The Blunder Years
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Fox is a genius level IQ. Might be the smartest D in the league.
Clarke isn't stupid or lacking in IQ, but he's nowhere near as smart.
Fox should have went top 10 when he was 18 then.
Fox is a genius level IQ. Might be the smartest D in the league.
Clarke isn't stupid or lacking in IQ, but he's nowhere near as smart.
Fox should have went top 10 when he was 18 then.
As much as I was rooting for Quinn no matter where we picked drafting D scares the shit out of me, especially guys that thrived on size since that can be a huge advantage. Brandt seems like his IQ is on par with the trend we are seeing. Maybe someone could let me know if his style would mesh with Quinn because getting Quinn the best partner should be the main goal even if it means trading the pick.Sure, but Clarke is also now 6'2 190lbs. He'll probably clear 200lbs fully matured.
Q. Hughes, Makar, Fox are all "smarter" players than Clarke, and better skaters, but he's really not that far off... and with his size he could definitely grow into a true 1D if he puts it all together.
He also has a very nice shot, I could see him scoring more goals than those guys.
All I know is if my Canucks are picking 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th - it's Clarke all the way.
As much as I was rooting for Quinn no matter where we picked drafting D scares the shit out of me, especially guys that thrived on size since that can be a huge advantage. Brandt seems like his IQ is on par with the trend we are seeing. Maybe someone could let me know if his style would mesh with Quinn because getting Quinn the best partner should be the main goal even if it means trading the pick.
As much as I was rooting for Quinn no matter where we picked drafting D scares the shit out of me, especially guys that thrived on size since that can be a huge advantage. Brandt seems like his IQ is on par with the trend we are seeing. Maybe someone could let me know if his style would mesh with Quinn because getting Quinn the best partner should be the main goal even if it means trading the pick.
I’m not sure the last top prospect like this whose skating reports and qualities were so all over the map. I know it’s only against other 18 year-olds but his skating looks pretty good to me overall. Is it is slightly less than elegant visually that is causing the concern? Is there something about his skating posture that is raising red flags in terms of him continuing to develop that aspect? I mean he’s not generationally explosive like Makar and doesn’t have the effortless smooth perfect glide of Drysdale but I feel like the standard for what constitutes acceptable skating quality in a prospect should not be two of the best skating blueline prospects in a decade.
I’m not an expert on Clarke but I kind of like the Hamilton comp in terms of effective upside (obviously very different frames) in terms of maybe not the most elegant guys out there but just crazy good offensive IQ and tools.
The skating concerns stemmed from his knee issues, which prevent him from properly utilizing his outside edges. When you watch him skate its clear that he favors his inside edges which gives him kind of a wonky stride.
That might be a bit concerning, but his extremely strong inside edges, (mohawks, inside stop+turns, etc), and his natural athleticism make up for it. When you factor in his hockey IQ, frame, and offensive ability you're looking at a top-3 prospect for sure.
Him and Beniers are my favorite two and I hope one of them becomes a duck.
As it stands today, I think Quinn needs a rock-solid, right-shot partner with size and good passing ability. Think Erik Gubranson if he actually had pro-level skills (other than being tall, and handsome). Cernak, Parayko, etc.
Right now, Clarke is a bit too light and not quite defensively sound enough to be that guy for Quinn. But if Vancouver drafts him and develops him properly, and he continues to grow into his body... I could see them forming one of the best D pairs in the entire league. Watching those two would be electric, talk about modern NHL defence.
I'd even like to try 2 Dmen on the first unit powerplay, especially with that kind of ability and familiarity. Clarke has a decent shot, and could become a true weapon if he hones in on his clapper.
I just really like the kid. He seems smarter and smoother to me than some previously highly-touted Dmen like Bouchard, Liljigren, Dobson, etc. (all good players in their own right). Probably similar upside to Boqvist, or higher. Maybe Soderstrom-esque? Cale Makar as a ceiling?
Hughes and Clarke probably wouldn’t make a good pairing.
For a Hughes partner VAN should look at a Tanev type. Defensive dman that has decent passing and plays super safe.
Clarke would also be best served by that kind of partner, I think. He’s the puck dominant defenseman on his pair.
As it stands today, I think Quinn needs a rock-solid, right-shot partner with size and good passing ability. Think Erik Gubranson if he actually had pro-level skills (other than being tall, and handsome). Cernak, Parayko, etc.
Right now, Clarke is a bit too light and not quite defensively sound enough to be that guy for Quinn. But if Vancouver drafts him and develops him properly, and he continues to grow into his body... I could see them forming one of the best D pairs in the entire league. Watching those two would be electric, talk about modern NHL defence.
I'd even like to try 2 Dmen on the first unit powerplay, especially with that kind of ability and familiarity. Clarke has a decent shot, and could become a true weapon if he hones in on his clapper.
I just really like the kid. He seems smarter and smoother to me than some previously highly-touted Dmen like Bouchard, Liljigren, Dobson, etc. (all good players in their own right). Probably similar upside to Boqvist, or higher. Maybe Soderstrom-esque? Cale Makar as a ceiling?
Call me crazy but after watching him in the IIHF while is a good player his lower legs seems somewhat unstable and his skating is not the greatest.
not crazy at allCall me crazy but after watching him in the IIHF while is a good player his lower legs seems somewhat unstable and his skating is not the greatest.
Watching him in person last night 180 pounds looks to be very generous.It is generally accepted that Clarke needs to work on his skating. IQ and offensive capabilities are off the charts. He will benefit from added weight and strength, and hopefully the skating will clean up too.
Team Canada profile says he is 6’2” but he looks pretty darn lean — maybe 180 to 185. At 6’2” he has a frame to carry 210 to 220.
In short, Clarke has upside on skating and physical elements of his game.
I’m not sure the last top prospect like this whose skating reports and qualities were so all over the map. I know it’s only against other 18 year-olds but his skating looks pretty good to me overall. Is it is slightly less than elegant visually that is causing the concern? Is there something about his skating posture that is raising red flags in terms of him continuing to develop that aspect? I mean he’s not generationally explosive like Makar and doesn’t have the effortless smooth perfect glide of Drysdale but I feel like the standard for what constitutes acceptable skating quality in a prospect should not be two of the best skating blueline prospects in a decade.
I’m not an expert on Clarke but I kind of like the Hamilton comp in terms of effective upside (obviously very different frames) in terms of maybe not the most elegant guys out there but just crazy good offensive IQ and tools.
I'd argue his skill with the puck is his great strength. More skilled than smart IMO.
Again, not saying he's stupid or has low IQ.