Prospect Info: Max Willman (2014, 121st) – '18-19: Boston Univ. #16 (NCAA)

[Woodhouse]

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2014 Prospect​

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Max Willman​

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Williston​

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5'11"​

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[NHL]627080[/NHL]​

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[Woodhouse]

Brown commit: http://overtheboards.net/williston-pg-max-willman-commits-to-brown/

SBN College Hockey: http://www.sbncollegehockey.com/201...ton-brown-recruit-brendan-whittet-ecac-hockey

 

[krt88]

OK, I don't anything about this kid.

I am assuming he's heading to a college program. Any idea where?

OK, he's going to Brown. Good school plus ECAC, good competitive conference.

 

[KennyFnPowers*]

He could be amazing... Also seems to like playing D » Watch this drool-inducing highlight reel:

 

[Woodhouse]

Scouting report: Although he has average size, Willman is dedicating himself in the weight room to build enough requisite strength to handle the next level. A fine skater with quick burst, good balance and crisp edgework, he is also shifty and elusive. He handles the puck extremely well and attacks defenders with speed and a bevy of moves to create space and lanes for taking the puck to the net. Good, hard shot that he snaps off quickly and can pick the corners with. Good vision and underrated passer with silky soft hands. Pushes the offensive tempo of the game, putting defenders at a disadvantage with his aggressive, attacking style.

http://hockeyjournal.com/blog/kirks/Prospects_Pulse_Max_Willman_Cape_crusader

 

[KennyFnPowers*]

Toffoli keeps popping into my head when trying to think of a comparison.

 

[TheMistyStranger]

http://hockeyjournal.com/blog/kirks/Prospects_Pulse_Max_Willman_Cape_crusader

That sounds really, really good.

 

[Paxon]

I like this. Left field, possible gem, possible nothing. These are the kinds of picks we need to take in this draft, and we especially need the extra years from a likely 4 year college kid.

 

[billsandsabres]

my dad went to williston, im amazed they produced a draftee, very cool. i can provide some video on this kid when brown visits rpi on 2/13/15.

 

[Fly Boy]

Sounds like a good, smart kid.

 

[26CornerBlitz]

Black Book

Max is a re-entry player for the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. He is a very flashy skilled player. He has excellent speed and one on one moves. He can beat defenders and goaltenders at will. He handles the puck very well and is capable of creating plays for both his linemates and himself. He loves using his speed to push the pace of the game and make plays as many players at his level struggle to keep up with him. When he isn’t distributing the puck among his linemates, he displays a hard accurate shot.

The biggest concern for him moving forward would be improvements to his defensive game. He doesn’t really take care of his own end and will need to improve his two-way contributions. Max is slated to join Brown University in September 2014.

[NHL]627080[/NHL]
Max Willman met with reporters in Philadelphia after being drafted by Buffalo.

 

[Chainshot]

Sounds like Devine's usual re-draftee. Interesting skillset.

 

[joshjull]

@BillHoppeNHL: Tim Murray calls Maxwell Willman a kid you'd "want to marry your daughter."

 

[Jacob582]

Cool that he attended the draft (and was drafted).

I like the name.

 

[Woodhouse]

Here's an ESPN Boston blog post on Willman's selection and quotes from his coach:

Williston-Northampton head coach Derek Cunha presented Willman with the opportunity to play a post-grad year at his school and entry into some prestigious summer showcase events, including the Beantown Classic.

“One thing he did was he made the most of every opportunity along the way,” Cunha said. “Starting with summer showcases last summer, midget hockey in the fall and then with us during the prep season, he got better and better.”

"He can beat defensemen one-on-one, shoot and score from the perimeter or bowl his way towards the net," said Cunha. "He really dictates the play. He forces the play and makes defensemen worried about him."

 

[Woodhouse]

Here's the blurb on Willman from CSNNE:

LW Max Willman from Williston-Northampton High School (116th): “He’s a 6-footer, crafty with a good stick and good hands. He’s a good player. The question with him is what he’s going to be if he can’t put up big offense at the next level. He’s not really barking. He’s not really man.”

 

[DazedandConfused]

That video looks like they're just playing pickup and he's that one kid who doesn't belong?

 

[Woodhouse]

Max Willman is a bit of a late bloomer, but he's certainly toolsy. Willman can skate, and has above-average puck possession tools. The Brown commit is a bit of a project, but he's an intriguing upside pick.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/11149133/2014-nhl-draft-grades

 

[Woodhouse]

From his Brown bio:

Before Brown: Played a postgraduate year at Williston Northampton, where he led the team in scoring with 44 points and 21 goals in 25 contests … named team MVP following the season … Prior to Williston Northampton, Willman paced Barnstable High School in scoring as a junior and senior … named MVP of the MSCHA Shriners All-Star game.

Personal: Born on February 13, 1995 … son of Peyton and Timothy Willman … has one sister, Chase … named Honor Roll All-Scholastic at Barnstable High School … hobbies fishing and road hockey.

Also, more coach quotes from Williston's blog:

Varsity hockey coach Derek Cunha agreed that Brown was the perfect choice for a stand-out player.

“As a postgrad he came in and was named captain,†Mr. Cunha said. “That speaks to his leadership skills, but also well he connects to our team. He’s a tremendous leader.â€

“He just had two highlight reel goals where he got through the defensemen, faked the goalie, put it top corner, and just finished,†Mr. Cunha said. “As a hockey player, he’s a finisher, and in that game he really did a ood job of that.â€

 

[Paxon]

That video looks like they're just playing pickup and he's that one kid who doesn't belong?

High school hockey in a nutshell. Some leagues are better than others but the difference between the average players and the few elite (meaning draftable) prospects is always ginormous. Scouts always talk about how hard it is to project what they see these kids doing. If you can find some scouts who really excel at figuring out high school scouting, then those guys are very valuable.

Reiterating here that I love this pick. These are the kinds of picks that you find your late-round gems through. The chances he becomes that gem are very small, but you take this approach and you'll hit on someone eventually.

 

[Revelate]

High school hockey in a nutshell. Some leagues are better than others but the difference between the average players and the few elite (meaning draftable) prospects is always ginormous. Scouts always talk about how hard it is to project what they see these kids doing. If you can find some scouts who really excel at figuring out high school scouting, then those guys are very valuable.

Reiterating here that I love this pick. These are the kinds of picks that you find your late-round gems through. The chances he becomes that gem are very small, but you take this approach and you'll hit on someone eventually.

Do you know of some current NHL examples of this strategy hitting?

 

[Paxon]

Do you know of some current NHL examples of this strategy hitting?

Anders Lee comes to mind as a late round pick out of high school. It's not exactly the same because Willman was draft eligible last year.

 

[Revelate]

Anders Lee comes to mind as a late round pick out of high school. It's not exactly the same because Willman was draft eligible last year.

Yeah, the logic certainly makes sense but I'm struggling to find examples of it working.

 

[jfb392]

Anders Lee comes to mind as a late round pick out of high school. It's not exactly the same because Willman was draft eligible last year.

Even then, he was only a late round pick because he was getting D1 offers for baseball and football in addition to hockey and no one knew what sport he was going to end up playing.

Two of the better examples that I can think of right now are guys that have been on the trade block lately: Nick Bonino (traded, of course) and Keith Yandle, who were 6th and 4th round picks respectively.

Many of the older players in the league that played in high school were not drafted out of there because of the old rules regarding NCAA players, so that makes it harder to find examples.

 

[Woodhouse]

Here's a summer article on Willman from the Providence Journal:

Brown University sophomore winger Max Willman is paying the price to improve his game this summer.

On Wednesday, that meant leaving home in Barnstable, Mass., at 5:45 a.m. for the drive to Providence. On the ice at Schneider Arena by 8 a.m., Willman and other college, pro and junior players were put through their paces by Ocean State Hockey’s Toby O’Brien and Mike Macchioni, doing resistance exercises using both large elastic bands and parachutes.

O’Brien, who lives in Newport and is a scout for the Sabres, agreed. “Max had a very good camp. He showed a lot of the creativity he had always been known for. Playing with highly skilled guys, he was able to play that way,’’ he said.

“He has a lot of work to do, still. He needs to get stronger in the upper body, but his skill showed real well up there,’’ said O’Brien.

In other words, your standard prospect summer working to add strength.