Prospect Info: Canucks pick F Jakob Stukel (6th Round, 154th Overall)

[JA]

have you seen his highlight reel, his speed is insane and seems to always score his goals right in front of the net.

These highlights were posted just 21 hours ago, so most observers will now be getting their first glimpse of this player.

He shows promise as a hard-nosed, speedy goal scorer. I like the pick a lot, especially for a sixth round selection. He has terrific straight-line speed and quick hands. Considering he missed the entire 2013-14 season and thus a full year of development, Jakob might be a late bloomer. His development is a year behind, so his 2015-16 season was more like a 17-year-old season than a conventional 18-year-old one. He was born on March 6, 1997, so he isn't an old 2015 eligible player. He is just over six months older than the oldest 2016 first-year eligible draft choices.

While it seems right now that he would be an offense-only forward, he can be taught to play a more reliable overall game and can perhaps become a second-to-third line tweener with mid-end goal scoring ability at the NHL level. Anything more would be bonus, especially if he turns out to be a late-round gem. He has great goal-scoring attributes, so there is offensive upside to this player.

I'm sure we'll be seeing him at the Young Stars tournament in September.

http://www.vancourier.com/pass-it-to-bulis/jakob-stukel-worth-a-shot-for-canucks-in-sixth-round-1.2288581

Jakob Stukel worth a shot for Canucks in sixth round
Stukel stepped up in second year of draft eligibility
Daniel Wagner / Vancouver Courier
June 27, 2016 03:49 PM
Pass it to Bulis

...

In the sixth round, the Canucks took 19-year-old Jakob Stukel, who is an intriguing player because his production completely changed once he got away from the Vancouver Giants. In his first draft-eligible season, Stukel had just 5 goals and 16 points in 49 games, albeit after an ACL tear wiped out his off-season. This past season started the same way, with just 4 points through 12 games.

But then Stukel got traded to the Calgary Hitmen and turned things around, leading the Hitmen in goals with 34 and finishing the season with 56 points in 57 games.

He seems to be a streaky player, with scoring streaks separated by two or three pointless games, but he did very well within those streaks. In one streak in late November, he had 7 goals and 9 points in 6 games. In a January streak, he had 3 goals and 9 points in just 5 games. To finish his season, he scored 5 goals and 10 points in 7 games.

Stukel did a lot of scoring on the power play, with half of his 36 goals on the season coming with the man advantage. His 18 power play goals led the WHL and was fourth in the entire CHL. That’s both a positive and a negative: it’s good to know he can finish on the power play, but it’s generally more encouraging when a prospect can create at even strength. Getting lots of production from the power play in junior can be an indication that a player can't produce when time and space are taken away and that's something that disappears in a hurry at higher levels.

On the plus side, most of his points were primary points, with only 9 secondary assists all season. If his points were boosted by the power play, they weren't artificially inflated by secondary assists.

Setting aside his point totals, there are several reasons to like Stukel and think he was worth taking a chance with a sixth round pick. His skating and shot are both plus tools, and he has the ability to finish in multiple ways. Stukel also plays on left wing, filling a position of need in the Canucks’ system.

Ryan Pike’s draft profile on Stukel notes several deficiencies to go with his offensive upside, questioning his decision making, consistency, ability to win puck battles, and play away from the puck. If Stukel can address those issues and develop his all-around game, his speed and opportunistic finishing ability give him a shot at an NHL future.

...

http://thehockeywriters.com/jakob-stukel-the-next-ones-2016-nhl-draft-prospect-profile/

Jakob Stukel – The Next Ones: 2016 NHL Draft Prospect Profile
June 19th, 2016
BY Ryan Pike

...

Stukel is deadly when he’s left alone anywhere near the net with the puck. He’s blessed with a really quick, accurate shot, and he can get it off from some really bad angles. He’s also pretty effective at puck distribution, and the attention he gets from opposition defenders often opens up his linemates for scoring opportunities. Stukel thrives when he gets time and space to operate, and his offensive production is heavily skewed towards his power-play time.

For all his offensive bluster, Stukel isn’t a complete player. He occasionally gets out-muscled in corner battles, his play away from the puck is prone to lapses, and his game-to-game consistency isn’t great. (Sometimes he’ll score multiple points in consecutive games, sometimes he’ll go stone cold for several games.)

But very few players in the WHL are as dangerous with the puck as Stukel, and that should be enough to get him drafted by some NHL club.

...

http://vancouversun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/vancouver-canucks/b-c-boys-stukel-ronning-have-another-connection-after-nhl-draft

B.C. boys Stukel, Ronning have another connection after NHL Draft
Steve Ewen
Published on: June 25, 2016 | Last Updated: June 25, 2016 7:49 PM PDT

...

He says he was a Canucks fan growing up, and tagged Saturday as “pretty surreal.”

...

“I need to get stronger. I need to be able to battle harder in the corners,” he said of areas that require improvement.

...

 

[F A N]

From watching him a bunch of times over the past two years?

Fair enough. And my apologies for saying you don't know what you're talking about. Your scouting report of him seems to contradict what I have read, however.

Again - dynamic skater, likes to shoot. I don't think he's positionally smart (or engaged) and don't think he uses his linemates well.

...

I'm not a fan of his motor or his smarts.

Do you have information to the contrary? MS follows junior more than 99% of posters on this board and while I haven't always agreed with him I don't question his level of informed-ness.

So either you are especially well-versed about this player (but neglected to say so) and can offer a contrary view or hmmm, maybe this is just another rah rah Benning is amazing post.

I wonder which it is?

Hockey Prospects have had scouting reports on Stukel the last two years. Two seasons ago, they had him in many game reports (chronologically) Game 1: shows great puckhandling ability, deking skills, hand-eye coordination and passing
traits." Game 2: "A tremendous playmaker, he makes a lot of 'eyes in the back of his head'-type passes." Game 3: "A fantastic passer with tremendous vision and creatively, he stands out as a pass-first playmaker rather than a finisher." Game 4: In another game "I continue to really like Jakob Stukel's game as a key playmaker for the Giants. He looked great and especially creative tonight playing alongside centre Thomas Foster. He fed numerous centring feeds to Foster throughout the game, many of which fooled the Saskatoon defence. Definitely more of a
passer than a shooter, Stukel's speed and vision are a good compliment to straight-ahead players." Game 5: "a threatening presence on the half wall during the power play, as he he's able to 'thread the needle' with ease." There are more games with him in it but the above games are the games that talk about his passing ability.

This past season, Hockey Prospects' viewings seem to suggest he became more of a scorer than playmaker. But in their scouting report they still said "There is no question that Stukel posses a good offensive mind."

For the Canucks, sake,I hope MS is dead wrong on Stukel having poor hockey IQ on both ends of the ice.

 

[Canucks LB]

Kid looks like a better virtanen lol minus the physicality

 

[MS]

Fair enough. And my apologies for saying you don't know what you're talking about. Your scouting report of him seems to contradict what I have read, however.




Hockey Prospects have had scouting reports on Stukel the last two years. Two seasons ago, they had him in many game reports (chronologically) Game 1: shows great puckhandling ability, deking skills, hand-eye coordination and passing
traits." Game 2: "A tremendous playmaker, he makes a lot of 'eyes in the back of his head'-type passes." Game 3: "A fantastic passer with tremendous vision and creatively, he stands out as a pass-first playmaker rather than a finisher." Game 4: In another game "I continue to really like Jakob Stukel's game as a key playmaker for the Giants. He looked great and especially creative tonight playing alongside centre Thomas Foster. He fed numerous centring feeds to Foster throughout the game, many of which fooled the Saskatoon defence. Definitely more of a
passer than a shooter, Stukel's speed and vision are a good compliment to straight-ahead players." Game 5: "a threatening presence on the half wall during the power play, as he he's able to 'thread the needle' with ease." There are more games with him in it but the above games are the games that talk about his passing ability.

This past season, Hockey Prospects' viewings seem to suggest he became more of a scorer than playmaker. But in their scouting report they still said "There is no question that Stukel posses a good offensive mind."

For the Canucks, sake,I hope MS is dead wrong on Stukel having poor hockey IQ on both ends of the ice.

I've never seen much in the way of vision or playmaking skills. Guy had only 24 assists last year, so it isn't borne out statistically, either.

Those scouting reports calling him 'more of a passer than a shooter' are dead wrong. There's a reason he had a 36-24-60 line this year. He's a shooter.

I'll stand by my scouting report. Virtanen/Booth-style player with great skating ability and fondness of shooting is exactly what you see in those videos. Can't really see hockey sense or motor (or lack thereof) in a highlights package, though.

 

[The Designer]

 

[GPNuck]

Looks pretty damn good for a 6th rounder.. Even if he's a 19 year old.. Still wish we got Ronning over the big Latvian though

 

[F A N]

I've never seen much in the way of vision or playmaking skills. Guy had only 24 assists last year, so it isn't borne out statistically, either.

Those scouting reports calling him 'more of a passer than a shooter' are dead wrong. There's a reason he had a 36-24-60 line this year. He's a shooter.

I'll stand by my scouting report. Virtanen/Booth-style player with great skating ability and fondness of shooting is exactly what you see in those videos. Can't really see hockey sense or motor (or lack thereof) in a highlights package, though.

You can think what you want. I'll trust the scouts over at Hockey Prospects over you. Cheers.

 

[absolute garbage]

^

After reading that Hockey Prospects report I'm confused why didn't Stukel go 1st overall? 154th instead?