Oshie in this years draft

[Ted Hoffman]

But surely you realise that it's miselading to compare a player drafted last year to players who are actually in this year's draft? And I'm also you sure you realise that success in the NCAA will not be duplicated exactly in the NHL

Do you really think Oshie is a better pro prospect than Toews and Kessel, or Staal and Backstrom for that matter?

People back in 1997 swore that Daniel Cleary was a lock to be a shutdown 3rd-line center and would be a premier checking line center who could chip in points.



Tony Hrkac was hailed as an outstanding player coming out of North Dakota with a fantastic skill set and who would be a *very* good scorer in the NHL.



It's one thing to be a fantastic prospect. It's quite another to be a fantastic NHL'er. Do we know right now that any of these kids are going to be sure-fire NHL'ers who have a shot at putting up 70 points, 80 points, 100 points, or whatever? Of course not. But when you see a kid who was as lightly regarded as Oshie was go up a level or more in competition and still put up points at a pretty good pace, it's really hard to just dismiss it as a fluke.

Do I think Oshie can be a top line forward in the NHL? No ... but he could be a *very* good 2nd line forward - a spot that I think makes him more dangerous if he's got a little talent in front of him on the top line. He's got skill, he's got a great work ethic, and he's got guts. In other words, he's got the things you want in a player on your team and the things that makes him and the team successful.

Would I put him in the top 5? I don't know - probably not, but he absolutely deserves consideration between about 8 and 14 in this year's draft ... if a team took him as high as 5, I don't think it would be that big of a reach considering what he brings and what he's done this year.

 

[jake1]

A couple of things:

As for being a weaker Parise, I can see the comparison made because they both never give up on a play. Otherwise, they look quite a lot different on the ice and play a different game. Maybe you could say Oshie is a sloppier Parise. Parise is very precise: go to the right spot, move the puck to the right spot. Oshie is all over the place; he makes these grand end-to-end rushes, leaving defenders and teammates alike in his wake.

Oshie plays much bigger than his size, and it's this presence that I think shot him up the draft. There are plenty of average-sized slick offensive players, but the added physical play really sets him apart. Many times he was lined up by an opponent only to be the one delivering the hit. He delivers hits while carrying the puck the way Walter Payton used to while carrying the ball (hyperbole, but if you saw both players then you know what I mean).

Lastly, I saw it in print somewhere (pretty much a worthless statement without a link, I know), and I also heard privately, that the buzz among scouts at the Frozen Four was that Oshie was the best pro prospect there. Granted, that would only have included Maine, BC and Wisconsin, but it would also have included his five first-round teammates.

 

[Plager05]

#1 - Drew Stafford: 41 GP - 24 G - 23 A - 47 P
#2 - T.J. Oshie: 43 GP - 24 G - 21 A - 45 P
#3 - Travis Zajac: 44 GP - 17 G - 27 A - 44 P
#4 - Jonathon Toews: 41 GP - 21 G - 17 A - 38 P

If by being "out scored," you actually mean out-assisted, then you have a point. Oshie outscored Zajac in less games played. That isn't even to mention that Oshie is 1.5 - 2 years younger than both Stafford and Zajac, both of whom are considered near-elite prospects.

um here is where i got my stats from college hockey stats

are they wrong? I meant he was outpointed too, i forget too differentiate in hockey sometimes.

 

[Senor Rational]

Oshie will be a warrior

As long as he doesnt hit a sohpmore slump he'll be just fine.

He has the potential as a top 6 forward, Ill take his guts over most players' skills any day of the week

 

[MN_Gopher]

I read a lot of things and see a lot of Oshie. State tourney, gopher games and final five. I do not see him as being a top line guy in the NHL. His speed is good, but he is noit the fastest guy out there. His shot is good but no the best or close. His play making ability is good. But looks like he over thinks a bit and gets lost in the moment. Its near impoosible to teach play making at full throttle. But thats, if he wants to be a top guy what he needs to be able to do. Almost looks like Stephane Veilieux from the wild. Both great shpae, hard working hard nosed, just insert positive adjectives. But with little results. Oshie sure thing NHL. But anywhere from scratch to 2 liner.

 

[faucette78]

#1 - Drew Stafford: 41 GP - 24 G - 23 A - 47 P
#2 - T.J. Oshie: 43 GP - 24 G - 21 A - 45 P
#3 - Travis Zajac: 44 GP - 17 G - 27 A - 44 P
#4 - Jonathon Toews: 41 GP - 21 G - 17 A - 38 P

If by being "out scored," you actually mean out-assisted, then you have a point. Oshie outscored Zajac in less games played. That isn't even to mention that Oshie is 1.5 - 2 years younger than both Stafford and Zajac, both of whom are considered near-elite prospects.

Just to be clear, Oshie is really only one year younger then Zajac and Stafford. And Toews is two years younger then Oshie and 3 years younger then the other two.

 

[jake1]

Just to be clearer:

Zajac - 5/13/85, then about 5 months later:
Stafford - 10/30/85, then about 14 months later:
Oshie - 12/23/86, then about 16 months later:
Toews - 4/28/88

 

[Rush11]

He would go somewhere in the 5-12 range. This is a weaker draft this year. From what I've read, there aren't many can't miss prospects outside of the top 8-10.

One thing that I find peculiar is the nitpicking about whether a player is 1st line vs 2nd line. What is the actual difference between the 1st and 2nd line? They're both considered scoring lines. On most teams, they will play similar even strength minutes. We should be using 'top 6 forward' instead. Oshie definitely has the potential to be a top 6 forward. I'm sure there are teams that passed him up last year that wished they would have picked him instead. Nice job Jarmo!