D Nicolas Hague - Missisauga Steelheads, OHL (2017, 34th, VGK)

[Artorius Horus T]

I know that there is (somewhere) a NHague thread already, i just couldn't find it.
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Kinda strange how little this 19 year old (December 5th, 1998)
6 foot 6, 220 pound d-man gets interest here.

Doesn't anyone think Hague is good, at all?
- Vegas might of gotten a huge steal at 34th last draft.

Nicolas is having a monster of a season, just scored his 30th goal,
30th!!!! of the season in 58 games, now i don't know the OHL records of d-men
but for sake of comparison, next d-man of his age group (Cam Dineen, June 19th)
has 18 goals, 12 goals less.

66 points in 58 games, 13 pp goals

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Yes yes, highly touted 6 foot 2 rd, possibly top 10 pick in this years draft
Evan Bouchard is having even better of a season in the OHL, but even he has
scored 9 goals less than Hague has. - but this thread isn't about him -
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1st season: 0.36 ppg, 2nd season: 0.71 ppg, 3rd season: 1.15 ppg
great progress each year and this season isn't over yet.

He has shown that he can score goals, points too and not just play
physical, defensive play, has a bomb/rocket of a shot,
very dangerous weapon for PP's. Yes has had some issues
with his skating, but has improved, (not sure if enough)


Any Steelheads fans wanna give more insight why Hague
doesn't get much "love" here, is he really that bad?
doesn't his upsides trump what ever his downsides are?
(at least on some level)

Click to read more...

 

[Artorius Horus T]

Last d-man to score 30 goals or more in the OHL was back in 1999-2000
by one Allan Rourke (20 yrs old)

Last 19 yrs old d-man in the OHL who scored 30 goals or more
was Richard Jackman back in 1997-1998 season, who scored 33.
- yes that Richard Jackman.

 

[DatDude44]

I’ve wondered the same thing. I’m big on Hague I think he’s gonna be a legit 6’6 top4 D that can move the puck w/ a booming shot. I wanted the blues to take him #31 last year(tho kostin was my next choice).

Very excited to see what his future holds

 

[Artorius Horus T]

I know this is wishful thinking,but wouldn't it be sweet
if he'd develop to Chris Pronger(esk) player?

 

[jvr32]

Search: Hague
http://hfboards.mandatory.com/threa...ississauga-steelheads-ohl-2017-draft.1940155/

I know this is wishful thinking,but wouldn't it be sweet
if he'd develop to Chris Pronger(esk) player?

I'd compare him to Dion Phaneuf

 

[Artorius Horus T]

Search: Hague
http://hfboards.mandatory.com/threa...ississauga-steelheads-ohl-2017-draft.1940155/


I'd compare him to Dion Phaneuf

Well, i'll take young (prime) Phaneuf any/every day,
i'd be happy if he'd develop to either of the two.

Flames days Phaneuf was a total beast

 

[Artorius Horus T]

BTW thanx jvr32, i knew that there was a previous thread about Hague,
but i would of had to go way,way back with the pages to find that

Last post was almost 2 month's back.

 

[clay]

Wish the Canucks picked him with their second round pick even though Lind has had a great year. We're starving for D in our system and Hague looks like he'll be a special player.

 

[CupInSIX]

Search: Hague
http://hfboards.mandatory.com/threa...ississauga-steelheads-ohl-2017-draft.1940155/


I'd compare him to Dion Phaneuf

That's what I'm afraid of.

Vegas fans are cautiously optimistic. Big defenseman, booming shot, good offensive instincts - not a great skater (yet). Hopefully he goes against the trend of big guys having difficulty with NHL speed and makes his mark.

 

[Artorius Horus T]

Hague scored his 31st goal of the season, he scored PP goal.
- this was his 63rd career OHL goal, that's nuts.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Hague scored his 31st goal of the season, he scored PP goal.
- this was his 63rd career OHL goal, that's nuts.

Thanks, I didn't know he was having such a good year. If you look at the early posts, I thought this kid was a hidden gem. Had a sky high ceiling. Lost track of him, but this is good to know. Still like him as a player.

Here is the original thread on Hague. http://hfboards.mandatory.com/threa...ississauga-steelheads-ohl-2017-draft.1940155/

 

[Artorius Horus T]

You have to go back to early 90's to have a player to score more career OHL goals as a d-man.
Bill McCauley, he scored 72 goals in 190 games for Detroit jr Wings.

Bill was a 6 feet tall offensive d-man, who was a career ECHL/AHL player
his pro career lasted only 7 years.

 

[FrankGallagher]

Crazy to look back at the fact this guy only posted 3 goals in a full jr b year not too long ago to his production in the OHL

 

[Artorius Horus T]

Crazy to look back at the fact this guy only posted 3 goals in a full jr b year not too long ago to his production in the OHL

PRO-GRESS

 

[FrankGallagher]

PRO-GRESS

Ya this guys developmental trajectory really is pretty crazy, wonder how much teams consider stuff like that at the draft

 

[Artorius Horus T]

1g+1a tonight for Nicolas Hague.
That's 4g+5a=9pts in his last 5 games, keep 'em coming!.

32g+37a=69pts

 

[Apotheosis]

Number 1D ceiling written all over him.

 

[Artorius Horus T]

Number 1D ceiling written all over him.

Indeed, one of the draft's robbery's by Golden Knights.

 

[TheTechNoir]

I wonder how this will turn out... In Summer 2016 I mock-drafted Hague as 5th (after Valimaki as far as d goes)
in mid-November I had him as 5th still. I dropped him down to 11th after the 2017 season just before the 2017 draft tho... Several other things I picked are looking bad too, and I missed a few like Pettersson way too low. I did have Tolvenen at 17th at least though... also I have Vilardi over Nico, but Nico is looking real good.


*edited to fix a mix-up in my memory*

 

[HanSolo]

Has anyone watched him this season? At the VGK prospects camp I had concerns about his overall skating speed. Can anyone comment on whether or not he's made improvements in this regard.

 

[CupInSIX]

Has anyone watched him this season? At the VGK prospects camp I had concerns about his overall skating speed. Can anyone comment on whether or not he's made improvements in this regard.

He got beat by Boeser IIRC. Needs to work on backwards skating but he doesn't skate awful for a 6'6 18 year old.

 

[HanSolo]

He got beat by Boeser IIRC. Needs to work on backwards skating but he doesn't skate awful for a 6'6 18 year old.

I'm looking for more of a status update. I think his skating is passable when he gets 10-15 strides uninterrupted to get his stride moving and like you said, his backwards skating definitely needed improvement. To me, he was the slowest player at VGK's prospect camp.

 

[Artorius Horus T]

I'm looking for more of a status update. I think his skating is passable when he gets 10-15 strides uninterrupted to get his stride moving and like you said, his backwards skating definitely needed improvement. To me, he was the slowest player at VGK's prospect camp.

But he is a big dude with long legs, he might of just looked slow .

In all seriousness, yes his skating is an "issue", concern if you will, but he is only 18
you can always work on skating, what he gots already you can't work on;
pure natural born talent and genetics

 

[CowbellConray]

Could he be a better Cody Franson? Tall, average skater with strong offensive skills???

 

[HanSolo]

But he is a big dude with long legs, he might of just looked slow .

In all seriousness, yes his skating is an "issue", concern if you will, but he is only 18
you can always work on skating, what he gots already you can't work on;
pure natural born talent and genetics

With the game putting more and more emphasis on speed, the Knights no exception, I think in order to utilize his size properly he needs to get at least fast enough to cut off time and space.