Prospect Info: Who is Canucks #6 prospect?

[cc]

I think people are being too hard on Jensen. When you consider where he came from and how he has struggled early on with his injuries and from bouncing to different leagues, he has come a long way. His skill set is obvious and his production at the latter part of last season earned him a call up. He even played himself on the top line finding chemistry with Henrik, and while Henrik was healthy, was producing well. He needs a bit more seasoning and to add strength and size to his skinny, but all the tools are there to be an impact player. It looks to me that he is a finisher that can really benefit playing with a skilled playmaker the way the same way virtanen projects to. Unfortunately, the canucks don't have have anybody outside of Henrik and possible kassian that can set players up well at this time.

 

[cc]

I don't want to deprive you all of the few active threads during the off season, BUT, the easiest/least contreversial thing to do would be just rank them by draft order. To be revised only if the players have notably exceeded expectations. E.g., Corrado, and to lesser extent, thus far, Cassels.

Virtanen 6
Horvat 9
McCann 24
Shinkaruk 24
Vey 96
Gaunce 26
Jensen 29
Corrado 150
Demko 36
Fox FA
Cassels 85
McEneny FA

Vey is already penciled into the top 9, which is more than can be said for anybody else. I also don't think Virtanen is the best prospect but no point in downgrading him until his post draft play dictates that it be done. Seriously, what has Jensen done in 3 years to merit his lofty standing? Played OK at times, but very inconsistent and not notable overall.

Vey is only penciled into the top 9 because he is subject to waivers and he isn't suited at all to play on the 4rth line. He earned his spot on the team the same way dalpe did when he was acquired which isn't really earning it at all. He shouldn't even be listed as a prospect.

As far as Jensen goes, he's done more than vey has done at the nhl level at a younger age. People like to point out that him playing with henrik was responsible for that, but at least it showed that he had the skill level to play with him. Quite a few players still couldn't score while having Henrik as their center and we are talking about nhl vets, not rookies who haven't even played a full year in the AHL

 

[thefeebster]

It is true that Jensens seasons wasn't very good, but the most important part is how he played at the end. He started scoring in AHL and better yet played a handful of really nice NHL games. I'm surprised your so low on him. He isn't like some of the other prospects where we don't know at all how their game translates in the NHL. We have seen him play well and know it is possible.

No way is he out of my top 10. Based on physical traits and that he can play in the NHL he fell exactly where I had him ranked. I'm excited to see how many people he surprise over the next 2 years.

A handful of good games trump the 10 poor ones following? I was at one of the last games of the season and watched him specifically, he was so weak on the puck and gave the puck away quite a few times. So IMO, he didn't really end his season on a largely positive note.

We've seen this happen with him before, albeit at different levels. He seems like he can only play in 3-5 game spurts, then disappears (as if he runs on adrenaline). I feel ppl want to ignore his bad games or his worrying trends.

I feel if he doesn't form some semblance of consistency and learn to play a stronger game away from the puck, he will surprise a lot of ppl in a negative way. Of course, I'd like him to miraculously turn it on, but if he hasn't been able to in any of the last 5 years, I'm not holding my breath that he will within the next 2.

just wondering where u'd rank Hutton at this point, who's he most compared to and potential? Hutton or Corrado?

Neck and Neck. Corrado has proven he is smart enough to play at the NHL level defensively and has all the tools to become a top 4 D man, with a high probability of reaching that in my mind. But he's also never dominated the game at lower levels like Hutton has or had the kind of season Hutton just had. Hutton can control the game offensively in a way that Corrado cannot and by all accounts is above average in his own zone. This coupled with his size and tools makes for a guy who has huge potential.

Comparable? Hmmm... Maybe an Ehrhoff style of player in Edler's body. Loves to rush the puck but can make a good first pass too.

I have him just edging out Corrado; Hutton at #5 and Corrado at #6 on my list, but you could flip a coin.

 

[dave babych returns]

I think as long as Jensen shows flashes now and again most fans will have patience with him. He's kind of a holdover from the time when we had virtually no good prospects to speak of and those flashes (lighting it up in Sweden, a big streak in the AHL last year and a couple of goals in the NHL) were really all fans had to hang their hats on - at his level anyway.

Of course once the first rounders drafted after him start breaking into the league, if he hasn't earned a shot (and he'll only earn that through hard work and consistency) that will probably dry up eventually.

Still I'd guess that four or five years from now even if he busts people will talk about Jensen the way some do about Sergei Shirokov now.

 

[Proto]

Still I'd guess that four or five years from now even if he busts people will talk about Jensen the way some do about Sergei Shirokov now.

Hopefully in that scenario, some of the team's other picks put on a good showing and he's relegated to island of misfit toys with most of the other Canucks picks throughout the years...

 

[ginner classic]

1. Bo Horvat 62.50%
2. Jake Virtanen 62.92%
3. Hunter Shinkaruk 68.97%
4. Nicklas Jensen 32.81%%
5. Brendan Gaunce 25.36%%

Crazy that Gaunce was already selected


Horvat
Virtanen
Shinkaruk
Jensen
McCann
Demko
Corrado
Vey
Gaunce
Hutton
Fox
Cassels

 

[dave babych returns]

Crazy that Gaunce was already selected

I'm literally losing my mind over here.

 

[BobbyJazzLegs]

Gaunce and Fox just dominated the camp. Taking that with a grain of salt, but still.

 

[ginner classic]

Gaunce and Fox just dominated the camp. Taking that with a grain of salt, but still.

Gaunce may only be a year away from the NHL but his limited upside makes him a curious selection over Demko and McCann.

 

[BobbyJazzLegs]

Gaunce may only be a year away from the NHL but his limited upside makes him a curious selection over Demko and McCann.

I'm willing to let them earn their stripes a little more. I'm not really holding this poll up as anything more than an insight into what everyone else thinks though.

 

[Szechwan]

1. Horvat-Virtanen
3. Shinkaruk-Mccann-Vey-Jensen
7. Hutton-Gaunce-Corrado-Demko
11. Fox-Kenins-Tryamkin-Cassels

 

[TheOtherGuy]

We've seen this happen with him before, albeit at different levels. He seems like he can only play in 3-5 game spurts, then disappears (as if he runs on adrenaline). I feel ppl want to ignore his bad games or his worrying trends.

I feel if he doesn't form some semblance of consistency and learn to play a stronger game away from the puck, he will surprise a lot of ppl in a negative way.

See this is what gives me hope about Jensen though.
Fair to say consistency is often the last thing that comes with any young player?
Fair to say Jensen has all of the necessary tools other than consistency?
There are probably hundreds of examples of players who never find that on-switch, but there's got to be a fair amount of players who do. With elite coaching and the type of leadership Niklas will be surrounded with in the Canucks locker room (specifically the Sedins), I hope/think he becomes a more consistent performer this year.

 

[Timmer44]

I'm going to keep voting Hutton so I can look back at this thread in 4 years and say I told you so...

 

[TheOtherGuy]

Gaunce may only be a year away from the NHL but his limited upside makes him a curious selection over Demko and McCann.

I know limited upside's been the book on Gaunce from day one, but in the boom/bust thread I started many people (myself included) identified him as a candidate to overachieve.

Always in the right place. Has addressed his quickness issues somewhat, and will presumably continue to do so. Apparently has a pretty good shot. Not shy about going to the 'dirty areas.'

Having said that, I'd probably put McCann above him and Demko a bit below.

 

[BobbyJazzLegs]

I'm going to keep voting Hutton so I can look back at this thread in 4 years and say I told you so...

I would not mind in the least. His mystery status is really the kicker for me.

 

[ihaveyuidonttouchme]

Neck and Neck. Corrado has proven he is smart enough to play at the NHL level defensively and has all the tools to become a top 4 D man, with a high probability of reaching that in my mind. But he's also never dominated the game at lower levels like Hutton has or had the kind of season Hutton just had. Hutton can control the game offensively in a way that Corrado cannot and by all accounts is above average in his own zone. This coupled with his size and tools makes for a guy who has huge potential.

Comparable? Hmmm... Maybe an Ehrhoff style of player in Edler's body. Loves to rush the puck but can make a good first pass too.

I have him just edging out Corrado; Hutton at #5 and Corrado at #6 on my list, but you could flip a coin.

ah thanks. looks like i wasnt far off with ur assessment. i thought i was going crazy/nuts having him that high than the others...

 

[MS]

I'm leery on ranking Hutton too highly until I see his defensive game against pro forwards.

Did not look impressive in that regard to me - either in terms of his grit or his overall reads - last year during the prospect games, although he obviously looks very impressive moving forward with the puck on his stick.

Would have really liked to see him in the AHL this year. He'll be 21-22 and needs to start learning how to win battles against pros.

 

[Aqualung]

I'm leery on ranking Hutton too highly until I see his defensive game against pro forwards.

Did not look impressive in that regard to me - either in terms of his grit or his overall reads - last year during the prospect games, although he obviously looks very impressive moving forward with the puck on his stick.

Would have really liked to see him in the AHL this year. He'll be 21-22 and needs to start learning how to win battles against pros.

I'm more cautiously optimistic, for many of the same reasons plus Kevin Connauton (who I know is not the same player, but I had the same kind of expectations for him as I started to develop for Hutton).

I think Hutton definitely has more gamebreaking potential, but Corrado seems to be more sure-fire to make the NHL at least as a depth defensemen. Not sure whether Hutton is there quite yet.

 

[TheOtherGuy]

Has anything come out about why he didn't turn pro?
Is he on record talking about the importance of education, or the need to develop some part of his game?
Have the Canucks steered him back to school?
I'd have assumed after the season he just had he'd feel the need to challenge himself at the next level.

Is there any danger he'll Schultz us?

 

[stampedingviking]

I see it as:

Horvat
Virtanen
Shinkaruk
Gaunce
Hutton
McCann
Vey
Demko
Fox
Corrado
Cassels
Jensen

 

[thefeebster]

FYI, Hutton didn't play in the youngstars tournament. The only time we would have been able to see him (outside of NCAA games) was the development camp scrimmage. So I wouldn't make a definitive judgement, especially level of grit, based on a single scrimmage where I can count the number of hits with two fingers.

See this is what gives me hope about Jensen though.
Fair to say consistency is often the last thing that comes with any young player?
Fair to say Jensen has all of the necessary tools other than consistency?
There are probably hundreds of examples of players who never find that on-switch, but there's got to be a fair amount of players who do. With elite coaching and the type of leadership Niklas will be surrounded with in the Canucks locker room (specifically the Sedins), I hope/think he becomes a more consistent performer this year.

I take the opposite view, it does not give me hope, it gives me doubts.

NHL players typically show consistency of some sort at lower levels. It's not the last thing that comes to young players. Yes, I've said in previous going threads that Jensen has all the tools I succeed but something mentally does not click for him.

And you touched on it but there are probably 1000s of players who never have that switch turn on. I don't think a fair amount do make it, especially after continued inconsistency issues spanning several levels of play and several years. Surely the odds are against him. But that's my opinion.

 

[MS]

FYI, Hutton didn't play in the youngstars tournament. The only time we would have been able to see him (outside of NCAA games) was the development camp scrimmage. So I wouldn't make a definitive judgement, especially level of grit, based on a single scrimmage where I can count the number of hits with two fingers.

Ha, I could've sworn I saw him more than once last summer.

In any case my impression was that he was a bit of a chicken with his head cut off in his own zone in that game.

I take the opposite view, it does not give me hope, it gives me doubts.

NHL players typically show consistency of some sort at lower levels. It's not the last thing that comes to young players. Yes, I've said in previous going threads that Jensen has all the tools I succeed but something mentally does not click for him.

And you touched on it but there are probably 1000s of players who never have that switch turn on. I don't think a fair amount do make it, especially after continued inconsistency issues spanning several levels of play and several years. Surely the odds are against him. But that's my opinion.

Agreed.

Consistency might take a while to come at the NHL level once a player reaches it, as the level of competition is so high every night. But those guys that reach the NHL are almost always consistently excellent at lower levels.

Guys who fall of the face of the earth for long stretches at low levels against mediocre competition are unlikely to flick a switch and become consistent performers against better talent.

 

[TheOtherGuy]

But then, if he never flips that consistency switch, can he still not be one of the legions of 'streaky scorers' we've seen over the years?
Not saying he'll be the most useful piece. And truthfully I dislike players of that ilk, but can he not be one of those guys who pots five goals in a week, one the rest of the month, six as the calendar turns to December, two in January...
And still come out as a 20-30 goal guy?

I get what you're saying, and I'm certain the reply will be that he doesn't possess enough of all-round game to be usable when he's in one of his cold stretches.

I am curious. And this is probably totally ignorant and stupid to ask, but how do you define consistency?
Why does he disappear?
Is it his compete level or is he trying hard in a misdirected way?
I try to put myself in his skates, and if I was his age trying to crack an NHL roster I'd be working my a-- off every day to make it happen. I can't imagine a young player in his position NOT working their a-- off to make that leap.
There's just so much at stake.

 

[Jay Cee]

Because McCann has a lot more potential. Corrado has #4 potential. Hutton is even a better prospect. Like I don't see the upside. He'll be solid defensively while chipping in offensively. Nothing special here.

I don't know how you can say this stuff so mater-of-factly like you just know it is true. A few years ago Corrado was mid round draft pick potential. Now he is top4 dman potential. What is next?

 

[MS]

I don't know how you can say this stuff so mater-of-factly like you just know it is true. A few years ago Corrado was mid round draft pick potential. Now he is top4 dman potential. What is next?

There seems to be this weird perception that #1-3 defenders are 'big offense' guys and therefore big-offense/high risk junior players project as top-end defenders. Meanwhile mobile but conservative players project as '#4-5 defensive guys'.

In fact, when you look around the NHL, most #2-3 defenders are those Hamhuis/Paul Martin-type mobile/conservative/intelligent minute chewers.

This is partly why you have a massive portion of this fanbase still labeling Tanev as a #4-5 defender even after a year where he was excelling while playing #2-type minutes.