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Blömqvist

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Everything posted by Blömqvist

  1. I find the write up on Glass to be intriguing. 45% of his point totals come on the road, suggesting that he is a very consistent scorer and being in the opposition's barn doesn't phase him. Also, with 70% of his points coming 5-on-5 that equates to about 66 even-strength points, which is more points than Vilardi has for the year (granted, higher offensive team and more games). The size part is also interesting, suggesting that he might grow a couple more inches and fill out to 200+ lbs. I've heard the Mark Schiefele comparable and if he turns into that we'd have tough centres to match up against with Glass, Horvat, and Gaudette. To me, it's still a toss-up between Glass, Mittelstadt, and Vilardi. I feel as though Vilardi might solidify himself as #3 with a good performance at the Memorial Cup in the coming weeks.
  2. I think Benning puts a lot of thought into tournament performance. I think that's what gave Juolevi the edge over Sergachev and Chychrun. IIRC Juolevi set a record at the World Juniors as a 17 year old defenseman and followed that up with an excellent OHL Playoff and Memorial Cup performance.
  3. That's the most positivity I've seen all day! I like it!! (Much better than the doom and gloom I heard all morning on TSN1040)
  4. Juolevi had a good draft+1 year. Even though he didn't dominate offensively like most of us would have hoped for, he elevated his play in that regard high enough to show that he can produce quality offense both on the powerplay and even strength without the big three of Marner, Tkachuk, and Dvorak; Juolevi can create offense through his vision, passing skills, and wrist shot and is not merely the passenger that some have thought. All that while being used in a more defensive, shutdown role. Also, he led his team in playoff scoring for defenseman over the likes of high offense players in Mete and Vande Sompel IMO I'm not opposed to another year of junior for Juolevi. Vande Sompel will likely be in the AHL next season, giving Juolevi more powerplay time. Key London players like Parsons, Pu, Kuokkanen, Mete, Jones, 2017 prospect Thomas, and 2018 prospect Bouchard (who might be another 1st rounder) will all have a long summer of training and will be even better next season. Juolevi could refine his offensive game even further.
  5. I've read one scouting report that said Vilardi looks more natural on the wing. Maybe like a Dubois situation where he might end up being a winger even though he can probably play both. If that one reddit post is true and the Canucks are valuing hands, speed, and skill as priority traits then Necas has to be high on their list as well. Then maybe Pettersson as their 5th rated centreman with Vilardi and Glass afterwards. Timewise both Mittelstadt and Necas could develop in their respective leagues for a year and then jump into the NHL or AHL as early as a year from now.
  6. More info on Heiskanen: I watched the first period of the Finland vs Canada U18 game today. Heiskanen looked really good. Out on the powerplay he was calm as the lone point man and distributed the puck well. Even in tight spaces with bodies and sticks around him, Heiskanen was patient and made his move at the right time, whether if it was holding on to the puck for just a moment longer to wait for a passing lane to open up or using his skating and puck skills to quickly deke and sidestep a defender along the blueline to create space for himself and to open up those same lanes. Moreover, his skating and awareness in the defensive zone really helped him to evade the Canadian forecheck and move the puck up ice, whether through him skating the puck up himself or passing it ahead. Craig Button raved about his vision, poise, and stick skills. His ability on the powerplay to both distribute the puck and to use his puck handling ability to evade defenders. He recalled a conversation with Heiskanen's agent Igor Larionov (also Nik Goldobin's agent). Larionov said that Heiskanen's thought processing and decision making of the game reminds him of Nik Lidstrom's thought processing and decision making. Obviously very high praise by his own agent pumping his client's tires, but that is high praise nonetheless and indicative of his Hockey IQ to an extent. I didn't catch the rest of the game but Heiskanen finished with 2 points (1+1) and a +2 rating in a 6-3 Finland win over Canada.
  7. This year's crop of defensemen reminds me of last year's. There's the undisputed potential #1D of the draft in Chychrun last year who didn't have a good developmental year and he fell enough for other defensemen to make a case. Fabbro looked real good last year playing in the BCHL and looked better than Chychrun did in the U18s. Juolevi and Sergachev both had really good years as well, with Juolevi putting up an unreal performance in the WJC and in the Memorial Cup. At the end of the day, it's all very subjective. Fast forward to now, and the undisputed potential #1D of this draft Liljegren didn't have a good year at all. His body of work and skillset keep him as one of the top defensemen for me. Makar looks real good in the AJHL and other players like Heiskanen and Valimaki had good seasons in their respective leagues. Foote had a very good season with the Rockets and is shutting down heavy offenses during the playoffs. I personally wouldn't pick a defenseman with our 1st rounder this year as there are some high-offense centreman available when we pick which we so badly need. That said, with his most recent play and offensive production I would rate Heiskanen in the same tier as Liljegren and have Makar behind them, and Makar slightly ahead of Foote and Valimaki. Valimaki is a very good offensive weapon who can quarterback the powerplay and has good size and skating; Foote is a big two-way defenseman who can move the puck and shutdown the opposition. Both have good upside, although I prefer Foote more because of his play in the playoffs and the fact that he plays for the Kelowna Rockets so you know he's in good hands developmental-wise. Again, all very subjective. My rankings for defensemen: 1. Liljegren 1. Heiskanen 3. Makar 4. Foote 4. Valimaki
  8. Exactly. It's rare for high-profile 1st round picks to not sign with the team that drafted them. Maybe it's all the hype that surrounds them and the allure of making money and being a star within a few short years. Even then, he can play alongside fellow Minnesotan Brock Boeser and possibly even Adam Gaudette to create an All-American line for us.
  9. Miro Heiskanen stats: 10 points (5+5) in 37 Liiga regular season games *note* Liiga is the top Finnish men's league, where he regularly plays over 20 minutes/game as a 17 year old 3 points (0+3) in 8 Liiga playoff games 3 points (0+3) in 6 Champions Hockey League games *note* Champions Hockey League is a tournament featuring the top teams across Europe 8 points (1+7) in 4 U18 games @funkyfresh I wasn't so sure if he was going to be the top dman this draft because I didn't really know of his offensive ceiling. IMO he's now pushing for the best defenseman of the draft. Scouts were wanting him to develop his offensive game further and he puts up 8 points in 4 U18 games. With a very late birthday (July 18) it's plausible that he has very good draft+1 year compared to other prospects with earlier birthdays. The fact that he plays in the Liiga is good as he can come over to play in the AHL as soon as next season, I believe. I was hoping we could pick up a mid-1st and draft him, but with his recent U18 play has his stock risen high enough to make the top 10? Does he get picked over Liljegren and Makar?
  10. Don't forget about the NCAA developmental route. It's worked very well the past few years with prospects taken in the first round. There's a lot of time during the week that can be spent training and bulking up in the gym and these high-end prospects that enter as freshmans play against older, more physically mature players. They aren't the "top dog" like how they would be in the CHL in their draft+1 season, and once they become the top dog they can turn pro and enter the NHL right away or spend some time in the AHL if needed, whereas with a CHL prospect they might get "rushed" to the NHL instead of playing their final year of junior. Last year, Keller, Jost, and McAvoy had excellent NCAA seasons and all three have turned pro. Keller played briefly in the NHL, and McAvoy play huge minutes in Game 1 for Boston. Mittelstadt is heading to the NCAA, same with Makar and Tolvanen. Poehling with the early birthday spent this year playing limited minutes as a freshman in the NCAA, so he might have a big sophomore season next year. Also, Oettinger with the early birthday too was the starting goaltender as a freshman for his NCAA team and had a very good season.
  11. I really like Foote and IMO he would be perfect with Juolevi. From what I've read, he has good mobility, can use his size and reach well defensively, can make good heads up outlet passes out of the defensive zone and in transition, and has a bomb of a shot. I'm not too sure what his offensive ceiling is and how much of a physical game he will play in the pros, but he has oustanding Hockey IQ and the physical tools to grow into and develop those areas of his in the coming years. Development-wise, he plays for Kelowna and they are a pretty much a defenseman factory lol. IMO at worst Foote will be a more physically capable version of Tanev (mobile shutdown defenseman who can move the puck) and with a bomb for a slapshot. Safe bet to be a #3 or #4 defenseman and if he can develop his offense and play physically when needed he cam be a true top-pairing guy. Couple of ways management could grab a mid 1st round pick. One way is if the Sharks with the Stanley Cup we could package the 31st and 33rd overall picks and hope to move up into the Top 15 or Top 20. Another way would be to trade Tanev to the Leafs for their 1st++ assuming they lose to the Capitals which would give them the 18th overall pick. That said if Foote is gone by then there are a few other players in that 10-20 range that would still be good picks. - Cody Glass - Elias Pettersson - Michael Rasmussen - Jusso Valimaki - Eeli Tolvanen - Miro Heiskanen - Cal Foote - Nick Suzuki - Ryan Poehling - Lias Andersson - Klim Kostin (some scouts say beware of the Russian factor but we have Goldobin and Tryamkin so I wouldn't be too worries as long as he is OK with not being gifted a spot)
  12. Thoughts on Liljegren vs Makar? Some scouts like Craig Button and Grant McCagg have Makar over Liljegren. (Mind you, I also agree with you in Liljegren over Makar based on his skillset, larger body of work/sample size of games played at an elite level, as well as his "drop" due to mono... I just wanted to see other people's opinion on it. I do think it's close as well.)
  13. If we can add another 1st in the 10-20 range we should pick him up if he's available. Then hopefully if Columbus gives us their 2nd round pick this year we can package that with our early 3rd round pick to move up in the draft and pick Suzuki's linemate Jonah Gadjovic. Add that to a top-3 lottery pick in which we get our future first line centreman and it could turn out to be a perfect draft scenario for Canucks fans. A kid can dream lol
  14. A guy that might go late in the first round is London Knights forward Robert Thomas. If we could get him at #33 I would be ecstatic. Jake Oettinger looks to be like a bluechip goalie prospect. He put up really good numbers as the starting goaltender in his freshman year in the NCAA. I'm really wondering where Owen Sound forward Jonah Gadjovic would go. He plays with Nick Suzuki and was tearing up the OHL with 46 goals and 74 points in 60 games. He's a big body that plays a hard-nosed physical game, can agitate opponents, and is a legitimate scoring threat too. According to Eliteprospects he is a "positionally sound" player and "reads plays well." Could be a good middle 6 winger with size or more down the line.
  15. I haven't watched him play but I've seen a few highlights and read a few things on HFboards (although don't go there for Canucks stuff lol). He's a left shot defenseman that plays on the right side. As a 17 year old he plays over 20 minutes a game against men in the Finland's Liiga. I found this just now, although I don't know how credible it is. It looks as if they are game notes from Finnish scouts.
  16. Honestly, I haven't heard much about Heiskanen other than when he was playing more minutes than Juolevi at the WJC. Could he be a potential powerplay quarterback at the NHL level?
  17. Grant McCagg's scouting service Recrutes' take on Miro Heiskanen: I personally don't think he's a top-5 prospect or even top-10 prospect, but that's only because I've been focusing so much on the likes of Patrick, Hischier, Vilardi, Mittelstadt, Necas, Liljegren, Tippett, Makar, Glass, Pettersson as top-10 fixtures. Not a lot of exposure on Heiskanen. Anyone else have insight on him?
  18. Hutton + for Sam Bennett? That would be a big plus on our end but as long as it isn't our 1st round pick or Virtanen/Boeser/Juolevi/Demko I'd do it. But then if we did that then we would be losing one of Baertschi/Granlund/Sutter to expansion. Getting back to the entry draft, what are your guys' thoughts on Miro Heiskanen? Grant McCagg (former scout who worked with The Hockey News and McKeen's and now has his own scouting service Recrutes) has Heiskanen as a top 5 prospect and the second-best defenseman in the draft.
  19. For Puljujarvi I would but not for Dubois. I would rather take a chance on Patrick or Hischier, even though Patrick has the injury history and Dubois outscored Hischier in their respective draft years. Development-wise, Puljujarvi is in a perfect spot to refine his game and get used to North American hockey in the AHL. Hischier can play in the AHL next season if management feels his junior league isn't the best for his development. Patrick is supposedly open to playing in a European league against men, as the WHL seems too easy for him. There he could develop his skating and offensive game even further. Dubois wasn't good at all in the beginning of the year but has turned it around. For him, it is either NHL or QMJHL next season. Hopefully Columbus doesn't rush him up, as I personally don't think he's ready for the show but at the same time he might be too good for the Q.
  20. Yea, same. Between Mittelstadt, Glass, Necas, and Vilardi I have Mittelstadt as the best of the bunch. Even if he isn't the most responsible centre defensively his offensive game more than makes up for it. We have Gaudette as a puck-hounding two-way centreman with a good offensive game so if anything Mittelstadt can play on his wing. Create an American Express line of Mittelstadt, Gaudette, and Boeser. That said, from the limited things I've seen and read I do like Necas' game though and he must have tremendous upside if Craig Button thinks he's the best prospect after Patrick and Hischier.
  21. Going off these supposed lists, could it be Tolvanen that he is referring to as the #2 offensive forward? He talks about Dahlen, Goldobin, Boeser, and Baertschi, he then says that "this player is also not a centre." He also says that the #2 offensive forward plays in the same league as Mittelstadt and that he has 80% of his points at even strength. Also, he says that most Canucks fans would rather have the #1 and #2 ranked offensive defensemen than the #2 offensive forward. Tolvanen is a winger and of his 53 points in the USHL (also a league that Mittelstadt played in this year) 12 of them came from the powerplay. So roughly 80% of his points came even strength. Moreover, he also said that the only way they pick up the #1 offensive defenseman is if the the other centremen the Canucks want is gone, and that after Necas is the #3 and #4 ranked two-way forward Putting it all together, the supposed list might look like... 2-Way F: Patrick Necas _________ _________ Offensive F Hischier Tolvanen Mittelstadt _________ Vilardi OFD Liljegren Makar/Valimaki (most likely Makar) So, going in reverse... 11. Vilardi 10. #4 Offensive F 9. Mittelstadt 8. Tolvanen 7. Makar 6. Liljegren 5. #4 2-Way F (Glass/Pettersson???) 4. #3 2-Way F (Glass/Pettersson???) 3. Martin Necas 2. Nico Hischier 1. Nolan Patrick So the question becomes, who could possibly be the #3 2-Way F, the #4 2-way F, and the #4 Offensive F?
  22. Patrice Bergeron: right handed two-way centre; can shutdown opponents and put up points. Perennial Selke candidate. From Canada. David Krejci: Right handed playmaking centre; no slouch defensively and with his vision, hockey IQ and passing abilities he can put up a lot of points. From the Czech Republic. Bo Horvat: Left handed two-way centre who plays a power game; very good defensively and can put up points. Potential to be a Selke winner. From Canada. Martin Necas: Right handed offensive-minded centre; defensively responsible, good hockey IQ, and an engine that doesn't stop running. High skill level and has creativity with the puck to create plays or finish them. From the Czech Republic. Those similarities tho... With Jim Benning at the helm, I wouldn't at all be surprised if we went with Necas at 3 or later. EDIT: correction on Bergeron's handedness. Thanks 5th Line!
  23. Tanev to Toronto for their 2017 1st, 2017 2nd, and a 2018 2nd? By comparison, Dougie Hamilton got traded for a 1st and two 2nds, and Griffin Reinhart got traded for a 1st and a 2nd. VAN 1st (1st-7th overall) TOR 1st (16th-20th overall) VAN 2nd (Early 2nd) TOR 2nd (Mid 2nd) CLB 2nd (Late 2nd) VAN 3rd (Early 3rd) Plus, a TOR 2018 2nd in a "good" draft. Lots of options if we did that... we could get our #1C with our first round pick, and then pick up Foote or Heiskanen or Suzuki or Poehling with Toronto's first, or even package that with one of the second round picks to trade up more closer to the top 10 and draft Glass or Tolvanen or Pettersson or Necas (whoever falls out of the top 10).
  24. Imagine this upcoming draft we walk away with Mittelstadt and Foote. Add to our prospect pool a playmaking #1C and a big physical two-way #2/3D. Our prospect depth would look like... Dahlen - Mittelstadt - Boeser Baertschi - Horvat - Goldobin Granlund - Gaudette - Virtanen Gaunce - McKenzie - Lockwood Juolevi - Foote Hutton - Gudbranson Tryamkin - Stecher McEneny - Subban Brisebois
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