Prospect Info: Canucks select William Lockwood in 3rd Round, 64th Overall

[Boose Brudreau]

seems like an odd pick.
no size, no scoring.
6 points in 20 games in fing high school?
is this a joke?

In 59 games playing on the under 18 development team he had 33 points. All of those points were at even strength and most (27) were goals or primary assists. At the U18 tournament, he put up a point a game. He's a very good skater, pk'er and plays a pretty physical game given his size. Think a much less ******* andrew shaw. Maybe they reached a bit, or maybe they see someone capable of putting up much better numbers if he's given an opportunity (look at the goal he scored against Canada). I liked a lot of other guys that were on the board when he was picked (Fox to name one), but i don't hate the pick. I won't be surprised if he puts up 20+ point in Michigan next season.....without a lot of PP time.

 

[just22]

Must admit I don't know a thing about the kid...but is he really better than guys like Cam Dineen or Will Bitten?....shocked those guys fell so far down the Board.

Every year people hype up certain 2nd and 3rd round players and are surprised they drop. Then those players don't amount to much of anything. Not really that shocking.

 

[F A N]

Would have preferred the Canucks take a chance on Abramov. The Canucks seem to draft a Lockwood type player every few years: e.g. Friesen and Matson. Hopefully Lockwood fares better.

 

[WonderTwinsUnite]

Would have preferred the Canucks take a chance on Abramov. The Canucks seem to draft a Lockwood type player every few years: e.g. Friesen and Matson. Hopefully Lockwood fares better.

Yeah, the big difference is that those guys were sixth rounders. If we had taken Lockwood in the sixth, I'd be much more okay with it. Like you said, there was just way too much high-end talent left on the board.

 

[Icebreakers]

Even Pu would have been received better.

 

[thefeebster]

Even Pu would have been received better.

Maybe for the jokes alone but I don't see a lot in Pu, I feel he's a bit overrated. Gun to my head, I think I'd prefer Lockwood.

 

[Scurr]

Every year people hype up certain 2nd and 3rd round players and are surprised they drop. Then those players don't amount to much of anything. Not really that shocking.

Yeah. Even the best teams at drafting aren't doing particularly well, IDK why people would be so interested in the consensus list.

 

[CanaFan]

Our conversation was about the drafting though. All the guys who make it from later in the draft have experienced exception progression. It is not something to believe in it is fact. Unless you believe they were just misevaluated. In some cases it is a bit of both but generally it is progress. Benning for whatever reason has picked players who have progressed more than their peers.

Petit, Stewart, Abols would point to the opposite. These are players who are older but are actually less developed than other players at the same age. This means they have progressed less than their peers, not more.

Some GMs take a "shoot for the stars and you'll get the moon" approach to drafting. Skilled guys who might be too small, smart players who are still physically underdeveloped, injured guys who got buried on deep teams.

Benning on the other hand likes to go the "bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" approach. A guy who is big and strong enough to maybe play in the NHL someday, even if his skill or hockey iq is on the low side. Guys who might get a cup of coffee in the NHL as a banger and crasher but legitimately has no chance to be a quality player, even with all the development in the world.

Of course there are exceptions - Jasek, Zhukenov, Brisebois - but I've seen more of it than I care to so far, especially in this draft and the 2014 one.

 

[JA]

Will Lockwood sounds like the name of a Robin Hood character or someone from an Elizabethan play.

 

[F A N]

Yeah, the big difference is that those guys were sixth rounders. If we had taken Lockwood in the sixth, I'd be much more okay with it. Like you said, there was just way too much high-end talent left on the board.

Well to be fair, Lockwood is also a superior prospect to Friesen and Matson and Mckenzie actually had him ranked 74th. This is probably a reach and likely a direct result of Benning not having a 4th round pick.

 

[jigsaw99]

those numbers are so underwhelming...

looking at his team mates who out scored him and drafted after him:
GP G A Pts
Adam Fox 1998-02-17 17 D 25 5 17 22
J.D. Greenway 1998-04-27 17 D 25 2 8 10
Nick Pastujov 1998-01-21 17 L 21 3 5 8

Fox and Greenway (6"5 guy) is both D and Pastujov is selected in the 7th round. They all put up better numbers than Lockwood.

 

[Red]

those numbers are so underwhelming...

looking at his team mates who out scored him and drafted after him:
GP G A Pts
Adam Fox 1998-02-17 17 D 25 5 17 22
J.D. Greenway 1998-04-27 17 D 25 2 8 10
Nick Pastujov 1998-01-21 17 L 21 3 5 8

Fox and Greenway (6"5 guy) is both D and Pastujov is selected in the 7th round. They all put up better numbers than Lockwood.

If you look at their total USDP numbers last year, Pastujov had 21 points in 60 games (0.35ppg), Greenway had 28 points in 64 games (0.44 ppg), while Lockwood had 33 points in 59 games (0.54 ppg). Still underwhelming numbers, but better.

Fox, who was unfortunately a great pick for Calgary, stands out at a 0.92 ppg as a dman.

 

[orcatown]

Better skater than Cassels.

 

[kanucks25]

His stats are underwhelming but his style (based on his video) is more encouraging.

However, he's obviously a low ceiling / high floor player and I guess people don't like these "safe" picks.

Seems like a guy we might see in the AHL in 2 years but that might be the best he'll do.



In general, is it a good or bad thing a prospect in his draft year was on his team's 2nd line?

On one hand, you could say he didn't put up big numbers because he wasn't given as many prime offensive minutes.

On the other, it might be a bad thing because if he was good enough for the 1st line, he'd be there.

 

[Fa Ci La]

His stats are underwhelming but his style (based on his video) is more encouraging.

However, he's obviously a low ceiling / high floor player and I guess people don't like these "safe" picks.

Seems like a guy we might see in the AHL in 2 years but that might be the best he'll do.

But that's the thing, there's nothing safe about this. who cares if he does a good job in the ECHL. Boring doesn't equal safe. The safest thing to do of all is to pick the person with the most points (after factoring in age considerations and the like)

 

[Catamarca Livin]

Petit, Stewart, Abols would point to the opposite. These are players who are older but are actually less developed than other players at the same age. This means they have progressed less than their peers, not more.

Some GMs take a "shoot for the stars and you'll get the moon" approach to drafting. Skilled guys who might be too small, smart players who are still physically underdeveloped, injured guys who got buried on deep teams.

Benning on the other hand likes to go the "bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" approach. A guy who is big and strong enough to maybe play in the NHL someday, even if his skill or hockey iq is on the low side. Guys who might get a cup of coffee in the NHL as a banger and crasher but legitimately has no chance to be a quality player, even with all the development in the world.

Of course there are exceptions - Jasek, Zhukenov, Brisebois - but I've seen more of it than I care to so far, especially in this draft and the 2014 one.

You are using one six and 2 seventh round picks as example for Benning's drafting?
I was saying Benning's picks have progressed better than most post draft not pre draft Petite and Stewart not included this guy is undetermined.

 

[nuckfan insk]

I'm not angry or upset, ore confused.... Perhaps this pick will prove great (gaudette) I just thought Dineen, fox or abramov might have been better

 

[CanaFan]

You are using one six and 2 seventh round picks as example for Benning's drafting?
I was saying Benning's picks have progressed better than most post draft not pre draft Petite and Stewart not included this guy is undetermined.

Those are 3. I would also add Lockwood, Stukal, and Mackenzie from this draft as guys that are very low ceiling picks relative to their draft position. That makes 6 in 3 drafts. Also Virtanen, god bless the kid cause I do like him, was always a floor pick more than a ceiling pick relative to the other options at 6. Hell even Juolevi is described in some circles as the safest defenseman but not necessarily the one with the highest ceiling (Sergachev). That's not to say Juolevi wasn't a fine pick, just that it aligns with the trend I'm seeing.

He's also traded Shinkaruk for Granlund (risky top 6 scorer for safer bottom 6 utility forward), McCann+ for Gudbranson, Kassian for Prust, and Forsling for Clendenning.

Hes had a few 'ceiling' picks as well - Forsling, Boeser, Jasek, Zhukenov - but overall I think the tendency has been to grab guys with an emphasis on physicality, size, and/ character and a de-emphasis on skill level. It's not 100% to be sure but it's higher than I would like.

 

[Tiranis]

Hes had a few 'ceiling' picks as well - Forsling, Boeser, Jasek, Zhukenov - but overall I think the tendency has been to grab guys with an emphasis on physicality, size, and/ character and a de-emphasis on skill level. It's not 100% to be sure but it's higher than I would like.

Zhukenov was, to me, a floor pick, with Timashov sitting right there.

 

[m9]

After watching a bit of Lockwood, he reminds me a bit of Derek Dorsett. Likely not the best projection for an early-3rd, but I think a bottom-six guy who is quick, hits, and is great on the forecheck.

 

[MS]

Zhukenov was, to me, a floor pick, with Timashov sitting right there.

And Conor Garland.

 

[GetFocht]

Lockwood's speed looks elite, I think he the best comparison is Darren Helm

 

[VanJack]

I'm not angry or upset, ore confused.... Perhaps this pick will prove great (gaudette) I just thought Dineen, fox or abramov might have been better

Lockwood is apparently heading to Michigan next year.....hopefully he has an 'Adam Gaudette' type of development curve in the NCAA....but if they were in market for an under-sized, skilled but abrasive forward, still can't figure out why there wasn't more interest in a kid like Will Bitten (70th overall to the Habs)....loved his compete-level in the Prospects Game.

 

[CanaFan]

Zhukenov was, to me, a floor pick, with Timashov sitting right there.

You're probably right. I don't really know how to characterize Zhuk tbh. Was being generous I guess.

 

[DonskoiDonscored]

those numbers are so underwhelming...

looking at his team mates who out scored him and drafted after him:
GP G A Pts
Adam Fox 1998-02-17 17 D 25 5 17 22
J.D. Greenway 1998-04-27 17 D 25 2 8 10
Nick Pastujov 1998-01-21 17 L 21 3 5 8

Fox and Greenway (6"5 guy) is both D and Pastujov is selected in the 7th round. They all put up better numbers than Lockwood.

If you aren't on the top two lines on the USNTDP, you aren't scoring points or playing that much.

Put him on almost any other team in the USHL and his production shoots up.

He's fast, gritty, and has sweet hands. Offensive creativity isn't the greatest but he's one of the faster north-south skaters in the draft. I really like him.