Nikolaj Ehlers

[KSniper88]

It makes no difference if Drouin was on the line for a while or not with Ehlers, Drouin is a puck hog like Kesler.

[Absent Canuck]

Why ride your high horse? you think a list of players with speed that did make the NHL as proof of your stupid point... Or are you just that dense that you think your own stink does not stink. I could give you a list of a 100 players similar to Ritchie that did nothing at the NHL level too; mute point my foolish friend.

He forgot to mention that along with the speed was the unusually good stats he put up as a 17 year old in his draft year. Doesnt fit the half baked narrative he wants to uphold.

Look . These guys are TROLLING HARD. Very hard. At some point they are going to cross the line. They are getting close.

[runtzguy]

Lower mainland kid, winger from the WHL, power forward goal scorer, with great athletic ability Virtanen.

no plz, hes not that impressive to be taken at #6. People need to realize that just because hes a mainland kid, does not mean hes gona turn out to be good. Ehler is the one the canucks should get at #6 but only if no one else in the top 5 drops out of ranking.

[runtzguy]

Virtanen's speed level and shot is A-rated by scouts. Given he's not undersized, he's going to have an edge immediately. Take that where you will.

I would treat mass gain on a case-by-case basis. If he's 168lbs as a skinny 18yr old, then the odds of him becoming Nhl weight any time soon go down. It's never easy for skinny kids with narrow shoulders to put on mass, and the older you are the less likely you are to change your frame.

I've seen many undersized prospects simply remain undersized. Many more in that scenario than those who put on the pounds, certainly. And a lot of those undersized players busted. This is a concern for Ehlers, who's ranked not high enough by ISS and CSS to make the hype on and undersized kid even worth it.

Maybe if he was a number one pick like the Nuge, but he's not.

Wth....what you said made no sense. Muscles add more strength which translates to power to stride and therefore faster skating and balance.

[messier's_elbow]

I have a feeling the islanders are going to draft Ehlers at #5.....Canucks will draft dalColle in that case.

If that happens, Id like to thank Garth Snow personally.

[messier's_elbow]

I know . I am hearing rumblings about that as well. I can live with Dal Colle but I am hearing some negatives about Draisaitl now. Especially his speed.

You can tell Draisaitl is kind of slow but god is he big and has great hands. If anyone takes Ehlers or Ritchie before 6th thats fine with me.

[Robongo]

He's not Ehlers, but his skating ability is good. I don't see the concern about it being below average really. Everyone can always improve with their skating, and Draisaitl certainly can too, but I don't think its a weakness or anything that will hold him back.

With all due respect, his first two strides need some work no question. I'd say he definitely has average skating, which isn't necessarily bad for his size and works for him in junior and for the style of play he plays. At the next level, he certainly wont be relying on his skating(think getzlaf) but it does need work. But that's normal, every prospect has some flaws, they are 18 years old for gods sakes.

More on point to Ehlers, his flaws seem to be more size based, as he is quite a complete player. He's certainly not a one trick pony as he's very good at pking(although I concede usually with Drouin) but that shouldn't take away from his own abilities. At the next level he will be playing with highly skilled line mates anyways, so the fact that he is proficient in the D zone, plays the PP , and is a very dangerous PKer make him less of a risk than some of the larger players like Ritchie and Virtanen. He simply has very few holes in his game and if he played junior last year with the Mooseheads he'd be a top 5 pick no question in my mind.

I like Ritchie because for his size he has quite good hands and has very good vision and above average hockey sense, but there is no question hes dominant a lot of the time because of his size , especially while getting a stride in on the defender and driving to the net(near impossible to knock off the puck in junior). IMO the risk with Ehlers size is way overblown and it's just people nitpicking and trying to discredit him to suit their agenda. He's very average weight for skill players who are about to be drafted and about average height compared to some of the best in the game. The sky is literally the limit IMO, and the fact that he looked on par if not better some games than Drouin and Mantha is a testament to this. He's only risky because of the small sample size he's played in the Q, but if you judged him by the way he's been able to adapt so quickly to the smaller ice and his steep trajectory(steady ppg improvement), he's a very easy choice at 6th if one of the top 5 don't drop. He was able to grow an inch and over 15 lbs in a hockey season ,which shows hes not done filling out yet. We need to start thinking about life after the Sedin's, and who knows if we have a higher pick than this before they're done. This guy has first line talent all over him and if we don't take him, we will be kicking ourselves after Toronto does and are reaping the rewards for years to come.

[BurgerKing]

No they werent. They didnt play on the same line but you already know all this dont you.

We went through this already. Even when Drouin wasnt in the line up at all.....Ehlers got 25 points in 17 games. Thats on a team with nobody else who is even considered a 2nd round draft pick now or in the future.

That translates into 93 points in 64 games. A little less but virtually the same so you can throw that whole theory out the window.

We have been through all this before and all you do is wait a while and then repost it like your lies are new information.

They did play on the same line, also together on the power play, 17 games is a pretty small sample size to go off of.

[BurgerKing]

It makes no difference if Drouin was on the line for a while or not with Ehlers, Drouin is a puck hog like Kesler.

79 assists in 46 games...?

[BurgerKing]

wow this thread is turning nasty

[Honky Cat]

With all due respect, his first two strides need some work no question. I'd say he definitely has average skating, which isn't necessarily bad for his size and works for him in junior and for the style of play he plays. At the next level, he certainly wont be relying on his skating(think getzlaf) but it does need work. But that's normal, every prospect has some flaws, they are 18 years old for gods sakes.

More on point to Ehlers, his flaws seem to be more size based, as he is quite a complete player. He's certainly not a one trick pony as he's very good at pking(although I concede usually with Drouin) but that shouldn't take away from his own abilities. At the next level he will be playing with highly skilled line mates anyways, so the fact that he is proficient in the D zone, plays the PP , and is a very dangerous PKer make him less of a risk than some of the larger players like Ritchie and Virtanen. He simply has very few holes in his game and if he played junior last year with the Mooseheads he'd be a top 5 pick no question in my mind.

I like Ritchie because for his size he has quite good hands and has very good vision and above average hockey sense, but there is no question hes dominant a lot of the time because of his size , especially while getting a stride in on the defender and driving to the net(near impossible to knock off the puck in junior). IMO the risk with Ehlers size is way overblown and it's just people nitpicking and trying to discredit him to suit their agenda. He's very average weight for skill players who are about to be drafted and about average height compared to some of the best in the game. The sky is literally the limit IMO, and the fact that he looked on par if not better some games than Drouin and Mantha is a testament to this. He's only risky because of the small sample size he's played in the Q, but if you judged him by the way he's been able to adapt so quickly to the smaller ice and his steep trajectory(steady ppg improvement), he's a very easy choice at 6th if one of the top 5 don't drop. He was able to grow an inch and over 15 lbs in a hockey season ,which shows hes not done filling out yet. We need to start thinking about life after the Sedin's, and who knows if we have a higher pick than this before they're done. This guy has first line talent all over him and if we don't take him, we will be kicking ourselves after Toronto does and are reaping the rewards for years to come.

I've checked out the Toronto boards and Ehlers is definitely the top player on the radar..I think Ehlers would pretty much be a steal...However,Virtanen,Ritchie,Nylander have an equal shot at being an impact player in the NHL....

[groovy]

What guys have we taken in the 1st rounds lately, that have size, have been busts?

That's one undersized guy WE took. Guys with size won't always pan out either. Sure, size helps to be able to stay on the puck, but there are lots of small players that transition properly to the NHL. Brad Marchand, Andrew Shaw, Jiri Hudler,. Patrick Kane, Marty St. Louis, Zach Parise. The list could go on forever.

Size doesn't determine if someone will likely be a bust or not.

I agree there are great smaller players. However in terms of building a team, size is a very relevant component to being able to compete in this league and especially in the west. Vancouver`s first line is extremely soft and aging. Clearly that needs to be considered when putting the pieces together to support. It must be a consideration. Van also needs help now not 3 years down the road so if anything is to happen look for trades.

[Smashian Kassian]

With all due respect, his first two strides need some work no question. I'd say he definitely has average skating, which isn't necessarily bad for his size and works for him in junior and for the style of play he plays. At the next level, he certainly wont be relying on his skating(think getzlaf) but it does need work. But that's normal, every prospect has some flaws, they are 18 years old for gods sakes.

More on point to Ehlers, his flaws seem to be more size based, as he is quite a complete player. He's certainly not a one trick pony as he's very good at pking(although I concede usually with Drouin) but that shouldn't take away from his own abilities. At the next level he will be playing with highly skilled line mates anyways, so the fact that he is proficient in the D zone, plays the PP , and is a very dangerous PKer make him less of a risk than some of the larger players like Ritchie and Virtanen. He simply has very few holes in his game and if he played junior last year with the Mooseheads he'd be a top 5 pick no question in my mind.

I like Ritchie because for his size he has quite good hands and has very good vision and above average hockey sense, but there is no question hes dominant a lot of the time because of his size , especially while getting a stride in on the defender and driving to the net(near impossible to knock off the puck in junior). IMO the risk with Ehlers size is way overblown and it's just people nitpicking and trying to discredit him to suit their agenda. He's very average weight for skill players who are about to be drafted and about average height compared to some of the best in the game. The sky is literally the limit IMO, and the fact that he looked on par if not better some games than Drouin and Mantha is a testament to this. He's only risky because of the small sample size he's played in the Q, but if you judged him by the way he's been able to adapt so quickly to the smaller ice and his steep trajectory(steady ppg improvement), he's a very easy choice at 6th if one of the top 5 don't drop. He was able to grow an inch and over 15 lbs in a hockey season ,which shows hes not done filling out yet. We need to start thinking about life after the Sedin's, and who knows if we have a higher pick than this before they're done. This guy has first line talent all over him and if we don't take him, we will be kicking ourselves after Toronto does and are reaping the rewards for years to come.

Good post +1.

I don't think Draisaitl's skating ability is below average. I would say his first few steps could use work to get to the next level but currently are just average not below. Thats just my opinion, But he can work on it no doubt and will need to.

I agree with you on Ehlers & Ritchie.

Thats what I like about Ehlers. He doesn't really have any glaring weaknesses in his game as you said.

[CanuckleHorse]

You can't compare drafts 16 years apart. The developmental system has changed drastically. The reason Ehlers is highly touted is not just because of his speed but also because of his talent (extremely high hockey IQ) and skill level. There is a reason an experienced gm in Tallon is drooling all over him. If the Canucks pass up on the opportunity to draft Ehlers and opt for another power forward, we will all be regretting this for years to come. We lack a high end offensive player in our prospect pool. It really isn't worth wasting a 6th overall pick on Ritchie/Virtanen. They are not rare at all unless they MAX to their potential because the chances are, they will just be another big checking forward who puts up about 40 points/year. You can find these type of players much later in drafts as we have seen from recent years. Tom Wilson, Kassian, etc.

Look at the past draft history and tell us when was the last time a 6-3 230 pound power forward was projected top 10 in the draft?

[cdgraham]

I agree there are great smaller players. However in terms of building a team, size is a very relevant component to being able to compete in this league and especially in the west. Vancouver`s first line is extremely soft and aging. Clearly that needs to be considered when putting the pieces together to support. It must be a consideration. Van also needs help now not 3 years down the road so if anything is to happen look for trades.

size is relevant but we have size in our prospect pool already, what we lack is high end skill and speed

[bernzie71]

Ook im 5'7, 125 lbs when i played minorhockey i was small couldnt skate well but i had heart.and i tryed out for Junior A and was the last player cut for The timber Wolves. same as my younger brother 5'9-11 155 lbs as a teen .he was built like pavel bure. well now he 5'10 188lbs 26yrs old. i played like Theoren Fluery nd my bro pavel bure.

[Absent Canuck]

Look at the past draft history and tell us when was the last time a 6-3 230 pound power forward was projected top 10 in the draft?

I have put some thought into this question because it was intriguing. Guys this size are never projected in the top 10 because they are considered too big and slow for the position.

The most recent was Kyle Beachwho was just drafted at #11 which is not top 10 but we are really splitting hairs in this case.

I did some research to find effective power forwards in the NHL who are this size regardless of where they were drafted and as you can imagine it is virtually non existant.

Martin Hanzal and Blake Wheeler are two but they are both 6ft 5 and both have slimmed down to 215. Alex Ovechkin tried to play at 230 pounds but he couldnt pull it off. He is 6ft2 and cant play any heavier than 220 and be fast enough to challenge defenders.

In our own case, Zach Kassian is 6ft 3 and he was trying to lumber around at 220 and even that makes him too slow in todays NHL. Lucic is 6ft 4 so he is able to play at 220.

So in the end I bet we see Ritchie shave down to try to play at 215. 220 is probably pushing it considering his foot speed isnt the best.

[NucksCup2015]

But, but he's Bure 2.0, you're gonna upset Absent Canuck.

there's no doubt there's risk man, but people are assuming that Ehlers who is the same size as naslund has more risk than Virtanen just because of size...think about this

1. All else being equal of course you take a player with size, but operative words here are all else being equal, things never are equal right, that's the trick in drafting!

2. So there are tradeoffs. But posters here seem to imply that just because a player has more size (even if he has less skill, speed, or hockey iq, that the size translates into some sort of certainty that such player won't bust, or has less probability of busting that said 5'11 player).

3. This argument is so incredibly silly its beyond belief. NO ONE can predict which players will succeed or not. There are many many many players of all sizes who have busted in the first round, size is not the sole determining factor in NHL transition, if it were well there would be No one under 6'1 in the NHL

4. While it is an important factor it is no more important that the others I mentioned, along with many many other factors.

5. When in a position to draft elite skill (which has not been the case for about ten years for us), it is probably logical, strategic, and smart, to look at your FUTURE lineup needs and address those and take the most gifted offensive player available, given the size in the future lineup is certainly not lacking but pure skill is.

6. I am not saying Ehlers will be Giroux part II, nor will Virtanen be Iginla part II, what I am saying is people need to think about everything in balance vs cherry picking constantly because they have a chubby for a certain player. None of us know who will pan out, but in my view, any kid who is 5'11 and has scored the most goals as a rookie in the Q since a kid named Crosby did in his rookie year should not be 'dismissed' as many here are suggesting. If you've played the game you'd realize what kind of feat that is, ask yourself, would Virtanen or Ritchie have done the same? Unlikely. Who may have? Reinhart and Bennett...he's simply in that class.

[NucksCup2015]

I have put some thought into this question because it was intriguing. Guys this size are never projected in the top 10 because they are considered too big and slow for the position.

The most recent was Kyle Beachwho was just drafted at #11 which is not top 10 but we are really splitting hairs in this case.

I did some research to find effective power forwards in the NHL who are this size regardless of where they were drafted and as you can imagine it is virtually non existant.

Martin Hanzal and Blake Wheeler are two but they are both 6ft 5 and both have slimmed down to 215. Alex Ovechkin tried to play at 230 pounds but he couldnt pull it off. He is 6ft2 and cant play any heavier than 220 and be fast enough to challenge defenders.

In our own case, Zach Kassian is 6ft 3 and he was trying to lumber around at 220 and even that makes him too slow in todays NHL. Lucic is 6ft 4 so he is able to play at 220.

So in the end I bet we see Ritchie shave down to try to play at 215. 220 is probably pushing it considering his foot speed isnt the best.

we don't need slow and big, that's easy to find, alot of slow big players with hands end up being career ahl'ers....speed kills in the nhl, we can see it....we lack it, speed/elite skill is one of the biggest issues we will have in our future group

as long as ehlers doens't have mayray disease which is pretty easy to assess, he should be taken if available(assuming Dal Colle, Reinhart, Bennett are gone, and Ekblad clearly will be)

[CanuckleHorse]

I have put some thought into this question because it was intriguing. Guys this size are never projected in the top 10 because they are considered too big and slow for the position.

The most recent was Kyle Beachwho was just drafted at #11 which is not top 10 but we are really splitting hairs in this case.

I did some research to find effective power forwards in the NHL who are this size regardless of where they were drafted and as you can imagine it is virtually non existant.

Martin Hanzal and Blake Wheeler are two but they are both 6ft 5 and both have slimmed down to 215. Alex Ovechkin tried to play at 230 pounds but he couldnt pull it off. He is 6ft2 and cant play any heavier than 220 and be fast enough to challenge defenders.

In our own case, Zach Kassian is 6ft 3 and he was trying to lumber around at 220 and even that makes him too slow in todays NHL. Lucic is 6ft 4 so he is able to play at 220.

So in the end I bet we see Ritchie shave down to try to play at 215. 220 is probably pushing it considering his foot speed isnt the best.

Nick Ritchie skates well for a big man. Kyle Beach not a great skater. Zack Kassian A player who is needing work on his speed and his skating. Reading their draft reports looks like Ritchie is not as bad as people think and in Zack's case he is faster so you can get faster with proper training and dedication we should see how many of those 5-11 1st rndrs became stars and how many failed.