AS I post this Zibanejad has only played 24 SEL games -some of those on the 3rd and 4th lines--he has 4 goals and 3 assists--but if you compare to other juniors who have playeard nealy all the games--you would project at least 7-8 goals and 5-6 assists -so he really is on pace -at least in goals --for one of the top junior forwrds in the sel--compareto the much much older Anton Lander =9 goals in a lot more GP...
Now in today;s game I note that Zibanejad is on the 2nd line for Djurgardens and is listed at centre with the usual centre (Blackhawks draftee MARCUS KRUGER) on RW...THey thus have put Zibanejad-ALREADY--on the same line as Djurgardens point leader,Kruger--who is one of the best playmakers in the league ..but showing Zibanejad at centre and moving KRUGER to wing? WHY?
Could this be because Zibanejad is better at face-offs? Kruger is only 45% ,Zibanejad at 50% ?
IF so--do they switch up after the face-off? That is does Kruger play centre for his playmaking and defensive work (Zibanehad is only EVEN,Kruger is I think +10 ) --or are they experimenting now with Zibanejad at centre beyond the face-offs? I do not know-just that this is an interesting note that at the very least points up they value better face-off ability.
I do hope we see Zibanejad at the world u-18's ---to compare to his peer age group
at that tournament...It is very difficult to compare the SEL to CHL juniors---travel and schedule grinds are ougher in CHL Jr.--but playing vs. men and experienced top Swedish and Euro pros is another level.....Zinanejad on the right CHL jr. team with "featured" top line minutes and PP time might be right up there with RNH and Landeskog too on the rankings list ..it is hard to compare situations..
HOWEVER --time and again--we have seen scouts go gag-ga at the World U-18's and guys further down the rankings have "rocketed " up as these late spring viewings change minds...
Sometimes the scouts get it all wrong --reminder: in 2000 when they went gaga over YAKOUBOV and VOROBIEV at the world U-18's ...YAKOUBOV rocketed way up the charts ..but both became NHL duds for alas my beloved Blackhawks.
So you must be careful not to get carried away by that one tournament...still I would bet that IF Zibanejad plays in it and "shines" ,he's will rocket up to a top ten consideration...as it is I think he is now somwhere in the middle tier of ten in round one...the selection in the middle tier of ten in the first round may be harder to rank by BPA "conensus" than the top ten --and so position need amongts several close rankings in this middle tier of the round could sway each team drafting there
....as I see it there are only 3 centres worthy of consideration for this middle tier of 10 (picks 11 through 20):
The 3 centers are: Zack Phillips 6'1 180 --skilled but not physical
not good at face-offs.
Mika Zinanejad 6'2 194 --two-way centre --holding his
own (50%) against men in SEL
face-offs;even better against Jr.
peers when he was down in the Jr.
leagues; physical --plays in the
dirty areas.
Mark NcNeill 6'1.5 210 --power centre ..not sure about
his face-offs...does not play
on a "stacked" team like
Phillips does...A bit inconsistent.
OF these --only Zibadenjad could rocket up into the top 10 -IF he dominates at the World u-18's ...If he is not there due to SEL playoffs if Djurgardens keeps advancing ,then he'll probaly stay in the middle tier if round one.
Then it becomes a matter of which teams target centres over D-men or winger needs fortheir pipelines.
