Carl Neill | D

[canuckledraggin]

Another great addition to the Comets. I hope they throw all of those young studs together.

[stonecoldstevebernier]

Not a given that he'll be on the Comets next season, he hasn't been signed to a contract yet. He could still go back for an overage year, I don't believe the Canucks need to sign him until June 1st of next season since he was a 2015 pick (although he is old enough to play in the AHL now if they want him to). I hope he gets signed eventually though, our defense pool is pretty thin and offensive potential within it is even thinner.

[Quantum]

I assume they'll sign him around training camp time. If he shows he's ready to be in the AHL, they'll give him the deal. If not, they'll keep him unsigned and send him back for his overage year in the Q. I'm personally hoping he gets a shot at the AHL but he's likely in competition with players like Anton Cederholm and Evan McEney for one of the last pairing spots on the Utica blueline and both of those guys have a year of pro ECHL experience on him.

[canuckpuckluck1]

you get the feeling that Benning is starting to get all his ducks in a row, and he is able to let each of these prospects play out their time without being rushed. it is exactly the reason why Detroit seems like the best system in the league, 

They bring up the prospects when they are ready and not before

[SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME]

Good write-up on Canucks Army as part of their annual prospects profiles (Neill ranked #16): http://canucksarmy.com/2016/8/11/canucks-army-prospect-profiles-16-carl-neill

 

EDIT: I'll try posting the article for those with aversions to giving CA page views (sorry about the font size issues as currently pasted--can't seem to correct them from my phone):

 

Quote

 

When it comes to junior hockey, I don't believe in late bloomers. By and large, players are either good or bad, and it's the circumstances around them that change. For Carl Neill, unpacking the nature of those circumstances will say a lot about who he is as a player.

Since his breakout season in 2014-15, Neill has scored at a pace of 0.7 points per game -- no small feat for a defender. The caveat is that he's done so at an advanced age relative to his peers, while playing alongside Jeremy Roy, one of the Q's best defencemen. There are a number of reasons for optimism, however, which is why Neill's ranked 16 on our consensus ranking.



Drafting overage defencemen from the QMJHL hasn't traditionally been a wise investment for most NHL teams, but there's reason to believe Neill could be an exception. His first season of draft eligibility was a disappointing one, but also one that requires context. By his own admission, Neill was out of shape during his first two seasons with the Phoenix, and in anticipation of the 2014-15 season, he began to make regular visits with a nutritionist and personal trainer. 

 

“It was all a real wake-up call. The team wasn’t shy about letting me know after last season ended. I knew what I had to do and I took my offseason training more seriously than ever. I really slashed my body fat and that translated into me being faster and more mobile on the ice. It’s made all the difference in the world.” 

The Calgary Flames saw enough in Neill to offer him an invite to their development camp. While attending that camp, Neill was diagnosed with a rare heart defect called Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrom by the Flames' medical staff. Instead of being afforded the chance to earn a contract, he was sent home, where he quickly underwent surgery to correct an irregular heartbeat.

Neill's production has seen a significant uptick since his health issues were diagnosed and remedied, something I'd suggest isn't a coincidence. The QMJHL is, at least in relative terms, a highly competitive league, and holding one's own in major junior is already difficult enough. That Neill was able to do so while suffering from cardiovascular issues is impressive, to say the least. With that in mind, there's reason to believe the version of Carl Neill we've seen of late is a better approximation of his talent than the version that went undrafted in his first two years of eligibility. 

 

At first glance, it's easy to be concerned about just how much Neill's production came as a result of playing alongside a truly elite prospect in Jeremy Roy. While Roy certainly brings with him a level of name recognition that Neill simply does not possess, there's reason to believe that both players benefited equally from being paired with each other. When the Neill and Roy pair was separated at the end of 2015, Neill's production did not take a hit, although the Phoenix struggled in general while they was separated. 

Neill also possesses an enviable offensive toolkit. A self-described puck-moving defenseman, Neill has fantastic vision, and the ability to make a great first pass. He's often tasked with leading the breakout for Sherbrooke and isn't afraid to join the rush should the situation call for it. Neill was a fixture on both special teams for the Phoenix, showing an adeptness at in-zone play on the penalty kill, and possessing the type of booming slap shot that can make him a powerful weapon on the man advantage. While mobility was initially a concern in Neill's game, he's come a long way in mitigating those worries over the past season.

In a fantastic piece on his personal blog, former Canucks Army Managing Editor Rhys Jessop had this to say about the relationship between scoring by defencemen at the junior level and success in the NHL

To be a regular NHL defenceman, you probably had to be an outstanding player in the CHL at both ends of the ice. 

On the whole, this has proven to be accurate. The vast majority of NHL regulars who failed to produce at a significant clip in their first season of draft eligibility in the CHL did become offensive contributors for their junior clubs later on down the road, which is something that bodes well for Neill's prospects of success at the NHL level.

In spite of the fact that his offensive abilities have put his name on the map over the past season or so, Carl Neill likely projects as a two-way or defensive defenceman at the NHL level, as counter-intuitive as that may sound. Most offensive D just find their offensive gear at an earlier stage than Neill has. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. With the heightened emphasis NHL teams have begun to place on puck possession, the role of the "defensive defenceman" is changing. In today's NHL, being a successful defenceman has less to do with the traditional attributes we associate with defending, whether it be physicality, shot-blocking, or otherwise, and more to do with the ability to get the puck moving into the attacking zone. Luckily for Neill, this is an attribute he possesses in spades, so much so that he may one day find himself able to carve out a role as what Jim Benning has called a "transitional defensive defenceman". 

Neill has really done everything that could reasonably be expected to push his way up our rankings, but it's important to remember that in spite of the offensive explosion, the odds are still stacked against him. When viewed through the lens of pGPS, only 8.5% of statistically similar players have gone on to play over 200 NHL games. Out of over 70 matches, only six have gone on to make any sort of real name for themselves. That said, the matches that did achieve success are an impressive lot. The list of matches for Carl Neill is one that features names like Jason Demers, Zbynek Michalek, and Johnny Oduya, so if Neill can realize the potential he's flashed in his most recent season, there's reason to believe he has legitimate top-four upside. 

It's likely Neill will return to Sherbrooke for his overage season. Utica's left side on defence is packed as it is, and Neill is still raw enough in terms of talent that he could benefit from an additional year in the CHL. From Sherbrooke's perspective, I'm sure he'll be welcomed back with open arms. In many ways, Neill is the Phoenix. He's not only served as their captain, but he's also the franchise's all-time leader in total games played. 

Either way, Neill has put himself on the map over the past season, so much so that I think pGPS may undersell him just a little. The idea behind draft analytics is to determine a suitable range in which a player should be selected. Traditional scouting is still alive and well. If a player has a success probability of 8.5%, then it should be a scouting staff's job to determine whether or not that player is one of that 8.5%. Thus far, Carl Neill has passed the eye test with flying colours, so that's a bet I'd be willing to make.

 

 

 

[Fred65]

Was this article written  by his father  he seems to have a lot going for him. I see in the video train like a Canuck it featured Neill so he's in town working out

[SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME]

37 minutes ago, Fred65 said:

Was this article written  by his father  he seems to have a lot going for him. I see in the video train like a Canuck it featured Neill so he's in town working out

 

 

 Pretty sure there's no relation.

 

But it was a weirdly positive article from Canucks Army compared to their usual stuff, although Neill has been something of a "darling" with them. Nonetheless I don't find any of the content factually inaccurate or really all that "homeristic" (if that's even a word--pretty sure it's not).

 

Neill is a good prospect and continues to look like a strong pick (especially relative to draft position).

 

I don't know much about the CA staff anymore so I'm pretty unfamiliar with this writer's (Jackson McDonald) typical work.

 

Although I did smile at this rather cheeky line from his bio:

 

Quote

I take a great amount of pride in having neither played nor watched a game of hockey in my entire life.

 

But it's a pretty detailed piece on Neill that serves to catch people up on his development (so figured it was worth the share ).

 

EDIT: Neill is also something of a hockey geek favourite since one of the stats sites had an error (that wasn't corrected for some time) that listed his team as the "Carl Neill" instead of Sherbrooke Phoenix. This led to lots of in-jokes in blog posts about Neill being so good that they named the team (and the town) after him. He's been a favourite for many ever since. 

 

But he's also a very good player.

[WhoseTruckWasIt]

  Quote

I take a great amount of pride in having neither played nor watched a game of hockey in my entire life.

 

 

Just what I expect from CanucksHateArmy.  What a worthless piece of *%%*.  How did we get to the point where sports writers are proud of their unfamiliarity with a sport?  I'm guessing that he leans heavily on the phrase, "I just don't understand....".

[elvis15]

It's a joke - you know sarcasm about how everyone thinks a blogger lives in their mom's basement? People think fancy stats guys have never played the game and completely ignore any 'eye test' options so he cracked a funny.

[WhoseTruckWasIt]

5 hours ago, elvis15 said:

It's a joke - you know sarcasm about how everyone thinks a blogger lives in their mom's basement? People think fancy stats guys have never played the game and completely ignore any 'eye test' options so he cracked a funny.

I guess I'm a bit on-edge when it comes to that site.  Honestly, that is pretty subtle sarcasm considering that subjective evaluation is supposed to be from the stone age.

 

I appreciate the correction.

[tas]

24 minutes ago, WhoseTruckWasIt said:

I guess I'm a bit on-edge when it comes to that site.  Honestly, that is pretty subtle sarcasm considering that subjective evaluation is supposed to be from the stone age.

 

I appreciate the correction.

its hard for me to fathom anything less subtle. 

[WhoseTruckWasIt]

1 minute ago, tas said:

its hard for me to fathom anything less subtle. 

Well, I guess he understands my bias.  Hook, line, sinker, and outrage.  Probably just why he wrote it.

[bleedblue2017]

Neill will end up being a sixth or seventh D-man in about three years, he is reliable and can move the puck well. I see him being kind of like Hutton but slower which is why I would put him at six or seven, but he is still young and has time to improve. If he gets faster he will get a roster spot.

[HK Phooey]

Is it just me, or does Carl Neill look like a young unpolished Sami Salo in his highlight video?  Kid looks good.

[stonecoldstevebernier]

Neill got his first goal of the season in his first game back with Sherbrooke today:

 

 

[Gaudette Celly]

Deked that kid's stick right out of his hands.

[saucypass]

Is there no space for him in the AHL? Isn't he too told for the Q? Doesn't seem like there's much to prove left in the Q. 

[stonecoldstevebernier]

On 2016-10-01 at 2:21 PM, suitup said:

Is there no space for him in the AHL? Isn't he too told for the Q? Doesn't seem like there's much to prove left in the Q. 

No space, unless they felt it would be worth it for him to play in Alaska. And the Canucks still hold his rights until June so they can hold off signing him until then. This is his overage year though, yes.

Two assists for Neill tonight brings him up to 1-4-5 in six games so far.

[SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME]

From Canucks Army: 

http://canucksarmy.com/2016/10/12/updates-on-carl-neill-on-the-move-contract-forthcoming

 

Quote

 

The CHL season is a go, and the contenders are already separating themselves from the pretenders. And as with any league, these discrepancies usually result in player movement. In that light, Carl Neill's status is especially interesting given his current team's (Sherbrooke Phoenix -- AKA Carl Neills) situation

Drafted in the 5th round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, Neill has shown fairly well for the Sherbrooke Phoenix since the Canucks selected him. But the Phoenix are already looking to rebuild, which is fairly common in the CHL since you only have your players for 3-4 years. That kind of expedited timeline presses teams to maximize value on their assets wherever and whenever possible.

One such asset for the struggling Phoenix is their captain, Neill. Given his status as a productive, two-way, overage defenceman, Neill has the potential to haul in a serious return. For context, Neill is among the QMJHL's best overage players and a top-ten defenceman, too.

That's not just theoretical, either. Speaking with Francois Carignan who covers the Phoenix, he confirmed through sources that Sherbrooke was taking trade calls on Neill no sooner than his QMJHL reassignment.

As the season progresses, Carignan suggests it's likely more teams could inquire on Neill. In Carignan's opinion, at this moment, the Shawinigan Cataractes are a leading candidate to land Neill. But they would need to rid themselves of an over-age player to add Neill.

From a Canucks perspective, Neill playing for a contender would be an added benefit to his development. No matter what team he gets moved to, he would be a top four defenceman on a team challenging for the QMJHL title. That kind of situation is always good for young players, and something that the Canucks probably considered when sending the young rearguard back to the Q.

Carignan's sources added that the Canucks and Neill have already begun the process of signing an entry level contract. It's not happening anytime soon, but it may something that will be completed prior to Christmas.

Neill has to round out his game, but he's shown enough to merit an ELC. It will be interesting to see how he handles a move to another organization, if it does happen, and then how he will adjust to professional hockey next year.

 

So Neill may be traded to a contender in the Q (possibly Shawinigan) and should be signed to an ELC with Vancouver before Christmas. Good news on both fronts.

 

EDIT: hopefully a condition of any trade is that the receiving team must be renamed the "Carl Neills" upon his arrival.  

[stonecoldstevebernier]

One assist for Neill tonight in a loss to Zhukenov's team, Chicoutimi. Now 1-5-6 in seven games.