thad

Have you watched him much or just going off his highlight reel and assist totals? Not being rude, I'm just curious as I've been wanting to hear someone's opinion who frequently attends hitmen games. That's the general feeling I get about him doing internet research too. I wanna find out if he really is that one dimensional or if he is a good passer but has so much success driving it home himself he usually just goes that route. Not expecting him to actually score 136 points, but then again did they expect iggy to after scoring the same amount as jake in his draft year? Probably not, that's an insane season. I'd expect Virtanen to put up close to 100 next year though as he gets a year older. He's not ranked 6th on CSS for nothin

I was thinking Virtanen kinda reminded me of a young iginla. Compared their numbers and theyre quite similar jake Season Team GP G A PTS +/- PIM 2013-14 Regular Season Calgary Hitmen 71 45 26 71 23 100 2012-13 Regular Season Calgary Hitmen 62 16 18 34 25 67 Iggy drafted in 95 Season Team Lge GP G A Pts PIM +/- GP G A Pts PIM 1993-94 Kamloops Blazers WHL 48 6 23 29 33 19 3 6 9 10 1994-95 Kamloops Blazers WHL 72 33 38 71 111 21 7 11 18 34 1995-96 Kamloops Blazers WHL 63 63 73 136 120 imagine we draft jake and he puts up 136 points next year haha

I hope they do play the game to win.. i just hope they lose doing so People can call me a bad fan, i dont care. Id rather draft 6th than 10th Do it for smyth, coilers! haha

Ya i know, just pointing out how much he values big physical highly touted dmen

you know that actually really wouldnt surprise me. Looking at their depth on hockeys future(i know theyre a lil bushleague but still) They have a ton of left wingers. 2 they got in the iggy trade, gadreau baertchi. they also drafted klimchuck late in the first round. A little low on right wingers but they got poirier in the first round last year. So if Dal Colle is the last man standing of our projected top 5, they may pass and go for fluery or virtanen. If its draisaitl i think they might take him, depending on how good jankowski or max reinhart really is. Burke does love his dmen though as luke schenn was at one time worth 10 first round picks haha

You posted earlier about no real flaws but this is a highlight package. im curious to know what his biggest flaws actually are. Theres no denying he's got high end goal scoring talent and hits hard but is that all he's got? Almost seems to me to be a bit of a one man army. Im wondering how much he actually passes the puck... Im not knocking him, just curious as to how complete of a game he has

man the shot this kid has is insane. Those back hands are unreal and that one where he toe drags the puck in close to his leg and then quickly releases a rocket into the top corner, wow. He also seems very deceptive in the way he scores. lots of look the other way and rifle a high velocity wrister exactly where he wanted it.

The rumored deal i recall was Teravainen Leddy and Shaw. That was around the rumors that kesler may want out. everyone knew he was heavily shopped. Gillis set the criteria at young centre and he was the best one that was rumored from any of the beat writers ridiculous lowballs put in. Along with a yound puck moving dman and outstanding young gritty bottom six player. It probably wasnt even true, but that is a pretty good return for kesler, considering NTC and everything else. If a couple dummies thought teravainen straight up is a good deal then yeah they overrated him big time... But scouts and analysts all think he is a very good player with loads of potential. if anything you are underrating him and the only facts you used to support that were he did nothing in his first 3 nhl games.

Jensen did nothing in his first 2 games in the nhl. Cant really call a player overrated after his first couple games of nhl hockey, especially when he only has 1 AHL game under his belt

well all the reports ive read on him say he has good speed. Id be very pleased with the pick. Im still drooling over all the great forwards we have a shot at with a potential 6th pick but if we go for fleury instead i'll still be happy. I do internet player research and see the odd game when its televised, scouts have watched young players and how they've developed for years. If they are pretty damn certain Haydn Fleury is the next seabrook and pick him, im not going to cry why not ehlers. Same can be said for any one they pick. heres a draft profile on him

Just curious.. Why would you take Schmaltz over Larkin?

Halifax vs Gatineau on sportsnet 1 today at 4. took a quick look at the final ISS list and the highest ranked Gatineau player is Vaclav Karabacek. I think he was ranked around 41 can't remember if that was the exact spot.

Fair points, I won't deny that.. I was just saying you can't write a players capabilities off with such guarantees. Even though shaw was older, the kid wasn't supposed to step in and make an impact like that. Really no player is, but some actually do... You never know, maybe we draft Ritchie and he blows the roof off Rogers arena with a Calder.

I wouldn't put no Guarantees on that, Robert. I doubt Andrew Shaw was anything but a major project before he stepped in right after he was drafted. If we did draft Ritchie I want to season the crap outta him though haha the upside is huuuuge. Ritchie Horvat Kassian

Trust whoever you want, just saying every year the projected next year hot picks shift around. Unless your next door neighbor is a chl scout, I wouldn't put money on anyone going where you think (Unless they're named Mcdavid or Eichel)

This is a mock draft for this year made after the first round last year. Sam Bennett 30th Mckeown 4th ect. It's far too early to project next years draft http://m.bleacherreport.com/articles/1689818-2014-nhl-mock-draft-full-first-round-projections

Hey you never know.. Look at a guy like getzlaf.. Suspect skating ability but outstanding player in the nhl. Not saying he'll ever be as good but had similar points in their draft year. Getz killed it the next year but gaunce has been consistent.

Looked through the latest ISS list to pick out some of the monsters. This guy, Eetu Sopanen is a finnish defender that is 6'5 222lbs and is ranked 31st on the international list. Apparently has had a bad string of injuries the past couple years. Could be a cause for concern but he is the top ranked finnish defender on the euro list. I wonder if he'd be a good mid round pick and possibly a steal if his injury riddled draft year kept him back from seriously climbing the rankings. Shoots left and plays junior in finland. This year for the Jr Pelicans he played 15 games and had 3 goals, 6 assists for 9 points. 18PM +3 Heres his hockeys future write up Again the injury history is a concern but thats up to the scouts to investigate and determine if it is a high risk problem. Its just a random player we havent really discussed that could be an option to take a mid round gamble on. Most mid rounders dont even make it but this is one of finlands better defensive prospects and he stands at 6'5ft 222lbs. I wonder where he would rank had he played in the World juniors?

i was just joking haha I think he had to have had the discussion. Its something you need to discuss with your family ect. I dont think he could have made a decision of that magnitude in a matter of hours. Cant hate him for holding back something like that before gillis was fired. Must have made him sweat being asked about it with the gillis announcement so soon though haha im just making light of the fact that gillis keeps his lips tight on something he very well should and he's a lying sack of poop. Linden holds something back and we all say in our best botchford voice "ohhhh Trevor, you get me every time" haha

He lied to us yesterday, don't trust him haha

I don't see Naslund even interested. Guy is in Sweden living pretty damn good. Doesn't need the money. He ain't coming back just to join this circus.

Ya those 2 guys got the potential to be 18yr old surprises too. Draisaitl/Dal Colle Kesler Kassian lol It's really too bad their gonna introduce Linden and then he's gonna introduce pat Quinn to the ring of honor. The boys are gonna be so fired up and start winning our way away from those players. Hopefully we can at least get Ritchie

I dunno, I'm kinda biased cus it's who I'd like in order on the canucks but probably Bennett Reinhart Ekblad Draisaitl Dal Colle Nylander Ritchie Ehlers Fleury Virtanen That's just my guy feeling instinct picks, Nylander and Ritchie are interchangeable, but that's my order if I'm picking for the canucks.

Man I'm getting stoked. Even if we draft 8th we're still getting the last one left of ekblad Reinhart Bennett Draisaitl Dale Colle Nylander Ehlers Ritchie... If not Virtanen Kapanen fleury or Perlini. Either way guys we finally did er... crapped the bed enough for a beauty prospect. One of those players will be a canuck someday and that is pretty sweet haha

Sens win! We are in 8th, also Nashville gets a point. Carolina got spanked, still need them and Peg to win a game and we're in 6th. Ideal season end if we lose to Colorado Winnipeg beats Boston and then loses to Calgary. This gives Calgary the chance to tie us if they beat LA. Then we take on Calgary in a must lose game... Then all we gotta do is lose to Edmonton in the last game and Michael Dal Colle here we come.