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

[PM]

In the latter half of the draft is when you can look at overager projects. At the very least he might play for Utica if not Alaska for us. We do have 3 organizations again, so there might be some project types with contracts like the Dand Fox's of the world.
Least this isn't another 3rd round Alex Mallet. In the 6th a few chances might be made.

Dane Fox was a free prospect though and an example of how a team "should" fill their farm teams, not by expending assets at the draft on complete long shots. Plenty of free prospects out there to sign for your farm teams, most don't even need a NHL contract.

 

[MS]

In the latter half of the draft is when you can look at overager projects. At the very least he might play for Utica if not Alaska for us. We do have 3 organizations again, so there might be some project types with contracts like the Dand Fox's of the world.
Least this isn't another 3rd round Alex Mallet. In the 6th a few chances might be made.

I follow the WHL pretty closely and had a list of guys I'd have liked as overage picks. Neither guy we took would have been in the top 10.

Toronto took 3 of my top 4 guys, though. Interested to see how they go.

The overage prospects just always have much more limited upside. I'd rather take my chances with a developing, growing 17 or 18 year old.

These picks barely even fill an organizational need at the lower levels.

There's nothing wrong with taking overage players, and in fact the numbers show that if you do it right it's actually an excellent strategy.

We've just generally taken really bad overage picks, Hutton excepted. And I don't think anyone is complaining about his upside.

 

[pitseleh]

There's nothing wrong with taking overage players, and in fact the numbers show that if you do it right it's actually an excellent strategy.

We've just generally taken really bad overage picks, Hutton excepted. And I don't think anyone is complaining about his upside.

Exactly. For a second or third time eligible player, you either want to see a massive improvement in a player's draft year, or see a guy totally dominate. Otherwise, you've got a one in a thousand chance they turn into anything.

 

[timw33]

I follow the WHL pretty closely and had a list of guys I'd have liked as overage picks. Neither guy we took would have been in the top 10.

Toronto took 3 of my top 4 guys, though. Interested to see how they go.



There's nothing wrong with taking overage players, and in fact the numbers show that if you do it right it's actually an excellent strategy.

We've just generally taken really bad overage picks, Hutton excepted. And I don't think anyone is complaining about his upside.

Toronto had a really interesting draft—took 2 Victoria Royals too.

And you're right, I'm likely just jaded by the Mallet's of the world.

 

[MS]

​

Exactly. For a second or third time eligible player, you either want to see a massive improvement in a player's draft year, or see a guy totally dominate. Otherwise, you've got a one in a thousand chance they turn into anything.

Yup.

In the WHL, there were 5 guys that stood out to me as high-producing overage players worth a look - Jack Walker (84 points, elite skater), Adam Brooks (WHL scoring leader), Brendan Burke (WHL assist leader), Tyler Soy (42 goals), and Vladimir Bobylev (70 points, huge development curve through the year).

I'll bet 1 or 2 of those guys make the NHL and our 50-something point trio doesn't.

 

[banme*]

MS would you mind providing a little more insight about this pick, never seen him play.

 

[canucksfan100]

If he wasn't an overages then this would be a great pick as he was very good last year minus October.

 

[MS]

MS would you mind providing a little more insight about this pick, never seen him play.

Stukel was pretty highly rated as a bantam player and when he joined the Giants at age 15. Then he ripped his knee up playing baseball and missed the entire 13-14 season.

He came back and last year was a write-off in his draft year. Showed flashes but was a fringe player on a bad team. Got traded to Calgary to start this season and broke out.

Like I said previously, he plays kind of like a smaller poor mans WHL David Booth. Or like Virtanen without the grit and physical gifts. Very good skater with a nice move cutting wide to the net. Likes to shoot and will throw lots of low-percentage pucks on net. Was used as a shooting option on Calgary's top PP unit and did well.

Bad news is that he's a low IQ player at both ends of the rink. Doesn't use line mates well, is poor defensively. Doesn't have a great motor or much grit.

To me he's a one-trick pony who has a really impressive rush every game or two but doesn't project very well moving up levels.

 

[banme*]

Interesting, appreciate it. I was like literally who when they threw this one up on the board.

 

[IComeInPeace]

Missed an entire season with a knee injury, and understandably stunk when he came back the following season.

If you consider the circumstances, and all of the hockey he missed, this last season might closer reflect what he could have done in his draft yr, without the knee injury to contend with.

At #154, not a bad gamble in my eyes. There is considerable upside there if you are willing to concede he lost considerable development time with the injury, and you like his raw skills.

 

[orcasfan]

Have you guys bothered to watch clips of this guy (in Calgary)? On the Calgary Hitmen site, there's a segment showing the 10 best goals. Stukel features pretty outstandingly from about the 4 minute mark. Not only can he score, but (despite MS's opinion), he demonstrates some sick passing to his team mates. I like this pick. He's a local kid with lots of determination to improve his game. And, at 19, he is actually not an "overager"!

 

[Gaunce4gm]

I'm from Victoria and I can tell you more on the royals prospects

Soy- Surprised he wasn't a pick last year. Very thin but is 6'0 now. Will score 50+ goals next year if he plays a full season.

Bobylev- Started the year off terribly but picked up steam as the season went on. Main reason Victoria lost to Kelowna was losing Bobylev to injury.

Walker- Very fast, elite pivoting/edge work. Hi IQ player, knows where to go to score. Started WHL career on D but was getting Physically outmatched in the corners so was switched to RW where his scoring took off. His frame is very small and he will have a hard time making it past ECHL. Fantastic CHL player.

Phillips- Quick hands, high compete levels, accurate shot, good release, elite skating, extremely shifty. If he was 6'0" he's a first round pick.

Outhouse- small for a Goalie but very good positioning and hand eye. Put up better numbers than Carey Price in a smaller sample size. Out performed Vollrath but was kept as backup cause Vollrath was "the guy" would've drafted him this year with a late pick.

Jarrat- Raw defenseman who has lots of potential. Lowry leaned heavily on Hicketts/Reddekopp/Gagnon so Jarrat saw mostly 3rd pairing time but has great size and skating. Offence has room to grow. Represented Canada a few times at younger ages. Look for him to take a step forward next year.

 

[Grub]

Not expecting much for late rounds picks like this to be honest...

Followed the drafts really closely in 2007, and really most of it was a big waste of time since mostly none of our latter picks ever panned out.

 

[F A N]

Dane Fox was a free prospect though and an example of how a team "should" fill their farm teams, not by expending assets at the draft on complete long shots. Plenty of free prospects out there to sign for your farm teams, most don't even need a NHL contract.

Huh? Do you realize that late round picks are considered complete long shots? There are plenty of teams drafting overagers this year. The Blackhawks did it. The Leafs did it. San Jose did it. The more valid question is which team didn't draft an overager this year?

 

[Bitz and Bites]

Huh? Do you realize that late round picks are considered complete long shots? There are plenty of teams drafting overagers this year. The Blackhawks did it. The Leafs did it. San Jose did it. The more valid question is which team didn't draft an overager this year?

Yeah,it was a pretty thin 1998 born draft class this year and really weak in the later stages so taking an undrafted older player who's broken out and shown major progression is a much better bet than a long shot 17 y/o who could go either way in his development for the next couple years.At least with an overager you can see who's progressed and who hasn't and take one who has.

 

[jeromemorrow]

Stukel was pretty highly rated as a bantam player and when he joined the Giants at age 15. Then he ripped his knee up playing baseball and missed the entire 13-14 season.

He came back and last year was a write-off in his draft year. Showed flashes but was a fringe player on a bad team. Got traded to Calgary to start this season and broke out.

Like I said previously, he plays kind of like a smaller poor mans WHL David Booth. Or like Virtanen without the grit and physical gifts. Very good skater with a nice move cutting wide to the net. Likes to shoot and will throw lots of low-percentage pucks on net. Was used as a shooting option on Calgary's top PP unit and did well.

Bad news is that he's a low IQ player at both ends of the rink. Doesn't use line mates well, is poor defensively. Doesn't have a great motor or much grit.

To me he's a one-trick pony who has a really impressive rush every game or two but doesn't project very well moving up levels.

Dang.. Poor man's WHL David Booth..... Yikes.

Let's hope he works even harder this summer and expand his game abit more.

How's his shot?

Also, taking large amounts of low percentage shots remind me of Vrbata... well, crappy Vrbata (as in '15-16 Vrbata).

 

[F A N]

Bad news is that he's a low IQ player at both ends of the rink.

Where did you get this from? I don't think you know what you're talking about IMO.

 

[JA]

Would this not have been the pick to use on Ty Ronning?

 

[kanucks25]

Don't know too much about prospects and their progression based on history, and I don't know if this guy was worth picking over some other candidates, but...

Could one not (be optimistic) and say although he was older by one year, this was almost like his draft year because he recently missed a full year of development?

Either way, PPG in the WHL at 19 doesn't seem like the worst thing, especially since he improved a lot on his previous year.

 

[GetFocht]

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

 

[IComeInPeace]

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

Skates a little like Virtanen.

 

[Hit the post]

Dang.. Poor man's WHL David Booth..... Yikes.

David Booth might've had fairly decent career had not injuries got in the way. Was doing fine as a 2nd line winger for us actually until the cheapshot 'knee-on-knee' hit.

 

[CanaFan]

Where did you get this from? I don't think you know what you're talking about IMO.

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?

 

[Boose Brudreau]

In his defence, he missed his entire 16 y/o season after ripping his ACL playing baseball, which really set back his development.

That said, like I said in the other thread, he reminds me of a junior David Booth. I don't see a good projection.

Football actually.

I like this pick because he basically lost 2 years of development....one to injury, one to an absolutely toxic environment (and a broken thumb) in Vancouver during the 14/15 season. Good hands and elite wheels cannot be taught, defence can. Wouldn't be surprised to see him put up a goal/game in the WHL next year.

 

[MS]

Have you guys bothered to watch clips of this guy (in Calgary)? On the Calgary Hitmen site, there's a segment showing the 10 best goals. Stukel features pretty outstandingly from about the 4 minute mark. Not only can he score, but (despite MS's opinion), he demonstrates some sick passing to his team mates. I like this pick. He's a local kid with lots of determination to improve his game. And, at 19, he is actually not an "overager"!

Like I said previously, this is a guy who will make you go 'oooh' with a really dynamic rush up the ice every couple games ... and then just float around accomplishing nothing the rest of the time. Or that's been my impression.

Where did you get this from? I don't think you know what you're talking about IMO.

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

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.

Above I said he played a bit like Virtanen minus the hitting/grit and the size and physical gifts. And I think that's fair. I'm not surprised that a scouting staff that loved Virtanen would also like Stukel.

And to be clear - while I'm not a huge fan of this pick and felt there were better overage players in the WHL, I'm more optimistic about him than the other two guys. He does do some things very well. But I'm not a fan of his motor or his smarts.