So you have Dach well above Cozens and Krebs? How would you compare and contrast the three?
Yes, I do, although I love the others as well. I see him as having the highest floor and the highest ceiling. I’m no scout but I’ll attempt a run down, other WHL watchers can chime in to corroborate or correct my views.
All three have very good and very different
skating. Krebs is smooth and very efficient allowing him to always be around the puck, and excellent agility. Dach is powerful with a long stride that similarly allows him to be efficiently effective, and has impressive ability to turn tightly and rapidly to escape pressure, especially for a guy his size. Cozens is up there and possibly
the fastest in a straight line with and without the puck in the whole draft class, so he gets the edge, as he can accelerate hard in any direction from a standstill.
All three are also strong
defensively. Cozens’ Hlinka showed that he can be a shut-down possession beast when tasked with another team’s top offensive threat, but I think I might like Dach here overall. He’s a highly committed and intelligent positional defender with a strong stick and deceptive speed, I can’t remember how many times he picked a guy’s pocket, and he’s a physical presence with his size and reach even if he doesn’t throw too many hits. Krebs is also defensively conscientious and adept at takeaways and pass interceptions, and considering that Cozens has had some defensive inconsistencies this season, I might prefer him - although I think Cozens’ ceiling as a defensive player is higher, if that makes any sense.
In terms of
puck skills, each is a dangerous threat one-on-one and capable of undressing a defender, with Cozens and Dach generally more adventurous. Dach has some serious moves and great hand-eye, and Cozens is left behind a little bit by the other two in terms of passing - that’s not much of a criticism. Dach serves up banquets, he’s one of those guys who can dish crazy sauce without a second of hesitation. Krebs is similar and has the uncanny luck, vision, will, whatever you want to call it to make on-ice passes into high danger areas through high traffic.
Krebs probably takes
IQ, the way he predicts plays will develop and slips in, around, and behind defences to get open or make a play is his best trait in my eyes. He’s one of those guys that you can immediately tell is thinking outside the box a couple steps ahead of everybody else. Cozens has had his IQ questioned on here, which I don’t really agree with, but it doesn’t stand out. Dach takes
vision easily. Yes, easily, even over Krebs. He’s a surveyor with excellent patience and the size and mobility required to let plays develop. I haven’t seen a game go by where he didn’t make a great pass in the offensive end from his favourite spots beneath the half wall. He’s deceptive, he’s decisive, and he rarely tries to force things where nothing exists despite his skill.
Shooting is interesting, but I know one thing. Dach has the best wrister. Heavy, amazing accuracy, great release. It’s a little ridiculous how infrequently he uses it, though. Cozens is the far, far more willing shooter whose shot isn’t significantly behind and takes this in a cake walk.
Dach separates himself on the basis of his offensive potential. His vision and whole-package playmaking ability (combination of patience, puck skills, and puck protection, with and without speed) is unparalleled in this year’s draft. As I said earlier, before his inexplicable dry spell that I have gone into detail on multiple times, his statistical production over the first 2.5 months had him on par with and above Kakko and tentatively pushing at Hughes. He’s still that same player and the points are starting to come in greater volume again. The style and pace at which he seems inclined to play have raised a slight degree of concerns where I don’t see him going above third but would be perfectly happy to see my team pick him there, and it will be a mistake that one team will joyfully capitalize on if he falls past 5 or 6.
I realistically expect Cozens and Krebs to become strong 2Cs in the NHL, and Dach a true first line centre, although all have an authentic shot at becoming that. This draft is absolutely loaded with guys who could become the offensive leader for a team. Interestingly, there’s some talk of a chance all of these WHL guys could become wingers - although that would be a foolish waste of their talents IMO.
