Prospect Info: C Kieron Walton #187 2024 NHL Draft

[DeepFrickinValue]

Not sure. Some guys have one great season as an outlier. The longer it goes on the better though!

It’s the last 13 or 14 games specifically that he has been on a tear.

 

[Howard Chuck]

It’s the last 13 or 14 games specifically that he has been on a tear.

It’s great that he has the ability to actually go on a tear! That says something by itself.

 

[Moloch]

ELC when?

 

[Finster8]

Another goal tonight and +3 I think it’s fair to say he is developing into more than most originally thought and we will take it.

 

[Jets]

The only thing with Walton that worries me is if he's benefitting a lot from being an almost 19 year old giant among 16-17 year old boys.

But I'm happy and pulling for him regardless.

 

[Finnflash]

The only thing with Walton that worries me is if he's benefitting a lot from being an almost 19 year old giant among 16-17 year old boys.

But I'm happy and pulling for him regardless.

Ya I’m not sure about that. If you watch the highlights he use his length for sure to protect the puck but he uses his skill more than his physical strength in most of his play.

 

[ps241]

The only thing with Walton that worries me is if he's benefitting a lot from being an almost 19 year old giant among 16-17 year old boys.

But I'm happy and pulling for him regardless.

I wouldn’t let that concern you too much.

A few things to try to put you a bit more at ease. Although he is tall he doesn’t play a power game yet as such. He is more of a shooting Blake Wheeler type using finess and skill more than force. Also he is an average age for the OHL, there are lots of 19 and 20 year olds. On top of that there is the fact D+1 data is all apples to apples. He has the same age advantage every D+1 prospect has always had.

He needs to keep up the pace and not fall off a cliff. Then of course how does his D +2 season go?? Walton is having about as good a 1st half of a draft +1 season as we have ever seen out of one of our prospects. Certainly way better than Scheifele. That being said he is a long way from the NHL.

 

[Flair Hay]

I wouldn’t let that concern you too much.

A few things to try to put you a bit more at ease. Although he is tall he doesn’t play a power game yet as such. He is more of a shooting Blake Wheeler type using fitness and skill more than force. Also he is an average age in the OHL, there are lots of 19 annd 20 year olds. On top of that there is the fact D+1 data is all apples to apples. He has the same age advantage every D+1 prospect has always had.

He needs to keep up the pace and not fall off a cliff. Then of course how does his D +2 season go?? Walton is having about as good a 1st half a draft +1 season as we have ever seen out of one of our prospects. Certainly way better than Scheifele. That being said he is a long way from the NHL.

Agreed, things can change very quickly with prospects compared to even the young pros.

I'd take a guy like Walton that is screaming diamond in the rough over a solid performer like even Yager for instance.

Yager went from point a game in his draft year, to 1.16 per game, to 1.46, to 1.66, to 1.47 so far this year in 23 games (that will improve I'm sure)

Where as Walton went from 0.66 in his draft year last year, to 1.73 this year in 34 games. That's such a steep upward trajectory that you know he has more improvement ahead.

College does seem like a pretty logical next step for him so he isn't playing OHL again, then AHL. Can live the life at a major college, play some WJC and frozen 4 high pressure situations...and come out if/when the NHL lineup spot is ready for him. If we can get him signed to an ELC soon even better.

Edit: missed your note about Scheifele first time around. That Walton is outscoring Scheifele's D+2 season in his D+1 is quite the eyebrow raise...

It's not all about points, size and tools matter as well as work ethic and character. He isn't lacking in the size or tools department. In fact, those are more indications his game should translate to the pros.

Injuries can always have an adverse effect if they happen. But man, this dude looks like our best prospect the longer he keeps this up. Only other one even in consideration for me at this point is Salomonsson.

 

[nobody imp0rtant]

He is more of a shooting Blake Wheeler type using fitness and skill more than force.

Hmm, wonder if he also shares Wheeler's aversion to the team that drafted him. Not sayin', just sayin'.
Tick tock, Kevin...

 

[Flair Hay]

Hmm, wonder if he also shares Wheeler's aversion to the team that drafted him. Not sayin', just sayin'.
Tick tock, Kevin...

Talk about a glass of cold water haha

 

[Romang67]

Talk about a glass of cold water haha

There are certain posters on here that can't wait to take the most negative view possible on every situation. I'd spend exactly 0 seconds worrying about that.

 

[DeepFrickinValue]

I wonder if Walton was close in voting?

“Also considered for the award this month, Winnipeg Jets prospect Kieron Walton of the Sudbury Wolves put up 19 points (5-14–19) over eight contests.”

OHL Announces Top Performers of the Month for December - Ontario Hockey League

The Ontario Hockey League today announced Top Performers of the Month for December.

chl.ca

 

[Gm0ney]

Hmm, wonder if he also shares Wheeler's aversion to the team that drafted him. Not sayin', just sayin'.
Tick tock, Kevin...

Wheeler's talked about that. The Coyotes jerked him around a bit.

 

[ps241]

Wheeler's talked about that. The Coyotes jerked him around a bit.

In his interview with Sarah Orleski, Blake went into detail about how well he was treated by Doan and the organization and how much he wanted to play for the Yotes but once they turned over their coaching staff and Managment the new incoming front office and Managment were not sold on Blake and they didn’t give him a chance to make the roster so he went back to College and decided to go in a different direction.

 

[Crocket]

Thanks for the write up

Your description made me think of Eric Daze for some reason

Daze was so good.

 

[KingBogo]

In his interview with Sarah Orleski, Blake went into detail about how well he was treated by Doan and the organization and how much he wanted to play for the Yotes but once they turned over their coaching staff and Managment the new incoming front office and Managment were not sold on Blake and they didn’t give him a chance to make the roster so he went back to College and decided to go in a different direction.

I wasn’t aware of this part of the story.

 

[Shlep]

It’s the last 13 or 14 games specifically that he has been on a tear.

He's only had 4 games this season without a point.

He's has 41 points in his 17 game point streak, 36 of those points are primary.

 

[Shlep]

Agreed, things can change very quickly with prospects compared to even the young pros.

I'd take a guy like Walton that is screaming diamond in the rough over a solid performer like even Yager for instance.

Yager went from point a game in his draft year, to 1.16 per game, to 1.46, to 1.66, to 1.47 so far this year in 23 games (that will improve I'm sure)

Where as Walton went from 0.66 in his draft year last year, to 1.73 this year in 34 games. That's such a steep upward trajectory that you know he has more improvement ahead.

College does seem like a pretty logical next step for him so he isn't playing OHL again, then AHL. Can live the life at a major college, play some WJC and frozen 4 high pressure situations...and come out if/when the NHL lineup spot is ready for him. If we can get him signed to an ELC soon even better.

Edit: missed your note about Scheifele first time around. That Walton is outscoring Scheifele's D+2 season in his D+1 is quite the eyebrow raise...

It's not all about points, size and tools matter as well as work ethic and character. He isn't lacking in the size or tools department. In fact, those are more indications his game should translate to the pros.

Injuries can always have an adverse effect if they happen. But man, this dude looks like our best prospect the longer he keeps this up. Only other one even in consideration for me at this point is Salomonsson.

I'm going to dial this back a bit, he is scoring at a 2.4+ PPG rate in his 17 game point streak. We shouldn't expect him to go up from there, but we should be very excited that he's capable of what he's doing right now.

Yager dropped because he lost the only other player on his team who can put up points. You can only do so much by yourself.

 

[Duke749]

Was he this size last year?? Wonder if this is a case of a kid finally adjusting to his size. A sudden or late growth spurt can make you seem a bit clunky. Not sure anyone could have predicted this kind of step though. Wow.

 

[ps241]

I wasn’t aware of this part of the story.

Ok digging around a bit this one was from a Wiebe article :


“This was not the career path Blake Wheeler envisioned, though he's pretty happy about how things have worked out.

After playing in his 500th NHL game on Friday night, it's clear that Wheeler has found a comfortable hockey home with the Winnipeg Jets.

Now in his seventh NHL season, Wheeler took some time to reflect on how his career began earlier this week, starting with an early lesson about the business side of pro hockey.

“I played my last college game and I was fully expecting to sign with Phoenix and maybe even play games at the end of that season. I was ready to go,” said Wheeler, who was chosen fifth overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. “I watched their games and knew players on the team. I thought that was going to happen. But (Coyotes GM Don Maloney) talked to me a couple days after and hinted that it wasn't looking that way.”

The Jets host the Arizona Coyotes on Sunday in what will be their second-to-last game before the NHL All-Star break.

Wheeler ended up exercising a loophole in the collective bargaining agreement that allowed him to become an unrestricted free agent in late May of 2008 — following his junior season at the University of Minnesota — and signed with the Boston Bruins that summer.

“It was a clean slate. When I was drafted in Phoenix, it was different management and pretty much a different organization from the time I was drafted to the time I went to Boston. They had a new regime and new prospects,” said Wheeler. “I was far down the totem pole and it would have been a tough situation for me to claw my way out of there.”

The interview I saw he was discussing how much he liked Doan and looked up to him and how he was really looking forward to playing with him. I will try to remember when, where, and with whom that interview was.

 

[KingBogo]

Ok digging around a bit this one was from a Wiebe article :


“This was not the career path Blake Wheeler envisioned, though he's pretty happy about how things have worked out.

After playing in his 500th NHL game on Friday night, it's clear that Wheeler has found a comfortable hockey home with the Winnipeg Jets.

Now in his seventh NHL season, Wheeler took some time to reflect on how his career began earlier this week, starting with an early lesson about the business side of pro hockey.

“I played my last college game and I was fully expecting to sign with Phoenix and maybe even play games at the end of that season. I was ready to go,” said Wheeler, who was chosen fifth overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. “I watched their games and knew players on the team. I thought that was going to happen. But (Coyotes GM Don Maloney) talked to me a couple days after and hinted that it wasn't looking that way.”

The Jets host the Arizona Coyotes on Sunday in what will be their second-to-last game before the NHL All-Star break.

Wheeler ended up exercising a loophole in the collective bargaining agreement that allowed him to become an unrestricted free agent in late May of 2008 — following his junior season at the University of Minnesota — and signed with the Boston Bruins that summer.

“It was a clean slate. When I was drafted in Phoenix, it was different management and pretty much a different organization from the time I was drafted to the time I went to Boston. They had a new regime and new prospects,” said Wheeler. “I was far down the totem pole and it would have been a tough situation for me to claw my way out of there.”

The interview I saw he was discussing how much he liked Doan and looked up to him and how he was really looking forward to playing with him. I will try to remember when, where, and with whom that interview was.

Thanks for sharing the history. Very informative.