Prospect Info: Canucks' OHL Prospect Review

[Brock]

An annual practice, I review the progress of Vancouver's OHL prospects and look ahead to next year.

OHL Prospects: 31 Teams in 31 Days - Vancouver Canucks

Happy to answer any questions.

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[Love]

An annual practice, I review the progress of Vancouver's OHL prospects and look ahead to next year.

OHL Prospects: 31 Teams in 31 Days - Vancouver Canucks

Happy to answer any questions.

Thanks Brock your stuff is always great.

Crazy how stupid the DiPietro situation was with him getting lit up last season. Still don’t know how that happens. Hopefully he has a great first pro season.

The prospect I’m most interested in here is Keppen. I wonder if he can make the WJC team either this year or next. If he plays with Dellandrea and they light it up together I could see team Canada wanting to keep them together.

 

[MS]

An annual practice, I review the progress of Vancouver's OHL prospects and look ahead to next year.

OHL Prospects: 31 Teams in 31 Days - Vancouver Canucks

Happy to answer any questions.

I'd actually consider that 35-35-70 projection on Keppen a bit conservative. He was 23-17-40 over his last 36 games last year mostly at ES. Flint looks like they'll be a much better team and Dellandrea will be returning as his center, and his PP production should also spike significantly. Wouldn't be surprised if both he and Dellandrea break out in a big way next year.

 

[PuckMunchkin]

Didnt follow DiPietro that much.

Hate to hear what that goalie fiasco did to his confidence.


Thanks for the writeup

 

[F A N]

An annual practice, I review the progress of Vancouver's OHL prospects and look ahead to next year.

OHL Prospects: 31 Teams in 31 Days - Vancouver Canucks

Happy to answer any questions.

Thanks. How is Keppen's skating ability? He sounds like a guy who projects more as an NHL 4th line winger?

 

[Brock]

Thanks Brock your stuff is always great.

Crazy how stupid the DiPietro situation was with him getting lit up last season. Still don’t know how that happens. Hopefully he has a great first pro season.

The prospect I’m most interested in here is Keppen. I wonder if he can make the WJC team either this year or next. If he plays with Dellandrea and they light it up together I could see team Canada wanting to keep them together.

To be honest, I just don't see it. I do like Keppen, but I can't see him being on the radar for Hockey Canada. He's not at the summer camp and there are a lot of wingers who bring a similar profile, but who are a year older than Keppen. HC, historically, hasn't really cared all that much about keeping teammates or linemmates together at this event (even though it's something that I'd like to see more of, personally).

 

[Brock]

Thanks. How is Keppen's skating ability? He sounds like a guy who projects more as an NHL 4th line winger?

His skating isn't a strength, nor is it a weakness. He's an average skater. Generates a decent amount of power, but doesn't possess great top end speed. Makes him a pretty effective player when driving the net, but less so in transition.

Biggest thing for Keppen is improving his puck play in transition, working on his ability to make plays at top speed. He's actually a good playmaker who has good vision in the offensive end. That's not something you always see from guys who play the way that he does. But again, his puck skill and confidence handling the puck will need to improve for him to take that next step.

I think there's a chance that he could develop into more than a 4th liner. Way too early to pigeon hold him to that. Do I think he could be the next Shane Doan and a future 1st line juggernaut? No. But depending on how his game develops, he could realistically be anything from an Andrew Ladd, to Blake Comeau, to a Scott Kosmachuk, who's well rounded skill set never really allowed him to find a permanent role in the NHL.

 

[F A N]

His skating isn't a strength, nor is it a weakness. He's an average skater. Generates a decent amount of power, but doesn't possess great top end speed. Makes him a pretty effective player when driving the net, but less so in transition.

Biggest thing for Keppen is improving his puck play in transition, working on his ability to make plays at top speed. He's actually a good playmaker who has good vision in the offensive end. That's not something you always see from guys who play the way that he does. But again, his puck skill and confidence handling the puck will need to improve for him to take that next step.

I think there's a chance that he could develop into more than a 4th liner. Way too early to pigeon hold him to that. Do I think he could be the next Shane Doan and a future 1st line juggernaut? No. But depending on how his game develops, he could realistically be anything from an Andrew Ladd, to Blake Comeau, to a Scott Kosmachuk, who's well rounded skill set never really allowed him to find a permanent role in the NHL.

Hmm... that scouting report actually makes me think he's just going to be a bust. What you're saying is that he doesn't have separating speed and needs to work on his puck skill and confidence handling the puck. Combined with the fact that he's not good in transition and those are major flaws.

I was hoping that he was a well rounded 3 zone player who first and foremost needs to improve his skating.

 

[David Bruce Banner]

The Scouching Report on Keppen has me optimistic that he might pan out to be something useful...

 

[Megaterio Llamas]

Sounds like the DiPietro call up fiasco was a major setback for him just as we feared it would be.

Thanks for sharing your analysis.

 

[Tables of Stats]

The DiPietro confidence angle seems pretty overblown to me. I'd say that any change was more likely due to coming back after not playing for 2 weeks than his confidence.

The sample size of bad games is also tiny. He played 8 games total post-call-up if you don't include the playoffs. In that span he played 5 games worse than his pre-call up games while also pitching 3 shut out efforts in that same span (one of which came in relief). I found another very similar 8 game stretch before he was called up which should debunk this confidence claim.

GP	SA	Saves	Sv%	GA	GAA	S/GP
30	830	758	.913	75	2.40	27.67
8	148	133	.899	15	1.88	18.50
14	383	250	.914	33	2.35	27.36
22	531	481	.906	48	2.18	24.14
8	209	166	.890	23	2.88	26.13

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

These stats are from before the call-up, after the call-up, the playoffs, the combined post-call-up and playoffs, and a bad stretch from before his call-up. The difference after he came back from his one NHL game is within the standard variance for the rest of his season and came out to nearly his season average when combined with his playoff run.

 

[bobbyb2009]

So few guys to report on from the OHL.... It is crazy. I wonder how many other teams have so few players from this league in their systems...

 

[VanJack]

Sounds like the DiPietro call up fiasco was a major setback for him just as we feared it would be.

Thanks for sharing your analysis.

If being thrown to the wolves against a team like San Jose Sharks is sufficient to ruin his confidence, then DiPietro isn't much of a goalie prospect. You might at as well say he won't ever recover from the goal Canuck prospect Toni Utunen scored on him in OT to eliminate Canada at the WJC right in Vancouver.

When you're a goaltender, @#^%$ happens. You shrug it off and concentrate on stopping the next one. I'm not buying the fact that last season's Sharks fiasco will have any impact on his development.

 

[F A N]

So few guys to report on from the OHL.... It is crazy. I wonder how many other teams have so few players from this league in their systems...

Not crazy at all. There are some teams that haven't drafted out of the OHL in the past 3 drafts. Tampa is one example. The Canucks actually have 2 players in this past draft who will be playing in the OHL this coming season.

Only 25 OHL players were drafted this year. Last year it was 35. 2017 there were 42. 2016 there were 48.

 

[F A N]

The Scouching Report on Keppen has me optimistic that he might pan out to be something useful...

That report is more similar to what I have read. Except I think I have to disagree with him on the skating part.