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

[Jargon]

The Dickinson prospects thread is a wild adventure. It’s like; “this guy is maybe a #4, but I question his IQ” and then another poster is like “uh he has amazing IQ and is a #1”

 

[sjsharks92]

The Dickinson prospects thread is a wild adventure. It’s like; “this guy is maybe a #4, but I question his IQ” and then another poster is like “uh he has amazing IQ and is a #1”

The only thing everyone seems to agree on about him is that he is an elite skater and has a bomb of a shot. Those are 2 things I don't think you can teach, so I trust the rest can be rounded out.

 

[dmcccdmn]

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!

Is it too far off to say Dickinson is like more rounded, big player like Burns and Buium is like Karlssen/Boyle, more deadly offensively but defense is a little suspect? If so then it's whether you'd rather have Burns or Karlssen?

From previous drafts, are guys like Dickinson having more success, thus lower risk than players that are said to be offensively gifted but shorter and less defensively skilled like Buium?

I really wonder what Grier's thoughts were when he picked Dickinson over Buium. Just making a safe pick or if it was a no-brainer picking Dickinson over Buium?

 

[The McMafia]

Is it too far off to say Dickinson is like more rounded, big player like Burns and Buium is like Karlssen/Boyle, more deadly offensively but defense is a little suspect? If so then it's whether you'd rather have Burns or Karlssen?

From previous drafts, are guys like Dickinson having more success, thus lower risk than players that are said to be offensively gifted but shorter and less defensively skilled like Buium?

I really wonder what Grier's thoughts were when he picked Dickinson over Buium. Just making a safe pick or if it was a no-brainer picking Dickinson over Buium?

I think it's more personal choice and picking what you need/want. If the org genuinely believes that Cagnoni's elite offense can translate to the NHL, he could be a PP QB & puck moving specialist that feasts on weaker matchups while on the third pairing. Maybe his presence removes the need to have a Buium or Parekh. Dickinson is more of an all-situation minute eater.

 

[one2gamble]

They needed a player like Dickinson just as much as an offensive minded d.

He's young, tall and skates well. What more do you want

 

[nerdybeard]

Is it too far off to say Dickinson is like more rounded, big player like Burns and Buium is like Karlssen/Boyle, more deadly offensively but defense is a little suspect? If so then it's whether you'd rather have Burns or Karlssen?

From previous drafts, are guys like Dickinson having more success, thus lower risk than players that are said to be offensively gifted but shorter and less defensively skilled like Buium?

I really wonder what Grier's thoughts were when he picked Dickinson over Buium. Just making a safe pick or if it was a no-brainer picking Dickinson over Buium?

While I think we're all in awe that Buium & Dickinson were available at 11 - I have to guess that the scouts had a list and Dickinson was above Buium. Also consider that Dickinson plays on the Knights with Halttunen, which may have had some influence. I personally don't think it was a no brainer at all, more like a full-brainer with some reasoning behind it that we can all try and guess but GMMG & his team felt best about.

 

[Hodge]

Offensemen are not that important to team success and therefore easy to find. You can trade a 3rd round pick for Brandon Montour.

If Dickinson reaches his ceiling he will be the type of defenseman who is simply impossible to acquire on the open market.

 

[dmcccdmn]

Offensemen are not that important to team success and therefore easy to find. You can trade a 3rd round pick for Brandon Montour.

If Dickinson reaches his ceiling he will be the type of defenseman who is simply impossible to acquire on the open market.

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.

 

[Zarzh]

Is it too far off to say Dickinson is like more rounded, big player like Burns and Buium is like Karlssen/Boyle, more deadly offensively but defense is a little suspect? If so then it's whether you'd rather have Burns or Karlssen?

From previous drafts, are guys like Dickinson having more success, thus lower risk than players that are said to be offensively gifted but shorter and less defensively skilled like Buium?

I really wonder what Grier's thoughts were when he picked Dickinson over Buium. Just making a safe pick or if it was a no-brainer picking Dickinson over Buium?

Dickinson is better defensively and less creative offensively. Similar to Sanderson as a prospect both stylistically and in the divided opinions of the player.

 

[sjsharks92]

I think it's more personal choice and picking what you need/want. If the org genuinely believes that Cagnoni's elite offense can translate to the NHL, he could be a PP QB & puck moving specialist that feasts on weaker matchups while on the third pairing. Maybe his presence removes the need to have a Buium or Parekh. Dickinson is more of an all-situation minute eater.

I think that last part is the most important piece. Sharks defensive cupboard needed a guy that could profile as a top-pairing minute eater. Dickinson is certainly not a surefire top pairing guy, but he does look like he'll be a reliable top4 player who can play some PK and PP.

 

[tiburon12]

After watching Dickinson media availability, he has a leader written all over him!

Yes, and he looks like he is going to be a physical monster in a few years.

 

[Hodge]

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.

I just don't see many 6'0 or under defensemen who can't skate at a Makar/Hughes level having success in the NHL.

Meanwhile every recent champion's defense corps has multiple guys similar to what Dickinson projects to become.

 

[LadyStanley]

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

 

[DG93]

I just don't see many 6'0 or under defensemen who can't skate at a Makar/Hughes level having success in the NHL.

Meanwhile every recent champion's defense corps has multiple guys similar to what Dickinson projects to become.

Yep, Buium didn't drop to 12 for no reason either...I bet if he's a couple inches taller, he gets drafted by some team way earlier

 

[Hodge]

Yep, Buium didn't drop to 12 for no reason either...I bet if he's a couple inches taller, he gets drafted by some team way earlier

Danny Briere basically admitted that's why the Flyers passed on him:

https://x.com/i/web/status/1806893450291454037

Granted this is pretty dumb reasoning overall since none of the guys he named are even good NHL players.

 

[Juxtaposer]

Danny Briere basically admitted that's why the Flyers passed on him:

https://x.com/i/web/status/1806893450291454037

Granted this is pretty dumb reasoning overall since none of the guys he named are even good NHL players.

This is a genuinely braindead, unserious quote from Danny Briere. I get not wanting a defense group full of 6’0” D but none of those guys he listed are actually any good anyway. You don’t pass on Zeev Buium because your ass defense is small, you draft Zeev Buium and then build a big D around him.

 

[timorous me]

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.

I'm not surprised Buium got more love from fans leading up to the draft--he plays a more exciting game, he played on a stage where more fans saw him, and he's got a cool name, lol--but I don't think we should necessarily confuse the flashier prospect for the better prospect.

Dickinson was a guy I'll admit to overlooking leading up to the draft (partly because I didn't see an avenue to the Sharks getting him, so I sort of blew him off without paying much attention as some steady, unexciting prospect). But in recent days, just consuming more draft content while being bored and quarantining, I started to see more and more of him and was like, "Shit, this guy is kind of awesome."

I mean, we're talking about a defenseman who is looked at as one of the top three skaters (of all guy, not just d-men) in the draft--as a 6'3" dude who just turned 18 this month and is not exactly a beanpole. And on top of that, I saw his shot was ranked at #6 in this draft!

He played in a great program, got good coaching and development, was leaned on heavily, and really progressed his game as a 17 year old. I get being sad about Buium for anyone who'd gotten hyped on him, but the kid we got instead looks like a huge win for a second pick in this draft and is worth celebrating for who he is, not worrying about who he is in comparison to Zeev Buium.

 

[DG93]

Danny Briere basically admitted that's why the Flyers passed on him:

https://x.com/i/web/status/1806893450291454037

Granted this is pretty dumb reasoning overall since none of the guys he named are even good NHL players.

Yeah, that's pretty dumb reasoning. They ended up drafting some clown who will be a 3C instead...great logic there. Just take BPA and figure it out later...yikes I'm glad we have Grier as our GM and not Briere

 

[Patty Ice]

Nickname pitch: Big Dicky.

I'm going with BDE

 

[LadyStanley]

 

[dmcccdmn]

I just don't see many 6'0 or under defensemen who can't skate at a Makar/Hughes level having success in the NHL.

Meanwhile every recent champion's defense corps has multiple guys similar to what Dickinson projects to become.

Being faster, bigger and younger than Buium sold it for me.

 

[Juxtaposer]

I just had an interesting thought, but the feeling I had today about passing on Buium for Dickinson is exactly how I felt about passing on Teravainen for Hertl (checks notes) twelve years ago. I was really annoyed at first, because the former in both cases was my pet project for the draft year (I really loved Teravainen because dangles, don’t come at me), but I also calmed down really quickly because I did like Hertl a lot and I do like Dickinson a lot. Definitely safer choices compared to the flashier guys I preferred, and while I saw Hertl as a floor guy at the time, he actually ended up having a much better peak than Teravainen. Hopefully the same thing plays out with Sammy D.

As an aside, Dickinson seems like a really fun personality. I liked his media availability, he was super positive and didn’t take the bait on some of those questions and clearly is juiced to get this thing going.

 

[DG93]

Seems like a very well-spoken kid and actually has personality (unlike the average NHL personality of sun-dried tomatoes)...makes this pick even better.

 

[timorous me]

Seems like a very well-spoken kid and actually has personality (unlike the average NHL personality of sun-dried tomatoes)...makes this pick even better.

Yeah--what a seriously infectious, joyful personality. Comes across as very mature for having just turned 18.

 

[sjsharks92]

I'm not surprised Buium got more love from fans leading up to the draft--he plays a more exciting game, he played on a stage where more fans saw him, and he's got a cool name, lol--but I don't think we should necessarily confuse the flashier prospect for the better prospect.

Dickinson was a guy I'll admit to overlooking leading up to the draft (partly because I didn't see an avenue to the Sharks getting him, so I sort of blew him off without paying much attention as some steady, unexciting prospect). But in recent days, just consuming more draft content while being bored and quarantining, I started to see more and more of him and was like, "Shit, this guy is kind of awesome."

I mean, we're talking about a defenseman who is looked at as one of the top three skaters (of all guy, not just d-men) in the draft--as a 6'3" dude who just turned 18 this month and is not exactly a beanpole. And on top of that, I saw his shot was ranked at #6 in this draft!

He played in a great program, got good coaching and development, was leaned on heavily, and really progressed his game as a 17 year old. I get being sad about Buium for anyone who'd gotten hyped on him, but the kid we got instead looks like a huge win for a second pick in this draft and is worth celebrating for who he is, not worrying about who he is in comparison to Zeev Buium.

Nailed it. Buium is a fun prospect who may end up the better player. But Dickinson’s size and play style is historically more conducive to winning. Every cup team has a guy like him.