Jump to content
The Official Site of the Vancouver Canucks
Canucks Community

GoldenAlien

Members
  • Posts

    717
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    1

Everything posted by GoldenAlien

  1. Sometimes players fall due to perceived flaws that turn out to be a non-issue (such as height, in this case). Other times the teams in front were set on filling specific needs. Aho was picked #35 in 2015 -- the five forwards taken in front of him were Mitchell Stephens, Christian Fischer, Nick Merkley, Anthony Beauvillier and Jack Roslovic. Aho scored 83 points this year. Two of the aforementioned guys did not play in the NHL this year; the other three combined for 70 points. Kucherov went #58 in 2011. The first five forwards picked that years were RNH, Landeskog, Huberdeau, R. Strome and Zibanejad. No comments necessary on how that turned out, even though 30 teams passed on Kucherov and most passed on him twice. By the way, Kucherov is listed at 5'11", 179 lb at 26. Central Scouting has Hoglander at 5'10", 188 lb at 18.
  2. Nice article on McDonough: https://www.vancourier.com/pass-it-to-bulis/canucks-7th-round-pick-aidan-mcdonough-had-to-cut-vacation-short-when-he-got-drafted-1.23868116 Fun thing about Rathbone: “Actually, his dad coached me from first grade to my senior year of high school, so for 12 years,” said McDonough at Canucks development camp. “Me and Jack have been really close our whole life and he was one of the first people to text me after I got drafted.” “My dad says sometimes, if you want your daughter to marry someone, that's the guy you want,” he added, with a grin on his face. He was a late bloomer: “My sophomore year I was about 5'8", 150 lbs and then shot up to about 5'11" at the end of the year,” said McDonough. “And then junior year, I was about 6'1". And I've kind of been slowly growing ever since then.” McDonough is now 6’3” and 190 lbs, which is a solid frame for a power forward at the NHL level. The trick is adjusting to his new dimensions, though in some way it has been an advantage. “It was awkward at first — skating, your balance, coordination, things like that,” he said. “I was small and had to learn how to play like that… You have to make quick decisions and keep your head up and have a good hockey sense. So I think that's helped me a lot.” His 2018-2019 season: Last season was McDonough’s first in the USHL, as he stayed in high school hockey for his draft year. After an early injury kept him off the ice to start the season, he had a solid year, scoring 21 goals and 42 points in 50 games, with Hockey Prospect noting that many of those goals and points coming from power forward type moves. “I think I'm still growing and getting faster and stronger, but I think my goal is to be a power forward that can score goals,” said McDonough. “I love to shoot the puck. I love to make plays in the offensive zone. I think my strengths now are my shot, my hockey IQ, my body.” According to Hockey Prospect, McDonough was his team’s best player in the playoffs, tallying 4 goals and 7 points in 6 games. “[McDonough] has added tremendous strength in the last year and has a good combination of size, speed and power in his game,” reads his scouting report from Hockey Prospect. “While his skill isn’t eye popping, and he lacks the high end playmaking ability of some of the players at the top of draft lists, he possesses decent hands off the rush and the ability to quickly get his shot off, whether it is in traffic or in shooting in stride off the rush.” Hockey Prospect also praises his commitment away from the puck and his “honest effort night in and night out.” In fact, they were high on him last year and were caught by surprise when he didn't get drafted. He could earn big minutes as a college freshman: “We expect Aidan to come in and challenge for a top role in our club and to contribute offensively right away,” said Northeastern’s head coach Jim Madigan. “He's someone who has a very good stick, shoots the puck really well, gets the puck off his stick quickly in the slot area, and can score from 25-feet out as well as scoring in around the net.” Always like a late bloomer with some raw potential, and he seems genuinely pumped to be in Vancouver.
  3. A good article on Madden: https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/canucks-tyler-madden-following-dads-footsteps-proving-doubters-wrong/ Interesting to know that John Madden was also 150 lbs at Tyler's age. Per the article Tyler is up to 157 lbs. John had no problem playing hard nosed hockey at his size, in an era where Scott Stevens' hits were legal. Once Tyler matures to his dad's size, with better vision and skating, he could be a great middle six, versatile, do-it-all type of forward.
  4. Hoglander’s choice for walk up music:
  5. Still ecstatic about Keppen, had him as a possible late round target at the beginning of the year then his stock rose. For reference: Dellandrea (#13 in 2018): 67GP - 27G - 59 Pts in his draft year, 60GP - 22G - 63 Pts in his D+1. Poulin (#21 in 2019): 67GP - 29G - 76 Pts Keppen (#122 in 2019): 68GP - 30G - 59Pts Even though Keppen's stats don't jump off the page, his 59pts is tied for second on his team (Dellandrea is first). Now, Flint was even worse during Keppen's draft year than Dellandrea's. Last year, Flint went 20-43-3. This year, the team went 16-46-6. They didn't get their first win until November, when their record was 1-16-1. For Keppen to keep improving in that kind of situation is a testament to his compete and character. He scored goals at a similar rate as Poulin, another hard-nosed PWF who isn't the greatest skater. But Poulin played in a higher scoring league (QMJHL), and his team had 36 wins and 77pts, more than double Flint's 16 wins and 38pts. If Keppen played on a better team and racked up an extra 10 assists, suddenly he'd be a 6'2", 212 lb point per game player. That would be a legitimate second round prospect -- Foote is a late birthday and had 63pts in 66 games and went #27. From Keppen's coach: “He really uses his size to his advantage and he is fearless out there. He isn’t afraid to go up and down the wing and go to the hard areas to make plays.” Even when the going got tough in Flint, Keppen was continually a catalyst for the Firebirds as he helped them finish the season earning 11 of a possible 16 points down the stretch. “It shows his character,” continued Wellwood. “He was a kid who right from the get-go, even when things were at the lowest point, he said he was all in no matter what. He’s a natural leader, he wants to have team success and he’s willing to do whatever he needs to do.”
  6. Review of his U-18 performance from The Hockey News: Arturs Silovs, G (Latvia) Latvia has produced some decent goaltenders over the past few years, and Silovs, a 6-4, 203-pound behemoth, is definitely one of them. Silovs helped Latvia advance to the quarterfinals for the first time ever, his 40-save effort against Canada ranking among the best performances of the tournament. Silovs’ .918 save percentage was fourth among goalies with more than three starts and was the main reason Latvia even had a chance in a 2-1 loss to the Canadians – and if one of his own defensemen didn’t score on him, Silovs could have led the Latvians to a major upset. He wasn’t on the NHL’s Central Scouting Service’s lists this year, but Silovs made his name known with a couple of important performances for one of the weaker teams in the tournament.
  7. In Brock Otten's media/ scout survey, Keppen came in as the 9th best prospect from the OHL. The top eight were Kaliyev, Harley, Suzuki, Tomasino, Robertson, McMichael, Rees, and Kolyachonok. They were all taken between picks #18 to #53. http://ohlprospects.blogspot.com/2019/06/final-mediascout-poll-for-2019-nhl-draft.html “Big winger with excellent speed and a strong stride down the wing. Good vision make him a sharp passer. A little weak on the puck and along the boards at times and needs to improve his ability to win puck battles. That being said, Keppen does have a nice scoring touch and quietly put up 30 goals and 59 points on the Flint Firebirds.” - Dylan Galloway “Despite being stuck in a difficult situation in Flint, Keppen was one of the more impactful draft-eligible wingers in the OHL. The power forward is a load to handle down low and can force his way into prime scoring areas. Once there, he boasts the heavy and accurate release that helped him score 30 goals and average over three shots per game this past season. He was a play-driver for the Firebirds, with 51 of his 59 points being primary. He's rarely outworked or outmuscled. Likely destined for an energy role, that should still bring value to a team selecting outside the top-60. Quicker feet. Better puck skills. And adding some more creativity to his game would certainly improve his chances of being offensively impactful at the next level.” - Cam Robinson “Power forward with good skating and scoring touch. Battles along the boards and protects the puck well. My pick for one of the steals of the draft. Wouldn’t be surprised that in five years people are asking why he wasn’t a 1st-2nd rounder. “ - Levi Hill “One of, if not the underrated player in the draft. I’ve been told he could be a better skater, but I’ve seen a lot and I don’t see that criticism. Keppen is tremendously strong and determined on the ice. He is never far from the puck, plays responsibly in his own end patrolling both the centre and left wing of the ice well on an awful team, and was often kept away from Flint’s most talented forwards. Great in transition and an underrated passer, but his biggest advantage is moving pucks and playing hard all the time. If you love Vasily Podkolzin and don’t get him, Keppen is far from a bad alternative, and you could land him far later in the draft than he should go. You want metrics? Just a 27% total involvement, but 25% primary point involvement at even strength, second only to Kaliyev, and had primary points on a remarkable 70% of goals scored at even strength. Once Flint rounds out their defensive game, which was horrid at times, the whole ship should start to right itself, and Keppen will be the top beneficiary.” - Will Scouch After a quiet rookie season, Ethan Keppen made some major strides and has become a diverse power forward for the Flint Firebirds. Keppen notched 30 goals this year in a variety of ways. Sometimes he used his size and positioning to score the ugly way, other times he'd fired one in off the wing, and sometimes he'd finish off plays in tight or on a breakaway as gracefully as they come. Although I think Keppen can improve his skill a lot, he added some serious finesse to his game and the improvements he's made in a one year span are enough for me to believe he's got even more potential he hasn't shown us yet. Keppen really exploded in the second half of 2018-19, and found great chemistry on the top unit with Dellandrea/Durham, but also had some great flashes with Cody Morgan who faired exceptionally well in Flint after being traded from Windsor. Keppen showed his ability to improve, he's versatile, and he's a good fit with the Firebirds. Those are all positive signs moving forward, and are enough to make me think he'll end up as a late third round pick in this year's draft.” - Victor Findlay Especially love that we grabbed both Podkolzin and Keppen as they fell.
  8. Perron is 23 and a RFA, scored 47pts in 63 games for the Barracuda last year. He was a star in the Q, 108pts in 62GP in his last year and a 33pts in 18GP playoff run. Could add some scoring to the Comets without taking up a vet spot.
  9. Hoglander's top 10 finishes at the combine: VO2max (duration): #6 VO2max (ml/kg/min): #9 Pro Agility Left: #8 Pro Agility Right: tied for #4 Windgate Test (peak power output): #1 Bench Press: #2 Pull Ups: tied for #1 (each did 16). Just based on the pull ups alone he should be better than Bennett .
  10. Jack is a diminutive of John, like Bill is a diminutive of William.
  11. The Hockey News: Jack Malone, C, Youngstown Phantoms (USHL): The first-line center on the Phantoms, Malone is playing with Buffalo pick Brett Murray, one of the top scorers in the league. Malone has a great set of hands in tight and a nice frame to build off. The 2019 draft prospect is a Cornell commit and is up to 39 points in 36 games. NHL arrival: 2023-24 “Jack is a tremendously talented 200-foot forward,” said Head Coach Brad Patterson. “Jack makes everyone around him better by seeing plays before they happen. His athletic power is as good or better than any player we have had in our program, which bodes well for his future projection as an NHL player. He will be an asset to any organization.” – Brad Patterson, Youngstown Phantoms Head Coach “High motor, two-way player with good hands and flashes of dynamic skill. At his best, shows a nice second gear.” – McKeen’s Draft Guide
  12. C | 5'11" | 181 lbs Shoots | Right Born | 2001-07-07 Draft | 2019 Round 7 #215 Overall by Vancouver Canucks An under-the-radar prospect, Arvid Costmar is a skilled forward whose best attribute is his vision in the offensive zone. He has a knack for finding open areas, opening up the ice for himself and his teammates. -- Canucks Army Center Arvid Costmar led Sweden in scoring and had the best performance in the tournament (u-18 5 Nations) among the Swedish forwards. He was the driving force behind Sweden’s offense all tournament. He played the game at a solid pace and has a knack for getting himself open is prime scoring spots. When he gets passes in a scoring position he wastes no time. When he shoots he gets really low and hammers a low one-time snap shot. He posted seven points including four goals. -- Draft Prospects Hockey
  13. LW | 6'2" | 201 lbs Shoots | Left Born | 1999-11-06 Draft | 2019 Round 7 #195 Overall by Vancouver Canucks
  14. A playoff bust before he ever steps a foot into the NHL... This is why we can't have nice things.
  15. LW | 6'2" | 212 lbs Shoots | Left Born | 2001-03-20 Draft | 2019 Round 4 #122 Overall by Vancouver Canucks Brock Otten: Here are Keppen's ranks among OHL draft eligible players for 5 on 5 production. Goals: 3rd (24), Primary assists: 2nd (18), Primary points: 4th (42), Shots: 2nd (171). That's pretty impressive and actually quite shocking. Keppen is a big kid at 6'2, 210lbs who would definitely be considered a power winger. He excels when he is aggressive in attacking the offensive zone, forcing his way to the net, and really bringing energy on the forecheck. He is a very dangerous player below the hash marks because of his size, but also because he processes the game well. Keppen's 2nd ranking in primary assists (as noted above) is no fluke. He is terrific at winning battles along the wall, only to spin off his check to find a driving teammate. And he is aggressive in driving the net, which also creates second chance opportunities that his linemates can take advantage of. Keppen also possesses a terrific shot, one of the heavier ones in the age group. All things considered, Keppen is one of the most well rounded wingers available from the OHL this year. OHL Central Scouting: Ethan is a prototypical power forward. He has very good size with a powerful stride that allows him to reach top speed quickly. He goes up and down his wing crashing and banging into everything. Ethan creates room for his linemates and goes to the net hard for rebounds and loose pucks. He is a complete player that takes care of his own end and is relied on in all key situations. There isn’t a hit that he turns away from. He competes hard for loose pucks and forechecks hard.
  16. Imagine these hands with EP40: Hoglander - Pettersson - Boeser Miller - Horvat - Podkolzin Pearson - Madden - Virtanen Leivo - Gaudette - MacEwen
  17. Ranked #18 by the Athletic, #19 by Elite Prospects, #23 by HockeyProspect.com, #29 by Future Considerations, #35 by TSN/ McKenzie, #41 by McKeen's Hockey. “Höglander has the best hands in the draft. When he has the puck on his stick, he’s trying to make a skilled play. His puck handling is lightning quick and he often leaves defenders in a knot with how he dangles while in stride. He’s not a selfish dangler, though, as he’s a great passer and looks for his teammates constantly. He’s not a typical playmaker you see run a power play and hang around the half-wall hitting seam passes. He’s always in motion and makes creative feeds. Höglander isn’t the biggest forward at 5-foot-9, but he plays with a lot of energy and engages well. He’s got a bit of an edge to his game, too. He’s a decent skater, more elusive than a burner with very good edges, but he can turn a corner when he needs to.” -- Corey Pronman. Aggressive winger with a nonstop motor and the ability to play much bigger than his measurements may indicate. Hoglander has played against adult competition in each of the last two seasons, and his dominance at the summer under-20 Four Nations tournament in August earned him a well-deserved berth on Rogle’s opening-night roster. He certainly didn’t make them regret the decision, as he was an everyday player who contributed in all areas of the rink. He plays the game at a feverish pace no matter the score or how much time is left, and his compete level is exactly what you want in a skill forward who is summoned to tackle key situations. Hoglander isn’t big, but he is fearless in the corners and immediately bounces back from hefty wallops from older, larger opponents. Without the puck, he’s an aggressive forechecker with an active stick who will finish his checks and force turnovers or rushed passes with regularity. Hoglander is a very good skater with first-step quickness who can accelerate to top speed in an instant. He controls his pace extremely well, and his quick feet and agility allow him to make sharp moves through the neutral zone. Hoglander is a capable stickhandler who weaves his way through a dense network of sticks and bodies, and his cutbacks lure opponents away from coverage before he exploits openings with hard, crisp passes on the tape. He can play the game either inside or out, and he’s a low-maintenance shooter thanks to a quick release and his ability to get shots on net while blanketed. Hoglander has excellent vision, and his decisions with the puck seem to always make sense. -- Steve Kournianos February 2019 – After spending most of the past two seasons in the Allsvenskan, Höglander has made the jump to the top level for his draft season. Even though Rögle is one of the worst teams in the SHL and Höglander’s minutes have been limited, he’s managed to put up good numbers considering his age. Höglander is a very talented skater with speed that allows him to get breakaway opportunities quite frequently. He has quick and soft hands which allow him to make highlight reel type plays. He’s also a quick thinker who likes to use all those qualities and play a fast-paced game. On top of those qualities, Höglander works really hard and is defensively responsibly as well. And even though he’s undersized at just 5-foot-9, he’s fearless on the ice. He likes to get his nose dirty in front of the net, and he loves to throw big open ice hits. Höglander has top-six upside but even if his offensive upside doesn’t fully materialize, he can still become a great third-liner. He will likely require another year of development before challenging for a spot on an NHL roster. -- Jokke Nevalainen
  18. Just announced, it's a 2020 second round pick. Edit: Heard it on Sportsnet but now seems like they're still confirming.
  19. NHL Central Scouting director Dan Marr: "It becomes pretty obvious that he's the best player on the team by the time you get through the first period every game," said Marr, who had a hand in NHL Central Scouting's decision to rate Podkolzin the second-best international skater in the draft (after Kakko). "Scouts love it when you don't have to look for a player," Marr said. "There's a lot of times that you go to a game and have to look for a first-rounder, because it's not happening. You never have to look for this guy." Vladimir Filatov was Russia's bench boss at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, the World Junior A Challenge, and the under-18 worlds. He said in an email that Podkolzin is a smart player, a skilled puck-handler, and a potent and willing shooter - and, more importantly, "the heart and the leader" of his squad. "Leadership is one of his strongest qualities," Filatov wrote via a translator. "He is an example for his teammates and deserves to be captain." Alexander Savchenkov, Podkolzin's junior coach, said in his own translated email that Podkolzin is a natural leader who is unafraid to dish out and accept constructive criticism. After a subpar debut game with SKA-1946, he recalled, Podkolzin went to the coaches' room to apologize to Savchenkov and to discuss what he needed to improve. Broadly, Savchenkov said, Podkolzin could stand to be a little more patient on the ice: "He wants it all at once, he wants to be everywhere during the game - but he needs to be in his place." Yet the coach figures it won't be long before he's ready to play full-time in a top pro league. Craig Button: "If NHL teams want to be stupid, they'll put a lot of weight into (Podkolzin's KHL deal). If you want to scout based on a passport or a tape measure, you're going to make a lot of mistakes, because there isn't this bounty of good players all around the world. The Russian players want to play in the NHL just as much as the Canadian players." The bolded is how the Canucks got Pettersson and Hughes.
  20. I'd like to see us stock up on Ds tomorrow. Some options throughout the draft: RD Korczak (2nd-3rd round) LD Vlasic (2nd-3rd) RD Jordan Spence (3rd) LD Layton Ahac (3rd-5th) RD Billy Constantinou (3rd-5th) RD Lundmark (3rd-5th) LD Brinkman (5th-7th) LD Vukojevic (5th-7th) RD Moberg (7th) LW Keppen, C Beckman, C Murray, C Barlage could also be good adds in the mid to late rounds. With the depth in the draft, wouldn't mind Canucks trading down 5-10 picks in the second and pick up an extra third or fourth.
  21. Not comparable since ALOT more Canadians play hockey, and that affects the quality of the high end pool. Canada has ~637,000 registered players while Russia has ~111,000. Czech Republic has ~121,000 registered players. The last 5 Czech forwards picked in the top half of the draft: Filip Zadina Martin Necas Pavel Zacha Jakub Vrana Radek Faksa You would think on a year to year basis the highest ranked Czech forward would at least become an impact player once in a while. Perhaps it's their attitude. It's also odd how if a guy like Brule or Ho-Sang busts it's because of attitude or mishandling or injuries. But if Yakupov or Nichushkin busts it's because they're Russian. No one would ever say Kadri is a rat because he's Canadian or Kesler is arrogant because he's American. You would just call Kadri a dirty player, not that it's a reflection of Canadian culture or training.
  22. Looking at recent Canadian forwards that were drafted with high picks, it's kind of baffling how many don't turn out. They obviously have one of the best development programs in the world, but alot of their highly ranked forwards don't pan out. Notable Canadian forwards drafted with high picks: Sam Bennett Michael Dal Colle Ryan Strome Scott Glennie Kyle Beach Why would this be? Perhaps because prospects just bust sometimes.
  23. The Russian Rocket vs the Russian Freight Train:
×
×
  • Create New...