Prospect Info: 2025 Draft: We are #1….1

[CheckingLineCenter]

Yea save your defense picks for the later rounds where you take NCAA dmen. Collect Dumoulins and Sambergs and Slavins there. Dont blow your picks on CHL defensemen who haven’t learned how to play defense yet. We’ve seen enough of that for a while still.

Kind of interesting thought here

Vlasic, Faber, LaCombe, Kleven, Fox, Lohrei, Hutson, Samuelsson, Kesselring

I’m sure I’m missing some. But all recent solid d-men drafted as round 2 or later defenders going to college in addition to who you named.

 

[Jesse]

Take him- not cute

He’s my 5th ranked player. I think he’s a weaker 5th (for instance if he was in his brothers draft he’d be in the 10-15 range imo) but I think he’s as close to surefire NHLer as there is. And still has top line upside.

In that case, I'm with you. I just think his skill set correlates directly to a Kunitz-like top line role. Maybe not the dynamic hands he can make a living off of, but as a shooter, play-driver, forechecker, and energy presence, it's a pretty clear-cut route to the NHL for me.

I have been taking a beating for this on Twitter, but I maintain that one of the reasons Frondell rose so hard towards the end of the year is that he was enjoying the fruits of Victor Eklund's efforts. I don't want to paint a picture that Frondell can't forecheck or be a menace in his own right, he definitely picked that up as the year went along and his health/wind/legs came back upon promotion to the parent club. That being said, the space Frondell had to put his release to good use was often off of the back of Eklund running into the OZ like a wrecking ball and winning a loose puck to set the entire play up.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Yeah it's been a trend for quite a few years that NCAA defensemen have been progressing far better than CHL defenseman, or more that CHL defensemen have been consistently failing to progress well. You've even seen that in the Penguins prospect pool over the past decade or so, with the guys panning out (Dumoulin, Pettersson, Marino and Maatta as notable ones) being mostly non-CHL (in Maatta's case, Europe followed by 2 years in CHL) and their busts (POJ, Morrow, Pouliot, Addison and such) being mostly CHL defensemen. I think prioritizing NCAA defensemen is a smart move just based on the data.

In terms of NCAA defenseman, an interesting name to consider: Haoxi Wang. He was born in China and split time between the OJHL and OHL this year, but he's transferring to Boston University next year. He's still very young (late July 2007 birthday) and he's massive (6'6" and 212 lbs), so he could be a really interesting project to take in the 2nd.

 

[Ugene Magic]

In that case, I'm with you. I just think his skill set correlates directly to a Kunitz-like top line role. Maybe not the dynamic hands he can make a living off of, but as a shooter, play-driver, forechecker, and energy presence, it's a pretty clear-cut route to the NHL for me.

I have been taking a beating for this on Twitter, but I maintain that one of the reasons Frondell rose so hard towards the end of the year is that he was enjoying the fruits of Victor Eklund's efforts. I don't want to paint a picture that Frondell can't forecheck or be a menace in his own right, he definitely picked that up as the year went along and his health/wind/legs came back upon promotion to the parent club. That being said, the space Frondell had to put his release to good use was often off of the back of Eklund running into the OZ like a wrecking ball and winning a loose puck to set the entire play up.

I don't put as much stock into this (for both) because, they had a lot more open ice and a lot less physicality to equate a Kunitz type of comparison. Also, Eklund is going to need to pack some pounds on the 161 lbs. frame. But mostly, his speed and work ethic is mostly to do with it, if you watch a lot of the video there's very little physicality, even in front of the net.

Looks like a very fast pond hockey game.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Wasn't Kunitz only like 6' and 185 lbs for most of his career? Eklund needs to add some weight but not really a ton to have a similar size to Kunitz.

Hornqvist was the same way, he wasn't even 190 lbs but he was ultra physical.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

In that case, I'm with you. I just think his skill set correlates directly to a Kunitz-like top line role. Maybe not the dynamic hands he can make a living off of, but as a shooter, play-driver, forechecker, and energy presence, it's a pretty clear-cut route to the NHL for me.

I have been taking a beating for this on Twitter, but I maintain that one of the reasons Frondell rose so hard towards the end of the year is that he was enjoying the fruits of Victor Eklund's efforts. I don't want to paint a picture that Frondell can't forecheck or be a menace in his own right, he definitely picked that up as the year went along and his health/wind/legs came back upon promotion to the parent club. That being said, the space Frondell had to put his release to good use was often off of the back of Eklund running into the OZ like a wrecking ball and winning a loose puck to set the entire play up.

Yeah I think Eklund is a way better player than Frondell today.

Longer term and what is valuable in the NHL, and maybe potential C upside? Frondell closes the gap based on that. He could maybe work the half wall of a PP1 one day too.

I still have Eklund one spot higher. And I think Frondell has way more bust risk.

 

[Ugene Magic]

Wasn't Kunitz only like 6' and 185 lbs for most of his career? Eklund needs to add some weight but not really a ton to have a similar size to Kunitz.

Hornqvist was the same way, he wasn't even 190 lbs but he was ultra physical.

He was, 188lbs, but that's 27/29 pounds given up there.

I can't imagine him being all that effective without it, and really, probably more injury prone.

 

[Jesse]

I don't put as much stock into this (for both) because, they had a lot more open ice and a lot less physicality to equate a Kunitz type of comparison. Also, Eklund is going to need to pack some pounds on the 161 lbs. frame. But mostly, his speed and work ethic is mostly to do with it, if you watch a lot of the video there's very little physicality, even in front of the net.

Looks like a very fast pond hockey game.

Very little physicality? I have no idea how someone ends up at that conclusion. Seriously, not trying to be a jerk, but I have posted several videos of Eklund's work that showcase the opposite of very little physicality. I would argue his primary method of generating chances is off of the back of turnovers that come from said physicality on the forecheck. It's basically the defining aspect of his game, for me.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Eklund is like the 2nd most physical dude in the draft imo

Which honestly you could twist to be a negative haha. Like is that gonna translate at his size?

 

[Jared Grayden]

He was, 188lbs, but that's 27/29 pounds given up there.

I can't imagine him being all that effective without it, and really, probably more injury prone.

Central scouting doesn't have measured sizes on Frondell or Eklund yet. I know the European scout from McKeen's keeps saying both are larger than listed.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Yeah I figure Eklund is closer to 5'11" and 175 lbs than where he's currently at. He'll need to bulk up but not an asinine amount.

William was 5'10" and 176 lbs when he was drafted and is 5'11" and 181 lbs now, I figure Victor will be about the same.

 

[Ugene Magic]

Very little physicality? I have no idea how someone ends up at that conclusion. Seriously, not trying to be a jerk, but I have posted several videos of Eklund's work that showcase the opposite of very little physicality. I would argue his primary method of generating chances is off of the back of turnovers that come from said physicality on the forecheck. It's basically the defining aspect of his game, for me.

I'm gonna have to agree to disagree here.

I've seen very little of the physical attributes from him. He's got a motor and maybe it looks like he's being physical. It's really not his game to be that kind of guy. He's not going to be laying guys out. He beats players to pucks, and in a lot of circumstances in the NHL players would be looking to lay him out with what he's done on larger ice than in a much more confined ice smaller NHL rink sized space. They won't be looking to do stick checks, to say the least.

 

[Ugene Magic]

Yeah I figure Eklund is closer to 5'11" and 175 lbs than where he's currently at. He'll need to bulk up but not an asinine amount.

William was 5'10" and 176 lbs when he was drafted and is 5'11" and 181 lbs now, I figure Victor will be about the same.

And that is possible. I didn't say he couldn't, only that he needed to.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

I'm gonna have to agree to disagree here.

I've seen very little of the physical attributes from him. He's got a motor and maybe it looks like he's being physical. It's really not his game to be that kind of guy. He's not going to be laying guys out. He beats players to pucks, and in a lot of circumstances in the NHL players would be looking to lay him out with what he's done on larger ice than in a much more confined ice smaller NHL rink sized space. They won't be looking to do stick checks, to say the least.

This is counterintuitive. If you win a puck race you are not going to hit anyone because you have the puck (except for TJ Oshie- was a dawg at reverse hits).

Anyway- I suggest you watch more. Eklund throws the body a ton. It’s not very debatable. How successful the hitting is and how hard he hits? That’s mediocre to avg but he has the frame to put weight on.

I think the one thing you can maybe fault Eklund for on tools is skating actually. His feet flail a tad when he’s getting up to speed. But even if he’s not an elite skater he’s still a very good one and to me it just suggests he could be an elite skater with more power.

 

[Ugene Magic]

This is counterintuitive. If you win a puck race you are not going to hit anyone because you have the puck (except for TJ Oshie- was a dawg at reverse hits).

Anyway- I suggest you watch more. Eklund throws the body a ton. It’s not very debatable. How successful the hitting is and how hard he hits? That’s mediocre to avg but he has the frame to put weight on.

I think the one thing you can maybe fault Eklund for on tools is skating actually. His feet flail a tad when he’s getting up to speed. But even if he’s not an elite skater he’s still a very good one and to me it just suggests he could be an elite skater with more power.

I've watched him enough to come up with my own decision on him. I don't believe he's that guy is all.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

I've watched him enough to come up with my own decision on him. I don't believe he's that guy is all.

it’s totally fair to say he doesn’t project to be a physical presence in the NHL.

what I can’t wrap my head around is saying he currently doesn’t throw his weight around a lot. It’s like saying McDavid isn’t a great skater.

 

[lokomotiv15]

Yeah it's been a trend for quite a few years that NCAA defensemen have been progressing far better than CHL defenseman, or more that CHL defensemen have been consistently failing to progress well. You've even seen that in the Penguins prospect pool over the past decade or so, with the guys panning out (Dumoulin, Pettersson, Marino and Maatta as notable ones) being mostly non-CHL (in Maatta's case, Europe followed by 2 years in CHL) and their busts (POJ, Morrow, Pouliot, Addison and such) being mostly CHL defensemen. I think prioritizing NCAA defensemen is a smart move just based on the data.

In terms of NCAA defenseman, an interesting name to consider: Haoxi Wang. He was born in China and split time between the OJHL and OHL this year, but he's transferring to Boston University next year. He's still very young (late July 2007 birthday) and he's massive (6'6" and 212 lbs), so he could be a really interesting project to take in the 2nd.

Been following him a bit this year and seen him in person a few times including game 2 of the OHL final in London. I'm curious to see where he goes and what he becomes but, and maybe I'm wrong and London + Brantford aren't the best team to watch someone play for the eye test, he looks like Hal Gill, if he skated like Mike Komisarek. Treats the puck like a grenade, no patience or timing, gets flustered when he's getting forechecked. Makes a decent first pass when he has time and space, uses his big body to block lanes, pinch guys off, and uses his decent mobility (for his size) to check guys.

Like you said, super interesting, love to see his continued upwards trajectory. Fun little flyer to take with a 2nd. Rather spend a third on him and try someone with more dynamic offense as a homerun swing with a 2nd, but don't think there's much chance he lasts until we pick in the 3rd.

 

[SEALBound]

it’s totally fair to say he doesn’t project to be a physical presence in the NHL.

what I can’t wrap my head around is saying he currently doesn’t throw his weight around a lot. It’s like saying McDavid isn’t a great skater.

I won't speak for him, but I think this is what he's getting at. While he plays a gritty/physical now - with his height and weight - how well will that actually transfer to the NHL? Some guys make it work, some don't. The benefit for Eklund is that even if physicality doesn't become a primary tool of his in the NHL, he's got a lot of other tools that will still make him valuable. The comparison to Garland in that regard was pretty fair. Garland has been able to be a productive forechecker and offensive presence with a healthy dose of physicality, all while being on the smaller side.

 

[Ugene Magic]

it’s totally fair to say he doesn’t project to be a physical presence in the NHL.

what I can’t wrap my head around is saying he currently doesn’t throw his weight around a lot. It’s like saying McDavid isn’t a great skater.

I won't speak for him, but I think this is what he's getting at. While he plays a gritty/physical now - with his height and weight - how well will that actually transfer to the NHL? Some guys make it work, some don't. The benefit for Eklund is that even if physicality doesn't become a primary tool of his in the NHL, he's got a lot of other tools that will still make him valuable. The comparison to Garland in that regard was pretty fair. Garland has been able to be a productive forechecker and offensive presence with a healthy dose of physicality, all while being on the smaller side.

Right, he'll be more of a playmaker, his most appealing trait, a long with his speed. I don't know if physicality should be the first attribute to his game. Winning board battles doesn't always equal that. His speed does most of the work. He's not laying guys out enough to say he's this physical guy, though he can do it in spot instances. He's what I would call a "fierce competitor" than a physical guy.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Right, he'll be more of a playmaker, his most appealing trait, a long with his speed. I don't know if physicality should be the first attribute to his game. Winning board battles doesn't always equal that. His speed does most of the work. He's not laying guys out enough to say he's this physical guy, though he can do it in spot instances. He's what I would call a "fierce competitor" than a physical guy.

That’s fair then

I think his playmaking is average though.

 

[Jesse]

I won't speak for him, but I think this is what he's getting at. While he plays a gritty/physical now - with his height and weight - how well will that actually transfer to the NHL? Some guys make it work, some don't. The benefit for Eklund is that even if physicality doesn't become a primary tool of his in the NHL, he's got a lot of other tools that will still make him valuable. The comparison to Garland in that regard was pretty fair. Garland has been able to be a productive forechecker and offensive presence with a healthy dose of physicality, all while being on the smaller side.

I'm definitely willing to entertain whether or not his physicality carries over to future levels, especially if his size doesn't increase (it'd be shocking if it doesn't). But saying he wasn't that guy for Djurgarden this year is just not something that I'm going to agree with as I think it's antithetical to the video. I mean, he caught a few guys this year and put them down hard (He hit someone so hard they helicopter spun and their helmet came off) but I can probably count the number of times that happened on one hand. The physicality I'm talking about is on the forecheck and in the battle areas of the ice. I'm talking stuff that separates man from puck and leads to a turnover. The other thing he excelled at was eliminating a defenseman on the boards and then beating them back to their spot. He consistently puts people on the ice so they have to waste time and energy getting back up, giving him a few feet head start to his scoring area.

Ironically enough, his playmaking is something I'd consider to be among his worst attributes. He rarely leads people with a pass or puts pucks in tight areas that of benefit to his teammates. He tosses pucks into a lot of contested areas too.

 

[SEALBound]

I'm definitely willing to entertain whether or not his physicality carries over to future levels, especially if his size doesn't increase (it'd be shocking if it doesn't). But saying he wasn't that guy for Djurgarden this year is just not something that I'm going to agree with as I think it's antithetical to the video. I mean, he caught a few guys this year and put them down hard (He hit someone so hard they helicopter spun and their helmet came off) but I can probably count the number of times that happened on one hand. The physicality I'm talking about is on the forecheck and in the battle areas of the ice. I'm talking stuff that separates man from puck and leads to a turnover. The other thing he excelled at was eliminating a defenseman on the boards and then beating them back to their spot. He consistently puts people on the ice so they have to waste time and energy getting back up, giving him a few feet head start to his scoring area.

Ironically enough, his playmaking is something I'd consider to be among his worst attributes. He rarely leads people with a pass or puts pucks in tight areas that of benefit to his teammates. He tosses pucks into a lot of contested areas too.

I would agree with that. That's why I think the Kunitz-"lite" and Garland comparisons are good. You want Eklund paired with a good playmaking center where Eklund can be one of the workhorses getting him the puck and then even a triggerman.

While I was a bit underwhelmed by his passing, his shot is quite good. Could very well be a good Kunitz-Crosby OR...2016 Playoff Sheary-Crosby combination.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

I'm definitely willing to entertain whether or not his physicality carries over to future levels, especially if his size doesn't increase (it'd be shocking if it doesn't). But saying he wasn't that guy for Djurgarden this year is just not something that I'm going to agree with as I think it's antithetical to the video. I mean, he caught a few guys this year and put them down hard (He hit someone so hard they helicopter spun and their helmet came off) but I can probably count the number of times that happened on one hand. The physicality I'm talking about is on the forecheck and in the battle areas of the ice. I'm talking stuff that separates man from puck and leads to a turnover. The other thing he excelled at was eliminating a defenseman on the boards and then beating them back to their spot. He consistently puts people on the ice so they have to waste time and energy getting back up, giving him a few feet head start to his scoring area.

Ironically enough, his playmaking is something I'd consider to be among his worst attributes. He rarely leads people with a pass or puts pucks in tight areas that of benefit to his teammates. He tosses pucks into a lot of contested areas too.

We couldn’t agree more on Eklund. I could’ve written this post.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Alright, new dream scenario that'll surely not end in disappointment. Martin and Eklund at 11 and 12.

 

[Jesse]

Alright, new dream scenario that'll surely not end in disappointment. Martin and Eklund at 11 and 12.

Still blown away by how much Martin's stock is rising. I'm having a hard even equating it to another jump. Cole Eiserman stood out to me but I can't remember where he was ranked inititally before he shot up.