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C Clayton Keller - Boston University, NCAA (2016, 7th, ARI)

based on what i've read and seen, i'd love for the flames to take him with the #6. he and bennett together would be hard to handle: speed, skill, and determination.
 
Biancosaurus said:
Not sure why bracco. Would go at the end of the second round then.
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I've watched a lot of Bracco this year. I'd say the reasons are he is pretty much below average at anything else, especially in relation to size. He isn't a great skater, is non-existent in regards to physicality, takes defence off, questionable dedication to staying in shape, and had some character concerns. Whereas Keller and Marner are good to elite in some of those traits. Bracco vision/passing is ridiculous and has quick hands, just everything else is a question mark, and a 5'10 guy with average abilities in every other trait and no sandpaper in his game is a high-risk prospect. Keller is much closer to Marner than Bracco in most of those traits and has grittiness to his game.
 
93LEAFS said:
I've watched a lot of Bracco this year. I'd say the reasons are he is pretty much below average at anything else, especially in relation to size. He isn't a great skater, is non-existent in regards to physicality, takes defence off, questionable dedication to staying in shape, and had some character concerns. Whereas Keller and Marner are good to elite in some of those traits. Bracco vision/passing is ridiculous and has quick hands, just everything else is a question mark, and a 5'10 guy with average abilities in every other trait and no sandpaper in his game is a high-risk prospect. Keller is much closer to Marner than Bracco in most of those traits and has grittiness to his game.
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Spot on analysis. I think Keller will be taken higher than his Central Scouting rank and will be a very good NHLer.
 
Worst case scenario(for him), how far could he actually drop in this draft? In the 15 range? Is he a lock for the top-11? I don't necessarily see NJD passing on him if he's there, since they need elite offensive talents like him.

Really want Snow to move up for him, but there is probably a limit to the # of spots he'll be able to jump up from 19.
 
blinkman360 said:
Worst case scenario(for him), how far could he actually drop in this draft? In the 15 range? Is he a lock for the top-11? I don't necessarily see NJD passing on him if he's there, since they need elite offensive talents like him.

Really want Snow to move up for him, but there is probably a limit to the # of spots he'll be able to jump up from 19.
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If I'm the one picking for the Habs, he'd be my guy at #9. Realistically, he could go anywhere from 7th to 13th, I'd say.
 
93LEAFS said:
I've watched a lot of Bracco this year. I'd say the reasons are he is pretty much below average at anything else, especially in relation to size. He isn't a great skater, is non-existent in regards to physicality, takes defence off, questionable dedication to staying in shape, and had some character concerns. Whereas Keller and Marner are good to elite in some of those traits. Bracco vision/passing is ridiculous and has quick hands, just everything else is a question mark, and a 5'10 guy with average abilities in every other trait and no sandpaper in his game is a high-risk prospect. Keller is much closer to Marner than Bracco in most of those traits and has grittiness to his game.
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Totally agree on this. Watched 2 of his 5 games with Boston College (Bracco) and you could see he couldn't play the same type of game you see in junior. Didn't have the time and space and certainly got knocked off the puck easier. I know people will go up in arms if he doesn't make the US WJC squad next year but I don't think he'd do much of anything. He's the type of kid that has had the beneficiary of playing with on loaded teams the past two years so his stats get padded up. Put him against line after line of the best in the world he'll be exposed. Keller on the other hand is on another level imo.
 
NTDP said:
Totally agree on this. Watched 2 of his 5 games with Boston College (Bracco) and you could see he couldn't play the same type of game you see in junior. Didn't have the time and space and certainly got knocked off the puck easier. I know people will go up in arms if he doesn't make the US WJC squad next year but I don't think he'd do much of anything. He's the type of kid that has had the beneficiary of playing with on loaded teams the past two years so his stats get padded up. Put him against line after line of the best in the world he'll be exposed. Keller on the other hand is on another level imo.
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Keller is the better prospect by a clear margin. I still think if Bracco works on his conditioning and his power skating (his edge work is high-end) then he can realize his potential. His vision is still ridiculous, but it won't carry him if he doesn't improve in other areas, still good value at 61.

I'm not sure where Keller will go, my guess is that the first team to take a serious look at him will be Arizona. It seems the newer analytics guys tend to value skill over everything else as look at the Leafs draft last year (Dubus had a say, but not control of the board) and its believed Merkley was a Chayka pick.
 
Keller at the NHL combine.
"I think right now Boston University is my top choice because I think just coach [David] Quinn is a really special guy," Keller told NHL.com at the opening day of the 2016 NHL Draft Combine at First Niagara Center on Monday. "I'm really close with him and I think that's going to be the best fit for me."

"[Eichel] came down to Ann Arbor [Mich.] when the Sabres were playing the Detroit Red Wings and he talked to us," Keller said. "I talked to him about BU, and he told me how much fun it was to play there and that I should go. He said Quinn is a great coach, and after hearing that, it made me a lot more comfortable, so I thanked him for that."
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Yes Keller is special talent. Forget about his size. Habs are a small team, they may stay away.
 
BSabres said:
Not getting there. Buffalo is taking him at 8.
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Because they need him to play 3C? If they are going to take a forward it seems to me that they would be better off taking one with size who can do some of the dirty work. Plenty of skill with Reinhart and Eichel.

Seems like they'd be better off taking a Dman, and at #8 there should be a good one available.
 
57special said:
Because they need him to play 3C? If they are going to take a forward it seems to me that they would be better off taking one with size who can do some of the dirty work. Plenty of skill with Reinhart and Eichel.

Seems like they'd be better off taking a Dman, and at #8 there should be a good one available.
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Ideally I would prefer a larger forward to be available. But the hockey sense with this kid is unreal. I'd be having him play left wing with Jack and Sam.

Keller-Eichel-Reinhart

That could be a dangerous line for the next decade. The D just come with too many question marks for me.
 
FazChenyuk said:
Yes Keller is special talent. Forget about his size. Habs are a small team, they may stay away.
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Habs are not a small team. There were about 15th in weight at the start of the year. They may be a bit short but the difference in average height across all teams as a about a inch and a half, which is nothing really.

I would take Keller if he was available at 9th, unless someone else dropped down (i.e. Dubois, Nylander, etc.)
 
57special said:
Because they need him to play 3C? If they are going to take a forward it seems to me that they would be better off taking one with size who can do some of the dirty work. Plenty of skill with Reinhart and Eichel.

Seems like they'd be better off taking a Dman, and at #8 there should be a good one available.
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Because they need his skill. They have size in the pipeline and arent small as it is. The D aren't great at the topnof this draft I'd much prefer adding Kellers abilities to a line with Reinhart or RoR using his skills. Or maybe with Eichel and just let them fly.
 
I really don't think that Habs should pick this guy. They need to pick someone with a bit of size, like Logan Brown. Even if Keller is ultimately the better player.
 
ijuka said:
I really don't think that Habs should pick this guy. They need to pick someone with a bit of size, like Logan Brown. Even if Keller is ultimately the better player.
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I don't agree with that...We should take the best player regardless. By the time Keller makes the habs, Desharnais and Plekanec (2 of our smaller players who actually play small) won't even be with the team anymore, so the only small forward will be Gallagher, and we all agree, he doesn't play small. The habs are grooming Mike McCarron as a possible 3rd line centre at the moment (not to mention we already have Eller as a 3rd line centre), so basically Galchenyuk (6 foot 2), Keller (5 foot 10), McCarron (6 foot 6) and Eller (6 foot 2) is not that small of a lineup down the middle. One of our best forward prospects is Nikita Scherbak, who's also 6 foot 2.

Now if Logan Brown is the habs pick because Timmins thinks that he's just a better player overall (on top of being bigger), then that's a different story.
 
The Habs have had a rep for years as been full of turtleneck-wearing midgets. I don't think drafting this guy is going to help.
 
Worst case for him is he falls to 14 right? I doubt he's not a lottery pick.
 
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