D Cam Dineen - North Bay Battalion, OHL (2016, 68th, ARI)

[93LEAFS]

Hm, I thought his positioning/angles and IQ are good. Seems like a cerebral player.

I would guess he dropped moreso because of his size/skating than the aforementioned stuff.

Where did you see that, some scouting publications? That is interesting, hadn't really heard that.

Yeah, off of a publications and he never really wowed me when I saw him (on TV, no live viewings). Its more that while his positioning is decent, he doesn't appear to have the IQ for it to be graded as elite which is what you want to project a guy at his size. People like his ability with his stick defensivly. But are worried that stronger guys will just drive the net on him unless he is absolutely perfect with his positioning.

Obviously, why he dropped is a combination of things, many scouts appear to think he's good enough at most things to be a great jr player, but worry about whether he is good enough at anything to be a solid NHLer.

 

[Frk It]

Yeah, off of a publications and he never really wowed me when I saw him (on TV, no live viewings). Its more that while his positioning is decent, he doesn't appear to have the IQ for it to be graded as elite which is what you want to project a guy at his size. People like his ability with his stick defensivly. But are worried that stronger guys will just drive the net on him unless he is absolutely perfect with his positioning.

Obviously, why he dropped is a combination of things, many scouts appear to think he's good enough at most things to be a great jr player, but worry about whether he is good enough at anything to be a solid NHLer.

That's weird, always thought IQ was his biggest strength. I mean, I know book smarts don't always equal hockey smarts, but the kid was committed to Yale originally.

Like Brock's writeups on OHL guys, and he said the following:

Dineen's best asset is far and away his ability to see the ice offensively. His hockey sense is elite and his brain for the game is going to carry him places.

http://ohlprospects.blogspot.com/2016/05/my-final-top-50-ohl-players-for-2016_20.html

So that's somewhat of a new thing I am hearing. I think teams like Arizona think that he can gain muscle, and maybe improve skating some more, but he has a good base to work on with how he sees the ice.

 

[93LEAFS]

That's weird, always thought IQ was his biggest strength. I mean, I know book smarts don't always equal hockey smarts, but the kid was committed to Yale originally.

Like Brock's writeups on OHL guys, and he said the following:



http://ohlprospects.blogspot.com/2016/05/my-final-top-50-ohl-players-for-2016_20.html

So that's somewhat of a new thing I am hearing. I think teams like Arizona think that he can gain muscle, and maybe improve skating some more, but he has a good base to work on with how he sees the ice.

Big difference between offensive and defensive IQ. He definitely has the offensive IQ to control a cycle and qb-pp, he can be forced into mistakes though on outlet passes.

Also to point out on the Ivy League thing, George Parros is probably one of the smartest and most educated players to play in the NHL.

 

[Frk It]

Big difference between offensive and defensive IQ. He definitely has the offensive IQ to control a cycle and qb-pp, he can be forced into mistakes though on outlet passes.

That makes a lot more sense now.

 

[Zaddy]

They don't think he takes smart enough angles to overcome them, and while his skating is good its not elite. He worries guys because in one on one situation stronger guys can drive the net on him. And while skating can be worked on, you don't go from good to elite, which multiple of the short guys you listed are. At worst he's a lifetime AHLer or in a Euro-league, not a 6th defender pp specialist.

That's why I said "should be". None of the guys ranked late 1st and beyond are sure things. I was talking more as a low-end projection for his potential. It's a figure of speech more than anything.

As for the other stuff, yeah it's unlikely he ever becomes an elite skater, but he has plenty of time to work on it to become a non-issue at the NHL level. I'm not looking for him to become a #1D like Subban, Karlsson etc. He doesn't need elite skating to be a solid top4 d-man IMO.

Big difference between offensive and defensive IQ. He definitely has the offensive IQ to control a cycle and qb-pp, he can be forced into mistakes though on outlet passes.

Fortunately no player is a finished product at age 18. Defense can be worked on, and even if he doesn't ever develop into a high-end d-man in his own end, what he can bring in terms of transition game and offense is extremely valuable in the NHL today, and something much rarer than the big, tough, defensive d-man, which would be the opposite type of player from Dineen.

 

[landy92mack29]

Dineen is the definition of a boom/bust player. His offensive game is unreal but he is completely lost in his own zone and is really a 4th forward right now. He has shown flashes of a competent defensive game but needs to improve a lot to become an nhler. He'll either be a top 4 stud ala Tyson Barrie or nothing more than an ahler/euro player. In my rankings I had Dineen 63rd solely on his offense. He's worth the risk at 68.

 

[BlazingBlueAnt]

To be fair, he made a massive jump this year from the EHL(?) to the OHL. I imagine defending against the best players of his age group in North America was quite different than what he was used to.

In my viewings in training camp he needs to work on explosiveness, his stride is decent, he lacks power though. Overall defending needs work, he spends too much time standing still and watching the puck. Needs to be more active and be able to anticipate plays better. Stickwork needs to get better, as a small defender, stickwork will be key for this defensive game going forward imo.

Offensive IQ was as advertised, excellent vision in the offensive zone.

 

[Zaddy]

To be fair, he made a massive jump this year from the EHL(?) to the OHL. I imagine defending against the best players of his age group in North America was quite different than what he was used to.

In my viewings in training camp he needs to work on explosiveness, his stride is decent, he lacks power though. Overall defending needs work, he spends too much time standing still and watching the puck. Needs to be more active and be able to anticipate plays better. Stickwork needs to get better, as a small defender, stickwork will be key for this defensive game going forward imo.

Offensive IQ was as advertised, excellent vision in the offensive zone.

This is one of the reasons I believe a lot in Dineen. He took a huge step this past year. Normally guys who really bloom out in their draft year have a very bright future ahead of them. He's far from a finished product but he's definitely trending in the right direction.

 

[tealhockey]

This is one of the reasons I believe a lot in Dineen. He took a huge step this past year. Normally guys who really bloom out in their draft year have a very bright future ahead of them. He's far from a finished product but he's definitely trending in the right direction.

Yeah, agreed. That said the EHL isn't the best but he was quite young and prior to that he's been playing up against players a lot older and challenging himself the last few seasons, so I wouldn't say it's an overnight transition but rather one that he had been preparing to make fairly intensely which says a lot. I wrote a feature about his program at the time (http://overtheboards.net/nj-rockets/) which gives some background to the group of kids he was training with and what their ambitions were in hockey. At the time he was still a Yale recruit. Looking forward to see how his career progresses

 

[FrodoBeggins]

I have not heard of him. He has some kind of injury? Watching this season PPG had worse

 

[Brock]

I have not heard of him. He has some kind of injury? Watching this season PPG had worse

Took a knee on knee in December and had knee surgery. He'll be ready to go again next year.

 

[V for Voodoo]

Took a knee on knee in December and had knee surgery. He'll be ready to go again next year.

Numbers took a huge step back this year before injury, reason for concern?

 

[Brock]

Numbers took a huge step back this year before injury, reason for concern?

I think there was some regression offensively, but I think he was also trying to focus on becoming a better defensive player 5 on 5. And when you factor in the fact that North Bay lacks the firepower that they did last year and just aren't a great team this year...no I'm not really that concerned in his draft +1 year.

If he continues to have an offensive regression next year and his skating fails to progress (because of that knee injury), then I think his status as a prospect would need to be re-evaluated. Until then, patience is key.

 

[AmericanDream]

a near PPG player in the OHL this year - I think he makes the team next year right out of camp if the Yotes move a body or two..kid has been a very pleasant surprise after an injury filled last year. no talk on this kid as well, has a bright future.

 

[AmericanDream]

20 goals on the year for Dineen. almost 70 points and doing it as quietly as can be. I imagine we will be seeing him next year at some point with the Yotes, great year after his knee injury last year

 

[Prarievarg]

20 goals on the year for Dineen. almost 70 points and doing it as quietly as can be. I imagine we will be seeing him next year at some point with the Yotes, great year after his knee injury last year

Encouraging. Hope the coyotes takes a long, hard look at him in camp before next season. Thanks for the updates.