Prospect Info: The Prospect Thread (Part XXXII)

[MS]

Acceleration remains an issue for Jakob Stukel. His first few strides don't get him very far.

?!?

I don't like Stukel much but his skating is outstanding and by far his best quality.

 

[JA]

?!?

I don't like Stukel much but his skating is outstanding and by far his best quality.

During the the Young Stars Tournament, 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.

 

[Ryan Miller*]

Same observation about Stukel. There are some for whom it is hard to grasp that there are many elements to a player's skating, of varying quality, not some holistic video game rating.

 

[Hodgy]

Same observation about Stukel. There are some for whom it is hard to grasp that there are many elements to a player's skating, of varying quality, not some holistic video game rating.

Poor old Benning doesn't even have that lower standard of observation, unfortunately. Just look at two of his more significant acquisitions: Bonino and Clendenning. Both brought in and traded shortly thereafter as a result of their slow skating. Its strange that an uber-scout like Benning lacks this power of observation.

 

[Tobi Wan Kenobi]

Poor old Benning doesn't even have that lower standard of observation, unfortunately. Just look at two of his more significant acquisitions: Bonino and Clendenning. Both brought in and traded shortly thereafter as a result of their slow skating. Its strange that an uber-scout like Benning lacks this power of observation.

Yeah just like people think Shinkaruk is a great skater when he's not. Fancy edge work and but has literally no power or breakaway speed

 

[Shareefruck]

Same observation about Stukel. There are some for whom it is hard to grasp that there are many elements to a player's skating, of varying quality, not some holistic video game rating.

Errr... this is the exact thing that I've seen MS rag on over and over again on these boards.

 

[Southern_Canuck]

Fri Feb 3

AHL

Utica 3 Hartford 4
Bachman 20 saves on 24 shots

Borna Rendulic (4) ASST: Andrey Pedan (2)
Darren Archibald (13) ASST: Carter Bancks (8), Curtis Valk (18) (PP)
Darren Archibald (14) ASST: Jordan Subban (14), Chad Billins (7)

ECHL

Alaska 0 Colorado 4
Moynihan 0 points, -1
Laplante 0 points, -1
Stewart 0 points, -1
Garteig was the back-up

NCAA

Ohio State 4 Michigan 5
Lockwood 1 assist, -1

Mass-Lowell 6 Northeastern 4
Gaudette 2 goals (16th, 17th), -1

St. Cloud State 3 North Dakota 1
Boeser 0 points, -1

QMJHL

Acadie-Bathurst 6 Cape Breton 4
Abols 1 assist, +1

Moncton 2 Charlottetown 13
Brisebois 3 assists, +6
Neill 0 points, +1

Rimouski 2 Chicoutimi 4
Zhukenov 1 assist, even

OHL

North Bay 0 Mississauga 4
McKenzie 0 points, -1

Barrie 2 Hamilton 3
Candella 0 points, even

Owen Sound 0 London 4
Juolevi 0 points, +1

WHL

Kelowna 3 Prince George 2
Olson 0 points, -1

Calgary 4 Vancouver 3 (OT)
Stukel 1 goal (17th), 1 assist, +1

S_C

 

[MS]

During the the Young Stars Tournament, 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.

I think he gets caught standing still at times because he doesn't have a very strong motor (similar to Virtanen in that regard) and in that way a very fast player can end up playing a 'slow' game. But his acceleration is phenomenal.

I mean, look at the first couple goals in this highlight package. He just leaves guys completely in the dust with his first couple strides after getting the puck.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbAsQ-L6DTE

Errr... this is the exact thing that I've seen MS rag on over and over again on these boards.

Yeah ... I'm a bit amused to be getting criticized for that.

Stukel is an incredibly flawed player but he's probably the most explosive skater in the WHL right now.

 

[VanJack]

I know that us posters are constantly wringing our hands about the lack of an impact centreman in the pipeline...after Horvat that's about it....but really starting to wonder what we have in Gaudette.

Can't teach what he's doing in the NCAA Div. I hockey this year.....a very tough league to put up the kind of numbers he's generating....what do we have in Gaudette?....could he eventually be a 1-2 at the NHL level?

 

[Tobi Wan Kenobi]

I know that us posters are constantly wringing our hands about the lack of an impact centreman in the pipeline...after Horvat that's about it....but really starting to wonder what we have in Gaudette.

Can't teach what he's doing in the NCAA Div. I hockey this year.....a very tough league to put up the kind of numbers he's generating....what do we have in Gaudette?....could he eventually be a 1-2 at the NHL level?

I think we should be viewing him as a 3/4 and if it's anything more we should all be ecstatic. To me he's a good fit for the 3 C. We need to get another. Seems like this draft has a decent amount in the top 10 so hopefully we hit on one

 

[VanJack]

Same observation about Stukel. There are some for whom it is hard to grasp that there are many elements to a player's skating, of varying quality, not some holistic video game rating.

Can't see any problem with Stukel's skating in those highlights...hits the hole with lots of speed....maybe his edge work could improve, but that's something he can work on.

Seems to me though the Canucks have to make decisions on a number of their draft picks....Stukel in the same boat as Brett McKenzie; Abols, Neill and Olson....probably can't offer a contracts to all of them.

 

[Josepho]

Stukel and Abols can **** off. Give Brisebois, Neill and McKenzie a shot. Might as well throw Olson in the ECHL.

 

[RobertKron]

Can't see any problem with Stukel's skating in those highlights...hits the hole with lots of speed....maybe his edge work could improve, but that's something he can work on.

Seems to me though the Canucks have to make decisions on a number of their draft picks....Stukel in the same boat as Brett McKenzie; Abols, Neill and Olson....probably can't offer a contracts to all of them.

Stukel, McKenzie, and Abols don't need to be signed yet.

 

[Get North]

Stukel should go back for his OA year. The Hitmen traded away some of their forwards in Stallard and Twarynski. That should give more ice-time and responsibility for Stukel and he'll still get to play with talented players like Nielsen, Malenstyn, Grishakov and should be relied on for most of the scoring with Gennaro hopefully gone to pro.

 

[Southern_Canuck]

Sat Feb 4

ECHL

Alaska 1 Colorado 2 (SO)
Moynihan 0 points, -1 (did not score on his shootout attempt)
Laplante 0 points, even
Stewart 1 assist, +1
Garteig 29 saves on 30 shots (3 saves on 4 shots in shootout)

NCAA

Ohio State 6 Michigan 5
Lockwood 0 points, +1

St. Cloud State 1 North Dakota 2 (OT)
Boeser 1 assist, +1

OHL

Niagara 4 Hamilton 3
Candella 0 points, -3

London 1 Saginaw 4
Juolevi 0 points, even

WHL

Kelowna 5 Prince George 1
Olson 0 points, -1

Calgary 1 Victoria 4
Stukel 0 points, -2

S_C

 

[JA]

I think he gets caught standing still at times because he doesn't have a very strong motor (similar to Virtanen in that regard) and in that way a very fast player can end up playing a 'slow' game. But his acceleration is phenomenal.

I mean, look at the first couple goals in this highlight package. He just leaves guys completely in the dust with his first couple strides after getting the puck.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbAsQ-L6DTE




Yeah ... I'm a bit amused to be getting criticized for that.

Stukel is an incredibly flawed player but he's probably the most explosive skater in the WHL right now.

I disagree with the bolded statement. 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 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.

One example of a more explosive skater in the WHL right now is Austin Wagner of the Regina Pats. He was the 99th overall selection of the 2015 NHL Draft. The Regina Pats are one of the faster teams in the WHL, and he is one of their quickest skaters.

Here is one example at 3:44:



Here is another Wagner rush at 2:53:



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 an 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.

Fortunately, it can be fixed. It just needs to be addressed rather than ignored.

 

[NuxFan09]

Sat Feb 4

ECHL

Alaska 1 Colorado 2 (SO)
Moynihan 0 points, -1 (did not score on his shootout attempt)
Laplante 0 points, even
Stewart 1 assist, +1
Garteig 29 saves on 30 shots (3 saves on 4 shots in shootout)

NCAA

Ohio State 6 Michigan 5
Lockwood 0 points, +1

St. Cloud State 1 North Dakota 2 (OT)
Boeser 1 assist, +1

OHL

Niagara 4 Hamilton 3
Candella 0 points, -3

London 1 Saginaw 4
Juolevi 0 points, even

WHL

Kelowna 5 Prince George 1
Olson 0 points, -1

Calgary 1 Victoria 4
Stukel 0 points, -2

S_C

Lacklustre day for prospects yesterday.

 

[Southern_Canuck]

Sun Feb 5

QMJHL

Acadie-Bathurst 2 Charlottetown 6
Brisebois 1 assist, even
Neill 1 assist, -1
Abols 1 goal (13th), even

OHL

Sault Ste. Marie 7 North Bay 4
McKenzie 1 goal (24th), 1 assist, +1

Hamilton 2 Oshawa 4
Candella 0 points, -1

S_C

 

[Red]

NCAA/Juniors

Player|Pos|Pick|Born|League|Team|GP|G|A|Pts|+/-|Pts/GP
Abols, Rodrigo|C|07/184|'96|W/Q|Portland/Acadie|37|13|24|37|7|1.00
Boeser, Brock|RW|01/23|'97|NCAA|North Dakota|23|11|12|23|5|1.00
Brisebois, Guillaume|D|03/66|'97|QMJHL|Charlottetown|44|6|24|30|20|0.68
Candella, Cole|D|05/140|'98|OHL|Hamilton|48|2|11|13|-6|0.27
Gaudette, Adam|C|05/149|'96|NCAA|Northeastern|26|17|24|41|5|1.58
Juolevi, Olli|D|01/05|'98|OHL|London|40|8|25|33|22|0.83
Lockwood, William|RW|03/64|'98|NCAA|Michigan|22|7|7|14|-5|0.64
McKenzie, Brett|C|07/194|'97|OHL|North Bay|49|24|30|54|-8|1.10
Olson, Tate|D|07/210|'97|WHL|Prince George|50|6|14|20|2|0.40
Neill, Carl|D|05/144|'96|QMJHL|SHE/Charlottetown|50|12|42|54|7|1.08
Stukel, Jakob|LW|06/154|'97|WHL|Calgary|50|17|23|40|-7|0.80
Zhukenov, Dmitrey|C|04/114|'97|QMJHL|Chicoutimi|47|15|32|47|-17|1.00

AHL

Player|Pos|Pick|Born|League|Team|GP|G|A|Pts|+/-|Pts/GP
Carcone, Michael|RW|--|'96|AHL|Utica|35|1|5|6|-4|0.17
Cassels, Cole|C|03/85 |'95|AHL|Utica|37|5|2|7|2|0.19
Chaput, Michael*|C|03/89|'92|AHL|Utica|10|2|11|13|-1|1.30
LaBate, Joe|C|04/101 |'93|AHL|Utica|19|2|6|8|-7|0.42
Laplante, Yan-Pavel*|LW|--|'95|AHL|Utica|13|0|1|1|-8|0.08
McEneny, Evan|D|--|'94|AHL|Utica|34|5|4|9|-3|0.26
Nilsson, Tom|D|04/100|'93|AHL|Utica|10|0|1|1|0|0.10
Pedan, Andrey|D|03/63|'93|AHL|Utica|26|2|2|4|-1|0.15
Rendulic, Borna|RW|--|'92|AHL|Utica|41|4|3|7|2|0.17
Sautner, Ashton|D|-- |'94|AHL|Utica|22|0|2|2|-3|0.09
Subban, Jordan|D|04/115|'95|AHL|Utica|37|10|14|24|-7|0.65
Virtanen, Jake|RW|01/06|'96|AHL|Utica|33|5|4|9|-7|0.27
Zalewski, Mike|LW|--|'92|AHL|Utica|25|1|7|8|7|0.32

ECHL

Player|Pos|Pick|Born|League|Team|GP|G|A|Pts|+/-|Pts/GP
Stewart, Mackenze|D|07/186|'95|ECHL|Alaska|44|2|4|6|4|0.14
Laplante, Yan-Pavel|LW|--|'95|ECHL|Alaska|10|1|1|2|0|0.20

Europe

Player|Pos|Pick|Born|League|Team|GP|G|A|Pts|+/-|Pts/GP
Cederholm, Anton*|D|05/145|'95|SHL|Rogle|8|0|0|0|-1|0.00
Cederholm, Anton|D|05/145|'95|Swe1|AIK|28|1|5|6|-3|0.21
Jasek, Lukas*|RW|06/174|'97|Czech|Trinec HC|11|0|0|0|-2|0.00
Jasek, Lukas|RW|06/174|'97|Czech2|HC Frydek|28|8|18|26|9|0.93

Goalies

Player|Pos|Pick|Born|League|Team|GP|W|L|T|SO|Save %|GAA
Demko, Thatcher|G|02/36|'95|AHL|Utica|22|9|8|4|0|0.901|2.83
Garteig, Michael|G|--|'91|ECHL|Alaska|15|9|5|0|1|0.906|3.14

Who's Hot:
Adam Gaudette 3GP 4G 3A 7PTS (top 10 in NCAA)
Brett McKenzie 5GP 7PTS (top 20 in OHL)
Dmitry Zhukenov 5GP 7PTS
Guillaume Brisebois 6GP 6PTS
Jakob Stukel 6GP 7PTS

2015/2016 Prospect Stats

 

[ihaveyuidonttouchme]

Gaudette has got some company
Gaudette and Lockwood on a same line.....o boy the speed!

 

[Scumbag Frank]

Gaudette has got some company
Gaudette and Lockwood on a same line.....o boy the speed!

Can we replace Shorthouse with that PBP guy? "With the SPEEEEEED" lol

 

[David Bruce Banner]

Gaudette has got some company
Gaudette and Lockwood on a same line.....o boy the speed!

Was that Lockwood getting his clock cleaned right at the end of that clip?

 

[ihaveyuidonttouchme]

Was that Lockwood getting his clock cleaned right at the end of that clip?

yup
friendly fire
came back for few shifts later (who skated around fine) then shut down for the 3rd

 

[jigsaw99]

damn that was a huge hit! glad he's okay. lol wtf was his teammate thinking?

 

[Southern_Canuck]

Red - thanks for the stats - noticed something in the AHL stats:

McEneny (22) GP 34 G 5 A 4 P 9 PIM 14 Shots 68 -3
Virtanen (19) GP 33 G 5 A 4 P 9 PIM 24 Shots 75 -7

The stats of our undrafted defenceman, who clawed his way up from an overage year in CHL and a season in the ECHL, looking pretty similar to the 6th overall choice in 2014...

S_C