C Gabriel Vilardi (2017, 11th, LAK)
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tigervixxxen
Optimism=Delusional
I think Vilardi has everything, he's impressed me every time I've seen him. He has plenty of time to improve the skating. If Avs are picking at 3 I'd be thrilled to get him. He has fans but generally I think he's getting underrated.
Zaddy
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- Feb 8, 2013
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Brooklyndevil
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And Vilardi is one of the younger prospects in this year's draft. I prefer a natural center, however, I would be delighted if the Devils draft this kid.
SpItFiReZ
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- Jan 4, 2004
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He's spoken about his desire to get faster and will be his main focus moving forward. I don't think it will be an issue. This kid is a gamer, great shot, elite IQ, can play at both ends of the ice and one of the strongest players I've ever seen on the boards and down low. If he's not a top 5 selection, I'll be very, very surprised.
Note and whether you believe it or not: Will not mention a team but a scouting director and one of his scouts were sitting beside my two seats at the Spits game last night vs London and he remarked to his scout "I sure wish we had a top 5 pick for that Vilardi kid" and both smiled and continued on with their notes.
Note and whether you believe it or not: Will not mention a team but a scouting director and one of his scouts were sitting beside my two seats at the Spits game last night vs London and he remarked to his scout "I sure wish we had a top 5 pick for that Vilardi kid" and both smiled and continued on with their notes.
lawrence
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- May 19, 2012
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or maybe he's throwing the other scout misleading information just to throw them off.
lawrence
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how do we know he was talking a fellow peer?
well you tell me where do you think he will go. or should go.
You'd be amazed how open some scouts can be at games. I went to one game in 2014 and was listening to the Oilers brass the entire time and basically knew who they loved and didn't like.
- Feb 28, 2002
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I can echo this as well. I sat beside a Flames scout at a UND game years ago who told me flat out he had Toews as the best player in his draft.
Because the poster said he was taking to a scout under him.
I'd take him at 3. I'd even consider him above that. Depending on how he closes out the year. He needs to improve his skating, but outside of that he has it all, and there are no sure things in this draft.
So is this guy the majority consensus #3 now??
Would be interesting maybe we should do a vote in the polls section soon voting one by one the 2017 draft picks
I think Middlestat and Necar would round out top 5
When do the chl playoofs end?
Would be interesting maybe we should do a vote in the polls section soon voting one by one the 2017 draft picks
I think Middlestat and Necar would round out top 5
When do the chl playoofs end?
I'd say there's a good chance he goes #3, but I don't know if I'd say consensus. This draft doesn't seem to be offering much consensus anywhere.
I'd vote for him at 3 and would consider higher. But, the CHL season for him won't end until Victoria day weekend as Windsor is hosting the Memorial Cup.
Expect a comprehensive scouting package soon, much like the one I did about Nolan Patrick.
Among the games featured is the one played on February 16, 2017 against the Sarnia Sting. Here is one shift that I've uploaded from that game as a preview of my upcoming package:
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Agent Zuuuub
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tigervixxxen
Optimism=Delusional
- Mar 10, 2010
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If Leafs had a high pick in this draft, he'd probably be my 2nd choice after Patrick. I can't imagine the damage he would do on Matthews LW. Trying to get the puck from him would be a nightmare.
Hope he looks good at the MC (although, I have no love for the Spitfires). If he can successfully move back to center, I could see him and Benn causing the same nightmares I would envision Matthews and Vilardi causing.
Hope he looks good at the MC (although, I have no love for the Spitfires). If he can successfully move back to center, I could see him and Benn causing the same nightmares I would envision Matthews and Vilardi causing.
tigervixxxen
Optimism=Delusional
I think he'd be a great fit for the Avs if they don't force a D pick. We don't desperately need centers so I like that he has the versatility to play on the wing.
Though there has been much talk about the consensus top two prospects eligible for the 2017 NHL Draft, much less discussion has been had about some of the other top available players in the draft class. After the release of my six-game Nolan Patrick scouting package a month ago, I decided that it would be worthwhile to continue this series and provide an opportunity for observers to examine and form their own opinions of some of the other top players.
While Nolan Patrick had, until recently, been considered the top-ranked prospect in the draft for quite some time, one player who some considered at the start of the 2016-17 season to be a contender for the first-overall draft position was Gabriel Vilardi of the OHL's Windsor Spitfires. Vilardi was born on August 16, 1999, making him one of the youngest players in the entire 2017 NHL Draft -- he is 11 months younger than Patrick, who was born on September 19, 1998.
Vilardi is natural centerman who was assigned to the wing for the majority of the 2016-17 season, playing mostly with 20-year-old Julius Nattinen as his center. He is 6'3'', 201 lbs, and is a gifted, highly-intelligent playmaker with tremendous power and excellent awareness of his positioning on the ice in all three zones. He excels along the boards and down low -- behind the net and in front of the net -- where he can hound possession of the puck and outwork his opponent to generate offense. He has soft hands, terrific vision, and the creativity to be a dynamic player on the forecheck and off the rush.
If there is one concern to be had about this player, it is that he does not skate as well as one wishes he could. While he uses his edges well and uses his anticipation to be in the right places, the lack of consistency in his skating is the primary factor that has kept him from being under legitimate consideration for the first-overall draft position. As such, he is consistently the third or fourth-ranked prospect on many 2017 draft ranking lists. He was the consensus third-ranked player on Bob McKenzie's April 27, 2017 pre-lottery rankings.
Not everyone has had the opportunity to watch this player, nor other draft-eligible players. Therefore, I have developed a comprehensive scouting package based on Vilardi's 2016-17 season: all shifts from six games played between January and March 2017. Nobody is expected to watch all of it, although you are welcome to watch as much footage as you like. I have simply prepared the footage for those who are curious enough to examine the player's game, and I have offered a large enough sample size to give people an accurate depiction of the way he plays. The presentation is divided into six segments -- one segment for each match. You may watch all of it, or just some of it.
The games featured here (and their corresponding start times in the video) are:
(0:15) January 13, 2017: Windsor Spitfires @ Sarnia Sting
(24:10) January 17, 2017: Windsor Spitfires @ Kitchener Rangers
(47:30) February 16, 2017: Windsor Spitfires vs Sarnia Sting
(1:13:31) March 2, 2017: Windsor Spitfires vs Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
(1:40:21) March 5, 2017: Windsor Spitfires vs Sudbury Wolves
(2:09:16) March 15, 2017: Windsor Spitfires @ Sarnia Sting
Featured here are games of all varieties, from multi-point games to those in which this player did not record any points. Three away games, and three home games were chosen for this package. The opponents range from the Sudbury Wolves, who were the 15th-ranked team to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, who were ranked 2nd-overall in the entire Ontario Hockey League. The Sarnia Sting were the 13th-placed team in the league, and the Kitchener Rangers were the 9th-placed team in the league. All of these teams qualified for the OHL playoffs. What matters most of all is the way in which Vilardi plays in these games from shift to shift. Some of these performances are stronger than others -- I would say that patience pays off for viewers here. The games are featured chronologically in the video.
Hopefully, this offers viewers an informative look at one of the top eligible players for the 2017 NHL Draft, Gabriel Vilardi.
As always, comments and discussion are appreciated and encouraged. Enjoy.
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I expect him to be the third selection in the draft by Dallas. Whether he does much damage in the NHL with Benn remains to be seen, as Benn is turning 28 this summer. I could see Vilardi playing two more seasons in the OHL considering his younger age for this draft.
In any event, I expect Dallas to go with Vilardi as their prospect depth as forward is a greater prospect need than defensive prospects at this point for that organization.
It should raise some interesting questions at number 4 as Colorado could go in any number of directions. The conventional thought is that the Avs would almost certainly draft a defenseman, but historically the Avs have not selected a defenseman than high in the draft. They may also resist against potentially forcing a pick based on need, although I am not sure that would be the case in this draft at that particular selection.
