Prospect Info: 47OA: Brady Cleveland

[Rzombo4 prez]

Hal Gill did it when being big and being in the way was a player style in the NHL. The game is way faster and less physical today.

Nah, never before has there been more of a premium on shot blocking in the NHL. Everyone fronts the shot and ignores the opponent standing directly behind them. Most defensive systems consist of clogging up the middle with humanity. Gill would have been even more valuable in today's game.

Size will never go out of style.

 

[SCD]

Size will never go out of style.

Especially when it comes time for the playoffs.

 

[Gniwder]

Nah, never before has there been more of a premium on shot blocking in the NHL. Everyone fronts the shot and ignores the opponent standing directly behind them. Most defensive systems consist of clogging up the middle with humanity. Gill would have been even more valuable in today's game.

Size will never go out of style.

Size alone isn't enough otherwise McIlrath would still be on this team. He did play a few games this season for the Caps though.

 

[newfy]

He absolutely can skate, and in all four directions. I think he has clearly gotten bigger and stronger and it shows in his feet a lot. He isn't just 6'5" he is a very solid and strong 6'5" now. I am excited to see him next week.

FWIW the game is also on ESPN+

Which game is this you're talking about? I'll make sure to watch if I can

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

Which game is this you're talking about? I'll make sure to watch if I can

The Providence series. I think they may have all Hockey East and ECAC games.

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

This guy is an absolutely massive bull and a total prick to play against. I think he skates well for his size in all four directions. I didn't see him get beat to too many pucks last night. Personally I actually like how he uses his feet to defend. He doesn't stand flat footed in the low slot waiting for life to happen. He defends with a very aggressive style. It may have hurt him a couple of times in transition (on two, 2 on 1s) but I overall liked it. He is clearly a defensive guy, but is not a pylon.

Personally I wasn't offended by his play with the puck last night. I thought his reads were good for the most part and he moves the puck quickly and hard. He wasn't bashing it off of the glass all night. He seemed to have a pretty good feel for where the pressure was coming from and where people were (made some good small space plays with the puck). The back half of the game was pretty ugly in general. There wasn't a ton of space and CC didn't have a lot of sustained offensive zone time to evaluate him on.

At times I thought his game would totally translate up. At other times I thought he needed to be doing more at this level (and not just offensively) to have a legit chance. I wouldn't describe him as a brilliant prospect, but I do find him very interesting to watch. If he somehow hits, fans will love him.

Fischer Scott played a lot and held his own. He is further along than I was expecting. He needs to get stronger, but he had a good feel for the game at both ends of the ice and moved ok. He probably falls into the two-way lot if people are looking for a better description. He will need all of his runway in NCAA hockey though.

If he doesn't sign with Boston, I would give Ty Gallagher a run as a free agent (and not just because he is a local guy). I wish he had a bit more length, but he is super effective at this level. Worse case he is a AAAA guy.

 

[Voodoo Glow Skulls]

This guy is an absolutely massive bull and a total prick to play against. I think he skates well for his size in all four directions. I didn't see him get beat to too many pucks last night. Personally I actually like how he uses his feet to defend. He doesn't stand flat footed in the low slot waiting for life to happen. He defends with a very aggressive style. It may have hurt him a couple of times in transition (on two, 2 on 1s) but I overall liked it. He is clearly a defensive guy, but is not a pylon.

Personally I wasn't offended by his play with the puck last night. I thought his reads were good for the most part and he moves the puck quickly and hard. He wasn't bashing it off of the glass all night. He seemed to have a pretty good feel for where the pressure was coming from and where people were (made some good small space plays with the puck). The back half of the game was pretty ugly in general. There wasn't a ton of space and CC didn't have a lot of sustained offensive zone time to evaluate him on.

At times I thought his game would totally translate up. At other times I thought he needed to be doing more at this level (and not just offensively) to have a legit chance. I wouldn't describe him as a brilliant prospect, but I do find him very interesting to watch. If he somehow hits, fans will love him.

Fischer Scott played a lot and held his own. He is further along than I was expecting. He needs to get stronger, but he had a good feel for the game at both ends of the ice and moved ok. He probably falls into the two-way lot if people are looking for a better description. He will need all of his runway in NCAA hockey though.

If he doesn't sign with Boston, I would give Ty Gallagher a run as a free agent (and not just because he is a local guy). I wish he had a bit more length, but he is super effective at this level. Worse case he is a AAAA guy.

Thanks for the report.

 

[Gniwder]

This guy is an absolutely massive bull and a total prick to play against. I think he skates well for his size in all four directions. I didn't see him get beat to too many pucks last night. Personally I actually like how he uses his feet to defend. He doesn't stand flat footed in the low slot waiting for life to happen. He defends with a very aggressive style. It may have hurt him a couple of times in transition (on two, 2 on 1s) but I overall liked it. He is clearly a defensive guy, but is not a pylon.

Personally I wasn't offended by his play with the puck last night. I thought his reads were good for the most part and he moves the puck quickly and hard. He wasn't bashing it off of the glass all night. He seemed to have a pretty good feel for where the pressure was coming from and where people were (made some good small space plays with the puck). The back half of the game was pretty ugly in general. There wasn't a ton of space and CC didn't have a lot of sustained offensive zone time to evaluate him on.

At times I thought his game would totally translate up. At other times I thought he needed to be doing more at this level (and not just offensively) to have a legit chance. I wouldn't describe him as a brilliant prospect, but I do find him very interesting to watch. If he somehow hits, fans will love him.

Fischer Scott played a lot and held his own. He is further along than I was expecting. He needs to get stronger, but he had a good feel for the game at both ends of the ice and moved ok. He probably falls into the two-way lot if people are looking for a better description. He will need all of his runway in NCAA hockey though.

If he doesn't sign with Boston, I would give Ty Gallagher a run as a free agent (and not just because he is a local guy). I wish he had a bit more length, but he is super effective at this level. Worse case he is a AAAA guy.

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

If he didn't move reasonably well, I wouldn't have much time for him. I do, however, see him as a bona fide prospect, just not one with a massive ceiling. As a five-six defensemen in the NHL, he will probably have the puck on his stick less than 10-15 seconds a game. Perhaps that is just me rationalizing a path for him. I think the big issue will be how good does he get at retrieving and moving pucks. He doesn't need to lug them 150 feet, but he does need to be able to get to them in the defensive zone and move them appropriately. Being 6'5" and 220lbs doesn't negate that responsibility.

As always, time will tell.

 

[SantosHalper]

Never bet against Brady.

 

[Frk It]

This guy is an absolutely massive bull and a total prick to play against. I think he skates well for his size in all four directions. I didn't see him get beat to too many pucks last night. Personally I actually like how he uses his feet to defend. He doesn't stand flat footed in the low slot waiting for life to happen. He defends with a very aggressive style. It may have hurt him a couple of times in transition (on two, 2 on 1s) but I overall liked it. He is clearly a defensive guy, but is not a pylon.

Personally I wasn't offended by his play with the puck last night. I thought his reads were good for the most part and he moves the puck quickly and hard. He wasn't bashing it off of the glass all night. He seemed to have a pretty good feel for where the pressure was coming from and where people were (made some good small space plays with the puck). The back half of the game was pretty ugly in general. There wasn't a ton of space and CC didn't have a lot of sustained offensive zone time to evaluate him on.

At times I thought his game would totally translate up. At other times I thought he needed to be doing more at this level (and not just offensively) to have a legit chance. I wouldn't describe him as a brilliant prospect, but I do find him very interesting to watch. If he somehow hits, fans will love him.

Fischer Scott played a lot and held his own. He is further along than I was expecting. He needs to get stronger, but he had a good feel for the game at both ends of the ice and moved ok. He probably falls into the two-way lot if people are looking for a better description. He will need all of his runway in NCAA hockey though.

If he doesn't sign with Boston, I would give Ty Gallagher a run as a free agent (and not just because he is a local guy). I wish he had a bit more length, but he is super effective at this level. Worse case he is a AAAA guy.

If you get a chance to watch Keenan would be curious to hear how you compare the two.

 

[heyfolks]

I mentioned this up thread. Puck skills are usually worked on when these kids are kids. Like pre-teen. In driveways, basements, etc... just constantly playing around with a puck. A guy pushing 20 is about 10 years behind in trying to develop any kind of puck handling.

Puck skills are developed throughout a players career. BC didn't make it through AAA, Junior, the National team and on to college without ever touching a puck. It is a rare that a big guy enters the League with great hands (which is why they make big bucks). You can keep posting it, and I will keep calling it out. I have seen kids develop from basic to advanced puck skills in the mid to late teens. BC is 19 years old. Am I selling that he will be a puck rushing D'man? No. The speed and challenges increase as you move up. Gaps get smaller, time to react shrinks and player size increases. All of these things are factors. Now, saying he practiced for hours and hours and hours and just sucks at it... well that could be, but he sucked less after the hours and and hours. That dedication applied to years and years will have the same improved result. I mean you saw Larkin, Sider, Raymond, Edvinsson and others improve into their early to mid 20s but you write this guy off at 18.

PROJECTION: BC was drafted to be a PK specialist and stay at home anchor on the 3rd pairing to offset any 4th line of size and protect the skill players. He will NEVER lead a rush, nor even join a rush but when someone knees Raymond like they did Cat, he will come over the boards..... Oh wait, they won't do it because they know he will come over the boards.


REDRAFT - Ugh. I posted all of the reports. He wasn't this huge reach some keep insisting he was. Let the kid develop in college and the AHL. If he turns into one of the scrubs some are already associating him with (and I'll wager they haven't watched him play more than 2x) fine.

Until then ... BC IS A BEAST DESTINED for Grind line like lore in the annals of Wings hockey.

 

[heyfolks]

If he didn't move reasonably well, I wouldn't have much time for him. I do, however, see him as a bona fide prospect, just not one with a massive ceiling. As a five-six defensemen in the NHL, he will probably have the puck on his stick less than 10-15 seconds a game. Perhaps that is just me rationalizing a path for him. I think the big issue will be how good does he get at retrieving and moving pucks. He doesn't need to lug them 150 feet, but he does need to be able to get to them in the defensive zone and move them appropriately. Being 6'5" and 220lbs doesn't negate that responsibility.

As always, time will tell.

As I see it:

PROJECTION: BC was drafted to be a PK specialist and stay at home anchor on the 3rd pairing to offset any 4th line of size and protect the skill players. He will NEVER lead a rush, nor even join a rush but when someone knees Raymond like they did Cat, he will come over the boards..... Oh wait, they won't do it because they know he will come over the boards.


BS made TWO BIG mistakes:

1) He should have stayed in the USHL for that last year of junior.
2) He never should have gone to Wisconsin. That was a young boy from the areas dream, but he walked into a team was in turmoil and the average age of a player was 4 years older than him. Even today, he is a young college player (he won't be 20 until April). This year should be his first year with CC.

 

[TKB]

As I see it:

PROJECTION: BC was drafted to be a PK specialist and stay at home anchor on the 3rd pairing to offset any 4th line of size and protect the skill players. He will NEVER lead a rush, nor even join a rush but when someone knees Raymond like they did Cat, he will come over the boards..... Oh wait, they won't do it because they know he will come over the boards.


BS made TWO BIG mistakes:

1) He should have stayed in the USHL for that last year of junior.
2) He never should have gone to Wisconsin. That was a young boy from the areas dream, but he walked into a team was in turmoil and the average age of a player was 4 years older than him. Even today, he is a young college player (he won't be 20 until April). This year should be his first year with CC.

Woulld it be fair to say that the coaching change in Madison did him no favors. As I have read, Hastings likes older players, and they had at least one other Freshman (sophomore to be) transfer as well.

 

[Sparty]

He couldn't have known Wisconsin was going to fire their coach and bring in a new one with a completely different philosophy. I don't know enough about him in particular, but I know those commitments usually happen usually years in advance for hockey. Hastings turned that program around immediately and seems like a heck of a coach, but yeah Cleveland probably needed another year before college.

 

[heyfolks]

Woulld it be fair to say that the coaching change in Madison did him no favors. As I have read, Hastings likes older players, and they had at least one other Freshman (sophomore to be) transfer as well.

Yes, that is a fair assessment. It isn't just that Hastings likes older players, the USA and NCAA hockey programs promotes bringing in older players (after their junior eligibility is exhausted). On page 5 or so of this thread I walked through how few 18 year olds play college hockey. BC was not only a young 18 year old, he is not a skilled 18 year old for the college game. I get heading into a League where they challenge you to improve on your weaknesses but he was far better served in the USHL.

The top teams buck that trend. How? They get the cream of the crop 18/19 year old players. As an example James Hagan is slated to be the top pick. He is at BC. Celebrini was from BU. Larkin UofM.

The loss of development time for BS is my biggest concern. Reminds me a bit of Tom McCollum. Not as bad as Tom but the draft plus 1 year is sooooo important. Tom should have gone to college or stuck in juniors but he went instantly to the pro ranks and never found his way. I had claimed then it was too stiff a learning/development curve. BC shaving that year off junior (may even be two because he is just 19 today) was a mistake.

Average age for the Badgers is over 22 and CC is over 21.

Fun Facts - Team Average Age

Fun Facts - Team Average Age

www.collegehockeynews.com

 

[heyfolks]

To the point about development. Matt Duchene (1:32:00) speaks to development until 33. BC doesn't have that long, but every NHL player, committed to development, picks up/improves their skills over time.

As a side bar comment, just a great interview of a great guy. I know a few of his family members. Solid people and it is reflected in this discussion.

 

[TheOctopusKid]

I have to admit watching the Four Nations and seeing the Tkachuks just bully their way through the competition, I though to myself, “Damn, we’ll need to go through these guys in the playoffs over the next 6-8years” and not feeling great about it

I really don't care for goons, or the idea of burning a roster spot for a Reeves style pylon. But watching the 4 Nations, I would I feel a bit better knowing we had a 230 pound beast who can skate, who takes the occasional run, drops the gloves and has a mean streak...and preferably not a total liability in their own end.

Then I remembered, we potentially have this guy!!

Rooting for you, Brady Cleveland! Keep growing and imagining you staring down a Tkachuk between whistles to remind him he can’t run on Ray or you’re going to wreck his sh*t!

edit: for clarity

 

[HoweFan]

I have to admit watching the Four Nations and seeing the Tkachuks just bully their way through the competition, I though to myself, “Damn, we’ll need to go through these guys in the playoffs over the next 6-8years” and not feeling great about it

I really don't care for goons, or the idea of burning a roster spot for a Reeves style pylon. But watching the 4 Nations, I would I feel a bit better knowing we had a 230 pound beast who can skate, who takes the occasional run, drops the gloves and has a mean streak...and preferably not a total liability in their own end.

Then I remembered, we potentially have this guy!!

Rooting for you, Brady Cleveland! Keep growing and imagining you staring down a Tkachuk between whistles to remind him he can’t run on Ray or you’re going to wreck his sh*t!

edit: for clarity

Couldn’t have said it better myself. Go Brady

 

[Lampedampe]

I have to admit watching the Four Nations and seeing the Tkachuks just bully their way through the competition, I though to myself, “Damn, we’ll need to go through these guys in the playoffs over the next 6-8years” and not feeling great about it

I really don't care for goons, or the idea of burning a roster spot for a Reeves style pylon. But watching the 4 Nations, I would I feel a bit better knowing we had a 230 pound beast who can skate, who takes the occasional run, drops the gloves and has a mean streak...and preferably not a total liability in their own end.

Then I remembered, we potentially have this guy!!

Rooting for you, Brady Cleveland! Keep growing and imagining you staring down a Tkachuk between whistles to remind him he can’t run on Ray or you’re going to wreck his sh*t!

edit: for clarity

Pretty sure neither Mo or Ed will allow themselves to be bullied.

But yeah, neither will drop the gloves.

I reckon the Wings will be a pretty pesky team, Kasper will be a pest all game while MBN and Elmer will deliver hard checks on the forecheck. While Seider and Ed will be nailing players along the boards all game. Annoying team to deal with over 7-games.

If Brady can actually play, then he's a nobrainer obviously. But I don't think the team will need a guy like that.

 

[TheOctopusKid]

Pretty sure neither Mo or Ed will allow themselves to be bullied.

But yeah, neither will drop the gloves.

I reckon the Wings will be a pretty pesky team, Kasper will be a pest all game while MBN and Elmer will deliver hard checks on the forecheck. While Seider and Ed will be nailing players along the boards all game. Annoying team to deal with over 7-games.

If Brady can actually play, then he's a nobrainer obviously. But I don't think the team will need a guy like that.

I agree with you totally. I don't think Mo or Ed are going to be pushed around - and I think we'll have plenty of grit and snarl throughout the team. My issue here is when Brady or Tom Wilson, or whomever goes to far and the elbows get higher, the knee starts leading a bit more, not against Ed or Mo, but vs Larkin or Cat or Raymond, I don't want Ed or Mo leading the charge against that caveman.

I don't need our 1A Elite D, throwing hands and eating 5min Majors and risking his health a la Mantha. Is it good for morale every now and again? Maybe, but not something I want either of big names to do. Now, if I can carry a 7th D like Brady, who can be a PK specialist, be huge and play 10 min a night situationally while rotating in defensive zone starts and keep roaming out there? And if Brady comes out and calls out our bench, he comes over the boards to answer the call? I'll take the 7th D vs. Star Captain 5min trade off every day of the week.