C/LW William Eklund - San Jose Sharks, NHL (2021, 7th, SJS)

[tomd]

And?... Eklund is 5'11, not 5'2.

I'm not even sure he 5'10"...5'11" seems very generous. Where is that measurement coming from?

 

[Frk It]

I'm not even sure he 5'10"...5'11" seems very generous. Where is that measurement coming from?

Every time TSN posts a draft list they have him at 5'9 and 3/4". But I have no idea if that is accurate or not.

 

[Gliff]

I'm not even sure he 5'10"...5'11" seems very generous. Where is that measurement coming from?

I meant 5'10. That was a typo.

 

[Kalv]

Djurgardens website lists him as 178cm which is 5`10

 

[bsu]

He'll be 5'11 by next season.

 

[MBH]

And?... Eklund is 5'11, not 5'2.

EDIT: 5'10. That was a typo.

All my draft guides say 5'10.

 

[Osakahaus]

Size is a nitpick at this rate. 5'10 is still fine when this leagues been going more friendly for sub 6 foot players

 

[405Entrance]

You just saw what a 5’6 cole caufield did and people still doubt players under 6’0 ? Make it make sense

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

You just saw what a 5’6 cole caufield did and people still doubt players under 6’0 ? Make it make sense

Who said small players can’t have success? I don’t see an issue discussing how tall a player is and even making the point that smaller players are at a disadvantage.

 

[Arthur Morgan]

You just saw what a 5’6 cole caufield did and people still doubt players under 6’0 ? Make it make sense

Yeah only so many small players like that actually make it.

 

[jc17]

Yeah only so many small players like that actually make it.

And most small players have already been weeded out by the time the draft rolls around. The ones that remain probably bust at the same rate as the bigger guys

 

[rocketdan9]

Who said small players can’t have success? I don’t see an issue discussing how tall a player is and even making the point that smaller players are at a disadvantage.

its not easy unless they are fiesty like Marchand, Point, Barzal, Beauvillier, Konecny

the biggest question for me when it comes to smallish players is.... After they take a beating physically/hard bodychecks etc

are they able to bounce back? Do they know how to avoid getting blasted? Avoid injuries?

Mentally... are they strong enough to brush it off? and focus on the next shift

 

[Arthur Morgan]

And most small players have already been weeded out by the time the draft rolls around. The ones that remain probably bust at the same rate as the bigger guys

Thats true. they are still risky to take though. being that small. guys can just push u around. they need to be extremely strong imo and only so many of them have what it takes to make it.
it all depends whos available on the board anyways.

 

[tomd]

It's worth mentioning that in the last 40 years only 2 players 5'10" or shorter have been taken in the top 3 of the draft. One was Patrick Kane and the other was Pat Lafontaine.

You can make the case that Eklund is a top 3 player in the draft but I'll be surprised if he is taken in the top 3.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

It's worth mentioning that in the last 40 years only 2 players 5'10" or shorter have been taken in the top 3 of the draft. One was Patrick Kane and the other was Pat Lafontaine.

You can make the case that Eklund is a top 3 player in the draft but I'll be surprised if he is taken in the top 3.

Here's the thing; Eklund didn't run up the score as a small guy against juniors. He was scoring at about a 0.74ppg rate against men in a low scoring defensive MENS league before he was shut down with COVID and appendicitis. The SHL is probably the 3rd best league in the world. Those PPG numbers put him amongst the very best draft year eligibles from the same league; The Sedins and Peter Forsberg specifically.

He is overall the most talented forward prospect in the draft and if he was a center would probably be the clear cut #2 this year behind Power despite his size. If he were 6'0" or 6'1" he would be the clear cut #1 over Power, that's how talented Eklund is. The only real complaint people have of him is they wish he was bigger.

I think it will be a total shocker if he lasts beyond the 3rd pick.

 

[bsu]

He outplayed Holtz, who is a great prospect in his own right, in all zones.

 

[Kalv]

The way he can glide past opposing defensemen and craftyness reminds me a bit of Zegras.

 

[Akrapovince]

At this level small players have adapted their game to fit their physical attributes.

If Chara suddenly was 5’9 that would be an issue, but I’m sure these players that weren’t blessed with height have modelled their game to make up for it or have been coached in a way to succeed.

Obviously everything being equal you’d go for the taller, bigger player. But it’s just a case by case basis.

If a power forward type prospect was dominating the WHL physically at 5’8 that would be an issue imo because his tools wouldn’t translate well. I don’t see that here.

 

[bsu]

'I'm going to go No. 1' — William Eklund's drive to achieve his NHL dream is boosted by his off-ice teammates – The Athletic

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I think it’s a matter of how good you think Eklund is. I don’t think anyone thinks he’s bad and should be picked third round. The difference of opinion is about 5-10 spots, maybe 15 on the absolute high/low opinions. It reminds me of the Rossi discussions last year. Some were huge fans and thought he’d be a star, others weren’t sure and had some critiques.

When making a list you are weighing ceiling, floor, strengths, weaknesses. I don’t think the opinions on Eklund are that polarizing, but people are going to weigh relevant considerations differently. There’s more at play when assessing Eklund than someone like Power or Guenther.

 

[bsu]

He will be this years Pettersson or Zegras if he falls past 5. Hope he is a Duck.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

He will be this years Pettersson or Zegras if he falls past 5. Hope he is a Duck.

I hope he's a Red Wing, but I sincerely doubt he makes it past New Jersey. They drafted Holtz and probably saw him a ton this year.

And a bit more speculation, but what if the reason Buffalo didn't interview Power yet is because they want to take Eklund at first overall?

 

[bsu]

All of Anaheim, Seattle, Buffalo seem interested but who knows with this draft.

 

[nbducksfan19]

It's worth mentioning that in the last 40 years only 2 players 5'10" or shorter have been taken in the top 3 of the draft. One was Patrick Kane and the other was Pat Lafontaine.

You can make the case that Eklund is a top 3 player in the draft but I'll be surprised if he is taken in the top 3.

This is such a weird and frankly irrelevant data point. In analyzing who to draft, I am much more interested in how players actually perform in the current NHL than historical draft position (which is filled with poor selection processes.) Also, to play this weird game, what about Jack Hughes?

If I am a team picking 4-10, I certainly would hope the teams above me passed on Eklund because "only 2 players 5,10' or shorter have been taken in the top 3".

Maybe Owen Power will drop because there has never been a player drafted first overall whose last name is both a Noun and a Verb?

 

[tomd]

This is such a weird and frankly irrelevant data point. In analyzing who to draft, I am much more interested in how players actually perform in the current NHL than historical draft position (which is filled with poor selection processes.) Also, to play this weird game, what about Jack Hughes?

If I am a team picking 4-10, I certainly would hope the teams above me passed on Eklund because "only 2 players 5,10' or shorter have been taken in the top 3".

Maybe Owen Power will drop because there has never been a player drafted first overall whose last name is both a Noun and a Verb?

I'll put you down for a "yes" vote on Eklund for top 3.