C Dean Letourneau - Boston College, NCAA (2024, 25th, BOS)

[The don godfather]

I'm sure lots of prospects picked in 1st round start very slow and make into nhl with successful careers. Too early to write this kid off.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I'm sure lots of prospects picked in 1st round start very slow and make into nhl with successful careers. Too early to write this kid off.

Charlie Stramel only had 8 points last year (after he had 12 in the NCAA the year prior). This year he's nearly PPG and the 1C for one of the best teams in college hockey.

Year to year stats for players can change a lot. I think there's way too much angst over Letourneau's season. It's not to say it's a good thing that he has only 2 points, but players shouldn't be given up on because they have a weaker season.

 

[The don godfather]

Charlie Stramel only had 8 points last year (after he had 12 in the NCAA the year prior). This year he's nearly PPG and the 1C for one of the best teams in college hockey.

Year to year stats for players can change a lot. I think there's way too much angst over Letourneau's season. It's not to say it's a good thing that he has only 2 points, but players shouldn't be given up on because they have a weaker season.

I've said this before if leternaeu turns into a brian boyle type bruins hit a homerun.

 

[Kipper933]

The biggest takewaway from watching him this year is he's just too weak. He must have gotten by in Prep hockey by being 6'7 and not working enough on his strength and conditioning. But watching him in college hockey, he's just too weak on his stick, too weak along the boards, too weak in any confrontation with opposing players. He's very much looked like a wallflower in college hockey this year and hopefully, over the summer, he realizes he needs to apply his own force and weight to be successful.

 

[qc14]

I think he needs time. It’s not going to happen overnight if you snap your fingers and ask for it. He was not a player who is that close to his ceiling. Playing Prep last year made it a difficult transition for this year.

This thread should stop getting bumped every game he doesn’t score. 6 vs. 15 points this year tangibly makes no difference towards whether he’ll be an eventual success. This was an adjustment year and we’ll see if he comes out ready for next season.

I really disagree with this, especially in the NCAA with a pretty limited schedule. Two completely different ppg paces that suggest two pretty drastically different projections for Letourneau or any prospect.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I really disagree with this, especially in the NCAA with a pretty limited schedule. Two completely different ppg paces that suggest two pretty drastically different projections for Letourneau or any prospect.

They do suggest different things, but year to year stats also fluctuate a lot. The guy who has 6 can very easily outproduce the 15 point guy the next season.

 

[Montecristo]

Interesting points. Disappointing production in year one but that doesnt mean that it won’t click by year 2 or 3. Maybe brian boyle. Kind of a bummer, i dont love the idea of taking a project in round one but a project that hopefully becomes a 3rd line penalty killer i really am confused by. I was hoping there was still some tage thompson allusions out there, but is that no more? Is a dominant faceoff/3rd line shut down guy his ceiling? Its not terrible for sure but since he also seems like a high risk prospect i was hoping for a higher ceiling

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

Letourneau could be a Boyle or could be a Tyler Boucher, who knows. But I feel if he's healthy, he won't bust as hard as Boucher.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Letourneau could be a Boyle or could be a Tyler Boucher, who knows. But I feel if he's healthy, he won't bust as hard as Boucher.

Kind of a weirdly phrased statement, considering the biggest issue with Boucher is that he’s never healthy.

By the way to update the count, Letourneau had a point last night for BC.

 

[wetcoast]

Kind of a weirdly phrased statement, considering the biggest issue with Boucher is that he’s never healthy.

By the way to update the count, Letourneau had a point last night for BC.

He is up to 3 assists in 29 games.

Maybe he turns into a Brian boyle type but the guy taken after him is just torching the CHL and will almost certainly become a much better NHL player.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

 

[CristianoRonaldo]

Kind of a weirdly phrased statement, considering the biggest issue with Boucher is that he’s never healthy.

By the way to update the count, Letourneau had a point last night for BC.

The biggest issue is that he sucks.

 

[josra33]

Tage Thompson was drafted at 6’3” and grew 4” post draft. That’s a big reason why he is so good, he already had the skills and the game to go first round without being extraordinarily tall, it just took him awhile to adjust to being so big and learning to use it to his advantage.

It isn’t a coin flip, that would make one think it is 50/50 when in reality Thompson is a unicorn and one of a kind, there are 10-20 players like Brown before Thompson came around. So no, it isn‘t a coin flip,

Where did you get your information because it’s blatantly wrong

 

[Dr Quincy]

Letourneau could be a Boyle or could be a Tyler Boucher, who knows. But I feel if he's healthy, he won't bust as hard as Boucher.

He plays absolutely nothing like either.

 

[Bone Density]

I will say, from my limited viewings. he has pretty decent/soft hands for his size.. I think patience is the key here. He needs to grow into that frame.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

The biggest issue is that he sucks.

If he stays healthy, he projects as a very rare type of bottom six NHL’er. Wouldn’t say that sucks.

 

[Juxtaposer]

The thing I think Letourneau needs to improve on the most is his edges IMO. Smaller guys can cut inside on him so easily and by the time he's made the turn, they're twenty feet away and he's never catching up. His top speed is perfectly fine, but the small movements are a problem.

 

[wickedwitch]

My Dean Letourneau "Scouting" Report

So this comes after watching a ton of BC games (maybe 20?) this season for Leonard. I think I'm pretty unbiased, because I have no strong feelings on the Bruins either way.

To start the season, he was very bad, almost a complete waste of a lineup spot. He wasn't getting top 6 or PP1 time, but he was on the 3rd line with some solid players and got a little time on PP2. But he did nothing with that.

Fortunately, he showed significant improvement after winter break. He wasn't great or even good most games, but he was a solid checker on mostly the 3rd/4th lines that occasionally created chances on offense. He had a little time in the top 6, which he did nothing with and was quickly removed. He's had some more PP time on PP2 as the net front guy, and I don't think he's been noteworthy in a good or bad way in that role. He's also played on the PK and done a solid job with that. He got very little playing time in the playoffs, and I expect that to continue for the NCAA tournament. (Hence, why I'm posting this now.) Overall, he's probably gotten a little unlucky with the lack of points this semester... but only a little. I think it's fair to say he has not met expectations.

Occasionally, I've read that he's been limited by the lack of opportunity on a team like BC. I don't really agree; if anything, I think he's been given more opportunity than he arguably deserves. BC rolls 4 lines, so he's gotten plenty of 5v5 time. And I don't know how many DI teams he'd be getting time with the top linemates/PP1 time, but I bet I can count the number of teams on my fingers, if there's even a single team out there. Frankly, he should have been in the USHL this year. That decision was a major misstep on both BC's part and his. (I mostly blame BC.) Hopefully, it won't have long-term effects on his career.

I'm not going to try and project him based on this year. I think it's pointless. You can't see a player's potential when they're playing on a level so far above where they should be playing. But I don't think he's definitely going to bust. The combination of size plus decent hockey IQ gives a good base to build off of. His stick handling/shot/skating are all fine. What makes him somewhat promising to me is that he showed noticeable improvement. What's somewhat worrisome is that even with this improvement, he was rarely a standout. There was only two or three times even in the second semester when I thought he made a great play.

One note: Letourneau is not a "mean" player. And I don't think "mean-ness" is really something that ever changes. It's innate to a player; it isn't developed like shooting or skating might be. I know it's tantalizing with big prospect to hope they become a mean, physical player, but I really doubt that will happen with Letourneau (or any other big but not mean prospect). Fortunately, Letourneau can learn to use his size in other ways.

 

[saska sault]

If he stays healthy, he projects as a very rare type of bottom six NHL’er. Wouldn’t say that sucks.

So.... Michael Rasmussen?

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

So.... Michael Rasmussen?

Sure, but probably a little more finesse and less grit.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Interested to see how Brown uses him in the tournament

 

[wetcoast]

Sure, but probably a little more finesse and less grit.

Well at least Rasmussen was dominating future "cooks and cleaners" in his D+1 year eh?

I think Dean has a ways to go before we even think of this comparison.