Prospect Info: 2024 Draft (1/11): Sam Dickinson (D) | London Knights (OHL)

[OrrNumber4]

Buium seems like he has a higher ceiling than Dickinson with a *much* lower floor.

 

[Jargon]

Lost my message twice because of this f***ing auto refresh.

Love Dickinson’s presser. Great personality. Seems like we’re building a team of really good, strong leader-types.

I really wanted Buium and am still slightly bummed we didn’t take him but I get it. Grier is trying to put together a team built specifically for the playoffs. Our forwards aren’t huge, and if you look at Buium and Dickinson side by side, I think Dickinson’s floor is higher than Buium (I think at worst he’s a #4 defenseman who is a bitch to play against and can pot in some goals) and at best, they’re both 1D but Dickinson is bigger, faster and will be harder to play against in the playoffs (while Buium will score more).

So, ultimately, I get it. I’m bummed im not going to get to buy a Buium jersey, but I get it.

I still think we need an offensive minded RD though.

 

[Le Rosbeef]

What an impressive young man. I love the aim/self comparative to Miro Heiskanen, how he references his own level of maturity. Oozes leadership.

I couldn't give a stuff about Buium. This was a much better organisational pick for me. The obsession with what could have been is self indulgent and counter productive. Delighted to have SD.

 

[Shark Finn]

Yeah, I get that Dickinson has a lot of potential. But Sharks fans will forever be comparing Dickinson to Buium during their career. And if Buium has a career that turns out to be way more successful than Dickinson then that would be unfortunate.

Not me. My preference was Dickinson out of the two.

 

[NiWa]

Dickinson is going to be a great #2 I think.

 

[mogambomoroo]

Really weird thought came to mind, but Dickinson seems like that guy that can win a Conn Smythe with under a point per game. With a giant messy beard and a "A" on his jersey.

 

[CanadienShark]

Just thinking long term here... If we struggle to land another top RHD, do we go for a LHD and led Dickinson play RD instead? Hearing he plays both sides.

 

[NiWa]

Just thinking long term here... If we struggle to land another top RHD, do we go for a LHD and led Dickinson play RD instead? Hearing he plays both sides.

None of the D remaining are likely to play top pair. So I think we'd be looking at drafting someone complimentary to Mukh (2nd pair, pick should be a RHD) or for the 3rd pair.

I think you might try go RHD with your top 5 pick next year (but BPA may prevent that).

 

[CanadienShark]

Ladies and gentlemen, introducing our new Captain of the San Jose Sharks.

None of the D remaining are likely to play top pair. So I think we'd be looking at drafting someone complimentary to Mukh (2nd pair, pick should be a RHD) or for the 3rd pair.

I think you might try go RHD with your top 5 pick next year (but BPA may prevent that).

Sorry, I should've been more clear. Not necessarily relating to the draft, but via any avenue whether it's trade, free agency, or the draft. If Dickinson develops into that top pair guy, should we let him play the right side or just have him as a fixture on the left?

 

[STL Shark]

Just thinking long term here... If we struggle to land another top RHD, do we go for a LHD and led Dickinson play RD instead? Hearing he plays both sides.

Too early to worry about it. Lots of time to find RHD and build a balanced group on the backend. Think our goal looks to be a good 1-3 pairings rather than a large delta between top and bottom pairings. That’s the modern way to build a defense. 1-6 of guys that have good size and can skate.

 

[mogambomoroo]

Too early to worry about it. Lots of time to find RHD and build a balanced group on the backend. Think our goal looks to be a good 1-3 pairings rather than a large delta between top and bottom pairings. That’s the modern way to build a defense. 1-6 of guys that have good size and can skate.

Yep, in the Vegas and Florida cup runs they didn't have that absolute 1D, just a very balanced defensive corps that did help out two-way. You could argue that Tampa and Colorado had a 1D, but they were also surrounded by a very balanced and good defensive group.

 

[67 others]

From what I gather, Dickinson is an incredibly smart, two-way defenseman that’s super mobile, big, responsible on both ends of the ice, etc. I think he is less offensively gifted than Buium but he plays an NHL-ready game and his floor is high. Hes almost for sure a top 4 defenseman, with a chance of being #1.

But @Juxtaposer and others will surely be able to give a better report, this is simply from me reading scouts!

I'll copy paste what a London knights fan who has been reliable in the past wrote up

Sam Dickinson scouting report​

Congratulations on your team drafting left-shot defender Sam Dickinson. I’m a London Knights fan, and I wrote this scouting report based on my time watching him over the past two seasons.
Strengths: Dickinson has tremendous physical tools. He’s big, strong, and is a very, very strong skater both backwards and forwards. Unlike a lot of larger players, he is capable of really quick turns and great acceleration. With his skating stride, he was able to lead breakouts by himself at a high frequency, and did this with great success.
Defensively, he is very good positionally, and recovers well when caught in bad positions. He has a very strong stick, and was able to manhandle almost any OHLer in one on one battles for the puck. He’s very difficult to beat off the rush, as he has a long reach, and can skate with nearly every forward.
Offensively, he has good vision, but carried pucks out of his zone quite often, where others would be finding a pass. He has a very heavy shot, with both his wrister, and one-time shot beating goalies from distances, even without screens. Dickinson also has a calming presence on the puck most of the time, and his large frame buys himself the extra time to make plays. He stickhandles very well for a defenceman of his size, and can beat opposing defenders off the rush with his combination of size, speed and skill.
Weaknesses: Let me preface by saying that Dickinson has very few glaring holes in his game, and is thought of as one of the most well-rounded defensive prospects in the class. The criticisms below are improvements that I think he will likely make going forward
At times Dickinson tries to be a little bit too aggressive in threading passes through tighter areas. In particular, he tries backhand saucer passes more often than necessary, which got him into trouble a few times.
Dickinson’s breakout passing could also be improved, as he iced the puck fairly frequently. He sometimes passes the puck too hard for forwards to receive on his breakout passes in particular.
For a player his size, you would also expect Dickinson to be more intimidating in terms of body-checking. He simply chooses not to engage quite as often as a more prototypical big defender would, but does have success when he does go for body checks.
Summary: Dickinson is one of the most talented defenders I’ve seen play for London. In recent years, we’ve seen Logan Mailloux, Oliver Bonk, and Evan Bouchard (among others) come through the system. While Dickinson lacks the high-end dynamic offensive talent of Bouchard, I believe he is the best all-around player of the four, at this age.
What Dickinson did last year, as a rookie defenceman on London’s run to the OHL championship was very impressive. He was blasting powerplay goals as a 16 year old, which is incredibly rare.
This year, he was used in a more demanding defensive role, and he continued to excel. London had 4 potential NHL caliber defensive prospects (Dickinson, Bonk as well as Isaiah George and Jackson Edward), who all played major minutes, as London often did not use the third pair, particularly in the playoffs.
Unfortunately for Dickinson this year, he was not included in London’s record setting top power play unit, as London used an unorthodox setup with the only defender (Bonk) being used in the bumper position. (Note: this is where fellow Sharks prospect Kasper Halttunen was destroying teams). This is the only reason Dickinson’s goal (and point) totals are not closer to Yakemchuk and Parekh. If Dickinson returns to London next year (which he should), I would expect more power play time, and higher point production as a result.
While Dickinson did benefit from being on an extremely strong London team this year, he was a standout player for them, and was (in my opinion) their best player in the Memorial Cup.
Projections: I believe Dickinson has a strong chance to be a top pairing defender that can be used in all situations. This is a safe pick, with a very low potential to not make an NHL impact. He should not be rushed to an NHL roster in year one, but should be ready within 1 or 2 years.
Player comparison: Duncan Keith, Aaron Ekblad, Jakob Chychrun

 

[matt trick]

Love this player. Would have marginally preferred Buium, but wanted to move up as I would have been thrilled with any of Silayev, Buium, Dickinson, Parekh, or Yakemchuk. I do think Dickinson and Silayev are effectively guarantees to be quality top 4 d-men for an extremely long time. Dickinson seems to have a lot more offensive upside, and sounds like a guy who'll wear a letter for the team. Celebrini will be the future captain, but Dickinson will likely wear an A for this team. Didn't pay too close of attention to Silayev as I didn't think he'd make it past Anaheim, but Dickinson and Buium were the guys I was hoping would be there. Never dreamed we'd get Grier's first choice between the two.

Grier said they see him as potential top pairing d-man. I'd bet they had Dickinson no lower than 9 on their draft board. I'd be surprised if Catton and all three of Silayev/Parekh/Yakemchuk were ahead of him. Possible they had him at 5/6 after Celebrini, Levshunov, Lindstrom, and/or one of the earlier D or Demidov.

Also love that with a blue-chip defensive prospect- and a good one in Muk- team-building becomes a bit easier. We had to leave this draft or next with a guy we felt was a future top pairing d-man. Now with BDE and Muk, we can zero in on BPA from Hagens, Martone, or Misa rather than really feeling like we have to come away with Hensler/Schaefer, ect. Plenty of time for a d-man to earn BPA, but now I get to dream about a top six of Eklund-Celebrini-Chernyshov, Musty-Hagens-Smith top 6.

I'd bet we'll have as much or more draft capital next year as well.

 

[rekrul]

Like that he will be working with fellow Shark Haulttunen and expect London to roll through the OHL again. Should be an automatic for the WJC Canada Roster. Where he plays with the other Dmen drafted Yakemchuk, Parekh?- I would assume #1 pairing but that will be interesting to see in his development.

 

[mogambomoroo]

I've been writing now more than I've probably ever had in this forum, but it's just that exciting.

Buium vs Dickinson case:
Sharks were in position to draft either one of them, so that's why there is a Buium vs Dickinson conversation going on until they both retire.
You can see there is a lot of talk about how a lot fans would've preferred Buium by a little bit.
I understand it in the heat of the moment, I was in that same boat... until couple of minutes after the draft pick happened. I fell in love with the Dickinson pick pretty quick.
This was really tight competition between Buium and Dickinson, both bring a lot of positives to the franchise they are drafted to. Both are winners.

Ultimately I believe as 1D Buium will be the highlight reel defencemen, but 1D Dickinson will be the one that every team wants and needs on their team. Little bit like Burns/Karlsson vs Pietroangelo, who ultimately has the cup?
MG probably saw through the tight battle of Buium and Dickinson, with Dickinson as the one that can lead the team. I can see Buium being more favorite to win a Norris (because of the points) but Dickinson as the one that everybody thinks really deserves it (because of being the better defencemen just outside the point per game)

I just had to write that, I don't know if it makes any sense.
I love this draft so far, let's crush the 2nd round!

 

[Brock]

Love this pick for you guys.

Some content for you.

Subscribe

www.mckeenshockey.com

Tons of info from my site here:

2024 NHL Draft Primer

We're only a day away from the 2024 NHL Draft in Vegas! I'm live in Vegas bringing you coverage on social media. However, if you're looking ...

ohlprospects.blogspot.com

 

[Alaskanice]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1806915010930905522

This kid is a gem already.

 

[weastern bias]

Offensemen

 

[matt trick]

Love this pick for you guys.

Some content for you.

Subscribe

www.mckeenshockey.com

Tons of info from my site here:

2024 NHL Draft Primer

We're only a day away from the 2024 NHL Draft in Vegas! I'm live in Vegas bringing you coverage on social media. However, if you're looking ...

ohlprospects.blogspot.com

@Sheng Peng @Kcoyote3 love when you guys have prospect experts on. Brock has some of the best OHL (best IMO!) content around. Perhaps a good person for your next marathon podcast interview, if he'd be obliging

Your interviews have been lately btw!

@Brock was just looking for your perspective on Dickinson, thanks for sharing!

 

[coooldude]

Just to rehash some of the debates that were had on Dickinson's profile thread that @Juxtaposer referenced:

• Pietrangelo would be an absolute ceiling and is not very likely. If that's the clear projection, he's going 1 or 2 OA.
• physical profile more like Seabrook or as he himself says, Heiskanen. Either outcome would be a ceiling hit.
• The critiques of his IQ and decision making are real, just like those of Lev and Yak, but also he's super young and those criticisms rarely had him fall to 11
• Some argued that he was sheltered in London and benefited from their team and system, others thought he was a core component of their success, which also drove the disagreement between putting him 2-4oa or 8-10oa.
• Most agreed that he has a very safe floor of 2nd pairing, steady guy. So the debate is all about ceiling.
• The contrast to Buium is that Buium is in many people's eyes an extremely high IQ player, and that's the closer Keith comparison except he's not as fast. Disagreement on him whether he's an excellent D or whether it's an afterthought. Only reason I can think he dropped to 12 is size and LD. Either player was an amazing get, slightly different risk profiles and play styles but I love it. Would have been happy with Zeev but maybe a little nervous on passing on Sam, just like I feel with picking Sam.

 

[Alaskanice]

Not me. My preference was Dickinson out of the two.

 

[weastern bias]

Wow, very impressive from such a young guy, he's quite confident and engaged, I like this pick a whole lot more just on the basis of this one interview

 

[matt trick]

Just to rehash some of the debates that were had on Dickinson's profile thread that @Juxtaposer referenced:

• Pietrangelo would be an absolute ceiling and is not very likely. If that's the clear projection, he's going 1 or 2 OA.
• physical profile more like Seabrook or as he himself says, Heiskanen. Either outcome would be a ceiling hit.
• The critiques of his IQ and decision making are real, just like those of Lev and Yak, but also he's super young and those criticisms rarely had him fall to 11
• Some argued that he was sheltered in London and benefited from their team and system, others thought he was a core component of their success, which also drove the disagreement between putting him 2-4oa or 8-10oa.
• Most agreed that he has a very safe floor of 2nd pairing, steady guy. So the debate is all about ceiling.
• The contrast to Buium is that Buium is in many people's eyes an extremely high IQ player, and that's the closer Keith comparison except he's not as fast. Disagreement on him whether he's an excellent D or whether it's an afterthought. Only reason I can think he dropped to 12 is size and LD. Either player was an amazing get, slightly different risk profiles and play styles but I love it. Would have been happy with Zeev but maybe a little nervous on passing on Sam, just like I feel with picking Sam.

Strongly agree with that last bit. I'd have been thrilled with either, but Grier/Morehouse getting to make the choice is awfully exciting. If one of them went at 8 and Silayev went 10, there'd be no concern. Having gotten spoilt for choice will make this a a discussion point for years.

If they both hit their top end ceiling it's a Hanafin/Heiskanen vs. Fox/McAvoy discussion. Pumped.

Would love to know what San Jose's top 14 looked like.

 

[Bowie22]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1806477216810684448

 

[Jargon]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1806477216810684448

Again, I’m really enjoying the continued tradition of having personality in the Sharks lineup (THOUGH ZEEV HAS IT TOO!)