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The Next McDavid/Matthews


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I know the talk about this upcoming draft is there is no superstar players expected to come from it like the McDavid Eichel Matthews Laine echelon. So this has me wondering... all of these guys we knew about coming up when they were 15 and 16 years old. With that said, who is out there in that 15-17 years age range that has the scouts drooling? It'd be nice to follow some of these prospects over the next few years on their way to the draft.

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A man once almost as famous for his sparse praise for players as his many Stanley Cups, Bowman came away raving about a 5'10", 163-pound 15-year-old from the hockey hotbed of...Bettendorf, Iowa.

Luke Toporowski is the name, and if it isn't recognizable now, just wait until he becomes eligible for the NHL draft in about three years. It's a name that Bowman, a 14-time Stanley Cup-winner, had no trouble remembering after watching him skate.

"He's one of the best prospects I've ever seen," Bowman said. "He's got a terrific stride, skates like [Sidney] Crosby. Hard to knock off his feet, just cutting around the defense and accelerating."

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29 minutes ago, MikeBossy said:

I'd be fine with Timothy Liljegren too. Hell of a 1-2 punch on the blueline with Juolevi in a few years. Lets be honest guys we have a long way to go to become competitive again and I'm ok with that if we do a rebuild right.

 

REALLY LONG I'd say . . .

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Joe Veleno of the Saint John Sea Dogs in the Q is the latest player to be granted exceptional status in the CHL. He's eligible for the 2018 draft. He hasn't had a great start to his sophomore season in the Q, so it's tough to say if he will end up like McDavid/Tavares or more like Sean Day at this point. But definitely someone to watch in the next couple of seasons. 

 

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=271713

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22 minutes ago, DontMessMe said:

They say hes not a #1 center so i'll pass on him and draft a #1D 

Hes the currently the undisputed number 1 pick in the draft, if he is not a #1 center then Im sorry there is no #1 D in the draft. He led the WHL in playoff points last year as an underager and is suppose to be a bigger and better version of sam reinhart, as he is has high IQ and is not as flashy as some other high end picks. When was the last time a first overall pick wasnt suppose to become a top line player?  

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56 minutes ago, Bure_Pavel said:

He may be no McDavid but he is a franchise #1 center that we desperately need.  

They aren't even saying that. #1 center, maybe, but franchise center is a longer shot. He's not as dynamic as McDavid/MacKinnon/Matthews/etc. by many reports. There's questions around the top D available as well, but could be an equal value option. Considering D take longer to develop and we might be in the same position for another draft or two, drafting D again and then looking for a forward might be a solid option.

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1 hour ago, Bure_Pavel said:

He may be no McDavid but he is a franchise #1 center that we desperately need.  

Err, the consensus among a lot of scouts is that Nolan is going to be more than likely a very good 2nd line center who has the chance to evolve into a journeyman first liner. He's a long way from a franchise center man. Nolan was born on September 19th 1998 so he missed the 2016 draft by four days and if he was in the draft he would have been in that 5-10 range. He's a good player, no doubt, but he's not a player you'd put a franchise tag on. 

Going after Timothy Liljegren may be the best option draft day regardless of if the Canucks pick first overall or second. A dynamic d-man with great vision, awesome offensive instincts, great agility, and a crazy good skater. Who's up for the idea of this kid and Juolevi running the powerplay in the next few years? 

Why not consider that? There is no true, clear cut number 1 Center in the draft, but there is a d-man who is projected to be a big time point producing d-man. 

Nolan would be a good pick, I will never not say that. But is he the number 1 guy Vancouver needs? I'm going to say not likely.

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25 minutes ago, Jaku said:

Err, the consensus among a lot of scouts is that Nolan is going to be more than likely a very good 2nd line center who has the chance to evolve into a journeyman first liner. He's a long way from a franchise center man. Nolan was born on September 19th 1998 so he missed the 2016 draft by four days and if he was in the draft he would have been in that 5-10 range. He's a good player, no doubt, but he's not a player you'd put a franchise tag on. 

Going after Timothy Liljegren may be the best option draft day regardless of if the Canucks pick first overall or second. A dynamic d-man with great vision, awesome offensive instincts, great agility, and a crazy good skater. Who's up for the idea of this kid and Juolevi running the powerplay in the next few years? 

Why not consider that? There is no true, clear cut number 1 Center in the draft, but there is a d-man who is projected to be a big time point producing d-man. 

Nolan would be a good pick, I will never not say that. But is he the number 1 guy Vancouver needs? I'm going to say not likely.

I'll take the defence man.  We dont need another very good 2nd line center. That is for Bo Horvat 

 

We need a Mcdavid type player. Not Auston matthews, but a mcdavid/crosby type plz <3 

 

But things can change nobody knows 

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Craig Button is pretty high on Nolan Patrick. He thinks he will be a franchise center:

"All the capabilities to be the No. 1 centre teams can build around. Has an ease to his play, both physically and mentally, that he combines with excellent skill to impact the game in every situation. Franchise centres contribute individually, but what separates them is their ability to make everybody around them and the team better."

 

"Nolan's style of play is similar to that of fellow Manitoban Jonathan Toews. He's skilled, smart and capable of playing and making a difference in all situations of the game. Like Toews, he does it without much flash, but brings significant determination and reliability every time he steps on the ice. "  

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6 hours ago, Green Building said:

A man once almost as famous for his sparse praise for players as his many Stanley Cups, Bowman came away raving about a 5'10", 163-pound 15-year-old from the hockey hotbed of...Bettendorf, Iowa.

Luke Toporowski is the name, and if it isn't recognizable now, just wait until he becomes eligible for the NHL draft in about three years. It's a name that Bowman, a 14-time Stanley Cup-winner, had no trouble remembering after watching him skate.

"He's one of the best prospects I've ever seen," Bowman said. "He's got a terrific stride, skates like [Sidney] Crosby. Hard to knock off his feet, just cutting around the defense and accelerating."

 

Born in 2001???!!! :shock:

 

Man these young punks make you feel old hopefully he grows a little would hate to have little $&!#s like Johnny Gaudreau being the standard for the next generation of hockey players and the game becoming a physical contact version of soccer.

 

I honestly feel like if the Canucks still suck in 3 years and are in a black hole with players entering the league as 2000 born I might have to stop watching hockey.

 

The newer generation that is younger than the so called millennial age 18-30 are even more technology obsessed and narcissistic.

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