The Dream's Top 30 2011

R S

Registered User
Sep 18, 2006
25,468
10
I haven't seen him play, but the kid sure sounds intriguing. It will be interesting to see where he falls. If he goes top 15 I will be very impressed. I still think he goes somewhere in the 20's.

How does he compare to Derek Forbort?

They are both big, lanky defenders who skate better than their size might indicate. They are also both seen a little bit as "projects".
 

Philly85*

I Ain't Even Mad
Mar 28, 2009
15,845
3
Where did anyone say fourty?

Last stats have him at 170. A comfortable playing weight for him is likely going to end up between 185-190 at 6'0 or 6'1.

That's 15 pounds. He could probably add 10 this summer alone.

I've seen Ryan Nugent-Hopkins play twice live. He impressed me very much. The kid has an insane amount of skill, I don't question his finishing ability at all because his wrist shot is world class, and the thing is his goal totals are lower just because he's a pure, pure playmaking centre. He is the total package offensively and defensively he is no slouch. I don't get the comparisons with Turris, he was a product of the BCHL while Nugent-Hopkins can dominate in the Dub, which is toughest major junior league, period.

His size is a bit of an issue though. Not necessarily his height (although saying he's 6'1 is being generous), but his frame. The kid is a stick. To put 10 pounds on over a summer, I wonder what kind of effect that would have on his game. For a kid with his body type, I bet that would slow him down and change some things potentially. Adding 10 pounds of pure muscle over one summer is asking a lot especially if the player is attempting to add to his upper body almost exclusively, which is what Nugent-Hopkins would be doing. It will hamper his speed, which could in turn change some of the other parts of his game. Sounds like a mountain outta a molehill thing but it's true. The size and frame issues matter and I bet it will take him awhile to adjust to the NHL, potentially 2-3 years. Not 1st overall worthy - just my opinion of course - but he will still be a very good player in the NHL, I think it will just take a bit longer. He'll easily be better than Turris though.
 

HockeyGuy1975

Registered User
May 22, 2009
732
5
Someone mentioned Sahir Gill... no way he gets drafted in the first 3 rounds. He has elite hockey sense at the college level but, in addition to inconsistency issues, I'm not sure he has the skating ability to make the jump from D1 college. There have been times during this season where he has looked like the best BU freshman (Coyle, Nieto, Clendening).

On another note, I've been disappointed in Clendening's play. I thought he has a sure-fire 1st rounder but I don't think he is worth the risk. I could him falling bigtime.
 

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