Canucks LB
My Favourite, Gone too soon, RIP Luc, We miss you
- Oct 12, 2008
- 76,736
- 29,318
LW Jakob Stukel - Calgary Hitmen, WHL (2016, 154th, VAN)
- Thread starter Canucks LB
- Start date
Nalyd Psycho
Registered User
Having a good thirty games as a chl senior is not a projectable NHLers, but, he looks like he will be an ahler. We will see how he does.
Jakob shows promise as a hard-nosed, speedy goal scorer. I like the pick a lot, especially for a sixth round selection. He has terrific straight-line speed and quick hands. Considering he missed the entire 2013-14 season and thus a full year of development, Jakob might be a late bloomer. His development is a year behind, so his 2015-16 season was more like a 17-year-old season than a conventional 18-year-old one. He was born on March 6, 1997, so he isn't an old 2015 eligible player. He is just over six months older than the oldest 2016 first-year eligible draft choices.
While it seems right now that he would be an offense-only forward, he can be taught to play a more reliable overall game and can perhaps become a second-to-third line tweener with mid-end goal scoring ability at the NHL level. Anything more would be bonus, especially if he turns out to be a late-round gem. He has great goal-scoring attributes, so there is offensive upside to this player.
http://www.vancourier.com/pass-it-to-bulis/jakob-stukel-worth-a-shot-for-canucks-in-sixth-round-1.2288581
http://thehockeywriters.com/jakob-stukel-the-next-ones-2016-nhl-draft-prospect-profile/
http://vancouversun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/vancouver-canucks/b-c-boys-stukel-ronning-have-another-connection-after-nhl-draft
DeltaSwede
Registered User
Reports from development camp is that he has impressed.
He's a long shot for sure but he's got some tools that are enticing. Should be fun to see if he can turn into something.
He's a long shot for sure but he's got some tools that are enticing. Should be fun to see if he can turn into something.
FLYguy3911
Sanheim Lover
- Oct 19, 2006
- 53,122
- 86,482
In a straight line, with or without the puck, he can absolutely fly. He was the only Calgary forward that was a threat with the puck in the neutral zone. He can eat up WHL defensemen if he gets a step. My concern at the next level would be if/when defensemen match his speed, he doesn't really have a counter move. Everything is full effort and linear. Sometimes his speed can cause him to get out of control too and his hands can't keep up. He's well worth a shot in the 6th round though and a guy I definitely thought showed draftable talent shortly after arriving in Calgary.
canucks10
Registered User
FLYguy3911
Sanheim Lover
- Oct 19, 2006
- 53,122
- 86,482
Skinnyjimmy08
WorldTraveler
- Mar 30, 2012
- 22,509
- 11,986
I love the kid... has had some bad injury history early in his WHL career but he was a guy I was predicting that a team could take sorta high in the draft. IMO Canucks got a steal with him this late in the draft
Mathew Barzal
Walk It Like I Tocchet
Soups On
Registered User
- Apr 27, 2012
- 3,790
- 1,986
It would not be unreasonable to suggest that Stukel would have been drafted higher if this had been his first draft-eligible season. Considering the loss of his entire 2013-14 season, his development is a year behind and so his 2015-16 season represents what his first draft-eligible season might have been; this was only his sophomore season in the WHL, and he took a huge step forward from his rookie campaign. I feel that this most recent season with the Calgary Hitmen would have earned him a place somewhere in the first three rounds of the draft if he was a year younger, or even six months younger.
I am impressed by his goal production last year with the Hitmen.
I was already curious about Stukel prior to this past week. His performance at the Development Camp only reaffirms my thoughts about him. He has talent. He is also a rather unrefined player, so he needs to work hard to polish his game. That said, he has a fairly attractive skill set.
You have compared his goals at the WHL level with Emerson Etem's. That is fair, considering there are some similarities. That said, there are major differences as well.
One thing I think Stukel has that a player like Emerson Etem doesn't is total control (of the puck and of his direction) on his skates. He seems sturdier, and also demonstrates more finesse with the puck than Etem. Etem relies heavily on blistering straight-line speed, although he doesn't quite have the hands to keep up. Stukel has better puck control, east-west movement, and also positions himself better to receive a pass, or, better yet, to steal the puck from the opposition. He can shield the puck and maneuver around an opposition player. This is a player who knows where to be to retrieve the puck, knows how to get around the ice effectively with it, and has good enough vision to create chances offensively for himself and his teammates. When the opposition chases him, it opens up his teammates who he will sometimes pass to. Etem, on the other hand, either rushes the puck up the ice in a straight line, or floats around waiting for a pass. He's not particularly shifty. He creates offense with his straight-line breakaway speed, and by burying feeds off the rush. Stukel looks like he knows where to position himself offensively to create offense from a standstill and can get himself into a position with the puck to score, whereas Etem needs a playmaker on his line to be effective.
Etem has the skill set to be an effective NHL player, but I don't think his style of play or offensive approach works at the NHL level. He was selected in the first round of the 2010 NHL Draft for a reason. This is a case of a player having a lot of tools, but no toolbox. He doesn't use his speed to any desired effect. There are players in the NHL who use their speed well, but so far he isn't one of them. He has a shot, but doesn't do anything with it. Throughout his NHL career, he has only averaged 1.5 shots per game, and those shots aren't very noteworthy either. In the WHL, he excelled with highly-skilled linemates. The Hitmen don't quite have the same degree of talent that those Medicine Hat teams did. Stukel is asked to do more on his own than Etem ever had to.
As mentioned before, Stukel also missed a year of development. Etem's first draft-eligible season was his 17-year-old season. Stukel was 18 years old this past season, so taking the lost year into account, they were practically at the same stage of their development in the respective years that they were drafted.
When Jakob joined the Vancouver Giants for the 2012-13 season at the age of 15, he had two goals, two assists, four points in six games. Then an ACL tear wiped out his 2013-14 season, which would have been his rookie season.
One of the main criticisms of Stukel this past season was his lack of consistency. He would put together very impressive scoring streaks, then slow down for a period. He was by far the Hitmen's best goal scorer in 2015-16 with 34 goals, 56 points in 57 games. If he can find consistency and play at the top of his game all year long, his numbers could easily be even better next season. That would be the next step for him to take in his development in addition to improving as a player overall. If he does this, then he will become a very noteworthy prospect for the Canucks. He is on the right track thus far.
I am impressed by his goal production last year with the Hitmen.
I was already curious about Stukel prior to this past week. His performance at the Development Camp only reaffirms my thoughts about him. He has talent. He is also a rather unrefined player, so he needs to work hard to polish his game. That said, he has a fairly attractive skill set.
I am aware that you don't think as highly of him based on some of your comments about him not only here, but in other Canucks prospect threads as well. You have stated that you don't see a lot of NHL-style goals, but I disagree. He has enough speed to separate himself from the opposition, he has good hands and has shown an ability to deke the opposing goaltender quickly while moving at full speed down the ice, and he has an above average shot so that he doesn't necessarily have to score from in close. His goal-scoring tendencies are varied; for example, he likes to drive through the crease at full speed. He also likes to park on the right side of the net near the goal mouth so that he can bury rebounds and setups from his teammates.
You have compared his goals at the WHL level with Emerson Etem's. That is fair, considering there are some similarities. That said, there are major differences as well.
One thing I think Stukel has that a player like Emerson Etem doesn't is total control (of the puck and of his direction) on his skates. He seems sturdier, and also demonstrates more finesse with the puck than Etem. Etem relies heavily on blistering straight-line speed, although he doesn't quite have the hands to keep up. Stukel has better puck control, east-west movement, and also positions himself better to receive a pass, or, better yet, to steal the puck from the opposition. He can shield the puck and maneuver around an opposition player. This is a player who knows where to be to retrieve the puck, knows how to get around the ice effectively with it, and has good enough vision to create chances offensively for himself and his teammates. When the opposition chases him, it opens up his teammates who he will sometimes pass to. Etem, on the other hand, either rushes the puck up the ice in a straight line, or floats around waiting for a pass. He's not particularly shifty. He creates offense with his straight-line breakaway speed, and by burying feeds off the rush. Stukel looks like he knows where to position himself offensively to create offense from a standstill and can get himself into a position with the puck to score, whereas Etem needs a playmaker on his line to be effective.
Etem has the skill set to be an effective NHL player, but I don't think his style of play or offensive approach works at the NHL level. He was selected in the first round of the 2010 NHL Draft for a reason. This is a case of a player having a lot of tools, but no toolbox. He doesn't use his speed to any desired effect. There are players in the NHL who use their speed well, but so far he isn't one of them. He has a shot, but doesn't do anything with it. Throughout his NHL career, he has only averaged 1.5 shots per game, and those shots aren't very noteworthy either. In the WHL, he excelled with highly-skilled linemates. The Hitmen don't quite have the same degree of talent that those Medicine Hat teams did. Stukel is asked to do more on his own than Etem ever had to.
As mentioned before, Stukel also missed a year of development. Etem's first draft-eligible season was his 17-year-old season. Stukel was 18 years old this past season, so taking the lost year into account, they were practically at the same stage of their development in the respective years that they were drafted.
When Jakob joined the Vancouver Giants for the 2012-13 season at the age of 15, he had two goals, two assists, four points in six games. Then an ACL tear wiped out his 2013-14 season, which would have been his rookie season.
One of the main criticisms of Stukel this past season was his lack of consistency. He would put together very impressive scoring streaks, then slow down for a period. He was by far the Hitmen's best goal scorer in 2015-16 with 34 goals, 56 points in 57 games. If he can find consistency and play at the top of his game all year long, his numbers could easily be even better next season. That would be the next step for him to take in his development in addition to improving as a player overall. If he does this, then he will become a very noteworthy prospect for the Canucks. He is on the right track thus far.
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Mathew Barzal
Walk It Like I Tocchet
Funnily enough, the person's head who the sarcasm flew over was yours!
Dude who reponded to me was being sarcastic in kind.
Redline
Registered User
Stukel became one of my favorite Hitmen by the end of the season.
Once he gained confidence about midway through the season his game grew accordingly. I do find him almost timid at times or not going all-in during puck battles and I wonder if his injury got in his head. I really didn't pay attention to him on the Giants( he was injured a lot) so I can't say if that held true prior to his injury. Perhaps a Giants fan can fill in that blank.
Once he gained confidence about midway through the season his game grew accordingly. I do find him almost timid at times or not going all-in during puck battles and I wonder if his injury got in his head. I really didn't pay attention to him on the Giants( he was injured a lot) so I can't say if that held true prior to his injury. Perhaps a Giants fan can fill in that blank.
For those wondering, here is the story regarding the ACL tear that prevented him from playing in 2013-14:
http://vancouvergiants.com/stukel-hopes-to-not-miss-a-beat
http://vancouvergiants.com/stukel-hopes-to-not-miss-a-beat
Canucks LB
My Favourite, Gone too soon, RIP Luc, We miss you
- Oct 12, 2008
- 76,736
- 29,318
Because he's a '97, he's not eligible for the AHL. It's either CHL or NHL for him.
You have to have played four years in the CHL, or be turning 20 years old (ie kids born in '96 this year) to be eligible for the AHL.
Lemmiwinks
Registered User
Due to the circumstances that have been discussed already in this thread, we should view this player as someone who is very much worthy of an early round selection. He missed an entire year of development with a torn ACL, was forced to catch up and experience his rookie WHL season after over a calendar year of not playing, and made a monumental leap forward in his second WHL season. He is progressing at the rate of an early round prospect.
This was his sophomore season. If he had not missed the 2013-14 season and had put up these numbers last year as a 17-year-old, there is no question that a team would have picked him in the first three rounds of his draft class.
With the Calgary Hitmen this season, Jakob scored 34 goals, 56 points in 57 games, led the WHL in powerplay goals, and scored ten goals more than anyone else on the Hitmen roster. These are all of the signs of a classic late bloomer. He did well both this past season and at the Canucks' most recent development camp. The Canucks did their research.
His pre-WHL résumé also reflects the promise that this player shows.
http://vancouvergiants.com/giant-futures-jakob-stukel
He ended up with 30 goals for the Valley West Hawks, which is more than either Kane or Gallagher scored at the same level.
He also had a fairly strong initial stint with the Giants in 2012-13, scoring 2 goals, 4 points in 6 games as a 15-year-old.
This past season is what his 17-year-old season should have been. Instead, he was a year behind because when he finally got back on to the ice for the Giants after his injury, he was a 17-year-old playing with the fundamentals of someone who had just graduated from the Major Midget level, had only played six games in the WHL, and who had not played hockey in over a full calendar year. This is a fairly severe handicap for an aspiring hockey player at that age.
He apparently broke his thumb during his rookie season as well.
http://calgaryherald.com/sports/hockey/two-big-trade-deals-bring-fresh-faces-to-hitmen
The Giants also cycled through three coaches that season, which logically would have made it more difficult for him to learn. His rookie season, as a result, was underwhelming.
In his sophomore season -- this season -- he really started to put things together again.
If not for that torn ACL, I think Jakob Stukel would have received much higher regard as a prospect.
Jakob would be better served playing one more year in the WHL. He should step up as a major leader for his team. It should be viewed as his draft+1 season considering the lost year of development.
Last year, he was inconsistent as a player. He demonstrated the ability to dominate on the score sheet over the course of multiple games, then he would go without a point for a few games. He needs not only to round out his game and improve, but also to become more consistent.
Here is his 2015-16 game log: http://www.whl.ca/players/26567/game_by_game/251
You'll notice some terrific scoring streaks separated by offensive lulls. For example, in the final seven games of the season, he scored 10 points in 7 games, including four goals in the final three games of the 2015-16 regular season schedule. He had two hat tricks last season, including a four-point game against Tri-City on November 14, 2015. That game was also the start of a 14-game stretch during which he scored 15 goals, 20 points, book-ended by the aforementioned hat tricks (November 14 to December 13, 2015). He had a stretch of five goals in four games, including two multi-goal games in late February, as well as a streak of three goals, nine points in five games in late January, and four goals in three games between Christmas and New Year's Eve.
If he can learn to play at that level for significant periods and/or elevate his game further, he'll be a force in the WHL next season.
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tigervixxxen
Optimism=Delusional
I even liked him with the Giants, he showed some promise there. I didn't get to see him much with the Hitmen. I'm glad he's doing well now.
Lol no kidding
"Had a really solid development camp for the canucks"
I was in Shawnigan watching the camp, he was average. Everyone there looked "solid" They are NHL prospects for heavens sake. He has what? Like a 5% chance of making the show? Let's just wait and see
Here is an update:
http://theprovince.com/sports/hockey/nhl/canuck-draft-pick-stukel-will-try-to-show-improved-all-around-game-friday-at-lec-against-giants
During the the Young Stars Tournament in September, I noticed that his lack of explosiveness hampered his ability to be effective in tight spaces. He has impressive straight-line speed, but his stopping and starting aren't great. Acceleration also constitutes one's ability to generate speed quickly, and the ability to cover a respectable distance in one's first few strides is part of that. I found that Stukel struggled with the pace of last year's Young Stars Tournament and only shined when he could take the puck from end to end -- moments that were few and far between.
Stukel, like Jake Virtanen, is more of a train than a missile. He doesn't burst forth quickly so much as he shifts into multiple gears after he gets his legs moving. In short distances, he can't gather enough momentum to reach those speeds. His top speed is very good.
I find that when Stukel skates from a standstill, he plods through his first few steps. He shuffles his feet very quickly along the ice and gets very little power out of his strides.
Moreover, he is not a particularly agile skater. He loses speed when he turns and takes time to regain speed. His stopping and starting are gradual rather than sudden. He requires better technique to slingshot forward right off the bat and stop sharply. What he is doing right now is winding up and winding down, which isn't good enough at higher levels where abrupt changes to one's movement are needed to keep up with the pace and the constant back-and-forth maneuvering within the game.
If one can not stop and start quickly, they won't be able to get into position quickly enough to contribute positively and will find themselves falling behind the play; the element of surprise offensively, meanwhile, will not exist. At the Young Stars Tournament, Jakob sometimes looked like he was skating in quicksand. He was very lackluster in spite of his straight-line speed; his speed only manifested itself on a few rush chances, but he was otherwise slow and float-y. The junior game is much more sloppy and wide open than professional hockey; the pace is slower. Stukel can keep up. The defensive systems are not structurally sound, so players with good straight-line speed have many opportunities to take advantage of the opposition. Connor McDavid feasted on those opportunities and treated the opposing defenders like pylons; speed decimates the opposition at the junior level. Not even McDavid can drag defenders down or walk around them at the NHL level the way he did with Erie. There is less room; players are in far better position to neutralize the puck carrier.
The NHL is a game of precision, set plays, crisp passes, quick movement, and tight positioning. Players need to be mobile enough to keep up with the pace. A player's straight-line speed will become less effective if they require time and space to wind up and also have trouble stopping and starting at a sufficient level. The opponent won't give him the time he requires. The game will move too fast for him.
He has no burst, and he takes too long to make sharp turns. When he has room to skate, he can create; when he doesn't, he plays a step slower than he should. The last game of his that I watched was the Sportsnet game against the Giants on February 3, 2017. His best shift by far occurred during the 3-on-3 overtime when he had room to carry the puck into the offensive zone and to move around the zone before setting up the OT goal with a skilled pass.
He needs to figure out how to make use of less room; that begins with amending his skating technique. He thinks the game at a fairly good level, but his legs don't always get him to where he wants to be unless he has room to skate.
Perhaps it's because he is trying to play a more complete game this year that he has lost some of his effectiveness. Instead of skating in an efficient manner for offense, he is trying to cover more ground.
http://theprovince.com/sports/hockey/nhl/canuck-draft-pick-stukel-will-try-to-show-improved-all-around-game-friday-at-lec-against-giants
He has 18 goals, 41 points in 56 games so far this season.
During the the Young Stars Tournament in September, I noticed that his lack of explosiveness hampered his ability to be effective in tight spaces. He has impressive straight-line speed, but his stopping and starting aren't great. Acceleration also constitutes one's ability to generate speed quickly, and the ability to cover a respectable distance in one's first few strides is part of that. I found that Stukel struggled with the pace of last year's Young Stars Tournament and only shined when he could take the puck from end to end -- moments that were few and far between.
Stukel, like Jake Virtanen, is more of a train than a missile. He doesn't burst forth quickly so much as he shifts into multiple gears after he gets his legs moving. In short distances, he can't gather enough momentum to reach those speeds. His top speed is very good.
I find that when Stukel skates from a standstill, he plods through his first few steps. He shuffles his feet very quickly along the ice and gets very little power out of his strides.
Moreover, he is not a particularly agile skater. He loses speed when he turns and takes time to regain speed. His stopping and starting are gradual rather than sudden. He requires better technique to slingshot forward right off the bat and stop sharply. What he is doing right now is winding up and winding down, which isn't good enough at higher levels where abrupt changes to one's movement are needed to keep up with the pace and the constant back-and-forth maneuvering within the game.
If one can not stop and start quickly, they won't be able to get into position quickly enough to contribute positively and will find themselves falling behind the play; the element of surprise offensively, meanwhile, will not exist. At the Young Stars Tournament, Jakob sometimes looked like he was skating in quicksand. He was very lackluster in spite of his straight-line speed; his speed only manifested itself on a few rush chances, but he was otherwise slow and float-y. The junior game is much more sloppy and wide open than professional hockey; the pace is slower. Stukel can keep up. The defensive systems are not structurally sound, so players with good straight-line speed have many opportunities to take advantage of the opposition. Connor McDavid feasted on those opportunities and treated the opposing defenders like pylons; speed decimates the opposition at the junior level. Not even McDavid can drag defenders down or walk around them at the NHL level the way he did with Erie. There is less room; players are in far better position to neutralize the puck carrier.
The NHL is a game of precision, set plays, crisp passes, quick movement, and tight positioning. Players need to be mobile enough to keep up with the pace. A player's straight-line speed will become less effective if they require time and space to wind up and also have trouble stopping and starting at a sufficient level. The opponent won't give him the time he requires. The game will move too fast for him.
He has no burst, and he takes too long to make sharp turns. When he has room to skate, he can create; when he doesn't, he plays a step slower than he should. The last game of his that I watched was the Sportsnet game against the Giants on February 3, 2017. His best shift by far occurred during the 3-on-3 overtime when he had room to carry the puck into the offensive zone and to move around the zone before setting up the OT goal with a skilled pass.
He needs to figure out how to make use of less room; that begins with amending his skating technique. He thinks the game at a fairly good level, but his legs don't always get him to where he wants to be unless he has room to skate.
Perhaps it's because he is trying to play a more complete game this year that he has lost some of his effectiveness. Instead of skating in an efficient manner for offense, he is trying to cover more ground.
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