Prospect Info: #82 Michael Vukojevic D

[Emperoreddy]

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[LastWordArmy]

In here

2019 NHL Draft Scouting Reports: Prospects 81-90 - Last Word on Hockey

 

[Coaches Coroner]

As a Kitchener fan, I like this guy a lot. Was hoping he'd slide 2 more spots to the Leafs. Seems like the modern shut-down defender. Big, strong kid, solid skating for his size (particularly backwards). Very strong defensively and can be very physical. Puck skills aren't mind blowing but he's a pretty good passer, especially outlet passes. Good at keeping pucks in at the offensive blueline. Decent shot but needs work with accuracy/consistency. I think he's kind of an ok-ceiling, good floor kind of guy. I see him as an NHLer as at least a strong bottom pair who anchors the PK, but if his offensive games develops, he could be a 2nd pair guy.

 

[Lou is God]

I think that makes it our 3rd 6'3" defensiveman we've added to our prospects pool in less than three hours

 

[thethinglonger]

I'm not sure about this pick. The skills are there but I had some bad viewings of Vukojevic this season. He's big, mobile, and has a long reach. He's got a good crisp first pass and we'll see if any offensive skills develop but the big question I have regarding his ability to step up is whether or not he simply uses his size as an advantage or if he's just beating up smaller competition. Overall I can see why the scouting staff is high on him and we'll just have to see how he does this upcoming season!

 

[LennyRi]

Balkan origins,i am assuming by the last name

 

[maxim84]

Balkan origins,i am assuming by the last name

Croatia, saw on his facebook profile he has some friends and family in Slavonski Brod.
And Nikola Pasic is linked with Montenegro, also looking at his FB profile.

 

[StevenToddIves]

I'm not sure about this pick. The skills are there but I had some bad viewings of Vukojevic this season. He's big, mobile, and has a long reach. He's got a good crisp first pass and we'll see if any offensive skills develop but the big question I have regarding his ability to step up is whether or not he simply uses his size as an advantage or if he's just beating up smaller competition. Overall I can see why the scouting staff is high on him and we'll just have to see how he does this upcoming season!

While I agree with you that Vukojevic is never going to be a top-pairing defenseman, the fact is that he was widely regarded as one of the best shut-down defensive D in the OHL this year. He was very intimidating physically, so he will be a welcome addition to a Devils blueline which was severely pushed around in the past few seasons. While Vukojevic will never be a top-pairing guy, if his skating and puck skills develop in the next couple of seasons, he can be a nice mid-pairing LD to partner with an offensive RD like Damon Severson. His outlet passing is already advanced for a player of his particular style.

I like the pick, and the statement the Devils made by drafting four (!) physical, defensive D in Vukojevic, McCarthy, Misyul and Okhotyuk. The days of Devils blue lines being routinely pushed around by physical forwards are coming to an end.

 

[Brock]

Some additional info:

I had Vukojevic ranked 13th among OHL'ers
OHL Prospects: My Final Top 50 OHL Players for the 2019 NHL Entry Draft - Part 3: 30-11

He finished 10th in my media/scout poll
OHL Prospects: Final Media/Scout Poll for the 2019 NHL Draft

 

[thethinglonger]

Funny enough, I think Vukojevic briefly played on the same OJHL team (Georgetown Raiders) as Jack Hughes for the playoffs in 2016-2017...even if it was for a brief couple of games.

 

[MartyOwns]

Funny enough, I think Vukojevic briefly played on the same OJHL team (Georgetown Raiders) as Jack Hughes for the playoffs in 2016-2017...even if it was for a brief couple of games.

man you can trace almost all of our picks to hughes somehow lol. it’s like the six degrees of kevin bacon

 

[Tanaka]

my buddy who scouts for a western conf. team saw him play 15 times this year and did not have much to say that was good. i hope he is wrong. I like this kid a lot on paper.

 

[thethinglonger]

man you can trace almost all of our picks to hughes somehow lol. it’s like the six degrees of kevin bacon

Funny enough, Michael's brother or cousin messaged me on Twitter with this picture:



Here's the Toronto Bulldogs playing in the 2010-2011 Brick Invitational Open. On this team are Jack Hughes, Michael Vukojevic, Philip Tomasino, and Mathew Hill.

 

[Coaches Coroner]

While I agree with you that Vukojevic is never going to be a top-pairing defenseman, the fact is that he was widely regarded as one of the best shut-down defensive D in the OHL this year. He was very intimidating physically, so he will be a welcome addition to a Devils blueline which was severely pushed around in the past few seasons. While Vukojevic will never be a top-pairing guy, if his skating and puck skills develop in the next couple of seasons, he can be a nice mid-pairing LD to partner with an offensive RD like Damon Severson. His outlet passing is already advanced for a player of his particular style.

I like the pick, and the statement the Devils made by drafting four (!) physical, defensive D in Vukojevic, McCarthy, Misyul and Okhotyuk. The days of Devils blue lines being routinely pushed around by physical forwards are coming to an end.

He's interesting in that aspects of his skating are good for his size. First step forward and top speed may just be average to solid, but his backwards skating (especially at his size) is at least above average. He's pretty smart defensively, but his back skating is one thing that helps him get into the right positions to defend successfully.

Just to note, he was having trouble moving the puck a bit early in the season, the coaches shortened his stick and in the second half of the season his puck skills, puck moving and decision making with the puck saw improvement. Still a ways to go, but I think the odds he plays in the big league are pretty good, what role he ends up playing if up in the air depending on the offensive game coming along as you mentioned.

I'm not sure about this pick. The skills are there but I had some bad viewings of Vukojevic this season. He's big, mobile, and has a long reach. He's got a good crisp first pass and we'll see if any offensive skills develop but the big question I have regarding his ability to step up is whether or not he simply uses his size as an advantage or if he's just beating up smaller competition. Overall I can see why the scouting staff is high on him and we'll just have to see how he does this upcoming season!

I saw most of his games this season (40-50ish). There were some growing pains and consistency issues in the early going especially, jumping from playing big minutes with a top OHL D last year, to being to go-to-guy shouldering the load defensively for the team in his 17 year old season (our D was quite slim last year). He does use his size, or will, especially when the game gets bigger. He uses his size very well in defending and while his physicality may not be fully consistent, when he brings it, it's an asset. Couple games in the playoffs he had a shift or two where he threw 3 hits or threw a couple and attempted others in about a 30 second shift span.

 

[StevenToddIves]

He's interesting in that aspects of his skating are good for his size. First step forward and top speed may just be average to solid, but his backwards skating (especially at his size) is at least above average. He's pretty smart defensively, but his back skating is one thing that helps him get into the right positions to defend successfully.

Just to note, he was having trouble moving the puck a bit early in the season, the coaches shortened his stick and in the second half of the season his puck skills, puck moving and decision making with the puck saw improvement. Still a ways to go, but I think the odds he plays in the big league are pretty good, what role he ends up playing if up in the air depending on the offensive game coming along as you mentioned.

I saw most of his games this season (40-50ish). There were some growing pains and consistency issues in the early going especially, jumping from playing big minutes with a top OHL D last year, to being to go-to-guy shouldering the load defensively for the team in his 17 year old season (our D was quite slim last year). He does use his size, or will, especially when the game gets bigger. He uses his size very well in defending and while his physicality may not be fully consistent, when he brings it, it's an asset. Couple games in the playoffs he had a shift or two where he threw 3 hits or threw a couple and attempted others in about a 30 second shift span.

Thanks @Torgo ! Your analysis is much more in depth than my own, as clearly you've seen more of Vukojevic than I have and also clearly you're very adept at this. I have high hopes for Vukojevic -- I don't see any reason why he should not develop into a third-pairing force in the tradition of players like Brooks Orpik and Ron Hainsey.