Prospect Info: Round 4, Pick 109, Connor Bunnaman, F, Kitchener (OHL). (Signed 8/20/21 - 2 yr deal)

[Curufinwe]

Vorobyov could end up staying in Russia. Maybe that's why he's including him in the boom/bust category.

 

[Larry44]

Vorobyov could end up staying in Russia. Maybe that's why he's including him in the boom/bust category.

Based on? Didn't he say after he was drafted that his goal was to play in the NHL as soon as possible? If he plays as 1C in the WJC, he may want to pursue that goal.

 

[Curufinwe]

Based on nothing more than him being a mid-round pick from Russia.

 

[Larry44]

Based on nothing more than him being a mid-round pick from Russia.

Despite his stated goal of playing in the NHL? Despite Pryor saying they looked at him as a potential second rounder, with not much separating him and Ek? Despite the fact he's developing nicely and heading to the WJC as likely 1C on the Russian team? Yeah, let's write him off.

Maybe they should not bother taking anyone after the 2nd round. If they take a flyer on a European player, it's a waste just because. If they take Nort hAmerican players whose size, skill, skating or character they really like, they are shooting too low and settling for bottom 6 player which is also apparently a waste just because. #can'twin

 

[Curufinwe]

Nobody's writing him off, calm down.

 

[Ghosts Beer]

Reading things like adjusted ES scoring rates are very positive for Bunnaman, and seeing his combine results, where he again was very positive for strength, at least give me some hope for this pick at 109. That said, I still can't help but seeing his upside as Vandevelde.

 

[Rebels57]

I was wrong about Vorobyov. Sheesh lol.

 

[Rebels57]

Reading things like adjusted ES scoring rates are very positive for Bunnaman, and seeing his combine results, where he again was very positive for strength, at least give me some hope for this pick at 109. That said, I still can't help but seeing his upside as Vandevelde.

If VandeVelde was faster he would be a very good 4th line player.

Isn't Bunnaman a strong skater by all reports?

 

[deadhead]

According to this he's much bigger than what EP says.

http://www.ontariohockeyleague.com/roster/show/id/26727
https://ohlwriters.me/2016/01/14/connor-bunnaman-player-profile-kitchener-rangers/

Height: 6’3â€

Weight: 211 pounds

EP now lists him at 6'1 207 lbs.

That's a good size 18 year old.

With that size and speed, he just has to be an adequate scorer to be a valuable 3rd line guy, especially in Hakstol's scheme.

 

[FLYguy3911]

If VandeVelde was faster he would be a very good 4th line player.

Isn't Bunnaman a strong skater by all reports?

Hextall implied his skating needs to improve:

"Good skill level. Feet need to come a little bit, which I can probably say about a few of these guys. Excited that we got him where we got him. Another guy that fell a little bit."

 

[Larry44]

OHL Training Camp update

Philadelphia Flyers draft pick Connor Bunnaman also looked sharp at training camp. The winger has seen steady improvement with the Rangers, going from 15 points as a rookie to 38 as a sophomore. The 18-year-old was strong on the puck and picked up a pair of goals in the first intrasquad game.

http://www.therecord.com/sports-story/6836515-ferrari-back-with-rangers-for-a-second-lap/

BUNNAMAN BOSS: Third-year forward Connor Bunnaman is off to an impressive start at training camp. The Philadelphia Flyers draft pick (fourth round, 2016) is noticeably stronger and had four goals and an assist in three intrasquad games. Bunnaman had 16 goals and 22 assists in 68 games for the Rangers last season.

http://www.therecord.com/sports-story/6838607-rangers-sign-sixth-round-pick-peyton/

 

[ValeriKamensky]

2+1 last night vs Sudbury Wolves, including GWG. What a nice prospect

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

He's been playing on the top line LW spot & in front of the net on the top PP unit for Kitchener so far. He also PK's for them.

Kitchener is really small team so if he holds up on his end he should continue to see favorable usage. They don't really have many big bodies on their roster & he's really the only one capable of playing up in the lineup of the few. They're a good team but most of their talent is pretty young so they'll likely be a really good team the next year.

 

[Psuhockey]

He's been playing on the top line LW spot & in front of the net on the top PP unit for Kitchener so far. He also PK's for them.

Kitchener is really small team so if he holds up on his end he should continue to see favorable usage. They don't really have many big bodies on their roster & he's really the only one capable of playing up in the lineup of the few. They're a good team but most of their talent is pretty young so they'll likely be a really good team the next year.

How does he compare to Simmonds junior career?

 

[FLYguy3911]

How does he compare to Simmonds junior career?

Simmonds was a late bloomer. He didn't even play in the OHL until he was 18 (his draft+1 season).

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

How does he compare to Simmonds junior career?

Simmonds was just starting his first year in the OHL at his 18-19 aged years. Simmonds was drafted after being passed up twice in the previous two OHL drafts (he was drafted in the sixth round). Bunnaman was drafted right away as a second rounder & played right away as a 15-16 year old. He's in his third year in the OHL. So their development paths are quite different. There's probably not many out there with Simmonds' development path to be quite honest.

They're different players though. Bunnaman's not like that old school type of power forward like Simmonds. A guy who posted on here not too long ago who follows the OHL compared him to a recent OHL NHL draft pick Nick Paul who's in the Ottawa organization.

 

[Random Forest]

Simmonds was just starting his first year in the OHL at his 18-19 aged years. Simmonds was drafted after being passed up twice in the previous two OHL drafts (he was drafted in the sixth round). Bunnaman was drafted right away as a second rounder & played right away as a 15-16 year old. He's in his third year in the OHL. So their development paths are quite different. There's probably not many out there with Simmonds' development path to be quite honest.

They're different players though. Bunnaman's not like that old school type of power forward like Simmonds. A guy who posted on here not too long ago who follows the OHL compared him to a recent OHL NHL draft pick Nick Paul who's in the Ottawa organization.

Interesting comparison on Nick Paul. Like Paul, Bunnaman's skill set reminds me of the type of player who Team Canada always picks for the fourth line/13th forward role at the WJC. Gritty/toolsy utility player who wears a letter for his junior team and infuriates fans of other teams when they pass up on more skilled players for him. If he has a PPG season this year, it wouldn't surprise me to see him being a candidate for TC next year.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

Interesting comparison on Nick Paul. Like Paul, Bunnaman's skill set reminds me of the type of player who Team Canada always picks for the fourth line/13th forward role at the WJC. Gritty/toolsy utility player who wears a letter for his junior team and infuriates fans of other teams when they pass up on more skilled players for him. If he has a PPG season this year, it wouldn't surprise me to see him being a candidate for TC next year.

Paul wasn't really bad at the WJC's that year IIRC. I believe he played up in the lineup over a first rounder in Ritchie & scored some goals. He got into some NHL games this past year as a first year pro too so I'd hope Bunnaman could follow a similar trajectory.

Another reason the guy made the comparison was because Bunnaman like Paul did just doesn't appear to be done growing. Paul got up to 6'5" 230 lbs. this past year.

 

[Chuck Downie]

12 goals on 37 shots in his last 13 games. This guy is on fire.

 

[FLYguy3911]

I guess Bracco was holding him back.

 

[CanuckistanFlyerfan]

Hat trick giving him 34 on the season so far. (Echo & the) Bunnaman is having a pretty good follow up to his draft season...and his skating has improved quite a bit.

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

I'm going to put this in here so it is easy to find once he reaches the Flyers and starts scoring NHL goals:

 

[Chinatown88]

 

[whitstifier]

So is Bunnaman still 6'1"? Looks bigger

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

So is Bunnaman still 6'1"? Looks bigger

He's listed as 6'3" 214 lbs. but he could be bigger than even that.