LD Jamie Oleksiak (2011, 14th, DAL)

[Superhero]

Think he well be taller then Chara? How tall were guys like Chara, Meyers, and Valabik in their draft years?

Myers was listed at 6'7" when he was drafted. He is now listed as 6'8"

 

[Aaron Vickers]

Our take on him:

In a year, a prospect can make great strides.

Or take a poor stride and bring it up to par.

That’s what six-foot-seven, 240-pound defenseman Jamie Oleksiak did.

A late-round possibility at best a year ago with the USHL’s Sioux Falls Stampede,Oleksiak has improved by leaps and bounds in his first year at Northeastern University and is now being mentioned as a possible first round pick at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft this June.

http://futureconsiderationsdotca.wo...3/great-strides-from-draft-eligible-oleksiak/

 

[CanucksFaaN]

Jamieson Oleksiak ( UPDATED )

I have not seen Jamieson Oleksiak play, but at 6'7 and 244 lbs he is a BEAST. NHL west scouts say he will be drafted 9th overall possibly by the Boston Bruins. Imagine him and Chara. Anyone playing against them will die.

NHL site : http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=68729

 

[haelwho]

I think that whatever team uses a high first rounder on Oleksiak is going to be extremely disappointed. Could he be a good NHL defenseman? Sure. Even a great shutdown defenseman, maybe. But this Chara/Myers hype machine that feverishly attaches itself to any large prospect creates such unrealistic expectations. Oleksiak doesn't have and has never had much of an offensive game, and I don't think he'll be more than a 20-point guy at the NHL level, despite whatever work he's doing to round himself out at Northeastern.

Taylor Doherty, who is of similar stature and has a better all-around game, was drafted in the 2nd round, 57th overall in 2009, just after Myers' rookie season. I don't see why Oleksiak should go any higher than that. Maybe I'm alone in this, I just don't buy into the hype.

 

[jukon]

Reminds of a movie I can't name, where a grown man poses as a highschool basketball sensation.

 

[haelwho]

Reminds of a movie I can't name, where a grown man poses as a highschool basketball sensation.

Juwanna Mann?

 

[IkeaMonkey*]

Kristian Kudroc baby!

 

[Qvist]

I think that whatever team uses a high first rounder on Oleksiak is going to be extremely disappointed. Could he be a good NHL defenseman? Sure. Even a great shutdown defenseman, maybe. But this Chara/Myers hype machine that feverishly attaches itself to any large prospect creates such unrealistic expectations. Oleksiak doesn't have and has never had much of an offensive game, and I don't think he'll be more than a 20-point guy at the NHL level, despite whatever work he's doing to round himself out at Northeastern.

Taylor Doherty, who is of similar stature and has a better all-around game, was drafted in the 2nd round, 57th overall in 2009, just after Myers' rookie season. I don't see why Oleksiak should go any higher than that. Maybe I'm alone in this, I just don't buy into the hype.

Well said. When people read "6'7" they're immediately ready to look up any excuse and buy into it. It's just irrational. Most dominant defensemen aren't huge. And most huge defensemen who get 1st round consideration are busts.

Size is overrated. And history shows that huge project defensemen are as low-reward as it gets. Which again shows that this type of prospect is systematically overvalued.

 

[Qvist]

Think he well be taller then Chara? How tall were guys like Chara, Meyers, and Valabik in their draft years?

I think he'll be taller than Dan Focht. Maybe even taller than Maxim Kuznetsov or Vladimir Mihalik or Mathieu Biron. Just imagine having a player like that. Top 10 for sure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi1kMSHmD8g&feature=fvst (stick with it. It takes half a minute or so before the penny drops.)

 

[WhatTheDuck]

I think he'll be taller than Dan Focht. Maybe even taller than Maxim Kuznetsov or Vladimir Mihalik or Mathieu Biron. Just imagine having a player like that. Top 10 for sure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi1kMSHmD8g&feature=fvst (stick with it. It takes half a minute or so before the penny drops.)

I'm confused, is this sarcasm? Compare him to a bunch of pretty bad D-men and then call him a lock for the top 10? Sorry if I misread what you said, but when I imagine having a player like Biron or Focht, I picture a big, slow D-man getting burnt repeatably.

 

[Qvist]

That was sarcasm, yes.

Both Focht and Biron, incidentally, were touted as "good skaters for their size". That combination was why they were top 15 picks.

 

[enthropi]

Taylor Doherty, who is of similar stature and has a better all-around game, was drafted in the 2nd round, 57th overall in 2009, just after Myers' rookie season. I don't see why Oleksiak should go any higher than that. Maybe I'm alone in this, I just don't buy into the hype.

2009 was an incredible draft year, so that call is extremely generic. Oleksiak has comparable upside wirh maybe less downside than a lot of prospects projected after 15th overall, and scouts like seeing the kind of progress he's had in 1 year. And then you have the gms who like to swing for the fence. Could easily enter the top-15 due to that.

 

[Bjorn Le]

I think that whatever team uses a high first rounder on Oleksiak is going to be extremely disappointed. Could he be a good NHL defenseman? Sure. Even a great shutdown defenseman, maybe. But this Chara/Myers hype machine that feverishly attaches itself to any large prospect creates such unrealistic expectations. Oleksiak doesn't have and has never had much of an offensive game, and I don't think he'll be more than a 20-point guy at the NHL level, despite whatever work he's doing to round himself out at Northeastern.

Taylor Doherty, who is of similar stature and has a better all-around game, was drafted in the 2nd round, 57th overall in 2009, just after Myers' rookie season. I don't see why Oleksiak should go any higher than that. Maybe I'm alone in this, I just don't buy into the hype.

NHL scouts seem to disagree.

And Dohery is not nearly the skater Oleksiak is. The diffrence between all these mediocre big men is skating and most don't have that. 20 points isn't a lot, and since Oleksiak will likely play PP so that should be easily attainable.

 

[Qvist]

2009 was an incredible draft year, so that call is extremely generic. Oleksiak has comparable upside wirh maybe less downside than a lot of prospects projected after 15th overall, and scouts like seeing the kind of progress he's had in 1 year. And then you have the gms who like to swing for the fence. Could easily enter the top-15 due to that.

What, since when was 2009 an "incredible" draft year? It was, if anything, pretty average. The respective classes cannot remotely account for the difference between top 15 and where Doherty went, even if this is not a strong year.

NHL scouts seem to disagree.

I would argue that NHL scouts demonstrably consistently overrate huge defensemen.

And Dohery is not nearly the skater Oleksiak is. The diffrence between all these mediocre big men is skating and most don't have that. 20 points isn't a lot, and since Oleksiak will likely play PP so that should be easily attainable.

Again however, there is precious little to suggest that good skating appreciably reduces the risk with huge project defensemen. Skating is what generally gets a big guy drafted in the first round. But they still pan out at about the same rate as second round selections.

Defensemen 6'5 or larger drafted in the 1st round 1995-2005:

Maxim Kuznetsov
Dan Focht
Nikos Tselios
Bryan Allen
Mathieu Biron
Jiri Fischer
Kristian Kudroc
Anton Babchuk
Braydon Coburn
Brent Burns
Boris Valabik
Jeff Schultz
Andy Rogers
Sasha Pokulok
Vladimir Mihalik
Joe Finley

16 players, of whom five have become more than marginal players in the NHL: Burns, Schultz, Coburn, Allen and Fischer. Of those, one wasn't drafted as a defenseman (Burns) and three were actually credited with pretty developed overall games prior to being drafted (Coburn, Allen, Fischer). That leaves us with Jeff Schultz as the only and biggest success story among 1st round big project defensemen over a period of ten years.

By comparison, more than half of all 1RPs generally become at least average players in the NHL.

 

[Bjorn Le]

And most I'd those were not the skaters Oleksiak is. Valabik was an awful skater I remember but he was huge, had a brutal mean streak and was very physical. He was easily woraethan Oleksiak offensively and a much worse skater.

 

[TheGroceryStick]

Oleksiak to Boston.

OLEKSIAK is a 6'7 behemoth who is said to play a similar style to Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins. Like any other big Jr. player, he is likely taking some time to settle into his huge frame.

Boston has dropped a bit back in the draft, and taking Oleksiak in the top 5 may turn some heads. when someone like Murphy is still on the board. But sitting outside the top 5, they can start to take who THEY want; rather than what is consensus to that position.

Chirelli knows what Kaberle can do to a players development. And Zdeno can be there to teach him the ways of the BIG MAN style of play. I would dread 2 charas on seperate lines; accompanied by puck movers.

Chara-___
Oleksiak-Kaberle

 

[Seguins Dragon*]

The highest it will be is 11th overall...

With a Toronto regulation loss and Minny win, than the pick is 9th overall...

Seems like a reach for Oleksiak at that spot from what I have read he should be in the 15-25 zone.

 

[TheGroceryStick]

The highest it will be is 11th overall...

With a Toronto regulation loss and Minny win, than the pick is 9th overall...

Seems like a reach for Oleksiak at that spot from what I have read he should be in the 15-25 zone.

Fair enough.
Thats what im trying to get at. Should the Bruins pick with the consensus or go after someone they really want. Not that they are targeting Oleksiak; but why wouldnt you give him a look.
Behind Larsson , Murphy and Hamilton. I would probably take Oleksiak, if i want a Dman.

It is not like 10-18 are a locked down, as to who goes where. So it might be the best bet to take who you want and what your team needs.

 

[R S]

I wouldn't take him that high.

For every Chara there are a half dozen (or more) big first round defenders that never came close to being a Norris defender.

 

[SuperSaiyanBeastmode]

Or siemens? I feel like oleksiak is too unknown( his skating might be overrated, as with his offensive upside), while I think duncan siemens is a great pick at 10/11 imo.

 

[TheGroceryStick]

I think the Bruins will take a Dman, unless a top forward slips. But i think Larsson, Murphy and Hamilton will be gone.

Beaulieu, Siemens , Oleksiak and Musil. Still very good defenders left. But i made this thread about oleksiak, because of his size and style of play. Can Chara rub off on this guy? is Chara a teaching type of guy? Can Kaberle work his magic again? I think it would be worth the gamble.

 

[Seguins Dragon*]

I think the Bruins will take a Dman, unless a top forward slips. But i think Larsson, Murphy and Hamilton will be gone.

Beaulieu, Siemens , Oleksiak and Musil. Still very good defenders left. But i made this thread about oleksiak, because of his size and style of play. Can Chara rub off on this guy? is Chara a teaching type of guy? Can Kaberle work his magic again? I think it would be worth the gamble.

One of those 2 should still be on the board when Boston picks, and I will be honest, I haven't seen either play, but just from reading I would prefer if they went with one of those.

I know what you're saying, but for me I draft BPA, not some guy because you're in love with his size.... If we are going to make a risky pick, I rather it be for a pure offensive shifty sort of guy, rather than a giant defender.

Plus Boston has a history of sticking to drafting in North America in the first round (not saying its only choses they make, but generally seems to be the way they lean), European or elsewhere we haven't had the best of luck.

 

[james30]

He used to figure skate like skinner!

 

[Hello Johnny]

OLEKSIAK is a 6'7 behemoth who is said to play a similar style to Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins.

Just like Boris Valabik, Taylor Doherty, and every other player who is freakishly tall.

 

[Leviathan]

sitting outside the top 5, they can start to take who THEY want; rather than what is consensus to that position.

I don't think scouts work like that. Look at how many teams passed over Fowler and Gormley last year.