the offensive blueline. We would like to see him a
little more mobile going east west across the offensive blueline, but this doesn’t limit his willingness to
pinch in and he’s tough to stop when driving the net where he shows good instincts and timing. His shot is
the best when he’s stationary and a full slap has good power behind, but he needs to improve his shot
when he’s off balance or in stride.
Scott has proven to be impactful offensively both on the powerplay and at even strength. As the year wore
on, he earned more powerplay time and proved to be a good facilitator of the puck to his skilled forwards.
He is decisive and makes decisions quickly, and makes some occasional tough cross-ice passes. Walford is a
powerful body who can contribute at both ends of the rink. Although he may not develop into a productive
offensive defenseman, his size, skating ability and solid decision making skills make him an intriguing
defensive prospect.
VIC #7 LD Walford, Scott (2017) Showed some tenacious puck pursuit tonight and quick footwork, not
afraid to be mobile around the offensive zone and roam a little as his speed helps him to recover. Fired a
shot on goal in stride gathering his own rebound and using strong edging for a quick wrap around shot that
bounced out front and was fired in; a goal created by his speed. Contributed to all aspects of the game
playing on PP/PK and started in all 3 zones during 5 on 5 play displaying versatility. Moved pucks up the ice
from his own zone with speed and efficiency, was productive through the neutral zone using both quick up
passes and his ability to cut laterally and avoid checkers. Not afraid to keep pace with forwards on the rush
especially when looking to create when his team needs to score. Reverse skating was smooth and he
quickly closed gaps with a physical presence, used his size to his advantage in the defensive end.
VIC #7 LD Walford, Scott (2017)-He played a quiet game until he fired a pass to a teammate right out of the
box for a breakaway goal. As the game wore on, he continued to log minutes and was solid defensively. He
did not make any spectacular plays, but had a good stick and did not get beat in one-on-one situations. His
physical skills including his mobility and puck-handling ability are average.
VIC #7 LD Walford, Scott (2017) Worked as a physical presence to worked attackers toward the wall and
finish checks with authority. Worked a lot against Merkley and did a strong job of taking away his time and
space. Finishing some strong body checks and always looked for an opportunity to push players around,
mostly along the wall nothing really in open ice. Wasn’t afraid to work up ice with the forwards and join the
rush to create offence. When looking send an outlet pass had a few struggles hitting his target in stride and
causing some stalls in transition play
VIC #7 LD Walford, Scott (2017)- He played a conservative game and was wary of his defensive positioning
at all times. He made several good defensive stick plays in the first period. He is a big body and is not
afraid to play physical in his own end. He was not forced to make many plays with the puck in the first half
of the game. When he was, he made simple plays and did not put pucks up the middle. He has an average
stride with the puck but was able to get to the red-line at times to dump pucks in. He did not look
comfortable on the powerplay, seemed as though he just wanted the puck off his stick and did not move
his feet along the blue-line. Without the puck when forced to recover pucks he can move up and down the
ice effectively. He received more icetime once the game turned into a blowout for the Royals.
VIC #7 LD Walford, Scott (2017)-Walford played first powerplay mintues but was not the bonified
quarterback on the unit. He made the short, necessary passes that were required to keep possession and
the puck moving. He showed impressive edge work walking the line on the powerplay with the ability to go
heel to heel and create separation. He had a second assist on the Royal’s first goal on the powerplay.
Walford started to show confidence skating with the puck as the game wore on. He could beat
fore-checkers easily with one or two steps and his acceleration up ice was very impressive. He has a
powerful stride and can generate very good top end speed. Walford also showed good anticipation in the
neutral zone, as he stepped up on a couple occasions to intercept cross-ice passes and push the play the
other way. Walford’s decision making was excellent. He had three second assists in the game, but they were
key plays to set up the goals.
VIC #7 LD Walford, Scott (2017)-Walford’s stride is explosive and he can generate separation easily from
forecheckers. He logged heavy minutes and was looking to head man pucks. He had several stretch passes
that led to rushes. Walford played the top of the umbrella on the first powerplay unit and was effective
facilitating for his unit. He also utilized his one-timer, getting it off quickly. His shot is heavy and he missed
the net on a couple of quality chances. He handled Kailer Yamamoto well on a defensive one-on-one late in
660 — 2017 BLACK BOOK TEAM EDITION
the third, letting him poke the puck through his stick but maintaining body positioning and forcing him to
the outside lane. Walford was a horse in the game, playing in all situations and working hard defensively
and on the penalty kill. He has great reach and finds a way to get his stick in lanes.
VIC #7 LD Walford, Scott (2017) Shows good use of pivots to track and stay with players when defending
guys off the rush and uses his stick to poke and break up plays. Shows power and strength in his legs and
good skating mechanics but lacks some quickness in his first couple steps, which was holding his game
back as his overall defensive game is pretty good but he was struggling to take pucks off the left boards
and make a breakout pass. Was throwing hits most chances he got and finishing with power against the
wall. His offensive game was a little erratic and he took a really wild looking swing on a one-timer that
wasn’t in just the right place, he had trouble adjusting to it. Didn’t have much fluid movement to his offence
works more from a standstill.
A first round pick of the Victoria Royals at 18th overall in 2014, he was a product of the well-respected
Okanagan Hockey Academy Prep program. He plays big minutes on a solid defensive team in all situations
and was a leader on a playoff team. In 2016-17, Walford recorded 30 points in 60 regular season games.
He is a powerful player that’s capable of big hits and uses his low body well to stay in front of speedy
players, covering substantial ground and can be a physical force in front of the net. Walford is a sturdy
player that is built thick and has good size already. He can play a punishing game along the wall, trapping
236 — 2017 BLACK BOOK TEAM EDITION
players along the boards and beats then down really limiting the cycle against his team. Scott is a solid
skater with good mechanics that changes direction well and shifts his weight from edge to edge in such a
way that he actually appears light on his feet and makes effective pivots that don’t let him get beat east
and west easily, especially for a player of his size. When Walford occasionally carries the puck, he shows off
exceptional power and top-end speed. This skill helps him with the puck and when he is recovering or
backchecking.
Walford hasn’t shown the ability to carry the offensive play, but he can make solid outlet passes. At times
has trouble taking pucks off the wall smoothly and connecting it to a forward on the breakout. He doesn’t
rush up the ice a lot but certainly can assist in the transition game and remain an option for his partner as
he works good on zone entries and knows how control the offensive blueline. We would like to see him a
little more mobile going east west across the offensive blueline, but this doesn’t limit his willingness to
pinch in and he’s tough to stop when driving the net where he shows good instincts and timing. His shot is
the best when he’s stationary and a full slap has good power behind, but he needs to improve his shot
when he’s off balance or in stride.
Scott has proven to be impactful offensively both on the powerplay and at even strength. As the year wore
on, he earned more powerplay time and proved to be a good facilitator of the puck to his skilled forwards.
He is decisive and makes decisions quickly, and makes some occasional tough cross-ice passes. Walford is a
powerful body who can contribute at both ends of the rink. Although he may not develop into a productive
offensive defenseman, his size, skating ability and solid decision making skills make him an intriguing
defensive prospect.
VIC #7 LD Walford, Scott (2017) Showed some tenacious puck pursuit tonight and quick footwork, not
afraid to be mobile around the offensive zone and roam a little as his speed helps him to recover. Fired a
shot on goal in stride gathering his own rebound and using strong edging for a quick wrap around shot that
bounced out front and was fired in; a goal created by his speed. Contributed to all aspects of the game
playing on PP/PK and started in all 3 zones during 5 on 5 play displaying versatility. Moved pucks up the ice
from his own zone with speed and efficiency, was productive through the neutral zone using both quick up
passes and his ability to cut laterally and avoid checkers. Not afraid to keep pace with forwards on the rush
especially when looking to create when his team needs to score. Reverse skating was smooth and he
quickly closed gaps with a physical presence, used his size to his advantage in the defensive end.
VIC #7 LD Walford, Scott (2017)-He played a quiet game until he fired a pass to a teammate right out of the
box for a breakaway goal. As the game wore on, he continued to log minutes and was solid defensively. He
did not make any spectacular plays, but had a good stick and did not get beat in one-on-one situations. His
physical skills including his mobility and puck-handling ability are average.
VIC #7 LD Walford, Scott (2017) Worked as a physical presence to worked attackers toward the wall and
finish checks with authority. Worked a lot against Merkley and did a strong job of taking away his time and
space. Finishing some strong body checks and always looked for an opportunity to push players around,
mostly along the wall nothing really in open ice. Wasn’t afraid to work up ice with the forwards and join the
rush to create offence. When looking send an outlet pass had a few struggles hitting his target in stride and
causing some stalls in transition play
VIC #7 LD Walford, Scott (2017)- He played a conservative game and was wary of his defensive positioning
at all times. He made several good defensive stick plays in the first period. He is a big body and is not
afraid to play physical in his own end. He was not forced to make many plays with the puck in the first half
of the game. When he was, he made simple plays and did not put pucks up the middle. He has an average
stride with the puck but was able to get to the red-line at times to dump pucks in. He did not look
comfortable on the powerplay, seemed as though he just wanted the puck off his stick and did not move
his feet along the blue-line. Without the puck when forced to recover pucks he can move up and down the
ice effectively. He received more icetime once the game turned into a blowout for the Royals.
VIC #7 LD Walford, Scott (2017)-Walford played first powerplay mintues but was not the bonified
quarterback on the unit. He made the short, necessary passes that were required to keep possession and
the puck moving. He showed impressive edge work walking the line on the powerplay with the ability to go
heel to heel and create separation. He had a second assist on the Royal’s first goal on the powerplay.
Walford started to show confidence skating with the puck as the game wore on. He could beat
fore-checkers easily with one or two steps and his acceleration up ice was very impressive. He has a
powerful stride and can generate very good top end speed. Walford also showed good anticipation in the
neutral zone, as he stepped up on a couple occasions to intercept cross-ice passes and push the play the
other way. Walford’s decision making was excellent. He had three second assists in the game, but they were
key plays to set up the goals.
VIC #7 LD Walford, Scott (2017)-Walford’s stride is explosive and he can generate separation easily from
forecheckers. He logged heavy minutes and was looking to head man pucks. He had several stretch passes
that led to rushes. Walford played the top of the umbrella on the first powerplay unit and was effective
facilitating for his unit. He also utilized his one-timer, getting it off quickly. His shot is heavy and he missed
the net on a couple of quality chances. He handled Kailer Yamamoto well on a defensive one-on-one late in
660 — 2017 BLACK BOOK TEAM EDITION
the third, letting him poke the puck through his stick but maintaining body positioning and forcing him to
the outside lane. Walford was a horse in the game, playing in all situations and working hard defensively
and on the penalty kill. He has great reach and finds a way to get his stick in lanes.
VIC #7 LD Walford, Scott (2017) Shows good use of pivots to track and stay with players when defending
guys off the rush and uses his stick to poke and break up plays. Shows power and strength in his legs and
good skating mechanics but lacks some quickness in his first couple steps, which was holding his game
back as his overall defensive game is pretty good but he was struggling to take pucks off the left boards
and make a breakout pass. Was throwing hits most chances he got and finishing with power against the
wall. His offensive game was a little erratic and he took a really wild looking swing on a one-timer that
wasn’t in just the right place, he had trouble adjusting to it. Didn’t have much fluid movement to his offence
works more from a standstill.
S Bah
Registered User
Walford shows the smarts & poise needed to play at a high level, in the WHL. His first pass that led to that breakaway goal,(great) playing the physical game in front of his net, pinching in to the front of the opposition's goal.(Both when keeping the puck & shooting & finding the open man for the pass leading to goals.(Impressive @ 68th OV)
He could be a good quarterback for the PP, if he keeps developing these talents he already is capable of performing. Nice pick from the WHL again.
Skip Bayless
The Skip Bayless Show
- Aug 28, 2014
- 20,141
- 21,377
Stive Morgan
Mhm. Mhm. Mhm.
I think we took him a bit early but since we didn't have a 4th I guess it was necessary. Love the pick. Plays the most NHL-ready game out of our draft class. His skating is really underrated. Reminds me of Mete sometimes. Walford never seems out of position, which is especially a good trait for a guy who contributes a lot of offense. He plays a lot of minutes for Victoria and never slows down. Hard working player. Throws a lot of hits too. Should be fun to watch for the next few seasons.
McPheesMoustache
No Scrubs...
Can't wait to have a Hab prospect to cheer for finally at Royals games, I only went to a handful last year but a good friend who goes to every game is convinced that the kid was their best defenceman when given the ice, and that as confidence went up he showed skills that were previously absent from his repetoire (ie..play safe so coach doesnt bench you)
sounds like a great high potential pick... given who the Royals lost to in the playoffs we probably had an extra eye or two on him late in the season!
sounds like a great high potential pick... given who the Royals lost to in the playoffs we probably had an extra eye or two on him late in the season!
Stive Morgan
Mhm. Mhm. Mhm.
Royals were my 2nd most watched team this year after Everett.
Agree, he's definitely their best defenseman. With Reddekopp and Gagnon leaving I think Walford will really shine next season. Super excited about this pick.
Seems to me like our scouts stay close to home in the WHL.
Scherbak to Juulsen (teammates on Everett), Juulsen to Walford (playoff series)
Did I read somewhere the TT said Walford had potential to be a no.5 D ?
Don't like it, Lipanov should have been our guy there. Tells you something that the Bolts took him.
I call this a bad pick.
Don't like it, Lipanov should have been our guy there. Tells you something that the Bolts took him.
I call this a bad pick.
Mike Mike Caron
Registered User
- Aug 29, 2010
- 7,471
- 1,247
Timmins did say top 5 D. I haven't watched Victoria play so I'm playing catch up here but he sure doesn't look like a ''5 D ceiling'' kind of guy.
WeThreeKings
Habs cup - its in the BAG
It's a matter of projection and opportunity. Based on what I've read and seen, Reddekkopp went down with an injury, then he was given free reign to play his game, instead of playing a mistake free game on the bottom pairing.
Then he responded putting up near a PPG.
There's some definite skill there. More than Tyszka.
Adam Michaels
Registered User
Mike Mike Caron
Registered User
- Aug 29, 2010
- 7,471
- 1,247
Timmins said he played injured after January so they only considered his play prior to his injury.
Mike Mike Caron
Registered User
- Aug 29, 2010
- 7,471
- 1,247
Scintillating10
Registered User
Grant always loves Timmns' picks, thought McCarron was going to be first line center, Collberg was next Alfredsson, etc....
Whitesnake
If you rebuild, they will come.
- Jan 5, 2003
- 89,385
- 36,634
Yeah I can most definately do with Walford. But let just say that as it's always the case, our last 3 picks have the least chances to make it.
No love for Walford in the HabsEOTP players under 25 ranking! He is ranked 31! Am I the only one to find that odd? I know that Walford is unknown by most but he was an early 3rd round!
In my books, after the blue chips prospects and the actual player for the habs under 25, I prefer a prospect over a career minor league player! Because at least he still has the chance to become more than a minor league!
In my books, after the blue chips prospects and the actual player for the habs under 25, I prefer a prospect over a career minor league player! Because at least he still has the chance to become more than a minor league!
Whitesnake
If you rebuild, they will come.
- Jan 5, 2003
- 89,385
- 36,634
I always liked Walford when I was watching him. Just really can't believe we chose him that early. He wasn't top 100 for me. But....would have clearly been a favorite in the 5th round. I guess other teams wanted him....AGain, not dissing the guy. He was on in my list as I Posted it on HF prior to the draft.
Kobe Armstrong
Registered User
- Jul 26, 2011
- 15,070
- 5,921
Grant gets too much hate around here, he's closer to the game and watches more prospect hockey than anyone on our boards. He went 7for7 as he live tweeted the 2017 draft making predictions for every Habs pick. At 68 he said we would either pick Fleury or Walford, we ended up picking Walford and taking Fleury with our other 3rd. He even got our late round picks right
You don't have to like the guy's personality, but making fun of a scout for liking prospects that busted is one of the most remedial things you can do on this board. Nobody projects 17/18 year old kids perfectly, and most of the time it doesn't have anything to do with the scout, but how they are developed.
Walford shows the smarts & poise needed to play at a high level, in the WHL. His first pass that led to that breakaway goal,(great) playing the physical game in front of his net, pinching in to the front of the opposition's goal.(Both when keeping the puck & shooting & finding the open man for the pass leading to goals.(Impressive @ 68th OV)
He could be a good quarterback for the PP, if he keeps developing these talents he already is capable of performing. Nice pick from the WHL again.
The same was said about Morgan Ellis. Dietz was another one who had a lot of hype out of junior.
montreal
Go Habs Go
Got to say I'm shocked he got the invite for Team WHL vs Russia, I'm glad for him to get to invited as he's pretty good in his own end. Had thought that Tyzska would be there and likely would if not injured at the rookie tournament.
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