Confirmed with Link: Avs Name Wade Klippenstein as Director of Amateur Scouting

[The Merchant]

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[Cake Malar]

 

[Avsboy]

Who?

 

[Ararana]

When Sakic goes off the board in round 2

lol looks exactly like him

 

[Islay1989]

When Sakic goes off the board in round 2

lol looks exactly like him

Fun fact, Jim Carey and Jeff drove Mike Starr so mad in that scene that the character losing it and going off isn't him acting, but rather his genuine reaction.

 

[Cake Malar]

Fun fact, Jim Carey and Jeff drove Mike Starr so mad in that scene that the character losing it and going off isn't him acting, but rather his genuine reaction.

Another fun fact, that actor was my cousin's high school football coach

 

[henchman21]

Since people asked thoughts in the other thread... Klip is a really well connected guy in Western Canada. You can't talk to really any front office guy in the Dub, AJHL, or BCHL that doesn't have relationship with him and they will be overwhelmingly positive too. He's got a lot of experience running the show at lower levels. He was a long time AGM for Prince George and was the director of scouting in Brandon. He has a long history of scouting and managing scouts. For the Avs he directed their whole western show... He guided and directed work in BC, PNW, and Alberta. I don't think he had a title for that, but he directed the scouting there and ran a small group of 3-4 guys on who they'd be targeting. He's pretty adept at running a team. I personally have some questions on his evaluation ability and his preferences on individual players. He tends to target somethings and look at with a perspective that'd I'd question a bit. As a head guy though, his job will be more organization than directly evaluating. Though he will get a lot of say in the first 3 rounds as most head scouts do. To me, it was clear he was going to be this guy for a while and it was just a matter of time.

 

[Belgican]

Thanks for the info

 

[klozge]

I have no idea whether this is good or bad. Time will tell, I guess.

 

[JWK]

This guy wasn’t in our organization when we passed on Pasta for Bleackley, so I’m in.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Since people asked thoughts in the other thread... Klip is a really well connected guy in Western Canada. You can't talk to really any front office guy in the Dub, AJHL, or BCHL that doesn't have relationship with him and they will be overwhelmingly positive too. He's got a lot of experience running the show at lower levels. He was a long time AGM for Prince George and was the director of scouting in Brandon. He has a long history of scouting and managing scouts. For the Avs he directed their whole western show... He guided and directed work in BC, PNW, and Alberta. I don't think he had a title for that, but he directed the scouting there and ran a small group of 3-4 guys on who they'd be targeting. He's pretty adept at running a team. I personally have some questions on his evaluation ability and his preferences on individual players. He tends to target somethings and look at with a perspective that'd I'd question a bit. As a head guy though, his job will be more organization than directly evaluating. Though he will get a lot of say in the first 3 rounds as most head scouts do. To me, it was clear he was going to be this guy for a while and it was just a matter of time.

What are the traits he prefers?

 

[Avs_19]

I don't know anything about him but two things I like based on some googling is that he only joined the Avs in 2016-17 so he's not one of these franchise lifers they just promoted. The second thing is that he worked with/under McCrimmon for a few years as their director of scouting.

 

[henchman21]

What are the traits he prefers?

He likes size and chippiness and values players that display them. Not that he's a 6'3"+ size queen... but he will bypass guys that are below average size wise (most guys he's gone after at 6'+ with some exceptions... never really below 5'10" or even 5'11"). If a player has a chippy edge, even if not overly physical they tend to get elevated in his eyes. He's very big on having pretty and technical skating strides and will have preferences towards them. Tends to like volume shooters and velocity on the shot (less about release and angles). Like players who have been big parts of their teams and played important roles. Meaning if a guy is a leaned on PK guy or is trusted in last 2 minutes to save a lead or the guy the PP runs through. Things like that. More depth guys tend to fall down his lists.

 

[dahrougem2]

He likes size and chippiness and values players that display them. Not that he's a 6'3"+ size queen... but he will bypass guys that are below average size wise (most guys he's gone after at 6'+ with some exceptions... never really below 5'10" or even 5'11"). If a player has a chippy edge, even if not overly physical they tend to get elevated in his eyes. He's very big on having pretty and technical skating strides and will have preferences towards them. Tends to like volume shooters and velocity on the shot (less about release and angles). Like players who have been big parts of their teams and played important roles. Meaning if a guy is a leaned on PK guy or is trusted in last 2 minutes to save a lead or the guy the PP runs through. Things like that. More depth guys tend to fall down his lists.

Holy **** I found myself shaking my head at every single one of those points because I feel like I'm the opposite in every way possible when looking at skaters lol.

 

[tigervixxxen]

He likes size and chippiness and values players that display them. Not that he's a 6'3"+ size queen... but he will bypass guys that are below average size wise (most guys he's gone after at 6'+ with some exceptions... never really below 5'10" or even 5'11"). If a player has a chippy edge, even if not overly physical they tend to get elevated in his eyes. He's very big on having pretty and technical skating strides and will have preferences towards them. Tends to like volume shooters and velocity on the shot (less about release and angles). Like players who have been big parts of their teams and played important roles. Meaning if a guy is a leaned on PK guy or is trusted in last 2 minutes to save a lead or the guy the PP runs through. Things like that. More depth guys tend to fall down his lists.

Thanks, good to know. One guy that comes to mind is Grubbe, who wouldn’t be a bad pick in the third anyway.

 

[henchman21]

Holy **** I found myself shaking my head at every single one of those points because I feel like I'm the opposite in every way possible when looking at skaters lol.

There are things I don't agree with in how he evaluates, some of those are in there... but he's also been a guy who has drafted and pushed NHLers through Brandon and he was a big part of the evaluations on a number of Avs' picks currently in the pool. His ideal is really a guy like Byram. Good size, chippy, physical, skilled, important, etc. Now Byram wasn't all him... Hepple, Paarup, Wingert, Sakic, MacFarland, and even Funk have all contributed... to the top guys. Mutala, Burzan, Henry.... those are 100% his guys.

Thanks, good to know. One guy that comes to mind is Grubbe, who wouldn’t be a bad pick in the third anyway.

Yeah could absolutely see Grubbe being high on his list.

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

He likes size and chippiness and values players that display them. Not that he's a 6'3"+ size queen... but he will bypass guys that are below average size wise (most guys he's gone after at 6'+ with some exceptions... never really below 5'10" or even 5'11"). If a player has a chippy edge, even if not overly physical they tend to get elevated in his eyes. He's very big on having pretty and technical skating strides and will have preferences towards them. Tends to like volume shooters and velocity on the shot (less about release and angles). Like players who have been big parts of their teams and played important roles. Meaning if a guy is a leaned on PK guy or is trusted in last 2 minutes to save a lead or the guy the PP runs through. Things like that. More depth guys tend to fall down his lists.

@Hasbro was sold after three words.

 

[henchman21]

How Western Canada suddenly became the Avs' prospect pipeline

There is an article from a couple years ago. The Minny guy who also works in Western Canada is John Funk. Funk is an absolute gem of a scout... I think he has one of the best sets of eyes in the game. If the Avs can keep him, he'll pull some gems.

 

[Lonewolfe2015]

I'm guessing the organization sees this guy as their source of improvement over the last couple years versus Hepple. Will be interesting to watch as the new lead, he'll be doing more of the decision making I'm sure.

 

[PAZ]

Based off Hench's report i'm not sure i'm sold on him, but it's a good sign that there is change and that the Avs aren't happy with their drafting results.

 

[McMetal]

He likes size and chippiness and values players that display them. Not that he's a 6'3"+ size queen... but he will bypass guys that are below average size wise (most guys he's gone after at 6'+ with some exceptions... never really below 5'10" or even 5'11"). If a player has a chippy edge, even if not overly physical they tend to get elevated in his eyes. He's very big on having pretty and technical skating strides and will have preferences towards them. Tends to like volume shooters and velocity on the shot (less about release and angles). Like players who have been big parts of their teams and played important roles. Meaning if a guy is a leaned on PK guy or is trusted in last 2 minutes to save a lead or the guy the PP runs through. Things like that. More depth guys tend to fall down his lists.

Given all of this, I had a thought: none of our current favorite prospects really fit this mould or come from Western Canada.

Helleson: Has size and a smooth skater, but isn't chippy and came from the USNTDP. Not a volume shooter.

Foudy: Small OHL center who had a rep as a perimeter player. Gorgeous skater though.

Barron: Fits the profile. Big, good skater, volume shooter, all situations D, but from the Q.

Ambrosio: Small, skilled C from the USHL. Good skater though.

Ranta: Big but not real physical for his size, shoots from anywhere, but again from the USHL.

Clearly Newhook and Byram fall under his purview as a Western Canada scout, but if he's the guy who pounded the table for guys like Lewis, Henry, Burzan, and Mutala, and now he has a bigger voice in the room we may not end up being real happy with what he does with the draft.

 

[Foppa2118]

Wow did not except this right now.

Klippenstein was brought in when they brought in two new European scouts the off season before Bednar's first year. Was Director of Scouting for Brandon in the WHL.

Gotta think he played a big part in drafting Byram, Newhook, and Mutala out of Western Canada, so he's probably being rewarded for that.

Also he was drafted by Quebec in 1990, so things have come full circle for him.

 

[Hasbro]

@Hasbro was sold after three words.

Say no more.

 

[Metallo]

All I can think of when I hear Klippenstein is a guy walking around with a clipboard all the time then being nicknamed clipenstein.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

Don't know him, but can't we just go promote one of the guys from our awesome pro scouting team?